Assembling a PC means choosing its components, from the motherboard to the CPU, from the SSD unit to the video card, and then to the peripherals. However, the motherboard itself forms the basis of your computer, the printed circuit board to which you must connect all the configurations. For example, if you are thinking of a PC with an AMD Ryzen 5000 processor, an interesting solution is the Gigabyte B550M DS3H, a motherboard with an excellent quality/price ratio.
Pros:
- Excellent value for money
- A successful compromise between performance, functions, and cost
- It also supports Ryzen 5000
- It supports PCIe 4.0
Against:
- But only on one of the PCIe slots and one of the M.2 slots
- WiFi and Bluetooth are missing
- It performs less with high-end CPUs
Gigabyte, a Taiwanese brand founded in 1986, has established itself over the years as one of the main reference points in the galaxy of PC components. Motherboards like the Gigabyte B550M DS3H are an entry-level solution for budget gaming setups. As we will see, this choice translates into an interesting compromise between low prices and present functions. This review will see if the game is worth the candle and what performance this motherboard can offer.
Form Factor And Internal Connections
The Gigabyte B550M DS3H is a motherboard that, already in the name, constitutes the next version of the Gigabyte B450M DS3H. If the latter was one of the best motherboards regarding quality/price ratio, the older sister is an evolution in all areas. Starting from the form factor, it is a Micro ATX motherboard measuring 244 x 244 mm.
Slightly larger than the previous model, you will still be able to mount it in the vast majority of homes. In practice, excluding cases intended for Mini ITX builds, it is good for all models. If you are interested, here are the best PC cases. A Micro ATX motherboard certainly doesn’t have as much PCB space as an ATX motherboard does. Despite this, the Gigabyte B550M DS3H hosts:
- Four DDR4 RAM slots ;
- Two M.2 slots for PCIe NVMe SSDs, one of which is PCIe 4.0 x4 and one PCIe 3.0 x2;
- Two PCI-Express x16 slots, one PCIe 4.0 and one PCIe 3.0;
- One PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slot;
- Four SATA 6Gbps connectors;
- Two headers, respectively, for the CPU cooler and the system fan;
- Two headers for lighting, one RGB and one ARGB;
- A connector for the case’s USB 2.0 ports;
- A connector for the USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 ports and the old USB 3.0 of the case.
The connectors for the power supply of the motherboard and the processor, as well as the CPU socket, complete the picture. As you can see from this shortlist, the equipment is good and reflects the compromise in the design phase. There are two PCIe x16 slots, but only one is PCIe 4.0. Likewise, there are two M.2 slots, but only the first one is PCIe 4.0.
Also Read: Expand Memory Under Windows -This Is How To Do It?
Rear Panel And External I/O
The trend we just saw regarding internal connections can also be seen in the back panel where the motherboard I/O is located. Here the Gigabyte B550M DS3H offers:
- A PS/2 combo port for legacy keyboards and mice;
- One DVI-D video output;
- One DisplayPort;
- One HDMI port;
- Four 5Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 ports;
- Four USB 3.0 ports;
- An Ethernet LAN port;
- Three audio inputs for the jacks, capable of supporting 2.0 and 2.1 systems, such as PC speakers and sound bars.
It lacks a WiFi module, so you must consider buying a wireless network card or a USB dongle. On the other hand, a PS / 2 port’s presence is surprising, which is often still seen in modern motherboards. By now, we all use USB or wireless mice and keyboards (whose dongle is always USB). On the other hand, the allocation of video outputs is good, in case you decide to mount a processor with integrated GPU, such as the excellent AMD Ryzen 5 5600G.
Box Contents
As with the previous version, the Gigabyte B550M DS3H features spartan equipment. In fact, inside the sales box, you will find:
- Gigabyte B550M DS3H;
- Two SATA cables;
- I/O back panels;
- Manuals and drivers.
This is another practical way to lower production costs and, therefore, the selling price. So forget the rich features of other models, such as the ASUS Prime B660M-K D4, which is not far off in price.
Performance And Compatibility
Further up in this review, I told you about AMD’s socket AM4. It is a socket that has accompanied all generations of Ryzen processors up to the Ryzen 5000. This means that, without updating the BIOS, you can mount models such as the Ryzen 5 5600X or the Ryzen 7 5800X3D on the Gigabyte B550M DS3H.
However, stopping at the mid-range will get the best performance since the AMD B550 chipset animates the motherboard. For this reason, the motherboard produced by the Taiwanese brand is ideal for configurations – even for gaming – of medium or medium-low range. My advice is to avoid the superior processors precisely for reasons concerning consumption and the TDP, as well as the model’s ability to make the most of them and manage their temperatures.
Once you understand its limitations, the Gigabyte B550M DS3H still does a great job. Consider that with mid-range AMD CPUs. You can also keep the stock cooler, which is fine if you don’t overclock the processor too much. The model also supports DDR4 memory up to 3200 MHz with a maximum capacity of 128GB, 32GB for each of the four slots.
Conclusions
We saw how the Gigabyte B550M DS3H compromises features, performance, and price during the review. Excellent compatibility, versatility on the ports and connections, and support for PCIe 4.0 and SSDs make it interesting. In this regard, if you want to assemble a PC for video games on a budget, you may be interested in the guide on the different configurations by price range.
Also Read: RAM Tuning: How To Make RAM Faster
