ssal
Active Member
I built my first computer last year with an ASRock MicroATX Motherboard (B450M PRO4). Since it was my first build, I was pretty ignorant on a lot of things. But the process was pretty painless. The manual provided very clear instruction. The support was helpful and quite accessible. I had 64gb (4x16) of DDR4. I was not able to OC them to 3200 MHz. But there was no problem at the stated 3200 MHz with on 32 (2x16) gb. That's good enough for me.
I built the second one with a Gigabyte B450M DS3H MBO. I'd found the BIOS setting was not as intuitive and responsive. I was not able to bring the 32 gb to the full 3200 MHz. Support was knowledgeable and friendly, only if you are patient enough to wait for up to 45 minutes.
The other issue I have with the Gigabyte board was the arrangement. The PCIe slots were too closed together. The PCIeX1 slot was completely blocked when I mounted the GPU on the PCIex16 slot. When I mount the WiFi adapter to the PCIex4 slot, it almost touches the fan of the GPU, thus blocking the airflow from the fan.
In hind site, I probably should have stayed with the ASRock board. But someone here mentioned that the ASRock MBO was a cheapie that I decided to try something different.
For whatever it's worth. These are my two-cents.
I built the second one with a Gigabyte B450M DS3H MBO. I'd found the BIOS setting was not as intuitive and responsive. I was not able to bring the 32 gb to the full 3200 MHz. Support was knowledgeable and friendly, only if you are patient enough to wait for up to 45 minutes.
The other issue I have with the Gigabyte board was the arrangement. The PCIe slots were too closed together. The PCIeX1 slot was completely blocked when I mounted the GPU on the PCIex16 slot. When I mount the WiFi adapter to the PCIex4 slot, it almost touches the fan of the GPU, thus blocking the airflow from the fan.
In hind site, I probably should have stayed with the ASRock board. But someone here mentioned that the ASRock MBO was a cheapie that I decided to try something different.
For whatever it's worth. These are my two-cents.