AMD 2000 and 3000 series processors are very successful over Intel 9th generation CPUs because of their low price and exceptional performance. AMD announced 400 series chipset motherboards with these processors which include B450 and x470 chipset. These are chipsets and are not likely to affect the VRM of the motherboard, but as x470 chipset motherboards are expensive, so they offer better VRM cooling you can get more performance out of them. AMD Ryzen motherboards are classified into three chipsets A, B, and X where A-series motherboards are for entry-level builds while X-series boards are targeted for enthusiast builds. Today we will compare B450 with x470 chipsets and checking out which one is best for your Ryzen processor.
Related:B550 vs X570
Both of these chipset motherboards are targeted for mid-range and enthusiast builds but the main focus of the B450 chipset is budget gamers who want performance ignoring some features. Price-wise B450 chipset gives excellent value as it is affordable and has all premium features found in high-end motherboards. Also, these motherboards are compatible with Ryzen 3000 series processors out of the box. So without doing further ado, let’s start their comparison and check out which one is better.
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B450 vs x470 Comparison
Before starting the comparison, I believe you need to know the design of AMD Ryzen processors and the importance of chipset for them. AMD Ryzen processors are based on a system on chip family and integrate most of the components without using the chipset, or their work doesn’t depend upon a chipset. This means you can do everything with this processor without having a chipset on the motherboard, but it’s restricted for the users. So technically, chipsets are not going to give you any performance difference; however, other features might matter.
[wptb id=900]The weakness of any motherboard is a bad cooling system for voltage regulators and MOSFETS, two DIMMs, lacks multiple graphics card support and price. Both of these chipsets have their own pros and cons, but their main differences depend upon the processor you are going to use with it. One is recommended for some hardware while others don’t so we made this guide that which one is suitable for you. That table indicates the main features difference between both of these chipset motherboards so you can take an idea, but if you want to check out the complete comparison, you can look below.
Which chipset is better(B450 or X470)?
For all those budget users who are looking for budget hardware B450 chipset motherboard is best but if you are looking for something that performs above average you have to go with the x470 chipset. Also if you are a B350 chipset user and looking for something to upgrade a B450 chipset motherboard is a worthwhile upgrade option. However, this motherboard lacks high-speed USB ports and multiple Nvidia graphics cards support as they are available from the x470 chipset. The power consumption of B450 chipset motherboards is approx. 2W which is considered suitable for this chipset.
The x470 chipset motherboards are a bit expensive than the B450 chipset, but in general, if we compare them with other motherboards, they are still a cheap option. These motherboards offer features the same as other expensive motherboards but for an affordable price. If you have any plan to use multiple Nvidia graphics cards or want to do overclocking above then the average x470 chipset is best for you. Also, x470 chipset motherboards give an advantage as they support high-speed memory modules up to 3600Mhz. In simple the overclocking potential of the x470 chipset is much more than the B450.
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Reasons to Consider x470 Chipset
One of the main reason to consider x470 chipset motherboards is they are much cheaper than the x570 chipset but offers almost the same overclocking performance. Nearly all of the motherboards from this chipset even entry-level motherboards support multiple graphics cards. In terms of connectivity ports and storage interfaces and high-quality components, x470 motherboards have an advantage over the B450 chipset. The extra things you are going to get with these motherboards are extra SATA and USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, additional fan headers, Liquid Pump, and RGB headers.
These are some of the reasons which some users don’t like to go with x470 chipset motherboards. One of the main reasons I’ve already listed above is its high price and no performance difference compared with the B450 chipset. For budget users, these motherboards are a bit expensive, and for high-end enthusiasts, these motherboards don’t give future upgrade options. Also for its price, you can get an entry-level x570 chipset motherboard which offers PCI Gen4 support and excellent VRM cooling.
The motherboard I would recommend you to get is ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero which might be a bit expensive for budget builds but a great piece of product. This motherboard has every premium feature, and you can use it for your next enthusiasts build.
Reasons to Consider B450 Chipset
All those users who have a low budget but don’t want to compromise on the performance of their build you don’t need a motherboard more powerful than a B450 chipset. Although these motherboards lack multiple graphics card support, most of the users don’t consider more than one GPU in budget builds. The voltage regulator cooling of B450 chipset motherboards is quite good, but for some high-end models, you can compare it with x470. Of course, those high-end motherboards are not targeted for budget users, and you can easily get an x470 chipset board for their price.
These motherboards don’t give any space for enthusiasts, and high end builds as they are mainly targeted towards entry-level builds. The overclocking potential of these motherboards is not like the x470 chipset, but still, they offer great potential, and you can push the clock rate of Ryzen 2000 series processors to new limits. Ryzen 3000 processors support out of the box is another reason to consider these motherboards as x470 chipset needs BIOS upgrade which might be difficult for non-technical users.
