Info X570/X470/X370/B550/B450/B350/A520/A320 Motherboards (AM4-socket for AMD Ryzen CPUs) Sortable Comparison Tables

[raisonjohn]

Welcome everyone!

This thread features a comprehensive list of X570/X470/X370/B550/B450/B350/A520/A320 motherboards with an AM4-socket (supporting AMD Ryzen CPUs). It is a sortable database aimed at easily comparing detailed specifications of all the different motherboard brands and models. The database can be viewed in the following link (opens to a google spreadsheet):

Link: AM4 MOTHERBOARDS COMPARISON TABLE (SORTABLE)
(423 MODELS LISTED as of last update - 14 Oct 2020)

High traffic volume viewing the spreadsheet may render the above link inaccessible, or may disable the sorting/filtering features, or may not properly load the images/text format/pop-up notes. If so, go to this mirror link instead: MIRROR LINK
​

Note: The table is best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer using an FHD (1920x1080), UW-FHD (2560x1080), WQHD (2560x1440), or UW-QHD (3440x1440) screen resolution (sorting/filtering may be disabled and text/table format may appear irregular when viewed on a mobile phone, tablet, or Smart TV).

Each viewer can arrange or hide any data in the table to show only the models being considered through sorting/fitlering the specific features and components one is looking for in a motherboard.

All information found in the table were researched and verified to the best of my ability based on manufacturer's data, user manuals, and reviews. I may update the table from time to time when new information are made available. If there are discrepancies/errors, let me know.

HOW TO SORT & FILTER
(General instructions are included in the table; detailed instructions and examples to be provided here soon).

DEFAULT ARRANGEMENT OF THE DATABASE
When first viewed, the database is arranged in the following order of priority:

• By Chipset: X570 ---> X470 ---> X370 ---> B550 ---> B450 ---> B350 ---> A520 ---> A320
  
  
• By Size / Form Factor: Extended-ATX ---> ATX ---> microATX ---> Mini-DTX ---> Mini-ITX ---> Thin Mini-ITX
  
  
• By Brand (Alphabetically): Asrock -> Asus -> Biostar -> Colorful -> ECS -> Gigabyte -> Msi

The above data can be seen in the left-most columns. Apart from the Brand/Model Name, Chipset, and Size of the motherboard, a few other data are included at the main columns: Photo of the motherboard, the Year (and Quarter) when the motherboard was made available, the Price Range, and a Subjective Tier ("ranking").

PRICE RANGE
This data shows the average approximate retail cost of the motherboard, indicated by a $ symbol. The first $ symbol means the board costs around $80 or lower, while the succeeding $ symbol thereafter is equivalent to an additional $40 each symbol over and above the $80 price tag. So,

• $ = ~$80 or lower
• $$ = From ~$80 to ~$120
• $$$ = From ~$120 to ~$160
• $$$$ = From ~$160 to ~$200
• $$$$$ = From ~$200 to ~$240, and so forth...

Update: As of 15 October 2020, the data shown on the "price range" column has been revised to show MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) in US Dollars (USD) upon launch. This revision is to simplify the sorting/filtering and readability of the prices when comparing motherboards.

SUBJECTIVE TIER
This is a personal and subjective assessment on how the motherboard is "ranked" based on its features, specs, and quality compared to the models of the same brand. I have generally categorized motherboards in four (4) tiers, named and color-coded as:

• ENTHUSIAST Models
• HIGH PERFORMANCE Models
• MAINSTREAM Models
• ENTRY-LEVEL Models

Important note: The "subjective tier" column only shows GENERAL categories which indicates the USAGE LEVEL of a motherboard, based on features, quality, and pricing of a particular model when compared to other models of the SAME BRAND (i.e., WITHIN the manufacturer's OWN line-up). It is NOT recommended to use "tiers" in determining which motherboard is "better", especially if compared with competitor brands/models.

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Size: Shows the form factor of the motherboard and the dimensions of the PCB.
  
  
• I/O & Audio Armor: If the motherboard has an I/O shroud, or an I/O shroud with Audio cover, or none at all. Also shows other special covers such as backplates or front shrouds, if any.
  
  
• Colors:
  • PCB/Accent Colors: Pertains to the color of the PCB and other accent colors that can be found in the motherboard such as shrouds, slots, ports, and texts.
    
    
  • LED Lighting Colors (Location/s): Indicates the color/s of the illuminated portions on the motherboard and where they are located.
    
    
  • Color Sync: Supported synchronization software for controlling the motherboard lighting, colors and effects.

POWER SPECIFICATIONS

• ATX12V Socket: Source of +12V power dedicated for the CPU, where the cable from of the Power Supply Unit (PSU) is plugged into. This socket can be a standard 4-pin ATX12V (for basic and low-powered motherboards), or an 8-pin EPS12V (for mainstream motherboards), or a combination of 4-pin and 8-pin (for high-end motherboards), or even two (2) sets of 8-pin (for enthusiast motherboards).

Motherboards with a 4-pin, an 8-pin, a 4-pin + 8-pin, and an 8-pin + 8-pin ATX12V socket/s.​

• VRM Phases:
  • Total Quantity: Total phases of the main VRM rails, i.e., CPU VCC + SoC (System on Chip) VCC.
    
    
  • CPU VCC: Shows the number of phases used to supply voltage to the CPU (central processing unit).
    
    
  • SoC VCC: Shows the number of phases used to supply voltage solely to the SoC (System on Chip).

• Main VRM Components:
  • MOSFETs - CPU VCC (per phase): Specifies the brand and model of the MOSFET used for supplying voltage to the CPU.
    
    
  • MOSFETs - SoC VCC (per phase): Specifies the brand and model of the MOSFET used for supplying voltage to the SoC.
    
    
  • MOSFET Heatsink: Indicates whether the MOSFETs, or only portions thereof, have heatsinks or not.
    
    
  • Inductors & Capacitors: General notes on the types of inductors (chokes) and capacitors used in the motherboard.

Update: As of 28 October 2020, a VRM Phases Diagram is created on the Power Section columns of the spreadsheet. These diagrams will complement the text-based data on the quantities of MOSFETs/Power Stages, Gate Drivers, and Phase Doublers (if any) used per motherboard model, and shows how the PWM Controller's signal flows to the CPU and SoC VCC phases, respectively.

DIAGNOSTICS SPECIFICATIONS

• 2-Digit Debug Code: Indicates whether the motherboard has a 2-Digit Debug Code LED Display or not. Some motherboards only have On-board LED indicators for P.O.S.T. (power-on self-test)-state (CPU/DRAM/VGA/BOOT), while some have both. Some also have additional specialty LED indicators (XMP, GPU, Hard Disk, etc.). Details of which LED indicators are included can be seen in the pop-up notes (hover the cursor over the data in the cell).
  
  
  
  
  A 2-digit hexadecimal Debug Code LED display (left photo) and several On-Board LED indicators (right photo)
  
  
• Buzzer / Speaker: Indicates whether the motherboard has a header, usually 4-pin, that a PC/chassis speaker or buzzer can be attached to which is typically used during P.O.S.T. (power-on self-test) sequence to diagnose errors, by communicating beep codes, during the boot process. Some motherboards have this header included within the Front/System Panel headers. Some motherboards already have a built-in speaker on-board.
  
