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Recently, when the Ryzen 9000 series was announced, AMD gave us a preview of its latest X870 motherboard chipset. Although the X670 chipset supports the latest CPUs, you may want to try the new motherboards. While the chipset was supposed to launch with the 9000 series processors, it got delayed to the end of September. Now that they have finally been released, we have been hard at work all week to test, compare, and round up the best X870 motherboards you can buy right now.
Here’s a comparison table to glance at all our top motherboard offerings:
Are you thinking of buying a new AMD CPU? Go through our dedicated reviews to make an informed purchase decision:
- Read Our Ryzen 9 9950X Review
- Read Our Ryzen 9 9900X Review
- Read Our Ryzen 7 9700X Review
- Read Our Ryzen 5 9600X Review
Best X870 Motherboards
Now, to get the show on the road, here are the motherboards I have chosen based on my hands-on experience and the various features each comes with:
- Best Overall: MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WiFi
- Best White: ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi
- Best High-End: MSI MPG X870E CARBON WiFi
- Best Overclocking: ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
- Best Budget: Gigabyte X870 EAGLE
MSI MPG X870E CARBON WiFi
Best High-End X870 Motherboard
Chipset: AMD X870E | Memory: DDR5 8,400+ (OC) | VRM: 18+2+1 | Video Outputs: HDMI 2.1, 2x USB4 Ports, 1x DisplayPort 1.4 | RGB Lighting: Yes | Network: WiFi 7, Realtek 2.5G/5G LAN, Bluetooth 5.4 | Storage: 4x M.2, 4x SATA III | USB Ports: 13x Rear, 9x Front
Pros
- Incredible gaming performance
- Smart button functionality
- Handy DIY-friendly features
- High-end 18+2+1 VRM phases
- Lots of connectivity options
- MSI AI Link manager
Cons
- Less USB 2.0 ports
Read Our Hands-On MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi Review
It’s time to take out the big guns. If you want the best high-end motherboard for a Ryzen 9000 series processor, look no further—the MSI MPG X870E CARBON WiFi has your back! The one thing I absolutely love about this motherboard is the handy DIY-friendly features it comes with. For example, the smart button has multiple hardware control. You can set your RGB lights, fan boosts, and boot into safe mode by pressing the same button. Similarly, I am in love with the AI Boost technology that allows one-click overclocking and says goodbye to manual overclocking.
Putting that aside, what really sets this motherboard apart from its competition is the high-end 18+2+1 VRM. With this, you secure your power delivery and get incredible overclocking opportunities. Additionally, the motherboard provides 13x rear and 9x front USB ports, ensuring you don’t run out of connectivity options. Most of these are USB 3 and 2x USB4 ports, so take caution if you’re still stuck on USB 2.0. Because the motherboard comes in a larger form factor, you need to factor in the size of your chassis, too, before making the purchase.
Here’s what I said about the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi in my dedicated hands-on review of the motherboard:
The MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi is a high-end motherboard with impressive features, a capable VRM setup, and I/O that should be enough for most users. You get the latest USB4 ports, dual PCIe 5.0 M.2, WiFi 7, and impressive memory support up to DDR5-8400 (OC). It’s a nice-looking board with enough RGB bling for most, but it comes at a staggering $499 price tag. While expensive, it’s competitive enough for the features on offer.
What Makes It The Best High-End X870 Motherboard?
Featuring an 18+2+1 VRM phase, the MSI MPG X870E CARBON WiFi motherboard ensures proper power delivery to your PC. Thanks to 22 USB ports, you don’t have to worry about connectivity. Moreover, with DIY-friendly features and easy overclocking, there’s not much that can go wrong if you try to maximize your PC’s performance with this product, making it the best high-end X870 motherboard.
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 10/10 | Design: 8/10 |
MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WiFi
Best Overall X870 Motherboard
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: Yes | Network: WiFi 7, Realtek 5G LAN, Bluetooth 5.4 | Storage: 4x M.2, 4x SATA III | USB Ports: 11x Rear, 9x Front
Pros
- Remarkable overclocking opportunities
- Impressive connectivity options
- High-end VRMs ensure better voltage distribution
- Beautiful design
- EZ M.2 clip and EZ PCIe release features
- Screwless M.2 Shield Frozr implementation
- MSI AI LAN manager
Cons
- I would have preferred more SATA storage
Starting strong, the first motherboard on my list is the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WiFi. This inclusion is self-explanatory; you get a high-end, build-quality motherboard with impressive connectivity options and a beautiful design. Additionally, thanks to its 14+2+1 VRM phase, you can overclock your Ryzen 9000 series processors. The MSI MAG X870 will easily fly with any high-end AMD CPU you pair it with, whether the Ryzen 9 7950X3D or the Ryzen 9 9950X.
