The new Zen 3 CPU Lineup is hit the shelves with the Ryzen 9 5900X being arguably the best buy of the four CPUs offered at the launch. 12 very fast cores with hyperthreading and single-core performance that’s ahead of Intel’s best gaming CPU should make the Ryzen 9 5900X the best choice for both gamers and professionals. It has almost the same power requirements as its predecessor, the Ryzen 9 3900X, so it’s safe to say that all boards that are capable of running the 3900X will work fine with the 5900X.
All of you who plan on getting the 5900X are probably looking for the best motherboard to pair with your next CPU. Well, here you’ll find the best B550 and X570 boards for the 5900X. Motherboard models with B550 and X570 chipsets should receive a BIOS update that will make them compatible with Zen 3 CPUs on day one. Now, while we didn’t include B450 boards on this list, some of them should work fine with the 5900X.
The thing is, B450 boards should receive their Zen 3 compatibility update sometime in January 2021. If you want the get the 5900X on launch day, November 5, you have to either buy a B550 or X570 board. If you already have a high-quality B450 board such as the MSI B450 Tomahawk Max our advice is to wait for the January BIOS update and then get a Zen 3 CPU.
There’s no need on getting a new board unless you need PCIe 4.0 or want to get the 5900X on launch day. Finally, while A520 motherboards are technically compatible with Zen 3 we didn’t include them since the A520 is a budget chipset made for APUs and lower-tier CPUs. So, without further ado, let’s check out the best motherboards for the Ryzen 9 5900X.
Best Motherboards for Ryzen 9 5900X – Our Picks
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best X570 Motherboard For Most 5900X Owners | MSI X570 Tomahawk |  |
| ASUS X570 TUF Gaming |  |
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| Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro |  |
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| Best B550 Motherboard For Most 5900X Owners | MSI B550-A Pro |  |
| ASRock B550 Extreme4 |  |
|
| ASUS TUF Gaming B550 Plus |  |
|
| Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro |  |
|
| Best High-End X570 Motherboards For 5900X | MSI MEG X570 Ace |  |
| ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero |  |
|
| Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master |  |
|
| Best High-End B550 Motherboards For 5900X | Gigabyte B550 Vision D |  |
| Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master |  |
|
| ASRock B550 Taichi |  |
|
| Best Flagship Motherboards For 5900X | MSI MEG X570 Godlike |  |
| Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme |  |
|
| ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Formula |  |
|
| Best Flagship Motherboard For OCing On 5900X | ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero |  |
| Best mATX Motherboard For 5900X | MSI B550M Mortar |  |
| ASUS TUF B550M-Plus |  |
|
| Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For 5900X | ASUS ROG Strix X570-I Gaming |  |
Best X570 Motherboard For Most Ryzen 9 5900X Owners
While we don’t recommend getting a budget X570 board for the 5900X, the mid-range market has plenty of great choices. Our recommendation goes to the trio from MSI, ASUS, and Gigabyte. The X570 Tomahawk, X570 TUF Gaming, and X570 Aorus Pro are the best X570 boards for most 5900X users.
MSI X570 Tomahawk
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 2 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
You get support for fast memory (DDR 4 4400 on the Gigabyte and ASUS models, and DDR4 4600 on the Tomahawk), six SATA III ports, and two M.2 slots on all three models. Further, each of our three picks has pretty good VRM that should have no issues running an overclocked 5900X. If you want the best VRM of the three, get the MSI X570 Tomahawk.
ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 8 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 2 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
When it comes to expansions slots you get two PCIe x16 slots on the ASUS and MSI boards and three PCIe x16 slots on the Aorus Pro. There’s support for multi GPU and multiple PCIe x1 slots on each board. When it comes to audio, your best choice of the three is the Gigabyte model, which comes with the Realtek ALC1220-VB audio codec. As for the connectivity options, you get gigabit LAN on the Gigabyte and ASUS boards and 2.5Gb LAN on the MSI X570 Tomahawk. Also, each board has a Wi-Fi variant (Wi-Fi 6 on the MSI and Gigabyte models as well as Bluetooth 5 found on all models).
Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 3 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD Crossfire |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
Rear panels include a nice selection of ports no matter which model you pick. The best of the three is the MSI Tomahawk that comes with four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (one of which is USB-C), two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and a BIOS Flashback button. The ASUS and Gigabyte motherboards come with only two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, but they also offer four USB 3.2 gen1 ports.
If you want something a bit more expensive, you have the excellent ASUS ROG Strix X570-F Gaming, the ASRock X570 Extreme4, or the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Elite.
Best B550 Motherboard For Most Ryzen 9 5900X Owners
When it comes to B550 motherboards, the situation is pretty similar to the one we have on the X570 market. The cheapest boards won’t work with the 5900X so you have to pay a bit extra for a motherboard that can run the CPU. The best budget choice is the MSI B550-A Pro. This one’s only a bit more expensive than the cheapest B550 options while coming with decent specs and VRM good enough to run an overclocked 5900X without issues.
MSI B550-A Pro
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 2 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
It can run DDR4 memory up to 4400, it has two M.2 slots and six SATA III ports, dual PCIe x16 slots, and two PCIe x1 slots. Remember that B550 boards do come with PCIe 4.0 support, but only the primary PCIe x16 slot and the primary M.2 slot are PCIe 4.0 compatible. In case a B550 motherboard has more than one PCIe x16 and M.2 slot, secondary slots are only PCIe 3.0 compliant.
As for the audio section, it’s powered by the Realtek ALC892 audio codec, which is a pretty basic setup nowadays. Connectivity options include only gigabit LAN. As for the rear I/O, you’ll find two USB 3.2 gen2 ports (one of which is USB-C), two USB 3.2 gen1 ports, as well as four USB 2.0 ports. Interestingly enough, the rear I/O also includes a flash BIOS button, which is a welcome extra at this price point.
ASRock B550 Extreme4
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 2 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
The other three choices, the ASRock B550 Extreme 4, ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus, and Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro are more expensive boards that come with better VRMs, better build quality, and other extra features. Basic features are pretty much the same. There’s support for fast DDR4 memory as well as two M.2 slots and six SATA III ports on each of the three boards. You also get faster, 2.5Gb LAN on each model, as well as two or three PCIe x16 slots and at least a couple of PCIe x1 slots.
ASUS TUF Gaming B550 Plus
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 1 × PCIe x16, 3 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
Next, all three boards come with the Realtek ALC1220 ALC audio codec, which is the usual setup at this price point. As for the rear I/O there are two USB 3.2 gen2 ports on the two models with the Gigabyte one offering a third USB 3.2 gen2 port. You also get at least a couple of USB 3.2 gen1 ports and USB 2.0 ports. As for the BIOS flashback button, you’ll find it only on the ASUS TUF Gaming B550-Plus.
Gigabyte B550 Aorus Pro
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | None |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
If you want an alternative to our four picks, the MSI B550-A Pro really doesn’t have one since it’s by far the best budget B550 board. If you don’t mind an mATX form factor, there’s the MSI B550M Mortar, which is a great budget mATX option. When it comes to more expensive alternatives, the MSI has great B550 choices in the form of the B550 Gaming Carbon and B550 Gaming Edge. ASRock B550 Velocita is another excellent mid-range board. Finally, you have the ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming and the Gigabyte B550 Aorus Elite.
Best High-End B550 Motherboards For Ryzen 9 5900X
If you need even more features, the high-end market has lots of excellent choices. Do note that the B550 models listed here are more affordable than the high-end X570 boards. They offer excellent specs for the price with superb VRMs, but their PCIe 4.0 support is limited. If you want multiple M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots as well as more USB 3.2 gen2 ports, get a high-end X570 motherboard.
Gigabyte B550 Vision D
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 4 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe x16 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
We’re starting with the B550 lineup. When it comes to design, by far the best choice is the Gigabyte B550 Vision D. It looks gorgeous and packs pretty solid specs. It can run DDR4 5200 memory and comes with two M.2 slots and four SATA III ports. When it comes to expansion slots, you get three PCIe x16 slots with support for multi GPU setups.
Moving on to the audio, the board packs the Realtek ALC1220 audio codec. Connectivity options include two gigabit LAN ports along with an Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless card that also includes Bluetooth 5 connectivity. Finally, the rear I/O features two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, four USB 3.2 gen1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. A great advantage the B550 Vision D has over its peers is the inclusion of not one but two Thunderbolt 3 ports. If you need Thunderbolt 3 support on a B550 motherboard this is the one to get.
