Best B850 Motherboards: Top 3 Picks for Your First Build in 2023
With CES now behind us, the spotlight has turned to the upgraded B650 series and the new B850 motherboards designed for AMD’s AM5 socket. ASUS and Gigabyte have already rolled out their first batches of these exciting new products, while MSI is just getting started with two initial offerings. However, Star has managed to uncover the specifications of a few other boards that might interest you—so if you’re in the market, be sure to keep this information handy!
Here’s a look at the first wave of products from the Big Three:
**ASUS:**
– Strix B850-E
– Strix B850-F
– Strix B850-A Snow (a fan favorite for its sleek white design)
– TUF B850-Plus
– TUF B850M-Plus
**MSI:**
– B850 Edge Titanium
– B850 Tomahawk
– B850 Gaming Plus
– B850-P
– B850M Mortar (perfect for compact builds)
**Gigabyte:**
– B850 AORUS Elite
– B850 AORUS Pro
– B850M AORUS Pro
– B850M Gaming X
– B850M DS3H
A few key points to keep in mind about these motherboards:
1️⃣ The ASUS Strix B850-E stands out with its USB4 interface, effectively placing it in the same league as an X870 motherboard. However, there’s a trade-off: using any M.2 slot below the GPU will reduce the speed of the graphics card slot to PCIe 5.
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2️⃣ For the rest of the lineup, utilizing the M.2 interface directly connected to the CPU may either reduce or disable non-GPU PCIe expansion slots. Since these slots aren’t frequently used by most users, we won’t delve too deeply into them here.
Star’s take on these boards? While they do bring some improvements over the B650 series, the differences aren’t dramatic enough to justify the significant price hike, which brings them dangerously close to the cost of the X870. On the flip side, the X870, with its mandatory USB4 (except for the WeChat X870 Tomahawk), doesn’t offer much better M.2 PCIe channel support compared to the B650. It’s enough to leave even the savviest shopper scratching their head [disappointed R][disappointed R].
Fortunately, AMD CPUs don’t demand extreme power supplies, meaning many B650 motherboards can comfortably handle high-end processors like the Ryzen 9 9950X. So, before pulling the trigger, consider your specific needs and choose wisely [doge][doge][doge]!
Edward Grant 
Ada Stephens 
Bennett Schmidt
I’m really interested in building my first rig with an AM5 socket, so it’s great to see some solid options coming out with the B850 chipset. I had no idea MSI was just starting with their lineup; I’ll definitely look into all three brands mentioned. It’s cool how quickly the tech evolves, especially with CES updates. I wonder how these B850 boards compare in terms of value against the newer B650 ones.
Great question! While B850 offers exciting new features, B650 tends to have better overall value due to its support for more RAM channels and higher power delivery. That said, if your build doesn’t need those extra capabilities yet, B850 can be a fantastic budget-friendly choice. It’s awesome to see such rapid innovation—CES always leaves me eager to see what’s next! Thanks for your interest and engaging with the article. 😊
I’m still deciding between the B650 and B850 options, but it’s good to know what’s out there from different brands. The specs on those new B850 boards sound promising, especially for someone building their first rig. I’ll definitely check out ASUS and Gigabyte’s offerings first since they seem to have more models available right now.
I’m thinking about building my first rig with an AM5 socket, so it’s good to know about these new B850 options. The specs on those hidden boards from Star sound intriguing, especially compared to what ASUS and Gigabyte are offering. I’ll definitely consider all these when making my final decision.
Great roundup! I was just researching B850 boards for my upcoming AM5 build, and the ASUS option caught my eye – seems like the perfect balance of features and price. Would love to see more details about MSI’s upcoming models though, their boards usually have solid VRM designs.
Thanks for your kind feedback! MSI’s upcoming B850 models are indeed promising, especially with their reputation for robust VRM performance—I’ve heard early rumors about improved power delivery and cooling. We’ll definitely keep an eye out and update the article if more details emerge. Happy building with your AM5 setup!