  
  
  
  A 4-pin Speaker header (left photo), an external speaker device (middle photo), and an On-Board Speaker (right photo).
  
  
• BIOS (Basic Input/Output System): Indicates the BIOS chip quantity the motherboard has. All motherboards have at least one (1) BIOS chip. Some motherboards have two (2) -- a main BIOS and a backup BIOS (usually termed DualBIOS) -- for recovery purposes if one BIOS becomes corrupted, preventing the motherboard to be bricked.
  
  
• Buttons:
  • BIOS Flashback Button: A button used in conjunction with a specific USB port for updating the motherboard BIOS via USB flash drive. Some motherboards have this button located at mid-board and some are located at the rear panel.
    
    
    
    
    A BIOS Flashback button located at mid-board (left photo) and at the rear panel (right photo).
    
    
  • Clear CMOS Button: A button used to revert BIOS settings to default. Some motherboards have this button located on-board while some have this at the rear panel. Those motherboards that does not have this button will have a Clear CMOS jumper instead (though some motherboards both have the button and the jumper).
    
    
    
    
    A 3-pin Clear CMOS jumper located at mid-board (left photo) and a Clear CMOS button at the rear panel (right photo).
    
    
  • Power Button: An on-board power button (similar to the front panel power button connectors) that is usually used for bench testing prior to assembly of the components in a chassis.
    
    
  • Reset Button: An on-board reset button (similar to the front panel reset button connectors) that is usually used for bench testing prior to assembly of the components in a chassis.
    
    
  • OC Button: An on-board OC (overclock) button used to load overclocked configuration settings.
    
    
    
    
    Reset+Power buttons on an EVGA mobo (left photo) and OC+Power buttons on a Gigabyte mobo (right photo).
    
    
  • Other Buttons/Jumpers/Switches: Enumerates all other buttons, jumpers, and switches found in the motherboard.

MEMORY SPECIFICATIONS

• DIMM Slot - Quantity: Shows the total number of slots for the DIMM (Dual In-Line Memory Module) with RAM (Random Access Memory) chips. These slots only support DDR4 (Double Data Rate 4) 288-pin DIMMs. All motherboards listed herein are dual-channel.
  
  
• Reinforced: Indicates if the DIMM slots are reinforced with steel shielding armor, which, arguably, provides additional strength and resistance to bending during the installation of RAM modules.

EXPANSION SLOTS SPECIFICATIONS

• PCI-E 4.0/3.0/2.0 x16 Slots - Quantity: These are slots with a PCI-e interface (version 4.0, 3.0, or 2.0) and a mechanical/physical slot size of x16. These x16-sized slots may electrically run on x16 (full speed), x8 (half speed), x4, x2, or even x1. Slots use PCIe lanes controlled by either the CPU or the Chipset (or, in rare cases, other separate ICs).
  
  A higher (later) PCIe version is backwards-compatible with previous versions of PCIe, but can only run on a certain maximum speed of either the slot or the expansion card plugged in it, whichever version is lower/slower. Expansion cards with a smaller x8, x4, or x1 physical interface can be plugged into the much larger x16 slots. This data shows the total number of PCIe x16-sized slots in the motherboard, disregarding electrical speeds, controller, or PCIe version.
  
  
  
  
  A PCIe3.0 x16 slot in an Asus motherboard.
  • Armor: Indicates how many among all the PCIe x16 slots are reinforced with steel shielding armor, which, arguably, provides additional strength and resistance to bending when plugged with heavier graphics cards.
    
    
  • PCIe Version / Maximum Supported Speed per Slot: The first column indicates the PCIe version of the PCIe x16 slot. The second column indicates the maximum electrical speed a certain PCIe x16 slot can run, considering shared bandwidth with other connectors in the motherboard. Typical notation of slot speeds are arranged from topmost slot to bottom-most slot, with each slot separated by a slash symbol.
    
    For example: The notation " x16/x4 " means there are two (2) PCIe x16 slots (The top slot operates at x16 speed, while the bottom slot only operates at x4 speed). On the other hand, the notation " x16/-/x4 or x8/x8/x4 " means there are three (3) PCIe x16 slots (The top slot operates at x16 speed if the middle slot is unoccupied, but only runs at x8 when the middle slot is populated. The middle slot will always run at x8 speed, and the bottom will always run at x4 speed).
    
    
  • Multi-GPU:
    • SLI (Scalable Link Interface): Indicates whether the motherboard supports multi-GPU (multipe Graphics Processing Units) using certain Nvidia GPUs (Nvidia Graphics Cards). Depending on the number of slots and the electrical speed of such slots, SLI can run in 2-way (two Nvidia GPUs), 3-way (three Nvidia GPUs), or 4-way (four Nvidia GPUs) configurations. Note that "Quad-SLI" means two physical Nvidia GPUs each having Dual-GPU/Chips and occupies two slots, similar to a 2-way SLI.
      
      
      
      
      Nvidia GPUs installed on the PCIe x16 slots of a motherboard showing a 2-way SLI setup, a 3-way SLI setup, and a 4-way SLI setup.
      
      
    • CF (CrossFire): Indicates whether the motherboard supports multi-GPU (multipe Graphics Processing Units) using certain AMD GPUs (AMD Graphics Cards). Depending on the number of slots and the electrical speed of such slots, CrossFire can run in 2-way (two AMD GPUs), 3-way (three AMD GPUs), or 4-way (four AMD GPUs) configurations. Note that "Quad-CrossFire" means two physical AMD GPUs each having Dual-GPU/Chips and occupies two slots, similar to a 2-way CrossFire.
      
      
      
      
      AMD GPUs installed on the PCIe x16 slots of a motherboard showing a 2-way CrossFire setup, a 3-way CrossFire setup, and a 4-way CrossFire setup.
      
      
    • Aux. 12V Power (Auxiliary +12V Power): This is a supplemental connector that can provide additional dedicated power to the PCIe slots, specifically, to the graphics cards in multi-GPU setups.

• PCI-e 4.0/3.0/2.0 x1: These are slots with a PCI-e interface (version 4.0, 3.0, or 2.0) and a mechanical/physical slot size of x1, the smallest size of a PCI-e slot. PCIe versions are backwards-compatible with other previous versions of PCIe, but can only run on a certain maximum speed of either the slot or the expansion card plugged in it, whichever version is lower/slower.
  
  
  
  
  A PCIe3.0 x1 slot in an Asus motherboard.
• PCI: These are legacy (old) expansion slots specific for expansion cards having a PCI interface. This is not compatible with PCI-e devices (though some adapter/converter may be used).
  
  
  
  
  A PCI slot in an Asus motherboard.
  
