Key Features
- Price: 270 USD (CLICK TO BUY )
- ATX Form Factor / 6 PCB Layers
- AMD B550 chipset
- AM4 CPU socket
- CPU Support
- RYZEN 3000 AMD CPU
- RYZEN 5000 AMD CPU
- 4 x 32GB 5,100 MHz DDR4, maximum 128 GB
- 3 x PCIe x16 — 3 x PCIe x1
- Back IO :
- Display Port 1.4
- HDMI 2.1
- Flash BIOS button
- 4 x USB 2.0 — RX/TX 480 Mbps
- 4 x USB 3.2 2nd gen. Type-A+C — RX/TX 10 Gbps
- 2 x USB 3.2 (1st Gen) — RX/TX 5 Gbps
- 2.5Gbs LAN,
- Realtek ALC1220A Codec 7.1 channels audio,
- DUAL BAND WiFi 6 802.11 AX (2.4 Gbps), BT 5.1
- STORAGE
- 2 x M.2 SSD — RX/TX 32 Gbps
- 6 x SATA 3 — RX/TX 6 Gbps
- MULTIPLE GPU
- NO Nvidia SLI
- x2 AMD Crossfire
- Upgraded and robust VRM
- Great passive Cooling elements
- 6 layered PCB ( PCIe 4.0 ready)
- Q-Led screen
- 5,100 MHz RAM clock
- WiFi 6
- Price
- Premium Audio
- No hybrid fan connectors
The STRIX series is ROG’s Entry Level: a family of board focused primarily on its CPU over-clocking abilities. Gaming centric, it comes with aggressive aesthetics, and premium features.
In short when someone has a STRIX in its build, it needs to wow.
AMD’s B550 chipset offers a much more versatile and affordable motherboard.
- 4 SATA cables
- 2 wifi antennas
- VRM Fan bracket
- VRM fan add-on
- Thermistors
- M.2 SSD screws and screw raisers
- RGB addressable cable extension
- RGB cable extension
- Manual
- DVD driver & Software
- ASUS coaster
PCB
We are dealing with a 6 layered PCB ATX motherboard. A significant upgrade when compared to its predecessor, the STRIX B450 4 layers, and an added signal isolation which will allow a stable PCIe 4.0 support.
It also will benefit VRM heat dissipation and audio quality. Obviously, a very solid foundation for a performant and durable motherboard.
AM4
Our AM4 CPU socket can support :
- AMD RYZEN 3000 series
- AMD RYZEN 5000 series
This is a PCIe 4.0 only CPU support, which makes sense since it is the CPU PCIE 4.0 lanes which will feed the PCIe 4.0 enable components (GPU PCIe slots and on M.2 SSD connector).
VRM
This is where ASUS really did well!
It has nothing to do with its predecessors, and closely follow the ROG STRIX X570-E Gaming.
We are dealing with 16 70 amps Powers stages, 14 of which are CPU centric.
They are paired into 7 phases, delivering a whooping 980 AMPs to our poor CPU.
Obviously more than you’ll ever need to run and severely overclock any processors featured in the Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series.
Heat wise
First, we have a 6 layered PCB, meaning a greater heat dissipation through the board,
Second, 700 amps are spread amongst 14 power stages meaning more radiating surface
Third and finally we have these imposing VRM heat-sinks, which do an amazing job at radiating all that excess heat away.
Worth noting, ASUS introduced the double contact thermo-padded design which improves its Heat-sink heat diffusion ratio quite a bit.
A simple inexpensive evolution which really adds a ton of VRM value here!
And that all translate in a cool and efficient VRM, even in the most demanding and continuous load.
With an overclocked Ryzen 3900X (4,7 GHz / BIOS Auto) , CPU stressed for 60 minutes:
- PCB Junction points : 82 celcius (max)
- VRM : 76 celcius (max)
Needless to say, with this kind of power, at hat price range, nothing on the market manages to compare the Over-clocking potential of the STRIX B550-E Gaming VRM.
RAM
The ROG STRIX B550-E Gaming can support up to 128 GB of DDR4 ram in a dual channel configuration.
It is overclockable up to a whooping 4.8 GHz, which is noticeably more than its Z390 equivalent.
M.2 SSD
Our board can support up-to 2 M.2 SSD (11 cm and 8 cm respectively).
Equipped with PICe 3 M.2 SSDs, our sticks can swap data upto 32 Gbs.
But if you do purchase a PCie 4.0 enabled M.2 SSD, then the CPU fed M.2 SSD will be able to swap data up to an indecent 64 Gbs.
In both cases our M.2 SSD sticks will experience a lot of heat.
Fortunately , we do have rather impressive thermo-padded heat-shields which do a wonderful job at keeping our stick cool in any usage condition.
Chipset
Our B550 chipset is in all and for all a B450 chipset with an upgraded WiFi integrated module (WiFi 6 802.11AX) and a few more IOs.
It does remain a PCIe 3.0 Chipset. The PCIe 4.0 abilities of this board will be provided by its processor, which is not a bad thing.
One one hand it keeps our Chipset cold enough not to require an active cooling solution as seen on the boiling 11 watts X570 chipset, and on the other, the motherboard still benefits from the PCIe 4.0 standard brought in by its CPU.
