So far my choice is the Asus TUF GAMING variant. But my one gripe with all the Asus boards is that none of them have an internal header for USB 3.2 type-C.
Is this header useful in today's day?
The best person to answer this question is YOU. Do you routinely use peripherals with USB-C connectors? Some people do, some people don't.
How inconvenient would you find it to reach around the back of your system to plug in a USB-C peripheral? Some people would just shrug, other people would be annoyed. Neither are right or wrong.
The Strix B550-I (mini-ITX form factor) and Strix B550-E (another ATX board which is closely related to the B550-F) both have the USB 3.2 Gen 2 front panel connector header. I own both boards. I avoid reaching around the back of my computer as much as possible. My desktop computers generally have some sort of external USB hub to put the connections in a more accessible location.
On two of my desks, the USB hub is affixed underneath the tabletop with a short USB female-to-male extension cable glued to the desk. Convenient and not obtrusive.
There are minor differences between the Strix B550-E and Strix B550-F. I suggest you visit the ASUS corporate website, compare the two side-by-side, and prioritize what features are the most important to you. That's how I ended up with the B550-E.
If you are still keen on the Strix B550-F motherboard and want that USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C connector for the front panel, you could add an aftermarket PCI card. I considered that briefly before I figured out that the USB card would bring the cost up to the price of the Strix B550-E.
I might get a case with such a header(such as the Lian Li O11 Dynamic or similar) which has a front-panel port for this header, or I might not(to save cash).
Also, most of these(but not all) have 2.5G LAN ports. Anyone uses those?
Apparently the 2.5Gbps LAN ports are getting more popular with gamers which is why the feature is being included on newer premium boards so clearly someone is using those.
Again, the best person to answer this question is YOU. Does your networking gear support the faster standard? Do you have a local network environment that would benefit from it? (e.g., file sharing, large file transfer, media streaming).
Right now I get zero benefit from the 2.5Gbps LAN ports but that's fine. It's included in the Strix B550-I and Strix B550-E boards anyhow.
Also, about VRM phases: The cheapest Asus board has 8(as does my current Z97 board). Some of the MSI boards has 12+2+1(?) and some AsRock boards have up to 14. What's meant by these? Should I really care about these?
Short answer: VRMs are more important for those with extremely power hungry CPUs and overclockers.
Longer answer: Explaining VRMs in a Q&A forum isn't optimal. Read this instead:
Motherboard VRMs are electrical components ensuring reliable power for your CPU. But what is a VRM, and how does it work?
www.maketecheasier.com
or this:
Oscillating clock crystals, MOSFETs, chokes, the VRM, and other low-level motherboard components are defined in this post. - All Pages
www.gamersnexus.net
If you are planning on sticking with garden variety consumer-grade CPUs and not doing any hardcore overclocking, don't worry about VRMs. The better boards will have better VRM configurations because the intended clientele of those boards would expect it.
For me, there are two other important factors in selecting a motherboard. The first is the number of fan headers.
The second is whether or not there's a thermal sensor header. I use this with an inline sensor in custom cooling builds to measure coolant temperature. For these custom cooling loop builds there are separate radiators for the CPU and GPU so plentiful fan headers means I can control the radiator fans separately.
Again, these are decisions that I made based on my own usage case and needs are.
If you are seriously considering the Lian Li O11 Dynamic series, think very carefully now whether or not you really need an ATX sized motherboard.
I own the O11D Mini which supports ATX, micro-ATX and mini-ITX boards. An ATX board can only be installed in one position. A micro-ATX board can be installed in two positions. A mini-ITX board can be installed in three positions. This position flexibility allows for different opportunities for cooling (radiators, fans, etc.). My Strix B550-I lives in this case.
I also own the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Performance. This mid-tower case supports all three of those board sizes as well as E-ATX but there is a single mounting position regardless the motherboard form factor. My Strix B550-E lives in this case.
