AMD Keeps Budget Friendly B650 Boards On The Table
AMD has reportedly changed course on its plans to wind down production of B650 motherboards in favor of newer B850 and B840 chipsets. The reason is simple. Component prices are climbing and that is hitting gamers and PC builders right where it hurts most, in the wallet.
With DDR5 memory prices going up sharply, many people have slowed or paused their plans to build new PCs or upgrade to the latest platforms. Motherboard sales have dropped and that has apparently pushed AMD to keep the more affordable B650 chipset in production for longer than originally expected.
For anyone planning a gaming PC around Ryzen processors this is good news. It means cheaper AM5 motherboard options should stick around instead of being replaced too quickly by more expensive next generation boards.
What Is Happening With DDR5 And Motherboards
To understand why this matters, it helps to look at the bigger picture. Modern AMD AM5 systems rely on DDR5 memory. When DDR5 prices rise sharply the overall cost of a new build shoots up. Even if the CPU and GPU prices stay reasonable the total bill can start to look scary.
B650 motherboards occupy the more budget friendly side of the AM5 lineup. They usually offer everything a typical gamer needs such as PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 support for GPUs and SSDs, decent power delivery for Ryzen CPUs and enough connectivity for most setups. B850 and B840 boards are expected to push features and performance even further but they almost certainly come at a higher price.
When you combine more expensive RAM with more expensive motherboards you end up with a platform that fewer people can afford. That is what the market is seeing now. Motherboard sales have fallen as DDR5 prices have gone up and AMD appears to be responding to that demand by keeping B650 boards flowing.
Why Gamers Should Care
If you are building or upgrading a gaming PC this situation affects your choices in a few important ways.
You keep access to cheaper AM5 motherboards. Instead of being pushed quickly toward B850 or B840 models you can still pick up a B650 board and redirect more of your budget into your graphics card or storage.
The total cost of a Ryzen build stays more reasonable. DDR5 price spikes are already painful. Having to pair expensive RAM with a pricey new motherboard chipset would only make it worse.
You get more time to plan your upgrade. If you were worried that affordable B650 options would disappear soon this move suggests you will have a longer window to buy into AM5 without going all in on premium hardware.
For many gamers B650 already delivers the sweet spot. You get support for modern features like PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs and current generation GPUs without paying for extreme overclocking features or high end connectivity that you might never use.
What This Means For Your Next Build
While details on B850 and B840 are still emerging the key takeaway is that AMD is not rushing everyone to those chipsets. Instead it is letting the more mainstream friendly B650 platform continue to serve as the entry point for AM5.
If you are on an older platform like AM4 or Intel tenth or eleventh gen and you have been eyeing a full upgrade then keeping an eye on B650 boards makes a lot of sense. Here is a simple approach for planning your build in the current climate.
Watch DDR5 prices over the next few months. If they cool down you might be able to stretch for a better CPU or larger capacity RAM kit while still staying with a B650 motherboard.
Prioritize your GPU and CPU. Getting a solid graphics card and a capable Ryzen chip will impact your gaming performance far more than tiny chipset feature differences between B650 and a future B850 board.
Look for deals on existing B650 inventory. If vendors were expecting AMD to move on to B850 they may discount current stock to clear shelves which could mean serious value for budget conscious builders.
For now it looks like AMD recognizes that not every gamer wants to pay a premium just to get onto the latest platform. By continuing B650 production it helps keep the cost of entry into the AM5 ecosystem more manageable during a rough period for component pricing.
If you want an up to date Ryzen gaming rig without blowing your whole budget on motherboard and RAM this decision is a welcome one. You get solid performance today and a clear path to future CPU upgrades all while avoiding the worst of the current component crunch.
Original article and image: https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/motherboards/amds-b650-chipset-isnt-going-anywhere-according-to-a-new-rumor-rising-memory-costs-and-softening-diy-demand-mean-the-transition-to-b850-may-take-longer-than-expected
