The Ryzen itx B350 Motherboard: A Review of Its Features and Quirks

The Ryzen itx B350 motherboard from Gigabyte is an interesting product that, despite its oddities, offers some impressive features for its size. At first glance, the rear I/O panel appears to be typical, with HDMI display ports, AMD APU S7.1 surround sound, two USB 3.1 ports (one type-A), and a single RJ45 port. However, there are no optical support options, which may be a drawback for some users. The PS2 port is also present, although it's not clear why this feature was included at all. On the other hand, the onboard Wi-Fi is a significant advantage, making it an attractive option for those who want to stay connected without adding extra cost or complexity.

The board layout is quite unique, with the CPU socket centered but the RAM slots located on the far right side of the board. This is done to accommodate stock AMD coolers, which can be bulky and take up valuable space. The 24-pin SATA ports are also moved to the top of the board, requiring users to route their cables through the top of their case instead of the usual right side location. Additionally, the 8-pin EPS dock is situated at the bottom of the board behind the MOSFET heatsink, which can be a bit confusing for some users. The USB 3.0 ports and front I/O dock are also located on the top of the board, adding to the overall sense of cable management chaos.

Despite its quirks, the motherboard offers some impressive features that set it apart from other products in its class. For example, overclocking is a feature that Gigabyte has consistently delivered with their motherboards, and this one is no exception. The Ryzen CPU's can reach incredible speeds with this motherboard, making it an excellent choice for enthusiasts who want to push the limits of their system. The board also features a consistent and stable BIOS interface, which is easy to navigate and use.

One notable feature of this motherboard is its RGB support. Not only does it have a full right side of LEDs, but also peripheral LEDs that can be mixed with different colors and cycling effects using the RGB Fusion software. This adds a touch of sophistication to the board's design and makes it stand out from other products in the market. Additionally, the motherboard supports a single M.2 slot, which is a welcome addition for users who want to add more storage or upgrade their system.

The Gigabyte AB350 is also priced competitively at around $100 USD, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers. Smaller PCs tend to cost more due to power supplies and other components, so having a board with all the features included at this price point is a significant advantage. Overall, the Ryzen itx B350 motherboard is a solid choice for anyone looking to build a small form-factor PC with a powerful CPU.

However, users should be aware of some potential drawbacks when building with this motherboard. The strange I/O placement and lack of fan hubs can make cable management more difficult than usual, which may not be ideal for all users. Additionally, the board's quirks may take some getting used to, especially for those who are new to PC building or have limited experience with these types of products.

