ASRock B550M ITX AC Budget ITX AM4 Board With A Safety BIOS Block?

[@mikesunboxing]

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[@Kujokouklos]

Excellent review mate! Using the AORUS B550 mini itx myself here. It is awesome to have more options in the itx sector! Thanks for sharing man!

[@mikesunboxing]

No problem 👍Thanks for watching!

[@uglybob7505]

Ah the "air conditioned" motherboard lol. As far as ITX boards are then it hits the spot as regards a HTPC build with it being so small, maybe a bit of light gaming if that takes your fancy. Strange about not being able to update the BIOS for older CPUs but Im sure thats something that ASRock will address in due course. Shame about the sound capabilities on board but I think for the price it wouldnt be a deal-breaker for me. Im really keen on seeing the GELID CPU cooler on this, its gonna dwarf the mobo lol. Great detailed video Mike and Kath, thanks as always. I'll see YOU in the next video :)

[@mikesunboxing]

Lol stolen my catchphrase bob!

[@uglybob7505]

@@mikesunboxing Bwuahahaha is nothing sacred. Actually, doesnt Kev have it on a t-shirt ?

[@mikesunboxing]

Kev says I’ll see you later

[@Andrew-he4cu]

Just FYI: it’s not “Doctor MOS.” It’s “DrMOS” as in “Driver + Mosfet.” Good video.

[@mikesunboxing]

Thanks Andrew :-)

[@Andrew-he4cu]

@@mikesunboxing I can also confirm that ASRock has kept the BIOS update blocker in place for the 3200G. I tried updating the BIOS to 1.60 which reverts to 1.00 upon restart. This isn’t the case for Zen 2 (and presumably Zen 3) CPUs. On the bright side, the 3200G works fine with BIOS 1.00.

[@blitzir]

Doctor Mos is catchy tho

[@PaulBakewell]

As a cheapo ITX builder this could be the MB for me. I bet Lillian Jasmyn (below) has never build a PC. Great video, Thanks Mike.

[@mikesunboxing]

You bet

[@catsspat]

AsRock's BIOS page says, "To support Ryzen 5000 G-series processors, it requires to update the BIOS with Matisse, Renoir or Vermeer CPU." I think there's some addressing limitation with earlier processors (Pinnacle Ridge, Summit Ridge, Picasso, and Raven) where they can't even access the BIOS address ranges necessary to switch to the newer revision.

[@ososanity52]

I'm pairing this with R5 5600, do I need to update the bios?

[@kreuner11]

​​​@@ososanity52if your motherboard is made after 2021, no. the box should say "Ryzen 5000 ready"

[@ailluinthethyra6139]

They probably hardcoded the requirement to have at least a Zen 2(non APU) or newer processor to update the BIOS to prevent a no POST situation after an update and get flooded with unwarranted RMA's. This is so that they can cover their ass if AMD decided to lock out Zen 2 APU, Zen+ & older processors in later BIOS revisions which makes sense IMO because they are not officially supported. I've seen one star rating from people who bought B550 & A520 with Zen2 APU's(3200G, 3400G which are not officially supported) that can't POST so yeah people can be careless/stupid and blame the manufacturer.

[@mikesunboxing]

Yeah it happens a lot

[@stolenhal0]

I just read a Reddit where a buyer got a 3200g to post just fine on bios v1.0. He was oblivious during purchase but decided to continue after noticing early on in the build and continued out or curiosity/desperation.

[@patricklebel1141]

What would be interresting to see is if you flash it with zen2, and it update, will it still work with zen1? And with zen2, can it be flashed back to the original version(that you had previously backed up)? Because, according to AMD, at least on 4xx board, it will not be possible to go back. That's why having a board with dual bios may come helpful here.

[@mikesunboxing]

good idea i might try that

[@chilldeen4590]

i'm thinking of building an itx PC with a ryzen 5 5600G on a budget, which motherboard do u think would be better, this Asrock or the Gigabyte A520i-AC?

[@mikesunboxing]

not much in it, i would go with the b550 over the a520 for sure if the same of similar price

[@himanologanor4093]

i`m surprised it even posted with that old 2200G , it`s supposed to work only with and above 3XXX series (except maybe 3200G and 3400G)

[@mikesunboxing]

Yeah this is becoming a frequent thing on this boards from my experience

[@JohnDavidSullivan]

Great review mate. I have always wanted to do an ITX build but too many PC's, wifey would have a field day if I added one more :-)

[@mikesunboxing]

Lucky it is small you could hide it somewhere?

