The Best Motherboards With Fast Networking

Three M.2 slots are enough for most gaming builds. On M.2 slot count it ties with the PRO X870-P and the B850 Gaming Plus at 3. You also get 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 undercut the Z890 Tomahawk and every other pick on price at the time of writing. The main gap: M.2 slot count of 3, behind the Z890 Tomahawk (4). If that matters, the Z890 Tomahawk offers 4.

It runs only LGA1851 processors, not older 12th to 14th Gen chips. Nothing else here matches its 4 M.2 slot count; the PRO B850-P comes closest at 3. No other pick in this guide offers an LGA1851 socket; compare the B850 Gaming Plus, which has 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. It was priced above the PRO B850-P and below the PRO X870-P at the time of writing.

Three M.2 slots are one fewer than the pricier X870 boards. On M.2 slot count it ties with the PRO B850-P and the B850 Gaming Plus at 3. Like the X870 Tomahawk, it has an X870 chipset, while the B850 Gaming Plus uses a B850 chipset.

You also get 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. 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 third of 5, between the cheaper Z890 Tomahawk and the pricier B850 Gaming Plus, at the time of writing.

Three M.2 slots cover most gaming builds. On M.2 slot count it ties with the PRO B850-P and the PRO X870-P at 3. It is the only pick here with a B850 chipset; the PRO X870-P has an X870 chipset instead.

You also get memory support to DDR5-8200 (OC). 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. Its price falls between the PRO X870-P and the X870 Tomahawk, based on our last check.

It has 5G LAN, an extended VRM heatsink and isolated Audio Boost 5. Like the PRO X870-P, it has an X870 chipset, while the B850 Gaming Plus uses a B850 chipset. You also get 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. It was the most expensive pick when we checked, so weigh what it adds over the B850 Gaming Plus. Buyers who need a confirmed M.2 slot count should compare it with the Z890 Tomahawk, which offers 4.