The Best Motherboards Under $500

It is the most expandable board here. On M.2 slot count it leads this guide at 7, ahead of the Strix X870E-E (5). Like the Strix X870E-E and X870E Tomahawk MAX PZ, it has a wi-Fi 7, while the Prime X670E-PRO uses a wi-Fi 6E.

It is the only pick here with 18+2+1+2 power stages; the Strix X870E-E has 18+2+2 power stages instead. It is the only pick here with an LGA1851 socket; the Strix X870E-E has an AM5 socket instead. You also get AI overclocking, cooling and networking tools.

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. When we checked, only the Prime X670E-PRO and cheaper picks cost less, and the Strix X870E-E cost more.

It is the pick for builds that keep adding SSDs. On M.2 slot count it sits mid-pack at 5: the Strix Z890-E offers 7, and the Prime X670E-PRO comes in at 4. It shares a wi-Fi 7 with the Strix Z890-E and X870E Tomahawk MAX PZ; the Prime X670E-PRO goes with a wi-Fi 6E.

It shares 18+2+2 power stages with the X870E AORUS PRO X3D; the Strix Z890-E goes with 18+2+1+2 power stages. You also get a rear USB 20Gbps port alongside USB4. 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-E.

It is the step up when you want X870E features. On M.2 slot count it ties with the X870E AORUS PRO X3D and the Prime X670E-PRO at 4. It shares a wi-Fi 7 with the Strix Z890-E and Strix X870E-E; the Prime X670E-PRO goes with a wi-Fi 6E.

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 was the cheapest of the group when we checked; the X870E AORUS PRO X3D was the next step up.

It matches the X870E Tomahawk MAX PZ and the Prime X670E-PRO on M.2 slot count (4). Like the Strix X870E-E, it has 18+2+2 power stages, while the Strix Z890-E uses 18+2+1+2 power stages. It also comes with X3D branding aimed at Ryzen X3D builds.

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 priced above the X870E Tomahawk MAX PZ and below the Prime X670E-PRO at the time of writing.

Its plain silver look suits a quiet build. It matches the X870E Tomahawk MAX PZ and the X870E AORUS PRO X3D on M.2 slot count (4). No other pick in this guide offers a wi-Fi 6E; compare the Strix X870E-E, which has a wi-Fi 7.

You also get a rear USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port and an understated silver finish. 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 priced above the X870E AORUS PRO X3D and below the Strix Z890-E at the time of writing.