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Use the tabs at the bottom to navigate chipsets!Wi-Fi Key (AM5)
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Missing/incorrect information? Feature/motherboard addition requests?
Contact me through Discord, email (thriplerex@gmail.com), or Reddit message.
DO NOT send a request for edit access. These will be rejected.
BrandingCardWi-Fi
Bluetooth
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QualcommQCNCM86575.3
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Created by Thriplerex (u/3_Three_3)Ethernet Key (AM5):IntelBE200/BE20275.4
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Support my work on Ko-Fi!ControllerTypeIntelAX210/AX2116E5.3
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Established: September 15th, 2022Intel X710Double 10GIntelAX200/AX20165.2
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Last updated: May 2nd, 2024Broadcom BCM57416Double 10GIntel9260NGW55.1
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Current revision: v2.8.0pMarvell AQC113C10GKiller (Intel)Killer AX16756E5.3
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Latest AGESA: 1.1.7.0Intel I226-V2.5G
AMD (Mediatek)
AMD RZ73875.3
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Intel I225-V2.5G
AMD (Mediatek)
AMD RZ71775.3
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Links to my other motherboard spreadsheets:Realtek RTL8125BG2.5G
AMD (Mediatek)
AMD RZ6166E5.2
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AMD WRX80Killer E3100(G)2.5G
AMD (Mediatek)
AMD RZ6086E5.2
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AMD AM5 (you are here!)Broadcom BCM5720LDouble 1GMediatekMT792775.3
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AMD TR5
Realtek RTL8111(F/EP)
1GMediatekMT792575.3
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Intel W790Intel I2101GMediatekMT79226E5.2
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Disclaimer: This is a solo, non-collaborative project I maintain in my spare time. As I am only human, there may be the occasional mistake; you can contact me directly to fix them. Do not ask to share access.
However, as the end user, you are responsible for the final choice of a product; this spreadsheet is only here as a resource and not a tier list.
I will not be responsible for any poor purchasing decisions.		MediatekMT7921K6E5.2
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MediatekMT792165.2
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RealtekRTL8852CE6E5.3
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RealtekRTL8851CE65.3
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RealtekRTL8852BE65.2
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RealtekRTL8821CE55.0
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Credits: Manufacturer specs pages for images
Harukaze5719's spreadsheet for some VRM info
u/NerdyKyogre for fine-tuning
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FAQ
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- Will you tier the boards in any fashion?

No. This document is first and foremost a database, NOT a tier list. I have no intention of changing that.

Unlike other motherboard spreadsheets out there, I will not be tiering these because relative pricing and market conditions tend to invalidate any sort of feature/category tiering at MSRP.
Different users have different purchasing/feature priorities, and creating tiers often makes everything below the top few levels be ignored, regardless of what those levels actually entail.
In terms of general advice I will give, it is to purchase the motherboard that meets your necessary criteria - that is, buy only what you need, and don't waste money on what you won't use.
This spreadsheet is merely here as a resource to aid in that.

- Can I ask you questions about purchasing motherboard X or Y?

As long as they aren't intended to validate your own confirmation bias towards a particular choice.
What I may have to say may or may not be to your liking, as I am also an individual with my own opinions that may differ from yours.
Any troubleshooting-related questions should be directed elsewhere as well; I am not a resource for that.

- Will you add images of the boards themselves?

Not on the main database pages, as the intent of this spreadsheet is to compile data on the motherboards. However, I may link a seperate gallery sheet in the future.
Images of rear I/O are added for layout previews; additionally, manufacturer pages have been linked for your perusal and convenience.

- Why haven't you updated the maximum RAM capacity and supported QVL frequencies?

Maximum RAM capacity is listed the way it is for a reason, and updates to these changes are already noted in cell notes, as well in the header notes.
Another reason is that I would not like to be responsible for someone trying to run 24/48GB/64GB DIMMs on an older board without updating the BIOS beforehand for proper support,
and then blaming this spreadsheet for it not working without bothering to read into the nuances of how these things work.

- Why is X board missing?

