AMD Mini-ITX motherboards - not widely available and very expensive

Posted on Monday, July 06 2020 @ 10:28 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
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While AMD motherboards have historically been cheaper than Intel counterparts, this is now not longer the case if you need a Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX motherboard. ExtremeTech analyzed the motherboard market and concludes the price gap between Intel and AMD motherboards gets larger the smaller you go.

For ATX form factor motherboards, the price difference is mostly a wash. If you need a Micro-ATX motherboard, the cheapest AMD option carries a $20 premium over Intel. Those looking to build compact Mini-ITX systems can expect even bigger price differences.

The site notes that the Asrock A320M-ITX should be the cheapest Mini-ITX option for the AMD platform, with a MSRP of $99. Unfortunately, this motherboard is nowhere to be found. The cheapest Mini-ITX board you can actually buy right now is the Asrock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3, at $240. That's roughly $140 more than the cheapest Mini-ITX options for the Intel platform.

So why are there no low-cost small form factor motherboards for AMD's Ryzen? ExtremeTech speculates it could be due to strong demand for these boards, which may be emptying retail store shelves quickly. Alternatively, it could also be due to the coronavirus pandemic:
There are basically two reasons why AMD boards might be running expensive. First, it’s possible that some coronavirus-related inventory issues have resulted in better Intel board availability than AMD availability. We only see real gaps in mATX and mini-ITX. If manufacturers have cut back on building boards that AMD buyers don’t choose all that often, it would explain the limited inventory and high prices.
It will be interesting to see how this situation evolves over the coming months and years.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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