• Welcome to TechPowerUp Forums, Guest! Please check out our forum guidelines for info related to our community.

Hot take: B550 is DOA for enthusiasts. Your thoughts?

Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
1,657 (0.57/day)
System Name The Blind Grim Reaper
Processor Xeon X5675 Westmere-EP B1 SLBYL 4.20ghz @ 1.256v
Motherboard Asus P6X58D-E
Cooling Noctua CP12 SE14, Redux Noctua 1500rpm fan Arctic F14 x3 for intake and exhaust
Memory Corsair XMS3 CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 x6
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX 1060 6GB SC Single Fan Model
Storage Crucial mx300 750gb main system + 1TB mx500 for games and music
Display(s) 22 inch samsung curved
Case NZXT Phantom 530 black
Audio Device(s) Nvidia HDMI through HDMI adaptor for output sound for turtlebeach x12 headset
Power Supply Antec HCG 850 watt
Mouse no brand
Keyboard normal usb keyboard
Software Windows 10 22H2 v1 (main is) and Windows 11 22H2 v2 on WD 250gb 7200rpm (testing purposes os)
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R20 = 2046cb
I know it old @EarthDog but it was his money that he bought it brand new so i told him to send it back where he got it from and get a replacement or refund. As he got it from amazon uk so i told him once he get a replacement board and i rebuild the pc the correct way as he had wires everywhere in the case it was a mess :)
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
I know it old @EarthDog but it was his money that he bought it brand new so i told him to send it back where he got it from and get a replacement or refund. As he got it from amazon uk so i told him once he get a replacement board and i rebuild the pc the correct way as he had wires everywhere in the case it was a mess :)
I think you missed the point. Regardless if it is new to him, B450 and that board have been out for years... so of course you will find hits. That doesn't mean it is a systemic problem, however.

I don't see how this experience is at all related with the thread title, but...... I digress. :)
 
Joined
Apr 15, 2016
Messages
1,657 (0.57/day)
System Name The Blind Grim Reaper
Processor Xeon X5675 Westmere-EP B1 SLBYL 4.20ghz @ 1.256v
Motherboard Asus P6X58D-E
Cooling Noctua CP12 SE14, Redux Noctua 1500rpm fan Arctic F14 x3 for intake and exhaust
Memory Corsair XMS3 CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 x6
Video Card(s) EVGA GTX 1060 6GB SC Single Fan Model
Storage Crucial mx300 750gb main system + 1TB mx500 for games and music
Display(s) 22 inch samsung curved
Case NZXT Phantom 530 black
Audio Device(s) Nvidia HDMI through HDMI adaptor for output sound for turtlebeach x12 headset
Power Supply Antec HCG 850 watt
Mouse no brand
Keyboard normal usb keyboard
Software Windows 10 22H2 v1 (main is) and Windows 11 22H2 v2 on WD 250gb 7200rpm (testing purposes os)
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R20 = 2046cb
I think you missed the point. Regardless if it is new to him, B450 and that board have been out for years... so of course you will find hits. That doesn't mean it is a systemic problem, however.

I don't see how this experience is at all related with the thread title, but...... I digress. :)
I know and i didnt miss the point either :)
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
I also made a distinction between AMD and the board makers. AMD didn't create the b550 for enthusiasts, they have the x570 for exactly the enthusiast audience. Gigabyte, and any other manufacturer for that matter, can put it in a board and market it to whoever they like.
Again this "X570 = enthusiast, B550 = not enthusiast" distinction, and I still don't understand how different the two are, apart from the number of PCI-e lanes and USB ports, which not everybody needs a lot of, being a hardware enthusiast or not.

Edit: Is it a placebo effect that some people use to explain why they spent so much money on a motherboard that they don't need?
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
Again this "X570 = enthusiast, B550 = not enthusiast" distinction, and I still don't understand how different the two are, apart from the number of PCI-e lanes and USB ports, which not everybody needs a lot of, being a hardware enthusiast or not.
That is, for all intents and purposes, the difference. There are other subtle differences like aesthetics, different VRM's, maybe more have 6+ sata ports and 3 M.2... etc. An 'enthusiast' platform has all the bells and whistles the platform has to offer while mainstream chipsets are limited in different ways. That doesn't mean an enthusiast can't buy a B550 board...

