When choosing a motherboard on your newly bought Ryzen CPU, you’ll encounter many choices: X870, X670, B650, A620, and the latest additions, B850 and B840. However what do these names imply? How do X870E, X670E and B650E boards differ from their non-E counterparts? Which do you have to select on your system? This information will present all of the solutions and extra.
The most important distinction between motherboard sorts is the chipset – the chip (or two chips) that connects the CPU to different elements within the system. Previously, the chipset consisted of a northbridge chip, which linked the CPU to the RAM and graphics card, and a southbridge chip, which linked the northbridge to the remainder of the elements. These days, nonetheless, the performance previously attributed to the northbridge is built-in into the CPU, which connects on to many elements.
| Chipset | Processor PCIe lanes | Graphics card | NVMe SSD & extra GPP lanes | Complete PCIe lanes | Max usable PCIe 5 lanes | USB 5 Gbps | USB 10 Gbps | USB 20 Gbps | USB4 | Max PCIe 3.0 or SATA ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X870E | PCIe 5.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 5.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 5.0 4x PCIe GPP |
44 | 24 | 2 | 12 | 2 | Sure | 8 |
| X870 | PCIe 5.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 5.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 5.0 4x PCIe GPP |
36 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 1 | Sure | 4 |
| B850 | PCIe 4.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 4.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 5.0 | 36 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | decide | 4 |
| B840 | PCIe 4.0 (1×16 slot) |
PCIe 4.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 4.0 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | decide | 4 |
| X670E | PCIe 5.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 5.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 5.0 4x PCIe GPP |
44 | 24 | 2 | 12 | 2 | decide | 8 |
| X670 | PCIe 4.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 4.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 5.0 4x PCIe GPP |
44 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 2 | decide | 8 |
| B650E | PCIe 5.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 5.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 5.0 4x PCIe GPP |
36 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 1 | decide | 4 |
| B650 | PCIe 4.0 (1×16 slot or 2×8 slots) |
PCIe 4.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 4.0 [PCIe 5.0 opt] |
36 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | decide | 4 |
| A620 / A620A | PCIe 4.0 (1×16 slot) |
PCIe 4.0 | 1 x4 PCIe 4.0 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | decide | 4 |
Ryzen 7000 and 9000 processors hook up with high-bandwidth elements by way of 28 PCIe lanes and help PCIe 5.0 speeds. Of those lanes, 16 are reserved for a graphics card (or two, with every using eight lanes), and 4 are designated for an M.2 drive. One other 4 lanes are used to hook up with the chipset. The remaining 4 lanes could be employed for parts corresponding to one other M.2 slot or a USB4 adapter that additionally connects to the CPU’s built-in graphics to allow DisplayPort tunneling.
Ryzen 8000G processors solely have eight PCIe lanes for a graphics card (20 in complete), and help PCIe 4.0 speeds. Moreover, Ryzen CPUs help 4 USB 3.1 (or “3.2 Gen 2”) ports and a single USB 2.0 connector.
Take a shortcut to your subsequent Ryzen construct…
The present chipsets on the AM5 platform help both PCIe 4.0 speeds, which limits the overall bandwidth of the units linked to them at roughly 7GB/s, or PCIe 3.0 speeds, which units the bandwidth at about 3.5GB/s. These units could comprise storage drives using both the NVMe or SATA interface, USB units, community playing cards, and different inner elements corresponding to soundcards.
Some motherboards characteristic extra connectors than their CPU and chipset help, both to can help you select between a few of them or as a result of they make use of splitters to share their bandwidth. With the fundamentals lined, let’s transfer on to the chipsets themselves…
Outdated Is New Once more: B840
AMD B840 motherboards use the identical Promontory 19 chip that was beforehand used on B550 motherboards with AM4 processors. Not like the Promontory 21 utilized in different AM5 motherboards, it solely helps PCIe 3.0 speeds, but it surely provides 10 PCIe lanes, and helps 4 SATA, two USB 3.1, two USB 3.0 (or “3.2 Gen 1”), and 6 USB 2.0 ports.
Along with the slower chipset, B840 motherboards omit a number of enthusiast-oriented options. They do not help PCIe 5.0 speeds, even for units linked on to the CPU. They do not permit CPU overclocking, though with as we speak’s CPUs it is extra of an fanatic passion than a advisable apply. In addition they solely help a single graphics card, however the period of multi-GPU gaming has primarily come to an finish in order that’s not an enormous one.
Just a few B840 motherboards can be found on the time of writing, and fairly surprisingly, they don’t seem to be low-cost. Regardless of their limitations, they’re high quality boards with a number of heatsinks and lots of slots. That raises the query: whom are they meant for?