  
• Spacing / Layout of Expansion Slots when MB is Mounted inside Chassis: Shows the actual and physical arrangement of all the expansion slots (including the M.2 ports), from top to bottom, when the motherboard is mounted inside a typical PC chassis. The slot number means the removable expansion slot cover at the back of the case and how it will align with the slots of a certain motherboard. Apart from the physical layout, each PCI-e slots are also color-coded, corresponding to the PCI-e lanes the slot is being controlled from. Slots are also labelled how they appear in the motherboard manual and PCB.

STORAGE SPECIFICATIONS

• SATA III Ports:
  • Quantity: Shows the total number of SATA III ports in the motherboard. These SATA (Serial AT Attachment) ports are typically used to connect storage devices such as Hard Disk Drives (HDD), Solid State Drives (SSD), or Optical Disk Drives (ODD).
    
    Version III (3.0) has a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 6.0Gbps (750MB/s) and a maximum uncoded transfer speed of 4.8Gbps (600MB/s). SATA versions are backwards-compatible with other previous versions of SATA, but can only run on a certain maximum speed of either the slot or the SATA device plugged in it, whichever version is lower/slower.
    
    
  • In 90°: Indicates how many of the total SATA ports in the motherboard are specially oriented in a 90-degree layout (i.e., parallel to the motherboard) for better cable routing. Traditionally, SATA ports are oriented vertically (i.e., perpendicular to the motherboard).
    
    
    
    
    Six SATA ports on an Msi motherboard (2x vertical; 4x in 90°) and two SATA data cables (elbow-type and straight).
    
    
  • Not by PCH: Pertains to how many of the total SATA ports in the motherboard have its bandwidth controlled by the CPU or some other ICs. Typically, SATA ports are controlled by the PCH (Chipset).

• SATAe (SATA Express): SATAe ports are used to connect special storage devices supporting either a SATA-based interface or a PCIe-based interface. The port itself uses two (2) SATA ports and two (2) PCIe lanes. Using two PCIe3.0 lanes has an maximum effective transfer speed of ~1.97GB/s.
  
  
  
  
  A SATAe port (to the right of a standard SATA port) and a cable with a SATAe connector.
  
  
• U.2: The U.2 port is used to connect PCIe-based storage devices by using four (4) PCIe lanes (twice the bandwidth of a SATAe port).
  
  
  
  
  A U.2 port (to the left of two SATAe ports) and a cable with a U.2 connector.
  
  
• M.2 (Key-M) Slots:
  • Quantity: Shows the total number of M.2 (Key-M) slots in the motherboard which are used to connect storage devices supporting either a PCIe-based or a SATA-based interface, depending on the slot support. Specific slots in a motherboard may be designated to run SATA III M.2 devices only, or PCIe M.2 devices only, or both. Data on the supported modes can be seen in the succeeding columns.
    
    
    
    
    A horizontal M.2 (Key-M) slot on an EVGA motherboard (left photo), a PCIe-based M.2 (Key-M) SSD module (middle photo), and a SATA-based M.2 (Key-M + Key-B) SSD module (right photo).
    
    
  • Cover: Shrouds and/or heatsinks that cover the M.2 (Key-M) Slots.
    
    
  • Supported Modes, Bandwidth Shared, and Max. Speeds per M.2 Slot: Including their orientation/layout (traditionally, M.2 slots are parallel to the motherboard, i.e., at 90°, though some are oriented vertically, esp. on some Asus models. Some are also located at the back of the mobo, esp. on ITX boards. Some also feature either a PCIe- or DIMM-based M.2 add-in-card expansion).

(Continues to next post below, due to max. number of photos allowed in one post)

 

[raisonjohn]

(Continued from opening post above, due to limited/max. number of photos in one post)

NETWORKING SPECIFICATIONS

• M.2 (Key-E) Slots:
  • Quantity: Shows the number of M.2 (Key-E) slots in the motherboard which are used for connecting Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules. Note that the M.2 (Key-E) slots have a different connector than the M.2 (Key-M) slots.
    
    
  • Layout: Indicates whether the M.2 (Key-E) slot in the motherboard is oriented vertically (i.e., perpendicular to the motherboard) or horizontally (i.e., parallel to the motherboard).
    
    
    
    
    A vertical M.2 (Key-E) slot (left photo), a horizontal M.2 (Key-E) slot (middle photo), and an M.2 (Key-E) Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module (right photo).
    
    
  • Modes: Most M.2 (Key-E) slots support PCI-e/USB interface.

• Wireless LAN:
  • WiFi: Indicates if the motherboard has a wireless networking protocol which uses radio waves in provoding cable-less Internet and network connectivity. This data also shows what type of protocol is employed based on the 802.11 IEEE standard.
    
    
  • Wireless Module (Streams, Interface, Size): Indicates the pre-installed or bundled wireless module that comes with the motherboard. It includes data on antenna standard (e.g., 1T1R or 2T2R) which indicates the number of transmitting (T) and receiveing (R) streams, the M.2 module interface (e.g., PCIe), and the size of the module (e.g., 2230). Some motherboards have a bundled "wireless upgrade kit" that is plugged in an expansion slot, instead of the M.2 (Key-E) slot.
    
    
    
    
    A pre-installed/built-in wireless module for a vertical M.2 (Key-E) socket (left photo) and an optional/upgrade kit wireless module for a PCIe x1 expansion slot (right photo).
    
    
  • Max. Speed: Indicates the maximum theoretical stream (data rate) the wireless module can attain, considering the antenna standard and the module/slot interface.
    
    
  • Antenna: Indicates the number of antenna and antenna slots at the rear panel in the motherboard. Some motherboards only feature antenna slots (marked with a "O O"), for future installation of a wireless module and its antennae at the rear panel.

• Ethernet LAN:
  • RJ-45 (Registered Jack-45): Standard socket for connecting a network cable with an RJ-45 plug to the motherboard.
    
    
    
    
    An Ethernet LAN port and a network cable with an RJ-45 connector.
    
    
  • Controller: The NIC (Network Interface Controller) which is used to communicate within the LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet.
    
    
    
    
    An Intel I219V NIC chip (left photo) and a Rivet Killer E2500 chip (right photo).

AUDIO SPECIFICATIONS

• 3.5mm Jack: An analog jack for plugging 3.5mm-sized audio connectors.
  
  
  
  
  Six 3.5mm audio ports located at the rear panel and some audio cables with a 3.5mm plug.
  
  
• S/PDIF Jack (Sony/Philips Digital Interface): A digital jack for plugging an optical fiber cable with a TOSLINK (Toshiba Link) connector.
  
  
  
  
  An S/PDIF port and an optical fiber cable with a TOSLINK plug.
  
  
• Codec: Device in the motherboard that encodes or decodes audio.
  
  
  
  
  A Realtek 8118AS audio codec chip (left photo) and a Realtek ALC892 audio codec chip (right photo).

VIDEO SPECIFICATIONS
** Note that Ryzen CPUs do not have integrated graphics, as such, these video ports cannot be used. Only AMD APUs (7th-gen A-series and Athlon) can take advantage of these ports as these APUs have integrated graphics.**

• DP (DisplayPort): A 20-pin digital display port that can transmit both digital video and audio signals, for plugging in a DisplayPort cable. DisplayPort has gone through a couple of versions, each are backwards-compatible with older versions but can only achieve a maximum throughput of the slower version:
  
  Versions 1.0 and 1.1a have a maximum bandwidth of 10.8Gbps (or 8.64Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  Versions 1.2 and 1.2a have up to 21.6Gbps (or 17.28Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  Versions 1.3 and 1.4 have up to 32.4Gbps (or 25.92Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  
  Thus, DP1.0~1.1a can achieve up to 144Hz on a 1920x1080 resolution, 60Hz-75Hz on 2560x1440, but only 30Hz on 3840x2160 (4K). DP1.2~1.2a can achieve up to 240Hz on 1920x1080, up to 165Hz on 2560x1440, up to 75Hz on 4K, and 30Hz on 5K. DP1.3~1.4 can do up to 120Hz on 4K, 60Hz on 5K, and 30Hz on 8K resolutions.
  
  
  
  
  A DisplayPort port (left) and a DisplayPort cable connector (right).
  
  
• HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface): A 19-pin digital display port that can transmit both digital video and audio signals, used for plugging in an HDMI cable. HDMI has gone through several versions, each are backwards-compatible with older versions but can only achieve a maximum throughput of the slower version:
  
  Versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.2a have a maximum bandwidth of 4.95Gbps (or 3.96Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  Versions 1.3, 1.3a, 1.4, 1.4a, and 1.4b have up to 10.2Gbps (or 8.16Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  Versions 2.0, 2.0a, and 2.0b have up to 18.0Gpbs (or 14.4Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  Versions 2.1 has up to 48.0Gbps (or 42.6Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  
  Thus, HDMI1.0~1.2a can only achieve 60Hz up to a 1920x1080 resolution. HDMI1.3~1.4b can achieve 120Hz-144Hz on 1920x1080, 60Hz-75Hz on 2560x1440, and 30Hz on 3840x2160 (4K). HDMI2.0~2.0b can achieve up to 60Hz on 4K, while HDMI2.1 can do up to 60Hz on 5K and 30Hz on 8K resolutions.
  
  
  
  
  An HDMI port (left) and an HDMI cable connector (right).
  
  
• DVI-I (Digital Visual Interface - Integrated): A 28-pin digital+analog port that can transmit digital or analog video signals (no audio), used for plugging in a DVI-I dual-link, DVI-I single-link, DVI-A (analog only). This port is also compatible with a DVI-D dual-link or a DVI-D single-link cable.
  
  Single-link has a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 4.95Gbps (or 3.96Gbps data rate excluding overhead).
  Dual-link has twice the data rate of a single-link.
  
  Thus, a single-link DVI can achieve 60Hz on a 1920x1200 resolution, but only 30Hz on a 2560x1600 resolution. On the other hand, a dual-link DVI can achieve 120Hz on 1920x1200, 60Hz on 2560x1600, and 30Hz on 3840x2400 resolutions.
  
  
  
  
  A DVI-I port, a DVI-I Single Link cable, DVI-I Dual Link cable, and a DVI-A cable.
  
  
• DVI-D (Digital Visual Interface - Digital): A 24-pin digital display port that can only transmit digital video signals (no audio), used for plugging in a DVI-D dual-link or DVI-D single-link cable.
  
  This port is not physically compatible with a DVI-I or DVI-A cable due to the extra pins, unless an adaptor is used. The data rate for DVI-D is the same as that for the DVI-I.
  
  
  
  
  A DVI-D port, a DVI-D Single Link cable, and a DVI-D Dual Link cable.
  
  
• VGA (Video Graphics Array): Also known as a "D-Sub" (D-subminiature) port. A 15-pin analog display port that can only transmit analog video signals (no audio), used for plugging in a VGA cable with a DE-15 connector.
  
  
  
  
  A VGA or D-Sub port (left) and a VGA or D-Sub cable connector (right).

REAR PANEL PORTS SPECIFICATIONS

• USB Ports (Universal Serial Bus Ports):
  • Total: This data shows the total number of USB ports located at the rear panel of the motherboard. USB ports are used to plug in peripheral devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.) to the motherboard.
    
    
  • USB3.1 Type-C: A 24-pin Type-C (oval) port that uses USB version 3.1 (note that USB3.1 is equivalent to "USB3.1 Gen2"), with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 10Gbps. Plugged in any direction (reversible).
    
    
  • USB3.1 Type-A: A 4-pin Type-A (rectangular) port that uses USB version 3.1 (note that USB3.1 is equivalent to "USB3.1 Gen2"), with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 10Gbps. Plugged in one direction only.
    
    
  • USB3.0 Type-C: A 24-pin Type-C (oval) port that uses USB version 3.0 (note that USB3.0 is equivalent to "USB3.1 Gen1"), with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 5Gbps. Plugged in any direction (reversible).
    
    
  • USB3.0 Type-A: A 4-pin Type-A (rectangular) port that uses USB version 3.0 (note that USB3.0 is equivalent to "USB3.1 Gen1"), with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 5Gbps. Plugged in one direction only.
    
    
  • USB2.0: A 4-pin, usually Type-A (rectangular), port that uses USB version 2.0, with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 480Mbps. Plugged in one direction only.
    
    
    
    
    USB Type-C and Type-A ports with a USB Type-C cable and a USB Type-A cable connectors.

• Legacy Ports:
  
  • PS/2 (IBM Personal System/2): A 6-pin circular port for plugging cables of old mice/keyboards with a Mini-DIN-6 connector.
    
    
  • COM (Communication or Serial): A 9-pin port which transfers data one bit at a time, used for older devices or POS (point-of-sale) systems.
    
    
  • LPT (Line Print Terminal or Parallel): A 25-pin port which transfers information multiple bits at a time, most oftenly used for old printers.
    
    
    
    
    Two PS/2 ports and its cables (left), a Serial (COM) port and cable (center), and a Parallel (LPT) port and cable (right).

MIDBOARD HEADERS SPECIFICATIONS

• USB Headers:
  • USB3.1 Header (20-pin): Used to connect one (1) additional USB3.1 Type-C port or such other devices that use the USB3.1 interface (note that USB3.1 is equivalent to "USB3.1 Gen2"), with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 10Gbps.
    
    USB3.1 is backwards-compatible with USB3.0 and USB2.0, using an adapter. Some motherboards have a similar 20-pin header but can only support speeds of a USB3.0 (equivalent to a "USB3.1 Gen1") or 5Gbps maximum theoretical transfer speed. Cable can be plugged reversibly.
    
    
    
    
    A 20-pin Type-C internal header and its corresponding cable.
    
    
  • USB3.0 Header (19-pin): Used to connect additional USB3.0 ports or such other devices that use the USB3.0 interface (note that USB3.0 is equivalent to "USB3.1 Gen1"), with a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 5Gbps. USB3.0 is backwards-compatible with USB2.0, using an adapter. One (1) header with complete usable pins can support up to two (2) ports. Cable can only be plugged in one direction based on the pinout key and notch. The data shows the total number of USB3.0 internal headers -- not the ports.
    • In 90°: Indicates how many of the total USB3.0 (19-pin) headers in the motherboard are specially oriented in a 90-degree layout (i.e., parallel to the motherboard) for better cable routing. Traditionally, USB3.0 (19-pin) headers are oriented vertically (i.e., perpendicular to the motherboard).
      
