Scored using Motherboards Methodology v3.0
Motherboards Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Motherboards Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Motherboards Methodology v3.0

ASUS Prime B650M-A review: 109 specs compared

Avg. price:~£130CPU socket:AM5Chipset:AMD B650Form factor:microATX

ASUS Prime B650M-A Review: Compare 109 technical specifications to see how this product ranks in the Motherboards category and whether it is worth buying.

ASUS Prime B650M-A
7.3/10

Overall score

Score
7.3/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists, owners and ratings from across the web.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 20%, List score 20%, Sentiment score 10%, User score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

40%

7.0

Technical score

20%

?

Reviews scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.8, the mark of a weaker model in this category

20%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

Sentiment scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.0, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

7.0

User score

â–²Better than 61% of motherboards
8.0

Value for money

Value for money
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the motherboard's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a motherboard that offers a strong balance of features, performance, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

70%

7.3

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

â–²Better than 66%
7.0

Technical score

Technical score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components

19%

8.8

Memory

16%

8.4

Platform

16%

7.0

Storage

15%

7.6

Network

13%

4.2

Ports

8%

3.9

Expansion

8%

5.7

Power & Cooling

5%

7.7

Audio

â–²Better than 67%
?

Reviews score

Reviews score
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.8 for now.
Share: Reviews count 20% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Grades by review (0)
We have not found an independent test of this model yet. Until we do, its review part counts as 7.8.
Ratings from across the web count in the User score, not in this score.
No expert tests yet
7.0

User score

User score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
How happy buyers are with this model, based on ratings from across the web.
How we count it
Enough data: A model needs at least 1 rating from across the web. Without one, it counts as 7.9, the mark of a weaker rated model in this category.
Share: User score counts 10% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10

7.0

Mark 7.8 is below the typical mark 8.4 of this category, so it cannot lift the score above the technical score

70%

7.8

Rating

30%

7.7

Popularity

â–¼Worse than 65%
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 20% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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Technical Specifications of motherboard ASUS Prime B650M-A

Technical score
Technical score
7.0/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

19%

8.8

Memory

16%

8.4

Platform

16%

7.0

Storage

15%

7.6

Network

13%

4.2

Ports

8%

3.9

Expansion

8%

5.7

Power & Cooling

5%

7.7

Audio

7.0
Reviews score
7.8
User score
7.0
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the motherboard's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a motherboard that offers a strong balance of features, performance, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components:

