Choosing the Best Motherboard for AMD's Ryzen 3 1200 AF

Find out what factors you should consider when choosing a motherboard for AMD's Zen+-based 2nd Gen Ryzen 3 1200 AF, along with our recommended motherboards to pair with this CPU.

Choosing the Best Motherboard for AMD's Ryzen 3 1200 AF Brandon Jones / TechReviewer

Last Updated: March 24, 2025

Written by Brandon Jones

Best B450 Motherboard
GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi
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Motherboard Requirements for Ryzen 3 1200 AF Processors

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For AMD's Zen+-based Ryzen 3 1200 AF processor, you'll need a motherboard with an AM4 socket and a compatible chipset.

Motherboards for AMD processors are made with chipsets provided by AMD. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.

Ryzen 1000-series CPUs, which includes the Ryzen 3 1200 AF, are compatible with all 300 and 400-series consumer chipsets. Supported chipsets include the X470, B450, X370, B350, and A320.

The X470 and B450 are our recommended chipsets for the Ryzen 3 1200 AF CPU, as they provide the most functionality among compatible chipsets.

Note that the Ryzen 3 1200 AF CPU only supports PCIe 3.0.

Featured X470 Motherboards › MSI AMD X470 Pro Carbon Gaming ATX DDR4-SDRAM Motherboard

For a detailed comparison of these chipsets and PCIe speeds, check out our article Which Chipsets Work With AMD's Ryzen 3 1200 AF CPU?.

Check out our Recommended Motherboards for the Ryzen 3 1200 AF below.

ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)

Other Considerations When Choosing a 1200 AF Motherboard

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When choosing a motherboard for the 1200 AF, we've thought of a few other factors you may want to consider. This is in addition to selecting a compatible socket type and chipset. As we delved into our research and analyzed various options, we identified several considerations that played a significant role in determining the ideal chipset for our needs. Our considerations can help you narrow down which features are important to look for.

Video Output Port

The lack of a "G" in the 1200 AF model name indicates that the CPU does not have integrated graphics support and requires a separate graphics card. Because it doesn't have integrated graphics support, you won't need a motherboard with a video output port (e.g., HDMI).

Storage: M.2 Slots and SATA Ports

NVMe M.2 cards are the latest and fastest form of SSD storage. However, we suggest ensuring your motherboard includes enough slots.

Learn more about storage types in my article Storage Type Comparison: M.2, U.2, NVMe, SATA, SSDs, HDDs.

Connectivity

USB

We found that it's wise to make sure the motherboard provides enough USB ports at your desired speeds.

In our experience, the devices that usually require high bandwidth rates are primarily limited to storage devices and high-resolution video devices. We have observed that these devices often rely heavily on fast data transfer speeds. In fact, we encountered situations where slower bandwidth rates significantly hindered such devices' performance.

We've tested various storage devices and found that the ones capable of handling large amounts of data transfer at high speeds yielded the best results. Similarly, when working with high-resolution video devices, we discovered that a reliable and fast connection was crucial for seamless playback and editing. Through our experience, we have come to appreciate the significance of high bandwidth rates for these specific types of devices.

Audio

We recommend making sure the motherboard has audio outputs. In my experience, it's crucial to check for rear and center speaker ports if you're using a surround sound system.

If you're like me and your audio equipment relies on optical input, it's worth looking for a motherboard that includes this specific port. On the other hand, we've found that you can also buy a separate PCIe or USB sound card. This way, you can expand your port options and even add features like optical or RCA connections based on your own preferences.

Form Factor

When it comes to motherboards, we've encountered three primary form factors. In our experience, ATX stands out as the most common for desktop PCs. We've also explored Mini-ITX and MicroATX for building mini-PCs, and found they typically offer fewer PCIe slots, RAM slots, and storage support.

We've observed that these smaller form factors are backward compatible with standard ATX cases, using a subset of their mounting holes. In fact, we've frequently used Mini-ITX motherboards in ATX cases.

One crucial consideration is ensuring your case matches your motherboard's form factor. We've learned from experience how important it is to choose a case that aligns with your motherboard's specific needs.

PCIe Expansion Slots

The X470 chipset provide the most flexibility in the 400-series, allowing multiple graphics cards in the dual x8 configuration. However, note that the 1200 AF only supports PCIe 3.0, so performance will be limited to PCIe 3.0 speeds.

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Best Motherboard: GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi

  • Our recommended B450 motherboard to pair with the Ryzen 3 1200 AF:

  • GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi
    Max PCIe Version 3.0
    Max RAM: 128 GB DDR4
    NVMe slots: 2
    Ethernet: 1 Gbps

  • Through our analysis and research, we found that the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi motherboard offers a great range of features for this generation of CPUs. The motherboard's support for up to 128 GB of DDR4 memory ensures smooth multitasking and responsive performance at a lower price than DDR5. The smaller microATX form factor is backward compatible with any full-size ATX case.

  • We found that the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi motherboard offers a 1 Gbps Ethernet port enables speedy internet or file transfers.

  • We also appreciated the storage options with the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi. It features two NVMe M.2 slots at PCIe 3.0 speeds, allowing for quick access to your games, applications, and media. Its USB 3.2 Gen 2 slots also offers 10 Gbps USB speeds.

  • Overall, we concluded that the GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi motherboard strikes a balance between performance and functionality, offering a great gaming experience. GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi

Learn More About the AMD Ryzen 3 1200 AF

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