Compare Motherboards

19 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 20 Aug 2026

Pick any two to four of the 19 ranked motherboards and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi, MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II and MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk WiFi.

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Motherboards compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	MSI MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi	MSI MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II	MSI MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk WiFi	Gigabyte Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7	ASRock ASRock Z890 Taichi	Gigabyte Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master	MSI MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi	ASUS ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero	ASRock ASRock X870E Taichi	ASUS ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero	ASRock ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi	Gigabyte Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro	Gigabyte Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7	ASUS ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme	ASUS ASUS TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi	ASUS ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi II	MSI MSI MEG X870E Godlike	ASRock ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi	MSI MSI MEG Z890 Godlike
Tier	S	A	A	A	B	B	C	C	D	D	D	D	D	F	F	F	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 19	2 of 19	3 of 19	4 of 19	5 of 19	6 of 19	7 of 19	8 of 19	9 of 19	10 of 19	11 of 19	12 of 19	13 of 19	14 of 19	15 of 19	16 of 19	17 of 19	18 of 19	19 of 19
Ladder points	988 LP	777 LP	697 LP	671 LP	626 LP	622 LP	487 LP	428 LP	353 LP	327 LP	278 LP	271 LP	235 LP	207 LP	207 LP	187 LP	186 LP	157 LP	145 LP
Our verdict	MSI’s flagship AM5 board delivers solid VRM, excellent BIOS and a long-term track record of reliability.	Strong overclocking potential on the B850 platform, with premium features like Wi-Fi 6E at a reasonable price.	The X870E variant adds PCIe 5.0 support and a refined power stage, keeping the same proven durability.	Strong Wi-Fi but weak VRM and infrequent firmware updates make it less reliable.	ASRock’s Taichi line is built on a proven PCB design and has shown low failure rates in long-term testing.	Gigabyte’s Master series is known for its solid build quality and long-term firmware support.	MSI’s Z890 board offers the same robust build quality as its X870 siblings, with added PCIe 5.0 lanes and a firmware that stays stable over time.	The Maximus Z890 is noted for its durable construction and firmware updates that keep it secure over years.	The X870E Taichi inherits the same robust power delivery and firmware longevity as its Z890 counterpart.	ASUS’s flagship Crosshair is praised for its firmware stability and long-term support, making it a reliable choice.	Inconsistent power delivery and lagging firmware updates make it less reliable.	The Pro variant offers the same durable construction as the Master but at a more accessible price point, with firmware that remains stable.	A reliable board trapped in a pointless chipset; the non-E X870 premium buys nothing a B850 lacks.	The worst combination in the category: maximum price, dead-end platform, and the industry's most-criticized support operation. Buy almost anything else on this list first.	Budget appeal but weaker firmware and higher failure risk.	Premium Z790 board with top-tier power delivery and features; priced high, but still offers better performance per dollar than many flagship boards.	The MEG line is built for longevity; its high-end VRM and extensive cooling options give it a reputation for lasting performance.	Compact size but limited expansion and sparse firmware updates raise reliability concerns.	A flagship-priced showcase on a socket with no future; build quality is real, ownership value is not. Buy the Z890 Taichi or Z890 Tomahawk.
