Introduction
With the release of any new CPU comes a whole host of other products for you to choose from. You get the option to pick up some more RAM, possibly buy a new power supply, but the most important component is of course your motherboard. With AMD’s Ryzen 7000 release we’ve been given four chipsets to sink our teeth into with X670E at the top, and B650 being more budget-oriented.
Choosing a new motherboard can be difficult. You’re forced to weigh up all of the best features, while determining which motherboard would suit your use-case. However, we’ve done the hard part for you! We’ve rounded up the best motherboards for Ryzen 7000 CPUs. We’ll be covering a wide range of features, chipsets, and of course price points!
Suggested Article: AMD X670E VS X670 Motherboards – Key Differences & What To Expect
Best Motherboards for the Ryzen 9 7950X
Below we’ve rounded up a number motherboards and provided some detail about each one with some pros and cons. Each of the motherboards we’ve picked out provide a wide range of features, aesthetics and varying price points.
1. MSI Pro X670-P WiFi
👑 The best budget option.
Introduction
First off is MSI‘s Pro X670-P WiFi board. Adopting a relatively simplistic aesthetic with more exposed PCB, this motherboard is one of the more budget friendly options available on the X670 chipset, but still stacked with features. This board comes with one PCI-E 5.0 M.2 slot ready for the latest SSDs. This board will also provide very stable overclocking with the 17 phase power design and cooling over the VRMs. You’ve also got plenty rear IO, the MSI Pro X670-P has four USB 3.2 ports with the Type-C port supporting up to 20GB/s.
MSI‘s Pro X670-P WiFi definitely isn’t the best looking option we’ve seen, but this board acts as a great entry way into the Ryzen 7000 platform, without consumers having to spend a fortune. It comes with a well-rounded set of features due to the nature of chipset, will offer decent overclocking capability, and has some strong connectivity. X670E boards are generally quite expensive, so the Pro X670-P serves as a cheaper option for those wanting to build an awesome PC, but are somewhat more price conscious.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | MSI Pro X670-P WiFi |
|---|---|
| VRM Power Phases | 14+2+1 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 2x PCI-E 4.0, 1x PCI-E 3.0 |
| PCI-E x4 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0 M.2, 3x PCI-E 4.0 M.2 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Rear) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A |
| High Speed USB Ports (Front) | 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C |
| Networking | AMD WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gigabit LAN |
Things We Like
Solid set of USBs: Both on the front, and the rear, the X670-P WiFi has a vast set of high speed USB ports, designed for file transfers, or just solid connectivity. Despite being a cheaper board, there’s plenty of great connection options to utilise here.
Some upgradeability: The X670 chipset is somewhat limited when it comes to PCI-E 5.0, however, the Pro X670-P WiFi does come with a Gen5 M.2 slot, allowing consumers to upgrade to new SSDs when they release.
Some overclocking capability: MSI has fit this board with a reasonable amount of VRM power phases to get some light overclocking underway, but keep in mind that this does have limitations based on the lower phase count.
Things We Don’t Like
Not much on offer for aesthetic: MSI’s Pro X670-P WiFi is a rather plain looking board overall. MSI have done their best to provide more than just a simple PCB, but if you’re looking to build a themed PC, this motherboard might not be a great bet.
Limited Gen5 options: Due to the nature of the X670 chipset, Gen5 slots are somewhat limited, which means for those prioritising upgradeability, this motherboard might not be an ideal option.
Summary
MSI’s Pro X670-P WiFi is a great motherboard that serves as a budget entry to the AM5 platform. This board doesn’t offer huge amounts of upgradeability. But considering the overall feature set and price point, I feel the vast majority of consumers will be very happy with what’s on offer.
Features: 4/5
Design: 3.5/5
Performance: 3.8/5
Value for Money: 3.9/5
Pros
- Great price point.
- Strong set of USB ports.
- Good overclocking capability.
Cons
- Doesn’t offer much in terms of aesthetic.
- Minimal PCI-E 5.0 slots.
Where to Buy
Buy the MSI Pro X670-P WiFi on:
2. Gigabyte X670 AORUS Elite AX
👑 The best mid-range option.
