Comparison MSI MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI vs Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX

The maximum RAM clock speed supported by the motherboard. The actual clock frequency of the installed RAM modules should not exceed this indicator — otherwise, malfunctions are possible, and the capabilities of the “RAM” cannot be used to the fullest.

For modern PCs, a RAM frequency of 1500 – 2000 MHz or less is considered very low, 2000 – 2500 MHz is modest, 2500 – 3000 MHz is average, 3000 – 3500 MHz is above average, and the most advanced boards can support frequencies of 3500 – 4000 MHz and even more than 4000 MHz.

The ability of the motherboard to work with RAM modules that support XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) technology. This technology was developed by Intel; it is used in motherboards and RAM blocks and only works if both of these system components are XMP compliant. A similar technology from AMD is called AMP.

The main function of XMP is to facilitate system overclocking (“overclocking”): special overclocking profiles are “sewn” into the memory with this technology, and if desired, the user can only select one of these profiles without resorting to complex configuration procedures. This is not only easier, but also safer: every profile added to the bar is tested for stability.

Number of SATA 3 ports on the motherboard.

SATA is now the standard interface for connecting internal drives (mainly HDDs) and optical drives. One device is connected to one such connector, so the number of SATA ports corresponds to the number of internal drives / drives that can be connected to the motherboard through such an interface. A large number ( 6 SATA ports and more) is necessary in case of active use of several hard drives and other peripherals. For domestic use, 4 is enough. SATA 3, as the name suggests, is the third version of this interface, operating at a total speed of about 6 Gbps; the useful speed, taking into account the redundancy of the transmitted data, is about 4.8 Mbps (600 MB / s) — that is, twice as much as in SATA 2.

Note that different SATA standards are quite compatible with each other in both directions: older drives can be connected to newer ports, and vice versa. The only thing is that the data transfer rate will be limited by the capabilities of the slower version, and in some cases it may be necessary to reconfigure the drives with hardware (switches, jumpers) or software. It is also worth saying that SATA 3 is the newest and most advanced variation of SATA today, but the capabilities of this standard are not enough to unlock the full potential of high-speed SSDs. Therefore, SATA 3 is mainly used for hard drives and low-cost SSDs, faster drives are conn...ected to specially designed connectors like M.2 or U.2 (see below).

Number of PCI-E (PCI-Express) 1x slots installed on the motherboard. There are motherboards for 1 PCI-E 1x slot, 2 PCI-E 1x slots, 3 PCI-E 1x ports and even more.

The PCI Express bus is used to connect various expansion cards — network and sound cards, video adapters, TV tuners and even SSD drives. The number in the name indicates the number of PCI-E lines (data transfer channels) supported by this slot; the more lines, the higher the throughput. Accordingly, PCI-E 1x is the basic, slowest version of this interface. The data transfer rate for such slots depends on the PCI-E version (see "PCI Express Support"): in particular, it is slightly less than 1 GB / s for version 3.0 and slightly less than 2 GB / s for 4.0.

Separately, we note that the general rule for PCI-E is as follows: the board must be connected to a slot with the same or more lines. Thus, only single-lane boards will be guaranteed to be compatible with PCI-E 1x.

Number of PCI-E (PCI-Express) 16x slots installed on the motherboard.

The PCI Express bus is used to connect various expansion cards — network and sound cards, video adapters, TV tuners and even SSD drives. The number in the name indicates the number of PCI-E lines (data transfer channels) supported by this slot; the more lines, the higher the throughput. 16 lanes is the largest number found in modern PCI Express slots and cards (more is technically possible, but the connectors would be too bulky). Accordingly, these slots are the fastest: they have a data transfer rate of 16 GB / s for PCI-E 3.0 and 32 GB / s for version 4.0 (for more information about the versions, see "PCI Express Support").

Separately, we note that it is PCI-E 16x that is considered the optimal connector for connecting video cards. However, when choosing a motherboard with several such slots, it is worth considering the PCI-E modes supported by it (see below). In addition, we recall that the PCI Express interface allows you to connect boards with a smaller number of lines to connectors with numerous lines. Thus, PCI-E 16x will fit any PCI Express card.

