Top 5 BEST Motherboards in 2025
These are the best motherboards we’ve tested, for recent AMD and Intel platforms.
Almost everything in your computer either plugs into your motherboard or into something else that plugs into your motherboard. The motherboard’s form factor (usually E-ATX, ATX, Micro ATX, or Mini-ITX) also determines the size of the PC case you’ll need to use.
More importantly, the socket and chipset determine which processors you can install in your new system. If you’re looking for an older AMD AM4 board, you can visit our dedicated pages for the best X570 motherboards and best B550 motherboards for more detailed tested recommendations and picks.Because businesses aren’t creating new boards for what is a heritage (but lingering) platform, it’s getting tougher to obtain stock of those boards, and we won’t be maintaining those pages.
Below our AMD recommendations are our tested choices for Intel motherboards (X870, X670, and B650 chipsets, together with the older B550 chipset on the AM4 platform). The finest gaming motherboards for Intel’s 14th Gen, 13th Gen (Raptor Lake, Raptor Lake Refresh), and 12th Gen (Alder Lake) CPUs are found after the AMD options. The top motherboards for Z790, B760M, Z690, B660, and H610 motherboards are suggested by us. Therefore, one of our choices below ought to meet your wants if you’re searching for a board for a recent-generation CPU.
Recently, we have examined other less expensive B860 (Intel) and B850 (AMD) motherboards, and the MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX Wifi, which costs about $230 and has two PCIe 5.0 slots, Wi-Fi 7, and 5GbE, is by far the greatest value.
Table of Contents
BEST X870E
1. ASRock X870E Taichi
BEST B650E
2. Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master
BEST X670E
3. ASRock X670E Taichi
Best High-End Z790
4. Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme
Best ATX Z790
5. ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite
1. ASRock X870E Taichi
The latest iteration, the ASRock X870E Taichi, comes with an updated design, more powerful VRMs, USB 4.0 (40 Gbps) Type-C ports again (now a standard for the platform), updated networking to 5GbE and Wi-Fi 7, and more. Its launch price manages to be less than the previous-gen X670E Taichi, making it easy to recommend for those looking to build a system around an AMD Ryzen 9000 CPU.
In recent years, ASRock’s Taichi motherboards have impressed as top values for those looking for near-flagship features, such as fast ports, robust power delivery, a premium appearance, and a lower price than the competition.
Upgrading to the X870/X870E gives you native support for PCIe 5.0 for NVMe storage and graphics, USB 4.0, Wi-Fi 7, and Zen 5-based CPUs. The most recent Taichi receives additional do-it-yourself capabilities, an improved appearance, and more. If only by small margins, its performance in our testing was among the fastest we’ve seen on the platform.
Once more, ASRock is the best choice for the X870E of the boards we’ve evaluated so far, and it costs $50 less than its direct competitors, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI. Just be aware that it won’t fit in many ATX cases due to its huge E-ATX form factor.
2. Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master
The B650E Aorus Master from Gigabyte is a high-end, well-rounded motherboard that costs a lot less than X670E rivals. It blurs the distinction between the full-featured X670 chipset and the $400 Newegg model, which has all the features of the B650E with the exception of a few fast USB connections.
It features nine USB ports on the back IO, four PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, and the same powerful VRMs as the far more costly X670E Aorus Master. In our benchmark testing, it likewise did as expected.
The B650E Aorus Master is more affordable than many X670-based choices and has the appearance to be the main attraction of your setup. If you want to create a Ryzen 7000 system and don’t require the additional bandwidth of X670, this is one of the finest possibilities for the B650E and should be on your list.
3. ASRock X670E Taichi
For the mid-range market, ASRock’s X670E Taichi is aesthetically pleasing and well-rounded. Eight SATA connections, four M.2 sockets, and numerous USB ports—two of which are USB4 Type-C (40 Gbps)—are included among the extensive storage options available for $499. Our benchmark tests revealed that this board’s performance and overclocking are not a cause for concern.
After comparing this ASRock motherboard to three other high-end X670E models, we concluded that the X670E Taichi was the best because it is far less expensive than the competition and offers almost all of the essential capabilities for AMD’s most recent platform.
