Best gaming motherboard 2025

This premium motherboard is the right accomplice for the present greatest gaming CPU, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. For a begin, it seems nice, with a swirling RGB dragon on the I/O panel protect, and also you even get lighting on one of many M.2 SSD heatsinks.

It is packed to the gills with options too, together with two USB-C 4.0 ports, a pair of USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and an enormous rely of 9 USB-A ports. MSI has actually gone to city with the toolless entry as nicely. 

We notably preferred the push-button management to unlock your graphics card from its PCIe slot, which saves fiddling round with the conventional latch. Likewise, you too can match an SSD and heatsink with out having to achieve for a screwdriver.

We additionally used this board to overclock the 9800X3D, and preferred the straightforward choices within the EFI for enabling AMD overclocking. You possibly can simply get your CPU boosting to five.4GHz in video games with this board, simply by altering a couple of settings.

Due to its use of AMD’s newest X870E chipset, there are additionally no worries about PCIe 5.0 SSDs stealing lanes out of your graphics card, and also you even get a pair of PCIe 5.0 SSD M.2 ports, full with heatsinks. This board is not low cost, however it’s an important basis for a high-end AMD PC.

Learn our full MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi evaluation.

If you’d like the most effective motherboard to mount right into a frosty white PC case, then look no additional, as Gigabyte’s consideration to element on this board’s white end is great. It isn’t simply the PCB that is white, but additionally the rear I/O panel, sockets, and heatsinks. Even the POST code show is white. To mash the phrases of Spinal Faucet, there’s none extra white.

The Gigabyte Aorus Elite X870 WiFi7 Ice is not only a fairly PCB both. Based mostly on AMD’s newest X870 chipset, it affords a perfect dwelling to one in all AMD’s newest Zen 5 CPUs, such because the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and it additionally affords a surprisingly packed characteristic set for its worth. This consists of ten USB-A ports, plus a pair of USB-C 4.0 ports on the rear.

You even get three PCIe 5.0 M.2 ports for putting in top-of-the-line SSD choices, though a few of them will take lanes out of your graphics card, so examine the guide prior to installing your SSD. Toolless options are good as nicely, requiring no want for a screwdriver to put in an M.2 SSD, whereas Gigabyte’s EZ-Latch Plus button allows you to launch your graphics card with out having to scrape your fingers twiddling with the same old locking latch in your PCIe slot.

To prime all of it off, this engaging motherboard is not even that costly. You will get the identical uncooked CPU efficiency from a less expensive board primarily based on the B650 chipset, after all, however this motherboard’s worth of $289 affords first rate worth for its characteristic set and beauty.

Learn our full Gigabyte Aorus Elite X870 WiFi7 Ice evaluation.

If cash isn’t any object, and also you need the perfect gaming motherboard in your AMD Ryzen 9000 rig, then this feature-packed board is for you.

Asus has pulled out all of the stops to make the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero, with the principle showpiece being a stunning RGB mild present on the I/O protect. There are many different nice options as nicely, although, together with two USB-C 4.0 ports on the again, and a USB-C entrance panel header that provides as much as 60W, that means you possibly can rapidly cost your Steam Deck or laptop computer out of your PC’s entrance panel.

The tool-free options are additionally wonderful, and embody an ingenious method of securing and eradicating your graphics card without having to fiddle with a latch and even push a button – you simply want to drag it up on the proper angle.

Asus’ newest EFI design can also be excellent, displaying you a map of your motherboard, and also you simply click on on the bit you need to tweak to seek out its settings.

It is very removed from low cost, notably within the US, and it will not be any faster than a less expensive X870 motherboard, however it is a actually premium, feature-rich motherboard.

Learn our full Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero evaluation.

Whereas the brand new Intel Arrow Lake lineup did not set the world alight in relation to gaming efficiency, there are many different causes to think about constructing a PC primarily based on one in all Intel’s new Core Extremely 200 CPUs. In case your precedence is getting the quickest multi-threaded efficiency doable, maybe for video encoding or 3D rendering work, then Intel’s newest CPUs are supreme, and so they do not draw a lot energy both.

In the event you’re planning to construct an Intel Arrow Lake system, you will have a motherboard that makes use of the brand new Intel LGA1851 socket, because the LGA1700 motherboards for Intel’s final three CPU generations will not work with the brand new chips. Our best choice right here is the Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Plus WiFi, which we used for testing in our Core Extremely 265K evaluation.

Regardless of its wallet-friendly worth, this motherboard has a strong vary of options, together with straightforward tool-free entry to the M.2 slots, whereas the chunky PCIe 5.0 SSD heatsink has an easy-release button to so make it straightforward to put in your quick SSD. Equally, the hinged latch launch system on the far proper of the board makes it very easy to free your graphics card from its PCIe slot.

