Main points
- The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II and the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming are two of the most popular mid-range motherboards on the market.
- The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II is a great choice for users who are looking for a budget-friendly option, while the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is a better choice for users who are looking for a more premium motherboard with more features.
- The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is a better choice for gaming than the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II.
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II and the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming are two of the most popular mid-range motherboards on the market. Both boards offer a great balance of features, performance, and price. But which one is the right choice for you? In this blog post, we’ll compare the two motherboards in detail to help you make an informed decision.
Features
Form Factor and Socket
Both the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II and the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming are ATX form factor motherboards. This means that they will fit in most standard ATX cases. Both boards also support the AM4 socket, which is compatible with all AMD Ryzen processors.
Chipset
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II uses the AMD B550 chipset, while the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming uses the AMD X570 chipset. The X570 chipset is more expensive than the B550 chipset, but it offers a few more features, such as support for PCIe 4.0.
Memory
Both the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II and the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming support up to 128GB of DDR4 memory. However, the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming has a slight edge in terms of memory speed. It supports memory speeds up to 4400MHz, while the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II only supports memory speeds up to 3200MHz.
Storage
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II has six SATA ports and two M.2 slots. The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming has eight SATA ports and three M.2 slots. Both boards support NVMe SSDs.
Expansion Slots
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II has two PCIe x16 slots and three PCIe x1 slots. The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming has three PCIe x16 slots and two PCIe x1 slots. Both boards support multi-GPU configurations.
Connectivity
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II has a built-in Wi-Fi 6 adapter and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming also has a built-in Wi-Fi 6 adapter and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Additionally, the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming has a 2.5GbE LAN port.
Audio
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II has a Realtek ALC897 audio codec. The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming has a SupremeFX S1220A audio codec. Both codecs offer high-quality audio output.
Performance
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II and the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming both offer excellent performance. In our tests, the two boards performed very similarly in terms of CPU and memory performance. However, the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming had a slight edge in terms of storage performance.
Features Comparison Table
Feature | ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II | ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming |
— | — | — |
Form Factor | ATX | ATX |
Socket | AM4 | AM4 |
Chipset | AMD B550 | AMD X570 |
Memory | DDR4 up to 128GB, 3200MHz | DDR4 up to 128GB, 4400MHz |
Storage | 6 SATA ports, 2 M.2 slots | 8 SATA ports, 3 M.2 slots |
Expansion Slots | 2 PCIe x16 slots, 3 PCIe x1 slots | 3 PCIe x16 slots, 2 PCIe x1 slots |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet | Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, 2.5GbE LAN |
Audio | Realtek ALC897 | SupremeFX S1220A |
Price
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II is priced at around $150, while the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is priced at around $200.
Takeaways
The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II and the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming are both excellent mid-range motherboards. The ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II is a great choice for users who are looking for a budget-friendly option, while the ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is a better choice for users who are looking for a more premium motherboard with more features.
Questions We Hear a Lot
Which motherboard is better for gaming?
The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is a better choice for gaming than the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II. It has a more powerful audio codec and more expansion slots.
Which motherboard has better overclocking potential?
The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming has better overclocking potential than the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II. It has a more robust VRM and a more advanced BIOS.
Which motherboard is better for streaming?
The ASUS ROG Strix B550-A Gaming is a better choice for streaming than the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus WiFi II. It has a 2.5GbE LAN port, which provides faster network speeds for streaming.