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AMD’s X3D processors are some of the most famous gaming CPUs on the market. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D has been hailed as the best gaming CPU for a long time. However, it’s time a successor comes along. Instead of the competition taking the win, AMD’s brand new Ryzen 7 9800X3D shows an impeccable 25% boost in single-core and multi-core tasks. In our Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, we saw great performance across the board, but if you’re buying such a beast, you’ve to pair it with the right motherboard. That said, I have rounded up the best motherboard for Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Here’s a comparison table to show you our best motherboard offerings at a glance:
More from the Ryzen 7 9800X3D:
Want to get an overview of another Ryzen 9000 series? Read through our dedicated in-depth CPU reviews:
Best Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Here’s a list of all the motherboards I have chosen for their various unique traits based on my hands-on experience and testing:
- Best Overall: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
- Best High-End: ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
- Best White: ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi 7
- Best Budget: Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2
MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi
Best Overall Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Chipset: AMD X870 | Memory: DDR5 8,400+ (OC) | VRM: 14+2+1 | Video Outputs: HDMI 2.1, 2x Type-C DisplayPort, USB4 Port, DisplayPort 1.4 | RGB Lighting: No | Network: WiFi 7, Realtek 5G LAN, Bluetooth 5.4 | Storage: 4x M.2, 4x SATA III | USB Ports: 11x Rear, 9x Front
Pros
- Decent connectivity options
- Solid performance
- VRMs run quite cool
- Beautiful design
- A wealth of EZ DIY features and mechanisms
- MSI AI LAN manager
Cons
- No RGB
- I would have preferred more SATA connectors
Read Our MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi Motherboard Review
Starting the list with the jack of all trades, the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi motherboard caught my eye for many reasons. For example, it has superior performance in productivity and gaming tasks. Moreover, its 14+2+1 VRMs perform decently well, allowing adequate overclocking opportunities. I love the VRMs for their temperatures, though. During our testing, the temperatures on the VRMs never exceeded 54°C, making them one of the coldest in the new X870 motherboards.
Besides its performance, other eye-catchers are the wealth of EZ DIY features and mechanisms loaded onto the motherboard, making it highly user-friendly. I also cherish the MSI AI LAN manager, which ensures you always get the lowest possible ping. Moving to the connectors, I like the 11x rear and 9x front USB ports, including a USB4.0 port and plenty of USB 2.0 and USB 3 ports. However, when it comes to storage, I would have preferred more than 4x SATA III connectors for a slightly pricey motherboard.
I was pretty pleased with the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi motherboard, not seeing any negatives. Here’s what I commented in my review:
The MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi is a motherboard costing $299, making it one of the pricier boards so far. For that, it offers reasonably capable VRMs, a minimalist black theme without RGB, a ton of EZ-DIY features to make life easier, and good overall performance. The EZ-DIY features are the highlight for us, but we feel the price tag is still a bit too high, especially given the board’s shared connectivity complications.
What Makes It The Best Overall Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
I love the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi for its lower VRM temperatures, sturdy build quality, and EZ DIY features and functions. Moreover, it has decent connectivity options and a beautiful design, perfect for stealth builds lacking RGB lighting. All these pros make it the best overall motherboard for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, in my opinion.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 9/10 |
| Features: 10/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
Best High-End Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Chipset: AMD X870E | Memory: DDR5 8,200+ (OC) | VRM: 24+2+1 | Video Outputs: HDMI 2.1, 2x USB4 Ports | RGB Lighting: No | Network: WiFi 7, Realtek 5G LAN, Bluetooth 5.4 | Storage: 4x M.2, 6x SATA III | USB Ports: 12x Rear, 9x Front
Pros
- Premium-class 24+2+1 VRM setup
- Great price for a high-end motherboard
- Unique design
- Impeccable performance
- Remarkable build quality
Cons
- Only one PCIe 5.0 storage slot
- No RGB lighting
Read Our ASRock X870E Taichi Lite Motherboard Review
Want to get the most out of your Ryzen 7 9800X3D? Just get a high-performing motherboard like the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite. Hailing a 24+2+1 VRM phase, you can achieve extreme overclocks with even a flagship CPU. This big boy has the largest power phase out of all the motherboards on this listicle. To top it all off, it has a pretty neat price tag, so you won’t have to sell an organ to make a purchase. Honestly, when it comes to performance, I can’t critique the Taichi Lite at all.
However, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any downsides to it. It’s an excellent motherboard with impressive connectivity options, good storage slots, and remarkable build quality. But even so, I feel like being given only one PCIe 5.0 storage slot for an E-ATX motherboard is pretty sad. I understand the lack of RGB lighting, though. All in all, it’s a great motherboard with a unique design, tons of USB ports (12x rear and 9x front), including 2x USB4.0 ports, and doesn’t cost much, either.
