Best AM5 Motherboards for Ryzen 9000 in 2026: ASUS vs MSI vs Gigabyte vs ASRock

A good Ryzen 9000 motherboard should give you the ports, storage, networking, and expansion your build actually needs without charging hundreds of dollars for features you will never use.

The ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi is our best overall pick because it combines USB4, 5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, and strong power delivery at a lower list price than the premium boards here. MSI offers a strong B850 alternative, while ASUS and Gigabyte make more sense for higher-end builds that can use their extra connectivity.

AMD’s Ryzen 9000 processors use the AM5 socket, so buyers are not limited to the newest X870E, X870, or B850 boards. Older AM5 boards can also support Ryzen 9000, although 600-series models may need a BIOS update.

Best AM5 motherboards at a glance

Retailer prices may differ.

How we compared

We compared current US pricing, Ryzen 9000 support, PCIe and M.2 expansion, USB4, wired and wireless networking, memory capacity, BIOS features, lane sharing, and independent thermal and performance testing.

Motherboard benchmark differences are usually small when the same CPU, memory, and GPU are used. We therefore put more weight on connectivity, expansion, layout, firmware, and price than tiny benchmark leads.

The four picks have all been independently reviewed on current hardware. Manufacturer specifications were used for port counts, memory support, lane layouts, and current feature sets.

A motherboard is also only one part of a gaming build. If the budget is tight, spending less on the board can leave more money for the graphics card that has a much larger effect on gaming performance.

1. ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi: Best overall

The ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi gives most Ryzen 9000 builders the features they are likely to use without pushing the motherboard toward flagship pricing.

Its list price is $289.99, although it was selling for $229.99 at several US retailers when checked. It provides an X870E chipset, PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics slot, four M.2 slots, two rear USB4 ports, 5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, and support for up to 256GB of DDR5 memory.

Only one of the four M.2 slots runs at PCIe 5.0 x4. The remaining three use PCIe 4.0 x4, which is still plenty for most current NVMe drives.

Its Wi-Fi 7 implementation uses 160MHz channel bandwidth rather than the 320MHz support available on the MSI, ASUS, and Gigabyte boards here. That matters mainly if you already have a compatible Wi-Fi 7 network and want the highest possible wireless throughput.

Tom’s Hardware awarded the board an Editor’s Choice and found that its power delivery could comfortably handle flagship Ryzen processors. Its testing also recorded solid VRM temperatures and praised the board’s USB selection.

The combination of USB4, 5GbE, four M.2 slots, and aggressive retail pricing makes the Challenger particularly difficult to beat for a new AM5 build.

Choose the ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi if: You want a broad feature set without paying premium X870E prices.

2. MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II: Best B850 value

The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II is the better choice if two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots matter more than USB4.

MSI’s US store lists the board at $259.99, with a $229.99 limited-time price when checked. It supports up to 256GB of DDR5 memory, while networking includes 5GbE and Wi-Fi 7 with 320MHz channel support.

Its four M.2 slots consist of two PCIe 5.0 x4 connections, one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and one PCIe 4.0 x2 slot. That gives buyers more Gen5 SSD flexibility than the ASRock Challenger.

The trade-off is USB4. MSI provides rear 10Gbps USB-C and a front 20Gbps USB-C header, but no 40Gbps USB4 connection.

There is also one lane-sharing decision to know about. MSI’s official specifications state that using the M2_3 slot drops the lower PCIe expansion slot to x2. Configuring that PCIe slot for x4 instead disables M2_3.

The Max WiFi II adds MSI’s OC Engine for BCLK tuning and a 64MB BIOS chip. Tom’s Hardware found its performance, power delivery, and VRM temperatures solid, while its current motherboard guide names it the publication’s preferred ATX B850 option.

Choose the MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II if: You want two Gen5 M.2 slots, 5GbE, and full-speed Wi-Fi 7 without moving up to X870E.

3. ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi7 Neo: Best premium

The ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi7 Neo lists for $599.99, so it needs to earn a much larger slice of the build budget.

It does that with five M.2 slots, including two PCIe 5.0 connections, two USB4 ports, 5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, support for up to 256GB of DDR5, and an 18+2+2 power-stage design.

