NZXT B550

Ein Mainboard von NZXT gehört auch weiterhin zu den Exoten. Das Unternehmen hat sich zwar zunächst im Intel-Sektor ein wenig ausgetobt, doch nun wurde überraschend das neue N7 B550 und damit ein Mainboard für die AMD-Ryzen-Prozessoren aus dem Hut gezaubert. Wir haben von NZXT ein Sample erhalten und werden das gute Stück begutachten und durch den Test-Parcours schicken. Ob sich ein Kauf lohnt, wollen wir in diesem Testbericht feststellen.

The PC motherboard market is dominated by four players. Decades-long history and a copious number of models means that, inevitably, enthusiasts choose one of Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte or MSI. Chassis specialist NZXT knows it can't rival the quartet on engineering but may be able to tempt enough users if it can blend style and substance. Partnering with ASRock and using the aesthetic first established on the N7 Z370, the company answers the AMD call with the B550-based N7 B550. Pretty as they come from a minimalist viewpoint, this board is the style antithesis of the garish RGB overkill we oftentimes see in the mid-range space.

For NZXT’s first outing with an AMD board, they did quite well. Of course, working with ASRock will have no doubt helped this massively. While the N7 B550 is more expensive than other B550 boards, it does also offer more features than the competitors so that is a good thing. NZXT are a bit late to the party when it comes to B550 but they are helping to push the boundaries of what the chipset can do.

Beneath that gorgeous white armour beats an affordable B550 motherboard that sits right in the middle of the ones we've reviewed. Many of the high end B550 motherboards are so expensive that you're better off just going with an X570, but the lower priced models are where the B550 really shines, having the majority of the features we all love so much - PCI Express 4.0 out the wazoo - without totally breaking the bank. Usually buying an affordable model means you get one which looks like it cost what it did. The NZXT N7 uses their white heatshield which we saw used successfully on the Z490 N7 motherboard to bring you a B550 which is a capable performer and would fit perfectly into one of their chassis.