The B450 Tomahawk also has excellent thermals, mainly due to the extended heat sink. Provides a larger surface area for faster heat dissipation.
- Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 in 2022
- Quick Buying Tips!
- How To Pick A Motherboard
- Chipset
- Form Factor
- Thermal Performance
- 7 Best Motherboards For Ryzen 5 3600 In 2022
- 1. Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero
- Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600
- The Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 You Can Buy Today
- REASONS TO BUY
- REASONS TO AVOID
- Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 – Our Recommendations
- Best Entry-Level Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
- Best High-Performance Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
- Best mini-ITX Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
- Summary
- Ryzen 5 3600 Motherboard Compatibility
- The 10 best mobos for Ryzen 5 3600 at a glance:
- Best Overall Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
- Product Reviews
- Motherboard Compatibility
- MSI B450 Tomahawk
- MSI B450M Gaming Plus
- Motherboard Buying Guide
- Form Factor
- Expansion Slots
- Graphics Card Support
- Memory
- Storage
- The Best Motherboards For AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processors in 2020 & 2021
- ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming X
- MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX
- GIGABYTE B450 AORUS Elite
- ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus
- In-depth Review
- ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming X
- MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 in 2022
AMD has released the Ryzen 5000 series of processors, which is the company’s first generation to beat Intel’s counterparts in both single-core and multi-core performance. However, the price of AMD Ryzen 5th generation processors is higher than previous generations, which makes them beyond the reach of budget users. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is a great previous generation processor that is a great rival to the Intel Core i5-10600K.
The price of the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has dropped significantly over the past year, and it’s now available at the lowest prices ever. This makes it a great processor as it is a high-end six-core processor that can run any game at over 100 frames per second. The Ryzen 5 3600 was released in conjunction with AMD B450 and X470 motherboards, but is also supported on older and newer motherboards. The latest AMD chipsets are the B550 and X570, successors to the B450 and X470 respectively. In this article, we are going to check out some of the best motherboards for the Ryzen 5 3600.
Award | Model | Price |
---|---|---|
The best mid-range X570 motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best premium motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best mid-range motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best B450 motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best budget X570 motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best inexpensive motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ASRock B450M PRO4 | Check the price Read customer reviews |
The best entry-level motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ![]() |
Check the price Read customer reviews |
Quick Buying Tips!
AMD Ryzen processors have excellent motherboard compatibility, and almost every AM4 motherboard supports Ryzen 5 3600. That’s why we wrote this buying guide to help you with your purchase.
Chipset: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is supported by A320, B350, X370, B450, X470, B550 and X570 chipsets. There is a slight difference to each generation of chipsets that the latest generation 500 series chipset is equipped with PCI-E 4.0 (if you want to know what the PCI-E X1 slots are used for, we have an article here). X-series chipset motherboards usually have better VRM and other features, although the latest B550 and B450 chipset motherboards aren’t too shabby in terms of features either.
Power Delivery: The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is an unlocked processor which means it can be easily overclocked as long as the motherboard is capable enough. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a motherboard that will provide the processor with enough juice to run at high clock speeds. The power delivery of X-series chipsets is usually better than the B-series chipsets, but they are also more expensive.
Aesthetics: The design and appearance of the motherboard have a lasting impact on the viewer, which is why companies are paying more and more attention to this. RGB lighting on modern motherboards has indeed revolutionized the whole idea of aesthetics, and most high-end motherboards now have impressive RGB lighting. X570 and X470 motherboards feature unique I / O shields and heat sinks, although some B550 motherboards also have similar designs.
Ideally, you should consider this a ceiling for the CPU, as going with something higher will only result in you spending more money with no noticeable improvements.
How To Pick A Motherboard
Before you decide to buy a motherboard for your 3600, you may be asking yourself, “What exactly do I want in a motherboard?” After receiving an unequivocal answer, you move on to the next stage, which is the test. There may be several answers to this question and these are the factors that lead to the penultimate purchase decision.
Chipset
The first step is to decide which chipset to choose. It is well known that Ryzen processors are compatible with a wide variety of motherboard chipsets. Honestly, it’s not always a blessing as there’s more room for fuss, such as pairing the high-end Ryzen 5 5900x with an A520 motherboard. In short, the safest choices for the Ryzen 5 3600 are the X570, B550, X470, and B450 chipsets. There are other options out there, but these are the best in terms of value. If you want to delve into features and money is no obstacle for you, choose the X570 / B550. However, if you want to sacrifice some expandability and features for a handful of cash, you should go for the older 400 series chipsets.
