Which motherboard? B450 vs B550 WIFI

[ImKap]

Hey guys,

 

I recently got my hands on a 5600X and 3060 Ti. I’m upgrading from a Vega 64 and R5 1600 so I will need a new motherboard to use the cpu. I’m sure the answer will be B450 however, I am looking for a wifi ATX board (atx due to aesthetics and cable management). 

 

My specs: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/cGDhvf

 

I have included a decent and relatively cheap wifi board in the list. 
 

TL;DR

What motherboard do I choose for my 5600X that has Wifi included, as well as decent aesthetics. 
 

Thanks for the help in advance!

[nbrowser]

B550 would be a better bet right now unless you can find a B450 board that comes ready to go for Ryzen 5000 or has a BIOS update for it on the motherboard makers website.

[Loki0111]

For Ryzen 5000 series CPU's I'd recommend sticking to the B550 motherboards.

 

B450 boards in theory should work but may need a bios update, which might be a problem if you don't have a spare CPU to install and flash the bios.

[ImKap]

3 minutes ago, nbrowser said:

B550 would be a better bet right now unless you can find a B450 board that comes ready to go for Ryzen 5000 or has a BIOS update for it on the motherboard makers website.

Price wise B450 is about 50% cheaper, not including gen 4 pcie obviously. Any drawbacks other than that of which I am not thinking? Board quality improvements for B550? 
 

Also I think I could update to newer bios using my 1600. 

[ImKap]

5 minutes ago, Loki0111 said:

For Ryzen 5000 series CPU's I'd recommend sticking to the B550 motherboards.

 

B450 boards in theory should work but may need a bios update, which might be a problem if you don't have a spare CPU to install and flash the bios.

That’s the thing I have a 1600 which I think should work with B450 boards, as far as bios update is concerned. I am thinking of the B450 MSI Gaming Pro Carbon Max WiFi.

[Loki0111]

>When compared to B450, B550 offers users support for dual-graphics card setup, PCIe Gen 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 support and faster general-purpose PCIe lanes. In effect, B550 is a lot more like X470 than B450, albeit with the added extra of PCIe 4.0 support. 

 

https://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/here_s_what_you_need_to_know_about_amd_s_b550_chipset/1

 

I mean its up to you. PCIe 4.0 would be worth it to me but my situation is likely different.

[ImKap]

31 minutes ago, Loki0111 said:

>When compared to B450, B550 offers users support for dual-graphics card setup, PCIe Gen 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 support and faster general-purpose PCIe lanes. In effect, B550 is a lot more like X470 than B450, albeit with the added extra of PCIe 4.0 support. 

 

https://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/here_s_what_you_need_to_know_about_amd_s_b550_chipset/1

 

I mean its up to you. PCIe 4.0 would be worth it to me but my situation is likely different.

It might be different, I just don’t see that much need for PCIE4 when GPUs don’t utilise the bandwidth right now. Storage is faster yet in gaming the difference between nvme and sata is small. The only justification for B550 I could give is futureproofing and improved BIOS support, and possibly improved board quality. However, I’m not sure whether the factors just stated will make a difference in performance down the line or not.

 

[nbrowser]

Sooooo you came here to ask what board would be best with your chosen CPU. and were told the best possible chipset choice. AMD has already announced that 400 series chipset board will support 5000 series CPUS later on in 2021. When? We're not sure but AMD said that 500 chipset boards would see updates quickly. Add to that far better compatibility as Ryzen 5000/B550 v B450, possibly better memory support as well with more RAM being verified on the QVL. Your choice but I'd spend a bit more for a B550 board over B450 nowadays.

[ImKap]

2 hours ago, nbrowser said:

Sooooo you came here to ask what board would be best with your chosen CPU. and were told the best possible chipset choice. AMD has already announced that 400 series chipset board will support 5000 series CPUS later on in 2021. When? We're not sure but AMD said that 500 chipset boards would see updates quickly. Add to that far better compatibility as Ryzen 5000/B550 v B450, possibly better memory support as well with more RAM being verified on the QVL. Your choice but I'd spend a bit more for a B550 board over B450 nowadays.

B450 Zen 3 support isn’t available yet? I do agree that in the case of updates it will definitely be better to opt for B550. Not to mention upgrade path down the line, my only concern being when will AMD transition to DDR5 or change sockets. 
 

Anyways thank you both, I’ll probably opt for the ROG Strix B550-F, as it includes WiFi 6.