The motherboard is one of the essential pieces in a computer that creates a kind of backbone, allowing various components to communicate. The B450 motherboard supports the AMD Ryzen and Athlon series. These AMD chipsets are popular these days whether you want to build a gaming rip or a workstation. Motherboards must be bought with a lot of consideration, as each processor has its compatible motherboards. With AMD Ryzen and Athlon series in mind, the B450 motherboard is an excellent choice.
Before buying a B450, you should look for your required specifications and if the board supports everything you want to have in your pc because, in the end, it all connects through your motherboard; for example, some motherboards have built-in Wi-Fi, and some support overclocking. It all depends on your preferences and demands. The B450 motherboard is an AM4 chipset board.
B450 means that it supports AMD Ryzen and Athlon series, but they also come with specific features from each other with varying price ranges and brands that manufacture them. The most common things to look for in these motherboards are the ram slots, PCI Express slots, overclocking support, and if you have already purchased the RAMs, you must check if they are DDR4 because these chipsets were released after DDR4 became the norm, and we have so far not seen a DDR3 supported B450 Motherboard. In this guide, we will help you find the best budget b450 motherboards that can fulfill all your given requirements.
We aim to provide you with a guide with recommendations for the best B450 motherboard 2021 that will help you unlock the full potential of your pairing processor. We would suggest you pick for yourself a motherboard that suits your requirements for an AMD build from among the list provided in this guide. You might have heard about some of the most recommended B450 motherboards in the market. If you have something specific in mind, this guide will hopefully contribute to your purchase of the best motherboard to give you an excellent value for the money paid.
These recommendations will help you unlock your chipset’s full potential in all aspects. The ASRock B450M Pro 4, this motherboard supports water cooling. The B450 Tomahawk for its VRM, Gigabyte B450 Aorus M, ASRock Steel legend, MSI Gaming Plus Max, Asus Rog Strix B450-I Gaming, and MSI B450M BAZOOKA. All the mentioned motherboards are ATX, Micro ATX, or Mini ATX, so you have all the ranges. ATX is the size of the motherboard, so you should also consider that before buying yourself one. The dimensions are explained as ATX (12’’x9.6″), Micro ATX (9.6’’x9.6″), and Mini ITX (6.7’’x6.7″).
10 Best Budget B450 Motherboard 2021
ASRock B450M Pro4
We have the ASRock B450M Pro 4 motherboard on top of our list, one that exceeds in potential, performance, and aesthetic looks, proving its worth with the value it provides. This motherboard features an AM4 socket with a DigiPower and a 9 Power Phase design that supports a 105W, a 95W, and a 65W Water Cooling set-up. It is a DDR4 memory slot motherboard as B450 motherboards do not come with DDR3 slots. ASRock B450 M Pro 4 offers 4x DDR4-3200+(OC) with a maximum capacity of 64GB. It comes with 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 2.0 x16, 1 PCIe 2.0 x 1.
This motherboard provides you with Mediocre (VRM), which is responsible for your processor’s performance as it controls the supply of voltages into your CPU, resulting in its unabridged performance, which requires sufficient power to reach the best of its capabilities.
If the CPU gets fewer voltages than required, it will throttle and affect your computer’s overall performance. This is an important point many people do not know or ignore because they never know about VRM or think that it does not affect anything. VRM also plays a big part in overclocking your CPU; overclocking your CPU allows you to get more performance out of your chipset, and it does require more power to function properly.
Related: Best RTX 3080 Graphics Card 2021
The Graphic output ports of the Motherboard are HDMI, D-SUB, DVI-D. It is also equipped with 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec), ELNA Audio Caps. To handle your SSD and HDD, the motherboard provides 4 SATA3, 1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4), 1 M.2 (SATA3), which means you can equip your rig with a SATA HDD or SSD as well as an NVMe SSD. It has 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 (Rear Type-A+C) and 6 USB 3.1 Gen1 (2 Front, 4 Rear). There is 1 Realtek Gigabit LAN port. The Motherboards 2 CPU fan headers are enough for you to provide your CPU cooler sufficient power.
