The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is the company's most powerful processor in the 9000 series. With 16 cores and a maximum boost speed of 5.7GHz, it's a weapon for gamers and developers alike. To get the most out of this CPU, you need to install it on a powerful platform. AMD's AM5 motherboards are an excellent foundation for powerful PC builds, and we've rounded up some of our favorites here that will do wonders with the 16-core beast.
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Editor's Choice
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
The ROG Strix It offers excellent build quality and power delivery, which is exactly what you need for a CPU like this. You also get two PCIe 5.0 GPU slots and three PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD slots. With the subtle RGB lighting, it looks chic and complements the 7950X perfectly.
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Premium choice
MSI MEG X670E GODLIKE motherboard
This is easily one of the best AMD motherboards for enthusiasts. In addition to the eye-catching design, you get a fully shielded circuit board, three PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, an expansion card for two additional Gen5 M.2 SSDs and an external touch display for OC tuning and system monitoring. The only downside is the high price, but if you can afford it, it's worth it.
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Best value
ASRock X670E PG Lightning
The ASRock X670E PG Lightning is the best AM5 motherboard if you are on a tight budget. It may lack some of the bells and whistles of the others, but since it's based on the X670E chipset, you're guaranteed good power delivery, a PCIe Gen 5 GPU slot, and overclocking capabilities. The board even features a unique white and black design that makes it special.
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Best white motherboard
Gigabyte X670E Aorus Pro
There's hardly a better-looking white motherboard than the Gigabyte CPU suitable. A sensor panel can be easily connected to the onboard link along with official skins.
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Best E-ATX board
GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master
The X670E Aorus Master is our top choice if you're looking for a full-size gaming motherboard. It features a 16+2+2 VRM design, thermal protection for all M.2 SSD slots, and a quick-release system for the GPU and SSD ports, making component replacement easy. You also get built-in Wi-Fi 6E and two USB-C ports in the rear I/O panel.
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Best Mini ITX
ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming Wi-Fi
This no-compromise compact motherboard from Asus goes above and beyond and is one of the best Mini-ITX motherboards. Aside from the obvious limitations like fewer RAM slots, you get premium features throughout like robust heatsinks and the ROG Strix Hive desktop I/O pod, which offers controls, status LEDs and USB ports – right at your fingertips.
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Best design
MSI MPG X670E Carbon WiFi
For anyone looking for a stealth build or just wants a board with a killer design, the MPG X670E Carbon WiFi is hard to beat. The completely matte black surface and the subtle RGB backlighting for the dragon logo exude style. It's an X670E based board, meaning there's no shortage of PCIe Gen5 bandwidth and you get improved cooling for the VRMs and SSD sections.
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Best ATX board
GIGABYTE X670 AORUS Elite AX
The Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX has a simple design and is reasonably priced for all the features it offers. The DIY-friendly design includes a quick release M.2 slot, a 16+2+2 phase VRM solution and a PCIe 5.0 GPU slot. The rear I/O panel has numerous USB ports, including a 20Gbps Type-C port.
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Best value for money in white
MSI X670E Gaming Plus Wi-Fi
The MSI Plus, this board costs well under $300, making it an affordable purchase.
How to choose the best motherboard
Choosing the best motherboard for the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X depends on your available budget, whether you want to overclock the CPU, and how many features you need. Lower priced chipsets and motherboards limit certain features like USB 4.0 support, have fewer ports, slower PCIe slots, and slower memory speed support, but you can save a significant amount of money and the processor will largely perform as intended. However, it is a 16-core chip with a maximum boost speed of 5.7 GHz.
I recommend pairing this flagship processor with a mid-range motherboard like the Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming. It's not over the top, but still has a great specs list for more powerful PC builds. Such motherboards are designed for processors like the 9950X with an X670 or X670E chipset. Because it's an X670E chipset, this Asus motherboard features 24 PCIe 5.0 lanes for impressive memory and expansion card speeds. In addition to choosing the right motherboard, it is important to consider the best CPU cooler and RAM for the Ryzen 9 9950X.