Form Factor
Okay, you’ve decided on your chipset, now it’s time to pick your form factor. Motherboards typically come in three main forms: full-size ATX, sub-compact micro-ATX, or mini-ITX. You would like to choose one that fits the size of your case. Remember that functions are generally inversely proportional to the size of the board.
Thermal Performance
In order to get the best motherboard for your Ryzen 5 3600, it’s important to consider your motherboard’s thermal performance. Now you are probably wondering, “How could I know the performance of the board without testing it?” So the simple answer to that would be testing. You need to go through motherboard reviews and hear what the experts have to say about it. This allows you to get an exact idea of what type of performance it has to offer. This is the final (and most important) step in purchasing the perfect motherboard for your kit.
The best motherboards for the Ryzen 5 3600 at a glance:
- Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero
- Asus TUF Gaming X570 Plus
- Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master
- MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk
- The legend of ASRock B550m steel
- Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro Wifi
- The legend of ASRock B450m steel
7 Best Motherboards For Ryzen 5 3600 In 2022
With that in mind, choosing the best motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you enter the market without any research, you will be lost in a sea of options. Ryzen processors are known to be quite versatile and flexible which means they are compatible with a wide variety of motherboards. So there is a lot to choose from, especially after the premiere of the B550 chipset. To make your life easier, we have rounded up the list of all motherboards for the Ryzen 5 3600. After extensive research and looking for details, we have successfully finalized the seven best types for the Ryzen 3600. However, if that is the case, if you want to upgrade to AMD 5000 series processors, take a look at the motherboards main for Ryzen 5000 processors.
1. Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero
The best general motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600
- Premium look
- Extremely rugged VRM
- 3 PCIe x16 slots
- Actively cooled chipset heatsink
Form factor: ATX | Chipset: X570 | Memory: 128 GB at 5100 MHz | Mass memory: 2x M.2, 8x SATA | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 4.0 x1 | USB ports: 4x USB 3.2 Gen1, 7x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A), 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-C)
We’re kicking off our list of Ryzen 5 3600 motherboards with the premium Crosshair line from Asus. The Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero is hard to ignore when we talk about the best motherboards for AMD Ryzen processors. When swapping out Ryzen 7 3700x motherboards, and even motherboards for the Ryzen 7 1800x, we couldn’t bring ourselves to ignore HERO and place it on top.
Aesthetically, the motherboard looks luxurious with an all-black PCB covered with heat sinks and a large rear I / O shield. The heat sinks above the power circuits are black with openings. The rear I / O cover is divided into three sections – the top with a brushed aluminum finish and carved “Crosshair VIII” on it. Beneath it, above a stripe with a shiny silver finish, it says “HERO” with integrated RGB lighting. The shiny silver strip extends all the way to the lowest M.2 heatsink. Above the chipset heatsink we have the classic RGB illuminated ROG emblem. All RGB can be customized with Asus Aura Sync software .
Let’s move on to the thing that matters most, motherboard performance, which is also the reason why this motherboard is at the top of our list. The Hero has a 14 + 2 VRM structure surrounded by two massive heat sinks. The heat pipe extends from the heat sinks to the I / O cover, increasing the total surface area for better heat dissipation. There is a dedicated heatsink for each M.2 slot and an actively cooled chipset heatsink with 60,000 hour fan. In short, the power delivery and thermal performance of this motherboard are among the best and even comparable to some of the extremely durable X399 motherboards.
The B450 Tomahawk has 4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 128 GB of RAM. It has 6 SATA III slots but only 1 M.2 slot, which means you can only have one NVMe SSD. Lastly, it comes with 2 PCIe x 16 slots, which is great news if you want to hook up a few large graphics cards.
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600
However, mobo can potentially reduce your performance. For high performance.
The Ryzen 5 3600 is one of the most purchased CPUs on Amazon. There is a good reason for this as many people have extensively tested the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 with modern AAA titles and competitive gaming conditions. The Ryzen 5 3600 always stood in its place and did not limit the GPU when gaming under extreme conditions. Even though there is no “X” at the end of the name, the performance is almost identical to the Ryzen 5 3600X. In short, this is the best buy for the price. It can deliver over 60 frames per second at 1440p and still avoid GPU bottlenecks. However, mobo can potentially reduce your performance. For higher performance, you need the best motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600.
