Unleashing Power: ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX Motherboard Review

When it comes to harnessing the full potential of your gaming rig, the choice of a motherboard plays a pivotal role. In this review, we delve into the features and capabilities of the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX motherboard, designed to elevate your gaming experience to new heights.

ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX: Unmatched Power for Gaming Enthusiasts

Supporting 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen / Future AMD Ryzen Processors

The heart of any gaming setup lies in its processor, and the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX doesn’t disappoint. With support for 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen processors and future AMD Ryzen processors, this motherboard ensures you’re ready for the latest gaming innovations.

Digi Power Design with 8 Power Phase Design

For gamers seeking smooth power delivery to the CPU, the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX boasts a Digi Power design with an 8 Power Phase setup. This not only enhances overclocking capabilities but also ensures optimal performance with minimal heat generation – a key consideration for advanced gamers.

DDR4 4733 (OC) Support: Unleash the Beast

Memory is the lifeline of gaming, and the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX supports DDR4 4733 (OC), providing ample room for extreme memory performance. Whether you’re engaging in high-intensity gaming or multitasking, this motherboard has your back.

Versatile Connectivity: PCIe and M.2 Slots

With 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, and 2 PCIe 3.0 x1 slots, the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX ensures you have the connectivity you need for graphics cards, storage, and expansion cards. Additionally, the inclusion of 1 M.2 Key E slot for WiFi adds another layer of versatility.

Immersive Graphics and Audio Experience

Graphics Output Options: HDMI, D-Sub

The ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX provides flexibility in graphics output with HDMI and D-Sub ports, allowing you to choose the display option that suits your setup. Whether you’re connecting to a high-resolution monitor or prefer a classic display, this motherboard has you covered.

AMD CrossFireX: Elevate Your Graphics Performance

For gaming enthusiasts seeking unparalleled graphics performance, the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX supports AMD CrossFireX. Harness the power of multiple GPUs for a truly immersive visual experience.

7.1 CH HD Audio with Nahimic Audio

Audio is not overlooked in the ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX. The Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec, coupled with Nahimic Audio technology, delivers a captivating listening experience. Whether you’re using headphones, external speakers, or HDMI, the audio quality is rich and detailed.

Specifications of ASRock B550 Pro4 ATX

Unique Feature

ASRock USB 3.2 Gen2

– ASRock USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s)

– ASRock USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s)

ASRock Super Alloy

– XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsink

– Premium 50A Power Choke

– Sapphire Black PCB

– High Density Glass Fabric PCB

– 2oz Copper PCB

ASRock Steel Slot Gen4

ASRock Full Coverage M.2 Heatsink

ASRock Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4x4)

ASRock POST Status Checker (PSC)

ASRock Full Spike Protection (for all USB, Audio, LAN Ports)

ASRock Live Update & APP Shop

CPU

Supports 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen / future AMD Ryzen Processors

Digi Power design

8 Power Phase design

Not compatible with AMD Ryzen 5 3400G and Ryzen 3 3200G

Chipset

AMD B550

Memory

Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology

4 x DDR4 DIMM Slots

AMD Ryzen series CPUs (Matisse) support DDR4 4533 (OC) / 4466(OC) / 4400(OC) / 4333(OC) / 4266(OC) / 4200(OC) / 4133(OC) / 4000(OC) / 3866(OC) / 3800(OC) / 3733(OC) / 3600(OC) / 3466(OC) / 3200 / 2933 / 2667 / 2400 / 2133 ECC & non-ECC, un-buffered memory

AMD Ryzen series APUs support DDR4 4733 (OC) / 4666(OC) / 4600(OC) / 4533(OC) / 4466(OC) / 4400(OC) / 4333(OC) / 4266(OC) / 4200(OC) / 4133(OC) / 4000(OC) / 3866(OC) / 3800(OC) / 3733(OC) / 3600(OC) / 3466(OC) / 3200 / 2933 / 2667 / 2400 / 2133 ECC & non-ECC, un-buffered memory

Max. capacity of system memory: 128GB

Supports Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory modules

15µ Gold Contact in DIMM Slots

BIOS

256Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with GUI support

Supports “Plug and Play”

ACPI 5.1 compliance wake up events

Supports jumperfree

SMBIOS 2.3 support

CPU, CPU VDDCR_SOC, DRAM, VPPM, 1.05V_PROM_S5, 2.5V_PROM, 1.8VSB, VDDP Voltage Multi-adjustment

Graphics

Integrated AMD Radeon Vega Series Graphics in Ryzen Series APU

DirectX 12, Pixel Shader 5.0

Shared memory default 2GB. Max Shared memory supports up to 16GB.

