Looking for the best motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X?

The Ryzen 9 9950X is the peak of what AMD offers in the CPUs department today. This processor features 16 cores, 32 threads, and a boost clock of 5.7GHz. Such a beastly CPU needs a good motherboard to extract its full potential, and in this guide I’ll help you find the right one for you.

I have done an extensive review of the top 3 motherboards for the Ryzen 9 9950x and rated them according to VRM Design, Aesthetics, Features and Value For Money.

Before moving on make sure you check the following detailed tutorial on how to choose the best motherboard for you: How To Choose The Right Motherboard For Your Needs: A Comprehensive Guide

Our Top Picks

• 3. MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi Gaming (Amazon)- Best Budget Motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X
• 2. ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi (Amazon)- Best Premium Motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X
• 1. GIGABYTE X870 Gaming X (Amazon) – Our Top Choice

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Why Should You Trust Us?

This guide is grounded in decades of hands-on experience. The author, Konstantinos Chiotis, has been an avid PC builder since the age of 14—amassing more than 24 years of experience in assembling and fine-tuning gaming rigs, workstations, and everything in between. Working in the tech industry for over a decade, he continually follows the latest trends in motherboards, processors, GPU innovations, and cooling solutions, ensuring every recommendation reflects both current market realities and time-tested know-how.

A meticulous approach to testing and analyzing hardware helps filter out marketing hype, focusing instead on what truly matters: reliable performance, ease of installation, and practical features for everyday use. From evaluating VRM design to checking PCIe and M.2 connectivity, each component’s strengths and weaknesses are carefully measured against the demands of modern gaming and content creation, offering readers trustworthy insights for any high-performance build.

How We Chose the Best Motherboards for Ryzen 9 9950X

Selecting a motherboard for a powerhouse processor like the Ryzen 9 9950X involves far more than matching socket compatibility. After all, 16 cores and 32 threads demand robust VRMs, efficient cooling, modern connectivity, and a price tag that feels justified once everything is considered. When comparing boards, each contender in this roundup was evaluated based on several crucial factors:

1. VRM Design & Cooling Efficiency
   • Examined the phase configuration (e.g., 12+2+1, 22-phase, 16+2+2) to see if it could handle heavy multi-threaded workloads without overheating.
   • Checked real-world temperatures under intensive applications like Cinebench to ensure stable operation, with some boards maintaining VRM temps around the low 80°C mark.
2. Memory Support & Overclocking
   • Focused on DDR5 compatibility, looking at official RAM speed support (e.g., up to 7200 MT/s, 8000 MT/s, or beyond).
   • Evaluated ease of memory overclocking. Features like user-friendly BIOS interfaces and Q-latch systems help eliminate fiddly screws or guesswork.
3. Connectivity & Expansion Options
   • Ensured availability of new-gen connectivity such as PCIe Gen 5.0 for at least one x16 slot or multiple M.2 storage slots.
   • Considered built-in Wi-Fi standards (6E or 7), multiple USB 3.0 or USB 4 ports, and Ethernet speeds (2.5Gb to 5Gb) for a complete user experience.
4. Design & Aesthetics
   • Looked for modern or understated aesthetics, checking for minimal RGB or integrated lighting for those who prefer a cleaner look.
   • Checked additional user-friendly features like Q-release or quick-latch levers on PCIe and M.2 slots, along with easily accessible debug LEDs and front-panel connectors.
5. Price-to-Performance Ratio
   • Balanced the board’s feature set against its cost. Some options aim for a budget-friendly approach, while others justify a higher price with advanced VRMs, multiple PCIe 5.0 slots, and enthusiast-grade extras.
   • Compared each motherboard to similar offerings in the same price bracket to ensure no critical features were missing.

Quick Comparison Overview

Each selection strikes a different balance. The budget pick is an excellent entry point with decent power delivery and cost-effective design. The premium pick targets enthusiasts by offering overbuilt VRMs, five M.2 slots, and top-notch extras. And the top pick delivers a middle ground—robust enough to handle overclocking, packed with conveniences like tool-less installation, and more affordable than the highest-end variants.

By carefully weighing power demands, memory speed capabilities, day-to-day performance, and price considerations, this list narrows down what truly matters for a CPU as demanding as the Ryzen 9 9950X. Whether the goal is to save on the build without sacrificing too many features, to max out performance headroom with premium hardware, or to strike a perfect balance, the ideal motherboard for this CPU is clearer once these considerations are applied.

Best Motherboards for Ryzen 9 9950X Reviews

3. MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi Gaming – Best Budget Motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X

The MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi is a great option for a value build with the Ryzen 9 9950X offering a low retail price point compared to its competitors, without compromising on any of the essentials that you would need to build a solid PC. This motherboard offers adequate VRMs, along with excellent connectivity options, and comes with the new WiFi 6E built-in for cherry on top.

