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Motherboards cannot be underestimated when it comes to their importance in the computer world. Presently, the market is full of consumers using the new Ryzen processors, and as a result, many are looking for the right motherboard to use with the Ryzen CPUs.

Trying to figure out or choosing between the X470 or the B450 motherboard can be hard, especially when you are not savvy about these products. Many reviews show that these chipsets are starting to become outdated since there are other chipsets like X570 and B550 that are being introduced.

The truth is that these motherboards still have a place in the consumer market.

Luckily for you, this guide will take a closer look at some of these two motherboards’ main differences and help you know when you need X470 or B450. 

What is X470?

X470 was launched in March 2018 alongside the B450 chipset. It succeeds the X370 chipset that was released earlier in 2017. The red and black design the manufacturer used in this product makes it a perfect motherboard for gaming.

Moreover, the camera works perfectly with the customized RGB lighting incorporated and hence a good motherboard for people who stream and game on camera. 

Price is among the top factors people would consider before going for anything, and I would tell you that this motherboard offers a reasonable price. If you look at the AM4 motherboard, this tops the list by being the best of all. When not in use, the motherboard uses low wattage and can only use an average of 2 watts when in use.

For the audiophiles, the motherboard’s performance is standard but still produces better bass than most similar products. You can increase the volume to 86% before you feel any pain in the ears. 

Gamers are not left out when it comes to the x470 motherboard. It hits 4.0 GHz, thus making overlocking painless. The heatsinks work well, and even though there is some hitting, it does not pose any threat to the user.

Moreover, you can have several connections because of the ports the motherboard comes with. It has many ports compared to other products in the same price range. For instance, there are 8 USB ports. 

Another standout feature for this motherboard is the MSI steel slot protection. This helps ensures the board is protected from corrosion. It is an excellent choice for individuals who are into gaming.

What is B450?

B450 targets gamers who are mainstream and also content creators. This is because these individuals need extra power to run the applications without challenges and these motherboards offer precisely that.

With this motherboard, the gamers and content creators can utilize a motherboard that does not require features such as NVMe RAID and SLI, which are necessary for x470 motherboards. It also offers fewer PCI Express lanes than the x470 series and few differences in their ability to overclock. 

B450, like X470, comes with a lot of slots that are necessary for your use. Audiophiles will benefit a lot from the help of this motherboard. The product ensures that you get clear and quality output even if you are a music creator.

The settings within the CPU, as well as the GPU, can be adjustable, which makes this motherboard outstanding and an excellent choice for overclocking.

If you are someone who is not only looking for performance but wants to enjoy the many great features, this motherboard is a perfect choice for you. 

X470 vs B450: A Quick Comparison

From the above information, you can tell that these motherboards are both great options, and the one you choose will depend on your needs and how you want to use them. In comparison, we are interested in the differences or similarities of the chipsets and not on the motherboards.

The two offer cool designs and support and are therefore hard to compare. However, there is a subtle comparison we can come up with, and this will help in your decision.

SpecificationsX470B450
Graphics Card1 x 16 / 2 x 81 x 16
Ryzen 3000 SupportNeed BIOS upgradeYes
Ryzen 2000 SupportYesYes
Crossfire SupportYesYes
SLI SupportYesNo
Memory Support64 GB64 GB
Overclocking SupportYesYes
Precision Boost OverdriveYesYes
XFR2YesYes
Store MIYesYes
Form FactorATXMini-ITX
Chipset PCIe LanesPCIe 3.0 x4PCIe 3.0 x4
PCIe Gen 4.000
PCIe Gen 3.021
PCIe Gen 2.086
SATA III (6 Gbps)42
SATA Express2x or 4x SATA or (x4 NVMe Gen 3)2x or 4x SATA or (x4 NVMe Gen 3)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)22
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)62
USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)66

PCIe Lanes

The first thing you would want to use is the PCIe Gen 2.0 lanes. This factor helps with connecting to other devices that you use for personalizing the device, such as HDDs, SSDs, GPUs, and soundcards, or more. These are links to your motherboard that allow it to perform well.

Every lane comes with two wires, one responsible for transmitting data and the other for receiving data. Originally, there are four categories of PCIe slots ranging from 1, 4, 8, to 16 lanes. By looking at the two options, it is clear that X470 is the best because it uses more PCIe Gen 2.0 lanes than B450. 

SLI and Crossfire Support

Scalable link interface and crossfire support are names given to GPU technology given to Nvidia and AMD products. The technology allows two or more GPUs to be connected together and work as one.

As a result, the GPU performance is increased and that of the individual components as well. X470 has SLI and crossfire compatibility, and this has become its selling point in the market. Unfortunately for the B450, not all the motherboards in this category have this compatibility. 

Availability of SATA III

This is another advantage x470 motherboards have over the B450 category. The B450 motherboards have two SATA III while X470 has four. This means that the X470 has a faster interface.

For people who are using optical drives, SSDs, or HDDs, the availability of SATA III will give them two additional options for SATA for X470. 

Maintenance Cost and Price

Price is a significant factor when it comes to deciding on any product to buy. Usually, people will prefer a cheaper product over an expensive one, and that is because they want to save some money.