B450 M Pro 4 has three fan headers, 2x 12V RGB header, and 1x 5V RGB header. The only downside of this motherboard will be its PCIe slots because they are not Steel Reinforced, so you should consider that fact if you are going to install a massive GPU.
The build quality is pretty solid, it is made of Sapphire black PCB, and the power chokes are decent as they are premium 42A power chokes, which provide the motherboard enhanced and improved Vcore voltage. ASRock B450 M Pro 4’s price is around $71-78.
Specifications
Model | B450M PRO4 |
Form Factor | Micro ATX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2933Mhz 3200Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 2 |
LAN Chipset | Realtek RTL8111H |
Audio Chipset | Realtek ALC892 |
Pros
- Three graphics outputs, which mean support for three monitors
- 2 RGB headers and one addressable
- Excellent overclocking capabilities
Cons
- Very expensive as compared to others
- It also requires USB-C for customizations
MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
The B450 Tomahawk Max is second on your recommendation list. This motherboard is well known for its top-notch VEM. This motherboard is sure to make your processor perform to the best of its ability. You can even overclock your chipset on this motherboard and still get the best output without worrying about the voltage regulation due to its top-notch VRM.
It is an ATX motherboard, which means you will need some space in your casing to install it. B450 Tomahawk might be one of the most recommended motherboards. This AM4 motherboard supports AMD Ryzen’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Gen processors and Athlon processors.
It supports DDR4 ram up to 4133 MHz even overclocked; this might be one reason this is one of the most recommended motherboards out there. It allows you to take your components to their peak performance. MSI extended PWM heatsink and enhanced circuit design ensures even high-end processors can run at full speed.It allows you to equip 1x Turbo M.2 to provide speed up to 32 Gb/s on this motherboard, a storage unit that is faster than any HDD or SSD.
B450 Tomahawk also features a Bios reset button, which might be the quickest way to delete your bios settings and start anew. Unlike the ASRock Pro 4, this motherboard comes equipped with a steel reinforced PCIe slot, which protects graphics cards from bending and electromagnetic interference; these factors are essential because they can intercept your computer’s performance.
Even when overclocked, this motherboard is sure to maintain its temperature as its leading heatsink design ensures that with the extended design, which is unique to this motherboard. This product even features a DDR4 boost, optimizing traces and isolating memory circulation, providing you with even better ram performance.
It has HD audio connectors making your audio experience better while using the ports on the motherboard’s rear. It also offers an audio boost that provides the best possible audio for gamers, enhances the sound of their games, and even makes the audio louder and more precise. For the rear end of the motherboard, the ports it features are enough for daily use; it features a DVI-D port, USB 3.2 Gen2, both type A and C. This motherboard costs around $130, which might be a reasonable price tag for most. The B450 Tomahawk Max also gives your rig a very cool look.
Specifications
Model | B450 TOMAHAWK MAX |
Form Factor | ATX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 1866Mhz 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2800Mhz 2933Mhz 3000Mhz 3200Mhz 3466Mhz 3600Mhz 3733Mhz 3866Mhz 4000Mhz 4133Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 1 |
LAN Chipset | Realtek 8111H |
Audio Chipset | Realtek ALC892 |
Pros
- Great Value for Price
- Outstanding VRM capability
Cons
- No secondary M2 port
Gigabyte B450 Aorus M
Next up is the Gigabyte B450 Aorus M. The Aorus series is very well known for its performance and durability. The Aorus M is a Micro ATX motherboard that supports 1st and 2nd gen Ryzen processors and Radeon with Vega graphics. This motherboard’s most prominent feature has to be the fan control system and its RGB Digital fusion light. The fans on your computer can be controlled by this motherboard, thanks to its smart fan feature.
