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The Chipset is a very important component in a motherboard because it controls the communication between your processor, RAM, and other I/O devices.
If you are in the market looking to build an AMD based system, then you are going to find a lot of different compatible motherboards based on a number of different chipsets.
AMD is currently offering the X570, X470, as well as B450 chipset. All these are targeted at different consumer types and come with their different use cases.
X570 Chipset
If you are looking for a high-end consumer motherboard right now, then going for an X570 model is going to be the right choice. AMD released this chipset alongside the Ryzen 3000 CPUs but it’s backwards compatible with Ryzen 2000 CPUs as well.
To fully utilize its power, however, I would highly suggest using a 3rd generation processor.
Below are some of the benefits x570 have over other AMD chipsets.
- Better VRMs: Most of the X570 motherboards come with better VRMs. The higher-end boards will tend to perform better as opposed to the more affordable options but they’re generally good across all models.
- PCIe 4.0 Support: The X570 is the only chipset right now that supports the PCIe 4.0 standard. I know that the technology is not widely supported, but it’s better to know that these motherboards are focused on future-proofing.
- Support for Faster Memory: Another solid reason to go for X570 is that it supports faster memory. This chipset can support memory as high as 4,800 MHz which definitely improves the overall system performance.
- Precision Boost Overdrive: This technology was first introduced by AMD in threadripper CPUs but is now featured in new 3rd Gen CPUs as well. In simple terms, Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) allows your processor to communicate with your motherboard VRMs and determine how much headroom you have left for safe overclocking. Although you can use this feature in X470 motherboards as well, x570 models are recommended due to their extra powerful VRMs which allow the CPU to run at higher speed for a longer time period.
X470 Chipset
For those who don’t know, X470 is the chipset that came before the X570 (along with Ryzen 2nd Gen CPUs). Despite being older, X470 motherboards support new 3rd Gen processors. All you have to do is update your BIOS.
- Great Deals: One of the best things about this chipset is because of it being somewhat older, x470 motherboards are a good bang for buck right now. There are some impressive motherboards based on this chipset which means that you can easily save some money, and still get good performance.
- More Connectors/Ports than B450: One big advantage X470 chipset has over B450 is that you get a lot more connectivity options. You get extra fan headers, extra PCIe slots, and extra USB ports at the back.
B450 Chipset
The last chipset that we are going to talk about is the B450. This is the cheapest among all of the options that we have mentioned so far.
B450 motherboards don’t have the most featured packed options in the market, but you can save some money by going for these boards and invest in a better graphics card or CPU.
- Great Value for Money: The main thing that you are going to get from B450 is that it is one of the most affordable options available in the market. Like I said, you are not getting a lot of features here (such as multi-GPU support and overclocking), but if you are looking for the dollar to dollar performance, you wouldn’t be regretting that at all.
Conclusion
In conclusion, making your final decision is not going to be that difficult.
The best one out of the bunch is the X570 chipset, simply because it provides the most future-proofing out of everything you have. X570 motherboards aren’t as expensive as they used to be 6-8 months ago, and now you can get a decent X570 board in less than 200 bucks.
X470 boards sit in the middle. They’re cheaper than their X570 counterparts, but are expensive when compared to B450 options. If you are not looking for the latest features, then settling with the X470 is also a great idea.
However, if you are looking for something even more affordable but still want all the main areas covered, B450 motherboards are your best bet.
We are influencers and brand affiliates. This post contains affiliate links, most which go to Amazon and are Geo-Affiliate links to nearest Amazon store.
I am interested in all things technology, especially automation, robotics and tech that helps change how society will live in the future.