ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming DDR4 AMD Motherboard

The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is a full-size ATX motherboard built around AMD's B550 chipset, designed to seat AMD AM4 processors across the Ryzen 5000 Series, Ryzen 4000 G-Series, and Ryzen 3000 Series desktop families. At 12 × 9.6 inches (30.5 × 24.4 cm), it fits standard ATX mid-tower and full-tower enclosures and delivers a feature set typically associated with higher-tier X570 boards, including first-generation PCIe 4.0 connectivity via the primary M.2 slot. Memory support is generous: four DDR4 DIMM slots accommodate up to 128 GB of unbuffered RAM, with native speeds from DDR4-2133 through DDR4-3200 and overclocked profiles reaching DDR4-5100 (O.C.) depending on the installed processor. Dual-channel memory architecture is supported throughout, and OptiMem II signal-routing technology helps maintain stability at higher frequencies. Storage flexibility comes through two M.2 sockets—the primary slot supports PCIe 4.0 x4 as well as SATA when paired with Ryzen 5000 or 3000 Series CPUs, while the secondary slot operates at PCIe 3.0 x4 or SATA. Six SATA 6 Gb/s ports round out the storage stack, and the B550 chipset enables RAID 0, 1, and 10 configurations. Connectivity is anchored by an Intel I225-V 2.5 Gb Ethernet controller, providing wired speeds 2.5× faster than standard Gigabit connections—useful for large file transfers and latency-sensitive online gaming. The rear I/O panel includes two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (one Type-A, one Type-C), four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, plus HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 outputs for integrated graphics. Audio is handled by the ROG SupremeFX solution, using the S1220A High-Definition Audio CODEC with 8-channel output, dual op-amplifiers, impedance sensing for front and rear headphone outputs, gold-plated jacks, and a claimed 120 dB SNR for stereo playback and 113 dB SNR for recording. An optical S/PDIF output is present on the rear panel. Fan control runs through Fan Xpert 4 software or the UEFI BIOS, with headers for a CPU fan, CPU OPT fan, three chassis fans, and an AIO pump connector. An aluminum M.2 heatsink keeps NVMe drives at stable operating temperatures. Aura Sync RGB is supported via two standard RGB headers and one Addressable Gen 2 header. The BIOS FlashBack button allows firmware updates without an installed CPU or memory module—a meaningful convenience during platform upgrades. The ProCool solid-pin ATX power connector improves contact reliability, and the SafeSlot reinforced PCIe x16 slot adds mechanical durability for heavy graphics cards. Key Verified Specifications: • Socket: AMD AM4 | Chipset: AMD B550 • Compatible CPUs: Ryzen 5000 Series / Ryzen 4000 G-Series / Ryzen 3000 Series • Memory: 4 × DDR4 DIMM, Max 128 GB; DDR4-3200 native, up to DDR4-5100 (O.C.) • M.2 Slots: 2 × (M.2_1: PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA; M.2_2: PCIe 3.0 x4 / SATA) • SATA: 6 × SATA 6 Gb/s | RAID: 0, 1, 10 • PCIe: 1 × PCIe 4.0 x16 (CPU), 1 × PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 mode), 3 × PCIe 3.0 x1 • LAN: Intel I225-V 2.5 Gb Ethernet • Audio: SupremeFX S1220A, 8-channel HD, 120 dB SNR playback • USB (Rear): 2 × USB 3.2 Gen 2, 4 × USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 × USB 2.0 • Video Out: 1 × HDMI 2.1 (4K@60 Hz), 1 × DisplayPort 1.2 • Form Factor: ATX, 30.5 × 24.4 cm • BIOS: 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI • Warranty: 3 Years