Being an owner of that new Ryzen 5 2600 means that you have the responsibility of finding a good match for it – yep, you got it right! As a 64-bit hexa-core microprocessor, The Ryzen 5 2600 is one of the most popular Zen 2 CPUs for AMD mid-range performance microprocessors. Such a Ryzen 5 2600 deserves only the best AMD motherboard. If you are interested in getting the most out of it, you will be delighted to know that there are a lot of options that are currently available out there.
Take note that the motherboard that you choose for the Ryzen 5 2600 will ultimately become a part of the complete setup. This means that there are certain factors that need to be taken into consideration before actually making a choice.
We hope that after browsing through this article, you will already have a complete view of the differences that you are most likely to see between the different options on Motherboards for your Ryzen 5 2600. This knowledge will then be able to help you in making the best purchasing decision. With these things said, let us delve right away into this list of the best motherboards for Ryzen 5 2600.
Comparison of Table: Top 10 Picks
Product | Features | |
---|---|---|
• 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen AM4 & 7th Gen Athlon Processors | ||
• 2 AM4 & 7th Gen Athlon Processors | ||
• 1st and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen | ||
• AMD Ryzen, 7th Gen A-Series/Athlon Processors | ||
• 1st and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen | ||
• 1st and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen | ||
• AMD Ryzen 2AM4 & 7th Gen Athlon Processors | ||
• AMD Promontory B450 Chipset | ||
• AMD Ryzen AM4, 7th Gen Athlon | ||
• 1st and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen |
Reviews for the Best Motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600
Now that Ryzen 5 2600 CPUs are introducing their 3rd generation products, you are now in a better position in choosing the best options.In this review, we will take a look at 10 different motherboards for Ryzen 5 2600 covering various price ranges to provide you with an idea of the choices that are appropriate for your needs and preferences.
Each of these motherboards has been rated according to performance and features. Our team of PC and gaming experts has spent hours conducting research, performing tests, and ultimately brainstorming on the newest technologies that are used in each motherboard.
1. ASUS ROG Strix B450-F Gaming Motherboard
This motherboard is classified as a mid-range option in this lineup. As such, it has placed importance on gaming, along with other similar premium features. This board supports SLI Multi-GPU and Crossfire configurations, with a 6+2 phase VRM. Other features include the SupremeFX S1220A audio and, at the same time, compatible with the complete range of Ryzen 5 2600 processors.
For a product in this price range, it already supports multi-GPU builds that are AMD and NVIDIA based, making it a competitive mid-range motherboard, with amazing aesthetics as a bonus. The board is matte black, along with shiny black stencils surrounding the chipsets and PCI, with slogans that are ROG-related.
What most gamers like about this motherboard is that aside from the fact that it is a mid-range option, giving way to both features and affordability, it also features a sleek design. Even the back part is grey, which is attractive on its own unless you are using a different case to go with it.
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2. ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming
This motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 presents all of the important features that you would ever need from a powerful and dependable gaming rig. It has 2 PCIe x16 slots on top, which are steel supported and are designed to handle three AMD cards and Nvidia cards.
It also comes with memory slots that can hold 64GB of DDR4 memory, with one that is protected with an extension that is present on the board's southbridge heatsink. Keep in mind, however, that only one supports the faster interface for the NVMe, while the second depends on the slower connectivity of SATA.
In terms of design, the X470-F motherboard is aesthetically appealing. Overall, it is a solid performer in the gaming world.
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3. AMD Gigabyte B450 AORUS Pro Wifi
Overall, while this board may not maximize Ryzen 5 2600 chips to their best, you can still be able to expect reasonable overclocks. This motherboard offers an excellent value that is worthy of its name and reputation. It is equipped with enough RGB power switches, RGB lights, as well as the addressable LED interface, which helps in mitigating deficiencies, making it easier to upgrade later on.
This motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 also features a strong WIFI storage performance, though it is believed that it could still be a bit better when used with a 1x1 controller. With 2 BIOS ROMS on this board, you can expect a redundant backup, which is effective just in case a flash does not work well.
As a budget board, it may not give you everything that you need, especially when it comes to accessories and additional parts. Still, it is decent enough to pull off that amazing gaming experience that you have always wanted to experience.
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4. Gigabyte X570 AORUS-Gaming
The chipset of the X570 gaming motherboard offers a good IO expansion amount with the basics that are made available by the CPU. It features 2 USB 3.1 ports, often considered as a first for this type of platform chipset. Its CPU also offers extra storage and USB, complimented by the chipset. It is also one that offers multi-GPU capabilities, including CrossFireX and SLI, for your Ryzen 5 2600.
