Generally speaking, the ASRock motherboards are high-quality products. They come with impressive specifications, and you do not require too much of effort to push them. This is what we found out during our testing.
Unfortunately, they are budget models, where you may not get too many extra fittings. This is present on most Asus, MSI, and other brands we have dealt with. On the bright side, they are cheaply priced.
Whether it is a good or bad thing, it is up to you to decide. ASRock and Sapphire motherboards are cheap because they have less market share than the Asus, MSI, and other manufacturers. Our tester felt that the B550M Steel Legend motherboard is suitable for those of you who are looking for a cheap but robust unit.
Additionally, the unit comes pleasing to the eyes. You would be delighted to know that it works exceptionally well with the Ryzen AM4 socket chipset. When you can get things right, you know that it can shine for your requirement.
We can say that the Steel Legend comes with all the modern connectivity features that should be present, like Ultra M. 2 (PCIe Gen3x4) and a SATA M. On the other hand, you have the Asus Tuf B550M gaming motherboard that is awesome in performance, despite its small size.
The B550M model gives you affordability when you compare it to the top-end X570 chipsets. It comes priced under $174, which justifies the medium specifications on it when comparing them to most of the $200 range Asus models. Luckily for you, the Taiwanese manufacturer has not cut too many corners, including 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6, and support for DDR4-4600 RAM.
You will be delighted to know that it provides you with adequate support for Ryzen 5000 CPUs. When you require PCIe 4.0 support, use the latest Ryzen 5000 series CPU and a reasonably priced unit; this unit can help your new PC design cause.
 |  |
|---|---|
| ASROCK B550M STEEL LEGEND | ASUS TUF B550M |
| PROS | PROS |
| The product comes with exceptional BIOS/UEFI. The unit is a high-performance motherboard. It is produced from durable quality components. It has exceptional compatibility on many devices. The model is priced affordably well. | The unit is stable and has a feature-rich BIOS. The model works splendidly with the Ryzen 5000 processor. It comes with incredible overclocking powers. It has the PCIe 4.0 unit. The product also comes with support for Wi-Fi 6. |
| CONS | CONS |
| It needs to improve on overclocking. | The audio quality needs some improvement. |
ASRock B550M Steel Legend vs Asus Tuf B550M: Features & Layout
We begin with the packaging first. The ASRock B550M Steel Legend comes packed quite neatly. The packing itself says volumes about the maker’s dedication in ensuring that the consumers receive the product in a working condition.
In brief, the unit comes with the ability to support 3rd Gen AMD AM4 Ryzen™ / Future AMD Ryzen processors and has a 10 Power Phase Design, Dr. MOS. There is also support for Supports DDR4 4733+ (OC), 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x1, 1 M.2 Key E for Wi-Fi.
You can also find the 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec), Nahimic Audio, 6 SATA3, 1 Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4), 1 M.2, and Dragon 2.5G LAN, among others. Let us read about them.
A notable feature in the unit would be the Nahimic audio. The audio element provides you with intense listening powers. The Dr. MOS is a dedicated power solution providing you with immense voltage applications.
When you pit them against discrete MOSFETs, this one provides immense power for each phase. It immensely improves thermal results. It also comes with a premium 60A power choke. It can make the saturation current higher, enabling better Vcore voltage to the unit.
It also comes with a 10 Power Phase design that provides a smooth power transition for the processor. They come designed with robust components. The Hi-Density Power Connector decreases the power loss by close to 24%.
Our tester admired the heat-dissipating system infused in the model. It comes with luxurious features that offer heat dissipation for the points. Hence, it effectively reduces the heat there. The 2oz Copper PCB 2-ounce provides a stable power having low temperature and high energy.
The reinformed steel slot comes with anchor points, a more robust latch, a stable signal, and cumbersome graphic cards. The unit comes based on AMD’s B550 chipset that is a cheap alternative to the X570 chipset.
