The Best AMD Motherboards for Gaming in 2023

What to Look For in an AMD Gaming Motherboard in 2023

Before making any move, ensure that the motherboards you’re interested in are compatible with the AMD Athlon or Ryzen CPU you plan on buying. If your cart includes a Ryzen 5000 CPU, focus on motherboards compatible with the AM4 CPU socket, and if you’re eyeing a Ryzen 7000 processor, look for boards made for the AM5 CPU socket.

Next, the motherboard of your choice should have a quality voltage-regulating module (VRM), which is the most critical feature of every motherboard. The right VRM will allow your CPU to perform at its peak by keeping the voltage supplied clean and consistent.

Granted, almost every single AM5-compatible motherboard model comes with overkill VRM. As long as you skip ASUS’ budget B650 and X670 chipset models, you’ll be fine. Regarding memory, AMD motherboards compatible with Ryzen 7000 processors only support DDR5 memory, meaning you can’t pair DDR4 RAM with an AM5 motherboard.

A high-quality AMD gaming motherboard should also meet your expansion, connectivity, and storage needs. A solid board should offer at least a single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, two or three M.2 slots for SSDs, and enough USB ports for your needs. A secondary PCIe x16 slot isn’t needed for most users—granted, it could be handy for hooking up a capture card or adding more than one GPU for rendering tasks.

PCIe 5.0 support, however, will not be a must-have feature for most people at this time. Current GPUs have native support for the PCIe 4.0 interface and won’t see any benefits from PCIe 5.0. PCIe 5.0 SSDs are faster than PCIe 4.0 drives, but they don’t offer any substantial performance benefits, are much pricier, and run noticeably hotter than PCIe 4.0 solid-state drives.

Connectivity-wise, most AMD boards come with 2.5Gbps LAN ports, which is excellent. You should also look for Wi-Fi 6/Wi-Fi 6E support if you rely on a WLAN connection. If your needs include a 10Gbps LAN port, get a 10Gbps LAN PCIe card instead of paying hundreds of dollars extra for a motherboard equipped with a 10Gbps LAN (RJ-45) port.

We can say the same about audio. If you’re after a high-end audio experience, spend cash on a quality external DAC instead of chasing an overpriced high-end motherboard with a beefy audio section.

Finally, regarding your future AMD motherboard form factor, the ATX motherboard market is brimming with quality choices. mATX offerings include several fine budget options and a couple of solid mid-range picks. Finally, the Mini-ITX AMD motherboard selection features excellent mid-range and high-end models but lacks a proper budget option.

For most gamers, the Gigabyte B650 AORUS Elite AX is the best AMD motherboard you can buy. You’ve got a slick industrial design splashed with a few RGB LEDs, lots of fast USB ports, a BIOS flash button on the rear I/O allowing you to update the BIOS without a CPU, and a serviceable audio section.

The main PCIe x16 slot supports PCIe 4.0 and is coupled with two more PCIe x16 slots with PCIe 3.0 support, both running at x1. Storage support is great with three M.2 slots, one of which has PCIe 5.0 support, with the rest offering PCIe 4.0 bandwidth. You’ve also got four SATA III ports, which is enough these days when M.2 SSDs are cheaper than ever.

Connectivity-wise, this model comes with just the right configuration. There’s a 2.5Gbps LAN port and an AMD Wi-Fi 6E chip with Bluetooth 5.2. The rear I/O packs five USB 3.2 10Gbps ports, one of which is USB-C, five USB 3.2 5Gbps USB-A ports, and four USB 2.0 ports. The only weakness is the audio section—it looks like the board packs the bottom-tier Realtek ALC897 audio codec.

If you need something more compact, get the Gigabyte B650M AORUS Elite AX, the mATX version of our pick with one less M.2 and PCIe x16 slot. There’s also the B650M Mortar WIFI from MSI and the TUF Gaming B650M-Plus WIFI from ASUS. If you’re looking for an ATX alternative, check out the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WIFI or the ASUS TUF Gaming B650-Plus WIFI.

