An X870 for almost every use case
Updated: Sep 30, 2024 3:52 pm
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
AMD’s X870 and X870E motherboards are now available to purchase meaning we finally have an updated place to install our Ryzen 9000 series processors. The new motherboards bring faster connectivity, enhanced AI overclocking, and some nifty little quality-of-life features that make the upgrade worth it.
PCIe Gen 5 is now basically a given, at least on the primary GPU slot, along with PCIe Gen 5 storage for M.2 SSDs. These top-end chipsets were designed to hold the likes of the Ryzen 9s and facilitate their full capabilities. All these new features, however, come at a price. But we’ve created a selection of motherboards to suit any budget.
AMD’s Ryzen 9000X3D is reportedly on the way in the form of the 9800X3D, and any one of these motherboards would make a perfect pairing with it.
Products at a glance
How we test the best X870 motherboard
At WePC, we put a huge focus on selecting the best components for you, we do this by putting everything we get through a rigorous benchmarking procedure to separate the good from the better and helping to point out what you should avoid. We have tested a whole host of X870 motherboards from the likes of ASUS and Gigabyte, and using our data, we’re going to recommend the best X870 motherboard.
After we have tested to assess the motherboard’s efficiency and whether or not the performance of the CPU is impacted, we assess things such as build quality, features, and aesthetics. We then bring everything together to select the best of the bunch.
We used a composition of components that represent the current generation of hardware, and parts that we felt would highlight any problems within the motherboard should it have any.
ComponentNameGPURTX 4070 Ti Super MemoryCorsair Vengeance RGB DDR5 @ 6400MHz CPURyzen 9 9950XCPU coolerCorsair H170i LCD XT Power supplyASUS ROG Thor 1000W CaseCooler Master Masterframe Strix X870E-E test bench components
Best X870 motherboard
Specifications
Socket:: AM5 (LGA 1718)
Chipset:: X870E
Form Factor:: ATX
PCIe Version:: PCIe Gen 5 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
Memory speed: : 8000MT/s (OC)
Memory capacity:: 192GB DDR5
What We Think
The X870E-E Strix is one of those motherboards that serves its purpose very well. It has just the right amount of connectivity and backwards compatibility items such as SATA ports. It has a strong power delivery mechanism capable of fully supporting high-end Ryzen 9 CPUs.
Reasons to Buy
Robust power phases
Efficient thermal Armor
High-speed connectivity
Quick-latch M.2 is nice to have
Reasons to Avoid
Expensive
Very “gamer focused”
The ASUS X870E-E Strix is a motherboard that will happily support the top-end Ryzen processors all day long, as we stated in our review. It has a robust power delivery method that includes an 18 + 2 + 2 power solution rated for up to 110A per stage. The cleaner the power, the better.
This motherboard includes a plethora of features and high-speed connectivity that keep it in the present and allow it to connect seamlessly with the past. Thanks in part to the included 4 SATA ports for backward compatibility with older storage devices. Everything on this motherboard makes sense and comes wrapped in a sleek, stylish package, adorned with ASUS Strix designs and RGB.
In terms of fan headers, you can rest easy knowing the cooling components in your system are well taken care of. This motherboard has a total of eight fan headers of which you can connect fans. Support and troubleshooting features are also well defined here, with the ASUS Q-code display we have all come to know and love. Troubleshooting is a breeze with the dedicated power and reset buttons.
During our testing, we didn’t see any hindrance to the components used by the motherboard, and the power usage and delivery matched very closely. This suggests that this motherboard is pretty efficient, and doesn’t lose much power between A, and B (Point A is the VRM, and Point B is the CPU).
Runner UP
Specifications
Socket: LGA 1718 (AM5)
Chipset: X870E
Form Factor: ATX Form Factor; 30.5cm x 24.4cm
PCIe Version: PCIe Gen 5 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
Memory speed: Up to 8000 MT/s
Memory capacity: 256GB DDR5
What We Think
The Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro Ice offers excellent thermal performance when compared to the Strix above it, apt given it’s name. It’s a middle-of-the-pack model that stands to be a balance of affordability and features. It does this fairly well.
Reasons to Buy
Excellent build quality
Cool, eye-catching aesthetic
Efficient power delivery
Great CPU temps during high work loads
Reasons to Avoid
If you’re build a stealthier dark-themed PC
Need more than 256GB of memory
Looking to build a small form factor PC
The Ice stands as the Runner up pick primarily because of its lesser power stages, it has two less than the ASUS above it. The composition 16 + 2 + 2 is still plenty for the top end as it features essentially three layers of power filtration just like the ASUS, it just means two fewer VRMs are sharing the load.