Dual graphics output: support HDMI and D-Sub ports by independent display controllers

Supports HDMI 2.1 with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K (4096×2160) @ 60Hz

Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920×1200 @ 60Hz

Supports Auto Lip Sync, Deep Color (12bpc), xvYCC and HBR (High Bit Rate Audio) with HDMI 2.1 Port (Compliant HDMI monitor is required)

Supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) with HDMI 2.1

Supports HDCP 2.3 with HDMI 2.1 Port

Supports 4K Ultra HD (UHD) playback with HDMI 2.1 Port

Supports Microsoft PlayReady

Audio

7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec)

Premium Blu-ray Audio support

Supports Surge Protection

PCB Isolate Shielding

Individual PCB Layers for R/L Audio Channel

Nahimic Audio

LAN

PCIE x1 Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s

Realtek RTL8111H

Supports Wake-On-LAN

Supports Lightning/ESD Protection

Supports Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az

Supports PXE

Slots

AMD Ryzen series CPUs (Matisse)

– 2 x PCI Express x16 Slots (PCIE1: Gen4x16 mode; PCIE3: Gen3 x4 mode)

AMD Ryzen series APUs

– 2 x PCI Express x16 Slots (PCIE1: Gen3x16 mode; PCIE3: Gen3 x4 mode)

– 2 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 Slots

– Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX and CrossFireX

– 1 x M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT module

Storage

6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug

1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_1), supports M Key type 2260/2280/22110 M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) (with Matisse) or Gen3x4 (32 Gb/s)

1 x M.2 Socket (M2_3), supports M Key type 2242/2260/2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s)

Connector

1 x COM Port Header

1 x SPI TPM Header

1 x Power LED and Speaker Header

2 x RGB LED Headers

2 x Addressable LED Headers

1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)

1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)

4 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)

1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector

1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector

1 x 4 pin 12V Power Connector

1 x Front Panel Audio Connector

2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)

1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)

Rear Panel I/O

Antenna Bracket

1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port

1 x D-Sub Port

1 x HDMI Port

1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (Supports ESD Protection)

1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (Supports ESD Protection)

4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports (Supports ESD Protection)

1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED)

HD Audio Jacks: Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone

Software and UEFI

Software

– ASRock Motherboard Utility (A-Tuning)

– ASRock Polychrome SYNC

– ASRock XFast LAN

UEFI

– ASRock Full HD UEFI

– ASRock Instant Flash

Support CD

Drivers, Utilities, AntiVirus Software (Trial Version), Google Chrome Browser and Toolbar

Accessories

Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield

2 x SATA Data Cables

3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets

1 x Standoff for M.2 Socket

Hardware Monitor

Temperature Sensing: CPU, CPU/Water Pump, Chassis/Water Pump Fans

Fan Tachometer: CPU, CPU/Water Pump, Chassis/Water Pump Fans

Quiet Fan (Auto adjust chassis fan speed by CPU temperature): CPU, CPU/Water Pump, Chassis/Water Pump Fans

Fan Multi-Speed Control: CPU, CPU/Water Pump, Chassis/Water Pump Fans

Voltage monitoring: 12V, 5V, 3.3V, CPU Vcore, CPU VDDCR_SOC, DRAM, VPPM, 1.05V_PROM_S5, 1.8V, VDDP

Form Factor

ATX Form Factor: 12.0-in x 9.6-in, 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm

Solid Capacitor design

2oz Copper PCB

OS

Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit

Certifications

FCC, CE

ErP/EuP ready (ErP/EuP ready power supply is required)