What reviewers rate	Solid VRM design Excellent BIOS support Long-term proven durability Excellent power delivery	Strong overclocking potential Wi-Fi 6E support Reasonable price Excellent VRM	PCIe 5.0 support Refined power stage Same durability as X870 Excellent performance	High-speed Wi-Fi Aorus branding Wi-Fi 7 support Solid VRM	Proven PCB design Low failure rates Durable Strong VRM cooling	Solid build quality Long-term firmware support Reliable Robust VRM	Robust build quality PCIe 5.0 lanes Stable firmware Good VRM	Durable construction Regular firmware updates Secure Premium build quality	Robust power delivery Firmware longevity Same quality as Z890 Solid feature set	Firmware stability Long-term support Reliable build Premium power delivery	Strong marketing Wi-Fi support Solid VRM Good overclocking headroom	Durable construction Stable firmware More affordable Solid build	Fundamentally a reliable, well-built board Includes forced USB4 connectivity	Top-of-line flagship hardware and feature loadout ASUS's UEFI interface is regarded as the best in the business	Budget price Wi-Fi support Affordable price Wi-Fi 6E	Top-tier power delivery Rich feature set Good performance per dollar	High-end VRM Extensive cooling Longevity Extreme VRM	Compact design Wi-Fi support The standout Mini-ITX B850 option Frequently surfaced in community roundups as the small-form-factor value pick	Impeccably built Showcase extras like the LCD dashboard for buyers who want them
Where it falls short	Costs more than the B850 Tomahawk, which delivers most of the same ownership experience	Trims high-speed connectivity versus the X870/X870E tier	Costs noticeably more than the X870 Tomahawk	Weak VRM design Sparse firmware updates Risky for long term Gigabyte's AM5 BIOS cadence had early stumbles before improving	ASRock's historically weaker software/firmware tooling Slower BIOS polish than rivals The LGA1851 platform is a dead end with no CPU upgrade path	Still a premium-priced board above the mainstream picks	LGA1851/Arrow Lake is a dead-end socket with no upgrade path Platform liability caps long-term ownership value regardless of board quality	Nothing recorded	Older revision Higher price for similar performance Poor VRM cooling Limited I/O	ASUS's documented warranty and RMA reputation problems 'Anything but ASUS' is now a recurring sentiment among builders	Inconsistent power delivery Firmware lags new CPUs Less durable	Missing premium features Similar price to better variant Lower performance Higher price than comparable	Non-E X870 forces USB4 but lacks the second chipset of X870E Costs meaningfully more than B850 for connectivity that is largely a wash in practice The B850 Aorus Elite WiFi7 or B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi II are the better buys Not a bad board, but a bad deal	Even higher price than the Godlike, the most expensive board here Same dead-end LGA1851 socket with no platform longevity Carries ASUS's current warranty and RMA reputation, the worst among the big four vendors The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero is the defensible ASUS flagship; this is not	Firmware updates lag Higher failure rate Less durable	No PCIe 5.0 No Wi-Fi 6E	High price Limited feature advantage Flagship money for an LCD panel and VRMs nobody outside LN2 competition will stress Same gaming performance as the far cheaper B850 Tomahawk	Limited expansion options Sparse firmware updates Longevity concerns ASRock's firmware caveats apply	Flagship money for a socket Intel has already abandoned Money buys an LCD dashboard and E-ATX excess rather than longevity Zero CPU upgrade path on LGA1851 The Z890 Taichi or Z890 Tomahawk deliver the experience for a third of the price
Evidence behind it	22 sources across 20 outlets	47 sources across 39 outlets	35 sources across 29 outlets	35 sources across 29 outlets	17 sources across 14 outlets	32 sources across 27 outlets	23 sources across 17 outlets	9 sources across 9 outlets	35 sources across 29 outlets	8 sources across 8 outlets	11 sources across 10 outlets	30 sources across 27 outlets	18 sources across 16 outlets	4 sources across 4 outlets	11 sources across 11 outlets	6 sources across 5 outlets	32 sources across 23 outlets	10 sources across 9 outlets	11 sources across 10 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	Not flagged	1 of 10 research runs	1 of 9 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	3 of 10 research runs	2 of 11 research runs	1 of 5 research runs	2 of 9 research runs	2 of 7 research runs	3 of 6 research runs	1 of 7 research runs	1 of 5 research runs	3 of 9 research runs	1 of 6 research runs	3 of 5 research runs
Announced	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	May 2026	Not recorded	Sept 2025	Not recorded	Oct 2024	Not recorded	Apr 2025	Not recorded	Sept 2025	Sept 2024	Oct 2024	Oct 2022	Oct 2023	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
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Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.