Hey everyone! I've been diving deep into various Reddit posts and product rankings to find the ideal AM5 motherboard for my setup, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. My primary goals are to enjoy 4K gaming and ensure I have plenty of local storage and good networking options. Here are my specs so far: I'm running a 9800X3D processor, a 7900XTX graphics card, a 1000W power supply, and 32 GB of 6000 CL30 or CL28 RAM. I currently have *4+ SATA SSDs and plan to add more M.2 drives in the future.
I've checked out a few boards:
- GigaByte X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7
- GigaByte X870 GAMING X WIFI7
- MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk
- MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk
- ASRock X870 PRO RS
- ASRock X870 STEEL LEGEND
- ASUS ROG STRIX X870-F GAMING
I'm looking to keep my budget under ~400€ for the motherboard. I'm not loyal to any specific brand, and I've heard mixed reviews about some manufacturers. I'm a beginner with overclocking but want to learn more, and I don't plan to use liquid cooling in the near future. Any guidance or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
1 Answer
I'd steer clear of ASRock for this build. The main thing is to choose a motherboard that has enough M.2 slots and doesn’t share lanes, especially for what you need. For 4K gaming, motherboard choice isn't as crucial. If you're focused on local storage and networking, the X870 Tomahawk stands out with its 5GB ethernet and 4 NVME M.2 slots. Just be careful with Gigabyte and ASUS, as they can share bandwidth between M.2 and the PCIe x16 slot, which might limit performance.
If you're open to it, the B850 Tomahawk could be a solid pick, plus it doesn't have the same bandwidth issues as the X870 boards if you don't need USB 4.0. Honestly, spending around 400€ on an X870 seems like a bit much considering what you’re getting.
So, if you want the best bang for your buck, the X870 Tomahawk is currently the best option, but keep B850 in mind if USB 4.0 isn’t a must-have for you.
Thanks for the insights! I appreciate that breakdown. I guess lane sharing is something I really need to watch out for when making my choice. How do you think the B850 handles overclocking though? I’ve been reading about VRMs and could use a bit more understanding there.