MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus (ATX AMD AM4 DDR4 M.2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 HDMI ATX Gaming Moederboard AMD Ryzen™ 5000 processors

I purchased the MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS Motherboard for a new build featuring a Ryzen 5600X, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. The setup was incredibly easy, and the motherboard has been performing flawlessly for over six months now. My son uses this PC daily for both gaming and regular activities, and there have been no issues reported so far.Pros:Easy Setup: The installation process was straightforward and hassle-free. The motherboard was well-documented, and everything fit perfectly.Seamless Compatibility: It worked right out of the box with the Ryzen 5600G, with no need for any additional tweaks or troubleshooting.Flawless Performance: The system has been running smoothly without any hitches. My son uses it for gaming and everyday tasks, and it's been reliable throughout.Affordable: This motherboard offers great value for its price. It’s affordable yet packed with features that cater to both gamers and regular users.Well-Packaged: The packaging was secure and ensured that the motherboard arrived in perfect condition.Fast Delivery: The delivery was quick, which is always a plus when you’re eager to complete your build.Cons:Previous Experience with Another Brand: Before this, I tried another manufacturer’s motherboard and faced numerous boot issues. Despite following the recommended firmware update steps meticulously, I had no success and eventually gave up. The MSI motherboard, in contrast, worked perfectly from the get-go, saving me a lot of time and frustration.Conclusion:The MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS has been a fantastic purchase. The ease of setup, compatibility, and reliable performance make it a standout choice. After my experience with the previous motherboard, this was a breath of fresh air. I wouldn’t hesitate to order this motherboard again in the future. It’s a solid investment for anyone looking to build a dependable PC.

OK so it's not the best 500 series board out there but the 5 star rating is simply because of value for what's included - two M.2 slots for your NVME drives, Wifi, a USB-C header (check your case has a USB-C port - if not just leave it unplugged), two 3 pin RGB headers, and two 4 pin RGB headers,.Oh and it has 5 fan headers, which would be enough for most people I would think.And while I have only installed low power CPU's like 3600 and 5600 on it, according to Hardware Unboxed it also handles more powerful chips surprisingly well considering how light it looks. Superb board!I should also add that I only installed NVME drives in this board, no SATA SSD's so I can't speak for how well placed the SATA headers are if you had a long graphics card installed, but just from looking at it I'm guessing you would be fine, especially as they are side mounted and not front mounted like a different motherboard I recently worked with, which was a pain

This PCB has 6 layers - normally (2021) a feature of top end boards.The heat sinks on the VRMs are very well designed - The highest mainboard temperature I managed to achieve under various loads was 58 °C. And that in a roomy, but simple air cooled (2 fans) Tower case.Also in this respect you buy top end performance for a mid range price.+++Push button BIOS upgrade worked fine - as this particular exemplar was not prepared for Zen 3 CPUs, initially my Ryzen 5600x was not recognized ("No CPU" LED on), but AFTER the BIOS upgrade everything was OK.XMP - once switched on in the BIOS - also gives me the 3600 MHz of the RAM I bought.Only snag so far: A bug in the BIOS: If I set the USB-DVD as 1st boot option, the NVMe as 2nd and the HD as 3rd, then booting with an empty DVD-drive in a USB-port results in a boot from the (3rd boot option) Hard Drive instead of the (2nd boot option) NVMe.A pretty harmless bug - the simple work-around is of course to boot with the USB-DVD unplugged, or alternatively demote it in the boot order.+++The MSI product registration procedure is too bureaucratic - it requires opening the case and finding a 3-digit code on the MB, and uploading a copy of the invoice.I gave it a miss.The serial number on the box really should do.+++With its excellent heat management this board should also offer good overclocking potential - a lot of parameters can be manipulated in the BIOS and from the (Windows 10) custom software coming on the DVD. I am however perfectly happy with the performance I've got and forgo the overclocking for the sake of our environment and my electricity bill.I got it from an amazon Warehouse Deal - ONE OF THE BEST PURCHASES I EVER MADE.