Best AMD Motherboard for Gaming Overall

GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX

The GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX packs almost everything you might need in an AMD gaming motherboard: excellent VRM, lots of storage ports, more than enough fast USB ports, attractive design, and an unbeatable price. The only disappointment is the basic audio section.

The MSI Pro B650M-A WIFI is a great AMD motherboard overall and the best budget AMD board option. Like our best overall pick, the VRM is overkill and can run any Ryzen 7000 CPU you throw at it.

The board’s primary PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is coupled with the secondary PCIe 4.0 x16 slot working at x4 and a single PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. Regarding storage, you’re looking at two M.2 slots supporting PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs and four SATA III ports. Considering this motherboard is a budget option, cuts had to be made somewhere, and the port selection is one of them.

The other major downside to this board is the audio. MSI has equipped its board with the basic Realtek ALC897 audio codec. You’ll want to pick up an external DAC to get a better audio experience—which isn’t ideal, but ultimately cheaper than upgrading to a board with a more robust audio section.

The rear I/O houses four USB-A 3.2 10Gbps ports, four USB-A 3.2 5Gbps ports, and a BIOS flash button, which is always nice to see on a budget motherboard. There’s no USB-C port on the back, but you have an internal USB-C 10Gbps connector if your PC case has a USB-C port at its front.

Finally, connectivity options here are great for an affordable motherboard. There’s a 2.5Gbps LAN port and Wi-Fi 6 support alongside Bluetooth 5.2. Another M.2 slot and a USB-C port on the rear I/O would be great to see, but it’s hard to complain given the price you pay.

AM5-compatible alternatives include the Gigabyte B650M DS3H and the Asrock B650M-HDV/M.2. The Gigabyte model offers a USB-C port on the back but also lacks Wi-Fi and packs fewer high-speed USB ports compared to MSI’s offering. For $140, the ASRock board is affordable yet barebones without Wi-Fi or RGB fan headers, but the VRM is excellent.

If you’re in the market for an AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU and need a quality budget motherboard, check out the MSI Pro B550M-VC WIFI, the GIGABYTE B550M DS3H, or the ASRock B550 Pro4.

Best Budget AMD Motherboard for Gaming

MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi

The MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi isn’t the most affordable AM5 motherboard around but it is the best budget option. It’s got everything an undemanding user might need without offering extra features that would unnecessarily balloon its price. The only thing we’d like to see is a USB-C port on the rear I/O.

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The Gigabyte B650I AORUS Ultra is more or less the B650 AORUS Elite AX, but in an ITX form factor. This board packs everything most AMD CPU owners might need without the unnecessary frills that would balloon the price.

The VRM here is good enough for the AMD Ryzen 7950X to run at its peak gaming performance. We also have a richly populated rear I/O panel for an ITX motherboard, an excellent audio section commandeered by the Realtek ALC4080 audio codec, and an attractive design without lots of RGB.

Regarding other features, you’ve got a single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 2.5Gbps LAN port along with Wi-FI 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, three USB 3.2 10Gbps ports (one of which being USB-C), two USB-A 3.2 5Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.

While all those features are great, our favorite part of the Gigabyte B650I AORUS Ultra is the NVMe storage support that includes three M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe 5.0 SSDs while the other two feature PCIe 4.0 support.

On the flip side, the worst part of this board is the daughter board that slots in on the lower right side of the PCB, hosting all four SATA III ports as well as front panel connectors that connect to your case—meaning its installation is mandatory. This can affect ultra-compact SFX PC builds that often barely fit inside compact ITX cases, even without a daughterboard taking up precious space.

If you need a similarly equipped Mini-ITX AM5 gaming motherboard without a daughterboard taking up precious space, the MSI MPG B650I Edge WIFI is an excellent alternative. You lose one M.2 slot but get Wi-Fi 6E support. And if you need that PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, there’s the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WIFI packed with features but also way pricier than our pick.

Finally, a couple of AM4 Mini-ITX options for those who want to get a Ryzen 5000 CPU. The Gigabyte B550I AORUS Pro AX is the best bang for the buck choice, while the ASRock B550M-ITX/AC presents the best budget option for prospective Ryzen 5000 CPU buyers.

