9 Best X470 Motherboards to Buy in 2021 — Top-end Performance for AMD Ryzen CPUs
Last updated September 23, 2021
10 Best B450 Motherboards to Buy in 2022 for Gaming & Productivity!
Last updated January 6, 2022
The AMD Ryzen platform has been one of the best-selling CPUs of this generation thanks to its focus on higher performance-per-dollar than Intel counterparts. We've already seen some of the best motherboard choices for the top-end AMD X470 chipset. Now, let us have a look at some of the best-selling motherboard options for the B450 chipset.
The AMD B450 chipset targets mainstream gamers and content creators who need that extra power to run their applications without bottlenecks but also can do without features such as SLI or NVMe RAID that are the domain of X470 motherboards. You get fewer PCI Express lanes than the X470 series and subtle differences in overclocking capabilities. However, for 99% of the users, these differences hardly matter in real-world usage and, therefore, so you can save a good amount of money by opting for B450 chipset-based motherboards. Do note that there are no differences to the actual CPU performance itself.
Like most other chipsets, B450 motherboards also come in ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX form factors making them perfect for all use cases. You can even use these for building compact HTPCs by pairing them with a Ryzen APU such as the Ryzen 5 2400G that comes with integrated Vega 8 graphics. While you can also use the top-end AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU, these boards offer the best value when paired with the Ryzen 5 2600 or Ryzen 5 2600X.
With that information, here are the 10 best B450 motherboards to buy in 2022 for compatibility with second-generation AMD Ryzen processors.
1. MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC offers a robust solution for the AMD B450 platform without burning a hole in your wallet. The board offers most features found in more expensive B450 boards and also some X470 boards, but it doesn't compromise on the basics. MSI offers very simple aesthetics, with enough RGB to keep gamers happy. A host of accessories is included, such as an I/O backplate, SATA cables, Wi-Fi antenna, LED extension cable, and more. Both HDMI and DisplayPort outs are offered so you can use the integrated Vega GPU in the Ryzen 5 2400G APU without the need to actually invest in a discrete graphics card for light to medium gaming.
When it comes to expansion, the B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC offers two PCI Express x16 slots and three PCI Express x1 slots. However, given the limited expansion possibilities of the B450 chipset, one needs to use the available PCI Express lanes properly. MSI's wiring of the PCI Express lanes can cause some confusion. For example, if you use the primary M.2 slot, you cannot use two SATA ports. Similarly, if you fill up the remaining M.2 slot, you lose access to the slower PCI Express Gen2 slot. Therefore, you need to plan out your GPU and storage requirements well before investing in this board.
Overclocking on this board is fine, but the memory performance is not as great as some of the other boards on this list. MSI uses good quality VRM components, so you should be able to push it a bit further if you have proper cooling. All in all, if you are looking for the best B450 motherboard for the Ryzen 5 2600, take a serious look at this board for the best combination of value and performance.
- Pros: Good cooling for VRMs; Feature-rich and well-laid out UEFI; Good value.
- Cons: Memory overclocks are not that great; PCI Express wiring can get confusing.
2. Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming
If budget is not an issue and you need more flexibility from the B450 platform, the Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming is the one to opt for. The Strix offers two M.2 PCI Express x4 slots, three PCI Express x16 slots, and three PCI Express x1 slots, so you have plenty of scope for expansion. The board caters to the gaming crowd, but there is no unnecessary RGB overload. You get lighting effects on the VRMs and the chipset heatsink, and that's pretty much it. Of course, there are enough headers to opt for your own lighting strips if needed.
The ROG Strix B450-F supports up to 128GB of DDR4-DIMM memory. Moreover, the SupremeFX audio offers isolated distortion-free audio with the Nichicon audio capacitors, helping in producing a clean output. Even if BIOS is standard for Asus motherboards, users might find some features such as XMP settings and manual core voltage settings missing compared to the more expensive X470 counterparts. The board (and the chipset) is better suited for automatic overclocking via AMD's Precision Boost and XFR more than manual overclocking, and in this regard, the Strix B450-F excels. However, recent BIOS updates have added some of the missing functionality. If you are looking for absolute control over how your components work, we suggest opting for an X470 motherboard over the B450.
Gaming on the B450-F is a delight, and you can run all the latest games at their highest settings, with the only limitation coming from your GPU and CPU setup. If not for a few overclocking and extra PCI Express lanes, there is practically no difference between the B450 and the X470 chipsets. For looking at building a budget PC for gaming with a solid foundation for future upgrades, the Asus ROG Strix B450-F gaming offers a good choice. For the price, you are also getting a good set of accessories and an ample number of expansion slots. If you are so keen on customization, you can also swap out the stickers on the heatsinks for your own.