[@JohnDavidSullivan]

@@mikesunboxing 😂 added to the list

[@Senrab46]

Due to current high prices both new and used with limited options in 2024 I am looking at budget itx for bedroom pc. This review caught my eye but recall you dont use the htpc much but how would you compare to trhe Gigabyte A520i? I have a spare R5600 so assume to flash Asrock I cannot use R1200 nor spare to update bios. Interesting review, thanks Mike and Kath 👍

[@mikesunboxing]

the a520i is fine for basic tasks, but make sure to get a newer fresher stock one or the bios flashing could be a nightmare if you don't have a cpu to use, although i loan of one from amazon for 30 days might work :-)

[@Senrab46]

@@mikesunboxing Thanks Mike👌

[@BattlesuitBoBos]

Hi Mike, thanks for the video! I bought the motherboard based on your review, but I am having trouble with the fan control in the BIOS. I'm running BIOS 1.50 and a kraken x53, and I tried two different setups: Firstly, with the pump plugged into "cpu-fan" and the fan splitter plugged into "cha_fan1" (this is according to the nzxt manual) - Pump remains in the 1000rpm range, and fans are running from 600-1400rpm depending on CPU temp. It is nice and quiet, but things tend to get on the toasty side when stressing the system a little. Plugging new values in the BIOS has no effect. Secondly, If I plug the splitter into cpu_fan, and the pump into cha_fan1: The fans will run at 100% at all times, and the pump will remain in the 1000rpm range. Again, any values I change in the BIOS have no effect (this includes setting cha_fan1 to w_pump). Something to note is that I am using the default triple-fan splitter that came with the kraken x53, and I swapped the NZXT fans out for a pair of 3-pin Arctic P12s. From my understanding, this should not be an issue, right? Regardless, thank you for taking the time to read thus far. Any help on the matter is greatly appreciated.

[@mikesunboxing]

This is maybe easier to fix or at least advise if we can ask more questions and get direct answers, so feel free to join our Discord chat and we can go over it in more detail discord.gg/gaeeDPw

[@sebastianaguinagavelasquez4747]

Did you try connecting both to "cha_fan". I'm arming My coputer and i don't know where plug😢

[@BattlesuitBoBos]

@@sebastianaguinagavelasquez4747 I plugged pump in CPU fan and fans to CHA_FAN just make sure if you are using 4-pin cable you use PWM mode and if using 3-pin cable you are using DC mode

[@sebastianaguinagavelasquez4747]

@@BattlesuitBoBos Ty men, i appreciate it. Is cpu fan supply enough to aio pump?

[@BattlesuitBoBos]

@@sebastianaguinagavelasquez4747 yep

[@skystalker7700]

Great review, Mike! That is a really neat board, to be sure. The CPU support for the B550 chipset is bizarre - how would you actually know if the 2200G/3200G/3400G would work unless you plugged it in? Do you need to upgrade the BIOS for the 5000 series? How do you do that unless you have a non-apu 3000 series chip? Very strange.

[@mikesunboxing]

Yeah it is a bit of a mess but I guess being able to use some of the older chips will at least give an option for flashing bios for the 5000 series

[@uglybob7505]

You gorgeous man Sky !!!

[@OlettaLiano]

Hi Mike. Are you sure you have the bios update for the wi-fi version? I ask because when I had the ASUS X570 Tuff Gaming Wi-Fi mobo I had the same problem. After a few tries I found out I had the non wi-fi version of the bios update. I downloaded the wi-fi version and the bios updated properly.

[@mikesunboxing]

gonna have to look again now :-)

[@rallyscoot]

The audio could be at least ALC892/7 - ALC1150.. Its funny they still use old audio codecs. (guessing they have a big heap of them which they could not get rid off.)

[@mikesunboxing]

It is cheap and probably like you said tons of availability

[@andrewsherriff1702]

loving the channel just wondering what board would you use for a micro/atx build for a first build by a beginner into computers without spending a fortune, icore /amd not sure dont know which is best for home computing and able to game decent game thanks hope to here from you

[@mikesunboxing]

i would suggest the MSI B550 -a pro or the Asrock B550 phantom gaming 4 depending on your budget. We have a dedicated area on our discord chat for just this type of thing

[@Modest_Player]

Hi Mike, I see you have recently purchased a Gigabyte B450 i Aorus Pro Wi-Fi ITX...How would you compare this vs the gigabyte? In my country (Italy), these are the only available options for AM4 ITX builds. Thank you!

