What the guide covers
Tom's Hardware says the picks come from boards it has actually benchmarked. It admits it can't test every model, and that most boards will do the job unless you need a specific port count or speed. That is a sensible caveat. A $1,200 board will not turn a mid-range GPU into a monster.
The AMD side runs from X870E down to B850, B650 and one DDR4 board. The Intel side runs through Z890 and B860, then older Z790 and B760 options. The AMD picks are:
- High-end X870E: Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial at $1,199.99.
- ATX X870/X870E: ASRock X870E Taichi.
- About $500 X870E: Gigabyte X870E Aero X3D Wood.
- Budget X870E: ASRock X870E Challenger WiFi.
- ATX B850: MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk WiFi II at $229.99.
- Mini-ITX B850: ASRock B850I Lightning, a little over $200.
- ATX B650E: Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX Ice at $149.99.
- DDR4: Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming WiFi II.
- Rear-connect: Gigabyte X870 Aorus Stealth at around $299.99.
The Intel picks are:
- Z890 high-end: MSI Z890 Godlike, with a $1,329 launch price that has since fallen to around $999.99.
- ATX Z890: ASRock Z890 Taichi Lite at $399.99 MSRP.
- Z890 Micro ATX: Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice, just over $210.
- Budget Z890: Asus Prime Z890-P, now $199.99.
- B860: MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WiFi at $229.99.
- Older platforms: Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Xtreme, ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite, ASRock B760M Steel Legend and MSI MAG B760M Mortar.
The memory-price angle
The guide says DDR5 prices are "out of control due to AI demands". That is why it keeps a couple of AM4 and DDR4 options. It also says B650 has been discontinued, so cheaper stock may become scarce. I couldn't confirm that discontinuation independently, so treat it as Tom's Hardware's claim.
DDR4 only makes sense if you already own a kit and a compatible older CPU. The B550 pick is an AM4 board, so it suits Ryzen 5000-class chips and is not an upgrade path to current AM5 processors. AM5 and Intel's Z890/B860 platforms use DDR5.
Compatibility checks before you buy
AMD's own AM5 page says all AM5 boards work with Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 chips. It adds that a BIOS update may be required for Ryzen 8000 and 9000 series processors on 600 series boards. That matters for the Gigabyte B650 pick, since older stock may not boot a newer Ryzen out of the box.
Retail guides generally say 800-series boards (X870, B850) are ready for Ryzen 9000 at launch. They also point to BIOS Flashback, which updates the firmware from a USB stick with no processor, memory or graphics card installed. If you buy a 600-series board for a newer Ryzen, check that it has this feature or confirm the BIOS version with the seller.
AMD also describes X870E as offering PCIe 5.0 support for both graphics and NVMe. Tom's Hardware notes that no current graphics card benefits from PCIe 5.0 bandwidth. A B850 board saves money without hurting gaming much. The guide warns that some high-end B850 boards now cost as much as X870 alternatives, so compare actual prices.
Details worth double-checking
Some details in the roundup are inconsistent, and a shopper should verify them:
- E-ATX versus ATX: the ASRock X870E Taichi sits under an "ATX" heading, but the text says its E-ATX size won't fit many ATX cases. Check your case's supported board sizes.
- Typos: the Z890 Taichi Lite spec block says "Z980". The closing B760 entry refers to a "B650M Mortar". Intel's current desktop chipsets are the 800 series, and the Taichi Lite uses Z890.
- Moving prices: the Challenger WiFi is described as just under $290 in the roundup. Its own September 28 review calls the $230 board one of the best-equipped options under $230. That gap shows how fast prices move. Treat every number as a snapshot.
- Headline specs: the Glacial's seven M.2 slots include its bundled add-in cards. In its review, three of them run full PCIe 5.0 x4 and a fourth runs at x2. The review also says a decorative plate must be removed to reach the primary PCIe slot.
- Lane sharing: counts of M.2 sockets and USB ports often aren't all available at once. Read the manual before you plan a storage-heavy build.
Intel's B860 versus Z890
The guide pitches B860 as the budget choice for people who don't need Z890's extras. Intel's chipset brief, as summarized in the source notes, says B860 has fewer high-speed I/O lanes than Z890 (up to 24 versus 34). It also lacks CPU BCLK overclocking, though both support memory overclocking. I couldn't retrieve that document directly, so verify it on Intel's site. In practice, a B860 board suits a locked-down gaming build, while Z890 is for people who want overclocking and more connectivity.
Practical buying checklist
- Match the socket to your CPU: AM5 for Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000, and the Intel chipset your processor needs.
- Decide on DDR5 or DDR4 first, because the board dictates the memory type.
- Check the form factor against your case, especially for E-ATX boards.
- Pay for Wi-Fi 7, USB4 or Thunderbolt only if you'll use them.
- For rear-connect boards, confirm your case has matching connector cutouts.
- Look at the board's CPU support list and BIOS version, and plan a Flashback update if needed.
- Re-check prices on the day you buy.
Bottom line
This roundup is a useful shortlist, but it is a snapshot of one outlet's lab experience. The price tags, discontinuation claim and several labels need checking before you spend. The best value pick is usually the board that matches your CPU, RAM and case, and doesn't charge you for ports you won't use.