I'm in the process of building a system with a 9800X3D and a 5080 GPU, but I'm overwhelmed by the number of motherboard options available. Currently, I'm considering the ROG Strix, MSI Tomahawk, and Gigabyte Aorus Elite, but I'm unsure which one to go with. Additionally, I've heard conflicting opinions on whether to choose a B850 or X870 chipset. I've read some about PCIe lanes and VRM performance, but I'm not very knowledgeable on those topics. Could someone explain these concepts and help me understand my options? Due to budget constraints, high-end boards like the Crosshair and Godlike are not an option for me.
2 Answers
I've seen many users praise the Tomahawk for its performance and reliability, so that's definitely worth considering for your build. It seems to hold up well under various conditions.
Before you decide on a motherboard, consider what you'll be connecting to it. The PCIe configuration is crucial if you have multiple cards or SSDs in mind. As for VRM performance, the 9800X3D is not overly demanding, so most decent boards will do just fine. For the motherboard choices, ROG Strix, MSI Tomahawk, and Gigabyte Aorus Elite all have different models, so narrow it down by looking at specific features.
Also, the main difference between B850 and X870 is that X870 boards must support USB4 and come with PCIe 5.0 for a GPU slot, plus they can potentially support an extra M.2 slot. So, it really depends on what you're looking for in terms of future-proofing your build.
Thanks for breaking that down! For the Strix line, I'm looking at either the B850-A or X870-A Gaming Wifi, and for the Tomahawk, maybe the MAG B850 MAX Wifi ATX. Which would you say is better for my setup?