AMD B450 chipset is designed for mid-range motherboards. It is perfect for power users or gamers who value overclocking control and flexibility, but don’t need the maximum PCIe bandwidth required by multi-GPU configurations.
The B450 series support Precision Boost Overdrive, XFR2 Enhanced, as well as AMD’s micro-tiering StoreMI technology that allows you to merge multiple storage sources into a larger virtual drive. It also offers a broad range of configuration options to both newcomers and seasoned builders.
With a B450 motherboard, you can conveniently build a budget gaming PC running on some of the most powerful Ryzen CPUs. Below we have listed the nine best B450 motherboards for mainstream gamers and video editors who need extra power to run their applications without bottlenecks.
Note: The article is completely unbiased. We won’t earn any commission if you make the purchase. We advise you to avoid getting a B450 motherboard at inflated prices because they aren’t worth it (buy a B550 board instead).
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9. ASUS TUF B450M-Plus Gaming
Price: $95
Form Factor: Micro-ATX
With upgraded power delivery and a comprehensive cooling system to efficiently run the latest AMD Ryzen CPUs, TUF B450M Plus II is the perfect motherboard to build your next high-core-count battle rig.
It features AI Noise-canceling microphone software and supports USB, 3.5 mm, and Bluetooth headsets. The motherboard utilizes an extensive deep learning database to preserve your voice quality while minimizing distracting mouse clicks, keyboard clatter, and other external noises.
It offers a high-performance gaming package with a wide range of features to enhance your experience, such as pristine audio with positional cues for FPS gaming, ultrafast networking for smoother online gameplay, and customizable RGB lighting that syncs with connected accessories, creating a personalized gaming atmosphere.
Pros
- Comprehensive cooling and fan controls
- Multiple temperature sources
- AI noise-canceling microphone software
- Aura Sync RGB lighting
Cons
- USB devices continue to draw power from the motherboard even after shutdown
All TUF gaming motherboards are easy to set up and configure. You can control all system settings via a single dashboard. Overall, there is everything you need to build a custom, powerful PC without adding complexity.
8. Gigabyte B450M S2H V2
Price: $74
Form Factor: Micro ATX
B450M S2H V2 uses 4+2 phases digital PWM+Low RDS(on) MOSFETs design to support the third-generation AMD Ryzen. Its M.2 solution offers significantly faster storage performance and support for both SATA and PCIe interfaces for M.2 SSD devices.
The motherboard is equipped with Realtek 8118 LAN, a high-performance network chip that automatically allocates the bandwidth to ensure the highest network priority of the application or game.
With an intuitive UI for fan control, users get complete control over their cooling setup. The all-hybrid fan headers can identify the type of cooling device, whether it be pump or fan with different voltage or PWM modes. For professional gamers, the board delivers high-quality sound resolution and sound expansion to produce the most realistic sound effects.
Gigabyte System Information Viewer allows users to monitor key components (such as the processor and clocks), set custom fan speed profiles, record the system’s behavior, and create alerts when temperatures exceed a threshold.
Pros
- 2 x DDR4 DIMM sockets supporting up to 64 GB
- High speed Gigabit LAN with automatic bandwidth allocation
- High quality onboard audio design
- Humidity protection glass fabric PCB
Cons
- Doesn’t have integrated WiFi
- No ECC RAM Support
There are also plenty of options to configure the system, memory clocks, and voltages in a Windows environment. All of this can be done via a simple, easy-to-use interface.
7. ASUS Prime B450M-A II
Price: $80
Form Factor: Micro ATX
Prime B450M-A II is compatible with Ryzen 5000, third/second/first-generation Ryzen processors. It comes with M.2 support, 1 Gb Ethernet, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A for ultrafast connectivity.
The board is engineered with multiple heatsinks and a set of hybrid fan headers to ensure your machine stays cool and stable under intense workloads. Each header can monitor and react to dedication thermal sensors.
With Asus Digi+ VRM, you get real-time control over voltage droop. Although it automatically adjusts the frequency and power-efficiency settings, you can manually adjust your processor for ultimate performance as per your convenience.
Pros
- VRM & PCH heatsink with extensive surface
- Advanced tuning for serious tweakers
- Multiple hardware safeguards for all-around system protection
Cons
- Average build quality
- Doesn’t support AMD CrossFire
There is also a dedicated integrated circuit to protect components from high temperatures and a short circuit. Overall, the board is built to last, with more than 1000 compatible devices and 8000+ validation hours.
6. ASRock B450 Steel Legend
Price: $120
Form Factor: ATX
ASRock B450 Steel Legend supports AMD AM4 Socket Ryzen 2000, 3000, and 5000 series desktop processors, and DDR4 3533+ RAM. It has two M.2 slots; one delivers up to PCIe Gen3 x2 & SATA3 6Gb/s transfer speed, and the other supports PCIe Gen3 x4 32Gb/s mode.
ASRock provides a decent M.2 SSD protection (for stability and longevity) and M.2 armor solution so that SSDs can efficiently run at certain low temperatures. It also offers a very comprehensive control to adjust CPU fan speeds, built-in RGB LEDs, and externally connected LED strips.
The board is built with 2 ounces copper inner layers, with selected copper materials for PCB layers, to keep internal temperatures low and deliver higher energy efficiency. The 60A power chocks improve the saturation current up to three times, providing enhanced Vcore voltage to the motherboard.
Pros
- Extra large aluminum alloy heat sinks
- High density glass fabric PCB design
- Full spike protection for all USB, Audio, LAN port
Cons
- No option for overclocking
- Doesn’t have integrated WiFi
The B450 Steel Legend also includes an advanced PCIe Steel slot packed with a solid cover to prevent signal interferences with graphics cards. It also ensures the heavy graphic card is properly installed in the PCIe slot.