Introduction
Gigabyte‘s X670 AORUS Elite is another more budget oriented designed to give consumers the option to maximise features while still being slightly price conscious. On the rear IO, you’ve got a wide range of high speed USB ports of which they’re predominantly USB 3.2 Gen1. And on the front you’ve got a similar amount while opening up the option for 20GB/s with the Type-C port. This board also comes with WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gigabit LAN, and plenty of storage slots, with one of them providing PCI-E 5.0 compatibility for the next generation of M.2 SSDs.
Gigabyte’s X670 AORUS Elite is one of our favourite motherboards on the X670 chipset. This board offers an excellent set of features at a great overall price point. Consumers can expect solid overclocking capability, an exceptional set of USB ports to choose from, and overall, a great aesthetic. Gigabyte have offered much more than a plain looking PCB, giving consumers the opportunity to put together an awesome looking build.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Gigabyte X670 AORUS Elite AX |
|---|---|
| VRM Power Phases | 16+2+2 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 2x PCI-E 4.0, 1x PCI-E 3.0 |
| PCI-E x4 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0 M.2, 3x PCI-E 4.0 M.2 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Rear) | 2x USB 3.2 Gen2, 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 , 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Front) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 |
| Networking | AMD WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gigabit LAN |
Things We Like
Great aesthetic: Gigabyte are known for creating awesome looking motherboards on within their AORUS range, and the Elite AX is no exception. Gigabyte have gone for a industrial theme which offers plenty of heatsinks, and RGB lighting for those that want some added customisation.
Plenty of high speed ports: The Elite AX offers numerous high speed ports for consumers to choose from, including two USB 3.2 Gen2 options, which can max out at 10Gbps, ideal for large transfers.
Perfect for overclocking: This motherboard offers a strong set of VRM power phases (20 to be specific) which makes it ideal for overclocking the 7950X. If you’re looking to push your CPU to the next level, this is a great motherboard to do it with.
Things We Don’t Like
Not much in terms of PCI-E 5.0: The biggest limitation to X670 motherboards is the fact that there are fewer PCI-E 5.0 lanes. This means that boards like the Gigabyte Elite AX only tend to have one slot for SSDs, and nothing else.
Not many usability features: One of the big benefits of newer motherboards is that they tend to come with versatile features that make the building process much easier. However, the AORUS Elite AX isn’t one of the best motherboards when it comes to usability features, offering only a couple overall.
Summary
Gigabyte‘s X670 AORUS Elite AX is an awesome mid-range motherboard offering great features across the board for an excellent build. Consumers have access to numerous high speed ports, great networking options, alongside plenty of VRM power phases, making this board ideal for those planning to overclock their Ryzen 9 7950X
Features: 4/5
Design: 4/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Strong overclocking support.
- Great selection of USBs.
- Solid design overall.
Cons
- Barely any PCI-E 5.0 slots.
- No USB4.
Where to Buy
Buy the Gigabyte X670 AORUS Elite AX on:
3. ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi
👑 The best white-themed option.
Introduction
Moving up towards the more expensive chipset options, we’ve picked the ASUS Prime X670E-Pro. Although this board offers more in terms of features compared to some other available chipsets, this motherboard will be great for the more price conscious buyer. Equipped with numerous slots for SSDs, including one which is PCI-E 5.0 compatible. On the networking side you’ve got the option between integrated high speed WiFi 6E for those that don’t want to do extra cable managing. Alternatively, you’ve also got access to 2.5 Gigabit LAN which will be perfect for games and file transfers!
The biggest standout area of the Prime X670E-Pro is the rather unique design. ASUS Prime boards tends to offer more of a budget design, but this Pro model has a space-themed aesthetic and a white theme, that makes it ideal for a lighter themed build. I do think the space theme is a bit of an acquired taste, but the colours on their own are excellent, and will look great in an all-white PC build!
