B450 vs. B550: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Get?

In the world of motherboards, B450 vs. B550 chipsets are two popular choices. While the B450 has been around for some time now, the B550 was released in 2020 to bring high-end features at more accessible price points.

One major difference between the B450 and B550 chipsets is that the former supports PCIe Gen 4.0, while the latter only supports PCIe Gen 3.0. This implies that the B550 provides faster GPU bus bandwidth, faster drives, and improved network connectivity.

Additionally, B550 boards provide better LAN and WiFi connectivity as well as USB 3.2 Gen 2 support. On the other hand, the B450 still supports a wider range of processors — including more recent Ryzen 5000 CPUs and Ryzen 4000G APUs. So ultimately, your choice between them comes down to your individual requirements and budget.

B450 vs. B550: Side-By-Side Comparison

Feature	B450	B550
Chipset Link	PCIe 3.0 x4	PCIe 3.0 x4
Lanes	28	30
GPU PCIe Gen 4	No	Yes via CPU
GPU PCIe Gen 3	Yes via CPU	No
Gen 4 NVMe	0	1
Memory Speed	4,133 MT/s	5,100 MT/s
LAN	1Gbps	2.5Gbps
WiFi	WiFi 5	WiFi 6
Multi-GPU Support	XFX	XFX/SLI
Gen 3 NVMe	2	1

B450 vs. B550: What’s the Difference?

Choosing between B450 and B550 can be daunting when looking for a new motherboard. Both offer impressive features and performance, making it difficult to decide which one is best suited for you. Fortunately, significant differences between them will enable you to make an informed decision.

PCIe Gen 4.0 Support

The B450 chipset is limited to PCIe Gen 3.0, meaning it doesn’t support this interface’s latest and fastest standard. With up to 28 lanes available, including x16 for discrete graphics card support and an NVMe drive slot with PCIe Gen 3.0 support (the additional lanes also adhere to Gen 3.0 requirements). However, these additional lanes must also remain at this lower speed limit.

The B550 chipset is equipped with PCIe Gen 4.0 support via its CPU lanes. Although the chipset itself still uses Gen 3.0, the motherboard can support up to 30 lanes with x16 dedicated for discrete graphics card support and an NVMe drive slot with PCIe Gen 4.0 compatibility. It’s ideal for users planning on purchasing a high-speed Gen 4 SSD that offers speeds over 7GB/s.

Processor Compatibility

B450 boards support a broad range of processors, including 1st Gen, 2nd Gen, and 3rd Gen Ryzen processors, Ryzen 5000 CPUs, and Ryzen 4000G APUs. This compatibility makes the B450 chipset attractive for users looking to build budget PCs with older Ryzen processors.

B550 motherboards, however, are only compatible with recent Ryzen 3000 and 5000 processors as well as Ryzen 4000G/5000G APUs. Unfortunately, users with older Ryzen processors cannot utilize them with a B550 motherboard. However, both B450 and B550 boards will be compatible with the upcoming Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

DDR4 Memory Speeds

Entry-level B450 boards support memory speeds up to 3200MT/s, which is sufficient for budget builds. However, the memory frequency support varies from OEM to OEM and SKU to SKU.

B550 motherboards offer significantly faster upper DDR4 clock speeds than their B450 counterparts, with some of the cheapest boards supporting memory speeds over 4,600MT/s — an improvement over what users can achieve with a B450 chipset-equipped PC. This feature makes B550 boards ideal for those building high-performance machines.

LAN and WiFi Connectivity

The B450 chipset offers 1Gbps LAN network bandwidth and Wifi 5 support, which is sufficient for budget builds but could be better for high-performance builds.

The B550 chipset offers 2.5Gbps LAN network bandwidth, which is 2.5x faster than the B450 chipset’s speed. Furthermore, this chip supports WiFi 6, which can transmit nearly 10Gbps instead of 3.5Gbps, as WiFi 5 can do. This feature comes in handy for users who require fast network connectivity for gaming, streaming, or other high-bandwidth activities.

USB 3.2 Gen 2 Support

B450 motherboards are limited to USB 3.1, which supports data transfer speeds of up to 500MB/s. While this speed is sufficient for basic peripherals and storage devices, higher-speed options such as external hard drives or SSDs should be considered.