1) I haven't noticed it yet, in which case you can file an addition request by contacting me, or
2) It is in a proprietary, odd-shaped OEM form factor that would not fit in a regular case's standoffs, which I will not be listing here.
3) Unlike with consumer motherboards, I do not have time to hunt down every server/industrial board due to the myriad amount of manufacturers that are out there.
Please contact me for these to be added.

- Will you do a spreadsheet for upcoming platforms?

I have no plans to create spreadsheets for LGA1851 or any other upcoming platforms at this time. If I do, it will have stricter requirements for a motherboard to be listed.
This is especially due to the sheer volume of motherboards it would entail - for every AMD motherboard released, there are two or three Intel motherboards, so it would effectively quadruple my work.
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General
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- Motherboards not from the "Big Four" (Asus, MSI, ASRock, and Gigabyte) or the "Small Four" (NZXT, EVGA, Colorful, and Biostar) often have scant information on them.

- Server motherboards are listed seperately on their own tab.

- PCIe slots connected directly to the CPU are indicated in bold. M.2 slots connected directly to the CPU are denoted in the notes for the cell where the configuration is listed.

- High-side and low-side MOSFETs have their maximum continuous drain current (often at Tc=25 C) listed.

- Phoenix (Ryzen 8000G) CPUs have cut-down PCIe lane allocation, usually splitting x8/x4/x4 (Phoenix 1) or x4/x4/x2 (Phoenix 2).
I will not note bandwidth cuts to avoid further cluttering the notes sections, but I will note disabled slots.
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Wi-Fi, Ethernet, & Thunderbolt/USB4
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- For boards without Wi-Fi, if the market price difference to a version with Wi-Fi ends up being enormous,
it can be cheaper to buy the version without and add an M.2-2230 E-key AX200/210/211 Wi-Fi 6 or later card if the board has such a slot.

- I have added a column for this purpose that denotes whether the M.2 E-key slot designated for Wi-Fi modules is designed for simple end-user replacement,
without having to take out the motherboard to access hidden screws.
If the module is fully hidden behind a heatsink or fully enclosed in a metal shroud, it will not be regarded as easily accessible.
However, this does not mean they cannot be replaced; the process is simply more involved. This video may be helpful.

- A lot of boards carry finicky-at-times (but otherwise okay) Realtek-based Ethernet NICs. This is practically unavoidable until you get to the mid-higher end of both B650 and X670.

- Intel's own i225-V is in theory superior to Realtek-based solutions despite having had its own issues in the past (which have hopefully been stamped out by now with the B3 stepping.)

- Many boards also can have multiple possible wireless networking cards; generally, Intel's AX200/210/211 is the most desirable for reliability, followed by Marvell (not seen yet),
and lastly, least priority being AMD/Mediatek and Realtek.

-If one desires to change out the wireless network card, I suggest finding a board that has an exposed M.2 Wifi card slot (usually ASRock boards are the best at this.)

-Thunderbolt headers and AICs: Gigabyte and ASRock share a 5-pin clip-style TB4/USB4 header, whereas Asus, Biostar, and MSI (although not on AM5) have their own unique headers.
If compatible, the AIC must be inserted into an electrically x4 chipset-linked PCIe slot, and often needs to be enabled in the BIOS.
The GC-MAPLE RIDGE AIC can be used for both Gigabyte and ASRock boards if ASRock's TB4 card is unavailable, and vice versa. Asus boards require the ThunderboltEX4.
MSI has only one TB4/USB4 board on AM5 (X670E Gaming Plus Wifi, which takes the ThunderboltM4 8K,) and it is unclear what card is intended for Biostar's boards, if it even exists.
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Trends... and brands
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- ASRock tends to provide the best value with its boards' featuresets relative to market pricing and are also the only one of the "Big Four" to not have been embroiled in a recent scandal.
Historically, they tend to undercut the competition slightly, though the degree to which corners are cut has been minimized lately, for the better.

- Asus's offerings tend to be overpriced in some fashion and their boards are often subpar feature-wise compared to similarly priced competition (barring some exceptions within their B650 TUF lineup.)
I have always found it very hard to recommend Asus boards in general, especially in light of the recent controversies - regardless of the way they were handled in the end.