The distinction is in marketing, not by user. HEDT, Enthusiast, Mainstream, etc...
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
That is, for all intents and purposes, the difference. There are other subtle differences like aesthetics, different VRM's, maybe more have 6+ sata ports and 3 M.2... etc. An 'enthusiast' platform has all the bells and whistles the platform has to offer while mainstream chipsets are limited in different ways. That doesn't mean an enthusiast can't buy a B550 board...

The distinction is in marketing, not by user. HEDT, Enthusiast, Mainstream, etc...
This is why I tend to avoid using the word "enthusiast" when I describe a piece of hardware.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
This is why I tend to avoid using the word "enthusiast" when I describe a piece of hardware.
Not sure why you'd avoid that so long as you/people you are talking to understand you are talking tiers of hardware. Don't get lost in the minutia. :)
 
Joined
Jun 2, 2017
Messages
7,798 (3.13/day)
System Name Best AMD Computer
Processor AMD 7900X3D
Motherboard Asus X670E E Strix
Cooling In Win SR36
Memory GSKILL DDR5 32GB 5200 30
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse 7900XT (Watercooled)
Storage Corsair MP 700, Seagate 530 2Tb, Adata SX8200 2TBx2, Kingston 2 TBx2, Micron 8 TB, WD AN 1500
Display(s) GIGABYTE FV43U
Case Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s) Corsair Void Pro, Logitch Z523 5.1
Power Supply Deepcool 1000M
Mouse Logitech g7 gaming mouse
Keyboard Logitech G510
Software Windows 11 Pro 64 Steam. GOG, Uplay, Origin
Benchmark Scores Firestrike: 46183 Time Spy: 25121
Especially when the price of the B550 mid end is about same as that of a x570 Asus TUF motherboard which is a good motherboard and has both PCIe 4.0 M.2, not 1 and the other being PCIe 3.0. Plus it has a good audio chip compared to most of the B550's from what I can tell. Only thing it lacks is a USB-C header on the motherboard which for me is necessary (I know that is nitpicking). But otherwise, its a fantastic board and with that price, makes no sense to buy a B550.

Overall prices need to be dropped in order to be competitive.
Exactly, I wouldn't buy any of the high end B550 boards but I have to admit that I am looking at the Asus Prime M WiFI B550 it is $199 Canadian. It would replace my current HTPC which has the B450 Prime. For the $80 premium the B550 Prime has way more features (ARGB + 1 RGB header(s), PCIE 4.0 GPU & M2, WIFI 6. I have a 3300X and I was able to get a 4.5 GHZ OC using the B450 Prime so I am not worried about temps.
 
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
872 (0.15/day)
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
System Name Ryzen/Laptop/htpc
Processor R9 3900X/i7 6700HQ/i7 2600
Motherboard AsRock X470 Taichi/Acer/ Gigabyte H77M
Cooling Corsair H115i pro with 2 Noctua NF-A14 chromax/OEM/Noctua NH-L12i
Memory G.Skill Trident Z 32GB @3200/16GB DDR4 2666 HyperX impact/24GB
Video Card(s) TUL Red Dragon Vega 56/Intel HD 530 - GTX 950m/ 970 GTX
Storage 970pro NVMe 512GB,Samsung 860evo 1TB, 3x4TB WD gold/Transcend 830s, 1TB Toshiba/Adata 256GB + 1TB WD
Display(s) Philips FTV 32 inch + Dell 2407WFP-HC/OEM/Sony KDL-42W828B
Case Phanteks Enthoo Luxe/Acer Barebone/Enermax
Audio Device(s) SoundBlasterX AE-5 (Dell A525)(HyperX Cloud Alpha)/mojo/soundblaster xfi gamer
Power Supply Seasonic focus+ 850 platinum (SSR-850PX)/165 Watt power brick/Enermax 650W
Mouse G502 Hero/M705 Marathon/G305 Hero Lightspeed
Keyboard G19/oem/Steelseries Apex 300
Software Win10 pro 64bit
Again this "X570 = enthusiast, B550 = not enthusiast" distinction, and I still don't understand how different the two are, apart from the number of PCI-e lanes and USB ports, which not everybody needs a lot of, being a hardware enthusiast or not.