[@mikesunboxing]

If you have 2200g or 2400g the gigabyte is better as it is directly supported for 5600g or 5700g the asrock would be my choice

[@bitupon10]

Is it worth it over the asrock b450 itx mobo since pcie gen 4 hardly makes a difference in game right now.? i would be slotting in a 3600/5600x and 5600xt gpu.

[@mikesunboxing]

It is a tough call to be honest I would compare pricing and also consider future development with the infinity cache etc which is possibly a factor

[@bitupon10]

@@mikesunboxing Is the Sound card really that bad to avoid this mobo? Cause where i live the b450i is around 70 usd cheaper.

[@silvio2402]

Can I use this board with a Ryzen 5 5600X in it or do I need to update bios for it to work? And how do I update the bios without another cpu? I have heard you can do it with a USB Stick but do I just plug the usb in and turn it on? Some boards have a BIOS button so that kinda confuses me. Thanks for your reply!

[@mikesunboxing]

if you buy one make sure it has the 5000 series ready sticker on it, or you will need the seller to flash it for you first as this board doesn't have an auto USB flash system, it will need to boot with a compatible CPU to flash to the newer bios

[@silvio2402]

@@mikesunboxing Thank you for your help!

[@mikesunboxing]

@@silvio2402 No problem :-)

[@thelasthallow]

if you have gotten a 5000 series CPU would you try to re flash the bios now? also there have been 1 or 2 new bioses released since this video so maby try them to?

[@mikesunboxing]

yeah sure the latest one is often the best choice

[@thelasthallow]

@@mikesunboxing yeah it is, but im asking if you still have this motherboard to re visit it and try to update the bios and see how it is with a 5xxx CPU.

[@iritantNL]

There is this small connector between the memory connector and the lower cooler mounting bracket. What's is it for? There is no info about it in the manual.

[@mikesunboxing]

not sure looking at it probably for eprom progamming at the factory

[@stolenhal0]

Too bad that they aren't 3000 series apu compatible. Would've been a good combo for a soon to be spare 3200g [from my secondary PC] to use as media center.

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it would

[@sidy1611]

Hi Mike will the bios get updated if I do and bios update with 2200g and and then switch to 5600x at restart

[@mikesunboxing]

Not sure but it should do I haven’t been able to get a 5000 chip

[@sidy1611]

@@mikesunboxing I just tried that . It worked . 1st updated bios with 2200g then at restart replaced it with 5600x. .. bios is right now showing as 1.10

[@FEROXIXOR]

Does support aio water pump? Im thinking of buying kraken x53 rgb. Will it work properly?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes i don't see why not

[@GizmoTheGreen]

installing nvme on this is kind of weird! no matter what I do as I put the heatsink on the ssd "bends"... the notch is sitting on the lip where it's supposed to.

[@mikesunboxing]

This is maybe easier to fix or at least advise if we can ask more questions and get direct answers, so feel free to join our Discord chat and we can go over it in more detail discord.gg/XtBTGQ6BDu Agree to the rules by clicking the emoji and you will get access to the rest of the Discord channels

[@GizmoTheGreen]

I was contemplating posting on some kind of reddit but I'll do this. Will join your discord when I get home

[@Minimalici0us]

Its perfect for a simple home trading PC

[@mikesunboxing]

Yes it is. Thanks for watching :-)

[@subby788]

Just lacking a usb 3 gen 2 header

[@mikesunboxing]

Yeah that would be handy for sure

[@MartyMcFlyTop1]

How d'u think - is it OK if I put Ryzen 5900x on this motherboard? I saw peopla put 3900x and it was good.

[@mikesunboxing]

i don't see why not, just make sure you have some way of updating the bios before hand

[@MartyMcFlyTop1]

@@mikesunboxing the question is - is this VRM system enough for ryzen 9?

[@RetroGG-74]

I'd like to use a 4650g and 3600 memory with this , does the bios allow for OC of memory and integrated graphics ?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it seems to

[@fikriilhamfadhillah4467]

i'm currently looking into this motherboard, can we change the wifi module? maybe to like intel wifi ax?

