Switching to AMD - questions about a couple of ASRock boards

[Gmr_Chick]

Long story short, as I have a nasty habit of rambling, I'm selling my Intel platform and, with the money gained from it, going Ryzen 3000, specifically an R5 3600. I'm considering 3 boards, 1 on the X570 chipset and 2 on B550: ASrock's X570 PG Velocita, B550 PG Velocita, and B550M Steel Legend. I've read good things about all of them, they all feature a plethora of connectivity options and are, frankly, more in line with my price bracket, lol.

If I got the Steel Legend, I'd be able to still make use of my Evolv m-ATX case (kinda scary how much $$ I've got invested in it ) but would need to buy a new case if I went with the ATX boards (have my eye on the non D-RGB P500A)

So, seeing as how all these boards seem like good options for me, how do I go about picking one? I don't intend to do any overclocking and don't see myself having any use for the monster R9's now or in the future, so I don't need ridiculously beefy VRMs or a zillion power phases -- but that doesn't mean I want garbage ones either!

Many thanks in advance for the suggestions, peeps!

 

[Mr.Scott]

I don't intend to do any overclocking and don't see myself having any use for the monster R9's now or in the future, so I don't need ridiculously beefy VRMs or a zillion power phases -- but that doesn't mean I want garbage ones either!

Many thanks in advance for the suggestions, peeps!

Based on just this statement, you might as well buy the Steel Legend and make use of your case. It's a fine board for your use.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

I have the full atx evolvX, the Matx version is only £111 on amazon UK. Mine was about £200, how much is the scarily priced Matx version where you are.

Also is there not a Matx X570 you could afford? i always go for the best newest chipset i can.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

I have the full atx evolvX, the Matx version is only £111 on amazon UK. Mine was about £200, how much is the scarily priced Matx version where you are.

Also is there not a Matx X570 you could afford? i always go for the best newest chipset i can.

I paid around $130 (before tax) for my mATX version...and then, because I'd read how that case had airflow problems, bought custom air flow panels for the top and front from this mod shop (modmymods.com) that, in addition to selling tons of water cooling stuff, offers custom panels for Evolv series cases including the Shift. The panels I bought, because I had to buy them already made, were about $70 apiece, so I technically have $200+ invested in this case...

As far as X570 mATX boards go, there aren't many, sadly. In fact, I just checked Newegg and there's only ONE (!!!) mATX X570 board, the X570M PRO4 from ASrock and, if it's like their other PRO series boards, chances are it's not very good. There are, however, quite a few Mini-ITX X570 boards to pick from. Only problem I have with those is they're crazy tiny and most are rather lacking in the rear IO.

ETA: I do find myself looking at the Crosshair VIII Impact but...err...dat price though, lol.

 

[Caring1]

Have you considered the R5 3600XT instead for a CPU?

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Have you considered the R5 3600XT instead for a CPU?

Yeah, but getting one (at MSRP) is next to impossible at the moment

 

[tabascosauz]

Is there a special preference for ASRock?

The best mATX boards currently are between the Mortar [Wifi] and the TUF [Wifi]. The new Aorus Pro-P is a decent contender as well if you dont want to spend as much.

The Steel Legend mATX is cheaper but it's the only one amongst the mATX boards that can actually conceivably run into thermal issues with higher core counts due to the absolute shite heatsink design (Mortar shares the layout, but has a stellar heatsink).

The Steel Legend was the first mATX board I tried, and remains the only one out of 4 AM4 boards (B450I Aorus, B550I Aorus, B550M TUF) that couldn't run my Trident Z 3600 kit. It's a CL17 CJR kit that usually does my custom profiles without issue. It couldn't hold 3600 through either the XMP or any of my profiles above 3200 without crashing, on any BIOS, at any timings or any voltage. The others had no such problems.

That said, it is cheaper, and we have been through a couple more AGESA revisions since. If you really do want the ASRock though, I'd caution you to stick to the QVL; that board seems to need it. Asrock isn't known for their memory topology prowess.

Oh, and if the X570M Pro4 turns you off, I think you'll be pleased to find that the mATX Steel Legend basically shares its PCB. It's just got a better VRM and more I/O features, but those things are easily dropped onto the PCB without changing its layout at all. The mATX and ATX Steel Legends are not related.

As for the ATX boards, the Extreme4, Steel Legend and PG Velocita (I think) share the exact same 4-layer PCB, right down to the layout of every PCB component. Some features like the buttons are cut to differentiate them. If you're looking at those, I'd get the cheapest one (Steel Legend if no buttons, Extreme4 if buttons).

