
The AMD Ryzen series of CPUs is well known for its incredible versatility, able to be combined with just about any other hardware and work without any kind of serious complication whatsoever.
However, now that we have the latest and greatest iterations of the Ryzen 3300X, it only makes sense to start optimizing. While you certainly could plug your brand new Ryzen 3300X into any old motherboard, why not get yourself a motherboard that was designed specifically for your CPU.
While the B450 chipset motherboards are known far and wide as the very best hardware to pair with your new Ryzen CPU, how are you supposed to know which one to get?
Here is a brief list of the best three B450 motherboards, so you can make a reliable decision on what to pair with your new Ryzen 3 3300X or 3100 processor.
You can instead opt for a B550 motherboard if you wanted to take advantage of the new PCIe 4.0 standard (but we wouldn’t expect it for this level of build).
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 3300X & 3100 – Our Recommended
Best Budget B450 Motherboard for Ryzen 3300X / 3100
If you don’t want to give too much attention or money to your motherboard, you can always consider a more budget-friendly option for your Ryzen 3300X or 3100 pairing. For those that want to remain budget-conscious, the ASRock B450M Steel Legend is an excellent pick.
While it is quite cheap, this micro-ATX motherboard still packs sufficient capability to work well with your new Ryzen CPU. For starters, it is extremely attractive as far as ascetics go, with a beautiful matte silver coating on everything, including the VRM and M.2 slot. This is a great choice for those with a glass side panel on their PC case, as you will just want to look at it endlessly.’
You get a total of four DDR4 DIMM slots, allowing you to get up to 64 GB, which is more than enough RAM for all your gaming needs. The RAM slot design of this board is also really excellent, as they are affixed with closed locks, making removal really easy even with your GPU still installed.
The audio codec used on this board is the Realtek ALC892, just like with ASRock’s other B450 motherboards, giving the whole board an excellent sound quality for such a cheap price point.
Utilizing a six phase power design and 60A power chokes, this motherboard comes with plenty of silver lined heat sinks that mean that heat control is not going to be a problem with this motherboard.
One strange quality is that the six SATA 6GB/s ports on this board are stacked in a straight line, which is pretty atypical as far as motherboard design goes. Instead of the standard stacked, slightly rectangular shape, we would expect, they sit in this cute ordered system, making it a bit finicky to try and find space in your case for their access.
Additionally, keep in mind that this B450 motherboard is really only designed for a single GPU, so don’t expect to get two cards on this relatively smaller sized motherboard.
Best Mini ITX B450 Motherboard for Ryzen 3 3300 / 3100 SFF Builds
Just because you want to use a powerful CPU like the Ryzen 3300X doesn’t mean necessarily have a massive case. For those with a smaller ITX build, what kind of specialized motherboard should you look at?
Choosing a good ITX B450 motherboard is all about making sure it still has an effective VRM solution considering both its price and its size limitations. This is why the MSI B450I Gaming Plus AC is one of the best ITX options for AMD users.
With eight VRM phases and an Infineon IR32201 PWM Controller, this motherboard offers potent VRM solutions, allowing for incredible overclocking potential of your CPU.
While the MSI B450I is still limited in its hardware accessories due to its size, it makes up for it in ensuring that those few accessories get as much as they need. You might only be able to fit in two slots of RAM up to 32 GB; you can support speeds up to 3466 MHz, making it one of the faster and more powerful options available.
Even though it has just one PCIe 3.0 slot and one a single M.2 slot on the back, this ITX motherboard still adamantly feels like a regular sized motherboard when it comes to its technical aspects. It has the standard Realtek ALC 8887 chipset, but also boasts MSI’s Audio Boost 4 for HD audio processing.
Additionally, this motherboard is extremely decently priced, considering its VRM potency and what you get for such little money. For those with a smaller case, whether through budgetary needs or just because it fits on your desk better, this is the motherboard you want.
Best Overall B450 Motherboard for 3300X / 3100
There is a huge variety of different B450 motherboards available out there, all of them competing for the title of the best overall. However, it is difficult to imagine any of them are better than MSI’s B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC.
With a six phase PWM controller running on Richtek RT 8894A and two virtual phase doublers, this motherboard an actual VRM count of 10 phases.
This motherboard’s main strength is its capability for overclocking, as well as its insane number of heat sinks. An extended PWM heat sink on the IO, and more around the CPU, as well as extras dotted throughout. While it would be helpful to make sure that your PC case is well aired, this motherboard is incredibly effective at handling excess heat.
With two PCI slots and four RAM slots up to 64 GB of a maximum of 3466 MHz, this motherboard lets you get the most out of your hardware.
It even manages to boast a sufficient number of USB slots, something a lot of B450 motherboards fail to do, even coming with a single Type C USB 3.1 alongside its regular Type A, and some normal USB 3.0s, alongside the standard two USB 2.0s.
With all the same great MSI technologies, like the Audio Boost 4 in its audio chipset, this motherboard is the best candidate not only for supreme overclocking but also general use and effectiveness. While it is a little bit pricier than many of the other options, it is still the best overall choice for those looking for a B450 motherboard.