The Best Budget Motherboards For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPUs

AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the somewhat less-popular Ryzen 9 7900X3D are currently AMD’s top-tier gaming CPUs that also double as some of the most efficient CPUs in the market. That makes them one of the most premium choices for gaming as well as content creation in today’s highly competitive world. AMD’s AM5 socket is a new entrant in a market where Intel’s more mature Z690 and subsequent Z790 chipsets are far more established, having pushed both DDR5 and PCI-E Gen 5 last year.

AMD has a relatively new platform with chipsets to match, using the X670/X670E and B650/B650E to bring the latest technology stack to its processors, and motherboard manufacturers have responded in droves, pushing motherboards that cost as little as $180 to as much as $1300 at times to match consumer demand at lower price points while allowing enthusiasts and content creators to have solid top-shelf options.

ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard

The Best Overall Budget Motherboard For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Budget X670E Offering

$260 $330 Save $70

The ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard is one of the best value purchases you can get when it comes to a gaming motherboard for the AM5 socket/Ryzen 7000 processor lineup. Featuring the full X670E chipset coupled with extensive I/O options, the X670E does sacrifice Wi-Fi despite offering antenna cutouts on its IO plate but more than makes up for it with its value proposition

Brand

ASRock

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-E Gen 5

Memory Slots

4

Memory Type

DDR5, upto 6600MHz

Form Factor

ATX

Wi-Fi

N/A

USB Ports

Upto 21 USB ports

M.2 NVMe Connector

4 x M2 Sockets

CPU Support

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series

Chipset

X670E

Socket

AM5

Power Phases

14+2+1

Networking

2.5G Ethernet

Pros

• Goes toe to toe with some of the most premium motherboards in terms of I/O options as well as M2 slots
• ASRock’s BIOS is one of the easiest to use in the industry
• Excellent value for money; The cheapest X670E motherboard out there with features that are more akin to higher end units

Cons

• Has relatively slow boot times relative to the competition
• Lacks Wi-Fi on the board despite having cutouts on the I/O Plate

As the only X670E-based motherboard on our list, the ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard has big shoes to fill and it does so easily for the most part. Powered by AMD’s premium chipset this generation, it comes with a host of features including 2.5G Ethernet support, the ability to overclock memory past the 6600 MHz barrier, and an impressive 14+2+1 phase power delivery mechanism ensuring stable and reliable power delivery to a 16-core Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

On the connectivity end, the X670E PG Lightning provides both, Gen 5 PCI-Express GPU and M2 Storage slots, making it a future-proof purchase. ASRock is also generous when it comes to USB ports and there is a generous allocation of USB ports both on the front and the back of the motherboard. One complaint about the Lightning are the slow boot times out of the box, but subsequent BIOS updates are expected to rectify this. Another complaint would be about the missing Wi-Fi Module; The PG Lightning ships without one while making allocations for it as part of its IO plate as well as offering a strategically placed M2 Key slot in case you decide to go that route.

All in, the X670E PG Lightning checks all the important boxes for us when it comes to a budget motherboard, and while it does come slightly short in 2 meaningful ways, we still feel the benefits outweigh the costs here, making it our candidate for the best AM5-based budget motherboard for the 7950X3D and the 7900X3D processors.

Update: The ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard has not seen much in terms of price changes with it currently priced at an even $260 across both retailers we currently track. However, given the fact that it still commands immense amounts of value for what it is, it doesn’t need to either.

NZXT N7 B650E Gaming Wi-Fi 6 Motherboard

The Best Alternate Overall Budget Motherboard For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

If Minimalistic Looks Could Kill

The NZXT N7 B650E Gaming Wi-Fi 6 Motherboard is an excellent AMD socket AM5-based motherboard based on the 650E chipset with decent overclocking, excellent power delivery, and above-average expansion slots in tow. It comes in a white or all-black design that is enthusiast-friendly in terms of its design and feature-set.