We’ve always been fans of the Ryzen 5 3600. Just because of its feasibility for a large segment of gamers that falls between the mid to high range. Its ability to handle the latest high-end hardware is something all gamers crave. The motherboard that hosts the Ryzen 5 3600 must support PCIe 4.0 on x16 slots and M.2 slots. It should be able to overclock the RAM clock speed to a decent degree. The BIOS should also be easy to understand and the motherboard should have sufficient software support to improve the overall user experience. The number of VRMs, the quality of heatsinks, M.2 drive slots, and the quality of the PCBs can become the deciding factors between the two motherboards. First, let’s move on to a few purchasing tips to help you manage your decision-making process:
Quick Shopping Tips:
Socket Form: AMD announced its AM4 socket in 2016 and has committed to sticking to the AM4 socket. All 2016 motherboards fully supported the AM4 chipset, but on May 7, 2020, AMD announced that Zen 3 / Ryzen 5000 processors would not be compatible with the older motherboard. However, to date, the X470 and B450 support Ryzen 5000 series processors, and running the Ryzen 5 3600 will not be a problem on any motherboard.
VRM: Overclocking has hit the mid-tier community. The popularity and benefits are attractive to any new buyer. VRMs lower the processor voltage by converting the power from the 12V power supply to the 1.3V – 1.5V required by the processor. The higher number of VRM phases means that the heat generated by the voltage conversion is efficiently divided between the power phases; this ensures better overclocking and stability.
Memory Speed: In games, memory speed can make a difference for this 144Hz capable monitor. If you can get the extra fps with overclocked RAM, you wish your mobo was able to hit those highest frequencies. Manufacturers mention limiting each motherboard to overclocking RAM, the VRM available for RAM and their quantity. So check them before purchasing if you want an extra piece of fps.
Warranty: Tons of people struggle with component failure issues after purchase. Motherboards are a complex set of small electronic parts linked together to enable computing power. To make sure each component continues to function fully, you’ll need a manufacturer that can provide you with a solid plan; it proves their quality of workmanship and trust in the device. For a sense of security, it is better to opt for a longer warranty.
The Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 You Can Buy Today
The best premium motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600
SPECIFICATION
Socket: AMD AM4 | Chipset: AMD X570 | Form factor: ATX | Voltage regulator: 14 + 2 | PCIe x16: 2 | USB ports: 25 (Max) | 1 year warranty
REASONS TO BUY
✓ M.2 slots, water cooled and VRM heatsink
✓ 5G LAN, WiFI-6, BT 5.0 and 25 USB ports
✓ Built-in power / reset buttons with Q-Code LED display
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ Not the ultimate RAM overclocking
✗ Active chipset cooling under GPU
Suppose you don’t want to compromise on even the smallest specs. All you need is an absolutely strong motherboard that takes nothing for granted then the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula is the best mobo on our list of the best motherboards. We’ll start with its aesthetics. It has a clean and bold-looking statement. The ABS top cover hides all the mess with stylish ROG stripes and a cutout for an active cooling system for the chipset. An excellent solid steel backplate protects your investment from the rear.
This motherboard has a robust and easy-to-use BIOS with a dedicated button on the IO cover. Wi-Fi-6 and BT provide wireless connectivity for the latest generation peripherals. It features Aquantia AQC-111 LAN’s blazing speed, which can transfer files at 5 Gbps and stream UHD videos. With such advanced features, we should expect a high price tag as for this motherboard. There’s almost nothing wrong with this motherboard, but some people may find the active cooling of the chipset directly below the GPU a bit annoying. Some mobos on the market may have a higher RAM clock speed than this motherboard.
We believe it deserves the title of the best premium motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600. The latest generation of Ryzen 5000 series processors is also compatible with this motherboard out of the box. EK Water Blocks, a leader in the liquid cooling industry, has partnered with ROG to build a motherboard VRM cooling block. Overclockers love this feature as it can sustain an amazing 14 + 2 VRM at high clock rates. This is something that all test stands require. It is a motherboard with increased connectivity, capabilities and quality.
In terms of features, it is quite similar to the MSI B450M Gaming Plus. It offers 4 DIMM slots that support a maximum RAM capacity of 64 GB. Regarding non-volatile memory, it comes with 4 SATA III slots and 2 M.2 slots. However, only one of these M.2 (“Ultra”) slots supports NVMe SSDs.
