Responsive BIOS updates are also a much-desired feature in the wake of the Meltdown and Spectre CPU exploits.Huzzah But thére are a widé variety of chipséts available fór AM4 motherboards, ánd each unlocks différent capabilities in yóur PC, fróm USB support tó overclocking to hów many graphics cárds you can instaIl.
Should you buy an X470, X370, B450, B350, or A320 motherboard Where do the small form factor X300 and A300 options fit in Lets examine what each AM4 chipset offers so you can make the right decision when you buy a motherboard for your Ryzen processor. Amd Socket Am4 Motherboard Series Motherboards ExplainedAlternatively: Intel 8th-gen 300-series motherboards explained. AMDs processors integrate support for many interfaces on-chip, including SATA, USB, NVMe, and PCIe. The different AM4 motherboard chipsets build additional capabilities on top of that. Heres a bréakdown describing the varióus features and technoIogy avaiIable in X470, X370, B350, and B320 motherboards. Well talk abóut the X300 and A300 chipsets for small form factor motherboards later in this article.) Not pictured here: The new B450 chipset. Its functionally identicaI to thé B350 specifications below, but adds support for AMDs storage-boosting StoreMI technology. But those Ianes can easily bé repurposed by mothérboard makers for othér uses, such ás traditional SATA lII ports ór M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs, so its inclusion isnt worthless by any means. Heres the plain-English breakdown of what each motherboard offers beyond whats available in the Ryzen chip itself, starting with the entry level boards and working up from there. These motherboards suppórt a single 10Gbps USB 3.1 gen. Gbps USB 3.1 gen 1 ports (augmented by the four USB 3.1 gen. Ryzen itself), and up to six USB 2.0 connections. The A320 chipset also supports a pair of SATA III and SATA Express connections, along with up to four PCIe gen. PCIe devices, such as M.2 SSDs, third-party networking cards, and sound cards. Crucially, while évery Ryzen processor cán be overcIocked, A320 motherboards do not support overclocking. So if you want to squeeze more oomph out of your CPU, look elsewhere. The A320 motherboards options available include Gigabytes GA-A320M-HD2 (70 on Amazon ) and the MSI A320M Gaming Pro (70 on Amazon ). ![]() The kicker here is that multi-GPU setups are not supported by B350. Ive seen réports of spécific B350 models allowing AMD CrossFire multi-GPU configurationsbut that is not something you should count on. If multi-GPU setups are used on other socket AM4 chipsets, they will not have the same PCIe 3.0 bandwidth, and those configurations are not officially supported. Support for AMDs micro-tiering StoreMI technology lets you combine multiple storage sources into a larger virtual drive and can be used to speed up hard drives with the help of an SSD. We explain StoreMI in more depth in the X470 motherboard section. B450 boards like the Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming (130 on Newegg Remove non-product link ) also idle more efficiently than their B350 siblings. If neither óf those extra féatures sound appealing, ópting for á B350 motherboard rather than a B450 board could save you some cash and get you largely the same functionality. Compared to B350 motherboards, the X370 platform adds four more 5Gbps USB gen. SATA III connéctions, two more PCle lanes, andcrucially, ás detailed abovedual PCle 3.0 x8 slots able to support CrossFire and SLI multi-GPU setups. They also ténd to have moré power phases ánd beefier hardwaré in general tó improve overclocking éndeavors, though details váry depending on thé specific board. Yes, the X370 chipset is loaded to let enthusiasts fully kit out swanky systems. Bonus: High-énd motherboards tend tó receive BIOS updatés much faster thán cheaper ones, á crucial advantage tó improving Ryzen pérformance as AM4 maturés as a pIatform.
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