Gigabyte AB350N ITX Ryzen Motherboard Review
Gigabyte AB350N ITX Ryzen Motherboard - This is a Ryzen itx B350 motherboard from gigabyte It isn't the first ever in this form factor, but it is one of the best you can currently buy despite its odd quirks We're going to cover all of that in this video including overclock ability feature sets and pricing I'd first like to address motherboard features most of the stuff you can just read online.
I say that pretty much every motherboard review video at this point But there are a few strange Locations a few placements that might have you scratching your head starting first with the rear this is pretty much typical stuff HDMI display ports for Amd Apu s 7.1 surround Sound BUT no optical support, six USB 3.1 ports Two which are type-A and a single RJ45 port oh and a PS2 port though if you're still using this in 2017 and A huge selling point of this motherboard though onboard Wi-Fi That's a huge plus.
Especially in this form factor now on to the internals this board layout is a bit unorthodox now on to the internals, this board layout is a bit unorthodox Sure the CPU socket is centered but ram slots are off to the far right where the 24 pin and sata usually are Gigabytes have done this to make room for stock amd coolers which can be a bit bulky see the slots occupy the far right side of the board.
So Everything that would normally go here on a typical motherboard including 24 pin Sata like I said, that's all been moved up here most coolers fit pretty snug But it's no different on intel side with its squared off layout the typical format had to be altered But gigabytes done a fair job on account of the new socket a few extra Compromises have to be made more so than what I mentioned in this video right here.
You always lose a few features but in this case a few Mandatory features had to be moved to strange new places on the board take this 24 pin for example It's all the way at the top of the board so you'll have to route your cable through the top of your case not the right side where it usually is routed and Here's the 8 pin Eps dock, way down here behind the Mosfet Heatsink Super strange indeed these locations could drive you crazy USB 3.0 is also up top as is the front dock and all sata ports Potentially a cable management nightmare depending on which case you choose nonetheless.
I cannot go without stating these downfalls in this review. Oh and I suppose, all having only two fan hubs is pretty negative. You'Ll have to find a fan hub without a doubt if you are planning using a case like the nzxt Manta, but don't worry, but don't worry. This is where the quirkiness stops. Everything else about this board is what you might expect from gigabyte by this point.
Those are positives for one overclocking is consistent and actually decent for a board of this size, and also Considering the fact that it's only a be 350 chip and not the X370 Supreme overclock or chipset. I get the exact same overclocks with both my 1600 and 1700X on Ryzen CPU's 3.9 Gigahertz of piece that I hit with the Aorus X370 board. As far as I'm concerned, the systems are stable at these frequencies.
Even under heavy load and In idle 64. My RAM Frequency is still a bit finicky, though I can't pass 2400 MHz, despite Bios updates, though I'd point to the youth of this platform as the cause, since most Manufacturers are still dealing with these repercussions, even NewEgg, pretty blunt about this on their website, something I Did not expect with the AB350N Was it's full on RGB support? Was it's full on RGB support, Not only from just a hardware standpoint.
You have leds kind of lining a full right side of this board, but also peripherally The RGB fusion. Software gives users a variety of color presets, which can be mixed with different pulses and cycling effects. It'S a nice touch for a board that won't break the bank. Another pleasant surprise was the RGB w led header near the PCIe slot Good for dedicated light strips with a dedicated white leds hands.
The fifth pin this board also supports a single M.2 slot around the back, which is always nice on a ITX board and onboard Bluetooth. 4.1 for Wireless device Connectivity. Now many of you are asking for bios uefi tours and Motherboard review . So here you go
This is gigabyte, signature, Bios, UI, pretty consistent across both intel and amd platforms. At this point in time, You find all of your overclock settings here on the far left page. You also have a fan, control software built into the BIOS So that you can kind of visually manipulate your fan, curves and, as mentioned earlier.
You'll also find the RGB Fusion app where you can manipulate motherboard, colors and cycling effects. The simplicity here is key. I'M glad Gigabyte hasn't changed too much with this particular UiFi. It'S very easy through which to navigate, and it's not buggy at all. I haven't had a single crash since I've started testing this board look.
I know it has some quirks And I don't know how much of that gigabyte could really control. Given the youth of the platform and the form factor. This is one of the first on the market by the way, But it has the typical gigabyte flare. It has the beauty, the looks it has the RGB integration, It has the steel-reinforced pcie slot down below.
It has onboard wi-Fi you get that out of the box, It's it's a nice board. It just has a few Quirks that are going to be difficult to get around for some depending on your case. Choice like I said, But I still recommend it, maybe not for all ITX builds. It would look pretty weird in nzxt Manta due to its strange I/O placement, But it worked nicely in something like a fractal node, a true small form-factor Build.
The AB350 is also a decent price, just over 100 US dollars, which isn't an extraordinary figure, given the form factor. Smaller PCs tend to cost a bit more, especially when it comes to power supplys So having a board at this price, with all the features that gigabytes included is very nice. So if you're in the market for a small form-factor Ryzen PC build as most budget conscious, consumers are and should be. Don'T look any further than this motherboard right here.
Just have a plan for dealing with these weird power and peripheral placements, as well as the sheer lack of fan hubs with the gigabyte with the Gigabyte AB350 in gaming. Wi-Fi the pros definitely Outweigh the cons. As usual. You can find this product linked in the video description too tied to my Amazon affiliate account because made small Kickback lets.