The design of the box is similar to its mainstream Intel motherboards. Both packaging and box are prepared well enough to ensure that the motherboard will be protected accordingly during transit. It also features 8 fan headers, all of which are auto-sensing DC/PWM mode headers that support 2A current.
Overall, this motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 provides decent component quality, particularly on the power and control part of the VRM, as you can expect to get a complete International Rectifier solution. With its healthy set of features, it is a competitive option to take into consideration.
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5. MSI Performance Gaming Plus B450M AMD Ryzen
This motherboard is designed to take your gaming a level up, allowing you to enjoy your game in style. This is made possible by this board's unlimited customization options, thanks to its features that are exclusive for gaming, to offer the best possible experience in gaming.
The Gaming Plus motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 features one PCIe slot (full-length) at 3.0 x16 while being supported by a pair of 2.0 x1 PCLe slots as a compliment. It uses the manufacturer's Steel Armor on its upper PCI 3.0 x16 slot. The two RAM slots of this board offer an overall capacity of 32 GB system memory.
Offering power to this board is an ATX power connector with 24-pins, with the CPU getting an input of 8-pin ATX 12V. Overall, it is quite similar to its sibling MSI B450 Gaming Plus model with some slight differences in the features.
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6. MSI B450 Tomahawk Arsenal Gaming
One thing that makes the Tomahawk motherboard an interesting one is that it has a generous number of fan headers – 6 to be exact. All are hybrid PWM/DC headers. The aesthetics of this board is easy to deal with, while its huge VRM heat sink looks quite well. At the back of the board is some hardware, with indicators that will tell you where the standoffs can be removed if the board has them present already.
It also comes with the IO panel at the back which features the Flashback button for the BIOS, PS/2 keyboard/mouse, two 2.0 USB ports, two 3.0 USB ports, 3.1 Type-A USB, 3.1 type-C USB, 7.1 channel audio jacks (gold plated), and a Gbit LAN.
A single RGB LED header is situated at the lower left part of the motherboard for the Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, close to the COM header. Another is also situated in the upper right corner. Both of these headers provide polarity protection that is eFused based.
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7. ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero
The Aura motherboard from ASUS provides complete RGB lighting control, thanks to its pool of various functional presets. It may also be easily synced with a continuously growing portfolio of hardware that is Aura-capable.
The Crosshair VII Hero brings ASUS Aura right into your home, allowing you to easily sync effects with the effects of the Philips Hue personal wireless lighting. This allows you to control your Hue light bulbs, lamps and strips easily using an easy to use the app, creating an illuminative effect that goes beyond your gaming rig, making the entire room a part of your experience in gaming.
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8. ASRock B450M PRO4 MicroATX Motherboard
The Pro4 is considered as a cheaper option to the other models under this brand, including the X470 flagship board. It offers quite an attractive bargain, with a layout that is pretty standard. It presents itself with a black and white scheme of color, along with some silver accents.
Aside from its standard PCIe slots, it also features AMD CrossFire X support. When it comes to the storage, there are 4 ports (SATA3) at an angle of 90 degrees, along with the M.2 slots. One port shares a lane with the lower slots, which is why the maximum number of storage devices that it can support is 5.
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9. ASUS ROG Crosshair VI Hero AMD
One standout feature of this motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 is its use of Asus 5-way optimization. This means that your pc becomes smart, dynamically optimizing the important aspects of the system according to real-time use. This also translates to superb CPU performance, ultra-stable digital power, and energy savings everyday.
A patent-pending feature is also used by this board – Asus SafeSlot. It is designed to offer maximum retention and resistance to shearing. It is manufactured in a one-step process of using an insert-molding procedure that will integrate the slot by enhancing metal support, thus ensuring a stronger overall design.
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10. MSI Gaming AMD Ryzen X470 DDR4
This motherboard is designed with dependable performance in mind. As such, cooling while gaming is given importance. This is done by including enough fan headers with complete control, allowing you to cool the system in any method that you want.
Customization is also offered to you, as you can easily setup your personal color scheme using RGB Mystic Light. All you need to do is to choose the colors out of the palette through the MSI gaming app or your smartphone.
With an audio boost, you can expect a high-quality audio unit, providing a clear advantage in your game over your opponents. You can easily locate them even with your eyes closed, made possible with the use of Audio Boost 4.
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Buyer's Guide – How to Choose the Best Motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600
When it comes to selecting out of the product recommendations that we have selected, it all boils down to the features that you need, your preferences, along with other factors. You may also be wondering what really separates a good motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 from the rest. To help you out in your purchasing decision, we have created a list of the most important factors that need to be taken into consideration. Our goal here is to provide you the education that you need, turning you into an informed customer.