      
      
      
      Two USB3.0 internal headers, one specially oriented in 90 degrees and one oriented vertically, and its corresponding cable.
  • USB2.0 Header (9-pin): Used to connect additional USB2.0 ports or such other devices that use the USB2.0 interface. One (1) header with complete usable pins can support up to two (2) ports. Cable can only be plugged in one direction based on the pinout key. The data shows the total number of USB2.0 internal headers -- not the ports.
    
    
    
    
    A full 9-pin USB2.0 header that can support 2x USB2.0 ports and its corresponding cable connector (left) and a half 5-1pin USB2.0 header that can support 1x USB2.0 port and its corresponding cable connector (right).
• Fan/Pump (4-pin): Headers used for the connection of a fan or a pump. Motherboards with 4-pin fan headers are usually, but not always, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) headers. The 4th-pin is used to send a PWM signal to a PWM fan (which has a 4-pin connector) to control the current, thus, changing its fan speed, while providing constant +12VDC on its 2nd pin.
  
  Some 4-pin fan headers are not true PWM headers if the 4th pin is either just a dummy pin (no electronic connection) or sends some signal other than a PWM signal. Such types of headers are considered to be DC headers, akin to a 3-pin fan header, that supplies variable voltage in the 2nd pin to control the fan speed of a DC fan (which has a 3-pin connector).
  
  Most motherboards nowadays have its 4-pin fan headers configurable in BIOS to work as a "hybrid" PWM or DC header (either through manual selection or automatic detection), so that the pins can send appropriate signals depending on the type of fan connected.
  
  Fans with 3-pin connectors are physically compatible with 4-pin fan headers. Cable can only be plugged in one direction by aligning the protruding tab on the header with the groove on the connector. This data shows the total number of 4-pin fan/pump headers, all Hybrid PWM/DC, unless otherwise stated in the notes.
  
  
  
  
  A 4-pin fan header on a motherboard (left photo), a 4-pin cable from a PWM fan (center), and a 3-pin cable from a DC fan (right).
  
  
• Thermal Sensor: Used for connecting a thermistor cable for monitoring temperatures of components in the motherboard.
  
  
  
  
  A 2-pin Thermal Sensor header and a thermistor.
  
  
• RGB LED Strip Header:
  • 12V RGB LED Strip Header: (Most are 4-pin [12V/G/R/B], while some, esp. in Gigabyte models, are 5-pin [12V/G/R/B]+[W]) for std. 5050 RGB strips).
    
    
  • 5V RGB LED Strip Header: (Asus uses 4-1pin [5V/D/-/G] for RGB WS2812B strips; Msi uses same 4-1pin but also has another 3-pin [5V/D/G] for Corsair RGB fans; Gigabyte uses 3-pin [V/D/G] which are 5V/12V interchangeable via a voltage selector jumper and supports 5050 strips).

• Front / System Panel: Contains various pins/headers for connecting the chassis' front panel controls, usually consists of headers for the power button, reset switch, power LED indicator, and hard disk activity LED indicator. Note that some motherboard may have additional pins/headers for other special functions.
  
  
• Chassis Intrusion: Used for attaching a chassis cable to detect and provide warning if the chassis has been opened. Some motherboards have this header included within the Front/System Panel headers.
  
  
• Front Audio (9-pin): For plugging the audio cable from the chassis to enable the chassis's front audio ports. All front-panel audio in today's chassis are standardized to use HD Audio. Older chassis use AC'97 standard. Some of the old chassis have two (2) cables supplied - one for HD Audio and one for AC'97. Both these cables have similar plugs and keys but have different wiring.
  
  Motherboards may or may not support both standards. Those that only support HD Audio will have its pins compatible only with the HD Audio cable, even though the AC'97 plug will also fit. Those that can support both need to have the correct standard selected in BIOS before plugging in the appropriate cable.
  
  
• S/PDIF Out (Sony/Philips Digital Interface Output)
  
  
• COM Header (9-pin) (Communication or Serial)
  
  
• LPT Header (25-pin) (Line Print Terminal or Parallel)
  
  
• TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
  
  
• Other Headers: Enumerates all other headers found in the motherboard.

Direct links to manufacturer's site, and user manuals, are included for reference (found at the far right end of each table).

For comparison with other motherboard models:
Z390/Z370/H370/B360/H310-chipset (LGA1151v2-socket) motherboards for Intel Coffee Lake-S (8th-gen) CPUs
X399-chipset (TR4-socket) motherboards for AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPUs
X299-chipset (LGA2066-socket) motherboards for Intel SkyLake-X and Kaby Lake-X CPUs

****

UPDATE HISTORY​

2020-10-28:

• Created the VRM Phases Diagram on the Power Section columns of the spreadsheet. These diagrams will complement the text-based data on the quantities of MOSFETs/Power Stages, Gate Drivers, and Phase Doublers (if any) used per motherboard model, and shows how the PWM Controller's signal flows to the CPU and SoC VCC phases, respectively.
• Finished providing large-scale photos on most motherboard models, pending X370, B350, and A320 models.

2020-10-14:

• Finished providing large-scale photos for all B550 ATX-sized motherboards (note: high resolution images of other sizes and models, still in-progress).
• Added sixteen (16) motherboards from Colorful (X570, X370, B550, B450, B350, and A320).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 423.

2020-10-13:

• Finished providing large-scale photos for all X570 and X470 motherboards by hovering mouse over the motherboard thumbnail photo and clicking to open a higher resolution photo in a new window (note: high resolution images of other models, in-progress).
• Added Msi X470 Gaming Plus Max.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 407.

2020-10-10:

• Added Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero and Asus ROG Strix B550-XE Gaming (WiFi).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 406.

2020-10-09:

• Added twenty-five (25) newly-released A520-chipset motherboard models from Asrock, Asus, Biostar, Gigabyte, and Msi.
• Added twenty-one (21) newly-released B550-chipset motherboards.
• Added seventeen (17) B450-chipset motherboard models released in the previous quarters.
• Added ten (10) A320-chipset motherboards released in the previous quarters.
• Added three (3) X570-chipset motherboards released in the previous quarters.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 404.

2020-07-03:

• Added seven (7) previously-released revisions (Rev.1.1) of some Gigabyte X570-chipset motherboards, mostly adding the Thunderbolt header not found in Rev.1.0, and some with minor changes in the VRM heatsink design.
• Added newly-released A320-chipset motherboard from Gigabyte (A320M HD3).
• Added previously-released Gigabyte B450M H.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 328.

2020-06-25:

• Added fifty-two (52) new B550-chipset motherboards from different manufacturers.
• Asrock (12 models), Asus (13 models), Biostar (2 models), Colorful (2 models), Gigabyte (13 models), and Msi (10 models).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 319.

