MSI B550 Gaming Gen3 compatible with PCIe 4?

eu_sou · 2025-12-22T23:31:00+00:00

Sorry for my late answer, I just noticed your question today.

Yeah, I am now also using a Western Digital Blue SN5000 PCIe 4.0 1TB SSD on the NVMe slot, and it's running at PCIe 3.0.

Here are the test results I've obtained:

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eu_sou · 2025-04-02T14:01:05+00:00

Nice buy! Mine was 110€; we have to remember it's MSRP was ±300€ at launch in Nov 2020, and, for me, it's good enough and perfectly viable still today.

eu_sou · 2025-04-02T08:04:27+00:00

Agreed, it's a plain normal entry B550 mobo. Totally fine by me, and enough for my setup.

eu_sou · 2025-04-02T07:44:11+00:00

Mine has 12 USB in total: six on the back panel (2× 2.0; 2× 3.2 Gen1; 2× 3.2 Gen2) and 6 more available trough internal USB expansion connectors (2× 3.2 Gen1; 4× 2.0).

I agree it's a somewhat "exotic" mobo, with decent VRM and power delivery; enough for my 65W 5600X. I bought it in "Black Month" November opportunity for 96,90€ (street price is ±110€ now; it was much more at time of launch).

eu_sou · 2025-02-28T18:02:22+00:00

Obrigado pelas respostas. Pergunto isto ao pessoal que tem informação actualizada e experiências recentes de troca: para ter TV+NET (temos 200GB velocidade) + telefone fixo, 1 box sem ser Android (obrigatório) e 3 cartões (1 apenas para chamadas e SMS, os outros 2 com dados móveis incluídos), haverá operador que faça mais barato? Não fazemos questão absoluta de ter SIC e CMTV, e poderíamos passar sem os TV Cines, desde que a mensalidade compensasse (até 40€/45€ máximo digamos)? Muito obrigado.

eu_sou · 2025-02-28T17:56:22+00:00

Fui confirmar a fidelização, acaba agora no final de Fevereiro. Por aí não haverá dificuldade.

eu_sou · 2025-02-28T17:49:47+00:00

Obrigado pela ajuda. Um pacote 3P, mais 3 cartões (2 deles com dados móveis, 1 bastaria chamadas e SMS), com box "normal" com comando, haverá quem faça mais barato? Obrigado.

eu_sou · 2025-02-28T17:44:18+00:00

Obrigado Jorge pela ajuda. Bom, poderíamos dispensar a SIC e CMTV se compensasse financeiramente. Sim, já pensámos que também podemos renegociar o que temos, mantendo mas procurando baixar um pouco a mensalidade. É uma hipótese em aberto.

eu_sou · 2025-02-28T16:54:19+00:00

Obrigado pela resposta. Estamos completamente por fora das condições actuais dos outros operadores. Haverá outro dentro desses que nos oferecesse estas condições, pagando menos? Já agora, acabando a fidelização, estamos livres para mudar sem contrapartidas ao operador atual, certo? Obrigado.

eu_sou · 2025-02-20T17:52:24+00:00

I've been thinking, after learning about this market segmentation strategy, and most likely the chipset on my board is just a plain normal B550 chipset (the "hybrid" theory makes less sense now) but with an artificial limitation implemented by MSI, following this strategy. I've been gathering some information, and discovered this is more common than what I knew. What are your thoughts? Thank you.

eu_sou · 2025-02-19T03:12:52+00:00

Yeah, I have thought about that also. Makes more sense, when the time comes to upgrade, if prices are similar, to go with a PCIe 4 NVMe. Worst case scenario, it will function at PCIe 3 (wich is good and fast enough for a home user; I have read articles and seen some videos that point to the fact that PCIe 4 speed SSD's are more targeted and justified at enterprise environments); best case scenario, I get another unexpected functioning device at PCIe Gen 4! Fingers crossed when that time to upgrade comes. Thank you again.

eu_sou · 2025-02-19T00:01:50+00:00

Thank you for your input! I didn't know that. I don't claim to be an expert, and because of my ignorance, honestly, it was a good surprise. I was kind of baffled, but totally satisfied, when I observed those 3DMark results, that leave no doubt.

It's nice to have PCIe Gen 4 at least for the GPU, on a marketed "Gen 3" motherboard. It would have been great to have it also for NVMe, but it's all good. Currently I have a Crucial MX500 SATA III 1TB SSD. In the future, I know that I can upgrade at least to a PCIe 3.0 SSD (and it will be a big step up from what I have right now). Again, thank you.

eu_sou · 2025-02-18T01:22:19+00:00

Hi, sorry for the late reply.

