The Best Motherboards for a Gaming Desktop

It has 5G LAN, an extended VRM heatsink and isolated Audio Boost 5. It matches the Strix Z890-H on wired network speed (5Gbps). Like the TUF B850-PLUS and Strix Z890-H, it has a wi-Fi 7, while the B650 Gaming Plus uses a wi-Fi 6E.

An X870 chipset is unique to it among these picks, while the B760 AORUS Elite AX uses a B760 chipset. It also comes with a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot and Bluetooth 5.4 alongside Wi-Fi 7. 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. When we checked, only the TUF B850-PLUS and cheaper picks cost less, and the Strix Z890-H cost more.

It suits builders who want sturdy power delivery for a 12- or 16-core Ryzen. On M.2 slot count it ties with the B760 AORUS Elite AX at 3. On wired network speed it ties with the B650 Gaming Plus and the B760 AORUS Elite AX at 2.5Gbps.

It shares a wi-Fi 7 with the X870 Tomahawk and Strix Z890-H; the B760 AORUS Elite AX goes with a wi-Fi 6E. 14+2+1 power stages is unique to it among these picks, while the B760 AORUS Elite AX uses 12+1+1 power stages. It shares an AM5 socket with the X870 Tomahawk and B650 Gaming Plus; the B760 AORUS Elite AX goes with an LGA1700 socket. Its price falls between the B650 Gaming Plus and the X870 Tomahawk, based on our last check.

It sits between the TUF and Strix-A boards. On M.2 slot count it leads this guide at 4, ahead of the TUF B850-PLUS (3). On wired network speed it ties with the X870 Tomahawk at 5Gbps.

It shares a wi-Fi 7 with the X870 Tomahawk and TUF B850-PLUS; the B760 AORUS Elite AX goes with a wi-Fi 6E. 16+2+1+2 power stages is unique to it among these picks, while the B650 Gaming Plus uses 12+2+1 power stages. You get an LGA1851 socket here, which sets it apart from the B760 AORUS Elite AX and its an LGA1700 socket.

It also comes with 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. It was the most expensive pick when we checked, so weigh what it adds over the X870 Tomahawk.

It covers a six- or eight-core Ryzen without extras. On wired network speed it ties with the TUF B850-PLUS and the B760 AORUS Elite AX at 2.5Gbps. 12+2+1 power stages is unique to it among these picks, while the B760 AORUS Elite AX uses 12+1+1 power stages.

It shares an AM5 socket with the X870 Tomahawk and TUF B850-PLUS; the B760 AORUS Elite AX goes with an LGA1700 socket. It also comes with Bluetooth 5.3 alongside Wi-Fi 6E, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs and one of the lowest prices here for an ATX AM5 board. 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. Its price falls between the B760 AORUS Elite AX and the TUF B850-PLUS, based on our last check.

It is the strongest B760 board here. On M.2 slot count it ties with the TUF B850-PLUS at 3. On wired network speed it ties with the TUF B850-PLUS and the B650 Gaming Plus at 2.5Gbps.

It shares a wi-Fi 6E with the B650 Gaming Plus; the X870 Tomahawk goes with a wi-Fi 7. 12+1+1 power stages is unique to it among these picks, while the B650 Gaming Plus uses 12+2+1 power stages. You get an LGA1700 socket here, which sets it apart from the B650 Gaming Plus and its an AM5 socket.

You also get EZ-Latch for tool-free card removal and Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gbps Ethernet. It uses Intel's LGA1700 socket for 12th, 13th and 14th Gen Core processors; check the CPU support list for the BIOS version your chip needs, since early boards shipped before 14th Gen launched. It was the cheapest of the group when we checked; the B650 Gaming Plus was the next step up.