2020-02-03:

• Added Msi MEG X570 Unify.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 267.

2019-08-05:

• Added Msi A320M-A Pro.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 266.

2019-07-31:

• Added Biostar Racing X570GT Ver.6.x (mATX).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 265.

2019-07-25:

• Added Biostar Racing X470GTA Ver.5.x and Biostar Racing X470GTQ Ver.5.x.
• Added Gigabyte X570 UD.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 264.

2019-07-22:

• Added Msi B450M Mortar Max (variant with a 256Mb EEPROM chip).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 261.

2019-07-20:

• Added various reviews for X570 motherboards.
• Added Msi X470 Gaming Pro Max, Msi B450 Gaming Plus Max , and Msi B450M Pro-M2 Max (these are the variants with the 256Mb EEPROM chips).
• Added Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite WiFi.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 260.

2019-07-18:

• Added Msi B450M Pro-VDH Max (variant with 256Mb EEPROM chip) and Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming 4 WiFi ax (variant with pre-installed Wireless Module).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 256.

2019-07-14:

• Added Msi B450-A Pro Max and Msi B450 Tomahawk Max (these are the variants with the 256Mb EEPROM chips).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 254.

2019-07-07:

• Added Msi X570-A Pro.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 252.

2019-07-06:

• Expounded on the Diagnostic Specification columns with the addition of the BIOS chip and Flash ROM header detailed information.
• Transferred Trusted Platform Module (TPM) column from Mid-Board Specification columns to the Diagnostic Specification columns.
• Added various other "undocumented" or "undefined" headers and connectors in all motherboards.

2019-07-03:

• Updated information (previously "to be determined") on most X570 motherboards.
• Edited icon headers.
• Added Asrock B450M/ac.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 251.

2019-07-03:

• Added and/or transferred selected headers (including unlisted/undefined headers) related to debugging from the Mid-Board columns to the Diagnostic columns.
• Created new columns on Cooling Headers and Lighting Headers under Mid-Board Specifications and listed selected mid-board headers and connectors related to such types.
• Added four (4) motherboards: Asrock X570 Extreme4 WiFi ax, Asrock X570 Steel Legend WiFi ax, Asus Pro A320M-R Wi-Fi, and Asus Prime A320I-K.
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 250.

2019-06-25:

• Expounded on Memory Specifications by adding new columns to show details on Slot Type, Maximum RAM Capacity, Supported/Rated Clock Speeds, Memory Trace Topology, and VDDR/Memory VRM Components (PWM Controller IC and MOSFETs).

2019-06-19:

• Expounded on Power Specifications by adding new columns to show details on PWM Controller IC, Phase Doubler ICs (if any), Gate Drivers, the True and "Virtual" VRM Phase Counts, and additional new notes on MOSFETs/Power Stage Configurations.

2019-06-04:

• Completed editing and scaling of all Rear Panel I/O Ports photo.
• Updated VRM information, PCIe expansion slot layout, and other details on some X570 motherboards.
• Fixed widths to prevent text wrapping on some narrow columns.
• Added two (2) new X570-chipset motherboards from Biostar (Racing X570GT8) and Colorful (CVN X570 Gaming Pro V14).
• Total AM4-socket motherboard models listed to date: 246

2019-06-03:

• Added new columns showing pinout designation of +12V RGB LED headers and +5V RGB (Digital/Addressable) headers of each motherboard.
• Included notes on each RGB LED header pertaining to maximum rating (in Amperes) of such header and the supported LED types, maximum lengths of strips, and maximum diode count as recommended.

2019-06-02:

• Added new columns showing pinout designation of Front/System Panel headers and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) headers of each motherboard.

2019-06-01:

• Added new column showing scaled photos of Rear Panel I/O Ports of each motherboard.

2019-05-31:

• Added information on VRM/MOSFET specifications (ratings and electrical characteristics, such as Drain-Source On-state Resistance, among others).
• Updated Product Review columns to include Ratings/Scores and Badges/Awards.
• Added eight (8) new X570-chipset motherboards from Asrock (X570 Aqua, X570 Creator, X570 Extreme4, X570 Phantom Gaming 4, X570 Pro4, X570 Steel Legend, X570M Pro4, and X570 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB3).
• Total AM4-socket motherboards models listed to date: 244

2019-05-30:

• Formatting edit for easier reading (changed fonts, text sizes, and cell colors).
• Formatting edit for easier sorting (added new columns dedicated to chipset, form factor, and brand/manufacturer).

2019-05-29:

• Updated information on several X570 chipset motherboards, including photos and other details.
• Added twenty-three (23) motherboards released within the periods 2018 (3Q) to 2019 (2Q) from Asus, Biostar, Gigabyte, and Msi.
• Total AM4-socket motherboards models listed to date: 236

2019-05-27:

• Added twenty-eight (28) new X570-chipset motherboards (from Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte, and Msi). Some data/photos are yet to be provided after information becomes available.
• Total AM4-socket motherboards models listed to date: 213

2019-05-19:

• Added eighteen (18) Asrock motherboards released in 2019.
• Total AM4-socket motherboards models listed to date: 185

​

Spoiler: Expand to see previous Updates

2018-08-27:

• Added a Fan / Pump Header Rating column detailing the header designation and maximum rated amperes per header, to expound the Fan / Pump Header (4-pin) specifications (which originally showed the quantity only).
• Added new column Arrangement of Expansion Slots inside Chassis to show the spacing between the PCIe/PCI slots, how it might affect large GPUs, positioning of add-on cards and M.2 modules, and airflow and aesthetics when the motherboard is mounted inside the case/chassis.
• Updated information on Asus ROG Strix B450-I Gaming based on latest manual dated 2018-08-17.

2018-08-26:

• When first opened, the default view of the motherboard models in the table is now arranged by Chipset first (X470 -> X370 -> B450 -> B350 -> A320), which is then arranged secondly by Size (EATX -> ATX -> mATX -> ITX), and lastly by alphabetical order (Asrock -> Asus -> Biostar -> ECS -> Gigabyte -> Msi).
• Provided data on Year and Price Range columns.
• Added various product review links.
• Added three (3) motherboards released in 2018 (3Q): Asrock X370M Pro4, Biostar B450MH Ver.6.x, and Biostar B450MHC Ver.6.x.
• Total AM4-socket motherboards models listed to date: 167

2018-08-25:

• Created a Diagnostics column group, originally part of the Power column group.
• Moved the Speaker/Buzzer column from the Midboard Headers column group to the Diagnostics column group.
• Added column regarding MOSFET (brand, model, type), Inductors and Capacitors.
• Provided numerous details on various motherboard models regarding MOSFET brand, arrangement, and quantities.
• Added various product review links and updated the columns (formatting).
• Added a Year (released) and Price Range column.

2018-08-17:

• Expounded the Networking Column to now include detailed information on the Wireless Module (if any), including its interface, form factor, WiFi stream speeds, and orientation of slots.
• Moved the M.2 Key-E Slot Column from Expansion Slots Column to Networking Column and reflected supported M.2 interface, added information on the orientation of such Key-E slot, and if such slot is pre-installed with a bundled wireless module.
• Created a Legacy Sub-column in the Rear Panel Ports to show PS/2, COM, and LPT ports.
• Added new column Buzzer/Speaker on Midboard Headers group.
• Provided details on Audio Codec (showing manufacturer and LAN port designation).
• Added several links to product reviews on various motherboard models.