This feature allows you to stop your fans if the temperature falls under a specific unit, making your PC more silent and efficient; the fans turn on automatically if the temperature rises again. This motherboard is optimized for Ryzen Second-gen processors improving performance to the maximum.
The rear ports on this motherboard feature are DVI-D, HDMI, Gigabyte Lan with bandwidth management, and USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A. It has the highest quality audio capacitors and an audio noise guard. This motherboard comes with a built-in M.2 Shield, which is a thermal guard. It even features dual bios so that you can set two bios settings.
The power connectors in this motherboard are reliable, unlike the others. It has two PCIe slots without steel reinforcement,4 DDR4 ram slots, and 2 SATA 3 connectors. It even has its software to control the RGB lights and give your set-up the aesthetic that satisfies you, as it’s super adjustable.
The VRM on this motherboard is not as good as the others but still gets the job done, but it means that you cannot overclock your processor and push it to its limits. It has two CPU fan headers and two fan headers, so you might have to buy a fan controller if you are thinking about getting more fans installed. This motherboard costs around $85, so if you consider a budget pc and not going for a high-end graphics card, definitely consider this motherboard as others can be expensive.
Specifications
Model | B450 AORUS M |
Form Factor | Micro ATX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2933Mhz 3200Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 1 |
LAN Chipset | Realtek GbE LAN chip |
Audio Chipset | Realtek ALC892 |
Pros
- M.2 SSD heatsink included
- Equipped with a classic PS/2 keyboard mouse combo port
Cons
- improper cooling set-up
- Limited overclocking headroom
AsRock B450M Steel legend – Best B450 Motherboard for Ryzen 3000
This B40M motherboard made it into our recommended list due to its quality and features; it supports Ryzen 2000, 3000, 4000 G-series and 5000 series processors. It allows you to overclock your ram sticks. It can support up to the speed of 3533 Mhz, as overclocking can improve your performance significantly, and luckily this motherboard offers excellent overclocking headroom.
The steel legend is also a DDR supporting motherboard because that’s what the latest requirements dictate. The Gold audio jack’s unique features improve the audio quality to the best possible as gold is one of the best conductors. The other main part is the RGB controllable lights on the coolers, the RGB headers; this lets you control your RGB lights like none other.
B450 Steel legend has two M.2 sockets, so you can use two M.2 drives and get the most out of your motherboard as M.2 are faster than any SSD or HDD; your pc will boot quickly and have better performance when you use stuff installed in the M.2.
The PCIe slot on this motherboard is stainless steel reinforced, so your graphic card won’t go or get electromagnetic interference, enhancing performance even more. It features two PCIe slots, and one of them is not steel-reinforced, so if you were to use two graphic cards, you might have a minor problem. As the visual output is concerned, this motherboard has HDMI and a Display port.
Other ports consist of a 7.1 CH HD audio jack, 2x USB 3.1 gen2 rear Type A and C, three USB 3.1 gen1 two front-4 rear, and a gigabyte Realtek LAN port. So, if you use a lot of portable drives, you are not running out of ports. The ASROCK steel legend might be the prettiest looking B450 motherboard ever, considering it has RGB lights.
The built quality of this motherboard is also top-notch, as AsRock claims. The heatsinks are made of alloy. The only cons of this product would be the low-end Vrm and the fact that you cannot overclock your processor to its maximum performance. It features a new designed protective cover for all of the crucial parts near the motherboard’s rear I/O, to be protected against damage by static electricity. Plus, you can update the bios live without taking your motherboard anywhere.
Specifications
Model | B450M STEEL LEGEND |
Form Factor | Micro ATX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2933Mhz 3200Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 2 |
LAN Chipset | Realtek RTL8111H |
Audio Chipset | Realtek ALC892 |
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Unabridged support for all AM4 processors
Cons
- Limited Overclocking Headroom
- Average VRM capability
MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max
This ATX motherboard made it on our recommendation list for its specifications and quality; you are sure to get your money’s worth from this motherboard. This motherboard was made by gamers in mind and is said to satisfy gamers with what they need. This motherboard supports 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gen AMD Ryzen CPU and Athlon with Radeon Vega graphics. You can easily overclock your ram in this motherboard’s 4 DDR4 ram slots, which allows you to reach up to 4133 MHz when overclocked. It is a dual memory channel; you can run up to 128 Gbs of ram on this motherboard.