Gigabyte B550 Aorus Master
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | None |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
The other two B550 picks present the best offers from Gigabyte and ASRock, the B550 Aorus Master and the B550 Taichi respectively. You can run DDR4 5000 memory on both boards. As for the storage, you get two M.2 slots on the B550 Taichi and three M.2 slots on the Aorus Master. The ASRock model has eight SATA III ports while the Gigabyte board has six. Expansion slots include three PCIe x16 slots on both boards, with the B550 Taichi also coming with two PCIe x1 slots.
ASRock B550 Taichi
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 8 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
Audio sections are pretty much the same, with the Realtek ALC 1220 codec at the helm on both models. The same specs are also found in the connectivity segment, with 2.5Gb LAN and Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 wireless modules. The rear I/O is richer on the Aorus Master, with six USB 3.2 Gen2 ports. ASRock decided to offer only two USB 3.2 gen2 ports but at least you get four USB 3.2 gen1 ports, which cannot be found on the Gigabyte model. Both models feature some OC-friendly features such as the POST code and debug LEDs, along with the BIOS flash button.
Best High-End X570 Motherboards For Ryzen 9 5900X
MSI MEG X570 Ace
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 3 × M.2, 4 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe 4.0 x16 2 × PCIe 4.0 x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
As for our high-end X570 picks, these are all expensive motherboards with a ton of extra features and superb VRMs. They are built to run any Ryzen CPU without issues, overclocked or not. The one that stands out above the others, at least when it comes to OC potential, is the MSI MEG X570 Ace. It supports the fastest memory (DDR4 5000), has the best VRM, and comes with a full suite of OC-friendly features such as the POST code, debug LEDs, and clear CMOS button on the rear panel. You also have the power and reset buttons installed on the PCB.
When it comes to regular specs, the Ace is well-equipped. You have three M.2 slots but only four SATA III ports. Expansion-wise there are three PCIe x16 slots, two PCIe x1 slots, and an M.2 E key expansion for a wireless card. Connection options include dual gigabit (1Gb+2.5Gb) LAN, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5. The rear panel hosts four USB 3.2 gen2 ports (one is USB-C), two USB 3.2 gen1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.
ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 x DIMM, DDR4, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 x M.2, 8 x SATAIII |
| Multi-GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe 4.0 x16 1 × PCIe 4.0 x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DIMM, DDR4, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 3 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD Crossfire |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe ×16 1 × PCIe ×1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
As for the other two X570 picks, they come with support for slower memory (4800 on the ASUS X570 Crosshair VIII Hero and 4400 on the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master) support but include every OC-friendly feature found on the ACE. Both boards come with better audio than the ace and more SATA III ports. If you want the most USB ports, get the ASUS since it arrives with seven USB 3.2 gen2 ports. Everything else is pretty much the same on all three boards.
Best Flagship Motherboards For Ryzen 9 5900X
If you want the absolute best board money can buy to pair with the 5900X, there’s the trio coming from MSI, Gigabyte, and ASUS. The MSI MEG X570 Godlike, Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme, and ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Formula, all have the best possible specs, they all support fast DDR4 memory, can host a ton of storage devices, and are great when it comes to connectivity options. When it comes to the best one for OC, it’s probably the ASUS Crosshair VIII Dark Hero. Their biggest disadvantage is the lack of a Thunderbolt 3 port. If you need one (or two), get the B550 Vision D since not even the latest X570 board, the ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero from ASUS has Thunderbolt 3 ports.
MSI MEG X570 Godlike
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 3 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 4 × PCIe x16 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 3 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD CrossFire |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe x16 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Formula
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 x DIMM, DDR4, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 1 x M.2, 8 x SATAIII |
| Multi-GPU Support | Nvidia SLI, AMD CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 1 × PCIe 4.0 x16 1 × PCIe 4.0 x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
Best Flagship Motherboard For OCing On Ryzen 9 5900X Builds
Our pick packs a feature that will be of great interest to overclockers. The new ASUS board comes with a new OC system that allows Ryzen 5000 CPUs to keep their fast single-core boost clocks when playing games while applying all-core overclock during heavy multithreaded loads.
