MSI B550 Gaming Plus upgrades
Released 2020 · on sale
Desktop motherboard: no soldered CPU or memory, all components socketed. PCIe 4.0 support on M2_1/PCI_E1 depends on the installed CPU (Ryzen 3000/5000 non-G only). Secondary x16 slot is electrically x4; CrossFire only, no SLI. Matched memory kits recommended; extra RAM cooling advised for 4-DIMM or overclocked configs.
Upgrade guide → What fits, step by step, and official documents.
- 4x DDR4 DIMM (288-pin), 128 GB max: 4 × DDR4 DIMM · up to 128 GB total · 4400 MT/s
- 2x M.2 (PCIe/SATA) + 6x SATA 6 Gb/s: 2 × SSD M.2 2242 / M.2 2260 / M.2 2280 / M.2 22110 (NVMe / SATA)
- Socket AM4 (replaceable CPU): AM4 · Ryzen 3000, Ryzen 5000, Ryzen 5000, Ryzen 5000 · max 105 W
Slot map
4x DDR4 DIMM (288-pin), 128 GB max 4 × DDR4 DIMM · up to 128 GB total · 4400 MT/s
Populate DIMMA2 first; A2+B2 is the correct dual-channel pair. 4400 MT/s is only with one single-rank stick; 4 dual-rank sticks top out at 3600 MT/s. Un-buffered DIMMs only. ECC UDIMMs install but run in non-ECC mode (no error correction). Rated speed needs A-XMP enabled; keep voltage <=1.35 V.
No compatible offers right now.
2x M.2 (PCIe/SATA) + 6x SATA 6 Gb/s 2 × SSD M.2 2242 / M.2 2260 / M.2 2280 / M.2 22110 (NVMe / SATA)
M2_1 (CPU-fed) accepts NVMe or SATA and lengths 2242-22110; M2_2 is NVMe-only and tops out at 2280. An NVMe drive in M2_2 disables PCI_E3. PCIe 4.0 on M2_1 only with Ryzen 3000/5000 (non-G), otherwise Gen3. 6 SATA ports; bays/thickness are chassis-dependent. No documented capacity limit.
No compatible offers right now.
Socket AM4 (replaceable CPU) AM4 · Ryzen 3000, Ryzen 5000, Ryzen 5000, Ryzen 5000 · max 105 W
Supports Ryzen 3000, 4000G, 5000 and 5000G desktop CPUs; the 3200G/3400G (Zen+ APUs) will NOT boot despite AM4. Older stock may need a BIOS update for Ryzen 5000. 105 W is inferred from the CPU support list (MSI publishes no limit); the single 8-pin EPS caps overclocking headroom.
No compatible offers right now.