70%

7.3

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

8.0
CPU socket
AM5
This motherboard uses AM5, which is more up-to-date than 85.5% of Motherboards and the same as 14.5% of Motherboards.
CPU platform
AMD
Chipset
AMD B650
This motherboard uses AMD B650, which is more capable than 72.2% of Motherboards and as capable as 4.1% of Motherboards.
Form factor
microATX
Integrated graphics support
yes
This motherboard supports integrated graphics. 10.2% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
DDR memory version
DDR5
This motherboard uses DDR5, which is more modern than 63.8% of Motherboards and the same as 36.2% of Motherboards.
Memory slots
4
This motherboard has 4 Memory slots, which is more than 21.9% of motherboards and equal to 72% of motherboards.
Maximum memory capacity
192 GB
This motherboard supports up to 192 GB of memory, which is more than 72% of motherboards and equal to 10.4% of motherboards.
higher limit with high-density DIMMs
Memory channels
2
Maximum RAM speed
5,200 MT/s
This motherboard supports memory speeds up to 5,200 MT/s, which is higher than that of 60.8% of motherboards and equal to that of 1.8% of motherboards.
Show more
N. of M.2 sockets
2
This motherboard has 2 M.2 sockets, which is more than 30.5% of motherboards and equal to 34.5% of motherboards.
M.2 slot interface per slot
1x PCIe 5.0 x4, 1x PCIe 4.0 x4
This motherboard offers M.2 slots: 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 1x PCIe 4.0x4, which is faster than 80% of Motherboards and the same as 2.9% of Motherboards.
N. of SATA 3 connectors
4
This motherboard has 4 SATA 3 connectors, which is more than 6.1% of motherboards and equal to 46.8% of motherboards.
Supported RAID levels
0/1/10
This motherboard RAID support: 0/1/10, which is less flexible than 67.6% of Motherboards and the same as 23.6% of Motherboards.
NVMe RAID support
yes
This motherboard supports NVMe RAID. 40.2% of motherboards support this feature.
RAID 0/1/10 only
Show more
N. of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots
0
This motherboard has 0 PCIe 5.0x16 slots, which is fewer than 31.6% of motherboards and equal to 68.4% of motherboards.
N. of PCIe 4.0 x16 slots
1
This motherboard has 1 PCIe 4.0x16 slots, which is more than 55.2% of motherboards and equal to 35.7% of motherboards.
runs at x1 mode
N. of PCIe 3.0 x16 slots
0
This motherboard has 0 PCIe 3.0x16 slots, which is fewer than 59.6% of motherboards and equal to 40.4% of motherboards.
PCIe slot electrical configuration
x16/x1/x1
This motherboard splits its PCIe lanes as x16/x1/x1, which is less generous than 59% of Motherboards and the same as 5.6% of Motherboards.
PCIe bifurcation support
yes
This motherboard supports PCIe bifurcation. 40.3% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
Total USB ports (rear I/O)
8
This motherboard has 8 USB ports (rear I/O), which is more than 40.6% of motherboards and equal to 30.3% of motherboards.
Total USB ports (including headers)
15
This motherboard has 15 USB ports (including headers), which is more than 47.7% of motherboards and equal to 13.5% of motherboards.
Total USB-C ports (rear I/O)
0
This motherboard has 0 USB-C ports (rear I/O), which is fewer than 64.2% of motherboards and equal to 35.8% of motherboards.
Total USB-C ports (including headers)
1
This motherboard has 1 USB-C ports (including headers), which is more than 30.5% of motherboards and equal to 21.1% of motherboards.
N. of USB 3.2 Gen2x2 ports (USB-C)
0
This motherboard has 0 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 ports (USB-C), which is fewer than 18% of motherboards and equal to 82% of motherboards.
10Gbps excluded.
Show more
LAN speed
2.5 Gbps
This motherboard supports LAN speeds up to 2.5 Gbps, which is higher than that of 49% of motherboards and equal to that of 41.4% of motherboards.
LAN controller
Killer + Intel + Realtek
This motherboard has a Killer + Intel + Realtek LAN controller, which is slower than 64.6% of Motherboards and equal to 28.7% of Motherboards.
N. of RJ45 ports
1
This motherboard has 1 RJ45 ports, which is fewer than 14.4% of motherboards and equal to 85.6% of motherboards.
Wi-Fi connectivity
yes
This motherboard supports Wi-Fi connectivity. 50% of motherboards support this feature.
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
This motherboard uses Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), which is newer than 60.3% of Motherboards and the same as 11.2% of Motherboards.
Show more
Audio codec
Realtek ALC897
This motherboard uses Realtek ALC897, which is higher-end than 20.2% of Motherboards and the same as 29.9% of Motherboards.
Audio channels
7.1
This motherboard offers 7.1 audio channels, which is more than 4.7% of motherboards and equal to 95.3% of motherboards.
full 7.1 needs front panel audio.
Audio SNR
120 dB
This motherboard has an audio SNR of 120 dB, which is higher than that of 55.6% of motherboards and equal to that of 41% of motherboards.
Headphone amp support
no
This motherboard does not support a headphone amp. 58.8% of motherboards support this feature.
N. of 3.5mm audio jacks
3
This motherboard has 3 3.5mm audio jacks, which is more than 11.3% of motherboards and equal to 39.3% of motherboards.
Show more
VRM phases
2+1
This motherboard has 2+1 VRM phases, which is fewer than 99.8% of motherboards and equal to 0.2% of motherboards.
N. of CPU power connectors
1
This motherboard has 1 CPU power connectors, which is fewer than 45.2% of motherboards and equal to 54.9% of motherboards.
N. of fan headers
4
This motherboard has 4 fan headers, which is fewer than 64.7% of motherboards and equal to 12.4% of motherboards.
Pump header
yes
This motherboard has a pump header. 22.1% of motherboards include this feature.
Pump header max current
1 A
This motherboard supports up to 1 A on the pump header, which is lower than that of 56.5% of motherboards and equal to that of 19.6% of motherboards.
Show more

