Chipset Gaming Terbaik 2023

Quick Motherboard Shopping Tips

When choosing a motherboard, consider the following:

The Best AMD Gaming Motherboards: X870E, X670E, B650E and More

AMD's current flagship X670/X670E chipset brings with it support for PCIe 5.0, although there are no current-gen graphics cards that benefit from this doubling of bandwidth over PCIe 4.0, and PCIe 5.0 SSDs are only just being leaked and announced.

One way to save money is to opt for a B650 motherboard, which has fewer PCIe 5.0 lanes, generally only enough for one fast SSD and graphics card. Keep an eye on price though, as many higher-end B650 boards approach or exceed the price of some X670 alternatives. So shop carefully based on the features you need or are likely to use in the future. Motherboard prices on AMD's latest platform do look to be improving in recent weeks, though, with some B650 options in the $125 range arriving. We are working on reviews of some of those more affordable boards, with the ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 the first of these sub-$150 options to land on our test bench. And meanwhile, even lower-cost A620 boards (which lack any kind of PCie 5.0 support) are now here, with some offering unsanctioned overclocking options. Stay tuned for a closer look at these cheap AMD motherboards. Of course, there is still lots of value in opting for an older AM4 CPU and motherboard. You can still get very good performance from AM4 CPUs (particularly on the gaming front, where the Ryzen 7 5800X3D remains impressive) and cheap B650 motherboards. But know that this is a dead platform and you won't get the latest features, like PCIe 5.0 support or USB4.

If you’re not sure which chipset you’re after or have more basic questions, you can visit our motherboard basics and motherboard buying guide stories to help narrow down your shopping options.

Best Mid-Range Z790 Motherboard

Voltage Regulator: 22 Phase (20x 90A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore)

PCIe x16: (1) v5.0 (x16), (1) v4.0 (x4)

USB Ports: (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C (20 Gbps) Type-C (4) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), Type-A, (3) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), (2) USB 2.0 Gen (480 Mbps)

Flagship-class audio solution

Six M.2 sockets (one PCIe 5.0)

Integrated Wi-Fi 7 and Killer 2.5 GbE

Native Intel 14th Gen CPU support

Tool-free M.2 design only on one socket

Unlike most refresh boards for Intel's 14th Gen Core, the ASRock Z790 Nova Wi-Fi is is a completely new SKU that delivers the best of what Intel's platform has to offer, and it does so at a quite reasonable price. For between $290 and $330, ASRock gets you the basics from the refresh, native 14th-gen support, and integrated Wi-Fi 7, and it's great for users who plan to use a lot of M.2 storage. The black base, with purple and blue accents fits most design themes, and the integrated RGBs are bright enough to show off the board and the inside of your chassis. Performance was good across our benchmarking suite, so you can get the most out of any compatible processor, so long as you have the cooling to support it.

Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI also have similarly equipped motherboards with their own strengths. Gigabyte features the fastest RAM support, but lacks a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket. MSI’s Tomahawk is well-rounded, but not quit as attractive as the Nova. The Asus stands out with five M.2 sockets of its own, but with a current price well over $350, it doesn’t offer anything over the others, which leaves our Z790 Nova as one of the best mid-range options available for Intel's 14th Gen Core processors.

Read: ASRock Z790 Nova Wi-Fi review

Best B550 Motherboard

Voltage Regulator: 12+2 phases

PCIe x16: (1) v4.0 (x16), (1) v3.0 (x4)

USB Ports: (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), (2) USB 2.0

Capable 14-Phase Power Delivery

2.5 GbE LAN and Wi-Fi 6 AX200

More than $200 still seems expensive for B550

Asus’ ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi delivers SupremeFX Audio, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, solid power delivery, and much more. It’s a good option around the $180 mark, and if you don’t need Wi-Fi, you can find the effectively the same board for about $30 less. Our benchmark testing showed results in line with competing boards, and the 14-phase power delivery easily managed our overclocked 3900X. There is still competition around this price point, but Asus offers up an appealing option here.

Read: Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi review

Best Budget Z790 Motherboard

Voltage Regulator: 18 Phase (16x 60A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore)

PCIe x16: (1) v5.0 (x16), (1) v4.0 (x4), (1) v3.0

USB Ports: (1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (10 Gbps), Type-C, (1) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (10 Gbps), (8) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)

Five M.2 sockets (one PCIe 5.0)

20 Gbps Type-C port (Front)

Only 4 M.2 sockets run concurrently

Audio codec could be better

The Z790 Steel Legend is a great choice for users on a budget who want the flexibility of Intel's overclockable platform, but who don’t want to spend several hundred dollars to get there. Along with its black-on-silver looks and bright RGB lighting, you get all the platform offers, including a PCIe 5.0 slot and M.2 socket (and five total M.2), eight SATA ports, front-panel 20 Gbps USB Type-C, integrated Wi-Fi 6E, a basic audio codec, the eDP port for an additional monitor, and power delivery capable of handling our flagship-class processor at stock or while overclocked.