Brand

NZXT

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-E 5.0

Memory Slots

4

Memory Type

DDR5 Upto 6000MHz+, 128GB

Wi-Fi

Yes, Wi-Fi 6

USB Ports

Upto 20 USB Ports

M.2 NVMe Connector

3 x M2 Sockets

CPU Support

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series

Chipset

B650E

Socket

AMD AM5

Power Phases

16+2+1 Power phase design, 90A Smart Power Phase

Networking

2.5G Ethernet, WI-FI 6/AX, Bluetooth 5.2

Pros

• Upgradability: supports Higher end Processors such as the 7950X/7950X3D with ease thanks to its outstanding power delivery
• Comes packed with 3 M2 Slots, upto 20 USB ports and a full networking stack(Wi-Fi, BT, 2.5G Ethernet)
• Combines excellent power delivery with a capable B650E chipset in a well-priced package
• NZXT’s themed motherboard design makes it one of the best-looking budget motherboards in the business
• Has PCI-E Gen 5 support for the GPU slot and a single SSD option

Cons

• Slightly pricey for a B670E chipset-based motherboard with X670E options available around its price point

The NZXT N7 B650E Gaming Wi-Fi 6 Motherboard is an excellent AMD socket AM5-based motherboard based on the 650E chipset with decent overclocking out of the box, capable networking on offer, and plenty of storage options thanks to the triple M2 slots featured on the motherboard. With a PCI-E Gen 5 slot for a GPU, it is somewhat future-proof compared to some of the other budget options, albeit at a price that might not be everyone’s idea of budget.

With excellent looks in tow in addition to tight integration with NZXT’s CAM software which can be a plus if you have any of their other peripherals on hand coupled with a minimalistic design that we found both functional and premium-looking at the same time, the NZXT N7 B650E Gaming Wi-Fi 6 Motherboard isn’t pulling any punches as it wants a bigger piece of the AMD motherboard pie and is a great start to hopefully more premium offerings from NZXT down the line.

ASUS Prime B650M-A AX II Motherboard

The Best Compact Budget Motherboard For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Feature-Loaded mATX Wonder

The ASUS Prime B650M-A AX II Motherboard is a mainstream, no-nonsense approach to the B650 platform that is packed with features and unapologetically means business. It packs a surprising amount of features in an mATX form factor while maintaining an excellent price point to ensure affordability for DIY PC builders.

Brand

ASUS

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-Express 4.0

Memory Slots

4 slots

Memory Type

DDR5, upto 6400MHz OC, upto 128GB

Form Factor

mATX

Wi-Fi

Yes, Wi-Fi 6

USB Ports

Upto 15 USB ports

M.2 NVMe Connector

2 x M2 Slots

CPU Support

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series

Chipset

B650

Socket

AM5

Networking

2.5G Ethernet + Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2

Pros

• Has Wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 along with 2.5G ethernet making it an excellent networking stack on an entry level board
• Allows for high memory overclocks (6400MHz+)
• Has a dedicated VRM cooler, somewhat uncommon for an mATX motherboard

Cons

• The design is somewhat primitive and there are better-looking motherboards out there at similar price points
• Limited to PCI-E Gen 4 on x16

The ASUS Prime B650M-A AX II Motherboard is a no-nonsense offering by ASUS that doubles as an essential motherboard for mATX builds that is a no-frills design aiming to offer as many features as possible without compromising on value. And with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, 2.5G Ethernet and dual M2 slots, connectivity should not be a concern. The ASUS Prime B650M-A AX II Motherboard supports up to 15 USB ports and allows up to 128GB of DDR5 memory at overclocked speeds of up to 6400MHz, though it might be a bit tricky to get your rams to stay at those levels.

What is an excellent, feature-packed offering by ASUS is somewhat undone by the fact that it has no PCI-E 5.0 gen x16 slot for GPUs. It does however feature an M2 slot that does offer Gen 5 x4 connectivity in case you were to upgrade to a pricey SSD down the line. All in all, value is a strong factor as is the ability to build an mATX build using the Prime B650M-A AX II in a compact, but capable PC.

Update: While there are few B650-based motherboards that would give the ASUS Prime B650M-A AX II Motherboard a run for its money if you are able to stretch your budget slightly, a much better-looking, albeit expensive offering comes to mind in the form of the MSI MPG B650I Edge Wi-Fi below. Alternatively, if Wi-Fi isn’t needed in your build, you can get a $20 discount by opting for the ASUS PRIME B650M-A II-CSM instead which is similar but offers no wireless connectivity as part of its lower price.

MSI MPG B650I Edge Wi-Fi Gaming Motherboard

The Best Alternate Compact Budget Motherboard For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Higher End Budget ITX AM5 Offering

The MSI MPG B650I Edge Wi-Fi is a capable mITX motherboard that covers most of the essentials needed to go AM5 this round with a smaller form factor in tow. With excellent networking support, the MPG B650I packs the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard coupled with Bluetooth 5.3 in addition to 2.5G Ethernet to round off an interesting contender for the centerpiece of your mITX build.

