I'm looking for advice on the best ATX motherboard to pair with my 9800X3D CPU and 5080 GPU. I'm considering options like the X870, X870E, and B850, but I'm not clear on what the differences are between them. If the X870 and X870E are only $30-$40 more than the B850, would it make sense to go for one of those instead?
5 Answers
If you're mainly gaming, go with a Bx50 series. That's what I did, and it's been great for my setup.
Check out these video guides that explain what to look for in a motherboard and some reviews of specific models:
- [Video Guide 1](https://youtu.be/kJnKQjtFYr4)
- [Video Guide 2](https://youtu.be/CxGHWQ05HuY)
- [Model Reviews](https://youtu.be/WagOqmAQ93A)
There's lots of useful info there. Determine the features most important to you like overclocking, longevity, SSD slots, and USB speeds. Thankfully, motherboard prices aren't too crazy right now and supply is good, so you should find what you need.
Just remember, 'X' typically means superior quality compared to 'B'. The 800 series boards generally have USB4, while it’s optional on the 600 series. The 'E' denotes more PCIe lanes. For gaming, make sure your GPU fits well in a full x16 slot, so don't sweat the generational differences between PCIe 4 and 5 too much.
B650 and B670 are also solid choices, depending on your specific needs. It's more important to look at features that suit your build than just picking out the 'best' one.
The X870 supports WiFi 7, PCIe 5.0, and usually has USB4, while the B850 typically maxes out at USB 3.2. If you're into overclocking, the X870 is the way to go. The X870E is just an upgraded version with more PCIe lanes. If you don't need those advanced features, the B850 will work just fine for you.
I don't use WiFi either and I rely on Ethernet, but I still prefer having WiFi capability in case I want it later since it doesn’t significantly increase the cost.