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 5 3600 – Our Recommendations
Award | Model | Design | VRM |
---|---|---|---|
The best entry-level motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | MSI B450 Tomahawk | 6 phases (4 + 2) | |
The best high-performance motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon Wi-Fi | 12 phases (10 + 2) | |
Best mini-ITX motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ASRock B550M-ITX | 8 phases (6 + 2) | |
The best micro-ATX motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600 | ASRock B550M PRO 4 | 8 phases (6 + 2) |
Best Entry-Level Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
MSI B450 Tomahawk; this board offers an excellent price-performance ratio for just under $ 100, considering the range of features, connectivity and best-in-class VRM quality.
MSI has nailed its B450 line-up, and the B450 Tomahawk is the leader in its price range with the best VRM cooling of any B450 motherboard available – making it ideal for overclocking the Ryzen 5 3600 on a budget. Only its bigger brother, the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC, has better VRM cooling than the B450 Tomahawk. Still, given the low TDP of the Ryzen 5 3600 and 3600X, each of these motherboards is almost overkill.
In terms of connectivity, the B450 Tomahawk has USB Type-C, 6 SATA ports and 4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128GB of 3466MHz memory.
The downsides here are minor, but present, with no VCore Offset feature, and with only one M.2 slot, where most other B450 ATX motherboards have at least two.
Best High-Performance Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
There is no need to go directly from a B450 motherboard to a premium board with an X570 chipset such as the MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon Wi-Fi. However, this board does come with a list of premium features that puts it well above the other competitors on this list. This full ATX motherboard not only supports PCIe 4.0 technology, but can also provide exceptional LAN and Wi-Fi speed with built-in Wi-Fi 6 and 2.5G.
This top-of-the-line motherboard supports GPU SLI, custom water cooling, dual Gen 4 M.2 drives, up to 128GB of DDR4 memory, and has crowded I / O with all the connectors an enthusiast needs. The I / O has five USB 3.2 ports, a USB C port, high-res audio connectors, a handy BIOS flash button, and some additional USB 2.0 ports. This board comes with a Mystic Sync RGB which, as the name suggests, can sync with any other RBG device or fans you may have in your kit. An extended heat sink and built-in “Frozr” fan ensure that your components operate at their optimal temperatures. With its high price tag set at around $ 179, this premium board is for the most serious gamers and pros only.
Best mini-ITX Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
Summary
The Ryzen 5 3600 is a game-changer as it opens the door to 6c / 12t processors to far more users than ever before. With this level of price-performance ratio supported by platforms that are just as feature-rich and cheap as the unit that drives them, it’s hard to say no to Team Red these days.
The best entry level: MSI B450 Tomahawk – The ultimate VRM and feature set at an ultra-modest price.
Best High Performance: MSI MPG X570 Gaming PRO Carbon Wi-Fi – One of the most robust VRM solutions in the X570 line, combined with an extensive feature set and USB Type C support – is a great motherboard combination for the Ryzen 5 3600 in high end builds.
Best mini-ITX: ASRock B550M-ITX – This ITX B550 motherboard offers plenty of power for just $ 129 – with a decent feature set, VRM, built-in flash BIOS, and Type-C support.
Best mATX: ASRock B550M Pro4 – Great feature set of micro-ATX motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600. Lots of expansion options, RGB, decent I / O – this motherboard has many options despite its compact size and even lower price.
Have you recently built a system with a Ryzen 5 3600? Let us know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!
With that in mind, we’ve put together this buyer’s guide to help you choose the best motherboard for your new Ryzen 5 3600 CPU. We’ll also look at some key areas to consider when shopping for a new motherboard.
Ryzen 5 3600 Motherboard Compatibility
AMD previously announced the X570 chipset for the third generation Ryzen processors. These motherboards support the PCI Express 4.0 standard to provide a significant performance boost to NVMe SSDs.
Ryzen 5 3600 compatible motherboards have an AM4 socket. This way, you can still use the previous generation chipsets like X470, B450 and B350. We recommend selecting these motherboards if you do not intend to use PCI Express 4.0, which comes standard with the X570 chipsets. These options are also significantly cheaper than the current generation chipsets. However, you may need to perform a BIOS update out of the box. It would help if you had an older generation Ryzen CPU or AMD’s temporary UEFI upgrade kit for this procedure.
