I'm building a system with an RTX 5070 and a Ryzen 5 9600X, and I'm deciding between an MSI B850 Tomahawk and a good deal on an MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi. I plan to upgrade the processor in about five years, possibly to a newer high-end X3D chip such as a Ryzen 7 9800X3D or its successor. Will a B650 motherboard remain suitable for future Ryzen 9000-series and X3D processors, or would choosing B850 now provide important advantages? I've also seen reports of Ethernet disconnects on some MSI Tomahawk boards, so I'd like to know whether that is a widespread issue or something to worry about.
3 Answers
B650 boards can support Ryzen 9000 processors, but you may need to update the BIOS first. Check whether the specific board has BIOS Flashback, since that makes updating easier if the CPU is not recognized initially.
For most systems, B650 versus B850 is not a major performance difference. B850 generally gives you newer features such as broader PCIe 5.0 support, while a B650 board may be perfectly adequate if it has the connectivity and power delivery you need. A quality B650 board should be able to handle a future X3D upgrade, assuming the manufacturer provides the required BIOS support.
That helps. I was mostly worried that choosing B650 now would limit a future upgrade, but it sounds like the specific board and BIOS support matter more.
I’ve been using an MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi with a Ryzen 9 9950X and have had no problems. The board has been running reliably, and I updated it to the latest BIOS before installing the system. Ethernet-disconnection reports do exist for some MSI models, but they do not appear to affect every board. Make sure the BIOS, chipset drivers, and LAN drivers are current, and check the exact model’s support page before buying.
That makes me more comfortable with choosing B650. I’ll probably use the B650 board with the 9600X and RTX 5070, then consider an X3D upgrade later.
I understand that B650 supports Ryzen 9000. My main concern is whether a future X3D chip could cause compatibility or power-delivery problems.