Today we will be reading about two fantastic gaming motherboards. They are the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge vs Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming motherboards. Both the makers produce exceptional products for their consumers.
We can vouch for that. You will be delighted to use the MPG B55) Gaming Edge motherboard that comes with astonishing features. The maker has produced something that can deliver. This aspect shows its real intent coming from the slow-down faced with the X570 Gaming Edge.
Its foundation for designing a sublime product is there. Besides, the VRM was exceptionally stunning, and the cooling technology was tremendous. Our tester noticed that it is a small motherboard with similar specifications and the exact pricing of the MAG B550 Tomahawk.
On the other hand, the Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming motherboard comes with incredible powers. Asus has always managed to produce some capable chipsets that far outweigh their true capabilities.
You can instantly notice that the chipset works stunningly well with 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen CPUs. It comes with phenomenal speeds for users, gamers, and programmers. That is because with the dual-channel DDR4 memory can work for 128GB.
You can also notice that it comes with 2 M.2 slots coming with PCIe 4.0. The gaming motherboard has a 2.5GB Ethernet providing 2.5 times faster standard Ethernet connections. They are handy for quick transfer of files, lag-free gaming, and high-resolution gaming videos.
Users will want to know that the chipset is powered by 12+2 DrMOS power stages powered by high-quality alloy chokes. It comes with durable capacitors accompanied by high-core AMD CPUs. The maker is popular for the cooling technology infused in it.
The model has a fanless VRM and heatsink that provides you with Stack Cool 3+ design to enable you to run the system durably under heavy loads. It is able to enhance the passive cooling capacity for vital onboard components.
Can the two gaming motherboards live up to the expectations of the users? It is for us to find out. Besides, you will also want to read who the winner is at the end of the review. Let us not get into the review and find out the one that can help you the most.
 |  |
|---|---|
| MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge | Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming |
| PROS | PROS |
| The model has an upgraded and sturdy VRM. The unit comes with unique passive cooling elements. It has a 6 layered PCB (PCIe 4.0 ready). It is infused with a 5,100 MHz RAM clock. The product has a Wi-Fi 6 for connectivity. | The unit comes opulently designed. The model is a capable 14-phase power delivery. It has 2.5 GbE LAN and Wi-Fi 6 AX200. It comes with exceptional audio quality. The product is a fan-less VRM and chipset heatsinks. |
| CONS | CONS |
| In terms of specifications, it is quite close to the MAG B550 Tomahawk. | It looks expensive for the features embedded in it. |
Features & Layout
The MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge motherboard comes with stupendous packaging features. Our tester was happy overall with the packing of the motherboard. They have not overdone it more than what they should.
The grey-inspired packaging box is quite nicely toned and placed. You can notice the product in it. The maker is not known for the packaging skills like Gigabyte and Asus. But they have done a magnificent job here.
As soon as you remove the motherboard from the package, you can notice 6 layered PCB ATX units. This is a good upgrade from the MPG X570 Gaming Edge that came with only 4 layers. Besides, there is also an added signal isolation for stable PCIe 4.0 support.
You will also be glad to know that it comes with a VRM heat dissipation. We also felt that the audio performance was opulent. This is a sublime motherboard for a performant and durable motherboard.
The AM4 socket can support AMD RYZEN 3000 series and the AMD RYZEN 5000 series. Please note that the chipset won’t work with the Ryzen 3000G series. It supports only the PCIe 4.0 CPU support providing you with CPU PCIe 4.0 lanes.
The VRM is the same as found on the MAG B550 TOMAHAWK. You have 12 60 amps Powers stages that can be used according to your needs. Additionally, you can also make use of the 6 parallel phases providing you with an impressive 600 AMPs to the CPU.
It is powerful enough to overclock processors that come in Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series. You would be happy to note that the contact thermo-padded design enhances heat diffusion. There is a simple use of component that adds a ton of VRM value.
The Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming motherboard comes with stupendous looks. You will want the appearance looking amazing. Probably this could be the reason because of B550 models exploding on the horizon.
Though B550 units are cheaper units compared to X570 motherboards, the makers have given you several options priced at $150 and $300. It comes with a single x16 PCIe slot, angle to upgrade to a new Zen 3 processor, and M.2 NVMe storage slot.
You can also make use of the motherboard for the 9000 MHz in the sub-zero conditions. Gamers would delight in the fact that the unit is able to strike a superb balance with the design, few enhanced cooling, and premium controller support.
Some of the main features include 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, plenty of USB 3.2 Gen 2 support. There is also the audio with the SupremeFX S1200A HD audio codec. With the Asus model, users can notice slowed delivery of power.
Overall, both gaming motherboards come with incredible power. You can make use of the models in an excellent capacity. The features & layout could not have been done more remarkably.
Software and Firmware
The software and firmware of the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge gaming motherboard are quite good. It comes with a BIOS flashback button and a good update for recovering your BIOS on the go.
You can also find the PS/2 connector that contains no latency players. It comes with close to the 2x display outputs. They are used for integrated graphics (HDMI 2.0 / DP 1.4) to up to 60 FPS 4k. This unit also has 2 2nd Gen USB plugs, 2 3.2 2nd GEN USB plus, and the C.