Around its $270 price, ASRock's Steel Legend is one of the most feature-packed Intel Z790 options on the market. The only real tradeoff here is the basic audio codec, which will still be fine for many users. If not, you can always opt for one of the best PC speakers that feature a built-in DACand avoid the board's internal audio entirely. Read: ASRock Z790 Steel Legend review

Best B650E Motherboard

Voltage Regulator: 20 phases

PCIe x16: (1) v5.0 (x16, x8) (1) v4.0 (x4) (1) v4.0 (x2)

USB Ports: (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C (4) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) (4) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)

Four PCIe 5.0 M2 sockets

13 USB ports on Rear IO

M.2 and PCIe EZ-Latches

Lacks 40 Gbps ports Last-gen audio codec

Gigabyte’s B650E Aorus Master is a premium, well-rounded motherboard at a significantly lower price than you'd have to pay with X670E alternatives. Priced at $400 at Newegg, it does blur the line between the full-featured X670 chipset, but it has everything B650E has to offer, just dropping a few fast USB ports in this case. It has four PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, 9 USB ports on the rear IO, and the same robust VRMs found on the much more expensive X670E Aorus Master. It also performed as we'd expect in our benchmark testing. The B650E Aorus Master has the looks to be the focal point of your build, and a price point more palatable than many X670-based options. It’s one of the best options available for B650E, and should be on your list if you’re looking to build a Ryzen 7000 system and you don’t need the extra bandwidth of X670.

MORE: Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master Review

Best X670E Motherboard

Voltage Regulator: 27 Phase (24x 105A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore)

PCIe x16: (2) v5.0 (x16, x8/x8)

USB Ports: (2) USB4 Type-C (40 Gbps) Row 7 - Cell 0 (5) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Row 8 - Cell 0 (3) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)

Included M.2 heatsink

Lacks quick release on M.2 sockets

ASRock's X670E Taichi is attractive and well-rounded for the mid-range space. For $499, you get lots of storage options: eight SATA ports, four M.2 sockets, and plenty of USB ports, two of which are USB4 Type-C (40 Gbps). Our benchmark testing showed there's nothing to worry about when it comes to performance or overclocking with this board. We recently compared three other top-end X670E motherboards to this model from ASRock, and found the X670E Taichi to be the best, because its price is far lower than the competition, and it delivers nearly all of the key features for AMD's latest platform.

If your budget lets you spend this much on a board, the X670E Taichi is a great option among its peers, and the best AMD AM5 board for around $500. Just remember that, if you don't need loads of PCIe bandwidth, you can save yourself $100 or more by opting for a B650E model, many of which still have the key features most builders are after.

MORE: ASRock X670E Taichi Review

The Best Intel Gaming Motherboards: Z790, Z760M, Z690, B660, H610

Below are our tested picks for Intel Z790, Z760M, Z690, B660, H610 motherboards.

Best ATX Z790 Motherboard

Voltage Regulator: 27 Phase (24x 105A SPS MOSFETs for Vcore)

PCIe x16: (2) v5.0 (x16, x8/x8) (1) v4.0 (x4)

USB Ports: (2) Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps) Type-C (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) (6) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (10 Gbps) (2) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)

2x Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps) Type-C ports

Flagship-class audio solution

Overkill power delivery

Lots of storage options

Only four M.2 sockets run concurrently

The cost of motherboards, like so many other things, has steeply increased in recent years, so it’s nice to see ASRock offering something a bit less expensive than the flagship motherboards, but that’s still very well equipped. Priced around $350, the ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite gets you nearly everything the more expensive Taichi offers, like extremely robust power delivery, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, lots of storage options, including a PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket and eight SATA ports, premium audio, and more. What's missing here compared to pricier options is manly the high-end appearance. Taichi boards are typically adorned with 3D cogs, but here they give way to simpler heatsinks, a more visible PCB, and stenciled adornments. But this board is still recognizable as a Taichi.

There’s lots of competition in the sub-$400 space, but none of the other boards available around that price come close to the specs and features here. If you want some of the best hardware the Z790 platform offers at a more reasonable price, and your build doesn’t cry out for flagship-class looks, the Taichi Lite is a well-appointed option at a price lower than most.

Read: ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite review

Best B550 Motherboard Alternate

Best B550 Motherboard (Alternate)

Voltage Regulator: 12+2+2 phases

PCIe x16: (1) v4.0 (x16), (1) v3.0 (x4)

USB Ports: (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10 Gbps), (3) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (5 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A (5 Gbps), (2) USB 2.0

Capable Power Delivery

Lack of integrated RGBs may be a turnoff

No USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20 Gbps) ports

Coming late to the AMD B550 game allowed NZXT to get feedback from customers of its Intel boards, resulting in more USB ports to the rear IO. This let NZXT implement cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E as well, alongside 2.5GbE. The appearance has also changed significantly from the company’s previous boards, with shrouds dominating the surface, along with a refreshing absence of on-board RGBs. With an MSRP of $229, the NZXT N7 B550 costs about $15 more than our primary pick, but delivers a newer Wi-Fi chip, more and faster USB ports, and solid performance in a package that's visually distinct from all other B550 competition. If you can spend this much and don't need the extra PCI 4.0 bandwidth that comes with similarly priced older X570 motherboards, the NZXT N7 B550 is well worth considering. Read: NZXT N7 B550 review