The new Ryzen processors are based on the Zen 3 architecture and has significant improvements over their predecessors, one of which is the improvements done for multi-core performance and single-core performance.
With their Ryzen 5000 series, AMD has officially gained the top spot thanks to their improved Zen 3 architecture.
But what draws people towards the Ryzen 5000 series is their drop-in compatibility with existing B550 and X570 chipsets with only a BIOS update. Now, we’re seeing an influx of Ryzen 5000 compatible motherboards in the market, including older X470 motherboards and B450 motherboards.
With that said, we’ll go over selecting the best Ryzen 5000 motherboard that will fit you needs and budget at the sme time.
The Best Motherboards For Ryzen 5000 Series
ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero Wifi
Best Overall Motherboard For Ryzen 5000
What’s Good?
- Great VRM
- Connectivity options
- Amazing RGB aesthetics
- 8x SATA Ports
What’s Bad?
- Expensive
- No video output
What Are The Specs?
- Chipset: X570
- Memory: 4 DIMM slots up to 128GB and 4800MHz
- Expansion Slots: 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 (x8) slot, 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4) slot, 1 PCIe 4.0 slot
- Video Outputs: None
- USB Ports: 10x rear IO, 7x internal
- Network: 1x 2.5 GbE LAN, 1x Wi-Fi
- Storage: 2x M.2, 8x SATA
First on the list we have the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero, the flagship motherboard from ASUS. These motherboards were meant for extreme overclockers and avid PC builders. Average users who use the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero might find it to be a bit of an overkill.
The ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero features 4 DIMM slots and provides support for up to 128GB of RAM and up to 4800MHz, so memory performance is definitely guaranteed as you can pack this bad boy with all of the greatest RAM sticks the market has to offer. Because of its high VRM, high-speed memory overclocking is easily handled by the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero.
ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero’s power delivery system is in a class of its own. The motherboard itself was designed with overclockers in mind, so there’s no doubt that you’re getting a sturdy and robust motherboard. Its 8-phase VRM allows you to handle overclocking from the new 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X CPU, which is why a lot of overclockers pair both this motherboard and the Ryzen 9.
If you’re using the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero, you can equip 2 GPUs thanks to the multiple PCIe Gen 4 x16 slots. There’s also support for NVLink and SLI for multiple GPU operations too. You can also equip two NVMe drives, so storage will never be an issue with the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero.
The ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero is also aesthetically pleasing to look at without the flashy color schemes. It dons a stealthy black/grey palette with a gigantic heatsink, but there’s support for RGB that provides enough room for customization if that’s your thing.
All in all, there’s no better choice out there for a Ryzen 5000 series than the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero. It’s one of the best motherboards out there, and despite its hefty price tag, you won’t have to worry about upgrading this motheboard for the next five years.
MSI MAG B550M Mortar
Best Budget Motherboard For Ryzen 5000 Series
What’s Good?
- Affordable and good enough for the Ryzen 5000
- 2x M.2 slots
What’s Bad?
- Only 1 Gen 4 M.2 slot
- No Wifi
- Not a lot of USB slots
What Are The Specs?
- Chipset: B550
- Memory: 4 DIMM slots up to 128GB and up to 4400MHz
- Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x4
- Video Outputs: HDMI and Displayport
- USB Ports: 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 slots, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 slots, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C slot, 2x USB 2.0 slots
- Network: Realtek 2.5Gb ethernet
- Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps
Just because we’re talking about the best motherboards for Ryzen 5000 doesn’t mean we’re going to ignore the budget options. On this list, we have the MSI MAG B550M motherboard, the best budget motherboard for Ryzen 5000 series.
The MSI MAG B550M is a micro ATX motherboard, perfect for compact cases in the market. It has an improved power delivery system compared to its predecessors, the B450 Tomahawk and the B450 Mortar. And speaking of the power delivery system, the MSI MAG B550M has a 8+2+1 phase power design that pairs up real nice with the Ryzen 5 5600X CPU. With a combination like this, you’re already looking at a midrange gaming PC build. You’re getting about 4 DIMM slots with up to 128GB RAM support and up to 4400MHz, 1 PCIe Gen 4 x16 slot and 1 PCIe Gen 3 x4 slot.
For storage, the MSI MAG B550M has 2 M.2 slots and 6 SATA 6GB/s ports, which is what you wouldn’t normally get from other B550 micro ATX motherboards. But the downside is that you only have 1 wired m.2 slot for PCIe Gen 4. Connectivity is decent enough for a motherboard of this form factor.
But the best thing about the MSI MAG B550M is its price. A brand new motherboard will cost you about $160, ideal for those on a tight budget with little to no wiggle room for extras.
Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master
Best Motherboard For Overclocking Ryzen 5000 Series
What’s Good?
- Great power delivery
- Solid connectivity and networking options
What’s Bad?
- No video outputs
- Only 4 SATA ports are available
What Are The Specs?
- Chipset: X570
- Memory: 4 DIMM slots up to 128GB and up to 4400MHz
- Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe x16, 1x PCIe x16 (x8), 1x PCIe x16 (x4), 2x PCIe x1
- Video Outputs: None
- USB Ports: 4 USB 3.2 Gen2 slots with 1 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 slots, 4 USB 2.0 slots
- Network: 1x Intel GbE LAN, 1x Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, 802.11ax Wi-Fi
- Storage: 3x M.2, 6x SATA
Here we have one of the more premium AMD motherboards, the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master. The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master easily competes against the Crosshair VIII Hero motherboards for its overclocking support.