5. ASUS ROG Strix B450-F Gaming II
Price: $140
Form Factor: ATX
Designed to run the third generation AMD Ryzen processors, Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming II features optimized power delivery, efficient thermal design, and more stable DRR4 memory.
Its TurboV processing Unit automatically adjusts voltages, fine-tunes overclocking settings, and monitors system stats. It has a 5-way optimization system that overclocks the processor and adjusts fan speeds, ensuring the best balance between cooling and acoustics.
The board is equipped with new alloy chokes to deliver better efficiency and high-quality thermal pads to transfer heat from the VRM array to a sink that has ample surface areas for powerful CPUs. The heatsink keeps the M.2 SSD at optimal temperatures for steady performance and reliability.
Pros
- DDR4 4400 MHz support
- ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting
- Supports virtual surround for VR headsets
- Comprehensive control over fans, water pumps, and all-in-one (AIO) coolers
Cons
- Quite expensive compared to other MSI boards
- Too many options in UEFI BIOS could be overwhelming for beginners
Overall, ROG Strix B450-F delivers all necessary functions required for a well-balanced build. It also provides 256 MB BIOS Flash ROM for future proof compatibility.
4. MSI B450 Tomahawk Max II
Price: $115
Form Factor: ATX
With years of experience, MSI is no stranger to manufacturing high-performance motherboards. One of their popular motherboards, named B450 Tomahawk Max II, is loaded with the latest technology and several advanced features to overwhelm any challenge at hand, no matter whether you are a PC enthusiast, prosumer, or gamer.
It supports all three generations of AMD Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics and DDR4 memory (up to 4133 MHz). The in-built PCIe steel armor protects VGA cards against bending and electromagnetic interference for better performance and stability.
B450 Tomahawk Max II is equipped with an audio processor, dedicated amplifier, and high-quality audio capacitors — all physically isolated from other components.
Pros
- Larger heatsink for more VRM cooling
- Supports DDR4 memory, up to 4133 MHz
- Reinforced and shielded connector
- Easy BIOS recovery with flash BIOS button
Cons
- Lacks secondary M.2
- RGB headers not independently controllable
The larger heatsink and improved circuit design ensure that even high-end processors run at full speed. The four fan headers automatically detect fans running in PWM or DC mode for the best tuning of fan speeds and silence. The board also controls water cooling pump speed for optimal flow and noise control.
3. Gigabyte B450 AORUS Elite V2
Price: $120
Form Factor: ATX
B450 AORUS Elite V2 uses an 8+2 phases Digital Twin Power Design with low RDS(on) MOSFETs to support third-generation AMD Ryzen processor and deliver precise power to sensitive components on the motherboard.
Gigabytes provides a thermal solution for M.2 drives, which minimizes and effectively dissipates heat before it becomes a serious issue. This prevents throttling and bottlenecks from M.2 devices.
With Smart Fan 5 software, users can interchange their fan headers to reflect different thermal sensors at different locations on the motherboard. They can even customize each fan to operate at different speeds according to the defined temperature source input.
Pros
- HDMI, DVI-D Ports for Multiple Display
- Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFire and 2-Way CrossFire technologies
- Integrated I/O Shield of durable design
- High-quality audio capacitors and audio noise guard with LED trace path lighting
Cons
- Doesn’t have integrated WiFi
- Instruction manual is quite hard to understand and follow
2. MSI B450M Bazooka MAX WiFi
Price: $89
Form Factor: Micro ATX
B450M Bazooka MAX WiFi is built with numerous smart features for convenient setup and usage, such as friendly SATA and USB location, pin-header keep out zone, and several cooling solutions, so DIY users can select any gaming rig they desire.
There are onboard LEDs for crucial components, which indicate the source of the problem (if there is any) so users know exactly where to look to get up and running again. In order to prevent static discharge surges from damaging the board, MSI has included Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection that doubles up the grounding layers around the mounting holes.
The motherboard comes with StoreMI technology that creates a virtual SSD by blending capacity storage, treats flash as primary storage, and optimizes data access by monitoring continuously. This increases read/write speed for active data and provides faster boot times and app setup.
Pros
- Wifi MU-MIMO & Bluetooth
- DIY Friendly
- Heavy plated gaming heatsinks
- Enhanced audio and advanced LAN networking capabilities
Cons
- No ECC (Error-correcting code) RAM Support
MSI provides LLC (load-line calibration) options for stabilizing processor voltage under different loads. The Game Boost option enables one-second overclocking, delivering the performance boost during heavy tasks. All these options can be enabled/disabled from a single dashboard.
Read: 5 Quantum Processors That Feature New Computing Paradigm
1. ASUS TUF Gaming B450M Pro S
Price: $130
Form Factor: Micro ATX
TUF Gaming B450M Pro S offers a complete, high-performance gaming package with plenty of features to enhance users’ experience, such as clean audio with positional cues for FPS gaming, fast networking for lag-free online gameplay, and full RGB lighting control with various functional presets.
The onboard VRM leverages 8+2 DrMOS power stages that merge low-side and high-side MOSFETs and driver into one package, delivering enough power and efficiency to run third-generation AMD Ryzen processors.
Pros
- Stainless-Steel Back I/O Panel
- DRAM Overvoltage Protection
- Easily calibrate and control fans through the UEFI
- QLED diagnostic LEDs
Cons
- No power/reset switches on board
The motherboard has multiple temperature sources and a ProCool power design that improves the overall amperage handling and pin-to-pin internal temperatures. This is extremely useful for high core count processors under heavy load.
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Furthermore, ASUS UEFI BIOS Flashback allows you to update BIOS without the processor, graphics card, and DRAM installed. Just connect the PSU and update via a flash drive with the supporting file.