In conclusion, the Gigabyte AB350 Ryzen itx B350 motherboard is a solid choice for anyone looking to build a small form-factor PC with a powerful CPU. Its features and performance make it an attractive option, but users should be aware of some potential drawbacks that may require additional planning and setup. With its competitive price point and impressive features, this motherboard is definitely worth considering for those in the market for a new PC build.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enThis is a Ryzen itx B350 motherboard from gigabyteIt isn't the first ever in this form factor, but it is one of the best you can currently buy despite its odd quirksWe're going to cover all of that in this video including overclock ability feature sets and pricingI'd first like to address motherboard features most of the stuff you can just read onlineI say that pretty much every motherboard review video at this pointBut there are a few strangeLocations a few placements that might have you scratching your head starting first with the rear i/o this is pretty much typical stuffHDMI display ports for Amd Apu s7.1 surround Sound BUT no optical support, six USB 3.1 portsTwo which are type-A and a single RJ45 portoh and a PS2 port though if you're still using this in 2017and ehh idk ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯A huge selling point of this motherboard though onboard Wi-FiThat's a huge plus. Especially in this form factor now on to the internals this board layout is a bit unorthodoxnow on to the internals, this board layout is a bit unorthodoxSure the CPU socket is centered but ram slots are off to the far right where the 24 pin and sata usually areGigabytes have done this to make room for stock amd coolers which can be a bit bulkysee the slots occupy the far right side of the board, soEverything that would normally go here on a typical motherboard including 24 pin Sata like I said, that's all been moved up heremost coolers fit pretty snugBut it's no different on intel side with its squared off layout the typical format had to be alteredBut gigabytes done a fair job on account of the new socket a few extraCompromises have to be made more so than what I mentioned in this video right hereYou always lose a few featuresbut in this case a fewMandatory features had to be moved to strange new places on the board take this 24 pin for exampleIt's all the way at the top of the boardso you'll have to route your cable through the top of your case not the right side where it usually is routed andHere's the 8 pin Eps dock, way down here behind the Mosfet Heatsink Super strange indeed these locations could drive you crazyUSB 3.0 is also up top as is the front I/O dock and all sata portsPotentially a cable management nightmare depending on which case you choose nonetheless. I cannot go without stating these downfalls in this reviewOh, and I suppose all having only two fan hubs is pretty negativeYou'll have to find a fan hub without a doubt if you are planning using a case like the nzxt Manta but don't worrybut don't worrythis is where the quirkiness stops everything else about this board is what you might expect from gigabyte by this point those are positivesfor one overclocking is consistent and actually decent for a board of this size andalsoConsidering the fact that it's only a be 350 chip and not the X370Supreme overclock or chipset I get the exact same overclocks with both my 1600 and 1700X on Ryzen CPU's3.9 Gigahertz of piece that I hit with the Aorus X370 boardas far as I'm concerned the systems are stable at these frequencies even under heavy load and In idle 64My RAM Frequency is still a bit finicky thoughI can't pass 2400 MHz despite Bios updates though I'd point to the youth of this platform as the cause since mostManufacturers are still dealing with these repercussions, even NewEgg pretty blunt about this on their websitesomething I did not expect with the AB350N Was it's full on RGB supportWas it's full on RGB supportNot only from just a hardware standpoint you have leds kind of lining a full right side of this boardbut also peripherallyThe RGB fusion software gives users a variety of color presets which can be mixed with different pulses and cycling effectsIt's a nice touch for a board that won't break the bankanother pleasant surprise was the RGB w led header near the PCIe slotGood for dedicated light strips with a dedicated white leds, hands the fifth pin, this board also supports a singleM.2 slot around the back which is always nice on a ITX board andonboard Bluetooth 4.1 for Wireless device Connectivitynow many of you are asking for bios uefi tours and Motherboard review videosSo here you go. This is gigabyte signature BiosUI pretty consistent across both intel and amd platforms at this point in timeYou find all of your overclock settings here on the far left page you also have a fan control software built into the BIOSSo that you can kind of visually manipulate your fan curves and as mentioned earlier you'll also find the RGBFusion app where you can manipulate motherboard colors and cycling effects the simplicity here is keyI'm glad Gigabyte hasn't changed too much with this particular UiFiIt's very easy through which to navigate and it's not buggy at allI haven't had a single crash since I've started testing this board look I know it has some quirksAnd I don't know how much of that gigabyte could really control given the youth of the platform and the form factorThis is one of the first on the market by the wayBut it has the typical gigabyte flare it has the beauty, the looks, it has the RGB integrationIt has the steel-reinforced pcie slot down below. It has onboard wi-Fi you get that out of the boxIt's it's a nice board it just has a fewQuirks that are going to be difficult to get around for some depending on your case choice like I saidBut I still recommend it maybe not for all ITX builds it would look pretty weird in nzxt Manta due to its strangeI/O placementBut it worked nicely in something like a fractal node, a true small form-factorBuild the AB350 is also a decent price just over 100 US dollars which isn't an extraordinary figure given the form factorSmaller PCs tend to cost a bit more especially when it comes to power supplysSo having a board at this price with all the features that gigabytes included is very niceSo if you're in the market for a small form-factor Ryzen PC build as most budget conscious consumers are and should beDon't look any further than this motherboard right hereJust have a plan for dealing with these weird power and peripheral placements as well as the sheer lack of fan hubs with the gigabytewith the Gigabyte AB350 in gaming Wi-Fi the pros definitely Outweigh the cons as usualYou can find this product linked in the video description too tied to my Amazon affiliate account because made small Kickback lets you make morevideos like this one I do appreciate it, if you like this video be sure to give it a thumbs up thumbs down for theOpposite click to subscribe and if you have it already, I will catch you in the next video. This is science, studioThanks for learning with usTranslated by: NAlax\n"