Installing a new mobo

[venomx]

Any tips ? I've bought the B450 Tomahawk Max. Never done a mobo before but i've done plenty of research.
I did the PSU and the Cooler not long ago , so thought i'd upgrade the mobo too

Is it ok to install the CPU cooler whilst it's outside the case as it would make it much easier for me to screw it in. ? ( Last time i installed my CPU Cooler it was tricky doing it in the case )

[Prodigy_Smit]

It has decent VRM's and is good all round for a b450

[aisle9]

The Tomahawk is one of very few B450 boards with good power delivery.

[GorujoCY]

yes it is a decent motherboard...
just remember that you'll only be able to upgrade up to ryzen 5000 series so if you want upgradeability to future ryzens, maybe xondier B550
but yes again, it is a decent motherboard

[venomx]

is there much difference between the B450 GAMING PLUS and the B450 TOMAHAWK MAX?

[Haro]

42 minutes ago, venomx said:

is there much difference between the B450 GAMING PLUS and the B450 TOMAHAWK MAX?

They're quite similar boards. And they both use the same VRM and the I/O is quite similar, the Tomahawk has a type c on the rear I/O and the Gaming Plus has an extra Type A instead. 

Also the "Max" Lineup from MSI just means that those boards ship with Zen 2 support, though at this point most B450 boards do either way. Unless the board that you bought was made before Zen 2. 

[Mitzy]

5 hours ago, venomx said:

https://www.ebuyer.com/909585-msi-b450-tomahawk-max-amd-am4-motherboard-b450-tomahawk-max

Top of the line for a b450 motherboard will work well but depends on your other parts if you don’t mind me asking what is your current pc build as of right now?

[venomx]

6 hours ago, Mitzy said:

Top of the line for a b450 motherboard will work well but depends on your other parts if you don’t mind me asking what is your current pc build as of right now?

-- Ryzen 5 3600 -- HyperX Fury 2X8GB 3000Mhz -- RX580 GPU -- RM750X PSU -- NHU12S Cooler

[OGKRG]

12 hours ago, venomx said:

Any tips ? I've bought the B450 Tomahawk Max. Never done a mobo before but i've done plenty of research.
I did the PSU and the Cooler not long ago , so thought i'd upgrade the mobo too

Is it ok to install the CPU cooler whilst it's outside the case as it would make it much easier for me to screw it in. ? ( Last time i installed my CPU Cooler it was tricky doing it in the case )

1.) Install standoffs into case

2.) install CPU into mobo outside case

3.) Install CPU fan outside case

4.) Put mobo into case

5.) crack a cold one 

[venomx]

7 minutes ago, OGKRG said:

1.) Install standoffs into case

2.) install CPU into mobo outside case

3.) Install CPU fan outside case

4.) Put mobo into case

5.) crack a cold one 

Thanks !

Will the mobo come with the standoff screws ?

Also. The cpu cooler looks quite close to the 4 x RAM slots ( in videos on youtube ), will this be a problem ?

[OGKRG]

3 minutes ago, venomx said:

Thanks !

Will the mobo come with the standoff screws ?

Also. The cpu cooler looks quite close to the 4 x RAM slots ( in videos on youtube ), will this be a problem ?

Your case should have come with standoffs, they are little screws you put in your case so your mobo doesn't short out and has something to ground on. You don't want motherboard solder touching the case when there is power going through it.

 

as long as you can fit your ram in the dimms and the cooler is mounted all the way on you're fine, just make sure if the cooler is touching the modules of ram that it's not putting a lot of pressure on them. 

[venomx]

6 minutes ago, OGKRG said:

Your case should have come with standoffs, they are little screws you put in your case so your mobo doesn't short out and has something to ground on. You don't want motherboard solder touching the case when there is power going through it.

 

as long as you can fit your ram in the dimms and the cooler is mounted all the way on you're fine, just make sure if the cooler is touching the modules of ram that it's not putting a lot of pressure on them. 

 

Ok.

My current mobo is a mATX which has 6 stand offs. My new one will  have 9.

I don't have any loose spare screws which came with it, unless they're already in place underneath the current mobo ?

[OGKRG]

4 minutes ago, venomx said:

 

Ok.

My current mobo is a mATX which has 6 stand offs. My new one will  have 9.

I don't have any loose spare screws which came with it, unless they're already in place underneath the current mobo ?

I don't have standoffs under all the holes on my mobo, but just make sure the mobo is on a few standoffs and solid in the case so it doesn't move around, and the back of the mobo isn't touching the case itself. I try and build 99% onto the mobo before I put in the case. mATX is a pain, especially in a mATX case, mid tower would give more room, but meh. I had to take my RX 570 out just to put my Wraith Prism cooler on, and hook the wires up. You might have to put things on, and take things off also for cable management a few times also. + with a mATX case you will def spend overe 50% of the build on cable management 

[venomx]

Its a full ATX case. ( Fractal Design )

[OGKRG]

12 minutes ago, venomx said:

Its a full ATX case. ( Fractal Design )

You'll have a lot of room to work with then, unless you have really really really big hands. 

[venomx]

Great thanks.

Providing the heatsink isn't impeding the RAM slots then it looks fairly easy

[venomx]

Do i need this sata cable ? It came with mobo

[venomx]

4 hours ago, OGKRG said:

You'll have a lot of room to work with then, unless you have really really really big hands. 

Someone said not to do 2X8GB AND 2x4GB together due to Ryzen. Is that true ?

[OGKRG]

2 hours ago, venomx said:

Do i need this sata cable ? It came with mobo

If you have a SSD, or DVD Drive etc... then yes. 

 

2 hours ago, venomx said:

Someone said not to do 2X8GB AND 2x4GB together due to Ryzen. Is that true ?

I have 2x8GB, just make sure they aren't right next to each other in the DIMMs, or they will run single channel. 

 

DIMMs 1 & 3, or 2 & 4, (Make sure there is one DIMM spacing.)

never 1 & 2 or 3 & 4

[venomx]

I already have those cables , coming from my HDD and SSD into the mobo

[Guest]

21 hours ago, GorujoCY said:

yes it is a decent motherboard...
just remember that you'll only be able to upgrade up to ryzen 5000 series so if you want upgradeability to future ryzens, maybe xondier B550
but yes again, it is a decent motherboard

The B450 Tomahawk has the same upgrade path as the B550 version. The 5000 series cpu's are the last on this platform.

[Mitzy]

12 hours ago, venomx said:

-- Ryzen 5 3600 -- HyperX Fury 2X8GB 3000Mhz -- RX580 GPU -- RM750X PSU -- NHU12S Cooler

Then the motherboard will be fine

[venomx]

Installed it all ok.
I left out the HD Light/Pwr Light and reset button and just installed the on/off port.