Edit: Is it a placebo effect that some people use to explain why they spent so much money on a motherboard that they don't need?
Well, if you don't understand the distinction, I think you are in the wrong thread, and maybe forum.
 

Space Lynx

Astronaut
Joined
Oct 17, 2014
Messages
15,800 (4.58/day)
Location
Kepler-186f
I will never own more than one gpu and one nvme drive, and I need no addon cards, my audio comes from high dac Modius and amp Asgard 2. so really B550 is great for me. i have no use for other features.

MSI B550 Tomahawk just came in stock at newegg briefly... I nabbed it 3 hours ago and its already shipped. I am going to leave it sealed until July 7th or whenever the new 3000 refresh series chips come out. my ram, psu, and case are all being re-used
 
Joined
Jul 14, 2008
Messages
872 (0.15/day)
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
System Name Ryzen/Laptop/htpc
Processor R9 3900X/i7 6700HQ/i7 2600
Motherboard AsRock X470 Taichi/Acer/ Gigabyte H77M
Cooling Corsair H115i pro with 2 Noctua NF-A14 chromax/OEM/Noctua NH-L12i
Memory G.Skill Trident Z 32GB @3200/16GB DDR4 2666 HyperX impact/24GB
Video Card(s) TUL Red Dragon Vega 56/Intel HD 530 - GTX 950m/ 970 GTX
Storage 970pro NVMe 512GB,Samsung 860evo 1TB, 3x4TB WD gold/Transcend 830s, 1TB Toshiba/Adata 256GB + 1TB WD
Display(s) Philips FTV 32 inch + Dell 2407WFP-HC/OEM/Sony KDL-42W828B
Case Phanteks Enthoo Luxe/Acer Barebone/Enermax
Audio Device(s) SoundBlasterX AE-5 (Dell A525)(HyperX Cloud Alpha)/mojo/soundblaster xfi gamer
Power Supply Seasonic focus+ 850 platinum (SSR-850PX)/165 Watt power brick/Enermax 650W
Mouse G502 Hero/M705 Marathon/G305 Hero Lightspeed
Keyboard G19/oem/Steelseries Apex 300
Software Win10 pro 64bit
I will never own more than one gpu and one nvme drive, and I need no addon cards, my audio comes from high dac Modius and amp Asgard 2. so really B550 is great for me. i have no use for other features.

MSI B550 Tomahawk just came in stock at newegg briefly... I nabbed it 3 hours ago and its already shipped. I am going to leave it sealed until July 7th or whenever the new 3000 refresh series chips come out. my ram, psu, and case are all being re-used
I'm thinking of doing the same thing for my HTPC setup. I'm going to wait for prices to normalize though so 3-4 months, it's not an emergency anyway for me..
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
Well, if you don't understand the distinction, I think you are in the wrong thread, and maybe forum.
That is not an answer to the question.
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2017
Messages
7,412 (3.05/day)
Location
Poland
System Name Purple rain
Processor 10.5 thousand 4.2G 1.1v
Motherboard Zee 490 Aorus Elite
Cooling Noctua D15S
Memory 16GB 4133 CL16-16-16-31 Viper Steel
Video Card(s) RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
Storage SU900 128,8200Pro 1TB,850 Pro 512+256+256,860 Evo 500,XPG950 480, Skyhawk 2TB
Display(s) Acer XB241YU+Dell S2716DG
Case P600S Silent w. Alpenfohn wing boost 3 ARGBT+ fans
Audio Device(s) K612 Pro w. FiiO E10k DAC,W830BT wireless
Power Supply Superflower Leadex Gold 850W
Mouse G903 lightspeed+powerplay,G403 wireless + Steelseries DeX + Roccat rest
Keyboard HyperX Alloy SilverSpeed (w.HyperX wrist rest),Razer Deathstalker
Software Windows 10
Benchmark Scores A LOT
That is not an answer to the question.
cause a 280 dollar board that'll take a 16 core cpu and pci-e 4.0 gpu is apparently mid range for this guy
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
Not sure why you'd avoid that so long as you/people you are talking to understand you are talking tiers of hardware. Don't get lost in the minutia. :)
I avoid the term, because generally speaking, people can be enthusiasts. Hardware can't, it's just hardware. :)