B550 motherboards feature USB Gen 3.2 Gen 2 ports that support data transfer speeds of up to 1.212GB/s – significantly faster than USB 3.1 and ideal for high-speed devices like external hard drives and SSDs. Additionally, with more USB Gen 3.2 ports than B450 motherboards, these boards may be better suited to users who require multiple high-speed USB ports.

Multi-GPU Support

B450 motherboards can only support CrossFireX, a technology that enables users to run multiple graphics cards in an integrated system. Unfortunately, CrossFireX is only supported for AMD graphics cards and, thus not suitable if you want multiple cards from different vendors.

B550 motherboards support CrossFireX and SLI, a technology enabling users to run multiple graphics cards from different vendors in an integrated system. This feature is particularly beneficial for those wishing to combine Nvidia and AMD graphics cards into one machine. However, models supporting SLI are currently scarce on the market; users may have to search for one specific model that supports it.

Support for SATA III (6Gbps)

B450 motherboards come with 6 SATA III (6Gbps) ports, which is sufficient for basic storage needs but not ideal if you require multiple high-speed storage devices.

B550 motherboards feature 6 SATA III (6Gbps) ports, the same number as the B450 chipset. However, the B550 chipset supports faster storage devices like NVMe drives and has more NVMe slots than its counterpart. This makes it a superior option for users requiring high-speed storage.

B450 vs. B550: 9 Must-Know Facts

• For years, the B450 chipset has been powering many popular motherboards. However, AMD is now encouraging users to upgrade with the release of the B550.
• The primary distinction between B450 and B550 chipsets lies in their support for PCIe Gen 4.0. While B450 boards only support PCIe Gen 3, motherboards using B550 have the capacity to utilize PCIe Gen 4 interface through CPU lanes.
• B450 motherboards support a range of Ryzen processors, such as 1st Gen, 2nd Gen, and 3rd Gen. However, B550 motherboards only support Ryzen 3000 and 5000 processors and APUs.
• Both boards will also be compatible with the upcoming Ryzen 7 5800X3D.
• The B550 chipset provides higher memory frequency support than B450 boards, offering up to 2.5Gbps LAN and WiFi 6 support, compared to 1Gbps LAN on B450 boards. Additionally, this faster network speed allows for faster web surfing, thanks to its integrated security measures.
• B550 motherboards feature USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, while B450 boards only support USB 3.1.
• Furthermore, B550 boards boast multi-GPU support – including CrossFireX and SLI — while their B450 counterparts only support CrossFireX.
• The primary advantage of the B550 chipset is its support for PCIe Gen 4, providing faster GPU bus bandwidth, drives, and network connectivity.
• Prices between B450 and B550 motherboards have become nearly identical recently, making it harder for those using older Ryzen processors to choose between them.

B450 vs. B550: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Use?

When selecting between the B450 and B550 chipsets, it’s essential to understand the distinctions that could impact your PC build. The B550 was released in July 2020 by AMD with the goal of bringing high-end features closer to mainstream consumers. On the other hand, B450 boards have been powering popular motherboards for five years. The primary difference lies in PCIe Gen 4.0 support; B550 motherboards provide this, while B450 boards only support Gen 3.0. Furthermore, Ryzen 3000 and 5000 processors are limited to B550 motherboards while B450 boards support a wider variety of CPUs.

Memory speed is another important factor to consider, with B550 motherboards typically offering faster upper DDR4 clock speeds compared to B450 boards. Furthermore, the B550 chipset offers faster network connectivity with 2.5 Gbps LAN bandwidth and WiFi 6 support versus 1 Gbps LAN bandwidth and WiFi 5 on B450 boards. USB 3.2 Gen 2 support also comes standard on these boards, providing faster transfer rates than USB 3.1 on B450 models.

In conclusion, if you’re building a budget-friendly build and don’t require PCIe Gen 4 support, the B450 chipset might be your best bet. On the other hand, if you want faster transfer speeds, higher memory speeds, and superior network connectivity, then opting for the B550 chipset is your best bet. With the prices of both motherboards being fairly similar, it’s important to weigh their advantages and drawbacks carefully in order to decide which is best suited for your build.