In the meantime, there are many growth slots, and a number of other USB ports on the rear panel, together with six USB-A ports, and two USB-C ports, one in all which helps Thunderbolt 4. There’s not a lot in the way in which of RGB lighting, with just a bit little bit of underglow within the prime proper nook, however we additionally fairly like this board’s sensible, black look. What’s extra, this motherboard would not demand a foolish worth, costing slightly below $300.

Nonetheless, we suggest updating this motherboard’s BIOS to the newest model, to keep away from compatibility points with Home windows. Learn our information on flash your BIOS to see how that is performed.

Asus completely nailed it with this excellent Intel LGA1700 motherboard, which we used for all our Intel 14th-gen CPU critiques. This premium motherboard is not simply filled with options, however it additionally seems unbelievable.

The massive eye-catching characteristic, after all, is that shiny, glowing ROG panel on prime of the I/O protect, however there are many different thrilling devices with this board that make it an important dwelling for a Core i9 14900K. For a begin, the 16x PCIe 5.0 slot means it will possibly fortunately run the newest technology of PCIe 5.0 GPUs, such because the RTX 5090 and RX 9070 XT.

In the meantime, the PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot ensures you may add a high-speed SSD, whereas an additional 4 (sure, 4) PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots imply you will have loads of room for all of the drives you possibly can need. You additionally get assist for the newest Wi-Fi 7 commonplace, and the audio high quality from the ESS9218 DAC is great.

Different useful options embody the tool-free M.2 ports, which imply you do not have to fiddle with a tiny screw to put in your drives. The identical additionally goes for the Q-Launch system for the highest graphics slot, the place you push a button to launch your graphics card from its slot, saving the trouble of getting to fiddle round beneath an enormous GPU cooler.

There are a great deal of USB ports as nicely, together with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, and the front-panel USB-C connector can provide as much as 60W for rapidly charging your units. Primarily, although, it simply seems unbelievable. You will get the identical CPU efficiency from a less expensive motherboard, after all, and the ROG Maximus Z790 Darkish Hero could be very removed from low cost, however this motherboard is a superb foundation for a high-end Intel 14th-gen gaming rig.

Constructing the most effective mini gaming PC would not must imply compromising on efficiency, and that is completely demonstrated by this top-tier mini-ITX motherboard from MSI. Based mostly on Intel’s Z790 chipset, it makes an important dwelling for an Intel 14th-gen CPU, and it even has a 16x PCIe 5.0 slot prepared for the newest technology of graphics playing cards, such because the Nvidia RTX 5000 collection.

Amazingly, it even has room so that you can set up three M.2 SSDs, together with a pair that assist PCIe 4.0, and there is a hefty SSD heatsink on the entrance of the board as nicely. One of many options that basically impressed us about this board was its EFI system, which is nicely laid out and straightforward to navigate, with some wonderful fan management settings.

We even managed to overclock the Core i5 13600K on this motherboard to five.7GHz on all cores, due to its strong VRM cooling. This board is not low cost, particularly for an possibility with no RGB lighting, and it might do with extra USB ports, however it’s in any other case an important possibility if you wish to construct a high-end mini gaming PC.

Learn our full MSI MPG Z790I Edge WiFi evaluation.

The Gigabyte Eagle Plus WiFi6E hits a candy spot within the vary of accessible finances B860 boards. Crucially, not like even cheaper boards, it consists of WiFi, although the non-WiFi model is obtainable too if you wish to save much more cash.

With assist for as much as 256GB of DDR5 reminiscence and the newest Intel Core Extremely processors, you may create a significantly highly effective system with this board, regardless of its low worth. What’s extra, it packs in a good variety of USB port, storage growth choices, and also you get a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot to make sure your graphics card will not be bottlenecked.

Different premium extras are restricted, however you get EZ-Latch mechanisms for the PCIe slots, it straightforward to take away growth playing cards with out instruments. As finances boards go, it is fairly smart-looking too.

This budget-friendly micro-ATX motherboard is the right entry level into AMD’s AM5 platform. For simply $120, you are getting a surprisingly succesful board that may deal with even flagship Ryzen 9000 collection processors.

Its two standout options are the inclusion of a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, for future-proof quick storage whereas its 8+2+1 energy section design ensures power-hungry CPUs just like the Ryzen 9 7950X can run easily beneath load.

Just a few different good extras embody a pre-installed I/O protect, saving you the potential irritating second of realizing you’ve got forgotten it after assembling your total rig. The two.5Gb Ethernet additionally gives loads of bandwidth for a contemporary community connection, whereas BIOS flashback ensures straightforward updates.

There are inevitable compromises, although. There is no built-in WiFi (although there’s an M.2 slot if you wish to add your individual), and the included audio codec could be very primary. However for finances builders desirous to expertise AMD’s newest processors with out the premium price ticket, the B650M-HDV/M.2 delivers distinctive worth.