A520 vs B550 Motherboards
Both take the same AM4 processors, Ryzen 3000 and newer. A520 is the entry chipset: it is PCIe 3.0 throughout and does not allow processor overclocking. B550 adds a PCIe 4.0 graphics slot and a PCIe 4.0 first M.2 slot, allows overclocking, and is usually built with more power delivery and more ports. Memory profiles work on both.
A520 is fine for a six-core processor, one graphics card and one NVMe drive, and it is the cheapest sensible AM4 board. Step up to B550 when you are fitting an eight-core or larger processor, want a PCIe 4.0 drive at full speed, or want more M.2 slots and USB ports.
What you give up, in numbers
How the two sizes actually differ once you look at every board on sale, rather than at what the standard permits. Measured across 16 A520 and 62 B550 boards at the retailers we track (16 and 61 in stock today), and updated daily.
The picks on each side
The cheapest board on each side, and the cheapest one that clears a floor worth clearing: enough power headroom for the socket’s top processor, and Wi-Fi 6E or better. Recalculated daily from live prices.
A520
Best all-round
No board in stock clears both the power and Wi-Fi floor.
B550
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Common questions
Can you overclock on A520?
Not the processor. A520 supports memory profiles and memory tuning, but processor overclocking needs a B550 or X570 board.
Is A520 good enough for gaming?
With a mainstream processor, yes. The graphics card and processor decide frame rate, and an A520 board runs a six-core chip such as the Ryzen 5 5600 without holding it back. Check the board's power delivery before pairing it with a twelve or sixteen core processor.
Does A520 support PCIe 4.0?
No. Every slot on an A520 board runs at PCIe 3.0, including the graphics slot and the M.2 slots. A PCIe 4.0 drive still works, at PCIe 3.0 speed.
Keep going
Browse every A520 board or B550 board with filters, put two specific boards head to head, or read up on choosing a case to fit the board you pick.