The main feature would be the core boost on this motherboard, enabling you to run more cores and better support it. Another prominent feature would be the gaming heatsinks with a red passion scheme, which is sure to give your build an aesthetically cool look.
MSI B450 Gaming Plus Max is a great looking motherboard made explicitly for gamers who need all that RGB and give their computers a cool look. The MSI gaming plus max comes with a single M.2 port, so you don’t have to worry about speed as it’s turbo and supports up to 32 Gb/s speed. It comes with a thoroughly steel-reinforced PCIe slot and one with just steel locks, which means you don’t have to worry about your graphics card bending or any electromagnetic interference (EMI), at least in one port.
You can enable audio boost with an amplifier in this motherboard, so you hear your games more clearly and loud, making all that difference in a game. The audio components use Nahimic 3 components for better performance. This motherboard’s rear comes with a Flash bios button to help you quickly reset all your bios settings. It also comes with a gaming device port, a LAN port enabling you to use the internet directly by LAN cable,4x AMD turbo USB 3.2 gen2, and six audio jacks.
With all those heatsinks you don’t have to worry about your computer’s temperature as it is sure to keep it cool. The bad thing about this motherboard would be that the “Gaming Plus” branding LED and EZ debug LEDs are both red and can be mistaken for each other when viewed from above, and some people have had issues using more oversized graphics cards even in the strengthened slot. This motherboard might be a bit overpriced as it costs around $120.
Specifications
Model | B450 Gaming Plus MAX B450-GAMING-PLUS-MAX |
Form Factor | ATX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 1866Mhz 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2800Mhz 2933Mhz 3000Mhz 3200Mhz 3466Mhz 3733Mhz 3866Mhz 4000Mhz 4133Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 1 |
LAN Chipset | Realtek 8111H |
Audio Chipset | Realtek ALC892 |
Pros
- Excellent value for the price
- EZ Debug LEDs
Cons
- GPU slot needs bracketing for bigger GPUs
Asus Rog Strix B450-I Gaming
This mini-ITX motherboard made it onto our list because of its renowned name and the times all acclaimed reviewers suggest it. This motherboard supports 1st and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen processors. The main features would be the 1x Addressable RGB header and 1x RGB header; it also has Wi-Fi and a built-in Bluetooth plus the illuminated audio jacks for easy access. This motherboard looks really lovely with all those RGB and illuminated jacks.
It has a built-in M.2 shield, which cools M.2 drive to deliver consistent storage performance and enhanced reliability. It supports Dual M.2 and USB 3.1 Type-A connectors; it has 5-Way Optimization, which Automates system-wide tuning, providing overclocking and cooling profiles that are tailor-made for your rig.
The Asus Rog Strix B450 comes with only two ram slots, which might not be enough for most people, supporting 3200 MHz of ram even overcloked. This motherboard does not have the best Vrm but will get the job done. Your processor might not be able to do the best of its abilities when overclocked.
This motherboard won over 20 awards for its performance and price. The motherboard’s rear has an HDMI port for your display output,4x USB 3.1 gen1 ports, an Intel I211-AT Lan port,2x USB 3.1 gen2 ports, and 3x LED-illuminated audio jacks. It features Aura sync for all your RGBs to simultaneously run the same colors, giving it a really cool and aesthetic touch. This motherboard software is easily accessible and controllable; the bios is very simple, giving you easy access to every bios setting.
The only two ram slots might sound a bit disappointing as they can only support up to 64 Gbs of ram at 3200 MHz even when overclocked. This motherboard has only 1x PCIe x16 slot, which means looking to run two graphics cards is not for you.