Also, looking at a few B550 boards out there, they might very well have been designed for enthusiasts who don't need a myriad of nvme drives.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
Hardware can't, it's just hardware.
That's where we disagree. And though it is 'marketing' that's how it is done and classed. HEDT (X299/X399), Enthusiast (Z490/X570), Mainstream (B460/B550), Business (H class for Intel), Potato (lol). Remember the platform is defined by its chipset specifications/potential, not what AIBs put on the board/or not after. Board XXX is an enthusiast class motherboard.... features will vary within each bucket. Enthusiasts can find B550 (read: mainstream) attractive, it just depends on their uses/needs. But generally, an enthusiast class motherboard comes with all the features the platform offers, versus mainstream it is cut down.

Are 3 NVMe drives a myriad? Because many B550 have two which is plenty already.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
480 (0.33/day)
Some B550 boards out there look very nice. GIGABYTE B550M Aorus Pro looks solid board for $129. A 10+3 phase power delivery, PCIE4, two M.2 slots, and a Realtek ALC1200 HD audio codec, 9x USB/1x USB C, max DDR4-4733 capacity of 128 GB. I think it has what most users need. I'll wait for the reviews and if thermals/OC are good I'll buy it in Q4 when prices fall and we can get it for around 100 bucks hopefully. Anything above 130 bucks is too much for B type of board imo.



 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
That's where we disagree. And though it is 'marketing' that's how it is done and classed. HEDT (X299/X399), Enthusiast (Z490/X570), Mainstream (B460/B550), Business (H class for Intel), Potato (lol). Remember the platform is defined by its chipset specifications/potential, not what AIBs put on the board/or not after. Board XXX is an enthusiast class motherboard.... features will vary within each bucket.

Are 3 NVMe drives a myriad? Because many B550 have two which is plenty already.
Depends on the person. For me it is, as I only ever need 1 maximum.

So basically B550 is mainstream (because it has no X in it?), even though it offers almost the same functionality as X570 does. Marketing or not, IMO a real enthusiast looks for quality, not for what the media tries to push down on people's throats with their silly categories.

Some B550 boards out there look very nice. GIGABYTE B550M Aorus Pro looks solid board for $129. A 10+3 phase power delivery, PCIE4, two M.2 slots, and a Realtek ALC1200 HD audio codec, 9x USB/1x USB C, max DDR4-4733 capacity of 128 GB. I think it has what most users need. I'll wait for the reviews and if thermals/OC are good I'll buy it in Q4 when we can get it around 100 bucks hopefully. Anything above 130 bucks is to much for B type of board imo.
Can someone tell me how this board is not an "enthusiast" board? Oh, no X in the chipset name, I get it. :rolleyes:
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
So basically B550 is mainstream (because it has no X in it?), even though it offers almost the same functionality as X570 does. Marketing or not, IMO a real enthusiast looks for quality, not for what the media tries to push down on people's throats with their silly categories.

Can someone tell me how this board is not an "enthusiast" board? Oh, no X in the chipset name, I get it. :rolleyes:
I'm not sure you're understanding my posts (more so the distinction between a class of motherboard and a person). :)

1. Please look up the differences between the B550 and X570 platform. From CPU support to PCIe lanes, it is NOT the same functionality...there is less of it.
2. I'm not trying to define PEOPLE here.... I'm trying to show the difference between the platforms and why they are labeled as such.
3. It isn't the media doing this, lol... read my posts! This is AMD and Intel defining the tiers of their chipsets which are allllllllllllllllllllllll different.