However, what I love most about the motherboard is that it’s newbie-friendly. For example, the EZ M.2 clip and screwless M.2 shield Frozr features make it much easier for new PC users to build in the motherboard. In any case, I love the 11x rear and 9x front USB ports the motherboard provides. Also, all X870 motherboards come with USB4 and PCIe 5.0, so you can leverage those technologies freely. For the MSI MAG X870, you get 2x PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots and 2x USB4 connectors.
What Makes It The Best Overall X870 Motherboard?
The MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WiFi offers remarkable overclocking opportunities, decent connectivity options, 11x rear and 9x front USB ports, and high-end VRMs for better voltage distribution. Moreover, you can access the MSI AI LAN manager, which ensures you always get the best connectivity, thanks to its WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 network options. All in all, these features make it the best overall X870 motherboard.
Personally, the MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WiFi motherboard appealed to me the most. I’m getting 20 USB ports, amazing networking options, and access to the MSI AI LAN manager to always get the lowest ping while gaming. The motherboard overclocks well, looks beautiful, and doesn’t overheat. I can’t ask for much more from a decently-priced product.
– Usman Saleem
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 10/10 | Design: 9/10 |
ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi
Best White X870 Motherboard
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
- Beautiful white aesthetics
- Incredible RAM capacity
- Decent connectivity options
- Impressive VRMs
- Remarkable RGB lighting
- M.2 heatsink quick-release mechanism
Cons
- No debug LED
- Mid-range ALC4082 audio codec
Are you building an RGB-filled white PC with a high-end AMD CPU? If so, you may want to consider the ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi, which features some of the best RGB lighting I have ever seen in a motherboard. For starters, you’re getting robust 14+2+1 VRM phases, just like the MSI MAG X870, so there shouldn’t be any power delivery issues. Secondly, I love the motherboard’s latest M.2 heatsink quick-release mechanism feature, making it the first product to introduce a decent innovation for more accessible PC building.
Apart from all that, the decent connectivity options also intrigue me. The motherboard features 11x rear and 9x front USB ports, 2x USB4 ports, 3x M.2 slots, and 4x SATA III slots. While there’s not much to hate, I don’t like that the motherboard has a subpar ALC4082 audio codec and doesn’t come with a debug LED. At the very least, I’d expect an LED in an X870 motherboard.
What Makes It The Best White X870 Motherboard?
The ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi motherboard is a beautiful snow-white color surrounded by A-RGB lighting, waiting to be customized according to its users’ needs. Besides its aesthetics, it features decent connectivity options, innovates with a new M.2 heatsink quick-release mechanism, and has high-end robust VRMs, making it the best white X870 motherboard.
| Performance: 9/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 10/10 |
ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
Best Overclocking X870 Motherboard
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
- Rock-solid durability
- Impeccable overclocking support
- Robust 24+2+1 VRM-phase
- Unique design
- Decent storage options
Cons
- Doesn’t support DisplayPort 1.4
- Only one PCIe 5.0 storage slot
- No RGB lighting
Are you an enthusiast who can’t wait to push your CPU to its utmost limit? If so, the ASRock X870E Taichi Lite will benefit you because of its robust 24+2+1 VRM phase. This one has the largest power phase and the most overclocking potential out of all the motherboards on our list. I could easily push any of the Ryzen 9000 series processors on this bad boy without facing any issues.
Besides that, while I like the unique silver-themed design, I would have preferred some RGB lighting, seeing how it’s a high-end motherboard. Another issue is the lack of support for DisplayPort 1.4. However, its other features, such as 4x M.2 slots (1x PCIe 5.0) and 6x SATA III slots, make up for its cons. I also don’t have any problems with the USB ports or the 8,200MHz RAM support. In conclusion, this is a great motherboard for overclocking enthusiasts; you can’t go wrong with it.
What Makes It The Best Overclocking X870 Motherboard?
The ASRock X870E Taichi Lite is one of the best X870 motherboards because of its large 27-phase power delivery through 110A SPS. Moreover, it ensures lower thermals through larger heatsinks and an intelligent cooling design. You also get 21 USB ports, 4x M.2 slots, and 6x SATA III slots for all your storage devices. Thus, all the features and performance make it the best overclocking X870 motherboard.