You will be delighted to know that the model has a 2.5 gigabit LAN that can be upgraded to the B450 or X570 variant. There is also the Wi-Fi 6 AX201 to transfer close to 2.4 Gb/s. You have a mid-range CLA 1200 Realtek audio codec for the 6 PCB layers board.
They both come with left and proper audio channels for tracing separate and dedicated PCB layers. It also comes with better static isolation when you are recording. Similarly, you also have the Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming motherboard with 2 different modes for users.
Gamers can make use of the BIOS: EZ and Advanced. It comes with the EZ mode infused with XMP support known as DOCP. The firmware also comes with a grey background embedded with the white and red highlights located both at the bottom and top of the GUI.
You will be delighted to know that the maker produces the most consistent firmware in the market. The Rog BIOS is the best because it is durable and reliable. Besides, you can ensure that it comes quite responsive to the USB keyboard and mouse.
Users also found that it is nicely laid out and simple to navigate. You can find the Armory Crate. It comes with Windows when installed and some extra software helping you with the chipset and controller drivers.
You can disable it if you want. It also means that the driver CD is bundled with the motherboard is not actually required when you have the internet connection.
Overclocking
The MSI MPG B500 Gaming Edge gaming motherboard comes with flawless overclocking. There are many ways you can overclock the AMD platform based on your requirements. When you want to make use of single-threaded performance, use the Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) by adjusting the components.
When you can utilize all threads and cores, additionally, you can set a manual CPU multiplier, and voltage is the ultimate route. Though the latter hits the single-threaded performance. Gamers find that the thread performance can be increased from the base.
You can note that the board has 8 nested PWM FAN connectors; 1 can support a water pump. Users will want to use a high-performance motherboard. You will be glad to know that the unit can effortlessly manage the cooling solutions thrown at it.
The motherboard also comes with an EZ debugger that is a very important component in there. You can also not resist the ability to find that the CPU and RAM opulently overclock all the limits.
Similarly, the Asus Rog Strix B500-F Gaming motherboard in the AMD B550 series lets gamers overclock both the memory and processor. The B550 models have come out exceptionally, helping the processor run like never before on the Ryzen 3000 series.
Our tester felt that the engineers at the Asus Republic of Gamers were friendly for navigation. Besides, you can make use of the options for overclocking the processor and memory. You can find the setting in the AI Tweaker menu that has all CPU options.
You can set the CPU ratio to 100 MHz increments. The VRM power options make use of the overclocks when you are going above the settings. It also comes with tweakable options for the sub-zero overclocker.
Users would want to know that AMD recommends gamers to make use of the DDR4-3600 coming with the FCLK set to 1800 MHz for optimal performance. The experience using overclocking the Rog Strix was terrific.
The overclocking speeds of the MPG B550 Gaming Edge unit were pleasant, and the motherboard did awesomely. The same can be said about the Rog Strix B550-F Gaming unit comes with an exceptional level of performance, the benchmark in frequency by 100 MHz.
Price
The MSI MPG B550 Gaming edge motherboard is priced under $200. Our tester felt that the motherboard comes infused with stupendous features in them. It is compatible with the 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen processor, comes with dual-channel DDR4 memory up to 128GB, and RGB LED lighting, and extendable pin headers.
The Asus Rog Strix B550-F gaming motherboard is priced under $210. Our tester found that the model has Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen CPUs, 4 memory slots support dual-channel DDR4 memory up to 128 GB, and fanless VRM and chipset heatsinks.
Both the gaming motherboards have sufficient capabilities to run opulently and take care of their features.
Verdict
There you go; this is the end of the review. We hope that you have enjoyed reading and finding out more about these two fabulous gaming motherboards. It was a closely fought battle, with both the gaming motherboards coming with fantastic specifications.
The MSI MPG B550 gaming edge motherboard has the advantage over the Rog Strix, coming with the 3 more fan headers, having a TPM connector, and ideal support for Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). There are also 0.1 Bluetooth version and 1 more PS/2 port.
Likewise, the Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming motherboard can be the better unit as it is easy to overclock, has 2 more USB 3.0 ports, and 10dB higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). You can also find that the unit comes with 0.9 more audio channels and 1 more PCIe x1 slot.
A model is an excellent option for those who are willing to use more than 1 M.2 drive and may want to use a single M.2 drive with SATA drives. You can make use of the latest Asus BIOS features.
Our tester felt that the 370-Pro is much better than this motherboard in the BIOS segment. We also noticed that you would find it challenging to come out of the GPU without breaking off the safe slot latch.
This is a major flaw because you have to remove the GPU several times during setup. We also found that the troubleshooting feature came to a standstill. These reasons don’t do the Asus Rog Strix any favors.
Our winner in the review between the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge vs Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming unit would be the MPG B550 Gaming Edge motherboard. The Asus model comes with its own capabilities and powers that you can use.
Sadly, we cannot recommend it in this review compared to the MSI MPG B550.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.