Technically speaking, with the (much belated) launch of the AMD B550 motherboard platform, while it supported their 3rd-gen processor releases (and new platforms moving forward for the immediate future) it did come with a notable caveat. Namely, that it didn’t, at least in terms of what AMD said, support their older 1st and 2nd-gen Ryzen releases.
In a report via TechPowerUp, however, images taken from an ASUS B550 motherboard (specifically, the TUF Gaming B550M-Plus) have appeared online apparently debunking that position!
AMD B550 Motherboards
The ‘3rd-gen only’ aspect was AMD’s official line on the subject in regards to their B550 motherboard releases. As such, I guess many presumed that it was accurate and/or didn’t bother trying out a few models to see if anything stuck.
Well, following the images below being release, it does seem to indicate that, at least for the Ryzen 2600X and 3400G APU there is some degree of compatibility. Certainly enough to actually get the system to boot up which is, quite frankly, 90% of the battle.
What Do We Think?
Before you go rushing out to buy a B550 motherboard for your 2nd-gen Ryzen processor, we should note that, at the time of writing, the B450 or X470 is still, by a massive margin, your most preferable option. In addition, while this ASUS TUG Gaming B550M-Plus motherboard does seem to work, that may not be the case for many of your alternative options.
We should also note that these images did not reveal any 1st-gen Ryzen platforms being functional. Something one would presume would’ve been noted if it had. It is, therefore, a notable curiosity to say the least. I wouldn’t let it lead you into making any hasty purchases though!
What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!