The X670E Taichi is the greatest AMD AM5 board for about $500 and a great choice among its rivals if you can afford to spend this much on a board. Just keep in mind that you can save $100 or more by choosing a B650E model if you don’t want a lot of PCIe bandwidth. Many of these models still contain the essential features that most builders want.
4. Gigabyte X670E Aorus Pro X
The X670E Aorus Pro X from Gigabyte features almost everything that most people would want from the X670E platform. In contrast to the darker appearance of conventional motherboards, it has a stunning white/silver design, two PCIe 5.0 M.2 connections, integrated Wi-Fi 7, and an astonishing 12 USB ports on the rear IO.
The main drawback of this board is its outdated audio codec. However, the majority of users should find its sound output sufficient. Additionally, if you want a better sound, you can choose one of the Best PC Speakers with a built-in DAC.
Don’t be concerned about performance. In our benchmark and gaming suite, the X670E Aorus Pro X performed mediocrely or better than average, and it handled our flagship AMD Ryzen 7950X processor flawlessly.
5. Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi
SupremeFX Audio, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, reliable power delivery, and much more are features of Asus’ ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi. Around $180 is a nice price range, and if Wi-Fi is not a need, you may get a board that is nearly identical for roughly $30 cheaper.
Our overclocked 3900X was easily controlled by the 14-phase power delivery, and our benchmark testing results were comparable to those of competitive boards. Although there is still competition in this price range, Asus presents a compelling alternative.
After examining the Gigabyte B550’s Aorus Master, we discovered that you can get the majority of the features and capabilities of the typically more expensive platform for X570-level pricing. The Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi, which we’re looking at here, costs $209.99 (or roughly $20 less for the non-Wi-Fi model), but it still has a lot of useful features.
When selecting a motherboard, take into account the following:
Choose the appropriate socket for your CPU.
- Both AMD and Intel offer excellent CPUs. However, be sure that the motherboard has the right socket for the processor you choose. The LGA 1700 socket is used by Intel’s 12th Gen (Alder Lake) and 13th Gen (Raptor Lake) CPUs, whereas the most recent mainstream AMD chips use AM5 CPU sockets.
- AM4 or AM5? Some motherboards from Intel’s Z790 and Z690-chipset and AMD’s last-generation AM4 still support the older, less expensive DDR4 RAM. If you have an older kit that you wish to use in a new build, this can drastically reduce your overall build budget.
- There are three main sizes of motherboards (for more information, see our diagram and explanation of motherboard parts): ATX, Micro ATX, and Mini-ITX. (Yes, Mini is smaller than Micro.) You can use smaller cases with the micro or mini boards, but you’ll have to settle for fewer card expansion slots, often fewer RAM slots, and generally fewer features overall. Invest in built-in Wi-Fi and high-end ports only if you need them; if you’re using Ethernet, don’t spend extra on wireless. You can help future-proof your PC by getting fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 and/or Thunderbolt support, though AMD motherboards still lack Thunderbolt.
Although there are currently no graphics cards that take advantage of this doubling of bandwidth over PCIe 4.0, AMD’s flagship X670/X670E chipset supports PCIe 5.0, and PCIe 5.0 SSDs are only now being leaked and made public.
Choosing a B650 motherboard, which has fewer PCIe 5.0 lanes and typically only supports one fast SSD and graphics card, is one approach to save money. However, keep a watch on the cost because many more expensive B650 boards are on par with or more expensive than certain X670 substitutes. Therefore, carefully consider the characteristics you need or plan to utilize in the future while making your purchase.
However, it appears that motherboard costs on AMD’s most recent platform have been declining recently, with some B650 models starting at $125. The ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 is the first of these sub-$150 alternatives to arrive on our test bench, and we are currently reviewing some of those more reasonably priced boards. Meanwhile, even less expensive A620 boards—which don’t support PCie 5.0 in any way—are now available, some of which allow for unapproved overclocking. For a more thorough examination of these affordable AMD motherboards, stay tuned.