B550 motherboard chipset is designed to give users a solid entry-level platform to build their new AMD PC. The chip is cheaper than its X570 counterpart, and offers more PCIe lane flexibility (though not as many). The new chipset also supports a wide range of current processors, and enables upgrading to Zen 3 with just a BIOS update.

The ASRock Taichi is an excellent example of a well-rounded B550 motherboard. It includes two full PCIe x16 slots, with one wired for x8, along with ample SATA connections and support for USB 3.2 Gen 2 devices. Asus’s impressive EZ BIOS makes setup and overclocking simple, while the motherboard has a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired networking.

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A trio of video ports are included, and the 3.5mm audio jacks feature onboard RGB illumination. The IO cover is also designed to glow, and there are dual 5V ARGB headers for additional lighting options. The motherboard is compatible with the latest WiFi 6 wireless standard and also features a 2.5G LAN port for wired connectivity.

Asrock has packed a lot into this design, including a hefty list of bundled software utilities. All but a few installed without issues, and include a free trial of Norton Security, a simple app for restarting to the BIOS, Asrock’s Polychrome RGB software for controlling LEDs and chassis-lighting accessories that are compliant with the system, an overclocking tool, and more. The rest of the bundled software is unremarkable and may be removed from the system by users who wish to streamline their configurations.