 

[freeagent]

I came from an Asrock Z77 OC Formula and loved that board! Its kick axe. I was really interested in getting one for either B550 or X570. Some of them are pretty nice looking, but I let myself get talked out of it. I would recommend my board but I wont. After every boot it takes 38 seconds for the lan to connect once the desktop loads. I miss my instant connection. Makes me feel like I'm running Vista ffs. Outside of that its pretty decent. That matx X570 is pretty nice.. I have a Define C Mini I could have used it in.

 

[Lionheart]

Judging by your system specs, your Intel based system is heaps good. Why the side grade?

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Judging by your system specs, your Intel based system is heaps good. Why the side grade?

I can't explain it. But even if I could, I doubt anybody would understand anyway. It's just...something I need to do. If you or anyone you know suffers from OCD (the legit kind) then you know how it all works. I...can't explain it any better than that.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

I can't explain it. But even if I could, I doubt anybody would understand anyway. It's just...something I need to do. If you or anyone you know suffers from OCD (the legit kind) then you know how it all works. I...can't explain it any better than that.

I considered a switch but tbh I cba as my system is so stable, and I don't piss money. I will wait for a while. Seeing as am4 is on its last gen, I'll see what's next and if intel finally pulls it's thumb outta it's ass

 

[Lionheart]

I can't explain it. But even if I could, I doubt anybody would understand anyway. It's just...something I need to do. If you or anyone you know suffers from OCD (the legit kind) then you know how it all works. I...can't explain it any better than that.

Somehow, I know that exact feeling even though you can't put it into words. I just re-built my gaming PC but this time I went midrange instead of stupid high end, feels so much better as I barely play any high end games (He says that as he owns an RTX 3060 Ti ) But anyways, I'd go with a B550 Mobo instead of X570. I don't know what the best ones are off by heart but Hardware Unboxed & Gamers Nexus have done good reviews on which ones they recommend, maybe give them a gander.

 

[GamerGuy]

Sorta like me with GPU's, I have an excellent Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6800 which does all the games I play without RT at 3840x1080, the only one which I need to temper my expectations and lower ingame is Cyberpunk 2077. Metro Exodus, Serious Sam 3 and 4, Death Stranding, Strange Brigade run pretty well, no lag.....yet, I find myself longing for an RX 6800 XT, which is virtually impossible to find. So, I've pre-ordered an XFX Speedster MERC319 RX 6900XT just because.....can't explain it either, the heart wants what the heart wants (a quote from Lake Placid).

 

[Chrispy_]

I had a B450 steel legend which was mediocre and unremarkable. Those aren't negative traits in a motherboard at all. The worst thing about it was weak VRM design for the price point, but it was still adequate and properly cooled.

Buildzoid and HWU had good things to say about the B550 Steel Legend so it gets a thumbs up from me.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Is there a special preference for ASRock?

Being completely honest with you here, even if my reasons for preferring ASrock are rather silly, I'm simply interested in their PG boards (the good ones like the Velocita and such) because they're the only company that makes silver, red and black-themed boards and those are the main colors of my build theme

Imma go hide now, lol

That being said, I can't seem to pull myself away from flashy, pricey boards like the VIII Hero. I had a VI Hero (RIP) and that damn thing absolutely spoiled me as far as IO USB ports went, among other things. So thanks to the VI Hero, whenever I look at mobos now and see no more than 5 USB ports on the back, I shake my fist at it, LMAO

 

[tabascosauz]

Being completely honest with you here, even if my reasons for preferring ASrock are rather silly, I'm simply interested in their PG boards (the good ones like the Velocita and such) because they're the only company that makes silver, red and black-themed boards and those are the main colors of my build theme

Imma go hide now, lol

That being said, I can't seem to pull myself away from flashy, pricey boards like the VIII Hero. I had a VI Hero (RIP) and that damn thing absolutely spoiled me as far as IO USB ports went, among other things. So thanks to the VI Hero, whenever I look at mobos now and see no more than 5 USB ports on the back, I shake my fist at it, LMAO

I can respect that. I personally wish all boards looked like the B550 Vision D and X570-ACE. The Steel Legends are a little ruined by the really stupid Cool S -looking branding on the plastic shroud. You'll have to see it in person. Both the Extreme4 and PG Velocita look a little better (subjectively).

For a good price, I can take an ASRock board. What I can't forgive is an ASRock AM4 board that costs more than its direct competitors, because more often than not the others are superior hardware-wise and firmware-wise. ASRock knows how to make great high end boards, but OC Formulas are a thing of the past.

