Overwhelmed with B850 choice for 9800X3D build (MSI or Gigabyte)

Scam

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Soldato
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Even narrowing it down to Gigabyte (I have good history with them, although limited) and MSI (well recommended) they have so many models!

Looking for something to go in my 9800X3D build w/ 5070 Ti, 2x M.2 SSDs in a Fractal North case if that matters. Was trying to keep it ~£150 mark but OcUK have zero stock on anything at the moment. Any idea when they will? Before Christmas? :confused:

How do the Gigabyte EAGLE Wifi 6E and the MSI PRO B850-S WIFI6E stakc up against each other for example? :confused:

Feeling like I should pull the trigger tonight whilst some are still on BF offers... TIA.
 
Scam said:
How do the Gigabyte EAGLE Wifi 6E and the MSI PRO B850-S WIFI6E stakc up against each other for example? :confused:
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From a quick look, they're fairly similar (each being a lower-end B850 board), but:

B850-S has a stronger VRM than the Eagle.
B850-S has 2.5Gb LAN versus 1Gb on the Eagle.
B850-S has PCI-E 4.0 graphics, versus 5.0 on the Eagle.
B850-S only has 2x M.2 slots, versus 3x M.2 on the Eagle.
 
Thanks @Tetras. I went even deeper into the rabbit hole and both manufacturers have 3-4 mobos around that £150 price range. So I just managed to confuse myself even more :(

I’m guessing PCI-E 4 on the GPU slot would be a mistake at this stage, even if there’s no real world difference. I think since I’ve got one M2 for OS and one M2 for games I want to make sure they’re equal (full channels?) — which isn’t always the case even if they’re rated to PCI-E 5 or 4.

I’d like decent audio, do I even need to pay attention to the audio chip? Should I even care about VRM if I’m not overclocking? :confused:
 
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Have you looked at the AM5 spreadsheet? On mobile right now so don't have the link to hand but it gives you all (too much) of the info youd ever need!
 
Rob_B said:
Have you looked at the AM5 spreadsheet? On mobile right now so don't have the link to hand but it gives you all (too much) of the info youd ever need!
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I have not. When I get a moment at work I will try to find it.
 
Scam said:
Should I even care about VRM if I’m not overclocking? :confused:
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If you're only gaming: no. If you do anything that sticks the CPU at 100% for long periods: yes.

Scam said:
I’m guessing PCI-E 4 on the GPU slot would be a mistake at this stage, even if there’s no real world difference.
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If you only ever buy high-end cards it probably won't make a difference in the lifetime of the PC, but for lower-end cards it is important. I'd agree though, at this point it isn't worth buying a 4.0 board.

Scam said:
I think since I’ve got one M2 for OS and one M2 for games I want to make sure they’re equal (full channels?) — which isn’t always the case even if they’re rated to PCI-E 5 or 4.
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Very unlikely to end up with a board that has lane sharing when using only 2 drives, though if it has multiple (like 4) worth checking what the optimal choice/order is to fill them.

Scam said:
I’d like decent audio, do I even need to pay attention to the audio chip?
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I use £5 headphones so maybe not the right person to answer, but my understanding is that the implementation is as much (or more) important than the codec used, but a high-end codec can suggest they pay more attention to the quality.

The USB codec (4080) has had reports that they can cause issues, but if you google it, most boards sound like they have problems (popping/crackling and the like) :o

Personally, it isn't something I pay much attention to with specs, unless someone asks for optical/SPDIF. Audiophiles usually have an external card rather than using the board anyway.

One option you might not have considered from OCUK is the B650E-F Strix. This was a very popular board (often the cheapest with PCI-E 5.0) last gen and it has a strong VRM, 8-layer PCB, PCI-E 5.0 graphics, good sound and plentiful USB ports. The only negative I'm aware of is the LAN, since it uses the problematic Intel 2.5 Gb.

Scam said:
I have not. When I get a moment at work I will try to find it.
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You can find the link here (it has been updated for the newer boards):

Reddit - The heart of the internet

www.reddit.com www.reddit.com
 
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Between the Eagle and the PRO B850-S, since they're both really solid brands and are both likely to meet the needs of 99% of people, I'd probably narrow it down to whichever one you prefer the design of and the layout out of connectors (e.g. I prefer the USB3 header positioned next to the SATA connectors on the Eagle).
 
Hmn. Been travelling/busy with work and not had a chance to get into this. I realised another thing to consider is that my two M2 drives are Crucial T500s with no heat sinks. So potentially helpful to up the budget slightly and make sure I get a board with built in heat sinks? No? :confused:

The Gigabyte Aorus looks like a lot more board for your money, for example. Currently at £190. Bit more than I wanted to spend but that’s the way this build has gone since day one lol…

I’ve seen some comments about stuttering with that board though. Not sure if that’s resolved.
 
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Scam said:
Hmn. Been travelling/busy with work and not had a chance to get into this. I realised another thing to consider is that my two M2 drives are Crucial T500s with no heat sinks. So potentially helpful to up the budget slightly and make sure I get a board with built in heat sinks? No? :confused:

The Gigabyte Aorus looks like a lot more board for your money, for example. Currently at £190. Bit more than I wanted to spend but that’s the way this build has gone since day one lol…

I’ve seen some comments about stuttering with that board though. Not sure if that’s resolved.
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Take a looks at the Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WIFI for £180 pcie5 both on the GPU and 1 of the m2 slots.
 
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mickyflinn said:
Take a looks at the Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WIFI for £180 pcie5 both on the GPU and 1 of the m2 slots.
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Thanks but I think I’d rather stick with the B850 chipset. Haven’t built a PC for a long while, not sure I want to get into flashing BIOS etc before I even start!
 
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Scam said:
I realised another thing to consider is that my two M2 drives are Crucial T500s with no heat sinks. So potentially helpful to up the budget slightly and make sure I get a board with built in heat sinks? No? :confused:
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It shouldn't matter unless you're hammering the drives for long periods.
 
mickyflinn said:
B850 This seems a good option.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/msi-...d-am5-b850-atx-motherboard-mot-msi-03994.html
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Oh that looks like a good shout. Will check out some reviews tomorrow. How does the cpu power compare to budget boards? The first two m2 slots are good, so that’s errr good :p No issues with LAN in that one I take it.
Tetras said:
It shouldn't matter unless you're hammering the drives for long periods.
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Good to know thank you.
 
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Tetras said:
One option you might not have considered from OCUK is the B650E-F Strix.
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I second this. I was looking at B850 when I upgraded back in March but settled on this model for the balance of price/features and it hasn't disappointed, it's been an excellent board l so far.

I've yet to experience any issues with the network connectivity, but I can understand if that was a concern, as many have.
 
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Yeah I’m not really sure I want to faff with a BIoS update. This is my first build in years, I don’t really know what I’m doing with all these new fangled M2 drives and other tech :p (only half joking)

With that in mind I’m still deliberating on mobo. Will probably order just before Christmas as we’re away for a few days, to have it arrive when we get back.

So hear me out, thinking of just foregoing any further cost saving and plumping for the Gigabyte Aorus Elite.. Because;
- Cheaper boards look way cheaper (and are only £30 odd cheaper)
- The Aorus has 2x M2 slots direct to cpu. Perfect as I’ll have one M2 for Windows, and one M2 for gaming. I didn’t want to “downgrade” either. (NB yes I know both my m2 drives are gen4 but still)
- Aorus has heatsink cover over all M2 slots
- I originally wanted Gigabyte anyway
- I’m thoroughly bored of trying to find something cheaper that isn’t missing something, look crap, etc.

Have I convinced myself? :p
 
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