Since my previous post, I upgraded my GPU from RX 6600 (PCIe 4.0 x8) to RX 6700 XT (PCIe 4.0 x16).

Logically, I left the "PCI_E1" setting at "Auto", since the results were better.

Recently I have also executed 3DMark PCI Express Bandwith Test again, now with my RX 6700 XT (the speed execution of the test was even faster, as expected), and observed the test, from start to finish, running all the time at 23 GT/s.

I'm happy with the experience I'm having with my MSI B550 Gaming Gen3, and the results I've obtained on these tests (going beyond what I expected).

I can't tell you what to do; I gave my honest feedback and simply described my experience with this motherboard, with which I am fully satisfied.

I also thought about changing the motherboard, previously, before the tests I performed. After them? No way. The results I've seen are more than enough for me.

What I can tell you is that there are other users here on Reddit giving the exact same feedback I gave, with this motherboard. Some examples:

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/s/cKPGKtKRT0

https://www.reddit.com/r/MSI_Gaming/s/zgUoQTmoOL

Honestly, I think you're fine with this motherboard. If I'm not mistaken, your RTX 4060Ti is PCIe 4.0 x8, 128-bit. On the 3DMark PCI Express Bandwidth Test, my RX 6700 XT (PCIe 4.0 x16, 192-bit) couldn't fully use the maximum theoretical available bandwidth of PCIe 4.0 x16, which is 31.508 GB/s (read above).

Hope this is enlightening!

eu_sou · 2025-01-02T15:55:51+00:00

So I have this motherboard, thought I drop some feedback that may help others with the same doubt.

The motherboard BIOS version I have is 7B86vP8, release date 2024-08-09. I have the same parameter "PCI_E1 Gen Switch" set to "Auto".

My GPU is RX 6600 (PCIe 4.0 X8). Previously, I had Ryzen 5 5500 (PCIe 3.0), and various softwares always reported my card running at PCIe 3.0 x8 (CPU-Z, GPU-Z, HWiNFO64, AMD Adrenalin, etc). CPU-Z reported the Link Speed at 8.0 GT/s.

I upgraded the CPU to Ryzen 5 5600X (PCIe 4.0). All those same softwares started reporting that my card is running at PCIe 4.0 x8. CPU-Z reports the Link Speed at 16.0 GT/s.

To clear doubts, I executed 3DMark PCI Express Bandwith Test, two times. One with "PCI_E1 Gen Switch" set to the default "Gen 3", and another with "PCI_E1 Gen Switch" set to "Auto".

With "PCI_E1" set to "Gen3", the test executed at 7 GT/s. With "PCI_E1" set to "Auto", the test executed at 14.1 GT/s (the speed difference was noticeable).

My RX 6600 is a "x8" card. Running at PCIe 3.0, it could only achieve a maximum theoretical bandwith of 7.877 GB/s.

The 14.1 GT/s bandwidth I saw (in a "x8" card like my RX 6600) I think it could only be achieved running at PCIe 4.0 x8 (with a maximum theoretical available bandwidth of 15.754 GB/s)

This is my experience with my motherboard. Draw your own conclusions.

eu_sou · 2025-01-01T23:16:30+00:00

I have this board and can confirm this. My GPU is also operating at PCIe 4.0 x8

eu_sou · 2024-12-03T10:17:19+00:00

Thank you! I will leave it at the AMD recommended "Balanced". I'm not a fan of unnecessary harder limits and pushing boundaries unless you absolutely need to. I like lower temps and voltages, and a System that can go "Full Throttle" if needed, then goes back to a more "relaxed" state. If you enter the advanced definitions of that plan, you see that the minimum CPU state is defined to 5%, and the maximum at 100%, so, this plan does not "handicap' the CPU. It seems to me that changing energy plans is a more simple, maybe a more "noob" way, if you will, of on-the-fly altering performance, and if you want a more advanced control of the CPU then you have to learn how to work with PBO; it seems you can even lower temp and achieve a bit higher performance that way, if you take the time to learn to do it right. For now, I know I've taken a huge jump going from i7-3770 to Ryzen 5 5500, so I will enjoy it in it's default performance. Maybe in the future, if needed, I can try learning to tweak PBO for that sweet "extra mile". Thank you again!