It is also worth mentioning that in the design of modern "motherboards" there are slots of increased sizes — in particular, PCI-E 4x, corresponding in size to PCI-E 16x. However, the type of PCI-E slots in our catalog is indicated by the actual throughput; so only connectors that support 16x speed are considered as PCI-E 16x.

Operating modes of PCI-E 16x slots supported by the motherboard.

For more information about this interface, see above, and information about the modes is indicated if there are several PCI-E 16x slots on the board. This data specifies at what speed these slots can operate when expansion cards are connected to them at the same time, how many lines each of them can use. The fact is that the total number of PCI-Express lanes on any motherboard is limited, and they are usually not enough for the simultaneous operation of all 16-channel slots at full capacity. Accordingly, when working simultaneously, the speed inevitably has to be limited: for example, recording 16x / 4x / 4x means that the motherboard has three 16-channel slots, but if three video cards are connected to them at once, then the second and third slots will be able to give speed only to PCI-E 4x level. Accordingly, for a different number of slots and the number of digits will be appropriate. There are also boards with several modes — for example, 16x/0x/4 and 8x/8x/4x (0x means that the slot becomes inoperable altogether).

You have to pay attention to this parameter mainly when installing several video cards at the same time: in some cases (for example, when using SLI technology), for correct operation of video adapters, they must be connected to slots at the same speed.

The number of USB-C 3.2 gen2 connectors provided in the motherboard.

USB-C connectors (all versions) are used to connect to the "motherboard" USB-C ports located on the outside of the case (usually on the front panel, less often on the top or side). With a special cable, such a port is connected to the connector, while one connector, usually, works with only one port. In other words, the number of connectors on the motherboard corresponds to the maximum number of USB-C chassis connectors that can be used with it.

Recall that USB-C is a relatively new type of USB connector, it is distinguished by its small size and double-sided design; such connectors have their own technical features, so separate connectors must be provided for them. Specifically, the USB 3.2 gen2 version (formerly known as USB 3.1 gen2 and USB 3.1) operates at speeds up to 10 Gbps and allows you to implement USB Power Delivery technology, thanks to which the power supply of USB peripherals can reach 100 W per port. However, the presence of Power Delivery in specific motherboards (and even in specific connectors on the same board) should be specified separately.

The number of USB-C 3.2 gen2x2 ports provided on the motherboard.

USB-C is a universal connector. It is slightly larger than microUSB, has a convenient double-sided design (it doesn’t matter which side you connect the plug), and also allows you to implement increased power supply and a number of special functions. In addition, the same connector is standardly used in the Thunderbolt v3 interface, and technically it can be used for other interfaces.

As for the specific version of USB-C 3.2 gen2x2, it allows you to achieve a connection speed of 20 Gbps — that is, twice as fast as USB-C 3.2 gen2, hence the name. It is also worth noting that the connection according to the 3.2 gen2x2 standard is implemented only through USB-C connectors and is not used in ports of earlier standards.

HDMI connector version (see above) installed in the motherboard.

— v.1.4. The earliest of the standards found nowadays, which appeared back in 2009. Supports resolutions up to 4096x2160 inclusive and allows you to play Full HD video with a frame rate of up to 120 fps — this is enough even for 3D playback.

— v.1.4b. A modified version of v.1.4 described above, which introduced a number of minor updates and improvements — in particular, support for two additional 3D formats.

— v.2.0. Also known as HDMI UHD, this version introduced full 4K support, with frame rates up to 60 fps, as well as the ability to work with 21:9 ultra-widescreen video. In addition, thanks to the increased bandwidth, the number of simultaneously reproduced audio channels has grown to 32, and audio streams to 4. And in the v.2.0a improvement, HDR support has also been added to all this.

— v.2.1. Another name is HDMI Ultra High Speed. Compared to the previous version, the interface bandwidth has really increased significantly — it is enough to transmit video at resolutions up to 10K at 120 frames per second, as well as to work with the extended BT.2020 colour space (the latter may be useful for some professional tasks). HDMI Ultra High Speed cables are required to use the full capabilities of HDMI v2.1, but older standard features are available with regular cables.