This motherboard’s small design limits its features, but it does not mean it is the wrong choice. It has only a single CPU fan header, so you might have to buy fan controllers if you want to use more fans. It comes with 2x Thermal sensor connectors and 1x rear fan connectors, which means you might have to buy fan controllers. This motherboard is available for around $100. At $100, this motherboard will surely be worth it by its aesthetic look, performance, and unique features.
Specifications
Model | Strix B450-I Gaming ROG Strix B450-I Gaming 90MB0Z50-M0EAY0 |
Form Factor | Mini ITX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2800Mhz 2933Mhz 3000Mhz 3200Mhz 3400Mhz 3466Mhz 3600Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 2 |
LAN Chipset | Intel i211AT |
Audio Chipset | SupremeFX S1220A High Definition Audio CODEC |
Pros
- BIOS can auto-overclock and allow fan calibration.
- Excellent VRM capability
Cons
- Wi-Fi card not as good as advertised
MSI B450M BAZOOKA
This motherboard was sure to be on our recommendation list as it comes in all sizes ATX, Micro ATX, and Mini-ITX, which quite rare for motherboards because they usually come in a single option of dimension. Even with all three sizes, this motherboard looks really lovely. We will talk about the Micro Atx motherboard in this guide as it is not too small or big and fits almost in every pc plus it has the best worth out of all others. This motherboard’s max CPU support is Ryzen 7. It supports up to 3466 Mhz of ram when overclocked in its 4x DDR4 ram slots; it is a dual memory channel motherboard.
Related: Best Motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600
The VRM of this device is known to be great and will ensure your processor’s maximum performance when overclocked. The massive metal-plated heatsink is sure to keep your pc cool even when using it to its max output.
The 1x PCIe steel armor reinforced port will not let any electromagnetic interference hinder your work and will keep your graphics card in place; although it has only 1 PCIe x16 slot, it is really tough. Its Turbo M.2 port delivers speed up to 32 Gb/s using Gen3 x4 M.2, so you don’t have to worry about the storage either as it has pretty decent speed.
This motherboard supports up to 128 Gbs of ram in its 4x DDR4 ram slots equipping you with even more speed and performance. It has 4x SATA 3 ports for your storage use, providing you with more than enough storage capability. The rear has 4x USB 3.1 Gen1, Type-A ports,1x Realtek 811-H LAN port,4x USB 2.0 ports, three audio ports,1x HDMI, and 1x DVI-D port. It has you covered in the audio-video department as well.
Although, this lacks a heatsink on the VRM SoC for cooling the integrated graphics, do not forget that this is just a budget model. This model has only 1x PCIe slot; you will have to consider something else if you have to use more than 1 GPU, but the ATX model does come with one reinforced and one simple PCIe slot. The price of the ATX model is around $105.
Specifications
Model | B450M BAZOOKA |
Form Factor | Micro ATX |
Chipset | AMD B450 |
Supported Memory | DDR4: 1866Mhz 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz 2800Mhz 2933Mhz 3000Mhz 3200Mhz 3466Mhz |
ECC RAM Support | NO |
M.2 Ports | 1 |
LAN Chipset | Realtek 8111H |
Audio Channels | 7.1 Channels |
Pros
- Great performance at this price point
- GPU and EZ indicators for error detection.
Cons
- lack of a heatsink on the VRM SoC
Conclusion
It is crucial that you carefully analyze all your requirements and consider what motherboard can provide you with the best of it. If you have already decided on certain parts, or have already purchased them before the motherboard, then it would be advised to go accordingly and see if the motherboard you like is compatible with your choice of components or not.
If the motherboard is the first thing you have started your build research from, then we would recommend the Tomhawak Max as the overall Best Budget B450 Motherboard with outstanding performance potential and aesthetics. But, in case you are tied to a budget limit then, ASRock Pro4 can give you excellent performance for a great price.