You do have several B550 motherboards, which can cost you a $400 price range. In that condition, you can opt for X570. We strongly felt that the B550M Steel Legend comes nicely poised compared to the cheap B550 motherboards available today.
You can notice the PCIe x16 slot, 2.5G LAN port, 2 M.2 slots, 6 SATA 6Gbps ports, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity.
The Steel Legend comes with adequate Wi-Fi components on it. If you look closely, you can find the 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot from the CPU. There is also additional reinforcement with 1 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot and 2 slots.
One of them is for the PCIe 4.0 x4 drive, and the other one goes to the PCIe 3.0 x2 drive. Besides that, you can also note an additional M. 2 Wi-Fi slot in the middle. All in all, the ASRock motherboard provides you with superb aesthetics and control for built-in RGB LEDs.
On the other hand, the Asus Tuf B550M gaming motherboard comes exceptionally designed. Gamers would definitely agree on that. Asus has worked hard and improved the standard of designing to another level.
You can notice that it comes with 4 DIMM slots, 2 full-size PCIe x16 expansion slots, 4 SATA ports, and 2 M.2 slots. You can also notice that it comes with rear I/O for the external hardware.
The unit is relatively well-equipped for giving you a proper foundation in the compact motherboard they have made for you. Our tester notice that that there is only a single PCIe x1 slot and 4 SATA ports.
The 8+2 power phase design is good but not powerful as the ones present on the large units. Keeping the size in mind, you do not actually require active cooling with a small fan. You can find them joined by 2 M.2 slots, 1 x1 PCIe slot, and 4 SATA ports.
The rear I/O on this board is rock solid, covering USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-A and USB-C), USB 2.0, and USB 3.2 Gen 1. It’s Realtek’s S1200A audio codec was slightly underperforming. In the end, the motherboard is nicely equipped for the mid-range unit.
ASRock B550M Steel Legend vs Asus Tuf B550M: Software and Firmware
We have covered most of the components in the previous segment. So, briefly, we will be reading about the software elements in the models. The B550M Steel Legend model is quite what it is, where you can design a sublime gaming PC.
If you have worked or operated an ASRock motherboard previously, you would agree that BIOS is quite simple to handle. All the options in there come with elegant descriptions. You just have to go in and set things.
You even find written details about what might be dangerous. This is useful for new users or gamers planning to design a new PC. It is versatile and ideal for the DIY motherboard. When you have read our reviews, you will notice that we do not mention this often.
You can find additional devices like the RAID modes. We felt that there is too much to it. The software comes with many applications earlier seen on most ASRock motherboards. You would also be delighted to know that the unit is from a different series.
You will be glad to find out the 128GB of DDR4-3600 Hynix M-die memory did quite well. Our tester was able to overclock it to DDR4-4000. Though many of you may want to do it, knowing the value can help you as upper capacity memory is cheaper.
Similarly, the Asus Tuf B550M gaming motherboard comes with stunning software & firmware. You can see that the drivers are installed earlier than Windows installation. You may notice some pop-ups from Microsoft Edge appearing after installing your Windows.
Asus offers you with AI Suite 3, Turbo LAN, and Armoury Crate programs. All of these come with their own uses. You can utilize it for overclocking the CPU, setting the voltage, and adjusting the attached fans.
Using the Turbo LAN software, you can get rid of the network manager, limiting non-essential programs. This helps to you set more bandwidth for the game and video apps. Our tester preferred the default Armoury Crate software for easy installing.
After you can download the Armoury Crate software, you can make use of their default RGB LED software. Besides, you can also control the RGB LED lights provide you with the driver update utility.
You can also make use of the WinRAR and Daemon Tools Lite. It is a file archive tool. Additionally, you can make use of functions like the ability to mount disc images virtually. We felt that these tools are used regularly and are ideal for your work.
ASRock B550M Steel Legend vs Asus Tuf B550M: Overclocking
The overclocking of the ASRock B550M Steel Legend was acceptable and average. That should not deter you from knowing and reading all about it. Though overclocking may not be its grit, it comes with a 10-phase power design.
