AMD Budget Gaming PC Build: Motherboard
While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the next order of business.
Motherboard
ASUS TUF B450M-PRO GAMING $99.99 (Currently $94.99)
60 FPS
- Very Good Performance
- Stable
- Overclocking Potential
- New VRM (More Robust) Design
- Sleek Looks Appeal To Some
30 FPS
- Some Still Question VRMs And Cooling
- Sleek Looks Will Detract For Some
- Micro-ATX Board Cuts Into Expansion Slots
Now that we have one half of our foundation for our build we need what is, essentially, its mate; a motherboard. For both our Ryzen 5 2600 and Ryzen 5 3400G, we select an ASUS product with the ASUS TUF B450M-PRO GAMING making a great choice. The B450 chipset that the TUF B450M-PRO GAMING features brings us a still relevant feature set for entry-level/budget type offerings like we are looking at today with a few other premium features as well. That means users will get everything they are looking for in an AMD based Budget Gaming PC Build in this product segment and then some.
On the downside, some people question the VRMs and power delivery on this board even though it features a 10 phase VRM design. Most of this, however, seems to be just a chorus of people whining about perceived changes in the quality of the TUF line in general (not this board in specific) that normally don’t show out in reviews. Plus, while B450 products come in at a number of price points, many are cost down in component selections more so than this one. So, with that in mind, you can’t find a much better match for a budget build around a Ryzen 5 chip than this if you are looking for a return on your investment while maintaining the options like those found in the B450 chipset in general, and this board in particular today.
That said, one last caveat is that the B550 chipset is available as well. It originally looked like the “new” Zen 2 architecture was not likely going to be supported on these older B450 chipsets. However, ASUS claims that ASUS TUF B450M-PRO GAMING does indeed support today’s selected Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 5 3400G. Thus, this is a “Today” solution, not a future solution, as, while initial Zen 2 chips are supported, it would probably be a bad bet to see continued BIOS updates for later Zen 2 chips. There is ALWAYS something better in the future when comes to this hobby, so next time you see this guide we may well be sliding a B550 board in here.