Verdict and Conclusion
The last time I reviewed an AMD motherboard must have been more than a decade. Yes, it’s been that long! Why? The reason is simple … I’m a big Intel fan. Always have and always will be, and with good reason too. Intel’s processors and its platform have always been rock solid with good performance too. Ask any enthusiast, gamer or power user … they will probably prefer Intel over AMD. But that doesn’t mean AMD is bad … quite the contrary. Pound for pound, AMD processors offer the best value for money in terms of price vs performance.
Let’s get back to ASRock’s AB350M Pro4 motherboard. As far as features are concerned, the AB350M Pro4 has plenty. These include the support for all AMD Ryzen processors (AM4), 4 DIMM slots upto DDR4-3200+(OC), 2 x M.2 connectors, 2 x PCIE x16 slots, 4 x SATA3 as well as USB 3.1, 3.0 and 2.0. For connectivity, you get PS/2 keyboard and mouse, 2 x USB 2.0, 15-pin VGA, DVI and HDMI output, as well as 1 x USB-C (3.1), a further 4 x USB 3.0, a gigabit LAN and an array of audio connectors.
Using the AMD Ryzen 5 2400G with its integrated Radeon Vega 11 graphics, the overall performance was ok, but not outstanding. I feel that AMD’s 7th Gen APU is still lacking maturity. If you’re a serious gamer and want to get the best performance, I highly recommend you get the original Ryzen 5 or 7 processors paired with a separate dedicated graphics card. The integrated Radeon RX Vega 11 graphics may not be enough.
Although the BIOS has plenty of overclocking options, we opted not to overclock the Ryzen 5 2400G. I didn’t feel the need to, as this processor wasn’t really meant for that purpose. I was more interested in the integrated Radeon RX Vega 11 graphics, which I have to say wasn’t too bad at all. But I have to say … if you’re a gamer, I would recommend you get yourself a separate dedicated graphics card.
Being in a micro-ATX form factor, the AB350M Pro4 motherboard should fit in most ATX chassis, and is ideal for system integrators and mainstream users who want to build a compact PC for general use and gaming. Check out the video above of our completed PC build playing PUG.
Pricewise, the ASRock AB350M Pro4 motherboard costs only USD $89 and you can get it direct from Amazon – https://amzn.to/2vkOdW5. At this price, I think it’s a excellent bargain considering all the features you get. We were able to build a half-decent gaming rig for less than USD $500 in total!
Pros:
- Excellent value for money
- Suitable for all AMD Ryzen processors (AM4) – Summit Ridge/Raven Ridge
- Integrated Radeon RX Vega 11 graphics
- 4 x DDR4 memory slots
- 2 x M.2 connectors
- 2 x PCIE x16 slots
- RGB header
Cons:
- For the price – None I can I think of
Final thoughts
ASRock has produce a B350 micro-ATX motherboard (suitable for AMD Ryzen CPUs), that not only offers an amazing set of features, but it’s also extremely affordable and offers great value for money. If you’re novice gamer on a super tight budget, then you may want to consider the ASRock AB350M Pro4 motherboard paired with an AMD Ryzen 5 2400G.
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