ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming Mini-ITX Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. Board Layout and Features3. Testing Methodology4. Tests: CPU Related5. Tests: Memory Related6. Tests: Gaming Related7. Tests: Motherboard Features Performance8. Overclocking, VRM Temps & Power Consumption9. Closing Thoughts10. View All Pages

Out of the box performance from the ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming is strong, as we have come to expect from ASUS. We had no compatibility headaches or weird behaviours with respect to voltage or stability – just consistent, solid performance.

Overclocking performance throughout our testing was good, despite the awkward LLC settings. VRM performance was fine even when coupled with the mediocre heatsink and fan solution. The lack of a proper or accurate VRM temperature sensor is annoying, but the VRM heatsink and 30mm 5700 RPM fan worked well together to cool the eight CPU-focused Vishay SiC639 50A power stages beneath.

It is good that the VRM fan is semi-active, but not ideal that it has basically no user-defined control and no finesse to its fan speed curve. Thankfully, the VRM fan was inaudible above our Fractal 280mm AIO when both were at full whack, much to our surprise.

I would have liked to see a slightly better spread of fan headers and the more consistent use of 2A current ratings to better accommodate fan splitters. Thankfully, the UEFI fan control is reasonable overall but evidently not as strong as Gigabyte’s Smart Fan 5 solution. And onboard diagnostic LEDs are useful, as is the break-out front panel IO adapter and BIOS Flashback capability.

Priced at around £200 in the UK, ASUS' obvious competitor is the ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AX that we reviewed a few months ago. ASRock has the undeniably higher-quality VRM hardware and therefore has the flexibility to use a passive heatsink. But ASUS’ fan-based approach was not a real downside in our testing.

ASUS includes some useful features such as BIOS Flashback and outwards-facing SATA ports that are questionable design omissions by ASRock.

The ROG STRIX board’s UEFI-based fan control system is very comparable to ASRock’s alternative but ASUS’ is marginally better in some areas such as hysteresis control. However, ASRock deserves credit for including a couple of 2A-rated headers versus ASUS’ 1A-rated solutions throughout.

With both the ASUS and ASRock B550 Mini-ITX options priced very similarly, it is difficult to choose a winner between the two. Out of this pair, the one you will choose will be based on individual preference towards the few minor differentiating points. Both are solid options, even if they are priced very much on the high side for Mini-ITX B550.

The ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming is priced at £209.99 at Overclockers UK.

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Pros:

• Excellent out of the box performance and stability.
• Strong overclocking capacity, despite the modest VRM power stage hardware.
• Plenty of 10Gbps USB connectors.
• Particularly good PCIe Gen 4 SSD cooling.
• Semi-active VRM fan works well and is quiet.
• USB BIOS flash capability.
• Break-out cables for front panel headers and USB-C audio are good inclusions.

Cons:

• 1A fan headers may restrict splitter usage.
• VRM temperature sensor is not displayed and/or not accurate.
• Power delivery component quality is inferior to ASRock's competing motherboard but does function adequately.
• Expensive versus other B550 and X570 Mini-ITX boards, but largely justified with the feature set.

KitGuru says: The ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I Gaming motherboard is a solid option with good all-round performance, strong overclocking capability, and a generally smart design.

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