As a result, we have a cooler, more affordable and arguably more durable motherboard.
SATA 3.0
For more classical storage solutions, we have our usual SATA 3.0 plugs. 6 in total, with a transfer rate of 6 Gbps each. They can be configured to run into a 0,1, or 10 RAID configuration.
PCIe Slots
The ROG STRIX B550-E Gaming has 6 PCI expresses slots.:
- 3 16 lanes with different BUS speeds
- 2 single lanes , single speeds
Only the closest one to your CPU can deliver up to 16 full bus speed meaning, this is where you’d want your video card to be placed for optimal performances.
In a dual GPU configuration, our slots will be sharing bandwidth in a 8 by 8 configuration.
And finally the last one one will further share bandwidth giving us an 8 by 8 by 4 configuration.
So a good board for a single or even a dual GPU configuration, hence the metal reinforcement on the two first 16 PCIe slots..
Note that the board support both SLI (x2) and Crossfire (x3) multi-GPU standards.
Back IO
First let me note the presence of an IO integrated plate which is always a good point!
- 2x display outputs for our integrated graphics (HDMI 2.0 / DP 1.4)
- 4x 2nd Gen USB plugs
- a BIOS flash back button, delighted to find one.. great to update or recover your bios on the go!
- 2x 3.2 2nd GEN USB plus , including a type C
- a 2.5 gigabit LAN which is the same upgrade I had spotted on the ASUS prime Z490 A preview.. and that you should see if you have not done so yet!… and that absolutely make me happy to see!
- a Wifi 6 AX201 with transfer up to 2.4 Gb/s, same that is available on AMD’s X570 powered boards.
- a rather premium S1220A REALTEK audio codec (including an AUDIO Type-C), which fully benefits from the 6 PCB layers board, since both left and right audio channel have been traced on separate and dedicated PCB layers, insuring a better static isolation, especially when recording. Problem that people living in a non grounded house will certainly appreciate !
Front Panel Connectors
We have :
- 2x 2nd gen USB front panel connectors , good for our AIO pumps, or PSU monitoring,
- 1x 5Gbs USB 3.2 (1st Gen) front panel Connector
- 1x 10Gbs USB 3.2 (2nd Gen) TYPE-C front panel Connector
Overall a well furnished board-based peripherals in par with its pricing.
Cooling connectors
We have 7 nested PWM FAN connectors, 1 of which can support a water pump (AIO or dedicated)
Definitely what you want to see on an enthusiast driven board. The STRIX B550-E can handle about any cooling solutions you will throw at it. Spanning from the classic air to the eccentric dual-loop custom water cooling apparatus.
Only regret here, is the fact that these connectors are not Hybrids which could support anything you’d throw at it, whether a fan, a water pump or a flow sensor.
I would have given this boards an unprecedented level of agility which enthusiast would have most certainly appreciate.
EZ Debugger
The EZ debugger is really the a crucial must have on the overclockers. More often than not, enthusiasts can’t resist the call to find their RAM or CPU overclocking limits, and fail boots becomes a daily incidence.
The EZ debugger will give us a first-aide troubleshooting guidance one what stage of the boot your system failed.
Q_LED
Very glad to see a Q-LED screen introduced on the Z powered STRIX series. The Q-LED screen will display codes with a more precise definition of what went wrong during your boot.
A refined troubleshooting experience, which truly makes the STRIX B550-E Gaming an enthusiast grade product.
AURA Sync Effect
RGB wise, our ROG STRIX B550-E Gaming has 2 nest RGB Strips
One under our Chipset heat sink,
and one under the IO roof.
We also have 4 RGB connectors :
2 standard 12V RGB connector and 2 addressable RGB connector.
All of which can obviously be synced though ASUS proprietary AURA Sync effect software.
CONCLUSION
At 270 USD the ROG STRIX B550-E Gaming is a revolution in it s own merit! It has NOTHING to do with its predecessors.
It marks a strong departure from watered-down B powered motherboards to real full featured products, plainly stating that technologically wise, the market can now deliver real budget alternatives.
It’s almost a new class of its own!
Despite not being fully PCIe 4 enabled, it cleverly uses the RYZEN 3000 PCIe 4.0 abilities to source and deliver PCIe 4.0 level performances in crucial sectors.
Which also brings the benefit of not having a hot PCIe 4.0 enable chipset, and avoiding the obvious trap of an active cooling solution.
And ASUS really built beautifully on this, and went where no B powered board even went before.
We got The full and entire ROG range of features, including Q-led Screens, front panel Type-C
The most powerful VRM I have seen on B chipset powered motherboard, and in many instances, one of the most powerful available even on X series board.
And finally a 6 layered PCB which greatly improves this board durability and stability.
All at about half the cost than ROG STRIX X570-E gaming launched at.
And that’s the real question. When you got a B550 powered motherboard like this, is there a real incentive to spend more on an X570 powered motherboard, which, in essence bring very little more to your build if anything at all.
Is there still an incentive to spend more on a X570 or Z490 powered motherboard, when your budget friendly B550 board can deliver everything they can? Cause it really can.
Short answer is no!
QUICK OVERVIEW
CPU & northbridge support
Memory
Connectors