I'm planning to upgrade my setup from an MSI B350M Mortar Arctic to a B550 motherboard and I'm looking for some advice. I'm considering a few options:
- ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II (€130)
- ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II (€140)
- GIGABYTE B550 AORUS Elite AX V2 (€130)
- GIGABYTE B550 Eagle WiFi 6 (€100)
- MSI MPG B550 Gaming WiFi (€120)
- MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk MAX WiFi (€160)
My current specs are: AMD Ryzen 7 1700, RX 9060XT, and 16GB of G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4 @ 3000 MT/s. Once I get the new motherboard, I'm planning to upgrade to an R7 5800X and use my NH-D15 chromax black cooler.
I need a motherboard that has at least 2 m.2 2280 slots, 4 SATA ports, at least 6 USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and has WiFi capability.
As for my CPU cooler, I'm concerned because my RAM is 44 mm tall and my case only supports coolers up to 170 mm. If I offset the front fan on my cooler, it will be 180 mm tall, so I was thinking about replacing the 140 mm fan with a 120 mm NF-A12x25 PWM chromax.black.swap fan. Is it safe to do this? And if the motherboard only has one CPU fan header, can I use the Y-splitter to connect both fans safely? Would having fans with different RPMs cause any issues? Thanks for the help!
5 Answers
Honestly, I don't see a strong reason to ditch your current motherboard. With a BIOS update, it can support the 5800X just fine. If you're dropping a lot of cash on a new motherboard and CPU, you might be better off going for Intel's 14th gen or just selling your DDR4 and upgrading to AM5 completely. As for the cooling fans, splitting them off the same header is perfectly safe; it's common practice!
Thanks for your insights! I've already picked up the new CPU, and it’s too late for me to switch to Intel now. My current board does have a USB-C port, but I can't use a second PCIe slot because of my GPU, plus the WiFi card is taking up another. I appreciate the reassurance about running two different fans!
Honestly, I wouldn’t spend too much on noctua products. Thermalright makes excellent budget coolers that are often just as effective without breaking the bank!
I actually got my Noctua cooler during a Black Friday sale a while back for around €100. I just haven't gotten around to swapping it out yet.
It sounds like you already know what you need for your motherboard! You can't go wrong with the brands you've mentioned—MSI, Asus, Gigabyte are all solid picks. Personally, if I were building, I'd lean toward the ASUS TUF or GIGABYTE Aorus. Also, if you’re concerned about the NH-D15 fitting, you could grab a cheaper cooler that fits; no need to get the most expensive option if it’s a tight squeeze.
Thanks for the input! I already picked up the 5800X, and I opted not to go for the XT since it was a bit pricier at the time. I'm just looking for something reliable without being overpriced.
Great advice! I’m looking into budget options too like the cheaper boards you mentioned that meet my requirements.
That's great to know! Thanks for the suggestion—definitely looking into those alternatives.
For the motherboards you’re considering, I'd say go with the Asus TUF Gaming; I have one and love it. Also, some budget-friendly alternatives based on reviews are MSI B550M Pro-VDH WiFi and Gigabyte B550M DS3H if you want more options.
There’s definitely advantages to moving from a B350 to a B550, like PCIe 4.0 support. But if you're already upgrading both the CPU and mobo, and given the RAM prices, switching to AM5 isn't super appealing. Just make sure you’re clear on your needs.