ASUS Prime B450M-A DDR4 AMD Motherboard

The ASUS Prime B450M-A is a micro-ATX motherboard built on the AMD B450 chipset, designed for AMD AM4 socket processors including Ryzen 1st Generation, Ryzen 2nd Generation, and Ryzen processors with Radeon Vega Graphics. It offers a dependable platform for first-time builders and experienced enthusiasts alike, combining practical connectivity, solid protection features, and approachable BIOS tools in a compact 9.6 x 9.5 inch (24.4 x 24.0 cm) form factor. Memory support spans four DIMM slots with a maximum capacity of 64 GB using unbuffered DDR4 at speeds of 2133, 2400, and 2666 MHz natively, with overclocked profiles reaching 2800, 3000, and 3200 MHz. The dual-channel memory architecture helps maximise bandwidth for everyday computing and light creative workloads. ECC memory support varies depending on the installed CPU. For storage, the board provides six SATA 6 Gb/s connectors (four from the B450 chipset, two from the CPU) and one M.2 Socket 3 (M-key) supporting both SATA and PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe devices in sizes 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110. RAID 0, 1, and 10 configurations are supported. Display output is handled through integrated graphics on compatible Ryzen APUs, with rear-panel HDMI 2.0b (up to 4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz), DVI-D (up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz), and D-Sub (up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz) ports available simultaneously. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (10 Gbps) and four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (5 Gbps) on the rear panel, plus internal headers for two additional USB 3.1 Gen 1 and four USB 2.0 ports. A Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN controller with ASUS LAN Guard provides wired networking. Audio is handled by a Realtek ALC887 8-channel HD audio CODEC featuring audio shielding, dedicated PCB layers for left and right channels, and Japanese audio capacitors for improved signal fidelity. An Aura RGB strip header enables basic lighting customisation. The ASUS 5X Protection III suite includes SafeSlot Core (reinforced PCIe slot), LANGuard (surge and static protection), Overvoltage Protection, Stainless-Steel Back I/O, and a 6-phase DIGI VRM. Thermal management is handled by a fanless heatsink design supplemented by ASUS Fan Xpert 2 software, with one 4-pin CPU fan header and two 4-pin chassis fan headers on board. The UEFI BIOS (128 Mb Flash ROM, AMI, SMBIOS 3.1, ACPI 6.1) includes ASUS EZ Flash 3, CrashFree BIOS 3, multi-language support, and an EZ Mode interface for straightforward configuration. The board carries a 3-year warranty and ships with an I/O shield, two SATA 6 Gb/s cables, an M.2 screw package, and a support DVD. Verified Specifications: - Socket: AMD AM4 - Chipset: AMD B450 - Form Factor: mATX, 9.6 x 9.5 in (24.4 x 24.0 cm) - Memory: 4 x DIMM, max 64 GB DDR4; up to 3200 MHz (O.C.) - Storage: 6 x SATA 6 Gb/s; 1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 / SATA - Display Out: HDMI 2.0b, DVI-D, D-Sub - USB (rear): 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2, 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 - LAN: Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit - Audio: Realtek ALC887 8-ch HD - BIOS: UEFI AMI, 128 Mb Flash ROM - Warranty: 3 Years