Motherboard choice for Ryzen

[Flaneln]

Hey . I was talking about building an Ryzen PC with my friend who is much smarter than me regarding technologies . I want an Ryzen 7 5800x CPU and he said that for that kinda of processor i need atleast 500-600 dollar motherboard or it will not work properly . Dont make sense to me ... Is there any truth to that ? Do i really need to spend 500 dollars . Twice the price of a CPU for a moteherboard? Thanks 

[Haro]

No, that is outright false with no merit to it. While being power hungry, the 5800X can still be powered by much cheaper boards. 

If you're in an immediate need for a build, and are looking for a board, what's you're budget and currency? Otherwise though, if you could, you should wait and see what Zen 4 has to offer on a new platform (AM5) and if it's compelling/if Zen 3/2 CPUs drop down in price.

[PDifolco]

A budget B550 board like an a MSI Pro- A will work perfectly fine and is ... $130

If you want more shiny features and lotta I/O get something like an Aorus Hamster ..huh no  Master  , or MSI MEG Unify, or AsRock Taichi, they are dirt cheap now at around $250 (less for the Taichi, $200)

X570 boards allow to get PCie4 on the 2nd M2 slot, nothing more really, not a big deal, they're quite more expensive and not really worth it (I got one, but didn't really know about those mobos at that time...)

[jaslion]

30 minutes ago, Flaneln said:

Hey . I was talking about building an Ryzen PC with my friend who is much smarter than me regarding technologies . I want an Ryzen 7 5800x CPU and he said that for that kinda of processor i need atleast 500-600 dollar motherboard or it will not work properly . Dont make sense to me ... Is there any truth to that ? Do i really need to spend 500 dollars . Twice the price of a CPU for a moteherboard? Thanks 

It's entirely bs. Even some 100$ boards can handle a 5950x.

[OddOod]

He was either messing with you or is putting on airs that he absolutely doesn't deserve

[An0maly_76]

1 hour ago, Flaneln said:

Hey . I was talking about building an Ryzen PC with my friend who is much smarter than me regarding technologies . I want an Ryzen 7 5800x CPU and he said that for that kinda of processor i need atleast 500-600 dollar motherboard or it will not work properly . Dont make sense to me ... Is there any truth to that ? Do i really need to spend 500 dollars . Twice the price of a CPU for a moteherboard? Thanks 

Complete BS. I run a 5900X on an Asus Tuf B550-PLUS (usually around $170 USD, currently $150 on Amazon) and a 3600X on an ASRock B450M-HDV (usually around $75 USD). My 1700 sits on an MSI B450M Bazooka. I would, however, recommend a B550 or X570 for the mid-to-high-tier Zen3s. VRM cooling is key with the 5000-series, especially the 5800X / 5900X / 5950X.

 

However, keep in mind that Ryzens are quite picky about their RAM, it would seem especially so with Zen3 (5000-series). Do your research and check the QVL list for whatever board you buy before choosing your RAM. I went on a recommendation from 2020 that was not only caused issues in the 5900X build, I am now discovering is likely causing issues in the 1700 I was heretofore unaware could be RAM-related. Each CPU has their own limitation of support for RAM speed, so stay within that limitation as well.

 

I have also seen a pattern of at least certain Ryzen processors not playing well with at least certain Corsair RAM kits, so as I said, do your research and choose your RAM from the board's QVL list, you'll be a lot better off. I had to partially disassemble my 5900X rig twelve times in four months due to POST failures that did not reveal themselves as RAM-related right away. I just got the machine back together with QVL-approved RAM and I might be imagining it, but it feels snappier than it did before.

 

But no, you don't need a $500 board for a Ryzen. RAM selection and cooling (this includes case choice, and liquid cooling is NOT necessary -- I run a Scythe Mugen 5 on my 5900X) are key. And you don't need to go crazy on fast storage, either, my 5900X does quite well with a PCIe3 WD Blue SN570. Past 3,500 mbps you really don't notice that extra performance and the faster PCIe4 drives run hotter in sustained write, to boot. So when you're first setting up things, giving the storage a breather (does not require shutdown, just leave it running for a bit without a workload to cool a bit) between app installations could help.

 

Also, for what you'll pay for a 5800X, you might be able to get a 5900X or 5950X just as well if you bargain-hunt. So I would say your friend doesn't know as much as they think they know. Ryzens are a bit more expensive than Intel, but there's a very good reason for that, with a few exceptions, they will outperform most any comparable Intel when it comes to gaming, as long as they are set up right. It's clear to me that some Ryzen owners are sabotaging their setups with the wrong RAM and don't even know it.

 

As for a well-ventilated case, there are multiple options out there, I managed to air-cool my 5900X in a Corsair 4000X (the 4000D Airflow has more intake area, but recently migrated that build to a Fractal Pop XL Air, as it had an ODD bay provision I decided I wanted. To my surprise, the build ran cooler gaming than it did in the Corsair 4000X. Just to give you some ideas, here is a PCPartPicker link to what my 5900X currently runs with. Good luck with your build.

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/An0maly1976/saved/9s2npg

Edited August 21, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info