ASUS also includes several features aimed at making installation easier, including tool-free M.2 mounting, PCIe Slot Q-Release, BIOS FlashBack, and its AIO Q-Connector.

Back2Gaming recorded VRM temperatures below 50 degrees Celsius during a 20-minute sustained load at roughly 256W. TweakTown also found strong VRM and SSD cooling and praised the board’s connectivity and storage options.

The problem is price. A Ryzen 9000 gaming PC does not need a $600 motherboard to run well, and most buyers would get more noticeable performance by putting the difference toward the CPU or GPU.

It makes more sense for a high-end workstation or gaming build that will actually use several NVMe drives, USB4 peripherals, fast networking, and its additional BIOS and build features.

High-bandwidth USB4 ports can also be useful with fast storage and USB-C docking stations, although the connected device still determines how much of that bandwidth is useful.

Choose the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi7 Neo if: You want a premium ATX board with five M.2 slots, USB4, and a strong set of build-friendly features.

4. Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood: Best for networking

The Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood stands out for a practical reason before you even get to its unusual white-and-wood design: it has two 5GbE Ethernet ports.

The $499.99 X870E board also includes Wi-Fi 7, two USB4 ports, four M.2 slots, four SATA ports, and support for up to 256GB of DDR5 memory.

Two M.2 slots support PCIe 5.0 x4, while the other two use PCIe 4.0.

There is an important lane-sharing trade-off. Installing a drive in the second Gen5 M.2 slot reduces the two rear USB4 ports to x2 bandwidth. Gigabyte also allows all of that bandwidth to be assigned to the M.2 slot, but doing so disables the rear USB4 ports.

That choice is unlikely to bother a buyer running one Gen5 boot drive, but anyone planning multiple Gen5 SSDs alongside USB4 storage should map out the configuration before building.

Tom’s Hardware recorded a 47-degree Celsius peak from the board’s internal VRM sensor and found its overall benchmark performance among the strongest of the AM5 boards it had tested. The review also singled out the dual 5GbE ports as unusual among competing boards.

The design is another obvious part of the appeal. Gigabyte uses a white and silver PCB with wood-style accents and leather pull tabs on the M.2 heatsinks. That will either fit the build perfectly or be a reason to choose something else.

Choose the Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood if: You want dual 5GbE networking, two Gen5 M.2 slots, and USB4 in a high-end AM5 build.

Do you need a new motherboard for Ryzen 9000?

Not necessarily.

AMD says Ryzen 9000 works across its AM5 600- and 800-series motherboard families. A 600-series board such as B650, B650E, X670, or X670E may simply need a BIOS update.

That makes replacing an existing AM5 motherboard unnecessary unless the new board adds something you actually need, such as USB4, faster networking, more M.2 slots, PCIe 5.0 expansion, or a different form factor.

For a completely new build, X870E provides more PCIe bandwidth and includes USB4 as a standard platform feature. B850 can cost less while still supporting CPU and memory overclocking, PCIe 5.0 NVMe storage, and PCIe 5.0 graphics on boards such as the MSI model above.

Memory is another part of the budget worth planning early. Current memory supply pressure makes it even less useful to overspend on a motherboard while leaving too little room for the DDR5 capacity the system actually needs.

Which AM5 motherboard should you buy?

The ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi is the best choice for most new Ryzen 9000 builds. It gives you USB4, 5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, four M.2 slots, and enough power delivery for high-end CPUs without moving into premium-board pricing.

The MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II is better if two Gen5 M.2 slots matter more than USB4.

The ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi7 Neo makes sense when the build can use five M.2 slots and premium connectivity enough to justify its $599.99 list price.

The Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood is the strongest pick for users who specifically need dual 5GbE networking or want its distinctive white design.

For anyone upgrading an existing AM5 system, check the current board’s Ryzen 9000 CPU support and BIOS first. A firmware update may save hundreds of dollars that would be better spent elsewhere in the build.

Also read: If storage is next on your build list, compare our best external SSDs for 2026 for options covering USB 20Gbps, USB4, and Thunderbolt 5.