Some folks looking to build a new gaming computer have little to no understanding of what the differences in motherboards are, especially things like chipset, VRM, PCI revisions, audio chipsets, and other features like USB types (USB 2, USB 3.0, USB 3.1, USB 3.2, USB 4) and WiFi version (6, 6E, 7.)
This link is to a document that lists all the specs you could want about the current crop of AMD AM5 motherboards. There are solid choices for Intel aficionados out there, and the document has links to spreadsheets for them..
One very common misconception has to do with chipsets. Much of what we see is basically marketing. For example, I have an X670E motherboard. The higher-end ( and much more expensive) X870E boards use the exact same chipset, along with the same PCI 5 bus, allowing you to use a PCI 5.0 GPU (nice to have) and PCI 5.0 M.2 NVMe drives (which are currently a terrible choice for gaming, given their high cost.)
In fact, both the X670 and X870 boards all use the B650 chipset, which can support a PCI 5.0 bus configuration. It’s more about the additional features you are willing to pay for. It’s important to read the specs, because there are differences in boards, even those having the same chipset name.
More PCIe lanes: The X670 chipset has 44 PCIe lanes vs the 36 available from B650. More PCIe lanes adds the abilty to add more PCI 5.0 devices.
Some B650 motherboards have PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slots.
Some B650 motherboards don’t have PCIe 5.0 at all.
B650E motherboards: These higher-end motherboards have at least one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a GPU. They also have PCIe 5.0 lanes to at least one M.2 slot.
X670E motherboards: These motherboards have PCIe 5.0 in both the PCIe slot and the M.2 slot.
X670 motherboards: These motherboards have PCIe 5.0 in either the PCIe slot or the M.2 slot.
All X870 boards support PCIe 5.0 for the GPU and main M.2 SSD.
X870 motherboards also support USB4.
X870E motherboards can have up to 44 PCIe 5.0 lanes, which is helpful when more PCI 5.0 devices are attached. Note that X870 (non-E) only have 24 PCIe 5.0 lanes.
All the other differences in boards are in the VRM, audio chipset, M.2 slot configuration, number and type of connectors, and a few other things.
Once you get to the B650 chipset and above, my recommendation is to make your decisions based on these things:
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VRM (Voltage Regulation Module.) This is the heart of the motherboard, and is crucial to stable and consistent delivery of power to today’s power-hungry components.
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M.2 slots. How many do you need? Don’t stress over whether they share PCI lanes with the GPU, or the chipset. You will never come close to saturating a PCI 5.0 bus with this sim. Content creators have higher needs, but this thread is about gaming computers.
USB 4? Who uses it? If I was a content creator I might want to edit video assets on a USB 4 drive array, for maximum throughput.
Audio chipset? It might be important to you. Many boards (like my Gigabyte X670E AORUS Pro X) still use the older ALC897 chipset, while many others use the next level ALC1220. And there are even higher-end options out there, like the ALC4080. I’m fine with my ALC897, but a more critical ear might appreciate the better S/N of the better audio chipsets.
In short, anyone who wants to build a gaming system with a 7xxx or 9xxx CPU can be perfectly happy (and save money they can use to spend on a better CPU or GPU) with a B650E motherboard. You won’t get all the PCI 5.0 connectivity, but you can certainly game with them.
If you decide to get an E670E or X870E motherboard, you are paying for additional features. You may want them, you may even need them. But you will also pay for them.
My advice is generally to go with X670E, particularly because many people (who want the latest tech for their new build) are opting for X870 instead, causing manufacturers to discontinue X670E boards, discounting them heavily to clear stock. Remember, the ONLY essential differences between the X670E and X870E chipsets are:
- X870E has USB 4.
- Price
The rest is all about additional features and connectors. For example, my motherboard has a WiFi 6E chipset. My router supports WiFi 6 (but not WiFi 6E or WiFi 7) so I could have bought a board with WiFi 6. I get more than enough internet speed (around 400 Mb/s) to play FS2024 with WiFi 6.
The best X670E motherboard is a much better value than an X870E board that skimps on quality in favor of the name. I am in no way saying that you shouldn’t spend the money on an X870E if that’s what you want. It’s your money. Just that many people (like me) don’t need to, or can afford to.
And always remember, the Power Supply you choose should be high-quality, with enough wattage. Mine is currently 1200W. Overkill for my computer, since I don’t currently come close to using that much power. But when I upgrade my GPU I’ll need that much wattage to keep my system as stable as it currently is.
