The Best Motherboards You Can Buy in 2023

Intel and AMD are both pushing new tech upgrades along with their CPUs including, but not limited to PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5. Both of these require significant chipset upgrades that also double as a requirement for both Intel’s 12th and 13th generation and AMD’s Ryzen 7000 Series processors and the recently-launched 7000 Series X3D processors.

This has ushered in a new generation of Intel and AMD motherboards to support said tech upgrades and their newest processors. Intel offers the H610, B660, H670 & Z690 chipsets for the 12th generation and H710, B760, H770 & Z790 chipsets for the 13th generation. For AMD, the charge is led by the B650, B650E, X670, and X670E with the A620 series recently being unveiled.

Here are some of the best Intel and AMD motherboards handpicked by the team at GameRant to help you make an educated purchase this year:

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is a gaming-themed motherboard that should cater to gamers, creators, and productivity professionals alike thanks to its feature set and future-proofing that allows it to command the top slot on our list as the best overall Intel motherboard you can currently buy for gaming, productivity, and content creation.

It throws USB 4.0 into the fray on a motherboard with plenty of I/O, decent cooling, and excellent power delivery all in a neat package that doesn’t skimp in the looks department. If you mean business, the Maximus Hero does too, thanks to a full stack of networking capabilities, ample M2 slots and USB ports as well as support for highly overclocked ram on offer.

Bottom line: An expensive all-rounder that should have you covered no matter what 12th or 13th generation Intel processor you decide to go for, if you are willing to pay the oft-mentioned ‘ROG’ tax.

The GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master Motherboard is an excellent X670E chipset-based motherboard that delivers the tall ask of acceptable AM5 performance with plentiful I/O options and premium design and it does so at a relatively large discount over some of its most immediate competitors that have offerings that cost $100 or more above the ask.

With an excellent power delivery system that is adequately cooled in tow with SSD slots that also maintain low temperatures, the Gigabyte X670E Aorus Master has you covered on the networking and I/O fronts thanks to plenty of USB ports, M2 slots, and PCI-E 5.0 support in tow. It did have some software issues at launch, but that is somewhat a standard when you are an early adopter of a new platform like AM5. Multiple BIOS updates later, the X670E Aorus Master has excellent memory compatibility, runs the new X3D processors with ease and offers a set of features that few if any motherboards can beat, and even less so at the price points it competes at.

Bottom line: A solid, premium motherboard with plenty of I/O options and networking features, and excellent cooling at a price that seems more affordable than other competitors’ offerings.

The MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 is an excellent entry-level B760 motherboard that redefines what a budget Intel motherboard should be in 2023. With a full stack of networking options, decent SSD, and VRM cooling out of the box, and the ability to use your older DDR4 memory, the B760 Tomahawk Wi-Fi is a cost-conscious pick for an Intel motherboard that should suit gamers, content creators, and tech enthusiasts on a budget alike.

At the same time, gamers might feel a bit miffed about the lack of RGB on the motherboard itself even as content creators and productivity-centric consumers might appreciate the lack of distractions on their PC. This, coupled with users who want the latest options or at least potential upgrade paths to DDR5 may make the Tomahawk feel like a less worthy option than some of its more RGB-heavy peers. You can pick up the DDR5 variant of the same motherboard for only $10 more, making it a worthy upgrade if you want to go for DDR5 instead.

Bottom Line: An excellent, versatile B760 motherboard that delivers a solid spec sheet and decent build quality but skips on RGB lighting altogether.

The GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX is a capable B650 chipset-based motherboard with an excellent networking stack coupled with decent DDR5 memory in tow on a spacious ATX motherboard. With decent power delivery, 4 ram slots, and a comprehensive 5-year warranty, it doesn’t leave much to ask for, especially from a budget-level gaming motherboard.

The B650 Aorus Elite is a complete package and while you might feel that a PCI-E Gen 4.0 X16 slot is dated, it still runs every current-generation graphics card at full capacity currently. It is important to note that the motherboard does come with some issues that require a BIOS update to get sorted, something that some end users might not like in addition to somewhat questionable heatsink placement that can be a bit annoying to handle while fitting in the motherboard in a case.

Bottom line: Solid specs, excellent networking, and a decent price, all have you going for the Aorus Elite B650 Motherboard. While it’s not perfect, it comes close to taking on most X670 motherboards.

The EVGA Z790 Classified Gaming Motherboard is an enthusiast-tier Z790 offering that is also our pick for the best premium/performance tier Intel motherboard out there that justifies its somewhat premium ask while offering plenty of features, overclocking support, and unique design to make for one of the cleanest PC installs you can manage in 2023.

It does have its quirks though; the biggest of them is the lack of PCI-E 5.0 storage altogether, even as more PCI-E 5.0 SSDs make their way to retailers. Also, the E-ATX form factor, driven by the RAM slot movement means that this motherboard will struggle to fit in smaller cases that do not meet the E-ATX standard and might require a complete overhaul, including a case swap to work as intended.

Bottom Line: Excellent features, powerful overclocking support and plenty of I/O make the supersized EVGA Z790 an excellent motherboard choice in 2023 for Intel users but the lack of M2 PCI-E 5.0 ports is a sore point.

The ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme Motherboard is the most premium AMD motherboard currently available for purchase thanks to its support for USB 4.0, excellent memory overclocking, top-end networking and outstanding power delivery, making it one of the best options you can go with when it comes to AMD’s AM5 platform. As an E-ATX motherboard, this too shares the same issues of space when it comes to smaller PC cases, which could force you to make a case upgrade too.

It does make use of the added real estate quite well. It integrates excellent RGB control, throws in the signature premium Crosshair OLED display and looks and feels like the best motherboard money can buy because it probably is. It does enable display via USB-C if you don’t want to use a discrete GPU (which you probably do) but seems to skip on HDMI and DP altogether making the use of an adapter a somewhat necessary consideration to be made.

Bottom Line: Expensive, but loaded to the brim with features, the Crosshair X670E Extreme is second to none when it comes to the AM5 platform and is a must-buy for enthusiasts who want that extra set of features as an option.

What Should I Look For When Picking A Motherboard?

CPU Support: With Both AMD and Intel’s motherboard chipsets getting regular refreshes and the latter’s socket regularly changing, it is important to know if the motherboard you plan to get works with the CPU you plan to pair it with.

Some motherboards might require a BIOS update; this is something you would want to know since it would limit your need to diagnose issues stemming from a lack of compatibility of a newer processor on a motherboard with an older BIOS version that does not recognize the CPU you paired to it. Some motherboards may not get BIOS updates to support the latest generation, making it a good idea to check for compatibility fairly early in your build considerations.

An example would be Intel’s 12th and 13th gen CPUs. While the 12th gen supports both Intel’s 12th and 13th generation motherboards, the 13th gen requires a mandatory BIOS update on most 12th gen motherboards to run smoothly.

Memory Support: The first important distinction one needs to make when looking for a new motherboard is if it is DDR4 or DDR5 compatible. While AMD’s AM5 socket-based motherboards are only DDR5 and AM4 are only DDR4-based, making this an easier affair, Intel’s motherboards for the 12th and 13th gen offer DDR4 and DDR5 SKUs.

While this is a welcome addition for most system builders and enthusiasts, many of which would like to use cheaper DDR4 memory or repurposed modules from older builds, it does also require you to know which motherboard you are getting out of the box. Thankfully DDR5 memory is considerably cheaper now, making a transition to the newer memory modules an easier task than it was previously.

Storage Expansion Options: Modern games require increasingly larger amounts of storage to retain larger game engines and larger game assets as time goes on. This results in significantly larger storage requirements for modern gamers.

On the productivity front, the same is true with modern applications often taking up large chunks of space. Given that some users also want to have a backup drive or secondary storage, it is worth checking out what storage slots your motherboard has and if they are enough for your current and future storage needs.

Ideally, if you are a power user or need storage for gaming or productivity reasons, you should want multiple M2 (NVME) slots on your motherboard and possibly SATA slots if you plan to go for hard drives over SSDs. Given that modern SSDs are historically cheap currently, it does make sense to pick one off shelves (virtually) instead of delaying that purchase.

Form Factor: A motherboard’s form factor is an important thing to consider since it directly influences, your choice of case, expansion options, and area on your work desk or alternatively legroom depending on where you place your PC. This does directly affect aesthetics and also the cooling options you might have in some cases.

Some smaller motherboards have reduced memory slots too, opting for 2 versus the standard 4 DIMMs which could hamper upgrade potential. Ideally, you want an ATX motherboard for most PC cases, but you can also invest in an mATX/ITX case if you want a smaller PC or an EATX case if you want to maximize your build in terms of expansion slots and features.

PCI Express Compatibility: It is important to check what PCI-E slots the motherboard has. While PCI-E slots are backward and forwards compatible, it can restrict your ability in some cases to get the most out of your new SSD drive or graphics cards.

While the highest-end GPUs currently cap out at PCI-E 4.0 x 16 speeds, it can also help to be ready for PCI-E 5.0 speeds at the GPU level to ensure a GPU upgrade next generation is only a graphics card swap away.

Price: As motherboards push past a certain configuration, moving from essential requirements to recommended requirements, they start moving into enthusiast territory where they get expensive extremely fast for features that one could consider niche in certain cases.

This does result in users looking for budget options in both Intel’s 12th and 13th-generation motherboards and AMD’s new AM5-based motherboards for their Ryzen 7000 series processors. Many of these options are competitive and offer excellent features and value-added solutions that rival those of their higher-end peers in many cases.

FAQ:

Q: What are AM5 Compatible Processors?

A: AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 series processors are compatible with the AM5 socket available on some of the latest motherboards to release in 2023.

Q: Is PCI-E 5.0 Necessary for users in 2023?

A: PCI-E 5.0 is a relatively newer standard that is backwards compatible with PCI-E 4.0; it offers double the bandwidth of its predecessor but has yet to see widespread adoption in 2023 with plenty of PCI-E 5.0 motherboards available but peripherals being much harder to find currently. If you must have the fastest SSD storage possible, it might be a necessary consideration for you. There are currently no mainstream GPUs that use PCI-E 5.0-tier bandwidth effectively, making it more of a future-proofing mechanism than an actual need currently.