- Pros: Good for gaming; Good number of fan and RGB headers.
- Cons: BIOS lacks a few overclocking options.
3. MSI B450 Tomahawk
The MSI B450 Tomahawk is one of the more affordable B450 motherboards on the market. Despite the low price, gamers and overclockers will be pleased with the capabilities of this board. The accessory package is standard and includes two SATA cables, I/O shield, M.2 screws, build guide, driver DVD, and the user manual. You get copious fan headers that work in both PWM and DC modes. The aesthetics aren't overly gaudy and look quite pleasing.
Overclockers will be pleased to find a large enough heatsink over the VRMs to keep temperatures under control. The rear I/O does not come with a pre-installed shield but offers the most common ports, including a BIOS flashback button that offers an easy way to reflash the older BIOS version in the event an update has failed. You might feel some constraints with respect to the PCIe slots, though. While the board offers two large PCI Express slots, the top one is x16 and is directly wired to the CPU, and the bottom one is an x4 that is connected to the B450 chipset. There is also an internal header for the front panel USB 3.0. The board offers a 4+2 VRM configuration — this might seem low from an overclocking perspective, but MSI tries to compensate for this to an extent by using extra MOSFETs.
When it comes to performance, there are not too many differentiators between the B450 Tomahawk and other boards featuring the same chipset. Most CPU and memory benchmarks run fine, and you can also overclock the memory from the XMP settings in the BIOS. Games perform well, although we've seen better numbers from competing offerings from Gigabyte. One of the best features of this motherboard is the USB BIOS Flashback. We have had instances where newer AMD processors would not be compatible with older boards due to a faulty BIOS update. The USB Flashback feature helps solve the problem by directly flashing a BIOS from a USB drive without the need to actually mount a CPU. Overall, we find the MSI B450 Tomahawk to be one of the best budget B450 motherboards for the 2nd gen AMD Ryzen platform.
- Pros: Good VRMs; Good number of hybrid fan headers; BIOS Flashback+.
- Cons: Offers only one M.2 slot.
4. Gigabyte B450M DS3H
If you check our other recommendations for the best B450 motherboards, you'll see several options related to Aorus motherboards. Many of those come with unique features and options suitable for gamers - but they also come at a relatively high price. This is precisely why Gigabyte has decided to offer its DS3H motherboard, which is an entry-level B450 motherboard that comes with some compromises but provides plenty of value overall.
It's interesting to note that the Gigabyte B450M DS3H is in the lower range of AM4 boards, which isn't a surprise considering its affordable price. However, you will find the highly popular Realtek ALC887 audio codec here as well as a Realtek GbE LAN controller, which is something we're surprised to see. You will also find two full-length PCIe slots (PCIe 3.0 x16 and PCIe 2.0 x4) as well as a single PCIe 2.0 x1 slot. With this said, keep in mind that this motherboard supports AMD's CrossFire configurations. Still, due to a limitation of PCI bandwidth, the same can't be said or NVIDIA's SLI configurations.
In terms of RAM, you will find four slots here that support DDR4-3200 modules. It means that you can count on a total of 64GB of RAM, with ECC and non-ECC memory types supported. There are even supports for DDR4 memory with XMP profiles built-in, which is definitely a nice surprise. Next, four SATA ports support RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays. And let's not forget to mention that there's a PCIe slot that supports up to M.2 (22 x 110mm) SSD drives.
Let's also say a few words on the expected ports. You'll find a fairly standard selection of ports and connections on the back panel. There are four USB 3.1 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, three audio jacks, single DVI-D and HDMI ports, and more. And finally, if you want to create a gaming rig, know that this motherboard supports RGB light strips in seven colors, but keep in mind that LED strips aren't included in the box.
- Pros: Budget-friendly options; M.2 drives supported; Supports multiple displays; Great connectivity (plenty of ports and connections).
- Cons: Wi-Fi connectivity isn't included; Not the most powerful cooling system.
5. ASRock B450M-HDV
If all you need is a no-frills motherboard that performs well without overloading you with a bunch of options, the ASRock B450M is your best bet. The ASRock B450M is one of the best B450 AMD motherboards available for the micro-ATX form factor. Despite the small size, this is a very capable motherboard for small form factor PCs.
The B450 chipset offers plenty of features for mainstream computing, and ASRock takes it up a notch higher thanks to its good implementation of a 7-phase power design that can supply steady voltage if you ever want to overclock your Ryzen CPU. As such, we would recommend pairing this board with the Ryzen 5 2600X rather than the Ryzen 5 2600, as the 'X' version can automatically increase its clocks based on the available temperature and power limits.