Nevertheless, the best motherboard chipset for the Ryzen 5 3600 largely depends on the features you need and the money you want to spend. The list below shows the various compatible chipsets for your configuration. Continue reading and find your next component right now!
The 10 best mobos for Ryzen 5 3600 at a glance:
Best Overall Motherboard for Ryzen 5 3600
1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
4 USB 3.2 Gen-A ports
1 PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot
The MSI MPG X570 Gaming PRO Carbon Wi-Fi may be top-notch, but it is a no-compromise motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600. It has the appropriate heat sinks that span the voltage regulator modules and M.2 memory slots. Additionally, it has a chipset fan to ensure more efficient heat dissipation. However, the fan can be noticeably noisy. Along with the high price tag, these are the only downsides we can find on this motherboard.
This Ryzen 5 3600 X570 motherboard is the only option on this list with integrated Wi-Fi 6. If you don’t know, Wi-Fi 6 is the next-generation standard in Wi-Fi technology.
Overall, MSI MPG X570 Gaming PRO Carbon has all the features available for a great user experience like built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, built-in amplifier and Gigabit Ethernet. Moreover, it comes with premium features found on more expensive motherboards such as the M.2 Frozen Shields and the 11 Phase VRM that is capable of overclocking even an Intel Core i7-9700K.
Ideally, you should consider this a ceiling for the CPU, as going with something higher will only result in you spending more money with no noticeable improvements.
This Ryzen 5 3600 X570 motherboard is the only option on this list with integrated Wi-Fi 6. If you don’t know, Wi-Fi 6 is the next-generation standard in Wi-Fi technology.
Product Reviews
Motherboard Compatibility
For a motherboard to be compatible with the Ryzen 5 3600, it must have a B450, X470, or X570 chip, as well as an AM4 socket. All the units on my list below meet these requirements.
How about the Ryzen 5 3600x motherboard compatibility?
Since the 3600x is the same generation as the 3600, it has the same chip and socket requirements. Therefore, any 3600 compatible motherboard will also support 3600x.
MSI B450 Tomahawk
The best B450 motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600
Even though the MSI B450 Tomahawk is a technically inexpensive motherboard, its features seem to say otherwise. Courtesy of MSI, it comes with tons of gaming-specific features. First of all, it has a gaming device port that allows you to connect high-quality peripherals and easily adjust their settings. For example, the “Mouse Master” software allows you to change the dpi resolution and polling speed of the gaming mouse on the fly.
Other gaming tools include hotkeys that allow you to program frequently used actions on specific keys, and a gain that improves voice quality during live matches.
The B450 Tomahawk also has excellent thermals, mainly due to the extended heat sink. Provides a larger surface area for faster heat dissipation.
Plus, you have full control of your fans with a simple graphical interface that can be accessed from within the BIOS. You can set “target temperatures” to automate the process. This is great news if you are someone who likes to play for a long time or a creative pro with endless fuss.
This ATX motherboard features MSI’s Core Boost technology which refers to a more simplified and isolated circuit layout. This way, there is less interference between the signal paths, which means power is delivered to the components more efficiently. This is very handy when you are trying to overclock your CPU as you need to deliver as much power as possible.
The B450 Tomahawk has 4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 128 GB of RAM. It has 6 SATA III slots but only 1 M.2 slot, which means you can only have one NVMe SSD. Lastly, it comes with 2 PCIe x 16 slots, which is great news if you want to hook up a few large graphics cards.
Pros:
- Game-specific features
- Perfect thermals
- great for overclocking the Ryzen 5 3600
- Supports large graphics cards
Cons:
- Requires a BIOS update before it can work with Ryzen 5 3600
- Comes with one M.2 slot
MSI B450M Gaming Plus
The best inexpensive motherboard for the Ryzen 5 3600
Gaming Plus has almost the same built-in gaming features as the B450 Tomahawk, including a dedicated gaming port and hotkeys. In addition, it has the same Core Boost technology that makes overclocking easier and more effective.
Motherboard Buying Guide
Buying a motherboard is more difficult than it sounds as there are many technical factors to consider. I’ve already talked about what makes a motherboard compatible with the Ryzen 5 3600 (i.e the kind of chip and socket it must have) but what else?
Form Factor
Motherboards are available in three different sizes or “form factors”: ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ATX, with ATX being the largest. The first thing you should check when looking for a motherboard is whether it will fit inside your computer case. Since PC cases also come in these three exact forms, it should be easy to determine.
