The Best DDR5 Motherboards

Three M.2 slots are enough for most gaming builds. Its 3 M.2 slot count is the fewest in this group; the Z890 Tomahawk leads at 4. Like the Strix B850-F NEO, it has an AM5 socket, while the Strix Z890-H uses an LGA1851 socket.

It also comes with a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot. It uses AMD's AM5 socket, so it takes Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 chips; a board built before a CPU's launch may need a BIOS update first, so check whether it supports BIOS Flashback. Check the manual for which M.2 slots share lanes with SATA ports or the second PCIe slot before filling them all. It cost the least of the 5 picks at the time of writing, with the Z890 Tomahawk the next step up.

It runs only LGA1851 processors, not older 12th to 14th Gen chips. On M.2 slot count it ties with the Z890 Tomahawk II, the Strix Z890-H and the Strix B850-F NEO at 4. It shares an LGA1851 socket with the Z890 Tomahawk II and Strix Z890-H; the Strix B850-F NEO goes with an AM5 socket.

It also comes with a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot and M.2 heatsinks on every slot. Check the manual for which M.2 slots share lanes with SATA ports or the second PCIe slot before filling them all. On price it sat second of 5, between the cheaper PRO B850-P and the pricier Z890 Tomahawk II, at the time of writing.

On the spec sheet, it offers a 4 M.2 slot count and offers a 5Gbps wired network speed. Its four M.2 slots include one Gen5 x4, and 7W/mK thermal pads cool the MOSFETs. On M.2 slot count it ties with the Z890 Tomahawk, the Strix Z890-H and the Strix B850-F NEO at 4.

It shares an LGA1851 socket with the Z890 Tomahawk and Strix Z890-H; the Strix B850-F NEO goes with an AM5 socket. It uses Intel's LGA1851 socket for Core Ultra 200S processors, not older 12th to 14th Gen chips. Check the manual for which M.2 slots share lanes with SATA ports or the second PCIe slot before filling them all. Its price falls between the Z890 Tomahawk and the Strix Z890-H, based on our last check.

It sits between the TUF and Strix-A boards. On M.2 slot count it ties with the Z890 Tomahawk, the Z890 Tomahawk II and the Strix B850-F NEO at 4. It shares an LGA1851 socket with the Z890 Tomahawk and Z890 Tomahawk II; the Strix B850-F NEO goes with an AM5 socket.

You also get AI overclocking tools and a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot. It uses Intel's LGA1851 socket for Core Ultra 200S processors, not older 12th to 14th Gen chips. Check the manual for which M.2 slots share lanes with SATA ports or the second PCIe slot before filling them all. Its price falls between the Z890 Tomahawk II and the Strix B850-F NEO, based on our last check.

It also offers a 4 M.2 slot count and offers a 5Gbps wired network speed. On M.2 slot count it ties with the Z890 Tomahawk, the Z890 Tomahawk II and the Strix Z890-H at 4. It shares an AM5 socket with the PRO B850-P; the Z890 Tomahawk goes with an LGA1851 socket.

It is the only pick here with a B850 chipset; the Z890 Tomahawk II has a Z890 chipset instead. It uses AMD's AM5 socket, so it takes Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 chips; a board built before a CPU's launch may need a BIOS update first, so check whether it supports BIOS Flashback. Check the manual for which M.2 slots share lanes with SATA ports or the second PCIe slot before filling them all.

It was the most expensive pick when we checked, so weigh what it adds over the Strix Z890-H. If wired network speed is your priority, the PRO B850-P (5Gbps) is the stronger choice.