One gripe I have with the mATX Steel Legend is that the second M.2 slot is half width, x2. Not even 3.0 x4. Both the Mortars and TUFs have a 4.0x4 and 3.0x4. Yes, it's supposed to be a cheaper board, but there's a lot of questionable cost cutting here as a result of being on the same PCB as the B550M Pro4.

If you do decide to go for either mATX/ATX Steel Legend or the Extreme4, take care when removing the M.2/PCH combo heatsink (first slot on the mATX, second slot on the ATX). It's really wack and is something the PG Velocita doesn't suffer. It's extremely big, rigid and really stuck on there because of the thermal pad and you'll probably feel like you're bending the entire board when you remove it.

That, and keep an eye on your VSOC once you're all set up. ASRock likes to default to 1.2V VSOC for no reason when RAM is above JEDEC speed, and keep it there regardless of what you manually set. Think of it like if your motherboard defaulted to 1.35V VCCSA for no reason. There are ways around it, I think.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

I can respect that. I personally wish all boards looked like the B550 Vision D and X570-ACE. The Steel Legends are a little ruined by the really stupid Cool S -looking branding on the plastic shroud. You'll have to see it in person. Both the Extreme4 and PG Velocita look a little better (subjectively).

For a good price, I can take an ASRock board. What I can't forgive is an ASRock AM4 board that costs more than its direct competitors, because more often than not the others are superior hardware-wise and firmware-wise. ASRock knows how to make great high end boards, but OC Formulas are a thing of the past.

One gripe I have with the mATX Steel Legend is that the second M.2 slot is half width, x2. Not even 3.0 x4. Both the Mortars and TUFs have a 4.0x4 and 3.0x4. Yes, it's supposed to be a cheaper board, but there's a lot of questionable cost cutting here as a result of being on the same PCB as the B550M Pro4.

If you do decide to go for either mATX/ATX Steel Legend or the Extreme4, take care when removing the M.2/PCH combo heatsink (first slot on the mATX, second slot on the ATX). It's really wack and is something the PG Velocita doesn't suffer. It's extremely big, rigid and really stuck on there because of the thermal pad and you'll probably feel like you're bending the entire board when you remove it.

That, and keep an eye on your VSOC once you're all set up. ASRock likes to default to 1.2V VSOC for no reason when RAM is above JEDEC speed, and keep it there regardless of what you manually set. Think of it like if your motherboard defaulted to 1.35V VCCSA for no reason. There are ways around it, I think.

Totally agree! That, and I don't know why they felt the need to slap the digital camo pattern everywhere. That's one of the biggest aesthetic cons I have about the SL boards. The Extreme 4 is rather eye-catching, but the veins of blue in the PCB would obviously clash with my theme. In that same vein, the "gamer" text and the ROG eye Asus plasters on their STRIX offerings is also a big turn off for me. Thankfully the Crosshair boards have largely avoided such obnoxiousness. While the VIII Hero does feature the ROG eye, I can tolerate it, as it's not ginormous or in a prominent area like the IO shroud.

From a software perspective, I've only had experience with Gigabyte and Asus, and while Giga has truly come a long way in their BIOS since my first experience (Z87 Sniper-Z5S), Asus is still, hands down, vastly superior. Everything is easy to find and tweak if need be, the font is nice and clear (easy to see) and is just easy to navigate.

 

[tabascosauz]

Totally agree! That, and I don't know why they felt the need to slap the digital camo pattern everywhere. That's one of the biggest aesthetic cons I have about the SL boards. The Extreme 4 is rather eye-catching, but the veins of blue in the PCB would obviously clash with my theme. In that same vein, the "gamer" text and the ROG eye Asus plasters on their STRIX offerings is also a big turn off for me. Thankfully the Crosshair boards have largely avoided such obnoxiousness. While the VIII Hero does feature the ROG eye, I can tolerate it, as it's not ginormous or in a prominent area like the IO shroud.

From a software perspective, I've only had experience with Gigabyte and Asus, and while Giga has truly come a long way in their BIOS since my first experience (Z87 Sniper-Z5S), Asus is still, hands down, vastly superior. Everything is easy to find and tweak if need be, the font is nice and clear (easy to see) and is just easy to navigate.

Fully agree with you on the BIOS front. My first Gigabyte BIOS was even older than yours - I had a newer H97N-WIFI but they had the blue-colored older generation BIOS that had zero BIOS fan control. My B450I Aorus was a little rough around the edges; now my B550I Aorus AX's BIOS is pretty solid.

I have the B550M TUF Wifi in my main rig and it's absolutely spoiled me (especially the fan control).

Asrock's BIOS........well.........there are better choices out there haha. It's certainly not really missing any major features, but like I said there are some "default" values that it forces that can be really questionable.

