B350 vs B450

Amid the release of AMD’s Ryzen CPUs, including 2nd generation 12nm cores, motherboards that feature the B350 chipset have remained a popular choice for PC enthusiasts looking for a reliable, affordable motherboard.

That was, until, the release of the B450 chipset motherboard, which had many people questioning whether an upgrade was worth it. The B450 was released with the promise of more speed, headroom for overclocking, and better overall performance, but does that make it the better choice?

As both types of motherboard chipsets are compatible with Ryzen CPUs, it can be hard to make a clear decision on which one offers the best performance, especially as they both fall in the mid-range category – that’s where we come in.

Below, you’ll find a comparison review of these two chipsets. We’ve taken a look at their main differences and stacked them against each other to see which one comes out on top so that you can discover which one is best for you.

AMD B350:

As the older chipset, the B350 is compatible with CPUs of old and new, including:

• Bristol Ridge CPUs – AMD APUs that have Radeon R7 Graphics, including A6, A8, A10, and A12.
• Summit Ridge CPUs – 1st Generation Ryzen Processors
• Pinnacle Ridge – 2nd Generation Ryzen Processors
• Raven Ridge – New Generation AMD APUs that have Radeon Vega Graphics

AMD B450:

As the newer chipset, the B450 is compatible with:

• Summit Ridge CPUs – 1st Generation Ryzen Processors
• Pinnacle Ridge – 2nd Generation Ryzen Processors
• Raven Ridge – New Generation AMD APUs that have Radeon Vega Graphics
• ZEN 3 – Ryzen 5000 processors

Just by taking a look at the above information, the AMD B350 chipset is better-suited to those that own an older-generation processor. In contrast, as the newer chipset out of the two, the B450 supports processors that are still widely being used in the present day.

On a chipset level, the differences between the two aren’t that obvious. For starters, the AMD B350 Chipset is a mid-range offering that comes with SATA ports, PCI-E ports, and USB ports. As the B350 Chipset doesn’t support CrossFire or SLI, it’s a good choice for PC and gaming enthusiasts that are looking for overclocking ability and connectivity flexibility, though it’s not so great for those that are wanting PCIe bandwidth.

In a similar fashion, the AMD B450 chipset is another mid-range choice, though it does offer some upgrades to the B350. Motherboards that feature the B450 chipset often feature larger heatsinks and have better-overclocking control thanks to a core boost. Most specifically, the B450 chipset offers a performance uplift and better data-handling capabilities, all thanks to AMD’s StoreMI storage acceleration technology, which brings us to our next section.

One of the main ways that the B450 trumps the B350 is the addition of AMD’s StoreMI Storage Acceleration Technology. Unlike the B350, the B450 chipset is able to utilize this feature to improve the overall speed and performance. Wondering how? Well, without requiring any additional hardware parts, StoreMI Acceleration Technology is able to work by combining your HDD and SSD together. By combining the Solid State Drive together with the Hard Disk Drive, it creates one big drive that helps to boost performance by combining the speed of the SSD with the large memory capacity of the HDD.

This is a clear advantage over the older, B350 chipset, as the AMD StoreMI Storage Acceleration Technology is only available on 400-series chipsets. Not only that but in addition to offering better multitasking capabilities and a more streamlined user experience, AMD StoreMI Technology will allow you to utilize the maximum storage capacity without any issues. This makes the B450 chipset an attractive choice for gamers and PC enthusiasts that want to maximize the performance of their processor and utilize the power of a high-quality SSD without breaking the bank.

So, which one is the best? Just by taking a look at the differences above, both chipsets stack up pretty well by today’s standards. We have to say, though, AMD’s 400-series chipset comes with impressive improvements that make it a worthy upgrade to the B350. B450 motherboards will vary depending on the manufacturer, but generally, this chipset is able to create motherboards that bring a whole lot more to the table than the B350 motherboards.

For instance, AMD Precision Boost technology is able to help improve overclocking abilities, AMD StoreMI technology improves storage and data-handling abilities, while space for larger heatsinks helps to keep temperatures low. On top of that, the B450 chipset is quicker, offers reliable performance, and is compatible with most modern-day processors.