TechJunkie Expert Recommendations
TechJunkie is supported by our readers. When you make a purchase through our links, we may earn a commission. Read More.
If you want to start building a powerful gaming PC with let’s say, an AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, you’re going to have to start by having a strong motherboard. The motherboard is the lifeline of every PC out there but for gaming PCs, it’s a must that you get the best of the best to support every powerful piece on the rig. Of all the motherboards out there, you need to focus on getting a B550 motherboard.
A B550 motherboard can help power up your AMD Ryzen 9 CPU with no issue. Now comes an important question – which of the motherboards out there are worth getting? With so many options to choose from, picking one can be understandably difficult. Here are the top 6 B550 motherboards we’ve found on the market currently.
Finding the perfect motherboard for your gaming needs can be hard. If you want the best B550 motherboard out there, then you might want to consider the Asus ROG Strix B550-E. It’s a top-end board that focuses solely on gaming. Let’s air out some of the problems of this motherboard first. At $289, it’s one of the most expensive motherboards on this list. It becomes an even bigger problem once you notice that the Asus ROG Strix B550-E actually costs as much as X570 motherboards which are more powerful. Still, we can’t deny that this motherboard is a perfect motherboard that will suit your gaming needs. It’s a part of the ROG line after all. Performance-wise, the Asus ROG Strix B550-E is built to handle various gaming needs without any issues. It’s an affordable MSI board that can top the charts when it comes to benchmark tests. It can overclock better than other motherboards out there. In terms of heat dissipation, the motherboard is designed to ensure that temperatures are well-regulated throughout your PC so that lag or delays won’t happen even when it comes to intensive games. Some of the features of this motherboard include M.2 heatsinks, pre-installed backplates, Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking, Intel 2.5 GB ethernet, and of course, it wouldn’t be a gaming motherboard without RGB LEDs. From its looks alone, it’s safe to say that the Asus ROG Strix B550-E is built for gamers, by gamers. If you manage to overlook the price, you can have one of the best motherboards to suit your gaming needs, and possibly more.
Quality selection of featuresGood networking for online gamesSuperb build
As expensive as X570 motherboards
From one top-tier gaming brand, let’s move on to another. You can’t create a list of the top motherboards without throwing MSI into the mix. The best offering from the brand has to be the MSI Mag B550 Mortar. Like the previous entry, the MSI Mag B550 Mortar also focuses purely on gaming. It’s one of the best motherboards out there if you are eyeing playing the latest games but don’t have the budget to get other high-end motherboards. At its price, it’s safe to say that this motherboard is one of the cheapest currently. It’s no surprise why more and more gamers are building their PCs with this motherboard in mind. It’s a lot cheaper than most B550 and X570 motherboards out there. After benchmark tests, we’ve found that the MSI Mag B550 Mortar offers superb gaming frame rates with no delay or lags. To put it simply, it’s a motherboard that can withstand even the most demanding games on the market. At its price, the motherboard can be a good home for various CPUs including the AMD Zen 3. The motherboard can maximize the performance of this CPU at its fullest clocked potential. One of our main issues with this motherboard is that it doesn’t have an extra PCIe 4.0 M.2 and x16 graphics slots. The good news is that it shouldn’t be a problem if you aren’t looking to add these extras. You can opt in to get the Wi-Fi version of the motherboard instead, but it can be more expensive. Regardless of its shortcomings, this motherboard is still a great find that will get most of your basic and advanced gaming needs to be done. If you’re on a tight budget, the MSI Mag B550 Mortar is arguably one of the best motherboards out there. You can get this far cheaper than what’s in the link above if you look in the right places.
Good BIOSAffordable pricePerfect stock-clock and efficiency
Short on extra features
B550 motherboards can be very expensive, but what’s good is that you’re getting quality parts for what you spend. If money isn’t a problem, then the ASRock B550 Taichi Razer Edition is probably the best you can buy right now. Let’s get one of the most noticeable parts of the ASRock B550 Taichi Razer Edition out of the way first. It looks amazing and it can work well with various PC cases. The motherboard features a unique yin and yang, steampunk aesthetic that the brand is known for. There’s more RGB-lead and a Razer touch to the motherboard overall. In terms of aesthetics, this motherboard is enough to woo any gamer into buying it. The ASRock B550 Taichi Razer Edition is not all flare though. It’s a high-end motherboard with features that you would expect from any B550 motherboard out there. It has a heady VRM support and it can also run an overclocked Ryzen 9 5950x. In terms of performance, it’s one of the top tier motherboards out there and all you really need to support it is a top of the line CPU as well. The only real issue we have with the ASRock B550 Taichi Razer Edition is its price. For its price, you can get motherboards that are much weaker but are still more than capable of being the foundation of a good PC. It’s not surprising that this motherboard is expensive as it has the Razer brand all over it after all. If you’re going to buy this motherboard, make sure that you have enough money to get other parts for your PC as well. The ASRock B550 Taichi Razer Edition is a good investment overall especially for those that have the budget for it. It’s aesthetically good-looking and performs well, so you’re getting your money’s worth regardless.
