I just got a Ryzen 2600 but currently don't have a motherboard for it. I found an MSI B350 PC Mate for about $40 CAD, and I heard it has the latest BIOS. However, the MSI website suggests an earlier BIOS version as compatible. I have a couple of questions: First, if I install the 2600, will I be able to flash to the earlier BIOS? Second, once everything is set up, will I be able to run Windows 11 on it?
1 Answer
Actually, you want to keep the latest BIOS version, not downgrade to an earlier one. The B350 board should work with the Ryzen 2600 as long as it’s updated to version 7A34vAD from 2018. If it hasn't been updated at all, you would need an older Ryzen 1000 series CPU to do the update, since there’s no USB flashback feature. But once you have the latest BIOS flashed, yes, you can run Windows 11 without issues. Just make sure to enable secure boot if you want to play certain games without any hiccups.
So I shouldn’t downgrade if I already have the latest BIOS? The MSI site made it seem like that was necessary.