Best budget B550 motherboards 2022
If you’re thinking of building a PC on a budget, B550 chipset motherboards are the perfect place to start. Designed for the AM4 socket with support for AMD Ryzen series 3000, 4000, and 5000 processors, these boards support PCIe 4.0 expansion, M.2 solid-state drives, and component overclocking. We’ve found the best budget B550 motherboards to fit a range of needs, so let’s get started on your new Ryzen build.
Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite
Best overall
The Aorus Elite is the most feature-rich B550 board in this range. It supports DDR4 memory overclocked up to 4733MHz, paired with 12+2 phase VRM stages for improved cooling. An NVMe M.2 socket supports PCIe 4.0 or 3.0, and a 2.5G LAN port delivers fast network transfer speeds.
ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus
Runner-up
This microATX board impressed Rich Edmonds in his review, with one PCIe 4. 0 x16 slot and another at PCIe 3.0 for expansion cards. Its 8+2 power phase VRM still manages a reasonable amount of overclocking thanks to large heatsinks, making the B550M-Plus a fantastic mid-range choice.
Gigabyte B550M Aorus Pro-P
Third alternative
A B550M alternative from Gigabyte, the Aorus Pro-P features a 10+2 power phase VRM with widened heatsinks to manage cooling during overclocking. An M.2 socket for PCIe 4.0 or 3.0 SSDs sits alongside a PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slot for your GPU, and four DIMM slots for DDR4 RAM.
Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC
Best for Wi-Fi
If you’re looking for wireless connectivity, the DS3H includes a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) antenna and Bluetooth 4.2 support. Backed up with four DDR4 DIMM slots for RAM overclocked to 4733MHz with a 5+3 power phase VRM and hybrid fan headers for cooling.
MSI B550-A Pro
Best for M.2 SSD
With one MSI M.2 Lightning Gen 4 socket rated at 64Gbps and another at 32Gbps, the B550-A Pro is perfect for rapid OS boot times and faster loads in games. If you’re aiming to use onboard graphics with a Ryzen G CPU, note the older DVI port in place of DisplayPort.
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 AC
Cheapest choice
For the ultimate money saver, ASRock’s Phantom Gaming 4 AC still provides a PCIe 4.0 x16 lane for your GPU plus Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connectivity. Its 8-phase VRM can handle some careful overclocking, but it’s perfect for a stock budget build.
AMD components are well liked for their performance versus cost, making the AM4 socket a perfect match for anyone looking to build a gaming PC on a budget.
The best budget B550 motherboards include as many features as possible without pushing the price overboard, just like the Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite with its terrific 12+2 power phase VRM for careful overclocking. It packs the biggest punch in this range, next to the ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-Plus that performed well in our review.
None of these budget B550 boards detracts from the quality compared to some of the best motherboards around. The value in this chipset is an attractive way to save, considering you can pair it with a strong mid-range CPU like the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X as a strong starting point for a budget build. For those looking for the ultimate penny saver, ASRock’s B550 Phantom Gaming 4 AC brings Wi-Fi connectivity and still suits the Ryzen 5 3600X or above for a decent stock build.
Ben is the channel editor for all things tech-related at Windows Central. That includes PCs, the components inside, and any accessory you can connect to a Windows desktop or Xbox console.
Not restricted to one platform, he also has a keen interest in Valve’s Steam Deck handheld and the Linux-based operating system inside. Fueling this career with coffee since 2021, you can usually find him behind one screen or another.
Advancing Ascension – MSI B550 Motherboard
AMD B550 Motherboard
- ENHANCED THERMAL
- LIGHTNING GEN 4
- PREMIUM CONNECTIVITY
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Strong Power Solution and PCB with 2oz Thickened Copper
Aggressive VRM power solution and high level PCB design with a 2oz thickened copper ensure stable
power supply, better durability and reliability for high-end CPU. -
All Aluminum Cover with Extended Heatsink Design
An enlarged PWM heatsink provides larger surface for heat dissipation, combining additional choke
thermal pad with 7W/mK level for better cooling effect.
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M.2 Shield Frozr
Sustain maximum high-speed M.2 SSD data transfer with M.2 Shield Frozr which prevents SSD throttling
and keeps SSD operating at full speed.
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Lightning Gen 4 M.2
Utilizing 3rd Gen Ryzen processors, MSI B550 motherboards feature the latest Lightning
Gen 4 M.2 which is the fastest onboard storage solution with up to 64 Gb/s transfer speed -
Lightning Gen 4 PCI-E
The latest and the fastest PCI-E data transfer solution with 64 GB/s of unidirectional transfer
bandwidth that has doubled compared to its previous generation. -
Performance-Based
MSI exclusive Core Boost and DDR4 Boost technology both guarantee undistorted current delivery to
the CPU at pin-point precision and optimization for memory stability while overclocking.
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2.5G LAN and Wi-Fi 6
Incredible network solution including 2.5G LAN to provide incredible data transfer speed faster than
general Gigabit LAN and Wi-Fi 6 to offer the latest wireless connection with up to 2.4Gbps. -
Flash BIOS Button and Optimized Clear CMOS Function
Flash BIOS Button allows users to flash BIOS by fewer steps. Optimized Clear CMOS function helps to restore the BIOS to the default settings in only one step without any additional actions.
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Front Type-C
All MSI B550 motherboards support USB Front Type-C connectors that allows users to connect with the
latest USB devices, as well as a perfect compatibility with MSI cases.
MPG series motherboards are loaded for high-performance gaming with slick looks to match.
The MAG motherboards furnish metallic and tough outlookswith solid design and essential specification, being the most reliable comrade for gamers to conquer the battlefield.
PRO Series motherboards combine stable functionality and high quality assembly for clever business solutions. Designed to satisfy any professional workflow, PRO Series motherboards make life easier for businesses and office use.
COMPATIBILITY CHART
Click on the following link to see the best compatibility of MSI motherboards, cases and liquid cooling kits.
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