Looks like it? Yes. Is like it? No. This board is looking ever more like a cash grab. Really poorly positioned compared to the competition.
-
Save 15% on ALL SFF Network merch, until Dec 31st! Use code SFF2024 at checkout. Click here!
Motherboard ASUS B550I-Strix
- Thread starter ParallaxStax
- Start date
The Asrock PG looks good if you want "premium", though it's not really clear that it offers much over the cheaper Gigabyte. MSI also looks nice. All of them have better VRM setups than the Asus, most have the same or similar featuresets, and none of them have the annoying VRM fan (which Asus likely included due to choosing cheaper VRM components than the competition). There's nothing directly wrong with the 50A power stages Asus uses (unless you're a competitive overclocker), and a couple of years back that VRM setup would have been good for ITX, but the 70A and 90A ones used by the other brands are significantly better. I would frankly just pick the board that best fits your needs, but there's no reason to pay the Asus premium in this case.
Last edited:
Given that there are a grand total of five B550 ITX boards in existence, compiling a list isn't hard:
-all boards except the cheaper ASrock have dual m.2 slots (front 4.0, rear 3.0) and 2.5GbE, though the Realtek solution is preferred as the Intel one has a hardware bug causing major slowdowns when used with certain switches and NICs. All boards support HDMI 2.1, though none are listed with 4k120 or 8k60 support - this might be a Renoir display driver limitation. Time will tell.
Gigabyte B550I Aorus Pro AX, MSRP $179.99: 90A power stages, 6+2 (VCORE/SOC) layout, no doubling or teaming, 2.5GbE (Realtek, the preferred choice for 2.5GbE), Intel WiFi 6/AX, 3 fan headers, no right-angle SATA (i.e. good for sandwich cases), fanless cooling with heatpipe connecting m.2 and VRM coolers. Only major drawback is lack of front USB-C header.
MSI MPG B550I Gaming Edge WiFi, MSRP $199.99: 60A power stages, 8+2 (VCORE/SOC) layout, no doubling or teaming, 2.5GbE (Realtek), Intel WiFi 6/AX, 3 fan headers (one marked water pump, might support higher current), no right-angle SATA, fan with idle stop on the front m.2, front USB-C header, debug LEDs, optical audio output. Drawbacks: No Displayport output.
ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AC, MSRP $199.99: 90A power stages, 6+2 layout, no doubling or teaming, 2.5GbE (Intel, might want to avoid), Intel WiFi 6/AX, 3 fan headers (2 1A, 1 2A for water pumps), right-angle SATA (bad for sandwich cases), fanless cooling, front USB-C.
And the cheaper option: ASRock B550M-ITX/AC, MSRP $129.99: 50A power stages, 6+2 layout from what I can tell, with a tiny heatsink that will likely not be sufficient for even light overclocking unless there's a fan pointing directly at it, 1GbE, Intel WiFi 5/AC, 3 fan headers (2 1A, 1 2A), no right-angle SATA. Drawbacks: just one m.2 (front, PCIe 4.0), tiny VRM heatsink, lacklustre m.2 heatsink, no front USB-C, worst VRM of the bunch, slim I/O, poor layout (8-pin EPS is stuck in between the rear I/O!), low-end audio chip. Advertises 7.1 audio support, but doesn't actually have the connections to support it.
For comparison, the Asus has an MSRP of $229.99, an "8+2" VRM layout that is actually 4+2 with the 4 VRM phases each having two parallel mosfets and chokes (teamed). This is good for transient response compared to a doubled layout, but inferior to a native 8-phase in load balancing and efficiency (current handling is ~equal). The use of 50A power stages underscores that this is a cheap solution - it's better than the cheap ASRock, but not by much. It has a VRM fan for some reason, and uses the bugged Intel NIC. Asus looks to have an advantage with two USB-C, but one of them is only USB 2.0 speed, seemingly intended mainly for some kind of weird audio use (unsure whether it uses an analog alt-mode from the onboard audio chip or if the bundled cable comes with a built-in DAC). This board seems intended to sell mainly on looks, brand recognition and "premium" design (i.e. heatsinks with patterned "gamery" stickers on them).
