Motherboards

Capable, Affordable, and a lot of rear USB ports

Improved, but still needs some work to compete with the big boys.

An inexpensive Micro ATX option with a PCIe 5.0 slot and 20 Gbps USB port

Mini-ITX with three M.2 sockets and 40 Gbps ports for under $350.

Designed for Overclockers, but does it all well!

Affordable and (mostly) capable

The cheapest B650 board around does the job, but with some sacrifices.

A good-looking, well-equipped Z790 motherboard. But it’s expensive.

TUF looks and features at a more palatable price point.

Sonic the Hedgehog-themed, Micro-ATX budget-class board offers an inexpensive way into 13th-gen Intel processors.

The B650E Steel Legend is a grey/steel mid-range board that performed well in our testing. But just two SATA ports and a dated audio codec could be a turnoff considering the $269 price.

Unique black/purple graffiti appearance, 14 USB ports, five M.2 sockets, and a wallet-friendly price?

The Asus ROG Strix B650E-E Gaming is a cost-effective, B650 flagship-class motherboard with 12 USB ports on the rear IO, two PCIe 5.0 M.2 sockets, and a solid audio solution for under $350.

High-end hardware and premium appearance, at a premium price

Taichi styling, a 40 Gbps port and overbuilt power delivery for $369.99.

Five PCIe 5.0 M.2 sockets and 13 USB ports for $350

DDR4-based, with a premium audio codec and all-black appearance, but the price is too high

Good for your AM5 basics, but the competition is more refined

Dual PCIe 5.0 M.2 socket and plenty of USB ports.

Unique marbled appearance, plus 14 USB ports (including two USB4/Thunderbolt 4)