If you're getting Ryzen 3xxx which board?

[RobertR1]

I'd keep an eye on gamers nexus if you want good reviews of motherboards.

The bigger the chip the more vital VRM's become. If you're going for a lower spec chip, VRM's aren't that important.

 

[Bob Gnarley]

And what is the difference between an 2600x and a non-x processor?

With first and second gen Ryzen all processors are manufactured as 1800x/2700x. The binning process then decides where in the product stack a processor sits. If one or more cores prove to be unstable for some reason, they can be locked and the processor becomes a 1600x/2600x or whatever. Keeps manufacturing costs down by producing less waste.

With first and second gen, "X" chips are slightly better binned, generally able to maintain high clocks at lower power draw then non "X". With third gen the "X" nomenclature seems pretty random so...

As many of you know third gen Ryzen is based on the completely new chiplet architecture as are the new Epyc Rome server processors. The binning process means that the very best silicone will be used for Rome while we get the stuff that didn't make the cut.

Now don't get me wrong here, everything will work as advertised, no problems. But any overclocker's hoping for golden silicone should probably not hold their breath.

B450/x470 will be fine for up to a 12 core@stock (be sure to get latest bios!). Anyone planning a 16 core or to o/c the stink out of a 12 core should consider x570. Am4 is getting a bit long in the tooth now, not much point going overboard for a platform that may yet be replaced next gen.

Have had a great experience with R5 1600@3.96Ghz the last couple of years, so it seems unnecessary but i'm hoping to pop one of the cheaper 8 cores into this x370 (Asus Prime Pro) and see what it's got!

 

[robt100]

One thing I remember hearing on one of the reviews on youtube (although it was mentioned in passing as it was not 'relevant' at the time) is that B550 boards will be out at the start of next year, so If anyone is like me and needs a good 12 months to save up, it might be worth holding out if the budget is tight but you still want Pcie4 (which I assume it'll have?!)

 

[Nick Gregory]

I plan to go for ITX since I've wanted to go ITX for a while now. Mostly because mATX is falling out of favor, which is a shame because it's a happy medium between size and having extra expansion slots.