The Best Motherboard for 9800X3D

Its 6+2+1 layout is best kept to six- and eight-core chips. No other pick in this guide offers 6+2+1 power stages; compare the B850 Pro RS, which has 14+2+1 power stages. You get a B650 chipset here, which sets it apart from the TUF B650E-E and its a B650E chipset.

It also comes with memory support up to DDR5-7200 (OC) and the lowest price among the AM5 boards here. 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. As a Micro-ATX board it fits smaller cases but has fewer expansion slots than ATX; check the gap between the GPU and the lower slots. There is no published M.2 slot count figure, whereas the B850 Pro RS offers 4.

It suits desks with a network cable. Like the B850 Pro RS, it has 14+2+1 power stages, while the B650M PG Lightning uses 6+2+1 power stages. You get a B850 chipset here, which sets it apart from the TUF B650E-E and its a B650E chipset.

It also offers memory support to DDR5-8000 (OC) and no Wi-Fi, which keeps the price down for wired setups. 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. There is no published M.2 slot count figure, whereas the B850 Pro RS offers 4.

It is a sturdy pick for a 12- or 16-core Ryzen on a budget. It matches the TUF B650E-E on M.2 slot count (3). It is the only pick here with 12+2+1 power stages; the B650M PG Lightning has 6+2+1 power stages instead.

It shares a B650E chipset with the TUF B650E-E; the B850 Pro-A goes with a B850 chipset. 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. When we checked, only the B850 Pro-A and cheaper picks cost less, and the B850 Pro RS cost more.

It leaves more money for the graphics card. On M.2 slot count it leads this guide at 4, ahead of the TUF B650E-PLUS (3). Like the B850 Pro-A, it has 14+2+1 power stages, while the TUF B650E-PLUS uses 12+2+1 power stages.

It also comes with a PCIe 5.0 M.2 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. When we checked, only the TUF B650E-PLUS and cheaper picks cost less, and the TUF B650E-E cost more.

Its 8+2+1 layout suits mid-range Ryzen chips. On M.2 slot count it ties with the TUF B650E-PLUS at 3. 8+2+1 power stages is unique to it among these picks, while the B850 Pro-A uses 14+2+1 power stages.

Like the TUF B650E-PLUS, it has a B650E chipset, while the B650M PG Lightning uses a B650 chipset. You also get 80A DrMOS power stages. 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 B850 Pro RS. If M.2 slot count is your priority, the B850 Pro RS (4) is the stronger choice.