Another Headache
from 10/14/2024, by uni — 5m read
Ever since AMD announced their AM5 platform, I've been eager to switch. But to be honest, my current build still performs brilliantly. I easily average 300+ frames in CS2 (my main game) and rarely encounter any stuttering or lag, even with heavy daily use. I've managed to dodge Intel's 13th and 14th-gen offerings, and for the most part, I'm thoroughly enjoying my current setup. But as always, there's that lingering question: is there more performance to chase?
At the heart of my system is the MPG Z790I EDGE WIFI, which has had no trouble running my 12700k and DDR5 RAM overclocked to 7200MT/s. What I particularly like about this board is the three M.2 slots it offers, which I fully utilize. My workflow makes use of each NVMe drive for a specific purpose: boot drive (2TB), media and development (4TB), and video editing (2TB). In total, I'm running 8TB of lightning-fast NVMe storage. But as I started planning for my AM5 build, I quickly realized that almost no B650I boards support three M.2 slots.
I hate to admit it, but I'm a bit of a brand loyalist, despite trying not to be. I've been really impressed with my current MSI board, so naturally, I started there. Unfortunately, I was quickly reminded that the B650 chipset doesn't quite match the Z790; it's more on par with Intel's B760. The I/O panel on the MSI B650I looks a bit barren with only five USB-A ports and one USB-C. It feels like it's missing half its outfit.
Next, I looked at the ASUS ROG STRIX B650I. Right away, this board seemed much more impressive. It's sleek, refined, and features a solid I/O panel with six USB-A ports and two USB-C ports. Unsurprisingly, it's the priciest of the bunch, but not by much. (Seriously, who's buying the MSI board for almost the same price?) That said, neither the MSI nor the ASUS offers the three M.2 slots I need.
Enter the GIGABYTE B650I AORUS ULTRA. At first glance, it looks almost identical to the ASUS board but loses one USB-C port (which it could easily accommodate) and gains a daughterboard that adds a third M.2 slot. On the downside, it lacks PCIe 5.0 and official RAM support above 6400MT/s. While the difference between PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 is almost negligible, RAM overclocking is a dealbreaker for me. So, I might need to rethink my storage configuration.
Then there's the ASRock B650I LIGHTNING. It boasts seven USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and support for RAM speeds over 7200MT/s, but only has two M.2 slots. Honestly, the GIGABYTE's price increase doesn't seem justified here. My potential workaround for the third M.2 drive? USB-C. It pains me to consider an external enclosure for one of my drives, but I'm stuck playing the hand I'm dealt.
Looking at my current setup: keyboard, mouse, microphone, webcam, and DAC/AMP take up five USB-A ports, leaving one open for removable storage. I haven't really made much use of the Type-C port on my current PC, but I value having it. Honestly, the continued dominance of USB-A past 2020 baffles me. USB-C has been around for a decade - why hasn't it taken over? I've already switched to USB-C for charging my laptop and phone and have shifted toward using it wherever possible. While both the USB-A and USB-C ports on these boards are 3.2, which is more than enough for NVMe bandwidth, I still lean toward the ASUS board for that extra USB-C port.
Apart from lacking a third M.2 slot, the ASUS ROG STRIX B650I doesn't skimp on features despite its small form factor. At $279.99, it's the most expensive option, but I think it's worth the price. I've still got a few weeks before the 9800X3D releases, and I'll need to double-check compatibility with my case and AIO. But all signs point to me installing this board in the next couple of months, especially since Intel's upcoming Arrow Lake processors don't seem promising.