Aside from fan control. Quite frankly, without resorting to in-OS fan control utilities, ASRock's BIOS fan control can't hold a candle to even Gigabyte's, let alone Asus'.

 

[INSTG8R]

I have to say coming from ASUS for my last 2-3 builds and moving to Gigabyte I sure do miss that ASUS BIOS. Gigabyte just feels kinda "Half UEFI" where most stuff you need to navigate with arrow keys/Enter so the mouse is almost pointless. But my last ASUS board was a Z97 Sabertooth that pretty much forced me to use AI Suite to have proper control of my and fans. THAT I do NOT miss at all

 

[biffzinker]

ASRock's BIOS fan control can't hold a candle to Gigabyte's, let alone Asus.

MSI’s fan control options seem good enough on the B450 Tomahawk.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

Aside from the PG boards I mentioned having an interest in, Gigabyte's X570 Aorus-I as well as the B550 version, both appeal to me in some ways, as does the X570 Aorus Ultra. The VIII Hero from Asus is near the top of my short list, but I'm worried it's a bit "overkill" for my needs. Although, if I wanted to think about it that way, my VI Hero was technically "overkill" for me back then, and yet I still loved it to bits.

 

[INSTG8R]

Well don't get me wrong I like like my Aorus X570 Pro for the quality, I just wish the BIOS didn't feel so dated that said it's all very easy to use and the BIOS fan control is great. The only software I keep installed is the RGB software to reset my colours every new BIOS update

 

[tabascosauz]

Aside from the PG boards I mentioned having an interest in, Gigabyte's X570 Aorus-I as well as the B550 version, both appeal to me in some ways, as does the X570 Aorus Ultra. The VIII Hero from Asus is near the top of my short list, but I'm worried it's a bit "overkill" for my needs. Although, if I wanted to think about it that way, my VI Hero was technically "overkill" for me back then, and yet I still loved it to bits.

Technically, the Z490-G is higher end than any AM4 mATX board, so if you're looking to "move up", it's gonna have to be smaller or bigger (although PCB layers really only matters for Intel because you won't be running 4000+ unless you have a Renoir APU).

The Hero is a good board, Dark Hero is technically more up to date though.

Between the X570-I Aorus and B550I Aorus AX, I would have chosen my B550 even if they were the same price. The X570 has the deprecated 16MB BIOS chip, the B550 has the 32MB chip; Gigabyte also had some trouble with BIOS corruption on X570 before B550 launched. The B550 also has a pretty ridiculous full coverage backplate that the X570 doesn't have, that makes it weigh twice as much and damn stiff, just make sure the socket area on the case mobo tray has no obstructions. Add to that the fact the B550I is usually rather cheap even amongst its B550 ITX competitors, let alone X570.

Gigabyte X570 ATX boards received later board revisions with a better memory topology, which the B550 boards have right from Rev. 1.0. So if you are looking at Gigabyte X570, it's good to take note of the revision number.

Well don't get me wrong I like like my Aorus X570 Pro for the quality, I just wish the BIOS didn't feel so dated that said it's all very easy to use and the BIOS fan control is great. The only software I keep installed is the RGB software to reset my colours every new BIOS update

The overclockers might say that arrow keys is the only true way to navigate a BIOS I actually like the Gigabyte BIOS because I can adjust the fan curves easily with keyboard only, Asus needs mouse. And my mouse is always super laggy in the Asus BIOS, works fine in my B450 and B550 Gigabyte BIOSes

 

[INSTG8R]

The overclockers might say that arrow keys is the only true way to navigate a BIOS I actually like the Gigabyte BIOS because I can adjust the fan curves easily with keyboard only, Asus needs mouse. And my mouse is always super laggy in the Asus BIOS, works fine in my B450 and B550 Gigabyte BIOSes

Well the with the flury of BIOS updates I can flip around and get my settings set up pretty quickly. I have yet to figure out how to do the fan curves via Keyboard because that is definitely very fiddly with a mouse that's for sure...but even that I can do fairly quickly now...

 

[tabascosauz]

Well the with the flury of BIOS updates I can flip around and get my settings set up pretty quickly. I have yet to figure out how to do the fan curves via Keyboard because that is definitely very fiddly with a mouse that's for sure...but even that I can do fairly quickly now...

In GB fan control you can use arrow keys to scroll through all the controls on the screen. So if you are using a manual fan curve, you can use arrow keys to scroll through each of the 4 (or was it 5?) adjustable points on the curve. There's a small label once you've selected a point that says something like Hold Shift to Adjust, so just hold down Shift and your arrow keys will move that point on the curve in whatever direction you desire. Only if you are using a Manual fan curve.