EDIT: There has always been and will always be crossover of features between chipsets. Just because B550 has similar bells and whistles, most of those (audio, Wi-Fi, power delivery, etc) are NOT defined by the chipset in the first place!
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
480 (0.33/day)
Can someone tell me how this board is not an "enthusiast" board? Oh, no X in the chipset name, I get it. :rolleyes:
I get your point. To be truthful, B550 chipset is good enough for 99% of the users. I always buy only what I need, but most of PC enthusiasts get caught on branding & flashy look unfortunately. Thermals of some B550 $180 MB are on pair or even better than some $300 X470/X570 MBs out there, yet ppl still buy them, most of them for the look & prestige. Friend who owns retail PC shop told me be that he has to build flashy PCs full of leds in order to sell them... Top notch but dull workstations just won't sell. Good tech specs don't sell a product as much as good marketing/flashy look does unfortunately. That's why DIY PCs look more and more like toys for kids.
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
I get your point. To be truthful, B550 chipset is good enough for 99% of the users. I always buy only what I need, but most of PC enthusiasts get caught on branding & flashy look unfortunately. Thermals of some B550 $180 MB are on pair or even better than some $300 X470/X570 MBs out there, yet ppl still buy them, most of them for the look & prestige. Friend who owns retail PC shop told me be that he has to build flashy PCs full of leds in order to sell them... Top notch but dull workstations just won't sell. Good tech specs don't sell a product as much as good marketing/flashy look does unfortunately. That's why DIY PCs look more and more like toys for kids.
B550 is good enough for most users... agreed!

It's funny because, to me, an enthusiast can look past the glitz and glam and understand what each platform is and what it offers you as a user. I'd expect someone "highly interested in a particular subject (as the word enthusiast is defined) would want to know the underlying hardware bits from the platform to the power delivery. That said, looks are important to many users... and VRM quality can be overrated. AMD can't overclock worth a hoot so is there really a difference besides a perfectly capable 10-phase 600A VRM and a 12-phase 600A? The end result (overclock) will be the same when using ambient cooling... but hey, moar phases = better to some. What about 10-phase 500A vs 12-phase 600A? On paper the latter 'wins' but in the end it means almost nothing to the end user.

The people buying the PCs likely aren't in the market for a workstation... typically those are provided by your company to do the work, first of all.

You also have to remember, B550 came after X570... and because of this, AIBs had the opportunity to learn from X570 experiences... larger heatsinks, similarly robust VRMs... and is it any better or worse running at 50C as opposed to 60C if both temperatures are well within operating range of the MOSFETs (remember, you're still cooling off a similar amount of wattage - temperature is different...).
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 6, 2017
Messages
7,412 (3.05/day)
Location
Poland
System Name Purple rain
Processor 10.5 thousand 4.2G 1.1v
Motherboard Zee 490 Aorus Elite
Cooling Noctua D15S
Memory 16GB 4133 CL16-16-16-31 Viper Steel
Video Card(s) RTX 2070 Super Gaming X Trio
Storage SU900 128,8200Pro 1TB,850 Pro 512+256+256,860 Evo 500,XPG950 480, Skyhawk 2TB
Display(s) Acer XB241YU+Dell S2716DG
Case P600S Silent w. Alpenfohn wing boost 3 ARGBT+ fans
Audio Device(s) K612 Pro w. FiiO E10k DAC,W830BT wireless
Power Supply Superflower Leadex Gold 850W
Mouse G903 lightspeed+powerplay,G403 wireless + Steelseries DeX + Roccat rest
Keyboard HyperX Alloy SilverSpeed (w.HyperX wrist rest),Razer Deathstalker
Software Windows 10
Benchmark Scores A LOT
That's where we disagree. And though it is 'marketing' that's how it is done and classed. HEDT (X299/X399), Enthusiast (Z490/X570), Mainstream (B460/B550), Business (H class for Intel), Potato (lol). Remember the platform is defined by its chipset specifications/potential, not what AIBs put on the board/or not after. Board XXX is an enthusiast class motherboard.... features will vary within each bucket. Enthusiasts can find B550 (read: mainstream) attractive, it just depends on their uses/needs. But generally, an enthusiast class motherboard comes with all the features the platform offers, versus mainstream it is cut down.

