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B650 vs X670: Which chipset should you choose?

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.

B650 vs X670: Which one do I pick?

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.