Larger motherboards usually have more space for components. So if you want to build with loads of RAM, storage, and lots of GPUs, an ATX motherboard would probably be your best bet.
Expansion Slots
If you plan to upgrade your PC in the future by adding more components, you’ll need to make sure your motherboard has multiple expansion ports. They allow you to add more VGA, RAM and SSD / HDD modules.
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express or PCIe is the most popular standard for expansion ports. Motherboards can contain different sizes of PCIe slots, so first make sure they will support the type of components you want to add in the future. For example, large graphics cards require PCIe x16 ports.
Graphics Card Support
If you’re a gamer, it’s a good idea to purchase a motherboard with a PCIe x16 slot. However, there is one scenario where you can fit a PCIe x16 graphics card into the smaller slot. That is, if the slot is open, it means it has a stopper at the end.
That being said, it’s very hard to figure out if you can’t personally inspect a motherboard before purchasing it. Therefore, just in case, I recommend that you always buy a motherboard with a PCIe x16 slot.
Memory
To run smoothly with most modern games and other CPU-intensive applications, you need at least 16 GB of RAM. Fortunately, all of the aforementioned motherboards support at least 64GB, which is overkill in most cases.
RAM modules are mounted to the motherboard using dual-in-line memory module (DIMM) ports. Most motherboards have 4 DIMM slots, but the capacity they support may vary.
Storage
Mass storage is something that many creative professionals struggle with, such as video / photo editors and 3D animators. This is because they tend to deal with very large files that can fill up a disk fairly quickly.
Currently, you have two options when it comes to permanent storage: hard drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD). Hard drives are usually cheaper, but SDD drives are much faster when transferring data. That’s why many creative professionals and gamers prefer the latter.
Most motherboards come with multiple SATA drives that can be used to connect regular SSDs. However, if you want to mount the much faster NVM Express (NVMe) SSD, you’ll need an M.2 connector.
Best mini-ITX: ASRock B550M-ITX – This ITX B550 motherboard offers plenty of power for just $ 129 – with a decent feature set, VRM, built-in flash BIOS, and Type-C support.
The Best Motherboards For AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processors in 2020 & 2021
ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming X
MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX
GIGABYTE B450 AORUS Elite
ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus
In-depth Review
ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming X
If you’re looking for a motherboard that expresses, look no further than the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming X motherboard. This motherboard features RGB lighting front and center with illuminated stripes on the board and flashy logos on the front and sides. All of this can be controlled with ASRock’s Polychrome SYNC technology.
In addition to its striking appearance, this motherboard is equipped with the latest technologies and slots, including support for PCIe 4.0 x16 and 8 SATA3 ports. There are three M.2 slots and a range of USB ports to connect all the devices and components needed to complete your gaming PC.
The motherboard has a metal backplate for extra durability. This allows you to mount heavy coolers without worrying about bending the motherboard.
Due to high efficiency, you need to ensure adequate cooling. This motherboard has an EBR fan that has a long lifetime of 50,000 hours.
Audiophiles among us will enjoy the fact that this motherboard supports excellent sound quality. With Reality 3D technology, you can turn on 5.1 / 7.1 surround sound, which makes it fantastic for fans of immersive games and music.
The downside to this motherboard is that it comes with a high price tag attached that may put you off.
MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX
Good variety of ports
Only one M.2 slot which disables SATA5 and SATA6 ports
Let’s start our list with a good all-rounder. The MSI B450 is a mid-range motherboard that offers a lot for your money, but is perfect for those looking to avoid spending a fortune.
This motherboard has a rugged, industrial and military-inspired design derived from the MSI Arsenal Gaming series. There is also some RGB lighting which adds a bit of brilliance to it.
With Turbo M.2, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, six SATA ports and a large number of high-speed USB ports, this motherboard offers great expandability. You should have no trouble connecting all devices with USB ports that offer blazing-fast transfer speeds of up to 10 GB / s. With four DDR4 memory slots supporting up to 128GB of RAM and a PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 slot, you’ll have no problem running demanding games.
This motherboard offers high performance, making it a perfect match for any gaming PC. If you decide to do so, you shouldn’t have a problem with overclocking. With the highest quality audio components, you should be able to turn your gaming sessions into a completely immersive experience.
One problem we found was with the M.2 slot. If you choose to use it for SSD, it will automatically disable SATA5 and SATA6 ports. This can make you scratch your head why they don’t work, so be aware of this potential issue.