If you wish to improve an previous system with PCIe 3.0 units, then B840 motherboards could supply a great worth, as they’re cheaper than in any other case comparable B850 boards. In any other case, be at liberty to disregard them.
A Pointless Compromise: A620
A620 motherboards use the identical Promontory 21 chip utilized in B650, B850 and X870 motherboards, however with a few of its connectors disabled or restricted. Just like the Promontory 19, it provides help for 2 USB 3.1, two USB 3.0 (or “3.2 Gen 1”), and 6 USB 2.0 ports. It additionally incorporates eight PCIe 3.0 lanes, of which two or 4 could be employed for SATA ports.
The actual subject with A620 motherboards is not the chipset itself; reasonably, it is that they’re designed to be reasonably priced boards with cheap voltage regulator modules (VRM) and like B840 boards, don’t help PCIe 5.0 speeds. Worse, A620 boards not solely disallow CPU overclocking, however they might additionally formally help CPUs with a TDP of as much as solely 120W, and even 65W.
On paper, A620 motherboards are a great match for Ryzen 8000G processors, that are meant for compact programs with fewer elements and decrease energy consumption. In apply, respectable A620 boards price about the identical as B650 ones, so we are able to solely suggest them when they’re on sale.
The Greatest Worth: X870 vs. B650E vs. B850 vs. B650
B650, B650E, B850 and X870 motherboards all use a single, absolutely enabled Promontory 21 chip. It provides eight PCIe 4.0 lanes, permitting an M.2 drive to totally make the most of the chipset’s bandwidth by itself. Like in A620 boards, it additionally consists of 4 PCIe 3.0 lanes that can be utilized for as much as 4 SATA ports.
The chipset gives help for six USB 2.0 and 4 USB 3.1 ports, in addition to bandwidth that may be allotted for an extra two USB 3.1 ports or a single USB 3.2 (“Gen 2 x 2”).
Learn our evaluation: Most Inexpensive AMD B650 Boards Examined
Should you had been questioning concerning the distinction between B650 and B650E motherboards, the reply is that B650E boards (E = quick for “Excessive”) help PCIe 5.0 for each the graphics card and at the least one M.2 drive. X870 motherboards are mainly the identical as B650E, besides they’re required to make use of 4 PCIe lanes for USB4. Nevertheless, as a result of they’re newer, the Wi-Fi playing cards they arrive with help Wi-Fi 7 reasonably than 6E.
Whereas B850 motherboards are required to help PCIe 5.0 on at the least one M.2 drive, common B650 boards should still have a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. Apart from that, these boards do not restrict the CPU in any manner and can help any Ryzen processor till 2027.
We suggest B650, B850, B650E and X870 motherboards for players and others who wish to get every little thing that AM5 motherboards have to supply, however needn’t join many drives to their PC concurrently. One other benefit of those boards is their means to suit all connectors right into a compact micro-ATX type issue, which is beneficial for those who’re searching for a compact case to put in your desk.
Extra is Extra: X870E vs. X670E vs. X670
X670, X670E and X870E motherboards characteristic a Promontory 21 chip linked to a different one by way of 4 PCIe 4.0 lanes, offering the second chip with the identical bandwidth because the one linked to the CPU.
Mixed, the chipset provides twelve PCIe 4.0 lanes, permitting every M.2 drive to saturate the chipset’s bandwidth individually, and eight PCIe 3.0 lanes for as much as eight SATA ports. With SATA now turning into a legacy connector, it’s normal for a few of these lanes to be allotted to community playing cards, releasing up all PCIe 4.0 lanes for sooner interfaces.
The chipset additionally affords help for twelve USB 2.0 ports and one among three choices: twelve USB 3.1 ports; ten USB 3.1 ports and one USB 3.2 port, or eight USB 3.1 ports and two USB 3.2 ports.
Learn our full evaluations: The Greatest AMD X670E Motherboards: 22 Board Roundup & AMD X870/X870E Motherboard Roundup: 21 Motherboards Examined
Not like B650, all X670 motherboards characteristic a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, and naturally, X670E boards help PCIe 5.0 graphics playing cards. If you are going to buy such a card after they change into accessible, it in all probability will not even require all 16 lanes. So, in case your board has one other 16-lane PCIe 5.0 slot, you’ll use it for as much as two M.2 drives with an adapter (some boards truly include one). With X870E you could be positive you will get USB4 and Wi-Fi 7.
X670, X670E and X870E motherboards are the perfect selection for content material creators who consistently really feel the necessity to add one other drive to their system. With quite a few methods to make the most of the twin chipset, significantly, you should not purchase a motherboard based mostly solely on its title; as a substitute, make sure that it has all of the connectors you require.
