For some time now we have been waiting for B550 motherboards, and now it looks as if AMD is ready to offer a medium to low range oriented chipset with the B550A.
B550A is basically an update of the AMD 400 series motherboards
As discovered by Computerbase.de, Robert Hallock, one of AMD’s top vendors, commented on AMD’s exposure to the existence of the B550A chipset, which appears to be different from the rumored B550 chipset.
PCI Express 4.0
| X570 | B550 | B550A / B450 / B350 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 0 | 0 | |
| PCI Express 3.0 | 0 | four | 0 |
| PCI Express 2.0 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbit / s) | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| USB 3.0 | 0 | ? | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | four | 6 | 6 |
| SATA 6 Gbit / s | 4 (up to 12) | 4 (up to 8) | four |
In a post about a user looking at a pre-assembled system with an ASRock B550 motherboard, Hallock commented to correct the user that the OEM system uses a B550A motherboard and not a “standard” B550 motherboard.
“No, it has a B550A motherboard. This is a version of the “Promontory-LP” PCIe Gen 3 chipset (e.g. X470, B450) specifically for use in pre-assembled systems (e.g. OEM customers).”
This means that the B550A is essentially an update to the AMD 400 series motherboards that resides on some pre-configured PCs. Hallock also replied when a user asked why AMD would create a B550A chipset (which means the name was confusing).
Basically, the B550A exists because there is a special demand as OEMs, but normal consumers do not. For example, AMD may not believe that an old hardware upgrade would attract enthusiasts, but it might be good for OEMs because OEMs want cheaper hardware. Consumers who buy pre-built PCs may not care about the chipset or may not even know what a chipset is.
It is also worth noting that AMD Marketing has done its best to correct a Reddit entry that did not attract much attention. This could be an indication that the B550 motherboards will arrive and that it won’t be a mere update of the 400 chipset series.