2018-08-11:

• Listed and provided complete info, photos, and details on four (4) ECS motherboard models (ECS B350AM4-M, B350AM4-M2, A320AM4-M3, and A320AM4-M3D).
• Total AM4-socket motherboards models listed to date: 164

2018-08-10:

• Expounded the M.2 (Key-M) SLOTS to include data on Supported Modes and Maximum Speeds per Slot. This includes the M.2 slot designation and their corresponding lanes being shared with other slots.
• Major text edits for easier viewing/filtering, such as "YES", "NONE", "check marks", "-", font-sizes, text colors, and text format, including adjustments in column widths and row heights.
• Moved PWR, RST, and OC BUTTON information from MIDBOARD HEADERS columns to POWER columns, adjacent to the BIOS, Flashback and Clear CMOS Buttons information. Added Other Jumpers / Headers column.

2018-08-09:

• Completed all information for video output ports and midboard headers of all listed motherboard models (160 models).
• Added label on Msi A320M Pro-VD "Does not support Ryzen *For 7th-Gen A-series / Athlon CPUs only." and on Msi A320M Pro-VD/S "Supports Ryzen and 7th-Gen A-series / Athlon CPUs."

2018-08-08:

• Added new column for Video Output Ports (for APU only).
• Added new columns for Midboard Headers (Thermal Sensor, Chassis Intrusion, TPM, COM, LPT, and Others).

2018-08-07:

• Provided data on VRM phases/controller of nineteen (19) motherboard models: Asrock (Fatal1ty B450 Gaming K4, B450M Pro4, and Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac); Asus (ROG Strix B450-F, X470-I, B450-I, TUF B450-Plus, and TUF B450M-Plus); Biostar (X470GT8 and X470GTN); Gigabyte (B450 Aorus Pro, Pro WiFi, M, and B450M DS3H); and Msi (B450-A Pro, B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC, B450 Tomahawk, B450I Gaming Plus AC, and B450I Pro AC).

2018-08-06:

• All information on the column for 2-Digit Debug Display Code now features detailed notes on specific LED diagnostic indicators (e.g., CPU/DRAM/VGA/BOOT, DIMM, XMP, GPU, Hard Disk, etc.)
• Updated broken links to some Asus motherboard manuals that were revised/re-released (ROG Crosshair VI Extreme, ROG Strix X370-I Gaming, and ROG Strix B350-I Gaming)
• Added and updated several details on previously-listed motherboard models

2018-08-05:

• Finished adding and re-sizing the photos of all 160 motherboards listed as of this date.

2018-08-04:

• Added 5 Msi motherboard ATX-sized X470 models.
• Inserted column to indicate LED Lighting Position/s in the motherboard, including Sync support.
• Provided/updated complete details and photos of all X470, ATX-sized motherboards (grand total of 19 models).
• Listed 5 Gigabyte B450-chipset motherboards.
• Listed 2 Msi (Gen.1) motherboards: B350I Pro AC, A320M Pro-M2
• Listed 12 Msi B450-chipset motherboards (4 ATX, 7 mATX, and 1 ITX).
• Listed 6 Gigabyte (Gen.1) motherboards: AX370 Gaming 3 (released Jan. 2018), AX370M Gaming 3 (Jan. 2018), AX370M-DS3H (Jan. 2018), AB350M-Dash (Apr. 2018), AB350M-DS3H (Jan. 2018) and A320M-S2H (Jan. 2018) models.

2018-08-03:

• Added 2 Biostar motherboards with X470 chipsets (1 ATX and 1 ITX models), complete with photo and details.
• Listed 3 Gigabyte motherboard ATX-sized X470-chipset models (details and photos to follow).

2018-08-02:

• Reformatted the look, spacing, and headers of the entire table, same as the Intel LGA1151v2 Motherboard Comparison Table, for easier reading and comparison
• Enlarged all motherboard photos
• Added 7 Asus motherboards with B450 chipsets (3 ATX, 3 mATX, and 1 ITX models)

2018-07-31:

• Re-arranged default view of list 1) by Motherboard Size (E-ATX, ATX, mATX, and ITX), then, 2) by Chipset. Brands/models are still listed alphabetically
• Added 3 Asrock motherboards released in 2018 (X370 Pro4, X370M-HDV, and A320M-ITX)
• Added 6 Asrock motherboards with X470 chipsets
• Added 5 Asrock motherboards with B450 chipsets
• Added 6 Asus motherboards with X470 chipsets (5 ATX and 1 ITX models)

2017-11-20:

• Adjusted table formats, added references/reviews, etc.

2017-10-28:

• Re-created originally-posted BBCode Tables to Google Spreadsheet sortable tables (external link)

 

[n0ns3ns3]

great work man.
I wonder if you could add a little piece of info on the power phases: what arrangements they I using.
by that I mean that for example some 3+3 means using doublers, while others just use double amount of components per phase without doublers which is basically useless for power delivery quality. the only real life benefit is slightly lower VRM temps.

 

[raisonjohn]

Thanks! I'll see what I can do if I can still fit such info in the tables without creating another column (to minimize the table width). So far, to save space (lessen horizontal scrolling), all CPU VCC are the values at the top, while all SoC VCC are the values at the bottom. When a "+" sign (add) is found at the CPU VCC or at the SoC VCC, that meant using doublers. When a "x" sign (multiply) is found at the CPU VCC or at the SoC VCC, that meant just having twice the controller components without using doublers. Maybe I'll just put a small description or something on how to interpret some infos on the table (esp. some of the abbreviated ones due to space constraints), either at the main top opening post or at the bottom of each table. Thanks again!

 

[n0ns3ns3]

oooh, now when you explained it, it's very clear. guess worth to put a note about how to read the VRM arrangement

 

[luigipro101]

I was just wondering, is the information supposed to be in a table? It is slightly hard to read right now.

 

[raisonjohn]

I was just wondering, is the information supposed to be in a table? It is slightly hard to read right now.

Yes, these are all tables. Not sure how they appear in your browser but it should look like this:

 

[nowwhatnapster]

Fantastic spreadsheet. Would you consider adding the Warranty information? E.G. number of years. I think it would be very good information and not take up much room. Only be a single number 1-5

 

[raisonjohn]

Thanks. Note that almost all of the motherboard models listed in the table have 3-year warranty (with the exception of an Asus TUF board that has 5). I have updated the table and included a warranty column. Thanks again for the suggestion!

 

[nowwhatnapster]

Awesome. I didn't realize there was so little deviation on warranty length.