Best Mini-ITX AMD Motherboard for Gaming

GIGABYTE B650I AORUS Ultra

The GIGABYTE B650I AORUS Ultra is a nigh-perfect Mini-ITX AMD motherboard. It’s almost got it all and we especially like the presence of three M.2 slots for fast NVMe SSDs. On the other hand, Wi-Fi 6E would be great to see and the mandatory daughterboard could make this motherboard too girthy for some ultra-compact ITX cases.

If you’re looking for the best AM5 socket motherboard for gaming that doesn’t command a flagship price, the ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-E is where it’s at. This board has it all sans a 10Gbps LAN port and five or more M.2 SSD slots.

The aggressive industrial design packs lots of RGB, but it thankfully doesn’t go overboard with the lights. The VRM is overkill—and ready if AMD goes into overdrive regarding power consumption with the next generation of Ryzen CPUs.

You also have Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and a 2.5Gbps port. The two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots work in x8/x8 mode when both are occupied, which is great for combining a high-end GPU with a high-end capture card. A third PCIe 4.0 x16 slot also works at x4 speed.

The audio section is excellent with the ALC4080 audio codec at its core, augmented with a Savitech SV3H712 AMP for maximum audio immersion. And saying that the rear I/O is richly populated would be an understatement. We’re talking a single USB-C 3.2 20Gbps port, two USB-C 3.2 10Gbps ports, and 10 USB-A 10Gbps ports. The rear I/O also includes BIOS flashback and Clear CMOS buttons.

The board also packs a diagnostic LED display and an internal Thunderbolt 4 port. Overall, an impressive board, though the lack of a 10Gbps LAN port at this price point is disappointing.

The ASRock X670E Taichi is similar to the ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-E but comes with two USB4 USB-C 40Gbps ports. On the flip side, it has fewer USB ports overall and features the EATX form factor meaning it can be too wide for more compact ATX housings.

Best DDR5 AMD Motherboard for Gaming

ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming

The ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is a gorgeous-looking AM5 motherboard with a ton of features to boot. The two things that could sway you to another AMD motherboard is the lack of USB4 support and no 10Gbps LAN port.

Best AMD Motherboard for Overclocking: MSI MEG X670E ACE

Last but not least, we have the flagship MSI MEG X670E Ace, made for anyone who doesn’t care about the price and wants the absolute best AM5 motherboard on the market. There are a few more expensive motherboards, but they offer nothing over the Ace to make it worth the price difference.

First, the VRM here is so over the top you’ll have no trouble pushing your CPU to its absolute maximum. Next, the X670E ACE looks stunning with its black and gold color scheme, tasteful implementation of RGB, and lots of heatsinks all over the PCB.

Features-wise, you’ve got three PCIe 5.0 x16 slots that can work in x8/x8/x4 mode when all three are occupied. Storage support is fantastic, with four M.2 slots on the board, one of which supports PCIe 5.0 storage drives. A PCIe expansion card also hosts two more M.2 PCIe 5.0 slots, making it six M.2 slots in total. There are also six SATA III ports meaning you can hook up to twelve storage drives at once if you desire so.

The MSI MEG X670E ACE has a 10Gbps LAN port, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. The audio section is as good as the connectivity options—the Realtek ALC4082 Codec is at its core, enhanced by the ESS ES9280AQ Combo DAC/HPA (headphone amplifier).

Finally, the rear I/O hosts two USB 3.2 20Gbps USB-C ports, one USB 3.2 10Gbps USB-C port with DisplayPort functionality, eight USB 3.2 10Gbps USB-A ports, and BIOS flashback and Clear CMOS buttons. There’s also a smart button that you can program into a power, reset, safe boot button, and more. The only major downside of the MSI MEG X670E ACE, aside from the price, is the lack of USB4 40Gbps USB-C ports.

Best for Overclocking AMD Motherboard for Gaming

MSI MEG X670E ACE

The MSI MEG X670E ACE is an outstanding AMD gaming motherboard that packs a ton of features, offers the best connectivity options available on the consumer market, and is stunningly attractive. The only dent here is the lack of USB4 40Gbps ports, which we believe should be present on a flagship motherboard.

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