The B550 motherboards are the upgrade of motherboards with B450 chipsets. That said, the range of B550 motherboards is quite diverse. You’ll find cheap, budget-oriented options as well as boards with high-end features.
But the question is, are B550 motherboards better than X570 boards?
Don’t worry. This post is curated explicitly to answer this question. Here, I am going to simplify the differences between these two chipsets.
So, let’s waste no time and dive straight into the discussion.
Is X570 Better than B550 Motherboard?
In technical terms, a motherboard with an X570 chipset is better than a board with a B550 chipset. But in terms of reasonability, the B550 board is better.
You may ask: Is X570 more future-proof?
No, the X570 motherboards aren’t future-proof. It is an end to the AM4 lineup, and the presence of more PCIe 4.0 slots doesn’t make a difference to most users.
Here is a table of supported CPUs for AMD B550 Vs. X570 motherboards:
| B550 | X570 | |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 7000-series CPUs | ✖ | ✖ |
| AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs | ✔ | ✔ |
| AMD Ryzen 3000-series CPUs | ✔ | ✔ |
| AMD Ryzen 2000-series CPUs | ✖ | ✔ |
Here are the five differences between the B550 and X570 motherboards:
1. Compatibility
The first thing to consider while comparing motherboards with different chipsets is whether they are compatible with your desired CPUs.
Not all motherboards support all types of CPUs. Depending on the chipset types, compatibility differs across various models.
That said, the boards with B550 chipsets come with good compatibility. These boards are compatible with Ryzen 3000 CPUs and beyond.
That eventually means a B550 motherboard supports most CPUs under the Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 5000 series. However, this B550 motherboard doesn’t support Gen 1 and Gen 2 CPUs from Ryzen. For the AM5 socket, the chipset also doesn’t support the latest Ryzen 7000 series. 
Another thing you need to note down is that these B550 boards also don’t support APUs that come under the Ryzen 3000 series. Now, in the case of the boards with the X570 chipset, it is vastly compatible with the APUs & CPUs. 
Therefore, if you look beyond Ryzen Gen 3 CPUs, then it’s B550 boards you should go for. Other than this, you can settle with an X570 motherboard.
2. PCIe 4.0 Support
The presence of the PCIe 4.0 interface in your motherboard does make a difference. It results in facilitating high-speed data transfer from GPU, SSDs, and other expansion cards.
In the motherboard, the presence of PCIe 4.0 means that your board can have a max bandwidth of 16 GT/s per lane instead of the 8 GT/s that you can get from the PCIe 3.0 interface.
It eventually means you’ll get the advantage of using extra lanes for GPU & extra SSD slots. Now, the PCIe support for the motherboards with B550 and X570 chipsets isn’t the same.
The most significant difference is that the B550 motherboard connects the processor using the 4-lane PCIe 3.0 connection, whereas the board with the X570 chipset uses PCIe 4.0. And that is because the boards with PCIe 4.0 have more lanes.
Eventually, it results in the addition of 16 PCIe 4.0 x16 lanes to the X570, but the B550 possesses none.
Though, for the B550 boards, PCIe 4.0 connectivity will work on the CPU directly using the primary PCIe x16 and also the M.2 slots. That means B550 mobos can use PCIe 4.0 for two fastest PCIe SSDs, an upgrade from the B450 boards.
Other than this, the X570 boards support dual PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots. The B550 is also compatible with multiple ones, but only one of them would be supported by PCIe 4.0.
3. Connectivity
Since there is a difference in the number of PCIe 4.0 in the boards with B550 and X570 chipsets, the difference in connectivity is also prevalent between them.
That said, the X570 board consists of 8 more USB 3.0 ports than that of the B550 board.
Also, if you want motherboards that provide you with a reasonable number of storage options, the board with the X570 chipset is a better option. You will get additional 6 SATA ports on the X570 board, which can be reconfigured.
Here is the spec table of AMD B550 Vs. X570:
| Specs | AMD B550 Chipset | AMD X570 Chipset |
|---|---|---|
| Usable PCIe 4.0 Lanes | 20 | 36 |
| Usable PCIe 3.0 Lanes | 10 | 0 |
| Chipset Lane | PCIe 3.0 (x4) | PCIe 4.0 (x4) |
| SATA III Ports | 8 | 14 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 Ports | 6 | 12 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 Ports | 2 | 0 |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 6 | 4 |
Usually, the specs both B550 and X570 chipsets offers are enough for most PC gamers. But note that these specs are theoretical maximums. For example, some PCIe lanes have to be sacrificed to use all SATA ports. That’s what both chipsets do and mix & match the specs. But in both chipsets, you can use at least one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for GPU & one PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.
4. VRM Power Phases
In the motherboard, the VRMs make sure that stable power is delivered to the CPU so that your processor remains in good health. The outcome here is the utilization of the maximum potential of the CPU.
That said, the more the number of VRMs, the better it is. The board will have better control over the power delivered and lessens the load on VRMs.
Now, between the X570 and B550 motherboards, the number of VRMs is higher on the X570 ones. And the main advantage here is that it allows the overclocking of powerful processors with stability.
Therefore, for squeezing out most of your system using a powerful processor, an X570 motherboard has the edge over the B550.
5. Price
Lastly, price plays a huge part when you consider the buying decision. The motherboards with the X570 chipset are more premium options with extensive features compared to the B550 boards.
So, the motherboard for Ryzen 9 5900X with X570 chipset is a perfect choice if you want to build your rig with a high-end processor with premium functionality. Or else, for a cheap and mid-range option, the B550 motherboards are good to go with.
Is X570 Worth It Over B550?
I would say yes if you ask whether X570 boards are better than B550 boards for high-end builds with the intention of overclocking. But in terms of mass appeal & in general usage, I would prefer the B550 motherboard.
For any regular build, the features present in a motherboard with a B550 chipset are more than enough. That said, aside from a few differences, a B550 board is almost like the X570 board.
Now, an X570 board consists of various fancy features that won’t give any good advantage for any build. Unless you focus on building a high-end video editing system, it’s no use to use such a powerful board.
FAQs
Should I get a B550 or an X570?
It depends on your requirements & usage scenario. For a top-tier Ryzen 5000 processor with overclocking intention, the X570 chipset will be your best pick. But for mid-tier Ryzen 5000 processors, B550 will do the job.
Is the X570 newer than B550?
The X570 chipset came in July 2019, while BB50 came into the market in June 2020. But a newer product doesn’t mean, it is powerful, in fact, X570 is still king for Ryzen 5000 series.
What does the X570 have that the B550 doesn’t?
The AMD X570 provides more GPU slots along with PCIe Gen 4.0 CPU lanes. It also has an onboard chipset fan, which is not included in the B550 chipset.
Final Thoughts
So, that is the overall breakdown of the fundamental differences between motherboards with the B550 and X570 chipset. After reading this article, you’ll be able to find out the differences that exist between them.
Lastly, I hope that you will be able to choose the correct motherboard for your build. In case any confusion arises about anything, do let me know in the comments.