 

[alex.yashkin]

ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 has 12 VRM phases (like Master SLI) not 9

 

[raisonjohn]

ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 has 12 VRM phases (like Master SLI) not 9

Thank you for the correction. I have mistakenly copied the VRM phases of the Asrock Fatal1ty B350 Gaming K4, which was [3x2] + [3], over to the Asrock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming K4 row. The data for the X470 Gaming K4 is now correctly shown as [4x2] + [2x2], as you pointed out, similar VRMs to the Master SLI.

 

[raisonjohn]

Latest X570-chipset mobos have been added! Some data/photos will be provided once information is available.

 

[gdanielz]

Awesome work here @raisonjohn! Thank you for all the work you put in here. I only registered into this Tomshardware to congratulate you. This post of yours has been an enormous help on my mobo research for my new build. Just wonder why you make some usb 3.1 type c "equivalent" between gen 1 and gen 2 since gen 2 is double gen's 1 speed. All the best!

 

[raisonjohn]

Awesome work here @raisonjohn! Thank you for all the work you put in here. I only registered into this Tomshardware to congratulate you. This post of yours has been an enormous help on my mobo research for my new build. Just wonder why you make some usb 3.1 type c "equivalent" between gen 1 and gen 2 since gen 2 is double gen's 1 speed. All the best!

Thanks for dropping a message here, I really appreciate it! Let me formally welcome you to Tom's Hardware!

To clarify my notes in the USB ports/headers columns, which can be read in the table as follows:

USB3.1: "USB3.1 (or 10Gb/s) is also the same as USB3.1 Gen2 and USB3.2 Gen2x1"
USB3.0: "USB3.0 (or 5Gb/s) is also the same as USB3.1 Gen1 and USB3.2 Gen1x1"

Gen2 was never equated to Gen1, but rather, what I did in the table was [ USB3.1 = Gen2's ] and [ USB3.0 = Gen1's ].

It might be a bit confusing due to how USB renamed their versions. When 3.0 was replaced by 3.1 in 2013 and then by 3.2 in 2017, the older versions they replaced were "renamed" to the same nomenclature of the current version, i.e., 3.1 or 3.2, but with the added suffix "Genx." So, the confusing updates went like this:

USB3.0 (in 2008), with only 1 specified speed (no confusion):
= 5 Gbps (signal rate over 1 lane using 8b/10b encoding)

USB3.1 (in 2013), with 2 specified speeds, 1 is a new version, while 1 is for the previous version (3.0):
= 10 Gbps for "USB3.1 Gen2" (this is a new USB3.1, signal over 1 lane using 128b/132b encoding)
= 5 Gbps for "USB3.1 Gen1" (this is the same old USB3.0 in 2008, but only renamed, somewhat confusing)

USB3.2 (in 2017), with 4 specified speeds, 2 are new, while 2 are for the previous versions (3.1 & 3.0):
= 20 Gbps for "USB3.2 Gen2x2" (this is a new USB3.2, signal rate over x2 lanes using 128b/132b encoding)
= 10 Gbps for "USB3.2 Gen1x2" (this is a new USB3.2, signal rate over x2 lanes using old 8b/10b encoding)
= 10 Gbps for "USB3.2 Gen2x1" (this is the same old USB3.1 Gen2 in 2013, but only renamed)
= 5 Gbps for "USB3.2 Gen1x1" (this is the same older USB3.1 Gen1 in 2013 or USB3.0 in 2008, renamed)

To this date, the latest X570 motherboards released (that I know of) featuring a "USB3.2 Gen2" in their marketing materials, as far as I know, refers only to the 10Gbps version of USB3.2 (i.e., USB3.2 Gen2 x1 and not USB3.2 Gen2 x2). You can see in the specs sheets and the markings on the rear panel ports of the new mobos with the SuperSpeed "10" logo, pertaining to the USB3.2 ports' speed at only 10Gbps (not 20Gbps). Thus, these ports are only USB3.2 Gen2 x1 ports (at 10Gbps over x1 lane) which is the same as the old USB3.1 Gen2 in 2013 (also at 10Gbps over x1 lane).

If ever there would be a motherboard that would feature the 20Gbps (USB3.2 Gen2x2), I would probably create a new column in the table with the label "USB3.2" and identify it such that [ USB3.2 = Dual-lane signal rate 20Gbps or 10Gbps ] to complement what I noted for the current [ USB3.1 ] and [ USB3.0 ] columns.

Hope this clear things up. Thanks again and hope you'll stick around in the forum threads!

 

[raisonjohn]

Check out the revamped comparison table. Added detailed information to compare Power Specifications (PWM Controller, Phase Doubler, Gate Drivers, True and "Virtual" Phase Counts, and notes on MOSFETs/Power Stage Designs).

 

[sonichedgehog360]

Based on the licensing, I understand that commercial use of this comparison table is prohibited. I am, however, currently working on building a SQL-based product/benchmark relational database for my tech review website TechAndTiny.com and much of your design could be useful and extremely time-saving. I have already scoured the web visiting sites like NotebookCheck, PCPartPicker and TechPowerUp in searching for the best designs for building a thorough and well-organized tech product database and your format here is extremely well-thought and prolific. In particular, for the motherboard table design that I am developing in my database, these column categories would be most excellent. Let me know your thoughts either here or via PM. Thanks!

 

[Larwood]

Could you enable copying of the sheet please? I'd like to chop it up to decide my next board. It's quite ironic to put a CC license on it and then block all sharing 😁

 

[quizzicus]

Amazing spreadsheet. I've been using it all week to strategize my Zen 2 upgrade. But as of today, it keeps redirecting me to htmlview. Is anyone else having this issue?

Also, are you sure that the X570 Aorus Xtreme/Master have Thunderbolt headers? I can't find any mention of them on the website or in the manual.

 

[Veradun]

Wonderful work @raisonjohn
Do you or any other dweller of this thread know what's the distance between the mounting holes of the chipset and if it's standardized?

 

[9500]

I noticed one mistake in the sheet. Seems like Asrock x570 Steel Legend does not have USB3.1 Header (20-pin) connector. Sheet has it marked as 1x.

 

[alkaAdeluxx]

@raisonjohn first a big thanks for sharing this with us 😉

Could you enable copying of the sheet please? I'd like to chop it up to decide my next board. It's quite ironic to put a CC license on it and then block all sharing 😁

I have to agree with him.

For example, i use the the list to found the best price / performance board from the point of view of the vrms.
now i sort it by price range, here are already the first mistakes
The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is cheaper than both Strix and the C8H,
The ASUS ROG Strix X570-E is cheaper too than the C8H,
when there are numbers insteed the $$$$ icons, make it a lot easier to read.
(or I can copy the list and enter the numbers myself )

 

[rafaeld]

@raisonjohn is there any problem with the spreadsheet? I cannot click / sort the columns. I keep getting htlm view even after being redirected to the correct link (/edit yellow top link).

 

[Xplo]

@raisonjohn In the cell 27 AA , the Asus Pro WS X570-Ace has a PCH-Fan

I was searching on the gsheet if there was an other X570 motherboard without a pch-fan like the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme.

 

[Sebb]

Hello,
in terms of memory topology seems to be an error in the table:
Can you please check the "ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming"? It should be a Daisy Chain motherboard...

Greetings!