ASUS Prime B650M-A vs the average motherboard

246810TotalPlatformMemoryStorageExpansionPortsNetworkAudioPower & Cooling
  • More up-to-date socket
    This motherboard uses a more up-to-date socket than the average motherboard (AM5 vs LGA 1151).
    AM5 vs LGA 1,151
  • 1 more top-speed NVMe slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0).
    1 vs 0
  • More modern memory type
    This motherboard uses a more modern memory type than the average motherboard (DDR5 vs DDR4).
    DDR5 vs DDR4
  • 50% more maximum memory capacity
    This motherboard has more maximum memory capacity than the average motherboard (192 GB vs 128 GB). The average motherboard supports 128 GB of memory.
    higher limit with high-density DIMMs
    192 GB vs 128 GB
  • 1 more PCIe 4.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 4.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0). The average motherboard has 0 PCIe 4.0x16 slot/s.
    runs at x1 mode
    1 vs 0
  • 1 more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 port/s.
    2 vs 1
  • Supports ECC memory
    This motherboard supports ECC memory, while the average motherboard does not. 20.9% of motherboards support ECC memory.
    ECC requires compatible CPU.
  • 1 more ARGB headers
    This motherboard has more ARGB headers than the average motherboard (3 vs 2). The average motherboard has 2 ARGB header/s.
    3 vs 2
  • More up-to-date socket
    This motherboard uses a more up-to-date socket than the average motherboard (AM5 vs LGA 1151).
    AM5 vs LGA 1,151
  • More modern memory type
    This motherboard uses a more modern memory type than the average motherboard (DDR5 vs DDR4).
    DDR5 vs DDR4
  • 50% more maximum memory capacity
    This motherboard has more maximum memory capacity than the average motherboard (192 GB vs 128 GB). The average motherboard supports 128 GB of memory.
    higher limit with high-density DIMMs
    192 GB vs 128 GB
  • Supports ECC memory
    This motherboard supports ECC memory, while the average motherboard does not. 20.9% of motherboards support ECC memory.
    ECC requires compatible CPU.
  • 1 more top-speed NVMe slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0).
    1 vs 0
  • 1 more PCIe 4.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 4.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0). The average motherboard has 0 PCIe 4.0x16 slot/s.
    runs at x1 mode
    1 vs 0
  • 1 more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
    This motherboard has more USB 3.2 Gen2 ports than the average motherboard (2 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 port/s.
    2 vs 1
  • Supports Bluetooth
    This motherboard supports Bluetooth, while the average motherboard does not. 49% of motherboards support Bluetooth.
  • More recent Wi-Fi standard
    This motherboard has a more recent Wi-Fi standard than the average motherboard (Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)).
    Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 5 dB higher audio SNR
    This motherboard has a higher audio SNR than the average motherboard (120 dB vs 115 dB). The average motherboard has audio SNR of 115 dB.
    120 dB vs 115 dB
  • 1 more ARGB headers
    This motherboard has more ARGB headers than the average motherboard (3 vs 2). The average motherboard has 2 ARGB header/s.
    3 vs 2
  • Fewer VRM phases
    This motherboard has fewer VRM phases than the average motherboard (2+1 vs 10). The average motherboard has 10 VRM phase/s.
    2+1 vs 10
  • 1 fewer rear USB-C ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB-C ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 rear USB-C port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • Fewer RAID options
    This motherboard offers fewer RAID levels than the average motherboard (0/1/10 vs 0/1/5/10).
    0/1/10 vs 0/1/5/10
  • 2 fewer USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
    This motherboard has fewer USB 3.2 Gen1 ports than the average motherboard (2 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 port/s.
    2 vs 4
  • No multi-GPU support
    This motherboard does not support multi-GPU, while the average motherboard does. 53.9% of motherboards support multi-GPU.
  • More basic chipset
    This motherboard uses a more basic chipset than the average motherboard (AMD B650 vs Intel B860).
    AMD B650 vs Intel B860
  • No headphone amp support
    This motherboard does not support a headphone amp, while the average motherboard does. 58.8% of motherboards support a headphone amp.
  • Less generous lane split
    This motherboard splits its PCIe lanes less generously than the average motherboard (x16/x1/x1 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4).
    x16/x1/x1 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4
  • More basic chipset
    This motherboard uses a more basic chipset than the average motherboard (AMD B650 vs Intel B860).
    AMD B650 vs Intel B860
  • No debug LED indicators
    This motherboard does not have debug LED indicators, while the average motherboard does. 78.7% of motherboards include debug LED indicators.
  • Fewer RAID options
    This motherboard offers fewer RAID levels than the average motherboard (0/1/10 vs 0/1/5/10).
    0/1/10 vs 0/1/5/10
  • Slower NVMe storage slots
    This motherboard has slower M.2 slots than the average motherboard (1x PCIe 5x4, 1x PCIe 4x4 vs 1x PCIe 5x4, 2x PCIe 4x4).
    1x PCIe 5.0x4, 1x PCIe 4.0x4 vs 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4
  • No multi-GPU support
    This motherboard does not support multi-GPU, while the average motherboard does. 53.9% of motherboards support multi-GPU.
  • Less generous lane split
    This motherboard splits its PCIe lanes less generously than the average motherboard (x16/x1/x1 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4).
    x16/x1/x1 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4
  • 1 fewer PCIe x1 slots
    This motherboard has fewer PCIe x1 slots than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 PCIe x1 slot/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 1 fewer PCIe 3.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has fewer PCIe 3.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 PCIe 3.0x16 slot/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 1 fewer rear USB-C ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB-C ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 rear USB-C port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 2 fewer USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
    This motherboard has fewer USB 3.2 Gen1 ports than the average motherboard (2 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 port/s.
    2 vs 4
  • Less recent Bluetooth version
    This motherboard has a less recent Bluetooth version than the average motherboard (5.2 vs 5.4).
    5.2 vs 5.4
  • No headphone amp support
    This motherboard does not support a headphone amp, while the average motherboard does. 58.8% of motherboards support a headphone amp.
  • No optical S/PDIF out
    This motherboard does not have optical S/PDIF out, while the average motherboard does. 55.4% of motherboards include optical S/PDIF out.
  • Fewer VRM phases
    This motherboard has fewer VRM phases than the average motherboard (2+1 vs 10). The average motherboard has 10 VRM phase/s.
    2+1 vs 10
  • 1.5 fewer fan headers
    This motherboard has fewer fan headers than the average motherboard (4 vs 5.5). The average motherboard has 5.5 fan header/s.
    4 vs 5.5
  • 1 A lower pump header current limit
    This motherboard has a lower pump header current than the average motherboard (1 A vs 2 A). The average motherboard provides pump header current of 2 A.
    1 A vs 2 A