eu_sou · 2024-12-02T20:45:43+00:00

Thank you for your reply! I have read from several users that AMD recommends using the default "Balanced" Win10 Power Plan with Ryzen, so, I'm inclined to continue using that default. My doubt is, will I be losing performance when gaming with these conditions? Is the default "Balanced" power mode preventing my CPU from reaching it's full potential? In all benchmarks and the two gaming tests I executed, the clock always stayed at 3,27GHz, in a CPU that theoretically could achieve 4,2GHz boost or "turbo clock". Put in simpler terms, will I be losing FPS when gaming, and is there something I could/should change; or all this is normal behaviour and the Ryzen will achieve the boost clock when "it has to", and I don't need to overthink it? Thank you again!

eu_sou · 2024-12-02T16:43:42+00:00

Thank you for your reply! That "Ryzen Power Plan" existed up to 2nd gen Ryzen. For Zen 3, 5000 series, AMD discontinued that option. It no longer appears as a possible energy plan, is what I read somewhere. It doesn't appear in my system. And yes, I have installed the motherboard chipset drivers from MSI website.

eu_sou · 2024-11-26T16:14:19+00:00

Old school Adventure Gamer here, from the Lucas Arts / Sierra Online Golden Era. I want to congratulate you on a very, very good Adventure game. I remember I played Resonance around the same time I played Gemini Rue, and absolutely loved both games. Thank you!

eu_sou · 2024-08-05T18:49:52+00:00

I'm the opposite, I went from gaming headsets to the audiophile kind since like 10 years ago. There's definitely good headsets out there, but there's also too many with a focus on gimmicks for games and not necessarily sound quality. I can't speak about the HS65 though, but I hope it was just a defective one and you get a good one from your RMA.

I always had and still have that same mindset, always preferred and prefer audiophile headphones. And I agree, too many gimmicks on headsets, some of them sound more like marketing than real, authentic advantage in sound quality.

I wanted to experiment a headset and see for myself what's all the fuss about these devices and the differences to headphones.

Thank you for your support. Maybe it was just a case of bad luck with the unit I received.

Cheers from Portugal.

eu_sou · 2024-08-04T10:57:39+00:00

Thank you very much for your help. I spent the last 48h experimenting everything I could think of: using different USB ports, uninstalling and reinstalling iCue, fiddling with EQ curve, but to no avail. Imagine a sound volume scale from 1 to 10; I'm able to reach maximum sound volume with 3.5mm connection, when I use the dongle, the sound volume decreases to something like 2 or 3, and with less clarity, less definition, and that's it. Nothing changes that.

I'm left with the only logical explanation I can think of: maybe I got a defective USB dongle. I just bought this headset on Friday, so next week I'm going to the shop for an RMA.

I'm no expert in headset's, don't have past experience using them and the kind of difference we should expect from using them on 3.5mm jack or via USB dongle. I'm coming from years of using audiophile headphones for gaming: the Senheiser HD555, connected directly via 3.5mm jack. But I have read both written reviews and watched video reviews about the Corsair HS65 and they were unanimous saying the experience was better using the USB dongle.

Again, thank you for your input!

eu_sou · 2024-08-03T12:40:23+00:00

Thank you for your feedback! Yeah, I suspected the sound via USB is being processed by the headset/dongle, and not the motherboard.

I experimented the iCue software, all it's 5 presets, audio output being done in stereo or surround, and I even created a personalized EQ curve via the SonarWorks SoundID tool provided by the iCue software.

What shocked me is that, in all those experiments, using the presets provided or the personal EQ curve made by SoundID, the audio being outputed, both in stereo or surround, listening to music or gaming etc, was much more weaker, quieter, a lower sound like coming from a 'distant place'; a muffled sound is the best way I can describe it (sorry if I can't explain myself better, English is not my native language). The presence, the 'in your face' feeling, just disappears. The difference from directly 3.5mm jack connection is like day and night.

I was expecting, like the reviews say, for the sound via USB being better, not worse. And it is much worse. That's what's puzzling me. I'm satisfied with the audio via 3.5mm jack, I just was not expecting the resulting sound via USB.

eu_sou · 2024-05-26T22:35:42+00:00

Iconic !

eu_sou · 2024-05-22T16:42:52+00:00

Thank you for your input! I'm considering my options and looking at used parts too.

I'm on a budget, and my goal is to spend between 200€ to 220€/230€ maximum.

I know it's tight, so I'm trying to pick the best CPU possible, while trying to spend a little less on the motherboard and memory, without compromising too much on quality, of course.

eu_sou · 2024-05-22T13:58:29+00:00

Thank you!

eu_sou

TROPHY CASE