In other words, depending on the workload, your CPU will always adjust to achieve the best possible performance. The Crosshair VIII Dark Hero also comes with the POST code, debug LEDs and a suite of PCB-mounted buttons for OC purposes (like the safe boot button).
ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 4 x DIMM, DDR4, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 x M.2, 8 x SATAIII |
| Multi-GPU Support | Nvidia Dual SLI, AMD Triple CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 3 × PCIe 4.0 x16 3 × PCIe 4.0 x1 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
The board looks great, with an all-black PCB, heatsinks, and other components along with nice RGB effects. Memory support goes up to DDR4 5100 and the board’s 14+2-phase VRM is good enough to easily run even an extremely OCed R9 5950X. The board includes three M.2 slots, superb audio solution, eight SATA III ports, and three PCIe x16 slots. There’s also a single PCIe x1 slot here, which could be useful to some.
Connectivity options are aplenty. You have a dual gigabit (2.5Gb + 1Gb) LAN, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5. We really like the rear I/O on this board, which comes with eight USB 3.2 gen2 ports (one is USB-C) and four USB 3.2 gen1 ports. If you need a ton of high-speed USB ports, you know which board to pick. Other than a dozen USB ports, the rear I/O also includes the flash BIOS and clear CMOS buttons. Overall, this is one of the best boards you can get for the 5900X and certainly the best choice for overclockers.
Best mATX Motherboard For Ryzen 9 5900X
The X570 mATX offering is pretty slim, consisting of poor-quality boards so if you’re looking for a micro ATX board to pair with the 5900X your choices are limited to B550 boards. The best budget choice here is the MSI B550M Mortar. It’s a tightly packed board that supports 4400MHz DDR4 memory, comes with two M.2 slots and six SATA III ports, and features two PCIe x16 and two PCIe x1 ports.
MSI B550M Mortar
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 6 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD Crossfire |
| Expansion Slots | 2 × PCIe x16, 2 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
The Realtek ALC1200 codec is responsible for audio, which is a solid solution and when it comes to connectivity you have one 2.5Gb LAN port. The rear I/O hosts two USB 3.2 gen2 ports (one is USB-C), two USB 3.2 gen1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. The ASUS TUF B550M-Plus is very similar in specs while having just a bit weaker VRM. Also, both boards are available in Wi-Fi variants. The B550M TUF is as good a buy as the B550 Mortar. The final choice between the two should come down to availability and design, not raw specs comparison.
ASUS TUF B550M-Plus
| Chipset | AMD B550 |
| Memory | 4 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 128 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 4 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | AMD Dual CrossFireX |
| Expansion Slots | 1 × PCIe x16, 1 × PCIe x1 |
| Wi-Fi | No |
If you need something even cheaper that works fine with the 5900X check out the MSI B550 Bazooka and the ASRock B550M Steel Legend. They both have weaker VRMs, but capable of dealing with an overclocked 5900X. On the flipside, expect fewer connectivity options and higher working temps.
Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For Ryzen 9 5900X
Finally, we’ve arrived to the best Mini-ITX board for the Ryzen 9 3900X and that award goes to the ASUS ROG Strix X570-I Gaming. This is a beast in a small form factor that has one of the best VRMs seen on a Mini-ITX motherboard. On top of that, you get support for DDR4 4800, two M.2 slots, and four SATA III Ports. The board has a single PCIe x16 port and it comes with a pretty solid audio section powered by the S1220A audio codec. On the back end, you can find four USB 3.2 gen2 (one is USB-C), four USB 3.2 gen1 ports, and the usual selection of audio jacks. As for the connectivity, this board features gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.
ASUS ROG Strix X570-I Gaming
| Chipset | AMD X570 |
| Memory | 2 × DDR4 DIMM, max. 64 GB |
| Storage | 2 × M.2, 4 × SATAIII |
| Multi GPU Support | None |
| Expansion Slots | 1 × PCIe x16 |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
When it comes to B550 mini-ITX boards, they all seem decent to run the 5900X at least at stock clock. They differ in VRM and cooling solutions so if you want the best the MSI B550I Gaming Edge or the ASUS ROG Strix B550-I Gaming look like the best choices.