There are some mid-range motherboards from MSI including Tomahawk Max which gives the same VRM cooling as of x470 chipset boards. Also, with this particular model, you can hit high clock speed but might not be stable like the x470 chipset because of 6 Phase Design VRM. However, Tomahawk series motherboards give great value to their users as they offer premium features, great aesthetics but for an affordable price point.
Connectivity and Storage Options
No doubt that x470 chipset motherboards offer excellent connectivity options and even entry-level motherboards might have more ports than B450 chipset boards. But if you are looking for something future proof I’ve recommend you to go with x570 because of the presence of PCIe Gen4. The majority of the motherboards from this chipset support multiple graphics cards and the PCIe x6 slot support both x16 and x8 mode. This means you can also install multiple Nvidia graphics cards too. Also, x470 motherboards come with AIO headers and have additional case fan headers too.
While on the other side B450 motherboards have USB 3.1 Gen2 5GBPS ports for front and rear I/O panel. The majority of B450 motherboards supports multiple AMD graphics cards, but some entry-level boards don’t support 2-Way Crossfire. The PCIe x16 slots run in x16 mode only, and that’s why it doesn’t support multiple Nvidia graphics cards. Also, an AIO pump header is available in some high-end models but in the majority of mid-range models, this option is not available.
Overclocking Performance
The overclocking of any motherboard doesn’t directly depend on the chipset but as x470 chipset motherboards are expensive so they will offer more power. First of all, most of the x470 chipset boards have 8 Phase Power Design voltage regulators while B450 motherboards got 6 Phase Design. That doesn’t mean that the B450 chipset is bad for overclocking. But they can’t deliver power like the competitor also it’s much easier to find good VRM x470 motherboards as in top tier VRM list there is only one B450 chipset motherboard.
Also, the chipset you are using is not going to affect the performance of the processor as I’ve already mentioned it. But some features like the presence of PCI Gen4 and USB 3.2 Gen2 support might leave some performance difference in your PC as these features come with the latest chipset motherboards. Also with overclocking, you can get a performance boost and x470 chipset motherboards have high phase power design VRM which allows you to push the base clock.
Memory Support
The memory support of the B450 chipset is not too good; however, some models, including MSI B450 Tomahawk supports 3600Mhz memory modules but not stable like x470 chipset motherboards. Other than these two chipsets, most of the older motherboards don’t support high-frequency modules. But if we see the performance difference between 3200Mhz and 3600Mhz, you might not notice any difference. Both of these motherboards have four RAM DIMMs except some entry-level models or ITX boards.
With four DIMMs these motherboards support 64GB of memory, but the x470 chipset has the advantage of supporting 3600Mhz memory modules. While B450 chipset boards support 3200Mhz memory modules and there are a few models that support more than 64GB of memory. Memory is considered as an essential factor while considering motherboards, and in terms of fast memory modules x470 chipset leads there, but the max memory support of both motherboards is the same.
Compatibility with Ryzen 3000
Both chipset motherboards are compatible with Ryzen 3000 series processors, but with the x470 chipset, you have to upgrade your BIOS. While there are some models of B450 chipset motherboards that come with pre-updated BIOS and supports Ryzen, 3000 series processors, out of the box. But there you will lack PCI Gen4 and M.2 3.0 slots which are only available in x570 chipset motherboards and have double bandwidth as of Gen3 and supports USB 3.2 Gen2 ports with a transfer rate of 10GBPS.
One more thing that you can’t push the base clock of the Ryzen 3000 series like the predecessors with these motherboards because of VRMs. A processor with a TDP of 65W is recommended to pair with B450 and x470 chipset motherboards so you can take it to new limits. Also, both of these chipsets lack the support of high-frequency memory modules and supports memory up to 64GB while x570 chipset boards support 128GB of RAM at the clock speed of 4200Mhz(OC). These are some cons of these chipset motherboards for 3rd generation Ryzen processors.
Price Difference
AMD Ryzen motherboards are categorized under three categories A-series which are targeted for budget users, B series, which is for mid-range gamers, and X-series for enthusiasts. Most of the B450 chipset motherboards are priced under a hundred bucks. Some high-end B450 chipset motherboards offer performance like x470, but their price is even more than entry-level x470 chipset boards. So if you are looking performance and budget isn’t an issue for you then you are good to go with the x470 chipset.
For those users who are building a gaming PC under a specific budget, i.e. $400 or more I would recommend you to get a B450 chipset motherboard. Because for these types of builds, the x470 chipset is not going to give anything that directly affects the performance of your build and for some extra USB and SATA ports spending an additional $100 is not recommended.
Conclusion
Originally posted 2021-04-04 15:34:18.