Good designSuperb VRMSupports Razer Chroma
Very expensive
Say you don’t have a budget for some of the motherboards we’ve listed so far; what can you do? The good news is you don’t have to spend a lot to get a decent motherboard. With the ASRock B550M-HDV, you’re getting the most out of your money. Let’s be clear about it, the ASRock B550M-HDV sells at around $90. That’s a lot cheaper than everything else on this list, but don’t let the price fool you; it’s still a decent motherboard. Of course, don’t set your expectations too high as there’s only so much you can get with a motherboard that’s this cheap. Still, if it’s value for money you’re looking for, then the ASRock B550M-HDV is the right direction. Despite its cheap price, you can still build a good Ryzen PC. Performance-wise, you’re looking at a mid-tier performance which is still surprising for a motherboard of its price. Keep in mind that since this is a cheap motherboard, you can’t expect it to be capable of overclocking. If you have Zen 2 and Zen 3 chips, then that shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. You’re still getting a four-pin CPU power connector with this motherboard too.
It’s the best budget option that your money can buy. While it’s definitely not up there with the best of the best in terms of performance, you’re not getting screwed over with this motherboard despite its price.
Very affordableGood performanceHas vital features for building good PC
Limited expansion
NZXT isn’t a well-known brand compared to others on this list, but they do have some amazing motherboards in their inventory. Their first foray into an AMD motherboard is the NZXT N7 B550, and boy is it an amazing motherboard. This is one of their most recent offerings and the wait was well worth it. The manufacturers used their experience and learnings from their previous Intel boards to create an amazing motherboard that can help run powerful Ryzen CPUs. Thanks to the additional development time, NZXT was also able to add cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E technology and 2.5 Gb ethernet support. Performance-wise, the motherboard has the makings of a powerful piece of your PC. Aside from the performance, the NZXT N7 B550 also boasts an amazing appearance that can make it easily standout alongside other B550 gaming motherboards. It has clear solid shrouds dominating the surface. If you’re a fan of RGBs however, this might not be the motherboard for you as the NZXT N7 B550 lacks that. It’s a minor flaw to an otherwise amazing motherboard that’s built and made specifically for AMD CPUs. One of the best assets of this motherboard is its powerful Wi-Fi chip and fast USB ports. Performance-wise, the NZXT N7 B550 doesn’t lag behind other offerings on the market as well. It’s a mid-range priced motherboard that can offer a lot in terms of all of your needs for gaming and other PC tasks. That being said, it should be a good option as it’s a completely packaged motherboard from an up and coming PC parts maker. Though a bit late to the market, the NZXT N7 B550 is a surprisingly good buy. The extra time the developers took to build this motherboard was more than enough to create a very powerful piece for your PC.
Powerful Wi-FiFast USB portsStrong cable delivery
No RGB
Last but definitely not least, we have the ASRock B550 Taichi. This is another powerful motherboard from ASRock, and it’s also one of their most expensive offerings with a price of almost $300. One of the best things about the ASRock B550 Taichi is that it looks amazing. It’s one of the best looking motherboards out there, and it has a robust design that’s perfect for gaming. While expensive, the ASRock B550 Taichi doesn’t just offer you a good looking motherboard, it also offers quality performance that makes it well worth its expensive price. The motherboard also has a metal frame which makes it very durable. Performance-wise, the Asus ROG Strix B550-E is a good comparison for the ASRock B550 Taichi. That shouldn’t be surprising as both motherboards feature near-identical pieces in each of them. On top of its superb performance, however, the ASRock B550 Taichi also offers some amazing overclocking capacity, which allows PC owners to hit a solid 4.2 GHz on high-end Ryzen CPUs. You can’t go wrong with this motherboard when it comes to performance. The ASRock B550 Taichi is very expensive, and this is probably one of its biggest downsides. You can buy motherboards that have the same performance at a cheaper price. While the price does come with its merits, we don’t recommend the ASRock B550 Taichi to those that are building a PC on a budget. There are more practical options out there, and the ASRock B550 Taichi isn’t one of them sadly.
Good feature setStrong metal frameSuperb performance
Very expensive
314 Articles Published
We're not just tech junkies, but we're also tech experts. Each and every "Best of.." list on TechJunkie is curated by our content-area subject matter experts to provide a well-rounded, unbiased perspective to help and inform you, our reader. Our lists are constantly reviewed and updated, so you can be sure you're reading relevant and up to date information.
Copyright @2024 TechJunkie
Copyright @2024 TechJunkie
If you don’t see an app that should be here, let us know what it is