Since this board does not offer as many overclocking features found in the more premium ASRock boards, we feel going for an 'X' CPU is a good option that saves the hassle of fiddling with voltage settings. Apart from this, you get most of the standard connectivity features, including the ability to use both ECC and non-ECC RAM modules. However, do note that the Ryzen processors themselves cannot make use of ECC memory even if you install them.
Given the size of the micro-ATX form factors, you need to be aware of some limitations. For example, you can use only two RAM sticks, so you need to plan for the maximum RAM capacity and speed your budget allows. The board has some issues in setting XMP profiles for the faster RAM modules, so it is better to go for the 2933 to 3000 MHz range to avoid issues.
- Pros: Affordable; Good feature set; Suitable for small-factor PCs.
- Cons: Limited RAM expansion; Issues with setting XMP profiles.
6. MSI B450I Gaming Plus AC
Apart from the ATX form factor that is commonly available, the B450 is also available in mini-ITX form factor boards. Mini-ITX is perfect for building compact PCs that save on space and yet offering enough features for a good gaming and overclocking experience. However, given the form factor's dimensions, there are some restrictions that one should be aware of. For example, you get only one PCI Express x16 slot. If you need more expansion, you might have to opt for a PCI riser to split the x16 bandwidth into x4 and x4. This should not be much of an issue as the B450 does not support any SLI configurations.
Also, you get only one M.2 slot that is directly linked to the CPU for PCI Express Gen 3 x4 speeds. Otherwise, the B450I Gaming Plus AC is similar to most other MSI motherboards we've seen so far. You can install both ECC and non-ECC memory on this board, although the memory itself runs only in the non-ECC mode. One limitation is that the board does not offer USB Type-C connectivity. Instead, you get the USB 3.1 Gen1 5 Gbps Type-A ones. Apart from the Intel Gigabit Ethernet controller, you also get onboard wireless AC along with the Realtek ALC887 audio codec.
Those looking at the MSI B450I Gaming Plus AC will definitely be enticed by the value proposition of the overall package. You don't get fancy RGB or overclocking options. You also don't get any advanced controllers onboard. However, when it comes to performance, this mini-ITX board is easily on par with some of the more expensive ATX offerings out there and is one of the best B450 boards for HTPCs and mini PCs.
- Pros: Great for HTPCs and Mini PCs; Relatively simple layout; Good base performance.
- Cons: Only one M.2 slot; No fancy RGB or overclocking options.
7. ASRock B450M PRO4
The ASRock B450M PRO4 has been available for a while now, which is always a good starting point when buying a motherboard. It comes with numerous positive reviews online, and an army of gamers who praise this product. That's because the PRO4 motherboard is designed as a budget-friendly motherboard that covers pretty much everything you'll need.
First, let's go over the essentials. You will find a nice selection of ports on the backside, alongside a PS/2 if you want to go old-school. The motherboard itself brings four SATA ports and two M.2 ports, so you have plenty of options for storage. The dual M.2 ports can be used for SSDs that support both the SATA3 6GB/s and PCIe Gen3 interface with theoretical speeds of up to 32GB/s. There are three PCIe slots in total as well as four DDR4 DIMM slots (up to 64GB in total). And also, keep in mind that you'll get a single Gigabit LAN port. As you can see, you get a nice foundation for building your gaming PC, with plenty of expansion slots for the future as well.
When it comes to unique features, the ASRock PRO4 comes with plenty to like. There's a USB 3.1 Gen2 present, supporting speeds of up to 10GB/s. You also get "Full Spike Protection," which means that your motherboard will be protected from sudden voltage spikes. This is also one of the rare motherboards that support up to three displays at once. And if you're into tuning, know that you can use ASRock's A-Tuning utility for overclocking, monitoring, and fan control. This product also comes with an easy-to-use update utility, as well as a dedicated "App Shop" that lets you further customize this motherboard.
The only problem with this model is its price. Upon launch, it was priced at around $80. However, due to its popularity, you can now expect to see a somewhat higher price. This especially goes for periods of shortage of PC components, which is when we can see the ASRock PRO4 priced at around $140.
- Pros: Covers all the essentials; Practical layout; 2x RGB headers; Full spike protection; Supports three monitors at once; Good overall value.
- Cons:Â There are big fluctuations in this motherboard's price.
8. Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi
The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro offers a well-known feature set that is part of most Aorus-branded motherboards. Like most Aorus boards, the B450 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi offers a good accessory package and enough fan and RGB headers. The aesthetics are pleasing with a tinge of orange here and there. Of course, you can add as much of RGB customization you want and control them via Gigabyte's RGB Fusion software.