Chipsets
There is no doubt that the chipset is one of the most important factors that need to be taken into consideration. If you are not familiar with it, a chipset is the main factor that will determine the features that are included with your motherboard. These features range from SATA ports and PCIe lanes to the USB generation and overclocking support.
It is recommended that you educate yourself with the chipset of your motherboards for Ryzen 5 2600 before buying the components. Otherwise, you may just end up buying hardware that will go to waste. At the same time, with the advancements in technology these days, it is best to check and make sure that the specs are all up-to-date. For example, you may notice that there are cheaper, yet older boards which do not offer DDR4 RAM or M.2 support.
Form (Actual Size of the Board)
Form factor refers to the actual physical board size. In our list above, you may notice quite a range of motherboard sizes, which is why it is a good thing to discuss the benefits and features of the main types. Among the most popular ones range from Mini-ITX, which is enough for those who are interested in achieving a low footprint. Another one is the E-ATX, which is designed for enthusiasts who are only aiming for the best.
After all, the actual footprint is very important to figure out right at the beginning of the building process. If you are out on your build unaware of the form of your board, you may only realize later on that some components will not fit at all. This could be annoying, not to mention lost money and time.
PWM Headers
PWM headers, commonly known as fan headers, refer to the connectors that are located between the CPU and the board fans. They play a vital role in the overall component since overclocking has become quite popular, which means that the demand for cooling systems has also intensified.
Manufacturers of cases have been implementing the use of more and more fans, which means that to maximize the benefits of all of them requires the need to have a specific number of PWM headers.
This honestly is not a big deal, though it is still an important factor since a cheaper board may not offer compatibility, which can accommodate all of them.
Socket
Generally speaking, there are two main types of sockets used in motherboards – AMD's AM4 and LGA 1151. The former is the most commonly used one, which is why we will focus on it in this review.
The socket refers to the actual slot that is located on the motherboard, designed to hold the CPU in place. AMD's have AM4 sockets, while other brands such as Intel, use the LGA1151. This only means that the latest 2700x processor of AMD is not compatible with the LGA1151boards.
It is never recommended to attempt forcing the wrong processor into a type of socket. This could result in fatal damage to your components. If you are not sure when it comes to putting together these components, it is best to ask the assistance of an expert.
One good thing about AMD chips is that they are still in their 2nd generation, which means that all of the last generations of motherboards for Ryzen 5 2600 are still compatible with both 1st and 2nd generation chips.
Memory
Another vital hardware component that needs to be considered is memory. It can be purchased when putting together an AMD build. Because of the build features and nature of Ryzen 5 2600 chips, one of the best ways in which you can maximize the performance power is by powering your build-up with rapid RAM.
This means that there is a need to ensure that your motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 can carry the RAM that you want it to be added with. Among the things that you need to keep in mind include the memory speed, maximum supported memory, multi-channel support, as well as the number of memory slots on the board.
As a tip, one of the easiest ways in which you can check to see if the motherboard is compatible with a RAM that you have or want to purchase is the specs of the motherboard. It will right away tell you the speed and amount of RAM that it can accommodate.
PCI Slots
PCI, or the Peripheral Component Interconnect, refers to the physical slot where you can expand the capacities of a basic system. This can include the video card, WiFi card, NVMe Expansion cards, and extra USB ports.
In general, there are two kinds of PCIU slots, the PCI, and the PCIe (PCI Express). The latter is a bigger and faster type and typically serves as the house of your graphics card. For those who are planning to get dual GPUs operating, it is very important to ensure that you have enough PCI slots.
Most of the time, manufacturers compromise the number of slots just to reduce the actual price, which is why it is very important to ensure that the cards, including all of the expansion packs, are prioritized.
Another thing to look into is spacing options. This is particularly helpful if you plan to run several GPUs, which are huge. You may need to have those PCIe slots which are distanced apart to offer enough space.
Conclusion
With the list that we have provided above, you are now in a better position to choose the right one that will best fit your needs and preferences. The bases have been covered as well, including the factors that you need to take into consideration to choose the best one. Whether you are planning to create a gaming rig and thus need a motherboard for Ryzen 5 2600 that will show off in terms of performance or require something to build by yourself together, especially if you are on a budget, we have listed everything for you.
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Aiden’s the name! Just your typical comic book store and EB Games VIP. I’m a full-time God of War 4 obsessed, bagel loving, DOTA2 warrior in training, and an IT professional on the side haha. I’m always keen to connect, so hit me up if there’s anything specific question you’d like answered.