Question Best ITX board for a 5700x3D build: a top B450 or a cheap B550?

[AnitaPeterson]

Hello everyone,

I am putting together a gaming system inside a Lian-Li Q58 case.
The GPU will be a RTX 2060 Super. The cooler is the AXP120-X67.
And the CPU will be a 5700X3D.

I can use an Asus ROG Strix B450-i Gaming or an ASRock B550M-ITX/AC.
The Asus board is older, with PCIe 3.0, not 4, but has better audio and better VRMs.
The Asrock is bottom of the barrel, cheapest AM4 ITX board on the market, just two years newer than the Asus.

Which of these two boards would you choose, for that CPU?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I am typing from my build with the ASRock board with a 5600X3D and RX 6800. Zero issues with it. I played Horizon Zero Dawn for about 6hrs straight on a 1080 TV and temps and performance are great. It's in a CoolerMaster nr200.

While you aren't using anything that will suffer performance wise by being in a B450, I just don't see the point in using older standards unless the savings are pretty significant. Because I always resell stuff later, and the newer specs will hold value better/better ROI. Making a small price premium justified.

 

[kschendel]

The B550. The Asrock VRM's may or may not be worse than the Asus's, but they are plenty good enough for a 5700X3D. Unless the audio difference is important, I'd stick with the newer design board. (and if audio matters, run an external USB DAC!)

 

[Rigg]

I've owned both of these boards and I'd go with the Asrock B550M-ITX/AC all day long. I tend to prefer Asus personally (mostly because i like the UEFI), but have had great luck with boards from either company. What makes you say the Asus has a superior VRM? They're very similar 6 phase vcore designs with the Asrock having an advantage in peak current capacity (50A vs 40A powerstages) while the Asus has a more substantial heatsink. Not that it matters with a 5700X3D in the socket anyway.

 

[gdansk]

I also prefer the B550 in this case.
I don't think the VRM differences will matter if this is for gaming (which the 5700X3D implies but does not confirm). Power draw should be low.
Plus that cooler looks like it'll get some air moving in the VRM area more than normal tower coolers. I wonder if that is true.

 

[WelshBloke]

What's the bios support for setting core offsets on both those boards?
I'm running a 5800x3d on an Asus x470 board and, stock, that CPU runs hot! It'll ramp up to 90c and throttle very quickly (that's with the CPU under a fairly good AIO).
I can set a CO of -30 using some software in windows that brings the temperature way, way down but if I was buying again I'd get a MB where I could set that in the bios.

 

[Rigg]

What's the bios support for setting core offsets on both those boards?
I'm running a 5800x3d on an Asus x470 board and, stock, that CPU runs hot! It'll ramp up to 90c and throttle very quickly (that's with the CPU under a fairly good AIO).
I can set a CO of -30 using some software in windows that brings the temperature way, way down but if I was buying again I'd get a MB where I could set that in the bios.

As far as I'm aware curve optimizer is part of AGESA 1.1.8.0 and later. It should be available in the PBO menu in the UEFI of any B/X series board that supports Zen 3 CPU's.

 

[Shmee]

What's the bios support for setting core offsets on both those boards?
I'm running a 5800x3d on an Asus x470 board and, stock, that CPU runs hot! It'll ramp up to 90c and throttle very quickly (that's with the CPU under a fairly good AIO).
I can set a CO of -30 using some software in windows that brings the temperature way, way down but if I was buying again I'd get a MB where I could set that in the bios.

This is a legitimate concern for sure. Since OP plans to run a 5700X3D, which is one of the newest Zen 3 chips, I would recommend a decent 500 series motherboard for optimal support. B550 boards aren't much more anyway.

While you may not be able to actually OC the 5700X3D (to my knowledge it is locked down) you should still be able to under volt it with CO so that it runs cooler and generally lower power.

 

[Rigg]

This is a legitimate concern for sure. Since OP plans to run a 5700X3D, which is one of the newest Zen 3 chips, I would recommend a decent 500 series motherboard for optimal support. B550 boards aren't much more anyway.

While you may not be able to actually OC the 5700X3D (to my knowledge it is locked down) you should still be able to under volt it with CO so that it runs cooler and generally lower power.

AMD Precision Boost Overdrive 2: Adaptive Undervolting For Ryzen 5000 Coming Soon

www.anandtech.com

AMD’s new Curve Optimization tool, to come with AGESA 1180 on 400-series and 500-series motherboard BIOS updates

 

[Shmee]

@Rigg I am aware that CO is available on older boards. My B350 board from Gigabyte used it on my 5900X. My point was that going forward, I would still expect better support and quicker updates for the latest CPUs on the newer boards, at least newer as it goes for AM4.