It is obviously worth mentioning that either of these boards will likely run any APU or CPU at stock with no issues whatsoever, and the VRM issues are only really relevant if you plan to overclock. The higher rated power stages might actually be more useful for iGPU overclocking, as no board allocates more than two phases to the SoC. Still, even the 2x50A of the cheaper ASRock or the Asus should handle pushing an iGPU relatively high. A few years back, you'd be lucky to get a 4+2 50A smart power stage VRM on an ITX board, so times have changed.
Last edited:
And the gigabyte one doesn't have a usb 3.2 header ... not like asus, MSI and asrock...
That explains the price...
but anyway thanks for explanation valantar
Damn dude! That was epic, absolutely love the depth you went into this. Especially regarding the power stages etc, which is very important when it comes to which CPU (in terms of core counts) that a board and it's VRM etc can handle. Very nice!
You just earned yourself:
It'll be either Gigabyte or MSI for me.
Slightly leaning toward MSI for the additional audio jacks, it'll help since my case won't have front audio jack.
Slightly leaning toward MSI for the additional audio jacks, it'll help since my case won't have front audio jack.
It's a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (like all the motherboards) header, just not Type C. This can be fixed by getting this
Last edited:
Is there a version of that with a NVMe connector? I found this USB 3 version but can't seem to find one with the USB 3.2 Gen 2 front panel header.It's a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (like all the motherboards) header, just not Type C. This can be fixed by getting this
Last edited:
Seems to be a very niche product but a quick search got me to https://www.reichelt.de/konverter-m...-3-1-key-a-20-pin-b-delock-63998-p251588.html
Chipset: Asmedia ASM2142, reliable!
Also, https://www.reichelt.de/konverter-m-2-key-b-m-2-x-usb-3-0-delock-62843-p199265.html
Chipset: Renesas? Even the datasheet doesn't seem to provide info.
Found the manufacturer. Now to track one down at a reasonable price.
www.delock.com
Should also consider fitment on the second M.2 slot. Wish the connector was flat so i could use a back mounted m.2 slot.
Delock Products
Unter „Produkte“ finden Sie neben unseren Adapter- und Kabel Tools sämtliche Delock Produkte nach Produktkategorien geordnet.
www.delock.com
Should also consider fitment on the second M.2 slot. Wish the connector was flat so i could use a back mounted m.2 slot.
MSI - https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/best-vrm-on-b550i.13827/#post-205243
Worst clearMOS jumper position.
USB C Gen.2 port for front has only ASUS/ASRock. Other has only Gen 1.
Worst clearMOS jumper position.
USB C Gen.2 port for front has only ASUS/ASRock. Other has only Gen 1.
Last edited:
I definitely don't buy Asus motherboards. Fan controller settings is terrible. Also there is a fan for vrms. I don't like this type of small fans.
The only temperature measurement I've seen, and not from this board, is here (41.1 degrees):
Gigabyte B550I AORUS Pro AX Review
The B550I AORUS Pro AX from Gigabyte comes with a lot of hardware packed into a small package. Among the features are 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet, WiFi 6, dual M.2 slots, and top-tier 90 A power stages. Let's see just how good this new SFF option from Gigabyte really is!
It looks like the B550 runs quite a bit cooler than the X570, just by looking at various other reviews on the same site.
Pretty nice!! My ASUS X570 stay at 67 Idle, and the Gigabyte X570 at 55 Idle. Under stress almost 80 for the ASUS and 67 for the Gigabyte.The only temperature measurement I've seen, and not from this board, is here (41.1 degrees):
Gigabyte B550I AORUS Pro AX Review
The B550I AORUS Pro AX from Gigabyte comes with a lot of hardware packed into a small package. Among the features are 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet, WiFi 6, dual M.2 slots, and top-tier 90 A power stages. Let's see just how good this new SFF option from Gigabyte really is!www.techpowerup.com
It looks like the B550 runs quite a bit cooler than the X570, just by looking at various other reviews on the same site.
Don’t like any of the B550I back I/O, but maybe I can go over it.
Thanks!
There's no PCIe 4.0 in the B550 chipset, so no reason to expect it to produce much heat at all. Should be very similar to B450 and other non-X570 chipsets.
Similar threads