Third-party reviews

What customers like about ASUS Prime B650M-A

  • Stable performance with no spontaneous reboots or Blue Screens of Death (BSOD) reported by many users
  • Effective cooling performance when paired with standard air coolers
  • Quick boot times for some users once initial setup is complete
  • Generous connectivity including 2.5Gb Ethernet and PCIe 5.0 M.2 support
  • BIOS FlashBack feature allows for easy BIOS updates without a CPU installed
  • Comprehensive I/O for a budget-friendly board, including front USB Type-C support

What customers don't like about ASUS Prime B650M-A

  • Long POST times (up to 40 seconds) due to memory training on the AM5 platform
  • Potential stability issues when attempting to run RAM at high overclocked speeds (e.g., 6000MHz+)
  • Spotty Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity reported on wireless-enabled variants
  • Entry-level VRM design may run hot under heavy loads with high-end Ryzen 9 processors
  • Lacks a pre-installed I/O shield and uses a more basic audio codec (ALC897)
  • Occasional BIOS/UEFI bugs that can make initial configuration or updates frustrating

Verdict

The ASUS Prime B650M-A is a Micro-ATX motherboard designed for AMD Socket AM5, supporting Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series processors. It features four DDR5 DIMM slots (up to 128GB/192GB and 7600+ MHz OC), two M.2 slots (one supporting PCIe 5.0 x4), and dual PCIe 4.0 x16 expansion slots. Connectivity is highlighted by a Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Type-A rear ports, and a front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C connector. Key pros include its future-proof PCIe 5.0 storage support, robust cooling with VRM and PCH heatsinks, and user-friendly features like BIOS FlashBack and Aura Sync RGB headers. However, notable cons include the lack of built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth on this specific model and a relatively basic power delivery system that may limit extreme overclocking on high-end CPUs.

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