GIGABYTE sets the price of the B550 X Gaming below $150 and details its complete equipment
GIGABYTE has detailed the full specifications of the B550X Gamingthe first model of its new B550 X series for which we know the complete technical sheet. The plate arrives in full resurgence of the AM4 socket, driven largely by the memory price crisiswhich has returned the attractiveness to platforms capable of working with DDR4.
GIGABYTE had already announced the B550 X family in its Gaming, Eagle and Elite variants weeks ago, although then without confirming prices or specific specifications per model. Now it is the Gaming variant, in ATX formatwhich reveals its exact equipment and an indicative price range, allowing you to get a real idea of what this range offers beyond the general announcement of the family.
These specifications make the B550
Power designed for the Ryzen 7 5800X3D
The B550 X Gaming is powered through a combination of 24-pin ATX connector and 8-pin EPS connector, powering an 8+2-phase VRM with duet-rail design. GIGABYTE sizes this power stage to comfortably support the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the reference that continues to drive a good part of AM4 motherboard sales despite the years that have passed since its launch.
The socket connects to four DDR4 DIMM slotsmaintaining compatibility with the most affordable memory in AMD’s current catalog, one of the main attractions of continuing to bet on this platform in the current price context.
Two M.2 slots with different performance levels
In storage, the board mounts a M.2 Gen 4 x4 slot connected directly to the processoraccompanied by a dedicated heatsink that also facilitates installation thanks to GIGABYTE’s M.2 EZ-Latch design, designed to mount both the SSD and its own heatsink without the need for screws. The second M.2 slot remains at Gen 3 x4 and depends on the B550 FCH chipset instead of connecting directly to the CPU, a common difference between the main and secondary slot on boards in this range.
Added to this are four SATA 6 Gbps ports for those who still combine mechanical drives or SATA SSDs in their configuration, a common figure on mid-range boards that gives enough room to install several additional drives without resorting to external controllers. The rest of the expansion slots are made up of a PCI-Express x16 slot with Gen 3 x4 electrical connection and two PCIe x1 slots, in addition to the main PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for the graphics card.
Wired network connectivity and no WiFi
The B550 X Gaming dispenses with wireless connectivity: does not include a WLAN module of any type. The only network path is a 2.5 GbE Ethernet port managed by a Realtek 8125 series chip. For those who need WiFi, the option is to use an external adapter or PCIe, something common on boards in this price range aimed mainly at wired connections.
The visual section incorporates ARGB 2.0 headersthe latest revision of GIGABYTE’s addressable lighting standard, while the integrated video output combines a DisplayPort and an HDMI 2.1 port, designed for those who take advantage of the processor’s integrated graphics or need a backup output. The sound, for its part, is provided by a Realtek ALC892 codec.
Full USB connectivity and a reasonable price
On the rear panel, the plate offers a 10 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, three 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and one 5 Gbps USB Type C port, along with two additional USB 2.0 portss. GIGABYTE completes the package with two USB 3.2 ports more available through internal headers, in addition to several USB 2.0 headers for those who want to expand the front connectivity of their tower.
GIGABYTE has not yet confirmed an official price for the European market, nor an exact date of availability in stores, although it anticipates that the B550 X Gaming will be below $150 in the United States. At the current exchange rate, that figure is equivalent to approximately 130 euros.
The B550 X Gaming thus joins the Eagle and Elite variants announced within the same series, which GIGABYTE has confirmed will reach the market in stages. The company has not yet revealed specifications or prices for these two remaining models, so we will have to wait for new announcements to find out how exactly they differ from the Gaming variant already detailed.
