ASUS has recently announced its new lineup of motherboards equipped with the latest AMD B550 chipset that brings the potential PCI Express 4.0 to mainstream builds.
B550 motherboards enable 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes from the 3rd Gen Ryzen desktop processors. The primary PCIe slot on these new boards offer 16 lanes of PCIe 4.0 connectivity, and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen parts feature up to four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports that run at up to 10Gbps.
ASUS’ B550 motherboards also boast exciting features such as WiFi 6, 2.5Gbps Ethernet, robust power delivery, increased DRM speed, and BIOS Flashback. The B550 chip gets an upgrade to PCIe 3.0 for its built-in lanes.
Additionally ROG Strix and TUF Gaming B550 series boards also feature AI noise-canceling microphone software, along with support for 3.5mm, USB, or Bluetooth headsets. It uses a massive deep-learning database to preserve the sound of the user’s voice while taking out keyboard clatter, mouse clicks, and other forms of environmental noise.
The entire lineup consists of 11 motherboards. ROG Strix boards are at the top end with innovative features like efficient and cool-running VRMs, enhanced audio, and 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6 connectivity by way of Intel controllers.
TUF Gaming boards offer high-end features combined with a battle-tested, reliable, and attainable package, while the Prime series offer features for all-around builds.
ROG Strix B550-E Gaming
- 14+2 Power Stage VRM
- Reinforced PCIe x 16 SafeSlots for Multi-GPU setups
- 6 fan headers + dedicated AIO and pump headers
- Dual M.2 slots covered by heatsinks
- Intel-powered 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6 controllers
- Bluetooth 5.1 support
- 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (1 x Type-C, 2 x Type-A)
- SupremeFX S1220A audio chip
- 4 RGB headers (2 standard, 2 Addressable Gen 2)
ROG Strix B550-F Gaming (Wi-Fi)
- 12+2 power stage VRM
- 8+4-pin ProCool auxiliary power connectors
- 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (1 x Type-C, 1 x Type-A)
- Intel I255-V 2.5Gbps Ethernet and WiFi 6 via Intel AX200 adapter
- SupremeFX S1220A codec
- Integrated I/O shield
- RGB LED strip headers (Standard and Addressable Gen 2)
ROG Strix B550-I Gaming
- Mini-ITX with 1 PCIe 4.0 x 16
- 8+2 power stage VRM
- Active cooled VRM
- 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (1 x Type-C, 3 x Type-A)
- Intel I225-V 2.5Gbps Ethernet connector and Intel AX200 WiFi 6 adapter
- Bluetooth 5.1 support
- Front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 connector
- Preinstalled I/O shield
- LED-lit 3.5mm connectors
- Noise-filtered USB-C Audio port
TUF Gaming B550-Plus
- 8+2 DrMOS voltage regulator + VRM heatsink
- 2 M.2 slots up to 110mm
- SafeSlot reinforced main PCI 4.0 x 16 slot for heavy GPUs
- CrossFireX supported x16 PCIe slots
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
- BIOS FlashBack button for CPU-less UEFI upgrades
- 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port
- M.2 E-key slot for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 upgrade
- Realtek S1200A audio codec with DTS Custom support
- 3 RGB LED headers (2 Standard, 2 Addressable Gen 2)
TUF Gaming B550M-Plus (Wi-Fi)
- microATX
- Reinforced PCIe x 16 SafeSlots for Multi-GPU setups
- 2 M.2 slots (1 up to 110mm, 1 up to 80mm)
- 2.5Gbps Ethernet port
- Can be with or without Intel AX200 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 controller and antenna
- Realtek S1200A audio with DTS Custom support
- RGB LED headers (including Addressable Gen 2 connectors)
ASUS Prime B550-Plus
- Heatsinks for VRM and chipset
- Dual PCIe x16 slots with CrossFireX support
- 2 M.2 slots (up to 110mm)
- Optional ASUS ThunderboltEX 3 card
ASUS Prime B550M-A (Wi-Fi)
- microATX version
- Heatsinks for VRM and chipset
- Dual PCIe x16 slots with CrossFireX support
- 2 M.2 slots (up to 110mm)
- Gigabit Ethernet / Intel AX200 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth adapter
ASUS Prime B550M-K
- micro-ATX
- PCIe x16 and M.2 slots wired directly to the processor
- 2 M.2 slots (1 up to 80mm, 1 up to 110mm)
- 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
- 4 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports
- HDMI, DVI-D, and D-sub ports
The new motherboards are set to be available by the end of June 2020. For more details about the lineup, click here.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