This ensures that it comes with supreme stability for your PC design. You do not want your new PC to be haggling for stability. This is a standard error we notice from cheap-priced motherboards.
Though you may be happy over the cheap price, you feel bad for yourself when the newly designed PC has bloatware. It is a very annoying experience that is not found here, thankfully. The manufacturer also makes use of quality components in the form of chokes and capacitors.
During testing, we found that the Steel Legend may not be ideal for high voltage use. This is a common issue with most chipsets in the price range. But you may get a hardware damage warranty due to high voltage.
Have this in mind when designing or trying out your new B550M Steel Legend unit. Additionally, the Ryzen 3900X processor was not overclocking well during our tests. We also verified it about on the internet.
Whether you are overclocking on a top-end Ryzen processor, you can expect some exceptionally stunning results with the Steel Legend. We do want to mention here about the aluminum alloy heatsink that enhances heat dissipation.
The Asus Tuf B550M gaming motherboard comes with stupendous overclocking. It is safe to say that it is the best in class. You can easily set the automatic overclocking and adjust the values for yourself.
A noteworthy feature here is that you do not have powerful components as the X570, but you can get the job done on the chipset. You can get intense power using the Ryzen 9 3900X. However, you can test it using other AM4 motherboards.
The CPU-Z and PCMark 10 scores were good and expected from the B550 motherboard. When you see the BIOS settings, you can expect some more juice from the processor you work with. The unit is not highly priced, giving you immense options you can throw from AMD.
ASRock B550M Steel Legend vs Asus Tuf B550M: Price
The ASRock B550M Steel Legend gaming motherboard is priced under $160. Our tester was quite amazed to see how much power can be placed inside a tiny space. When you plan to use a small unit for your new PC, this model would be the best option.
The Asus Tuf B550M gaming motherboard is priced under $174. It is priced slightly higher than the Steel Legend. But you can never underestimate the Asus model. The results were promising during testing and are compatible with Ryzen 5000 processor for good performance.
ASRock B550M Steel Legend vs Asus Tuf B550M: Verdict
We have ended our review on the ASRock B550M Steel Legend vs Asus Tuf B550M motherboards. Hope you were able to make up your mind on one of your likings. Of course, we have given our winner at the end of the segment.
The first thing that works for the Steel Legend is that it comes cheap due to ASRock. Our tester felt that it is a good thing for budget gamers or users. When you are particular about the specifications of the motherboard, then you might as well as go for it.
We felt that you could design a phenomenal Ryzen 5000 series PC suitable for gaming and regular usage. Of course, you may not want to experiment too much with and ensure that the cooling is up the task.
The model comes prepared for gamers, including the high speed, gaming design, high stability and reliability, lighting effects, and offers you with easy management. You do not have to compare the unit with Phantom Gaming; however, it comes with decent performance.
Similarly, the Asus Tuf B550M gaming motherboard comes stunningly designed. That is quite typical of the manufacturer. The board comes with the aesthetics, sublime features that you can get to see, and adequate support on the latest AMD.
Gamers can also consider using this motherboard for a Ryzen 9 3900X. This is something that you do not come across often in the price range of sub $200. In this range, it is undoubtedly the best unit, but not very perfect.
Please note that it does not support Ryzen 1000 and 2000 series. The audio quality was found to be wanting. Since this is a mid-range motherboard, these corners will be cut. However, it is a fantastic model infused with the latest specifications and magnificent overclocking.
Our winner is the Asus Tuf B550M motherboard. But we are not just going to hand it over to it. That is because, unlike most of the reviews, this one was closely fought. The ASRock Steel Legend comes with its own powers and limitations.
If you know how to design it right, you can achieve great things with it. As usual, the Taiwanese manufacturer has done an exceptional job with the Tuf B550M model. It is going to take a while for most motherboards to catch up.
James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.