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ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI vs GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI scores 7.3/10 overall, ahead of the GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE at 5.4/10.

The ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI leads on platform and features, connectivity, power delivery and value.

The GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE leads on BIOS and support.

The biggest difference is connectivity, where the ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI scores 8/10 to the GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE's 4/10.

ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI

ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI

7.3/10verdict: buy

The ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI is an ATX AM5 board for building a mainstream Ryzen 9000, 8000 or 7000 desktop. It suits buyers who want PCIe 5.0 graphics, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE and a 20Gbps USB-C port on one board. It is less suited to extreme overclockers or anyone who needs several PCIe 5.0 drives.

Typically about £184.90 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE

GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE

5.4/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a micro-ATX AM4 board for compact Ryzen 5000 builds that need fast storage and simple setup. It suits buyers who want PCIe 4.0, two M.2 slots and four SATA ports without paying for extras. It is less suited to anyone who wants 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi or USB-C built in.

Typically about £87 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFIGIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE
Platform and features25%7/106/10
Connectivity25%8/104/10
Power delivery20%8/105/10
BIOS and support15%6/107/10
Value15%7/106/10
Overall7.3/105.4/10

Specifications

SpecASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFIGIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE
SocketAM5; supports AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 seriesAMD Socket AM4; supports Ryzen 5000, 5000 G-Series, 4000 G-Series, Ryzen 3000 and 3000 G-Series
ChipsetAMD B850AMD B550
Form factorATX, 30.5 x 24.4 cmMicro ATX (24.4 × 24.4 cm)
MemoryDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, maximum 256GB, up to 8000+ MT/s overclocked, ECC and non-ECC unbuffered supportDDR4 only; 4 DIMM slots, dual channel, up to 128 GB (32 GB per DIMM); DDR4 4733 overclock, 3200 and below standard; ECC and non-ECC unbuffered; XMP; ECC mode depends on CPU
M.2 slotsThree Key M slots: M.2_1 is 2280 PCIe 5.0 x4 with Ryzen 9000 and 7000 CPUs; M.2_2 is PCIe 4.0 x4; M.2_3 is 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 sharing bandwidth with the second x16 slotTwo M.2 slots: M2A_CPU (PCIe 4.0 x4 with Ryzen 5000/3000, PCIe 3.0 x4 with G-Series; 2242/2260/2280/22110; SATA or NVMe) and M2B_SB (chipset, PCIe 3.0 x2; 2242/2260/2280)
PCIe slotsOne PCIe 5.0 x16; one PCIe 4.0 x16 (x8/x4 on 8000 series CPUs, x4 on chipset); two PCIe 4.0 x1One PCIEX16 slot from CPU (PCIe 4.0 x16 with Ryzen 5000/3000, 3.0 with G-Series); one x16-length slot wired PCIe 3.0 x4 from chipset; one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot; no PCIe 5.0
NetworkingRealtek 2.5Gb Ethernet; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, 2x2) with Bluetooth 5.4Realtek GbE LAN, 1 Gbps; no 2.5GbE; no Wi-Fi on this non-AX revision
Rear USBRear (10 ports): one USB 20Gbps Type-C, three USB 10Gbps Type-A, four USB 5Gbps Type-A, two USB 2.0. Front: one USB 10Gbps Type-C, one USB 5Gbps header, two USB 2.0 headers. USB4 only via internal Thunderbolt headerRear: 4 × USB 3.2 Gen 1 from CPU, 4 × USB 2.0/1.1; no rear USB-C, no USB4. Internal: 1 × USB 3.2 Gen 1 header, 1 × USB 2.0 header; no front USB-C header

Strengths and weaknesses

ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI

  • + Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE and a rear 20Gbps USB-C port
  • + 14+2+1 80A DrMOS power stages with 8+8 pin power
  • + BIOS FlashBack button plus EZ Flash 3 and CrashFree BIOS 3
  • − Only one M.2 slot runs at PCIe 5.0
  • − USB4 only through an internal Thunderbolt header
  • − Some owners report memory and boot problems

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want more than one PCIe 5.0 M.2 drive
  • Buyers who need USB4 ports on the rear panel
  • Extreme overclockers pushing heavy voltage and power limits
Read the full ASUS TUF GAMING B850-PLUS WIFI review ›

GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE

  • + PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slot wired to the CPU
  • + Q-Flash Plus updates BIOS without a CPU installed
  • + Owners report easy BIOS access and good memory compatibility
  • − Only 1GbE and no Wi-Fi on this non-AX revision
  • − No rear USB-C and no front USB-C header
  • − Owners report too few fan headers

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want 2.5GbE or Wi-Fi without adding a card or choosing the AX model
  • Builders who need a front USB-C header or rear USB-C for their case and peripherals
  • Anyone planning a high-wattage Ryzen build beyond the 65W to 95W range the Vividrepairs review describes
Read the full GIGABYTE B550M AORUS ELITE review ›

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