The 5000 series contains some of the best CPUs for gaming around, and this motherboard’s B550 chipset ensures full compatibility with features like overclocking and PCIe 4.0 support. Inevitably for this kind of price level, the B550M DS3H isn’t going to do everything. The rear I/O panel, for one, is relatively basic, with no USB-C ports or higher-end audio outputs. It’s also lacking in onboard Wi-Fi, and the microATX form fact precludes having as many PCIe slots as a beefy ATX mobo. Still, this compactness also allows it to fit inside smaller cases. Besides, it’s not like the B550M DS3H only covers the absolute basics. You’d still be getting two M.2 slots for faster NVMe storage, a full four RAM slots and, again, PCIe 4.0 readiness. That alone gives it a respectable level of futureproofing, and there are already plenty of great 4.0 SSDs you can buy today. One of the big drawbacks to Intel’s latest 12th Gen Alder Lake chips is their lack of affordable motherboards. Conversely, if you’ve picked up a current-gen Ryzen CPU over the Black Friday season, you’ve got a dirt-cheap potential partner for it right here.
