Micro ATX board compatible with Ryzen 5 1600X
Micro ATX board compatible with Ryzen 5 1600X
I've recently purchased a Ryzen 5 1600X at a discounted price and am searching for a reliable micro ATX motherboard under £100. In the UK, the only choices within my budget are B450M boards. The ASRock B450M Steel Legend is my top choice, but I could also consider the Asus TUF B450M-PLUS GAMING AM4 DDR4 mATX or the MSI Ryzen B450M MORTAR MAX AM4. Have anyone here used these models? Please share your experiences. Thank you.
i'm not used to the tuf b450 board, but from what i understand it's not top-notch and its io is pretty basic. so it seems like either the mortar or the steel legend would be better. however, if i were choosing, i'd pick the steel legend. just remembered recently that the steel legend only offers 4 phase power delivery, which isn't too bad, but the mortar has a 6+2 phase system plus an extra m.2 slot—depends on what you're after. both are solid options. edited may 19, 2020 by TofuHaroto
The most affordable option that isn’t a total mess is the AsRock B450(m) Pro4, usually selling under $70. In reality, any B450 board with a VRM can manage a 1600X if you run it at normal speeds and keep airflow around the heatsink.
If he reaches the mortar zone, I don’t think there’s an issue investing a bit more than that for a significantly improved game.
Absolutely, but it adds nearly half the cost. It really comes down to whether you can cut back funds and invest elsewhere. I think the premium boards usually include all the extra features and the basic model lacks them, so the interface is significantly improved compared to what AsRock provides.
I fully understand. However, there are aspects where saving money isn't always advised, such as using a mobile module for stable power supply, while still achieving satisfactory results.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’m leaning toward the ASRock B450M Steel Legend. After some digging, it seems MSI Mortar Max might be a stronger choice. Their UK support appears to be lacking, so I’d prefer a company that values its customers. The board costs £86.99 (on sale from Amazon.co.uk), and the R5 1600X is £130 with 16GB Corsair Vengeance 2666MHz RAM included. That totals around £216.99. I’m really satisfied with this setup.
I understand you already have the sections, but finding a 1600 AF version would have really helped.