Hey everyone! I haven't built a PC since the days of 6th gen Intel processors, and I'm finally ready for an upgrade. While I feel like I've caught up on a lot of the new tech, motherboards have really changed. Back then, I would spend around $70, but now it feels like the bottom tier starts at $150, escalating up to $600 for midrange to high-end boards. I found this ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi ATX AM5 motherboard, which has USB4, WiFi 7, a 5G ethernet port, and 4 M.2 slots, which seems like a great deal compared to others at around $400. However, I can't help but wonder if I'm missing something—like if there's a catch due to the price. I've included a link to my full build list. Also, are my RAM choices solid?
2 Answers
I've heard some not-so-great things about ASRock motherboards lately. Apparently, there have been incidents where they damaged AM5 CPUs. You might want to consider brands like Gigabyte, Asus, or MSI instead. If you're worried about USB slots, you can always add a PCIe x1 controller for around $15. Also, are you sure you need all those SSDs? They can get pricey! And while your RAM looks good for an AM5 setup, 64GB might be overkill for most tasks right now.
Honestly, I’d steer clear of ASRock if you’re getting an AMD 9000X3D CPU. You really don’t want to risk damaging it. If you don’t necessarily need USB 4.0, consider a B850 board like the Tomahawk B850—it’s solid and has good features. Just curious, with that setup, are you planning on doing serious workstation tasks? Definitely not a fan of the overspecs on the 9100 Pro; that’s a lot of power for what you need. For your requirements, it sounds like you're looking for a solid 3 M.2 slots at the least, so just be wary of what you pick based on that.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload