Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS AMD mATX Motherboard
Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS AMD mATX Motherboard
Product Price: ৳13,300
Discount Price: ৳12,300
The **Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS** is a well-rounded and budget-friendly mATX motherboard designed to cater to gamers and entry-level builders looking to take advantage of AMD’s Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series processors. Here’s an in-depth review:
### **Build Quality and Design**
The motherboard follows the **TUF (The Ultimate Force)** philosophy, which emphasizes durability and reliability. With a black and grey color scheme, accented with subtle yellow markings, it exudes a military-inspired aesthetic. The board is equipped with high-quality components such as **TUF capacitors** and **military-grade chokes**, ensuring long-term stability and resilience even under extended gaming sessions.
Asus has also included **ESD guards** and **Surge protection**, which protect against power surges and electrostatic discharge. While the aesthetic is fairly minimalistic, the motherboard gives a strong, sturdy impression suitable for a variety of PC builds, including gaming and workstations.
### **Socket and Chipset**
The A520 chipset is aimed at more budget-conscious users, offering good performance without the high-end features of the B550 or X570 boards. **This motherboard supports AMD's AM4 socket**, which allows compatibility with the latest Ryzen 5000 CPUs, as well as earlier generations (excluding Ryzen 1st gen). While it lacks PCIe 4.0 support, which is found in higher-tier motherboards, PCIe 3.0 is still more than adequate for most current gaming and productivity workloads.
### **Memory Support**
It supports **dual-channel DDR4 memory** with a maximum capacity of 128GB, clocking up to **4600MHz (OC)**. This is an excellent offering for users who want to maximize memory performance, especially in gaming and multitasking scenarios. The board comes with **four DIMM slots**, making upgrades flexible and future-proof for a compact build.
### **Expansion and Connectivity**
Despite being a more budget-oriented board, the **A520M-PLUS** doesn’t skimp on essential connectivity features. It offers one **PCIe 3.0 x16 slot** for a graphics card and two **PCIe 3.0 x1 slots**, providing enough room for most gaming setups and expansion needs. Additionally, it has an **M.2 slot** that supports NVMe SSDs for faster storage speeds, plus four **SATA III ports** for traditional storage devices.
On the rear I/O, the board offers:
- **2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports**
- **2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports**
- **2 x USB 2.0 ports**
- **HDMI 2.1** and **D-Sub** outputs for integrated graphics support
- **Gigabit Ethernet (Realtek L8200A)**
- **Audio jacks with Realtek ALC887** for 7.1-channel audio output.
While the USB options are adequate, some users might find the lack of USB Type-C on the rear disappointing. The lack of onboard Wi-Fi might also be a concern for some, though you can always add a Wi-Fi card in one of the PCIe slots.
### **BIOS and Software**
The Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS is equipped with **Asus' UEFI BIOS**, which is intuitive and easy to use, even for beginners. It supports a host of features including **AI overclocking**, **EZ Mode** for quick tweaks, and more advanced settings for experienced users. **Asus Armory Crate** software is bundled to help manage drivers, BIOS updates, and RGB settings from a centralized interface.
### **Cooling and Fan Control**
Even though it's a budget board, Asus hasn’t compromised on cooling options. There are multiple **4-pin PWM fan headers**, and the board is compatible with **Asus Fan Xpert 2+** for fan control customization. This ensures efficient airflow and cooling performance in compact mATX cases, which is crucial for maintaining the longevity and performance of the system.
### **Price and Value**
The **Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS** motherboard is positioned as a value-for-money option, perfect for those who want a reliable and well-built motherboard without breaking the bank. While it lacks premium features such as PCIe 4.0, dual M.2 slots, or onboard Wi-Fi, it still offers a great balance between cost and essential functionality for a wide range of users. For gamers or builders who don’t need the most advanced features, this motherboard is an excellent choice.
### **Final Thoughts**
The **Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS** motherboard is a great option for gamers and entry-level users on a budget. It provides a durable, feature-rich foundation for an AMD Ryzen-based system, with decent connectivity and expansion options for a small form-factor build. While it might lack some high-end features like PCIe 4.0 or built-in Wi-Fi, it offers solid performance, reliability, and support for modern hardware.
**Pros**:
- Great build quality with durable components
- Supports Ryzen 5000 series CPUs
- Good memory overclocking capability (up to 4600MHz)
- Easy-to-use BIOS
- Affordable price point
**Cons**:
- No PCIe 4.0 support
- Lacks onboard Wi-Fi
- No rear USB Type-C
For gamers and casual PC builders, the **Asus TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS** is a solid choice in the mATX form factor, delivering strong performance and reliability at a very reasonable price.
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