The AM5 socket is here to stay until 2027 - so now's as good a time as ever to pick up a solid motherboard for the next couple of years. However, a lot of you might be wondering if the extra dollars for X670 is really worth it - fear not, we'll break it down for you in this article!
B450 vs B550: Technical Specs
|
|
B650 |
X670 |
|
CPU Socket |
AM5 |
AM5 |
|
Ryzen Support |
Ryzen 7000 series and newer |
Ryzen 7000 series and newer |
|
Supports Overclocking |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Max Memory Capacity* |
256GB |
256GB |
|
Max Memory Speed* |
7600 MT/s |
8000 MT/s |
|
Total PCIe Lanes |
36 |
44 |
|
PCIe Gen 5 Lanes** |
0 |
8 |
|
PCIe Configuration |
1x16 (4.0) + 1x4 (4.0) or 2x8 (4.0) + 1x4 (4.0) |
1x16 (4.0) + 1x4 (5.0) or 2x8 (4.0) + 1x4 (5.0) |
|
USB SuperSpeed 20Gbps Ports (up to) |
1 |
2 |
|
USB SuperSpeed 10Gbps Ports (up to) |
6 |
12 |
|
USB SuperSpeed 5Gbps Ports (up to) |
1 |
2 |
|
Max Sata Ports |
4 |
8 |
*Support may vary by motherboard model, but the theoretical limits are listed here
**PCIe 5.0 support on B650 is motherboard-dependent, but no lanes are equipped by default
Both chipsets are very capable in their own right - since memory speed and capacity support is largely up to the motherboard manufacturer, B650 and X670 don't present much of a difference on that front. Where X670 outshines its competitor is in I/O support, with double the USB SuperSpeed ports at all bandwidth levels, PCIe Gen 5 NVMe support, more SATA ports, and a few extra PCIe lanes.
Whichever chipset you pick, we recommend making sure you'll be happy with it for some time, since AM5 will continue to be backwards compatible until 2027. If that means splurging a little to get a motherboard you'll keep for longer, we think it's worth it. If I/O isn't your biggest concern, B650 will be plenty for your rig - but if you need those extra high speed USB ports or Gen 5 NVMe, X670 is the way to go.
In the end, both chipsets are excellent for a modern PC build. Just make sure to pair whichever you choose with some high-quality components, like CORSAIR DDR5 RAM, a CORSAIR M.2 SSD, or a sleek new CORSAIR Case to complete your setup.
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