The Aorus Ice is full of features that support both the current generation of connectivity and the connectivity of yesteryear, as we stated in our review. The board retains 4 SATA ports to make your older storage devices forward-compatible, despite moving away from the standard. Speaking of standards, the Pro Ice has 3 PCIe slots, 1x Gen5, 1x Gen 4, 1x Gen 3.
The Iced-out (no pun intended) motherboard offers an interesting aesthetic, an ice-white canvas of sharp heatsink shapes, and a tasteful lack of RGB. One thing to note about the design is that the chipset does get a little warm under load and becomes uncomfortable to touch. So be careful when you disassemble straight after use.
Value Pick
Specifications
Socket:: AM5 (LGA 1718)
Chipset:: X870
Form Factor:: ATX
PCIe Version:: PCIe Gen 5 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
Memory speed: : 8000MT/s (OC)
Memory capacity:: 256GB DDR5
What We Think
The Riptide is our value pick of the bunch, providing a good service for the price you pay for it. It has a robust power delivery system that rivals those higher up the list, and still carries a whole host of desirable features.
Reasons to Buy
Robust power delivery
PCIe Gen 5 on storage and GPU
Cool design
Reasons to Avoid
1 x USB 3.0 internal connector
Not as much thermal Armor
The ASRock X870 Riptide WiFi is a fantastic motherboard for those who want the most value out of their X870 motherboard. With that being said, it is missing a few USB slots on the back of the motherboard and only has 1 x USB 3 internal USB header. With that being said, it makes up for what it lacks in many ways.
The Riptide packs a 3-layer power delivery system comprised of 14+2+1 Phases rated for 80A. This makes it perfect for delivering power to the higher-end Ryzen 9 processors. It also has a tasty maximum memory capacity of 256GB, which actually exceeds some of the high-end motherboards on this list.
This motherboard also looks pretty sleek with the application if it’s a light strip that spans the bottom edge of the M.2 shrouding towards the bottom of the motherboard. The Riptide dons an almost minimal aesthetic, opting for bare PCB and little thermal armor compared to some of the other entries on this list. But we think that’s a plus. As long as the VRMs and chipset are kept under wraps temperature-wise, it’s all good.
Budget Pick
Specifications
Socket: LGA 1718 (AM5)
Chipset: X870
Form Factor: ATX Form Factor; 12″ x 9.6″ / 30.5 x 24.4cm
PCIe Version: 1x PCIe (x16) Gen 5, 3x PCIe Gen 4 (x16)
Memory speed: Up to 8000 MT/s
Memory capacity: 192GB DDR5
What We Think
The ASUS X870-P Prime is the more budget motherboard that we have selected, but don’t let that (or the silly PCIe slot layout) fool you. it does lack a few features of the other boards on this list, but that’s why it’s a budget motherboard.
Reasons to Buy
Good power delivery for budget board
Plentiful PCIe slots
Nice simple design
Reasons to Avoid
One USB Gen 3 header
Silly PCIe slot layout
The ASUS Prime X870-P appeals to the more budget audience by being more stripped down of features than some of the other motherboards on the list, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s dreadful. The Prime is designed as you’d expect, with minimal armor and a slick white coat of paint.
The PCIe slot situation on this motherboard is a little strange, but it does have 4 PCIe slots, one of which is located one slot under the primary GPU X16 slot, as we mention in our review. This means that if a modern GPU is installed, which is usually 2 slots, the slot directly under is unusable. However, it does make this motherboard perfect for a DIY NAS or home server, something you’re not necessarily going to use a high-power modern GPU in.
The Prime is designed to be backward compatible with some storage devices, though it does only have 2 SATA slots, so you’ll have to limit your older drives to two unless you plan on buying an add-in board for SATA slots – which doesn’t fit the budget philosophy.
Do you need a new motherboard for the Ryzen 9000 series?
No, you can run any 9000 series processor on the previous generation 600 series motherboards too. Technically, any AM5 motherboard will accept any AM5 CPU. But we’re not recommending that you pair an A620 with a 9950X, because the motherboard and the VRMs probably can’t support that much power.
Do you need an X870 motherboard for Ryzen 9?
Technically, no, you can run a Ryzen 9 on an A620 if you want to, but you probably shouldn’t. With higher-end CPUs, it’s all about power delivery, and the more power phases you have, generally the better the power delivery is. Anything with 3 layers is best for Ryzen 9 processors.
Final Word
No matter what motherboard you pick here, all of them will comfortably support any Ryzen 9000, 8000, or 7000 CPU you send their way. Choosing the best component for you means that you have to consider your own use case for the system and choose accordingly. The other consideration is to make it the budget you are willing to spend on specific components.
We have done our best to outline some of the key features and selling points of a variety of motherboards to help you choose based on what’s best for you. Whilst X870 motherboards aren’t exactly budget-friendly, the chipset spans a wide range of prices that aren’t always just, at least in our opinion.