Key Specs
| Key Specs | ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi |
|---|---|
| VRM Power Phases | 14+2 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0, 1x PCI-E 4.0 |
| PCI-E x4 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0 M.2, 2x PCI-E 4.0 M.2, 1x PCI-E 3.0 M.2 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Rear) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 4x USB 3.2 Gen2, 5x USB 3.2 Gen1 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Front) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen1, 3x USB 2.0 |
| Networking | AMD WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gigabit LAN |
Things We Like
Great white-themed design: Although I feel the space theme is a bit of an acquired taste, the mostly white design featuring across the heatsinks on the board makes this motherboard perfect for a white-themed PC build.
Better PCI-E 5.0 options: The Prime X670E-Pro has a strong selection of PCI-E 5.0 slots due to the X670E chipset having a higher lane count. This means consumers can install one of the next generation GPUs, alongside a Gen5 SSD too.
All the high speed ports: The Prime X670E-Pro features a myriad of high speed USB ports, including four USB 3.2 Gen2 ports which can transfer files at a maximum rate of 10Gbps.
Things We Don’t Like
Theme is an acquired taste: Although the white design is relatively decent overall, the space-based theme does feel a bit tacky, contrasting to other white motherboards we’ve covered in the past.
Higher price point: X670E motherboards are generally pretty expensive, and come with a higher premium due to having better features. The Prime X670E Pro is definitely a pricier option, and consumers can expect to spend $300 or more for this particular board.
Summary
The Prime X670E-Pro WiFi motherboard from ASUS is an interesting design geared towards white-builds or those looking to put together a lighter themed system. This board also offers an excellent set of high speed USBs, provides strong upgrade options for those looking to purchase Gen5 components, and is a decent all-rounder option.
Features: 4.3/5
Design: 3.8/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for Money: 3.7/5
Pros
- Bountiful set of USBs.
- Can upgrade to Gen5 GPUs and SSDs.
- White-theme is pretty good.
Cons
- Quite expensive.
- Space theme is a bit tacky.
Where to Buy
Buy the ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi on:
4. ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-I Gaming WiFi
👑 The best Mini-ITX option.
Introduction
Next up is the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi board. This small form factor Mini-ITX motherboard absolutely packs a punch when it comes to features. You’ve got access to PCI-E 5.0 off the bat, in the form of an M.2 slot, which you can further expand using the included ROG FPS-II card. On the networking side, this board is equipped with super fast WiFi 6E, and 2.5 Gigabit LAN, removing poor connection during your games. And for the rear IO you’ve got a whopping seven USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, along with two of the latest USB4 ports, designed for blazing fast connection.
The ROG STRIX X670E-I is one of the best motherboards when it comes to additional accessories too. This particular board comes with a ROG FPS-II card which tidies up front panel cable management, whilst also increasing the number of connectors on the board. Consumers also get access to the ROG STRIX Hive which allows users to make quick BIOS changes on the fly, alongside extra connectivity, and peripheral settings customisation too.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-I Gaming WiFi |
|---|---|
| VRM Power Phases | 14+2 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0, 1x PCI-E 4.0 |
| PCI-E x4 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0 M.2, 1x PCI-E 4.0 M.2 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Rear) | 2x USB4 Type-C, 5x USB 3.2 Gen2, 3x USB 2.0 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Front) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 |
| Networking | AMD WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gigabit LAN |
Things We Like
Awesome feature set: Despite being a smaller motherboard, the ROG STRIX X670E-I has an excellent set of features, offering widespread support for Gen5 components, strong support for overclocking, and great connectivity.
USB4 connectivity: The ROG STRIX X670E-I is one of the few top-end motherboards that features USB4 connectivity. These two ports are rated up to 40Gbps, making them perfect for those that need to transfer large files in a short amount of time.
Awesome design: The ROG STRIX X670E-I motherboard has a great aesthetic that will blend in with many different builds. The all-black design combined with the various stealthy ROG STRIX logos add to a dark-themed build.
Things We Don’t Like
Form factor may restrict case choices: Mini-ITX motherboards are generally more supported nowadays, but if you’ve picked a very specific case design, or have an older model, you might need to consider an upgrade.
Features somewhat limited: The biggest caveat to picking up an ITX motherboard is that due to the trimmed down size, consumers lose out on a few features. This means you can only install 64GB of RAM, and won’t be able to install more than one GPU at once, alongside having less SSD slots.
