I'm planning to buy a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and noticed that ASRock motherboards are among the least expensive recommended options. Before choosing one, I'd like to know whether ASRock has officially acknowledged or fixed the reported issues involving AM5 boards and these processors. I'm trying to save money on the motherboard because I still need to purchase memory, but I don't want to risk an expensive CPU just to cut costs.
3 Answers
I’d avoid it for now. If knowledgeable buyers are passing over those boards, the low price may simply reflect weaker demand rather than a confirmed improvement. Until ASRock provides a clear statement and details about a fix, another brand seems like the safer choice.
ASRock hasn’t clearly acknowledged that there is an issue, at least publicly, so there’s no definite explanation or documented fix to point to. Until the company addresses it and explains what changed, I personally wouldn’t use or recommend an ASRock AM5 board. It’s unfortunate because their boards are otherwise quite good for the price.
I’d choose another motherboard brand for this build. The processor is expensive enough that avoiding a questionable situation is worth paying a little more, even if ASRock boards offer good features for the money. I’ve also had less confidence in their build quality compared with other brands based on an older X470 experience.
That’s what I was worried about. I was trying to find the least expensive board that would be suitable for the 9800X3D since I still need to buy memory, but this may not be the place to cut costs.