However, product comparison will give information about the important aspect of a particular product and help you choose either regardless of the price. Prices always play an essential role as we try to compare B450 and X470.

Often, you will notice that X470 is a bit expensive, but this is because of its higher value. Moreover, these motherboards are accessible. Still, this does not mean that the B450 series has less value because some of the motherboards in this category are of high value.

So, if you will be comparing prices to help in deciding which one of the two to get, both are well priced. The two products are reasonably priced according to their value.

Design

If we compare the designs of these two motherboards, X470 is a high-end model that brings to life the most advanced and expensive motherboards. The difference between these models is the presence of additional features like three USB ports, express lanes, and the added two SATA III connectors on X470.

These additional features make the X470 a go-to motherboard, especially for those who use many NVMe drives or many graphic cards on the same PC. The X470 model supports both Crossfire and SLI configurations when B450 only supports crossfire.

Performance

B450 is a good choice when it comes to performance, and this is because of the advanced overclocking features it has and the fact that it allows the use of more than one GPU through the crossfire.

While they may not be a good fit for gamers who have experience using the Ryzen system, they can be a good baseline for individuals who are new to Ryzen and are interested in building its rigs in the future. X470 also performs well because of the many USB ports. The model presents impressive overclocking capabilities. 

Which One Should You Buy?

Choosing between these two motherboards will depend on whether you need extra features or not. Between the two, X470 offers a lot of additional features compared to B450. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are X470 Motherboards Worth It?

Yes, X470 motherboards are worth it for several reasons. First, these motherboards are ideal for high-end gamers, and the good thing is every single motherboard with this type of chipset comes with multi-GPU support as well as the best VRMs that support overclocking. 

Another thing that makes this motherboard worth it is the multiple ports, connectors, and quality components the product comes with. These extra connectors and slots will help you have many fan headers, SATA slots, and above all an essential USB port. 

Does X470 Support Ryzen 3rd Gen?

X470 is compatible with the 3rd generation Ryzen series. However, there are conditions for this chipset to be compatible with the 3rd generation. The motherboard must have updated bios while using first and second-generation CPUs.

The new motherboards by Ryzen require that one should have either a second or first-generation CPU to upgrade the BIOS. When this is done, you will comfortably use a third-generation CPU with no problems. This does not only apply to X470 but also to other chipsets such as X370 and B450. 

Is B450 Future Proof?

B450 has steel slot protection on the 3.0 by 16 slot. This provides future-proof features that help the board prevent corrosion, thus ensuring that the motherboard lasts for a long time.

This is a good feature for people with a limited budget and who do not want to waste money buying a motherboard frequently. 

Is B450 Good for Overclocking?

Launched by AMD, the motherboard was said to support overclocking. While other chipsets in this series are said to offer far pricier for overlocking, B450 allows low-end motherboards that support overclocking.

However, not all motherboards under this category offer overclocking features. If you look at the list of the top best motherboards, you will realize that one out of the top five is available. Also, overlocking is only supported in moderate levels.

Above the moderate levels, the motherboard will develop some problems, and this is why this option is not a good one for people looking to overlock their motherboards on high-end. A motherboard of this type will become unstable if overclocking is used on high levels. 

Is B450 Good for Gaming?

B450 is a good motherboard for gaming. It allows the user to turn all of the latest games at their highest settings. It is an excellent choice if you are looking for motherboards that are not high-end but are compatible with the AMD components and have a reasonable budget.

Performance is also top and has enough ports and connectors are critical elements of motherboards. Cooling features are also sufficient. However, with all the outstanding features, like any other product, it has its limitations that limit the game experience.

First, the limitation you will experience comes from the GPU and the CPU setup. The only difference in the gaming experience this series will offer is because of the little overclocking it has and fewer extra PCl lanes available.

Furthermore, B450 has a limitation on overclocking, and not all the motherboards in B450 support overclocking.

Other than this, this motherboard is perfect for gaming and offers an absolutely amazing experience. Given the price and a reasonable budget PC you will be getting for this motherboard, it is a good deal.

Conclusion

The 400 series chipsets have the letter X to stand for extreme and B for basic. With that being said, everyone would expect that X470 will perform higher than B450 in most categories. As a result, the high price quoted in X470 motherboards is justified.

However, this should not be the case because the manufacturer of these models ensured that these two had some similarities that made them almost the same.

The chipsets support a similar overclocking technology and are compatible with a similar CPU. When you go through their features, you will realize that these motherboards are more alike than they are different.

Both perform well, support overclocking, and have ports and connectors with a difference in number. Regardless of the subtle difference, any of these motherboards is worth it because you will get similar results. Usually, I would advise that you go for a motherboard that is within your budget range and has future proof because then you will not have to buy another soon due to breaking down.

Tim Miller

Tim has always been obsessed with computers his whole life. After working for 25 years in the computer and electronics field, he now enjoys writing about computers to help others. Most of his time is spent in front of his computer or other technology to continue to learn more. He likes to try new things and keep up with the latest industry trends so he can share them with others.

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