Are 3 NVMe drives a myriad? Because many B550 have two which is plenty already.
b460 and b550,lol.
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
I'm not sure you're understanding my posts (more so the distinction between a class of motherboard and a person). :)

1. Please look up the differences between the B550 and X570 platform. From CPU support to PCIe lanes, it is NOT the same functionality...there is less of it.
2. I'm not trying to define PEOPLE here.... I'm trying to show the difference between the platforms and why they are labeled as such.
3. It isn't the media doing this, lol... read my posts! This is AMD and Intel defining the tiers of their chipsets which are allllllllllllllllllllllll different.
1. As far as I know, CPU support is the same, X570 offers more PCI-e 4.0 lanes which not everybody needs. Based on this, both platforms are OK for enthusiasts and others alike.
2. That's what I mean! :D The labelling is wrong as there are enthusiasts (people) and others who don't care much about PCs, just want something that works. Product labels shouldn't mean a thing to either group.
3. Sorry, I worded it wrong. AMD might be doing it through the media, but it doesn't mean that a certain chipset branded as "enthusiast" can't be good for someone who just wants a generic PC, and another labelled as "mid-range" won't do for an enthusiast. Some boards with "mid-range" chipsets can offer enthusiast level of quality, especially nowadays.

All I'm saying is, this kind of product labelling is totally inaccurate regardless of whether AMD does it or the users themselves.
 
Joined
Apr 10, 2020
Messages
480 (0.33/day)
B550 is good enough for most users... agreed!

It's funny because, to me, an enthusiast can look past the glitz and glam and understand what each platform is and what it offers you as a user. I'd expect someone "highly interested in a particular subject - as the word enthusiast is defined) would want to know the underlying hardware bits from the platform to the power deliver. That said, looks are important to many users... and VRM quality can be overrated. AMD can't overclock worth a hoot so is there really a difference besides a perfectly capable 10-phase 600A VRM and a 12-phase 600A? The end result (overclock) will be the same when using ambient cooling... but hey, moar phases = better to some. What about 10-phase 500A vs 12-phase 600A? On paper the latter 'wins' but in the end it means almost nothing to the end user.

The people buying the PCs likely aren't in the market for a workstation... typically those are provided by your company to do the work, first of all.

You also have to remember, B550 came after X570... and because of this, AIBs had the opportunity to learn from X570 experiences... larger heatsinks, similarly robust VRMs... and is it any better or worse running at 50C as opposed to 60C if both temperatures are well within operating range of the MOSFETs (remember, you're still cooling off a similar amount of wattage - temperature is different...).
The problem is that some X570 MBs throttle when paired with 3900x/3950X which is totally unacceptable in this price range. I can live with B450 Tomahawk/PRO4 temp throttling on 12C/16C CPU, but throttling on $200+ MBs is just unacceptable.
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
9,727 (5.12/day)
Location
Midlands, UK
System Name Nebulon-B Mk. 4
Processor AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard MSi PRO B650M-A WiFi
Cooling be quiet! Dark Rock 4
Memory 2x 24 GB Corsair Vengeance EXPO DDR5-6000
Video Card(s) Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7800 XT
Storage 2 TB Corsair MP600 GS, 2 TB Corsair MP600 R2, 4 + 8 TB Seagate Barracuda 3.5"
Display(s) Dell S3422DWG, 7" Waveshare touchscreen
Case Kolink Citadel Mesh black
Power Supply Seasonic Prime GX-750
Mouse Logitech MX Master 2S
Keyboard Logitech G413 SE
Software Windows 10 Pro
Benchmark Scores Cinebench R23 single-core: 1,800, multi-core: 18,000. Superposition 1080p Extreme: 9,900.
B550 is good enough for most users... agreed!

