Mobo Q: MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi versus MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk Wi-Fi

[ABetterTomorrow]

Hello. Trying to decide which of these to go for:

MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi

MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk Wi-Fi

 

Had a check on some other forums, but no conclusive answer, with most replies just saying "Get whichever is cheaper", which doesn't seem helpful as I can see some differences. They're a similar price in the UK. I'll be using with something like the 5950x, 3080 Ti whenever it's released, and two M.2 storage drives. 64GB RAM and a couple of SATA SSDs too. Software: Maya, Zbrush, Substance, Unreal, Houdini etc.

 

X570:

Runs warmer (58c with 3900x, say Hardware Unboxed)

PCIe x4 for both M.2 slots?

More rear USB ports (Two more 3.2 Gen 2)

HDMI 1.4, no DisplayPort (will connect monitor from GPU)

Fan (potentially noisy?)

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-B550-GAMING-EDGE-WIFI/Overview

 

B550:

Runs cooler (41c with 3900x, say Hardware Unboxed)

PCIe x4 only for the first M.2 slot

Less rear USB ports

HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort

No fan

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-B550-GAMING-EDGE-WIFI/Overview

 

So, quite a few small differences to consider.

 

About M.2 speeds: I want to use two M.2 storage drives (Gen 3). Will they run faster on the X570? I saw someone mention on one forum the second one might be slower on the B550.

 

Is the audio chip different? I see the connections at the back, and the codec are the same.

 

Any big pros / cons for either? Any tips appreciated. Thanks.

[Analog]

Regarding the M.2, that will depend. Are the M.2s Gen4? If not, then no, it will be pretty much the same. Generally speaking, unless you are going to use the features of the X570 chipset, then I would suggest going with the B550 Gaming Edge. Also, B550 often has better memory compatibility. 

[ABetterTomorrow]

Just now, Analog said:

Regarding the M.2, that will depend. Are the M.2s Gen4? If not, then no, it will be pretty much the same. Generally speaking, unless you are going to use the features of the X570 chipset, then I would suggest going with the B550 Gaming Edge. Also, B550 often has better memory compatibility. 

Thanks for the reply. It'll be 3600 RAM, and I don't plan to OC anything. The M.2 drives will all be Gen 3.

[dedli]

14 minutes ago, ABetterTomorrow said:

Fan (potentially noisy?)

And in the long run it can fail, and you will need to get a new one.

[Thingyman]

I don't know how similar they are, but I have the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Carbon Wifi, and it works great with my 5600X and 3070.

[ABetterTomorrow]

Thanks all for the replies. Will probably go with the B550 then as it seems slightly more modern overall and I like the cooler temps. Probably don't need so many super fast USB ports.