Brand

MSI

Memory Slots

2

Memory Type

DDR5, upto 6600Mhz OC, 64GB limit

Form Factor

mITX

Wi-Fi

Yes, Wi-Fi 6E

USB Ports

Upto 11

M.2 NVMe Connector

2 x PCI-E 4.0 connectors

CPU Support

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series

Chipset

B650

Socket

AMD AM5

Power Phases

8+2+1 Power Phases

Networking

Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.3

Pros

• Offers a full stack of networking features, including Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3
• Offers decent power delivery for an mITX motherboard
• Has a decent amount of onboard connectors for an M-ITX motherboard

Cons

• Is limited to a PCI-E 4.0 graphics slot, which isn’t an issue currently but could be a limiting factor for upgrades down the line
• The chipset fan tends to get loud during operation versus some of the more passive-cooled alternatives in the business

The MSI MPG B650I Edge Wi-Fi Gaming Motherboard is an excellent MSI MPG-themed motherboard that offers decent power delivery, passable expansion slots, and a price that simply boils down to how much you wish to pay for a premium-built ITX motherboard with excellent connectivity. With Wi-Fi 6E, Ethernet 2.5G, and Bluetooth 5.3 onboard, it has you covered on the connectivity part in addition to the ability to push memory past 6600MHz, well past AMD’s sweet spot for the 7000 series at 6000MHz for performance needs.

While it does have its limitations and upgrade-specific quandaries thanks to a PCI-E 4.0 graphics slot for those looking to stick with socket AM5 for AMD’s perceived longevity, if you plan a motherboard upgrade down the line, it should not be a pressing concern for the foreseeable future. At the same time, the chipset fan, which looks great as part of the motherboard’s overall aesthetic can get loud in certain circumstances, making it a somewhat less ideal motherboard to partner your ITX build with if you desire silence as part of your minimalistic build approach.

GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX

The Best Value Budget Motherboard For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

$201 $230 Save $29

The Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX is a high-end motherboard featuring the B650 chipset that allows it to command a much lower price point, closer to AMD’s more budget-oriented motherboard lineups. It is a capable entry that also offers a PCI-E Gen 5 M2 slot that should allow access to faster PCI-E 5.0 storage down the line

Brand

Gigabyte

Memory Slots

4

Memory Type

DDR5, Upto 6666MHz

Form Factor

ATX

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 6E

USB Ports

Upto 19 USB ports

M.2 NVMe Connector

3 x M2 connectors

CPU Support

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series

Chipset

B650

Socket

AMD AM5

Power Phases

14+2+1

Networking

2.5G Ethernet + Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3

Pros

• Has excellent I/O and Wi-Fi 6E networking options that make it an excellent platform to start your AM5 journey from
• Excellent build quality and design for a budget B650 motherboard
• High overclocking headroom versus the competition; supports upto 6666MHz DDR5

Cons

• A somewhat-crowded CPU area with heatsinks makes the install process a somewhat tedious affair
• Has a PCI-E Gen 4 slot for GPUs

The GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX is an excellent and capable entry in our list as the feature-packed Wi-Fi 6E-Enabled motherboard remains a mainstay on our recommendations list. The B650 AORUS Elite AX happens to be an excellent contender for the best budget motherboard overall but given its value proposition that includes an excellent networking stack, solid I/O, Gen 5 M2 support, and good overclocking support to boot. While looks are always a personal preference for most of us, there is no denying that the Aorus Elite AX looks better than most of the other motherboards on our list and the aesthetic uplift does give it leverage over similarly spec’ed motherboards even if they come with the reliable 14+2+1 phase power delivery system that the Gigabyte motherboard does.

While the motherboard gimps on debug LEDs and limits its GPU slot to Gen PCI-E, these tradeoffs are more or less acceptable considering the price range we are looking at. All in all, the Aorus Elite AX is a bargain to be had at a price range where would be looking for much less – and in some cases are offered much less by the competition, making it a solid purchase for your new Zen-4 based X3D Ryzen processor.

Update: The GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX still happens to be an excellent entry-level motherboard simply by virtue of its price alone. With a further $10 discount on its MSRP on Amazon, the B650 is poised to become the entry-level motherboard for the masses thanks to its dense feature-set and affordable price for an AMD motherboard coupled with its somewhat premium feel, even if it resorts to debug LEDs in a mid-range motherboard offering from Gigabyte.

ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming WiFi

The Best Premium Budget Motherboard For AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D

Premium Meets Value And Aesthetics

The ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming Wi-Fi is arguably one of the best-looking budget motherboards we have seen lately. While it does push the definition of a budget motherboard in terms of price, it does deliver a host of features in the well-built package that feels premium.

Brand

ASUS

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-E 4.0

Memory Slots

4

Memory Type

DDR5, Upto 6400MHz, upto 128G

Form Factor

ATX

Wi-Fi

Yes, Wi-Fi 6E

USB Ports

16

M.2 NVMe Connector

3 x M2 Socket

CPU Support

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series

Chipset

B650

Socket

AM5

Power Phases

12+2

Networking

2.5G Ethernet + Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2

Pros

• Easily the best design in our list of budget AMD motherboards
• Has plenty of I/O including networking such as triple M2 slots, Wi-Fi 6E and upto 16 USB ports
• Excellent build quality with decent 12+2 Phase power delivery

Cons

• PCI-E Slot is 4.0, which might be a concern for some users looking for future-proofing their AM5 motherboards
• Does seem to have multiple user reports of Ram issues when attempting to overclock – possibly fixed in a future BIOS update

The ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming Wi-Fi 6E is our candidate for the best premium budget motherboard, which is quite a mouthful and also somewhat self-contradictory at first glance. Thankfully, due to the price point it retails at, you could call it a correct statement as it brings the Strix’es high-end looks to a B650 motherboard chipset, and the results are essentially a polished design featuring some of the latest tech that Asus has to offer. The looks are somewhat similar to higher-end Strix motherboards, but people expecting a more premium motherboard might complain about the limited onboard RGB lighting which is a fair issue given its middle-of-the-road pricing.

All in all, the ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming Wi-Fi 6E is an excellent motherboard with decent power delivery (12+2 phase), a solid network stack comprising Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G Ethernet and Bluetooth 5.2, and decent overclocking potential out of the box, in addition to ASUS’s Strix bios layout which is arguably better than most of its competitors in terms of UI and options. There is a drawback of the PCI-E slot being gen 4.0, but that is more of a future-proofing factor; there is no PCI-E gen 5.0 GPU out to date.

Update: The ASUS ROG Strix B650-A Gaming Wi-Fi 6E gaming motherboard continues to be one of the most good-looking B650 motherboards out there and has plenty on offer when it comes to connectivity, looks, and features. While prices have not moved significantly beyond an $5 discount on both retailers we track for this motherboard, it is a testament to its offerings that it retains its slot on our recommendation list as a premium budget offering for AMD’s new Ryzen 9 X3D processors.

Looking For More Than A Motherboard?

If you have already picked a motherboard for your Zen 4, X3D-based processor, do consider checking out our guide for the best AMD processor for gaming as we go head-to-head between the Ryzen 9 7900X3D and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. If you are looking for the best motherboard possible for your processor, do check out our guide for the best motherboards you can get for the Ryzen 9 7950X3D (and other AM5-based processors such as 7900X3D/7950X).

If you have already picked up the motherboard and processor, it would be a great time to pick up some Ryzen-specific memory to round off your purchase given that it is available at a deep discount of late. While you are at it, do check if you have adequate cooling; AMD’s Ryzen 7 and 9 X3D processors tend to run hot with lower thermal limits than their predecessors, and a good cooler can make all the difference in terms of performance on your brand-new AMD system.

FAQ

Q: Is PCI-Express 5.0 Important on a new motherboard?

Yes and no. Currently, while there are no PCI-Express 5.0 GPUs available, PCI-E 5.0-based SSDs are already out for high-end consumers making this a more important requirement if you plan to get high-end SSD storage. However, if you go PCI-E 4.0 as a choice on your motherboard, that is also fine for any current-gen system. PCI-E 5.0 might be at best a future-proof choice

Q: What AMD motherboards do the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D work with?

All AMD AM5-based motherboards that are either B650 or X670-based will support the 7900X3D or the 7950X3D but that might not be the case out of the box. You might need a BIOS update for older versions of said motherboards. There are workarounds to upgrading your BIOS without a processor, but they vary from vendor to vendor. Always check the details on a vendor’s page to see if their motherboard supports your processor on the BIOS version it shipped it before attempting any troubleshooting. It could save you valuable time and hassle.