TOP 5 low-cost motherboards based on AMD chipsets

At the moment, the most affordable chipset for the Socket AM4 platform is AMD A320, designed for building low-cost work and office computers. At the same time, its capabilities look quite decent for 2019, and compared to the low-cost solution from Intel's competitor (we are talking about the H310 chip), the AMD A320 supports RAID arrays and a USB 3.1 interface.

The MSI A320M PRO-M2 motherboard is close to the perfect incarnation of the A320 - it is an extremely inexpensive ($60), but reliable motherboard without overclocking capabilities, but with pretty decent functionality. For example, unlike many ultra-low-cost cards, there is an M.2 slot for installing high-speed SSDs and a full set of video outputs for all occasions (HDMI, DVI, VGA).

It is also worth highlighting the presence of a PCI-E 16x slot with a reinforced design, an LED backlight system with an LED strip connection block, and the ability to overclock RAM. Of the limitations of the board, only the inconvenient connection of multi-channel acoustics, as well as the presence of two slots for RAM modules, catches the eye, which will complicate the upgrade in the future. However, in the price range up to $100, 4 RAM slots are more of a bonus than a necessity.

ASRock AB350M Pro4 is built on the mid-range B350 chipset and, accordingly, is positioned as a mid-range model designed to build robust work and gaming computers.

Perhaps the main difference between this "motherboard" and its counterparts in the initial class is the abundance of slots. First of all, 4 DDR4 slots are striking instead of the standard two. This somewhat expands the room for manoeuvre when assembling a computer, allowing you to take 2 standard DDR4 4 GB sticks right now and get a speed boost from the multi-channel mode, and buy the rest as needed. Also noteworthy at once are 2 PCI-E 16x slots for connecting a pair of video cards and 2 M.2 connectors for installing high-speed SSD NVMe drives. Well, there is also USB-C, which is a rarity in motherboards under $100. Given the price tag, this is more than worthy functionality.

Among the limitations of the model, we can single out support for memory with a maximum frequency of 2667 MHz, although 3200 MHz is the norm even for the cheapest motherboard. On the one hand, now this is enough for the eyes, and the frequency of the memory as a whole does not really affect the speed of the computer, on the other hand, it is not clear what caused such a limitation. It is unlikely that trimming the RAM allowed significant savings. Also worth noting is the absence of the LLC function, which helps to deal with voltage drops when overclocking the processor. Therefore, overclocking of eight-core processors such as Ryzen 7 1800X based on ASRock AB350M Pro4 is unlikely to end in success.

However, taking into account the price up to $100, this is not even a minus, but a plus, since overclocked 4 and 6-core chips based on this “mother” work stably. In all other respects, this is an excellent motherboard with an affordable price tag, advanced features and, most importantly, stable performance.

In mid-2018, AMD introduced the new AMD B450 chipset for the Socket AM4 platform, which replaced the popular AMD B350 and brought with it a number of new technologies, more stable overclocking, and the ability to work with 2nd generation AMD Ryzen processors without the need to flash the BIOS. One of the first boards based on the updated chipset was the Gigabyte B450M DS3H.

In terms of layout, the Gigabyte B450M DS3H is much closer to mid-level motherboards than modest ones in the low-cost segment. It is equipped with 4 RAM slots(maximum 64 GB), 2 PCI-E 16x slots, M.2 connector for installing high-speed SSD drives, DVI-D and HDMI video connectors. Inherited from gaming boards Gigabyte B450M DS3H also received the ability to connect RGB Fusion backlight and one block for the LED strip. For the price of $80, this is more than decent equipment.

Naturally, there is also the other side of the coin. First of all, this concerns overclocking potential - the key elements of the Gigabyte B450M DS3H power subsystem noticeably heat up during overclocking, so a good cooling system and a case with sufficient air circulation are required for it. The second trifle is the lack of support for AMD A and Athlon processors under Socket AM4. However, these nuances can hardly be called significant and they do not really spoil the final picture.

Asus PRIME X370-A is an interesting option for those who are looking for a motherboard based on the top-end X370 chip with all its advantages, but at the same time do not want to pay too much for these very advantages.

So, for $112, a potential buyer of Asus PRIME X370-A will receive a high-quality full-size ATX board with an interesting black and red design, wide overclocking options and a lot of connection options. Namely, 6 SATA slots plus one M.2 for connecting drives, a pair of PCI-E 16x for installing one or two video cards, a lot of USB 3.1 ports of the second generation and HDMI. There were some pleasant little things in the form of a simple LED backlight, a reinforced video card slot that can withstand even the most massive video accelerator without any problems, as well as support for old-school COM and PCI interfaces. Plus, the processor power node components are highly reliable, efficient, and stable, making this board a solid foundation for PCs for years to come.

This favorable background is slightly spoiled by not the most successful cooling system. In everyday work, it behaves adequately, but if it comes to overclocking, then field-effect transistors are the first to suffer from overheating. Therefore, if you decide to drive this card, then provide it with a high-quality cooling system and normal air circulation inside the case.

The X470 Master SLI model from ASRock is part of the Extreme gaming line and is designed for overclocking within reasonable limits (for the unreasonable, there is the Taichi line). The board is based on the latest X470 chipset, works with the latest generation Ryzen processors, has a set of all the necessary slots and boasts a 12-phase processor power subsystem.

The functional set of X470 Master SLI includes 4 slots for DDR4, 2 M.2 slots for installing high-speed SSD NVMe drives, as well as USB 3.1 gen2 and USB-C, which are still far from mass distribution in inexpensive motherboards. Plus, the brainchild of ASRock boasts an M.2 cooler, a pair of reinforced PCI-E 16x slots for connecting two video cards and RGB lighting using ASRock's proprietary Polychrome technology. In general, the equipment is very decent.

At the same time, it is important to understand that although there will be overclocking, but as is often the case with ASRock, surprises await the user. Despite the fact that the board has a 12-phase power supply in the passport, the ISL95712 control chip works according to the 4 + 3 scheme. Because of this, powerful eight-core Ryzen processors behave unstable at above-average overclocking levels. Also, overclocking memory with XMP profiles works rather strangely. To top it all, the board does not have the most convenient BIOS by the standards of 2019, which in no way simplifies the overclocking process.