Here’s how I summarized the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite in my in-depth review of the motherboard:
The ASRock X870E Taichi Lite is a $399 powerhouse with a VRM setup (24+2+1, 110A SPS for VCore and SoC) that can compete with enthusiast-class boards. That’s not its only attraction; the board has a fascinating design, multiple handy features, and excellent connectivity options, with USB4 and WiFi 7 being the icing on the cake. Circling back to the price, this is a great option among X870E boards.
What Makes It The Best High-End Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
The most appealing thing about the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite motherboard is its high-end VRMs, robust build quality, and overall outstanding performance in all gaming and productivity tests while maintaining a reasonable cost. There are no complaints about its design. You get WiFi 7, and the chipset also provides plenty of USB ports, including USB4.0, making it the best high-end motherboard for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor.
Personally, I feel the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite is the best fit for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Ignoring the motherboard’s overclocking capabilities, it comes with lots of USB ports, has a unique design, the VRM temperatures aren’t too high, and it’s one of the most powerful X870 chipset motherboards. You shouldn’t let this motherboard go if you’re using a bigger PC case.
– Dr. Usman Saleem
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi 7
Best White Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Chipset: AMD X870 | Memory: DDR5 8,000+ (OC) | VRM: 14+2+1 | Video Outputs: HDMI 2.1, 2x USB4 Ports, 1x DisplayPort 1.4 | RGB Lighting: Yes | Network: WiFi 7, Realtek 2.5G LAN, Bluetooth 5.4 | Storage: 3x M.2, 4x SATA III | USB Ports: 11x Rear, 9x Front
Pros
- Fairly capable 14+2+1 VRMs
- Beautiful white aesthetics
- Incredible RAM capacity
- Distinctive design featuring modest RGB
- M.2 heatsink quick-release mechanism
Cons
- No debug LED
- Mid-range ALC4082 audio codec
Read Our ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi 7 Motherboard Review
Moving to the next motherboard, the ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi 7 is one of the most aesthetically pleasing X870 motherboards I have seen. Featuring a distinctive design with modest RGB lighting, the motherboard is coated in white, making it look like a captivating snowball. Outside its looks, the Steel Legend WiFi offers decent performance with its 14+2+1 VRM phase, not allowing the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to bottleneck even at the highest workloads.
The pricing is also pretty fair, and the motherboard has decent DIY features, like an M.2 heatsink quick-release mechanism for easier installation. It is missing a few features, like a debug LED, which will make troubleshooting slightly tricky in the future. However, regarding connectivity, I have zero complaints, featuring 11x rear and 9x front USB ports, along with 3x M.2 and 4x SATA III slots. The only real issue is the mid-range ALC4082 audio codec, which ASRock could have improved.
I was surprised when I used the ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi 7 motherboard on my test bench. Here’s what I commented about the motherboard’s looks and features:
The ASRock X870 Steel Legend looks great, is priced fairly, and has enough connectivity for most users. It features a 14+2+1 VRM setup (80A SPS for VCore + SOC), which means you can comfortably run even the most demanding Ryzen CPUs on it. It also provides some convenient features like the toolless M.2 heatsink removal and anti-drop screws. Most of all, though, it’s a great board for getting onto the latest platform without breaking the bank.
What Makes It The Best White Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
The ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi 7 is one of my favorite motherboards because of its beautiful snow-white aesthetics, low-temperature VRMs, rock-solid build quality, and many DIY features. Unlike many other white PC components, it also doesn’t come at a high price, ultimately making it the best white motherboard for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 9/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 10/10 |
Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2
Best Budget Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Chipset: AMD B650 | Memory: DDR5-8000 (OC) | VRM: 12+2+2 | Video Outputs: 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.1 port | RGB Lighting: Yes | Network: 1x Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, AMD WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | Storage: 3x M.2, 4x SATA | USB Ports: 12x Rear, 9x Front
Pros
- Effective VRM cooling
- Two NVMe Gen5 SSD support
- There is a plethora of USB ports
- Handy EZ DIY features
- Decent performance
- Outstanding value
- Durable build quality
Cons
- Lacks USB4.0
- No debug LED
- No external temperature sensor ports
Read Our Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2 Motherboard Review
Are you trying to upgrade to the Ryzen 7 9800X3D on a tighter budget? If you have been using a Ryzen 3000 series CPU and want to jump directly to the Ryzen 9000 with a minor motherboard upgrade, the Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2 is your best budget option. Featuring a 12+2+2 VRM phase that doesn’t get hot even at tight loads, I love the decent performance the motherboard provides. It lacks a few things compared to the X870 chipset, but you won’t notice much difference outside of that.
For example, the B650 Aorus Elite has 2x PCIe Gen5 NVMe slots. Moreover, there is no shortage of SATA III ports, either. There aren’t any issues with the USB ports, featuring 12x rear and 9x front ports, including USB Type-C Gen 2. It doesn’t have USB4.0 and WiFi 7, along with a few troubleshooting features, but for a budget motherboard, it has all the other goodies I love. The design is decent, with slight RGB lighting around the heatsinks. It’s an excellent fit for any high-end AMD CPU if you’re not overclocking it.
