If you are building a new gaming PC and decide to go with an AMD Ryzen CPU, you could be confused about which motherboard to pair it with. If you’re looking for the best option, there are several AMD gaming motherboards to choose from, depending on which generation of Ryzen CPU you choose.
Buying parts for a new gaming PC? Check out these things to consider before building your gaming PC.
- Best Overall AM5: Asus ROG Strix X670E-A Gaming WiFi
- Best Value AM5: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
- Best Mini-ITX AM5: Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra
- Best Overall AM4: Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite WiFi
- Best Value AM4: Gigabyte B550M Aorus Elite AX
- Best Mini-ITX AM4: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AX
- Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall AM5: Asus ROG Strix X670E-A Gaming WiFi
Price: $369.99
AMD’s AM5 Ryzen CPUs are great for gaming, thanks to the upgraded efficiency of the new architecture, strong performance, and platform longevity. The Asus ROG Strix X670E-A Gaming WiFi is easily one of the best AM5 AMD motherboards you can buy. The flagship X670E chipset extracts the maximum performance out of your Ryzen 7000 CPU, thanks to a premium motherboard VRM design, 8-layer PCB, and aluminum heatsinks for the VRMs and PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. Whether you want a striking white-themed design, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, or RGB, this premium DDR5 motherboard has it all.
Best Value AM5: Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi
Price: $260
While not the cheapest AMD motherboard, the Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi packs in more than enough for its price. One of Asus’s top B650 motherboards, the Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi offers most of the flagship features without the flagship price tag. It features PCIe 5.0 M.2 connectivity, a durable power and thermal design, plenty of high-speed USB ports, and onboard Wi-Fi 6E. You also get the signature ROG Strix look and a ton of Asus’s gaming-friendly features. If the Ryzen 5 7600 is on your radar, this motherboard is a perfect pair for AMD’s value champion processor.
Shopping for a new motherboard? You’ll need a good cooler for your CPU.
Best Mini-ITX AM5: Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra
Price: $229.99
If you’re building in a small form factor PC case, Gigabyte has delivered a solid AMD motherboard at an affordable price in the Gigabyte B650I Aorus Ultra. This mini-ITX board packs as many as three M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe 5.0. You don’t need to sacrifice much, despite the small size, as you’re also getting beefy heatsinks all across the board, coupled with an equally capable power solution. Other valuable features include easy-release PCIe and M.2 slots, high-fidelity audio, and easy BIOS flash. Seriously, what more can you ask for in this size and at this price?
Have a used motherboard? Learn the signs of a bad motherboard.
Best Overall AM4: Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite WiFi
Price: $249.99
If you don’t want to compromise on anything AM4 has to offer, the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite WiFi is a great mid-range AMD motherboard to consider. X570 is the more premium chipset on the AM4 platform, allowing you to run multiple PCIe 4.0 SSDs and overclock and undervolt your Ryzen CPU better than with the B550 chipset. With the X570 Aorus Elite WiFi, you can wirelessly connect to your home network without the hassle of routing Ethernet cables. You can also update the BIOS without a CPU installed to enable support for Ryzen 5000 CPUs. At the $250 mark, this board represents an impressive balance between price and features.
FYI: Not all motherboards will fit in all PC cases, so you’ll want to carefully choose a PC case before you build.
Best Value AM4: Gigabyte B550M Aorus Elite AX
Price: $109.99
AM4 is a dead platform, offering no room for future CPU upgrades. But, for value seekers, it’s still a highly viable option. The Gigabyte B550M Aorus Elite AX is still one of the best AMD motherboards for gaming, allowing you to build a custom gaming PC for much cheaper than the AM5 platform, without sacrificing too much performance. This mATX board has 4 RAM slots, one PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot, and a capable VRM solution with a heatsink. If you’re not looking to overclock your CPU and simply need a powerful gaming PC, the B550M Aorus Elite AX has you covered.
Best Mini-ITX AM4: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AX
Price: $159.99
For ITX enthusiasts looking for a mini-ITX AM4 build, the ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming-ITX/AX is perhaps the best choice. Priced just right, this little board packs many useful, gaming-centric features. It looks gorgeous with an understated black-and-grey design and heatsinks on the VRM and M.2 slots. It has onboard WiFi and Bluetooth, and support for PCIe 4.0 SSDs. The power and cooling solutions on the board are fully equipped to tackle the constraints of a small form-factor PC while offering powerful gaming performance.
Done building your gaming PC? You may need to optimize the OS for gaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a better motherboard increase FPS?
No, the motherboard doesn’t have a direct effect on gaming performance. Instead, your graphics card and CPU determine the bulk of gaming FPS your gaming PC can generate. Sure, a cheap motherboard may not be able to keep up with a beefy GPU’s thermal and power requirements, which could lead to thermal throttling and reduced performance. But simply upgrading to a better motherboard alone, such as one of the above-mentioned best AMD motherboards, won’t drastically improve gaming FPS. A well-built and equipped motherboard is necessary for a stable gaming performance, but spending on high-end boards doesn’t guarantee higher FPS. To get the most out of your games, refer to our guide on optimizing games using benchmarks and in-game settings.
Is AM5 better than AM4?
AM5 is AMD’s latest platform for their Ryzen 7000 CPUs and beyond. The platform brings several next-generation features, like PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, and support for higher wattage CPUs compared to AM4. Hence, solely going by performance, AM5 is better than AM4, but it would be best to consider the cost of upgrading to the platform. Some users can be smart with their money and choose to stay on the older AM4 platform due to considerably cheaper CPUs, motherboards, and memory.
How long will the AM5 socket last?
AMD has confirmed support for the AM5 socket until 2025. That is likely to extend beyond 2025, considering the track record for the last-gen AM4 platform, which lasted from 2017 to 2022. Launched in 2022, the AM5 platform will likely receive new generations of CPUs well into 2026 and possibly 2027.
Is it worth upgrading to AM5?
It depends. For users building a new gaming PC, buying a new platform that’s both future-proof and more powerful than the previous AM4 platform makes sense. Also, those with older generation systems powered by Ryzen 2000, 9th-gen Intel series, or comparable CPUs should strongly consider upgrading to the latest AM5 platform for a big jump in performance. However, if you have newer chips, like the Ryzen 4000, Ryzen 5000, or Intel 12th-gen CPUs, it isn’t worth it to upgrade to AM5 at this time.
Image credit: Unsplash
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