ASUS B550 Motherboards Unveiled
May 27, 2020ASUS today announced new motherboards featuring the latest AMD B550 chipset that bring the potential of PCI Express ® 4.0 to mainstream builds everywhere. AMD B550 motherboards enable 20 general-purpose PCIe ® 4.0 lanes from 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ desktop processors. The primary PCIe slot on all new ASUS B550 boards offers 16 lanes of PCIe 4.0 connectivity, and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ parts feature as many as four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports running at up to 10 Gbps direct from the CPU itself.
ASUS engineers and designers have produced a grand total of 11 B550 motherboards across three families. ROG Strix boards fill out the top end with innovative features like efficient and cool-running VRMs, enhanced audio, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6 connectivity by way of Intel controllers. TUF Gaming boards blend high-end features with a battle-tested, reliable and attainable package, while the Prime series rolls up all the features needed for all-around builds. For further details about the complete ASUS B550 lineup, visit https://edgeup.asus.com/2020/b550-motherboard-guide-asus-rog-strix-tuf-gaming-prime.
“We are seeing increasing user demands for flexible systems that perform well in a multitude of tasks from gaming to content creation more than ever before. AMD is excited to bring the power of 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen desktop processors and cutting-edge PCIe 4.0 support to the mainstream users with our latest AMD B550 chipset. From ROG Strix to ASUS Prime and everything in-between from our partners at ASUS, AMD is confident these new B550 platforms will provide flexibility and power never seen before on a mainstream platform.” -Chris Kilburn, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Client Component Business Unit, AMD
ROG Strix B550 -E Gaming
ASUS built ROG Strix B550-E Gaming with an eye towards AMD’s high-performance processors and dual or triple expansion card setups. The AM4 socket is flanked by a 14+2 power stage VRM for reliable performance under sustained loads from many-core CPUs, while reinforced PCIe x16 SafeSlots support multi-GPU action in two-way SLI™ or three-way CrossFireX™ setups for gamers and creators alike.
The high-end SupremeFX S1220A audio chip comes with a handy companion in the form of a USB-C Audio port for auto-detection of the device signal type, so the port can be used for both Type-C audio devices and standard USB connectivity as needed. A total of four RGB headers are available — two standard headers and two Gen 2 addressable hook-ups with individual LED control, reduced latency and automatic configuration support. All those diodes can be turned off with one click to give the board a stealthy black-ops look. Additional touches include BIOS FlashBack for updating firmware without a CPU and FlexKey reset button remapping.
ROG Strix B550-F Gaming (WiFi)
ROG Strix B550-F Gaming (Wi-Fi) proves the point for builders who want a performance-oriented board with a healthy dose of luxury. The 12+2 power stage VRM is ready for top Ryzen chips, and 8+4-pin ProCool auxiliary power connectors with solid pins ensure steady and stable power delivery to those power stages.
ROG Strix B550-I Gaming
ROG Strix B550-I Gaming is designed for small builds with big ambitions. By design, Mini-ITX makes room for a single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, but the compact form factor has other advantages. Strix B550-I Gaming can drive compatible DIMMs at speeds up to 5100 MHz and beyond by taking advantage of the shorter trace length between the memory slots and the CPU. The 8+2 power stage VRM is a fine fit for 3rd gen Ryzen chips. Active cooling on the VRM and an eight-pin connector with our ProCool II design ensures that power delivery remains stable in the tight confines of Mini-ITX enclosures.
ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus
ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus features 8+2 DrMOS voltage regulator module and the multiple generously-sized heatsinks atop the VRM, chipset and M.2 slots ensure all primary components stay cool under load. The main PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is backed by SafeSlot reinforcement for extra-heavy graphics cards, while a ProCool auxiliary connector with solid-core pins offers added peace of mind when using power-hungry CPUs.
CrossFireX configurations. The rear panel includes USB ports of every modern type, and that loadout can be further expanded with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity thanks to an onboard header. A BIOS FlashBack button rests near one of the ports for CPU-less UEFI upgrades.
TUF Gaming B550M-Plus (WiFi)
ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi) takes many of the features of TUF Gaming B550-Plus and
reconfigures them for the smaller microATX footprint. This board keeps the same pairs of PCIe x16 and M.2 slots as its ATX sibling. The main difference is that one of the M.2 slots takes in standard 80 mm devices instead of longer 110 mm units. In exchange, this model offers a more attractive price tag to go with its trimmed dimensions.
ASUS Prime B550-Plus
The top-of-the-line ASUS Prime B550-Plus motherboard is ready to power a mid-range gaming rig or serve as a solid foundation for an AMD-powered productivity system. This model is right at home powering midrange Ryzen chips, and it comes fitted with heatsinks atop the VRM and chipset to ensure stability.
ASUS Prime B550-A (WiFi)
ASUS Prime B550M-K
A compact microATX form factor lets builders save on space without sacrificing expandability, and both the main PCIe x16 slot and M.2 slot are wired directly to the processor with latest-gen PCIe 4.0 connectivity for maximum bandwidth with next-gen devices. The board can take in two M.2 devices, one of them of the longer 110 mm variety.