[SOLVED] Ryzen 5 3600X + B450M Compatability: Which Motherboard Is Best?

Aug 27, 2019
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Looking to buy a motherboard for my build (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WdyLHB) but I am unsure as to which of the following would be best. I am buying a 3600X CPU and I am aware that there are BIOS updates potentially required, but I am not sure what the process of this will look like to make this work.

Here are the potential motherboards I could buy:
  1. ASROCK B450M Pro4
  2. Asus B450-A/CSM Prime
  3. Gigabyte B450 AORUS M
  4. MSI B450M Pro-2 Max
  5. ASROCK B450M-HDV
I have two questions:
  • Given my build and CPU, are any of these motherboards either superior in compatibility with my build or more painless out-of-the-box setup?
  • I have a small preference for the ASRock B450M Pro 4 because I see that it has a Type C USB, and I have a phone that's compatabile. It also seems like this one would most certainly require a BIOS update. Would this be difficult to perform myself?
  • Would I be better served by going for an X570M Pro4 for my build? Is the additional $100 worth it?
 
Solution
The bios updated cannot be updated on most boards without an older CPU. Do not buy the board unless you know it has the required update otherwise you will not be able to boot the system and cannot update it without an older CPU.

MSI -Max's motherboards are a newer release and do not require any bios update, so i would go for the MSI B450M Pro-2 Max to avoid any bios issues. However, if your case can accept ATX motherboards, i would recommend an MSI B450 Tomahawk Max since it is a very strong board.

X570 isnt nessisary.

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Great
Jun 4, 2019
144
5
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Looking to buy a motherboard for my build (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WdyLHB) but I am unsure as to which of the following would be best. I am buying a 3600X CPU and I am aware that there are BIOS updates potentially required, but I am not sure what the process of this will look like to make this work.

Here are the potential motherboards I could buy:
  1. ASROCK B450M Pro4
  2. Asus B450-A/CSM Prime
  3. Gigabyte B450 AORUS M
  4. MSI B450M Pro-2 Max
  5. ASROCK B450M-HDV
I have two questions:
  • Given my build and CPU, are any of these motherboards either superior in compatibility with my build or more painless out-of-the-box setup?
  • I have a small preference for the ASRock B450M Pro 4 because I see that it has a Type C USB, and I have a phone that's compatabile. It also seems like this one would most certainly require a BIOS update. Would this be difficult to perform myself?
  • Would I be better served by going for an X570M Pro4 for my build? Is the additional $100 worth it?
If you know that you will surely not upgrade to an 8 core CPU you could go for the asrock b450m pro 4 or b450 AORUS M. Otherwise go for the higher end MSI boards like the tomahawk MAX or the B450 gaming plus.
 
The bios updated cannot be updated on most boards without an older CPU. Do not buy the board unless you know it has the required update otherwise you will not be able to boot the system and cannot update it without an older CPU.

MSI -Max's motherboards are a newer release and do not require any bios update, so i would go for the MSI B450M Pro-2 Max to avoid any bios issues. However, if your case can accept ATX motherboards, i would recommend an MSI B450 Tomahawk Max since it is a very strong board.

X570 isnt nessisary.
 
Solution
If you know that you will surely not upgrade to an 8 core CPU you could go for the asrock b450m pro 4 or b450 AORUS M. Otherwise go for the higher end MSI boards like the tomahawk MAX or the B450 gaming plus.

The B450 Pro 4 is a pretty decent one, the board is most likely coming with the latest compatible bios. One thing about the MAX is that it's too close in pricing to the X570's for what they offer.