Compare X570 and B550 motherboards for performance and features.
Compare X570 and B550 motherboards for performance and features.
Hi Guys, I'm making a new system and I've purchased most of the parts already bar Case, Mobo and CPU Cooler (see PP link below). With the motherboard, I'm unsure whether or not I should go B550 or X570. I understand B550 has less PCIe Gen 4 lanes avalible, limiting future upgradibility. At the same time, the B550 Chipset doesn't have any additional point of failure (active chipset cooling). Is there any advice you guys can give on what chipset to go with? For refrence, there are two boards I'm looking at, linked below. I've read lots of material surrounding B550 and X570 and it's very mixed feelings, with some saying B550 was stupid while some are saying wait out until X670 (if there even is one in dev?). https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/WKdr...ahawk-wifi https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/vFhm...ming-wi-fi (only negative with this is no internal Type C connector) Thanks, Shaun. PCPartPicker Part List Type Item Price CPU AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor £461.51 @ Overclockers.co.uk CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U12S chromax.black 55 CFM CPU Cooler £64.98 @ Amazon UK Motherboard MSI MAG X570 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM4 Motherboard £193.48 @ Ebuyer Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory £107.47 @ Scan.co.uk Storage Western Digital SN750 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive £126.88 @ Ebuyer Storage Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive £50.38 @ CCL Computers Video Card Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB GAMING OC Video Card £599.99 @ Ebuyer Case Corsair 4000D Airflow ATX Mid Tower Case £72.31 @ Box Limited Power Supply Corsair RM (2019) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply £99.95 @ Amazon UK Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts Total £1776.95 Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-11-29 11:33 GMT+0000
Unless you anticipate needing more Gen 4 SSDs soon, the B550 is a solid choice. It provides ample 4.0 lanes for your GPU and boot drive. If you frequently perform fast disk-to-disk transfers, additional lanes could make sense. You should also consider other features that might outperform the X570 board.
I aimed for a comparable setup. Chose the B550 (Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING). It seems PCI4 isn't a big plus unless you have a particular need. X570 models usually offer more ports and headers, but an expansion card works if you require extra. I tend to prefer larger fans over the small ones many others use.
B550 represents the latest generation, often surpassing x570 boards since makers refined them—improved heatsinks, updated VRM controllers, and enhanced onboard audio options such as ALC1220 instead of older models like alc1200 or alc892, plus 2.5G Ethernet. Chipset designs now skip the need for a fan, reducing potential failure points despite a small risk. The main drawback is that PCIe lanes are limited to version 3.0, meaning only PCIe 3.0 slots (like X16 and some X1) and possibly a second M.2 slot remain, while video and first M.2 ports use PCIe 4.0. If you require wireless, the Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AX costs about 10 more than the B550—see details here. It offers Wi-Fi 6, ALC1220 audio, USB 10Gbps front panel, and better overclocking potential, though memory limits are similar. For budget options, the ASUS ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI) is around 181 pounds, providing Wi-Fi 6, improved ALC1220 audio, and USB 3.0. The Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro AC is cheaper at roughly 158 pounds but lacks Wi-Fi 6 and offers only 802.11ac. Both drop USB 3.0 10Gbps support and fewer ports compared to the newer models.
The main distinction between those two boards lies in the audio codec, which doesn't seem to justify the £20 price tag since few alternatives are available locally for the GB model. Regarding VRM performance, Tomahawk generally stands out positively in reviews, even compared to the B550. Are there any other factors you haven't considered?
The Gigabyte offers improved onboard audio with the ALC1220, enhanced memory support (up to 5200 Mhz versus MSI's 4600 Mhz), and additional PCIe x16 slots (x16, x4, x2) compared to the MSI configuration. * More USB ports are available on the IO shield (6 USB2 + 5 USB3 5/10G versus 2 USB2 + 6 USB3 5/10G). * The design looks more attractive for enthusiasts, with better M.2 heatsinks and a superior mounting position. * No noisy fan is present that might fail. The VRM setup differs slightly: Gigabyte uses 12 phases at 50A versus MSI's 12 phases at 60A with MOSFETs, though the impact on performance is minimal for CPUs like the 5900X or 5950X. For a 5800X, efficiency gains are negligible—only a slight difference in watts. * VRM temperatures remain manageable: around 70°C for Gigabyte, 65°C for MSI, allowing stable operation at 90-100°C continuously for years. If budget allows and you’re okay sacrificing the front panel’s 10GBPS connector, consider the Pro AC board (158-160 lbs) for better performance; it could also support higher memory speeds, especially with 5xxx chips. Alternatively, adding 10-20 lbs and opting for a 4-6 TB mechanical drive might be worthwhile, or explore external WD drives (around 125 lbs) for flexibility.