Summary
The ROG STRIX X670E-I Gaming WiFi is another motherboard from ASUS that offers a well-rounded design and great set of features. The Mini-ITX form factor is somewhat restrictive, but I think ASUS have done a pretty good job at providing a solid set of features considering how small this board is.
Features: 4.1/5
Design: 4/5
Performance: 4/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- USB4 connectivity!
- Solid overall aesthetic.
- Perfect for a compact top-end build.
Cons
- Quite expensive.
- Form factor is somewhat restrictive.
Where to Buy
Buy the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi on:
5. ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara
👑 The top-end king.
Introduction
ASRock‘s X670E Taichi Carrara board is one of my personal favourites based on its incredible white marble extended heatsink design. If you’re looking to fit out a powerful white themed build, this motherboard will be an absolutely brilliant choice. In terms of features this board has it all. 27 power phases for overclocking, dual PCI-E 5.0 slots along with a Gen5 SSD slot too. You’ve also got USB4 on the rear along with a myriad of other high speed ports. And the Taichi Carrara also has top-end networking capability with WiFi 6E, and a 2.5 Gigabit LAN port.
The reason why we’ve picked the X670 Taichi Carrara is because this motherboard is the top-end king, fit for a very powerful system. Consumers can expect incredible overclocking capability, all the ports you’ll ever need, alongside a sophisticated design that will definitely be a ‘wow factor’ when finished. This motherboard is pricey for certain, but if you’re looking to build an insane high-end PC, this may very well be the motherboard for you.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara |
|---|---|
| VRM Power Phases | 24+2+1 |
| PCI-E x16 Slots | 2x PCI-E 5.0 |
| PCI-E x4 Slots | 1x PCI-E 5.0 M.2, 3x PCI-E 4.0 M.2 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Rear) | 2x USB4, 5x USB 3.2 Gen2, 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 |
| High Speed USB Ports (Front) | 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 1x USB, 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 |
| Networking | AMD WiFi 6E, 2.5 Gigabit LAN |
Things We Like
All the USB ports!: The X670E Taichi Carrara is one of the most insane boards we’ve seen when it comes to USB ports. Consumers get access to dual USB4 ports, and eight USB 3.2 options. This also doesn’t include the extra ports you get from the front IO connectors too.
Insane VRM power phases: This motherboard is the holy grail of VRM power phases. Users can leverage a whopping 27 phases, which will allow consumers to push their Ryzen 9 7950X to the next level.
Gen5-aplenty: This motherboard is one of the best options when it comes to Gen5 upgradeability. Consumers planning to pick up the next generation of GPUs and SSDs will definitely want to consider this motherboard option.
Things We Don’t Like
Extremely expensive: As you can probably imagine, a motherboard that looks this good and has this many features probably comes in at a fairly high price point. And you’d be correct, this motherboard is not a cheap choice, and you’ll definitely need to shell out a fair amount to secure it.
E-ATX can be restrictive: Much like the previous Mini-ITX board, at the other end of the spectrum we have E-ATX. The Taichi Carrara is no small motherboard, and you may have to take a look at your case choices before picking up this massive board.
Summary
ASRock’s X670E Taichi Carrara is one of the best motherboards that you can buy on the X670E chipset. This board comes with all of the ports you’ll ever need, widespread PCI-E 5.0, insane overclocking capability, and an awesome design. Definitely worth a consideration if you’re looking to build a top-end PC.
Features: 5/5
Design: 5/5
Performance: 4.5/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Crazy amount of VRM power phases.
- Excellent USB connectivity.
- Awesome white-marbled aesthetic.
Cons
- Very very expensive.
- Form factor can restrict case choices.
Buy the ASRock X670E Taichi Carrara on:
How Do You Choose A Chipset?
The chipset of a motherboard determines the features you’ll have access to, so rightfully choosing one can be complicated. And with there being four chipsets on the AM5 platform, this can make matters difficult. So how do you choose? Well first off is likely to be your budget. Each chipset will have a particular demographic of people in mind with regards to pricing options.