Our hardware reviewer, Nauman Siddique, was astounded by the motherboard’s value and performance. Here’s what he commented in his dedicated review:
At the end of the day, the B650 AORUS ELITE AX is almost a balanced feature set provider motherboard that the user can get for their daily driver need. The game is strong with the storage department of this motherboard and USB Type-C Gen 2×2 port provisions as well, though don’t expect to find a PCIe Gen 5 X16 slot.
What Makes It The Best Budget Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
The Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2 motherboard rocks amazing features like a 12+2+2 VRM phase, lower VRM temperatures, handy EZ DIY features, decent gaming and productivity performance, and a plethora of USB ports, including USB Type-C Gen 2. The biggest pro is its low price, which makes it the best budget motherboard for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 9/10 |
Best Motherboard For Ryzen 7 9800X3D Specification Comparison
We have created a simple comparison chart of all our top motherboard picks so that it’s easier for you to choose the one that appeals most to your use-case scenarios. Here’s the chart:
| Motherboard Model | Total Power Phases | Max Memory Speed (MT/s) | No. of M.2 slots | No. of SATA III ports | No. of USB ports (Front) | No. of USB ports (Rear) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi | 16 | 8400 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 11 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi Lite | 27 | 8200 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi | 16 | 8000 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 11 |
| Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX V2 | 16 | 8000 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 |
These Motherboards Couldn’t Make Our List
Many motherboards on the market fit well with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. However, we only selected the best ones in their categories to make your purchase decision easier. Of course, a few didn’t make the list, lacking value or features. Here are the motherboards that couldn’t make our list:
- Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite: There’s not much to hate regarding the Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite. Like its predecessor, which we covered, it’s one of the best contenders. However, its lack of 5G LAN makes it slightly inferior to its competitors.
Key Motherboard Terms
- CPU Socket: It’s a small slot on the motherboard where the CPU is inserted. Intel usually changes its CPU socket once every two generations, while AMD’s socket lasts for a few years. The AM4 lasted from the Ryzen 1000 to the Ryzen 5000 series, meaning you could use the same motherboard for all those CPUs.
- DIMM Slots: They are located next to the CPU socket where the RAM kits are installed. Thanks to the physical location being so close, DIMM slots allow the CPU to access temporary data quickly.
- Form Factor: Similar to the form factors of PC cases, the size and shape of the motherboard decide the chassis it’ll fit inside. Motherboard form factors are the same as PC case form factors, ranging from ITX, mITX, ATX, and E-ATX.
- VRM: Abbreviated as Voltage Regulator Module, VRMs are small circuits on the motherboard that ensure stable and proper voltage delivery to all PC parts. Better VRM phases are required to achieve higher CPU overclocks.
- PCIe Slots: PCIe slots are used for expansion cards and are essential for graphics cards, sound cards, and network adapters. In most cases, you want to install the graphics card in the x16 PCIe slot and then move downwards as required.
- Chipset: The chipset communicates between multiple PC components, such as the peripherals, CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage, to run everything smoothly without causing random crashes and errors.
How We Tested These Motherboards
Several factors contributed to selecting the best motherboards for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU. They include features, power delivery, and value for money. Here’s a quick rundown of what I looked for in each motherboard:
- Features: One of the most important factors I considered was each motherboard’s features. Besides the EZ DIY features, software like MSI’s AI LAN manager, troubleshooting debug LEDs, or thicker M.2 heatsinks add more value to the motherboards. While performance is essential, subtle features create more incentive for a purchase.
- Power Delivery: The most important factor you should consider is a motherboard’s power delivery capabilities. A motherboard with mediocre power delivery will only end up either bottlenecking your PC components or completely frying them. Additionally, better power delivery is vital for CPU overclocking. That’s why I only chose motherboards that didn’t compromise on their VRMs.
- Value For Money: Regardless of your budget, spending too much on a PC component won’t yield better results if everything it features is a gimmick. Therefore, I was meticulous with the value for money of each motherboard I selected. Along with performance, they needed to have dozens of features and not cost absurd amounts of money.
FAQs
Regardless of the resolution, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D should be able to run any game at high FPS, considering it is currently the best gaming CPU on the planet.
Like the previous X3D processors, you won’t be able to overclock the Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU. Doing so won’t yield any performance uplifts anyway.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU supports up to DDR5 8,800MHz RAM speeds, ensuring whichever kit you purchase will be compatible with the CPU.
Yes. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is compatible with both chipsets along with the newest X870 chipset. Depending on your budget and use-case scenario, you should look for a motherboard from the B650 and X870 chipsets for the most value.
Searching for motherboards for a specific Ryzen 9000 series CPU? We have you covered:
- Best Motherboards For Ryzen 9 9950X
- Best Motherboards For Ryzen 9 9900X
- Best Motherboards For Ryzen 7 9700X
- Best Motherboards For Ryzen 5 9600X
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[Reviews Specialist]
Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.
8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization
Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com
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