Inquiry about USB ports on MSI Tomahawk B550
Inquiry about USB ports on MSI Tomahawk B550
Hey! Thinking about purchasing this board because it's available at 137€ including AC Valhalla. I’m also looking into the X570 Tomahawk which is 179€ but still includes AC Valhalla. A big concern for me is the number of USB ports – I’ll be doing VR gaming and connecting around 10 devices, like a mouse, keyboard, Xbox controller, VR headset, and sensors that all need USB 3.0. That adds up to roughly 9 ports. Would it be possible to use a hub you already own to connect the ones without USB 3? Then I could use the front and back ports for the others? I’m worried about potential USB controller issues on Windows with so many devices connected. Any advice?
Remember your front panel headers are included! You can also find PCI-E cards offering additional USB ports on the back.
consider using the front ports as well, such as the top of a case. You may also prefer a USB controller, though it's unclear what the maximum capacity is. There could be restrictions on power limits or USB slots on the motherboard design. If you connect the most demanding components into the PC and add a hub extension, it might function. Probably not ideal if you focus too much on VR and USB, as they seem to have separate setups. The exact details might vary by brand and version.
You're wondering if using the front panel USB3 ports for two sensors will work. Your setup has two USB 3 and two USB 2 ports at the front, so it's feasible. The X570 Tomahawk is a good choice because it offers two additional USB 3.2 ports on the back, avoiding the need for an extra expansion controller. It might be worth the extra 40€ if you value those extra ports.
I'm planning to link two sensors to the front USB3 ports on the case. It features two USB3 and two USB2 ports at the front.
Since you asked for the ports, why not just proceed and check it out? Otherwise, it depends on your preferences.
It would be better to keep the 40€ expense if I could manage the ports on the B550, which is why I posed the original question.
On the MSi B550 Tomahawk you have three USB 3.x ports at the rear and four if you include the Type-C port. These aren't suitable for your VR headset, keyboard, and mouse. Two USB 2.0 ports are available on the back for devices like a BT adapter, DAC, or microphone. Front ports can accommodate USB 2.0 or 3.x connections.
It looks like the setup is feasible with a USB 3.0 port. You could connect a hub to one of the USB2 ports to power KBM, the mic, and the BT adapter—your test confirmed it works. Regarding the cost, the X570 offers more features than the B550, but if you’re only using one M2 drive and one GPU, the B550 should be enough.
KB / Mouse / BT Adapter (possibly mic) consumes minimal power. It's fine to use a hub with these devices. The choice between X570 and B550 mainly depends on the PCI-E lanes offered by their chipsets. The X570 provides additional PCI-E 4.0 lanes, such as extra M.2 ports or other slots, whereas the B550 offers PCI-E 3.0 lanes. Both models only pass through the first top-most PCI-E X16 slot and exclude a second GPU. Even a second M.2 SSD works if you're willing to work with PCI-E 3.0 speeds, which remain impressive. Beyond that, the VRM construction differs: the X570 Tomahawk has a 6(x2) + 2 phase design, while the B550 Tomahawk uses a 5(x2) + 2 configuration. Both should handle a stock Ryzen 5950X and should not pose major problems for overclocked Ryzen 5600X or 5800X.