It's funny because, to me, an enthusiast can look past the glitz and glam and understand what each platform is and what it offers you as a user. I'd expect someone "highly interested in a particular subject (as the word enthusiast is defined) would want to know the underlying hardware bits from the platform to the power delivery. That said, looks are important to many users... and VRM quality can be overrated. AMD can't overclock worth a hoot so is there really a difference besides a perfectly capable 10-phase 600A VRM and a 12-phase 600A? The end result (overclock) will be the same when using ambient cooling... but hey, moar phases = better to some. What about 10-phase 500A vs 12-phase 600A? On paper the latter 'wins' but in the end it means almost nothing to the end user.

The people buying the PCs likely aren't in the market for a workstation... typically those are provided by your company to do the work, first of all.

You also have to remember, B550 came after X570... and because of this, AIBs had the opportunity to learn from X570 experiences... larger heatsinks, similarly robust VRMs... and is it any better or worse running at 50C as opposed to 60C if both temperatures are well within operating range of the MOSFETs (remember, you're still cooling off a similar amount of wattage - temperature is different...).
Exactly my point! :) That's why I'm saying that not every X570 board should be labelled "enthusiast", as well as not every B550 is "mid-range".

As for me, I care about VRM quality and cooling for longevity and space restriction-related reasons (overclocking is overrated anyway). You might have 60 C on your MOSFETs in a certain case with good airflow, but if you take a mini-ITX board with the same VRM configuration in a small chassis, you're going to have a much harder time dealing with temperatures. Swapping to a larger micro-ATX case with more fans did wonders with the VRM temperature on my ROG Strix B250i (it's still not great sometimes, but that's another story).
 
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
19,366 (3.72/day)
Benchmark Scores Faster than yours... I'd bet on it. :)
1. As far as I know, CPU support is the same, X570 offers more PCI-e 4.0 lanes which not everybody needs. Based on this, both platforms are OK for enthusiasts and others alike.
2. That's what I mean! :D The labelling is wrong as there are enthusiasts (people) and others who don't care much about PCs, just want something that works. Product labels shouldn't mean a thing to either group.
3. Sorry, I worded it wrong. AMD might be doing it through the media, but it doesn't mean that a certain chipset branded as "enthusiast" can't be good for someone who just wants a generic PC, and another labelled as "mid-range" won't do for an enthusiast. Some boards with "mid-range" chipsets can offer enthusiast level of quality, especially nowadays.

All I'm saying is, this kind of product labelling is totally inaccurate regardless of whether AMD does it or the users themselves.
1. Of course not everyone needs that. HOwever, that doesn't take away the fact the platform labeled 'enthusiast' doesn't have more flexibility to use more M.2, run TWO PCIe slots at PCIe 4.0 with full bandwidth, etc. Again you are mixing up a class of PEOPLE, verus a PLATFORM definition.
2. The labeling isn't wrong though. You keep saying enthusiast in reference to people.....which I could give two hoots about.
3. Jesus man... they aren't doing anything THROUGH the media!!! These are internal designations of platforms from Intel and AMD, lol!!!!!! I've said what you are saying after that repeatedly..welcome.

This kind of product labeling is spot on accurate. I'm sorry you seem to be unable to discern the difference. You can lead a horse to water, so they say. :)
The problem is that some X570 MBs throttle when paired with 3900x/3950X which is totally unacceptable in this price range. I can live with B450 Tomahawk/PRO4 temp throttling on 12C/16C CPU, but throttling on $200+ MBs is just unacceptable.
X570 motherboards range from $120-zOMG too much... I'm not surprised some boards choke with a 3950x......you'll likely find the same with B550 motherboards too. You'd need to be more specific on which board to make a more valid point here.
Exactly my point! :) That's why I'm saying that not every X570 board should be labelled "enthusiast", as well as not every B550 is "mid-range".
lol...I can't help that your head cannot separate a platfrom definition from the features. BUt they are absolutely NOT inaccurate if you actually understand how platforms are defined (as most 'enthusiasts' can).

Good luck to you...we'll agree to disagree. :)

EDIT: Here is a great article showing all of the differences between the platforms....
.
 
Top