Of course, with 500 series boards, you also get PCIe gen4, which could be pretty important depending on GPU and SSD(s) used. I see currently the 2060S is in use, which would be fine for either, but it is possible to upgrade to a faster card as well. And we are not sure what storage is in use.

 

[Rigg]

@Rigg I am aware that CO is available on older boards. My B350 board from Gigabyte used it on my 5900X. My point was that going forward, I would still expect better support and quicker updates for the latest CPUs on the newer boards, at least newer as it goes for AM4.

Of course, with 500 series boards, you also get PCIe gen4, which could be pretty important depending on GPU and SSD(s) used. I see currently the 2060S is in use, which would be fine for either, but it is possible to upgrade to a faster card as well. And we are not sure what storage is in use.

Agreed. Especially your point about quicker updates. 400 series and 300 series boards have been dead to me since the 500 series boards came out. I see no reason to buy one at present. Personally I wouldn't bother putting Zen3 on an older board at all . At least there is argument to be made there if you already own it, it has BIOS support for the CPU you want to put in it, and don't gain anything from gen4.

Either way I think CO (and PBO generally) is an overrated feature. Not much performance to be gained for all of the time/effort it takes to tune and stability test it. Especially with a gaming rig where time would be more well spent tuning the memory. Even that's questionable with X3D. If the CPU is running too hot, put a temp limit on it, or get a better cooler.

 

[WelshBloke]

As far as I'm aware curve optimizer is part of AGESA 1.1.8.0 and later. It should be available in the PBO menu in the UEFI of any B/X series board that supports Zen 3 CPU's.

I dont think that I have that option in my BIOS but I'm using a x470 pro prime (or some combination of that)

 

[WelshBloke]

AMD Precision Boost Overdrive 2: Adaptive Undervolting For Ryzen 5000 Coming Soon

www.anandtech.com

That article is from 2020.

 

[WelshBloke]

While you may not be able to actually OC the 5700X3D (to my knowledge it is locked down) you should still be able to under volt it with CO so that it runs cooler and generally lower power.

Setting a CO in windows lets it hit its maximum boost and stay there as long as it likes, without setting a CO it throttles just doing basic desktop stuff. Its a great chip it just needs some love in the bios!

 

[Rigg]

I dont think that I have that option in my BIOS but I'm using a x470 pro prime (or some combination of that)

Advanced > AMD Overclocking (Accept) > Precision Boost Overdrive > Advanced selected from drop down > Curve Optimizer

 

[WelshBloke]

Advanced > AMD Overclocking (Accept) > Precision Boost Overdrive > Advanced selected from drop down > Curve Optimizer

Gah. Now I have to reboot!

 

[WelshBloke]

Alas!

 

[Rigg]

What BIOS version are you on?

 

[WelshBloke]

What BIOS version are you on?

Ah man! Now I gotta reboot again!

 

[WelshBloke]

Hold on!

 

[Rigg]

it looks like this feature actually is disabled (possible its only disabled for X3D SKU's) on some boards. I assumed this wasn't an optional feature, and any BIOS version with AGESA 1.1.8.0 + would have it, but it appears I was wrong. Anyway, I can confirm that the Asrock B550M-ITX/AC has curve optimizer available with a 5600X3D installed.

 

[WelshBloke]

it looks like this feature actually is disabled (possible its only disabled for X3D SKU's) on some boards. I assumed this wasn't an optional feature, and any BIOS version with AGESA 1.1.8.0 + would have it, but it appears I was wrong. Anyway, I can confirm that the Asrock B550M-ITX/AC has curve optimizer available with a 5600X3D installed.

It's weird because there are Windows tools that hook in to the settings but you can't get to them in the bios!

 

[Rigg]

It's weird because there are Windows tools that hook in to the settings but you can't get to them in the bios!

Yeah that's pretty dumb. Looks like Asus just removed the PBO menu all together. Can you offset your vcore voltage or is that also disabled? It should achieve the same result if its an option. That used to cause clock stretching if you pushed it too far though. How thouroghly did you stress test that -30 CO?

 

[WelshBloke]

Yeah that's pretty dumb. Looks like Asus just removed the PBO menu all together. Can you offset your vcore voltage or is that also disabled? It should achieve the same result if its an option. That used to cause clock stretching if you pushed it too far though. How thouroghly did you stress test that -30 CO?

I think that I have a vcore offset but I really don't want to reboot again!
I tested the CO at -40 for 12 hours or so with core cycling. There is no real temperature difference for me between -40 and -30 so I decided to leave it at -30.
So my honest answer is that there hasn't been much specific testing at -30!

 

[Shmee]

Interesting, I wonder if there is a BIOS update for your motherboard that might enable it. EDIT: looks like that is the latest BIOS. Maybe a downgrade a version or two or mod would work though.