- MSI and Gigabyte tend to both have good feature sets for the price, though the lack of a 6 layer PCB on all of MSI's B650 boards may be a turnoff for some.
Gigabyte sometimes skimps on debug LEDs with their entry-level offerings. Both faced recent security vulnerability issues, which were addressed with BIOS updates.

- The bottom line is: every brand has their ups and downs, and where the big picture is concerned, all of the "Big Four" are bad in one aspect or another, whether it be business practices or otherwise.
In other words, they all suck, especially when it comes to their software. Go off the individual product, not the brand. I cannot stress this enough.
If someone tells you brand A is to be avoided, you'll likely find a similar sentiment from others against brands B, C, and D as well - to the point where you might as well avoid everyone and not build a PC at all.
Think about it that way.

- Some Asus boards have "CSM" (Corporate Stable Model) variants - these are otherwise identical to their non-CSM counterparts apart from having Asus Control Center Express for IT management.
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Features
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- Most consumer B650/X670 AM5 motherboards have BIOS flashback, Type C internal headers, and at least 2.5G Ethernet. However, there are exceptions, like the B650M-PG/ITX w/o flashback.
A noticeable amount also come with cheap (but crucially, usable for the sake of sound) ALC897 audio codecs.

- Instead of trying to find a board with a better codec, use a cheap Type C dongle (like the $8 Apple headphone dongle) or an external SDAC+AMP for best audio results.
The audio codec should not be a make-or-break decision when selecting a board; it is often overvalued against the other elements of a motherboard like VRMs tend to be.
However, audio port configuration is understandably a different story when dealing with home theaters or other speaker setups.
Asus and Gigabyte motherboards may also use ALC887 in addition to ALC897.

- All X670 motherboards have either built-in USB4 or a Thunderbolt 4 header except for all of the MSI boards so far and the X670E Pro RS (due to the lack of a chipset x4 slot.)
They all also have ridiculously overkill VRMs. Most are also all ridiculously expensive; even entry level X670 (and more ideally, B650) should have more than sufficient features for most people.

-A legitimate reason for getting X670 would be if a wealth of PCIe bandwidth is needed for 4 or more M.2 drives or expansion cards.
Having an expensive X670 motherboard for the sake of it being expensive is not a valid reason. More expensive does not mean better, and most users do not need anything that X670 offers,
especially those who think they do. No, you do not need that X670E Crosshair Hero because it's "future proof." A motherboard a third or half the price does the same job.

- Overkill VRMs can be said for most of B650 as well (besides the Asus B650 Prime series, as seen here; as well as some purpose-made CEC-compliant boards.)
Even traditionally lower end segments like the B650M-HDV/M.2 and DS3H can take a 7950X full bore stock from HWUB's testing.
As they are, the B650 Prime boards remain fine for the other Zen 4 CPUs; there are exceptions (namely those boards with bare VRMs), but even those are alright with the likes of a 7600, 7500F, or other 65W CPU.
VRMs are indeed important, but not nearly as important as many can make them out to be - especially on AM5. If one cares about upgradability, there is no need to spend much when an HDV/M.2 gets the job done.

- One does not necessarily need a motherboard that can take a 7950X full bore when only running a 7700X; it just so happens that the majority of them can do that. See here for why that is.

- The X670 Aero D and X670 Aorus Pro were shown off at Computex 2022 but have yet to be released - they may have been canceled. Info in this spreadsheet is based on the samples shown then.

-A common misconception is that micro-ATX is worse than ATX; this is not always true, especially concerning A620 ATX boards against B650 mATX options.
Even for intra-chipset comparisons, this most often holds in the sub-$200 range.

-A handful of entry-level Gigabyte B650 boards are locked to prevent CPU (but not RAM) overclocking, despite the chipset otherwise supporting it.
These are largely based on certain A620 PCBs with very weak VRM configurations or are system integrator-exclusive boards.
The opposite is also true: some A620 motherboards have been reported to have PBO settings in the BIOS.
However, these will not be listed because the vendors may lock them down at any time - they are not intended as a feature on the A620 chipset.
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