The I/O panel comes with a pre-mounted shield that lends a bit of sophistication. You get all standard ports along with antenna-in for onboard Wi-Fi and a DVI-D port. It is becoming somewhat rarer to see DVI-D monitors, so it would have been better if Gigabyte had offered a DisplayPort port instead. There are three PCI Express ports of which the first is wired at x16 speeds and is connected directly to the CPU while the other two are wired at x4 and x1 speeds. The B450 does not support SLI due to the limitations of the chipset, so be careful not to populate any high bandwidth expansion cards if you are planning to use a modern GPU in the first slot.
The BIOS has most features found in the more expensive offerings but does skip a setting or two. It shouldn't matter much, though, as you will still be able to comfortably push the CPU along with a high clock rate for the RAM. Gigabyte offers a pretty big first-party software toolset for tweaking and monitoring almost every aspect of your system. Still, some users will find installing all of them a bit of an unnecessary chore.
Performance in most applications and gaming is similar to what you'd expect from a B450 board. Apart from a few goodies, such as a dual BIOS option and good VRM cooling, there are no surprises. The major downside is that the onboard wireless is just a 1x1 card, which means that the maximum throughput is just 433 Mbps. This can become a limiting factor if you plan to use high-speed connections over Wi-Fi.
- Pros: Good choice of components; Good gaming performance.
- Cons: Limited onboard Wi-Fi; No DisplayPort.
9. ASRock B450M Steel Legend
If stability and durability are your main shopping criteria while on the hunt for a B450 motherboard, the ASRock B450M Steel Legend is what you should be looking at. For the price, the B450M Steel Legend offers a great set of features and very good performance.
The micro-ATX form factor can be a good choice if you are trying to build compact PCs that do not take up much space but still offer additional expansion possibilities over a mini-ITX board. This is precisely where this motherboard comes into play, as it can bring plenty of expansion options despite its small size limitations. Like other ASRock boards, the Steel Legend also offers a good set of BIOS tuning options, including the ability to set XMP profiles for memory overclocking. As long as proper cooling is provided for, there should not be any issues with respect to maintaining temperatures under control.
The performance of the board is excellent when paired with Ryzen 5 processors. You also get dual M.2 slots of which one is wired directly to the CPU at x4 speeds while the other connects to the B450 chipset at x2 speeds. There is no unwanted RGB lighting, and the aesthetics are kept at a minimum.
- Pros: Good performance for the price; Durable components.
- Cons:Â Limited in comparison to bigger motherboards.
10. Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite
The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is not as well known as the other Gigabyte boards of this lineup, but it's a formidable B450 motherboard nevertheless. For the most part, it is difficult to distinguish the Aorus Elite from other Aorus boards. You get an integrated I/O shield and dual heatsinks on the VRMs. There aren't many RGB effects that come by default apart from those on the PCH and near the audio components.
The board supports DDR4 RAM at 3200 MHz with a suitable XMP profile. This is somewhat lower than some boards that offer more than 3400 MHz, but AMD recommends 2933 MHz for Ryzen, so this should be enough unless you are looking for serious overclocking. The BIOS is carried over from other Gigabyte motherboards. You get a familiar layout apart from Easy and Advanced modes along with an MIT tab that allows for fine-grained controlling of CPU and memory voltage settings.
Even when it comes to performance, it is hard to pick differences between the Aorus Elite and other Aorus-branded boards. Both CPU-intensive tasks and games run pretty well, which makes this board a good choice for most computing purposes. There are two M.2 slots as well, of which one connects to the CPU while the other connects to the chipset. If you are planning to use the full of your M.2 NVMe SSD, make sure to populate the first slot. The 4+3 VRM configuration pales in comparison to some of the more enthusiast-friendly motherboards out there but shouldn't be a problem as long as one doesn't expect extensive overclocking.
One good thing about the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is that it offers to debug LEDs that can help in diagnosis if there is any issue during POST. Taking all the features into account, we feel that the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite is one of the best B450 motherboards and an excellent choice for gaming.
- Pros: Good for gamers; Good VRM cooling.
- Cons: None as such.
So, that was our take on the 10 best B450 motherboards that can complement the second-generation AMD Ryzen processors. Do remember that, for the most part, most B450 boards have similar feature sets, so it ultimately boils down to a few differentiating features among OEMs.
We hope our article helped you in deciding on a board that suits your needs. If you need more information, let us know in the comments below, and we'll be sure to get back to you at the earliest.
