Have 'Budget-Friendly' and 'Ryzen Motherboards' Become Oxymorons? Not Yet!

in #hardware2 days ago (edited)

proboscis monkey screwdriver motherboard 2.jpg

Building or upgrading a budget PC can be a challenging task, especially with rising component prices. One of the key components, the motherboard, has seen significant price hikes recently. AM4 motherboards that support older Ryzen processors, such as the Ryzen 5-5600, which used to cost around €40, are now priced at around €70.

For high-end PC builds with budgets around €1500, an extra €30 for a motherboard might not be a big deal. However, for budget builds aiming to stay within let’s say the €300 range, every euro counts.

A potential solution to this problem is considering Chinese AM4 motherboards from brands like Huananzhi, Machinist, Soyo, Jingsha, Kllisre, and Qiyida. These motherboards have been around for years, consistently priced at around €40. In the past, they were often overlooked in favor of familiar brands like Acer, Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI. However, given the current price landscape, these Chinese alternatives are worth a closer look.

One primary concern with lesser-known brands is quality and reliability. The good news is that the key component, the chipset, is made by AMD, ensuring performance and compatibility.

Providing the remaining aspects like power delivery, cooling, and plastic clips is well within the Chinese manufacturing capabilities.
It’s not exactly rocket science (or three-way folding phones, or 10,000 drones controlled with one computer - which by the way the Chinese manufacturers have also mastered).

There are also professional reviews as well as customer ratings for particular models of particular boards - they could also boost your confidence before you buy.

So if you're looking to build or upgrade a budget PC and are finding mainstream motherboard prices prohibitive, Chinese AM4 motherboards present a viable alternative.

You can check out a few examples here:
(reflinks)
Machinist B450 AM4-A
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Evsc3Cc
Soyo Classic AMD B450M
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_EQ57Rqu
Maxsun MS-Challenger B450M
https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Ev4CeYs