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Gigabyte X870 EAGLE
Best Budget X870 Motherboard
Chipset: AMD X870 | Memory: DDR5 8,000+ (OC) | VRM: 14+2+2 | Video Outputs: HDMI 2.1, 2x USB4 Ports, 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: 10x Rear, 7x Front
Pros
- Great value
- Low price
- Decent performance
- Good design and aesthetics
- Low VRM thermals
- DIY-friendly design
Cons
- No 5G LAN support
- Only one PCIe 5.0 storage slot
For the last motherboard on our list, we have the budget-end Gigabyte X870 EAGLE. Although I did call it a “budget” motherboard, don’t expect it to sleep on its performance and build quality. You’re getting a 14+2+2 VRM phase with solid, fully metal heatsinks all over. Furthermore, I love the DIY-friendly design featuring a screwless M.2 slot, an M.2 EZ latch, and one-click BIOS adjustment features.
You can see the effects of the lower pricing when you move toward the network and storage capabilities of the motherboard. For example, the X870 EAGLE does not support a 5G LAN. Similarly, we only see a single PCIe 5.0 storage slot. Besides that, you still get 4x SATA III slots and 17 USB ports with 2x USB4 ports for your I/O devices. Lastly, during my testing, the VRMs showed low thermals, so that’s another plus point for the budget motherboard.
What Makes It The Best Budget X870 Motherboard?
Delivering premium features such as one-click overclocking, screwless M.2 installation, 17 USB ports, low-temperature VRMs, and a good design while keeping a lower budget is what makes the Gigabyte X870 EAGLE the best budget X870 motherboard on our list. You also get decent storage options with PCIe 5.0 and 2x USB4 ports for top-notch speeds.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
Specifications Comparison
Because everyone has different requirements, we have created a simple specifications comparison table to help save you time and browse through our picks according to your needs:
| 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 X870 Steel Legend WiFi | 16 | 8000 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 11 |
| MSI MPG X870E CARBON WiFi | 21 | 8400 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 13 |
| ASRock X870E Taichi Lite | 27 | 8200 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Gigabyte X870 EAGLE | 18 | 8000 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
These Motherboards Almost Made Our List
The X870 chipset has truly delivered; all motherboards offer something unique and wonderful. However, we could only choose the best of the best within each category, leaving a few contenders behind. So, these are the motherboards that almost made our list:
- Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite: This motherboard has almost nothing to hate, except that it lacks a 5G LAN network, which makes it slightly inferior to its competitors.
Key Motherboard Terms
- VRM: Short for Voltage Regulator Module, VRMs are circuitry that ensures stable and proper voltage is delivered to all PC parts. High-end VRM phases are important for CPU overclocking.
- Chipset: The chipset communicates between the peripherals, CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage to manage and run everything smoothly.
- CPU Socket: This is a slot on the motherboard where the CPU is installed. Usually, the CPU socket changes once every two to three generations for Intel, while AMD’s socket stays the same for a few years.
- Form Factor: Like the chassis, the size and shape of the motherboard determine the PC case it can fit inside. Generally, you’ll find ITX, mITX, ATX, and E-ATX form factor motherboards.
- PCIe Slots: These are slots for expansion cards, such as graphics cards, sound cards, and certain network adapters. You want to install your GPU in the x16 PCIe slot and move downwards.
- DIMM Slots: Located next to the CPU socket, the DIMM slots contain RAM kits, which allow the CPU to access temporary data quickly.
How We Tested These Motherboards
There are several factors that played a crucial role in my selecting the best X870 motherboards. Here’s a small rundown of the factors:
- Features: Personally, the biggest improvement in the X870 motherboards over the X670 motherboards is the features the former provides. Therefore, I only selected the ones with the most features, such as DIY-friendly designs, more storage slots, faster RAM capacity, and networking features.
- Power Delivery: Perhaps one of the most important features to consider, you never want to buy a motherboard with mediocre power delivery. Thus, I kept a keen eye on the power stages and chose motherboards that have robust VRMs and keep lower thermals even when being overclocked.
- Value For Money: Considering different budget constraints, I selected motherboards that provide the most value for money within each bracket. If you’re thinking of buying the Ryzen 5 9600X, you may want to buy a more affordable X870 motherboard. On the other hand, someone else may want a high-end motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X.
FAQs
Yes. The X870 motherboard chipset supports Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series processors.
Yes. All Ryzen 9000 series CPUs perform extremely well in almost all games.
It’s relative to your personal requirements. If you need to leverage USB4 and PCIe 5.0, then the purchase will have more value. Otherwise, stick to what you have for now.
Looking for motherboards for a specific 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
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