Introduction

Last year, AMD released the Ryzen 3000 series desktop processors in one of the most monumental hardware launches of the modern era. This final step completed the Red brand's ascent back into the forefront of the desktop processor market that began with the launch of the first generation of Ryzen CPUs.

With the Ryzen 3000 launch came the AMD X570 chipset. Featuring PCIe 4.0 support, X570 was an impressive leap from generations past. It was also hot, which had motherboards often include chipset cooling fans, and, more significantly, expensive. The high cost of the chipset increased the average cost of X570 motherboards considerably over previous generations.

While AMD has done a great job of maintaining motherboard compatibility with new generation processors, none of the previous-generation AM4 motherboards featured official PCIe 4.0 support, not even from the storage and PCIe controlled by PCIe 4.0 compatible CPUs. Enter B550, the more value-oriented little brother of X570. While the B550 chipset is PCIe 3.0 only, B550 motherboards support PCIe 4.0 from the CPU to the primary PCIe slot as well as the primary M.2 slot (dependent on a PCIe 4.0 ready CPU).


The BIOSTAR Racing B550GTQ features dual M.2 slots, each with their own full coverage heatsink, RGB lighting, a Micro ATX form factor, and even an integrated rear I/O cover. Perhaps most interesting, the B550GTQ utilizes 90 A power stages in an APU-optimized configuration. How will the VRM stand up to my Ryzen 9 3900X test CPU? Let's find out!

Specifications

Packaging and Contents

The BIOSTAR B550GTQ packaging has just about everything I like to see in a motherboard box: a nicely printed front that fits the theme of the board and an informative back with several panels detailing prominent features, a shot of the rear I/O, and the specifications list.



The accessories are very basic, with four SATA cables and the manual and support DVD. BIOSTAR does get props for integrating the rear I/O shield into the board. This is both convenient and gives the board a cleaner aesthetic.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Manual and support DVD
• 4x SATA 6 Gb/s cables

Board Layout

If you are familiar with BIOSTAR's RACING designs, the theme of the BIOSTAR Racing B550GTQ will not be a surprise. The board features a black and silver PCB with a black chipset heatsink and black rear I/O cover.


The CPU socket is very open and should have great cooler clearance.


There are two M.2 slots on the BIOSTAR Racing B550GTQ; one above the first PCIe x16 slot and another below the second PCIe x16 slot. Each slot has its own full-coverage heatsink. These heatsinks aren't as heavy duty as most I have seen, but should dissipate the heat of most drives just fine.


The BIOSTAR B550GTQ offers two PCI Express x16 slots, with the top slot PCIe Gen4 compatible. Both of these are steel-reinforced, and there are two PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots. The board has a total of six SATA 6 Gb/s ports; four angled 90 degrees on the side and two on the bottom.


The BIOSTAR B550GTQ has a decent I/O offering:

• PS/2 keyboard/mouse
• DVI-D port
• DP port
• HDMI port
• LAN port
• USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-C port
• USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-A port
• 4 x USB 3.2 (Gen1) port
• 2 x USB 2.0 port
• 3 x Audio jack

Networking on the BIOSTAR B550GTQ is handled by a Realtek RTL 8118AS.