Pros: The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 processor is a low-cost way to get Zen 3. Because the Zen 3 processors are backward compatible to B450 motherboards, I was able to upgrade my system without having to buy a motherboard as well.

Cons: The 5500 doesn't support PCIe 4.0, so if that is important to you, then you'll want to step up to the 5600. I didn't need it because my motherboard didn't support PCIe 4.0, so for me, it wasn't a true con, but it might be for someone else.

Overall Review: I built a second-generation AMD system with a B450 motherboard in 2018. Once the 7000 series processors came out, the price of the 5000 series dropped as vendors were trying to dump inventory. I was able to get the 5500 for cheap, do a BIOS update, and install the processor in my system without issue. That will allow me to wait a little while to build a new system until prices come down for the new processors, motherboards, and DDR5 memory.

Pros: The Aluratek AUCR200 Flash Reader is a very compact device that allows you to read a multitude of flash cards. It is ideal for laptops, as it is small enough to carry in a briefcase of laptop bag. I needed it for my desktop so that I could read the microSD and Memory Stick Duo cards I have, and it has done the job.

Cons: It's tricky to use with a desktop because the cord is only about three inches long. I let it hang from the USB port, and it worked, but I was kind of uncomfortable with that.

Overall Review: I had a little trouble getting it to work on my desktop running Windows 11, but it turned out that using an adapter for microSD cards doesn't work. I needed to plug the microSD card directly into the flash reader. Overall, it is a very convenient way to read flash cards without buying an internal reader that takes up a USB connector.

Pros: Worked right out of the box. My current Radeon software recognized the card, so I didn't have to reinstall the Radeon software. It works with my Freesync monitor (I particularly noticed Freesync's effect on Fallout 4, where I have experienced image tearing on occasion with the 7870).

Cons: So far, no cons.

Overall Review: I upgraded from a Radeon 7870 and saw as much as 2x the framerates I had been getting on my games. The card was shorter than the 7870, so it fit better in my case, and it required only one 8-pin power cable rather than the two 6-pin cables required by the 7870.

Pros: Worked right out of the box. I installed the sticks on an ASRock B450M Pro4 motherboard, activated XMP and the board recognized the correct speed and timings of the RAM. No problems so far..

Cons: None.

Overall Review: I got 8GB because 16GB seemed like overkill. I play older games, and I've never used more than 65% of the memory capacity. For checking e-mails, web surfing, using office apps, 8GB is more than sufficient.

Pros: This processor is very fast yet relatively inexpensive. I've noticed a speed increase in just about everything I do with my PC.

Cons: None.

Overall Review: I would definitely recommend the Ryzen 5 2600. It's a great performer for the price.

Pros: Worked right out of the box. It came with BIOS version 1.6, so I didn't have to upgrade the BIOS. It has plenty of USB ports for connecting peripherals and even has a Type-C Gen2 USB port, which is uncommon on motherboards in this price range.

Cons: None so far.

Overall Review: I installed the ASRock B450M Pro4 motherboard with an AMD Ryzen 2600, 8GB of RAM (two Patriot Viper 4GB sticks), an Intel 760p 256GB M.2 NMVe drive and my old Radeon 7870 video card. The board recognized everything and since it came with BIOS version 1.6, I didn't have to update the BIOS to get XMP to work. When I activated XMP, it recognized the correct speed and timings of the RAM. After five weeks of operation, everything runs smoothly. I've used ASRock boards before and have had no problem with them (in fact, the board I replaced with the B450M was an ASRock I bought seven years ago).