Is it worth spending an extra $100 on an 850 motherboard instead of a 650?

Have you looked at the X670E motherboards? They’re quite comparable to the B850, just without a few advanced features like USB4. It might be worth checking out, especially if you want something a little more robust without stretching your budget too much.

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend the extra $100. Unless you're not comfortable updating the BIOS yourself to support newer CPUs, this cost may not justify the benefits. The B850 does have guarantees for PCIe 5.0 and Ryzen 9000 series compatibility, but for your current build, you probably won’t need those. Save that money for something else, like a nice dinner!

The B650 motherboard should be perfectly fine for your needs. The main difference between the B650 and B850 is in connectivity, not performance. If you're buying new from retail, the BIOS is likely already updated to support newer CPUs, so you shouldn't have any issues there.

If you’re referring to a B650e, it’s quite similar to the B850 in terms of technology. However, if it’s a regular B650, you might lose out on some features since it won’t support PCIe 5. For being more future-proof, the B850 is the way to go. But if you’re watching your budget, the B650 can still serve you well, especially if you don’t need PCIe 5.