With Ryzen 7000 motherboards, the B-series of chipsets will be your go-to choice if you’re trying to build a cheaper and slightly more budget oriented system. This means you’ll likely be looking at either B650 motherboards, or potentially B650E boards. For mid-range users you’ll want to look at some of the slightly more expensive B650E boards and X670 boards. And for enthusiasts looking to kit out a mega PC, X670 and X670E motherboards will be the best choice here. Although we don’t have any official pricing as of yet, AMD has followed the same pattern of motherboard chipsets for quite a while, so these are our recommended options based on your budget.
Another way to determine which chipset is best for you, is by evaluating your use-case. What I mean by this, is determine what kind of PC you’re looking to outfit and the kind of things you’d like to do. If you’re an overclocker, we’d immediately point you towards either of the ‘E’ chipsets as these are designed best for overclocking. Or if you’re looking to build a top-end specced out system, then the X670E chipset would be a good place to start. There are many different use-cases and options available, so we recommend looking at our chipset comparisons like B650E vs B650 to check out the key differences between them.
AM5 Motherboard Manufacturers
During Computex of 2022 AMD announced all of the major manufacturers that would be releasing motherboards with the new Ryzen 7000 CPUs. With varying different takes on motherboards with a vast range of features, designs and prices we’ve noted down some of our favourites below:
Why You Can Trust Us
Before jumping into our recommendations, we want to briefly talk about why you can trust our thoughts and recommendations on PC components. Our Editorial team is comprised of PC enthusiasts that only ever want to find the best deals and products available on the market. To ensure this, all of the components we get into our offices are tested rigorously in a range of gaming and workstation-based benchmarks. If you’re looking to find out more about the team at GeekaWhat HQ, or more about our editorial promise, check out the About Us section on our website!
How We Picked The Best Motherboards for the Ryzen 9 7950X
At GeekaWhat HQ we spend plenty of time with a myriad of different motherboards to analyse them as best we can. During this time, all of our motherboards are put through a variety of tests in order to gain an understanding of the performance metrics. As soon as we’ve finished recording this data, we then assess whether consumers would benefit from picking up a motherboard of a certain calibre. This is then relayed to our audiences through in-depth reviews and buyers guides, where we provide insight into our experiences, alongside the advantages and disadvantages to a gaming setup, when picking up a particular board.
For motherboards specifically we tend to look at four key factors that provide a well-rounded insight into what’s on offer. These are: connectivity (USB ports, networking, audio, PCI-E slots), compatibility, performance (how much overclocking can the board handle), and aesthetic. After taking a look at all of these, consumers are then able to make an educated decision on whether a particular motherboard is right for them.
For a more detailed look at our testing and evaluation methods, take a look at some of the reviews that we’ve provided in the table below:
Conclusion
Best Overall Motherboard for the Ryzen 9 7950X: ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi
For our best overall choice, we’ve picked out the ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi motherboard. Although the design might not be to everyone’s taste, this motherboard sits at a reasonable price, whilst offering a strong set of features contrasting to the rest of the market. There’s Gen5 upgradeability options, numerous high speed USB ports, alongside decent overclocking capability. This board is definitely worth a consideration for those looking for a well-rounded Ryzen 7000 system that doesn’t cost a fortune.
Check out our full review of the Prime X670E-Pro WiFi, or buy the ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ryzen 9 7950X Good for Gaming?
In short – yes. The 7950X is one of the top-end CPUs available within the Ryzen 7000 range. Consumers can expect unhindered performance at high settings when paired up with the right graphics card.
What GPU Should I Pair Up With the Ryzen 9 7950X?
We would recommend pairing up a high-end graphics card from either AMD or NVIDIA with this CPU. A GPU like the RTX 4090, or AMD’s most recent 7900 XTX would be a good pairing for gaming or a workstation system.
Do I Need to Purchase Low Latency RAM?
The biggest caveat to AMD’s Ryzen 7000 platform is that you’ll need to purchase DDR5 memory. CL40 kits should be relatively fine for gaming, but lower latency kits are effectively a requirement for workstations as the higher latency can hinder performance.
How Much Should I Spend on a Motherboard?
Ryzen 7000 motherboards are generally pretty expensive, but because this is a top-end CPU, we’d recommend being prepared to spend up to a maximum of $500 dependent on the type of build you’re trying to put together.