[@mikesunboxing]

it does seem possible yes

[@jeddimaster5393]

This or msi b450i gaming plus? Pls help

[@mikesunboxing]

not tried the other one so can't really comment

[@flyone8350]

Will that fit in a Shuttle XPC G2 case?

[@mikesunboxing]

i don't think so, those shuttle PCs usually use a custom fit motherboard

[@Gamingcs11692]

Can you use a GTX 1080 with this motherboard?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes you can

[@Gamingcs11692]

@@mikesunboxing I didn't realize you had replied back thank you. I was curious about about that motherboard and wasn't sure. I asked the seller about it and the seller didn't know either so that was interesting.

[@loveswe123]

will it be desktop ready for 4th gen Ryzen out of the box?

[@mikesunboxing]

4th gen is a long way off so i would doubt it

[@tshapedl]

Will this board work with ryzen 5 2600?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it will at the moment if they don't change the bios

[@nasyaramadhana6788]

gpu slot is pcie gen 4 or not?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it is

[@pbjames]

Could this run a 5700x fine?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it can

[@mo0rkszz94]

Am i wrong by using this for gaming? This is the cheapest mobo I could find here in mexico that supports ryzen 5 3600 and has wifi.

[@mikesunboxing]

No it is fine

[@heldermartins4855]

I would like to use it with a ryzen 2200g, does it work?

[@mikesunboxing]

mine did but i don't recall which bios revision it was on sorry

[@heldermartins4855]

@@mikesunboxing thanks. I am trying to make it work but nothing happens. :(

[@mikesunboxing]

@@heldermartins4855 This is maybe easier to fix or at least advise if we can ask more questions and get direct answers, so feel free to join our Discord chat and we can go over it in more detail discord.gg/gaeeDPw

[@lon3wolf491]

Is this mobo is good for ryzen 7 3700x???

[@mikesunboxing]

yes should be

[@RJRC_105]

Can confirm. I have a 3700X on one of these in a Kolink Rocket. But make sure you have plenty airflow though.

[@RafaelTorres-fy1cf]

How do you reset the cmos?

[@mikesunboxing]

remove the cmos battery and short the cmos reset pins with a metal object

[@coppp6034]

Can I use this with Ryzen 5700X ?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes

[@TurboD16z6]

will this work with a ryzen 7 2700x ?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it appears to from the comments i am getting

[@aehabalshmre120]

I like it

[@mikesunboxing]

Thanks for watching :-)

[@ClarkTomato]

will this work with the ryzen 5 5600x out of the box?

[@mikesunboxing]

unlikely unless it is brand new stock that has been flashed already

[@ajokhio11]

It does have a USB that allows you to flash the bios without an older cpu right? Like if I buy this board and 5600x I'll be able to update withough a 3xxx series lying around?

[@mikesunboxing]

@@ajokhio11 you will need an older cpu or apu to update it via usb there isn't any flashback feature on this board

[@malteheierhofff6460]

Can I put a ryzen 5 5600x in it?

[@mikesunboxing]

yes but you are likely to need a bios update

[@malteheierhofff6460]

Does it have built in Bluetooth or do i have to buy a adapter?

[@mikesunboxing]

@@malteheierhofff6460 yes built in wifi and bluetooth

[@budgetking2591]

I feel like Asrock is slacking in AM4 after they made the x470 Taichi

[@mikesunboxing]

really? i don't see that, but maybe you are right

[@budgetking2591]

@@mikesunboxing i was dissapointed in their whole b450 lineup, and now also not really feeling their b550, i feel like MSI beat them again, maybe im wrong and i dont see the whole picture yet, but from what i've seen so far.

[@anielmendonca2878]

it´s like

[@mikesunboxing]

Thanks for watching, Taz

[@mikesunboxing]

thanks Taz / Aniel how are you?

[@stephancardenas-navarro127]

Has someone confirmed that it works with 3400g??, that's the cpu I have at the moment and don't want to invest in a board that will not run 😱

[@mikesunboxing]

i'll try in on mine and let you know

[@stephancardenas-navarro127]

@@mikesunboxing awesome content bro, thank you so much for your help and info 💪🏼

[@evanatkinson2469]

Any updates on this support for 3400g and the funky BIOS upgrade mechanism? I'm in the same situation.

[@BigPearcey]

Will it work with a Ryzen 3 3100

[@mikesunboxing]

yes it will