The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master is $700 cheaper than the Aorus Extreme, but it has a lot of the features found in the Extreme.
Gigabyte also makes well-priced GPUs. Read our in-depth guide where we discuss are Gigabyte GPUs good.
The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master’s power delivery is efficient thanks to its impressive 14-phase VRM design, making this motherboard the most reliable board for overclocking the Ryzen 5000 series processors. There’s also enough room to support an overclocked Ryzen 9 5950X CPU thanks to its metal heatsink array.
With the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master, you get 4 DIMM slots for up to 128GB RAM with frequencies going as high as 4400MHz. You also get 3 PCie Gen 4 slots, so multiple GPUs with SLI support is made possible with the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master.
For storage, you get 3 PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots, which is double the slots of the Crosshair VIII Hero motherboard. If you’re planning on going for multiple SSD storages, the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master is a more solid pick than the Crosshair VIII. However, if you’re using all M.2 slots, you’ll be left with only 4 SATA ports. This isn’t really a downside unless you need a lot of HDD storage.
ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming ITX/TB3
Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For Ryzen 5000
What’s Good?
- Decent power delivery
- Perfect for Mini ITX cases
- Wifi connectivity
- Has a Thunderbolt 3 slot
What’s Bad?
- Limited USB slots
- Only 1 M.2 Slot
- 4 SATA ports are available
What Are The Specs?
- Chipset: X570
- Memory: 2 DIMM slots up to 64GB and up to 4533MHz
- Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 4.0 x16
- Video Outputs: HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4
- USB Ports: 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 slots, 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 slots, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 Thunderbolt 3
- Network: 1x Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11ax WiFi
- Storage: 1x M.2 Socket Gen4, 4x SATA
ASRock is a reputable brand when it comes to motherboards, and they’ve been successful with their X570 and B450/B550 motherboards in the past. The one on this list is the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming Motherboard ITX. And yes, this is perfect for those wanting to build a Mini-ITX small form factor PC.
Despite its size, the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming Motherboard ITX has one of the most efficient power delivery systems for its form factor, even allowing users to overclock a Ryzen 9 5950X inside a tiny case.
As expected, the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming Motherboard ITX only has 2 DIMM slots with support for up to 64GB of RAM at 4533MHz, which isn’t a dealbreaker. You also get 1 PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot and only 4 SATA ports available. Again, given its size, don’t expect to get eight SATA ports.
If you’re planning on getting the best mini ITX motherboard, then the ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming Motherboard ITX should be your pick.
MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk WiFi
Best Value Overall Motherboard for Ryzen 5000 Series
What’s Good?
- Solid power delivery system with above average sized VRM
- Wifi connectivity
- Affordable and budget motherboard for Ryzen 5000
What’s Bad?
- Fewer rear USB 2.0/3.0 slots
- Questionable RGB lighting placement
What Are The Specs?
- Chipset: X570
- Memory: 4 DIMM slots up to 128GB and up to 4600MHz
- Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x8), 2x PCIe 4.0 x1
- Video Outputs: HDMI
- USB Ports: 5 USB 3.2 Gen 2 slots, 6 USB 3.2 Gen 1 slots, 6 USB 2.0 ports
- Network: 1x Realtek 2.5Gbps LAN, 802.11ax Wi-Fi
- Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA
The earlier X570 lines from MSI were a complete disappointment due to their power delivery system, especially with the MSI X570-A PRo, MSI X570 Gaming Plus, and X570 Gaming Pro Carbon to name a few.
But things have changed now, and the MSI MAG Tomahawk X570 is the saving grace of their X570 motherboards. Considered as one of the best budget motherboards in the market right now, the MSI MAG Tomahawk X570 features an impressive power delivery design that competes against Aorus Master even. MSI included an 8pin + 4pin ATX 12V CPU power connector on the board that allows the motherboard to draw in more power if the user decides to overclock the system.
The MSI MAG Tomahawk X570 features 4 DIMM slots for up to 128GB of RAM and as fast as 4600MHz. You’re also getting 2 M.2 slots, situated right under the metal heatsinks. For connectivity, you have a lot of USB ports and SATA ports with 2.5GBe Ethernet and built-in Wifi.
Is this the best motherboard for Ryzen processors? A lot of users seem to think so, and you simply can’t go wrong with the MSI MAG Tomahawk X570 if you’re after an ATX form factor motherboard.
The Wrap Up
What do you think are the best motherboards for Ryzen 5000 series processors? Well, we’re going to break it down into the following categories:
- Best budget motherboard: A tie between the MSI MAG Tomahawk X570 and MSI B550M MAG Mortar. These are really solid AMD motherboards with decent overclocking support.
- Best bang for buck: The MSI MAG Tomahawk X570 takes the cake here as it easily competes with the high end motherboards on this list.
- Best motherboard if money’s not an issue: Hands down, we give this to the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero. If you want an AMD motherboard with multiple GPU support, this is the one for you.