Motherboard buyig advice
Motherboard buyig advice
Hello, I'm searching for a motherboard compatible with the 5600X. I plan to build it mainly for gaming. After reviewing many discussions, reviews, and YouTube videos, I realized I don't really need the X570. A B550 should suffice. Eventually, next-gen NVMe drives might become popular for gaming, so my rig could be quite old—or if not, I could use a M.2 slot connected to the CPU. That’s fine. VRMs aren’t an issue on many solid boards, which is another plus. My main worries are cost and performance. Looking at decent budget B550 options, most are solid, but the IO speeds are disappointing. I’m torn between the two choices: Asus Strix B500-F for 190€ or a Tomahawk X570 for 220€. Some people say the X570 is a clear winner at this price because B550 models around 180-200€ are entry-level for it. That’s accurate. What do you think about comparing B550 and X570? I’d likely opt for extra features like good audio, but avoid the X570’s PCIe 4.0 specs. The built-in CPU features should be sufficient. Thanks for the insights! And if you have recommendations for other models, I’d appreciate it.
The main distinction lies in the wiring of lanes between CPU and chipset. On X570, lanes connected to both are Gen 4 (assuming Zen 2/3), while on B550, CPU lanes are Gen 4 and chipset lanes are Gen 3. Unless you require the additional Gen 4 lanes on X570, choosing B550 is sufficient. What are your power requirements? budget? and location plus currency?
The Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro costs 195 euros. It features an ATX AM4 motherboard with several USB connectors on the IO shield, including three X16 slots (x16, x4, x2). One drawback is it only has a single video output, which limits multi-display setups. The B550 AORUS PRO offers better performance compared to some Asus models and includes more USB ports. The B550 Aorus Elite V2 is priced around 167 euros and works well with a 5600 processor, though it may run hot with higher-end chips. Affordable MATX boards in the 150-180 euro range are available, such as the MSI B550M Mortar or Gigabyte B550M Aorus Pro. If you’re okay with missing USB Type-C and/or 10Gbps ports on the IO shield, there are plenty of alternatives.
You were expecting a Mortar but 5 USB ports are not acceptable. You need seven USB ports, which is why you didn’t receive this model. Asus TUF works well, but there’s only a small price gap compared to Strix F here... Since I like the Strix F look, I’d choose that instead. I noticed they have the Strix F version—thank you for the suggestion. It helps me focus on what matters and remember I can improve.
Budget-wise, I’m considering a 650W PSU and hope it fits my setup. I don’t want to compromise on quality or price. I’m open to getting an X570 Unify if needed.
Regarding the case, I prefer ATX over MATX because it feels more complete. I also heard Gigabyte’s BIOS isn’t as strong as Asus or MSI. Is that accurate?
The only feedback I've received concerned the dual-bios function: when overclocking and the system fails to start or restarts unexpectedly, it automatically switches to the second bios without warning. This can cause confusion for overclockers who lose their profiles since the profile is stored on the first chip while booting from the second. In my experience with Asrock, Gigabyte, and an Asus board, Asus has changed significantly—pricing has risen and perceived value has decreased. I’m certain you won’t face any BIOS or Gigabyte issues.
I'll take a closer look at those boards then. It's certain that my decision will be the B550.
If you have a budget around 250 to 300 euros, I’ll assume you’re looking at a mid-range setup. If that fits:
Spoiler – PCPartPicker is the tool here.
Most items fall between €195 and €217.
For example:
- MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX AM4 – €217.90
- Gigabyte B550 AORUS PRO ATX AM4 – €195.19
- MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 – €132.44
- X570 Tomahawk or B550 Strix F – similar price range
All these options are solid choices.