Choose between B550 Aorus Master and MSI x570 Tomahawk with WiFi capabilities.
Choose between B550 Aorus Master and MSI x570 Tomahawk with WiFi capabilities.
If the link isn't functional, consider upgrading to a Ryzen 7 3800X paired with a Corsair H60 EVGA 2070 Super. Pair it with an RM 850W 80+ Gold fully modular PSU, G.Skill Trident Z RGB 64GB (4x16GB), and a 3600 CL18. I know CL18 isn't ideal and I don’t need much RAM. You’ll also have an MSI MPG x570 Gaming Edge Wifi 2x Intel 660P 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, plus a Samsung 860 Evo 1TB SSD and a SanDisk Ultra 1TB SSD in a case. I’m assuming I already own all these components. My current setup runs games at 1440p with maximum settings and occasionally uses Linux VMs. I’m not heavily overclocking yet, but it’s becoming more common. Right now I’m leaning toward the Aorus Master, though I worry about GPU performance dropping if I install an M.2 slot in the lower two positions—it could force the GPU to run at Gen4 X4 from the CPU. Neither my GPU nor my M.2 supports Gen4, so I’m unsure if this will affect performance. Both models have 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5. What are your thoughts? Your feedback is really helpful.
I’d probably choose the X570 Tomahawk mainly due to the awkward dual BIOS setup on the B550 Aorus Master, which complicates memory overclocking. Still, thermal constraints on your CPU—especially with the H60—are more likely to be a bigger issue than any VRM limitations on the motherboard. I’d wait for a 12/16-core board before upgrading the motherboard.
Also, you're likely not going to hear me, so skip the extra RAM and opt for a stronger GPU.
You'll be using 3.0 x8 with the 2070S. Performance shouldn't be affected, but future upgrades might require a GPU that supports 4.0 x8, so consider the Tomahawk. It offers no downsides compared to the Aorus Master. The increased VRM won't help if your CPU struggles with heat initially. Right now, the most power-hungry chip (3950X) also doesn't cause excessive heat with the Tomahawk version.