Looking into the design and aesthetics, you are not going to find any RGB on the motherboard. For this price range, frankly, that shouldn’t be your main concern either. On the VRM heatsink, you will find the typical MSI branding with black and white dots and lines, and it follows the black and grayish theme throughout the board to further compliment the overall look. For a budget motherboard, it certainly does a great job at maintaining a decent aesthetic and highlighting different features of the board in relevant places.

The board also uses a silver steel armor PCIe slot, which not only reinforces the slot but also further continues the established theme of the board, followed by the chipset heatsink in the same aesthetic. All of this establishes a design harmony when looking at the board, which is certainly appreciable at a budget price point.

Coming to the power delivery, it uses a 15-phase VRM setup (12+2+1) which is cooled by two heatsinks. These heatsinks use aluminum along with a fin design on the sides and are relatively thick. You also get high quality thermal pads and choke pads that ensure the performance remains stable while your cores are running at a high speed. This allows them to manage the VRM thermals quite effectively, providing acceptable temperature levels of around 82 degrees celsius in Cinebench benchmark tests.

With a solid power delivery for your components, you are looking at potential overhead even for overclocking. It also provides 2 8-pin power connectors for the CPU. Needless to say, the power delivery will not be your bottleneck when it comes to performance.

Speaking of performance, the board features 4x DDR5 memory slots, with support for speeds up to 7200 MHz and a maximum capacity of 256GB. Along with that, you are looking at 2x PCI-e Gen 4 x16 slots for your graphics card. There is no support for PCI-e Gen 5, both in storage and x16 slots, so that is something to consider if you really are looking to future-proof your build.

For storage, you are getting 2x M.2 Gen 4 slots, with a dedicated heatsink and thermal pad for one of the slots that MSI is naming Shield Frozr. You also get an EZ M.2 clip that removes the need for a screw, making it even easier to install SSDs. This is a neat little addition to the features and not a common sight in this range.

In terms of connectivity, you get 7 USB ports on the rear IO. The great thing is all of these ports are USB 3.0, so you don’t have to worry about using an inferior port mistakenly. On the back panel, there’s also an HDMI and DisplayPort for integrated graphics, along with a 2.5 gig Realtek Ethernet port, and WiFi connectors for the built-in AMD WiFi 6E support. All of this is great, however, the IO shield does not come pre-installed. You will need to install it manually, before installing the motherboard.

Compared to its competitors, like the AsRock B650 Steel Legend WiFe or the ASUS TUF Gaming B650-E WiFi, the MSI board provides a better value for money, without missing any important features. Plus, you get better connectivity options, compared to the ASUS equivalent, along with a slightly better VRM setup.

All in all, the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi is a great option for a new gen value setup that offers all of the connectivity options you will ever need, along with a decent VRM setup that ensures the motherboard performs under high loads.

RATINGS:

• VRM Design: 8/10
• Connectivity: 9/10
• Aesthetics: 8/10
• Features: 8/10
• Value for Money: 8.5/10
• Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Number 2. ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi – Best Premium Motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X

While there is no shortage of excellent motherboards available for the 9950X and the AM5 platform, the X870E chipset is the pinnacle of the latest Ryzen 9000 CPU generation. With more PCIe 5.0 lanes than any other chipset and support for USB 4.0, X870E is the way to go for a CPU like the 9950X.

If you truly want to do justice to your high-end CPU, then I wholeheartedly recommend the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi. It’s the best premium motherboard for the 9950X, as it has everything a power user and hardware enthusiast could want out of their system.

Design-wise, it’s a beefy-looking motherboard that rivals the appearance of the gargantuan E-ATX motherboards we’ve seen in the past. The Strix X870E-E looks noticeably better than its predecessor thanks to the lower number of sharp edges. On top of that,the VRM cooling and heatsinks slop downwards to give it a more uniform appearance.

Since we’re talking about its predecessor, the X870E-E is an upgrade over the X670E version in every way. It has a more robust VRM setup, dedicated support for extra PCIe 5.0 lanes, and an extra M.2 slot.

Coming back to the design, I really appreciate the enthusiast-grade additions here. This board features Clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback buttons, a two-digit display that shows error codes, and a convenient Start button that removes the need to manually jump pins during testing. You’ll be right to expect all these high-end features on a board of this caliber, and I’m glad that ASUS did not skimp out here.

The clever design additions don’t end there. The Q-release button on the PCIe slots unlocks the security latch with the press of a button, and the Q-latches for the M.2 drives consist of a simple locking mechanism, meaning you don’t need to deal with those fiddly screws when installing M.2 drives.

Speaking of which, I respect the fact that you can install five M.2 slots into this board and run three of them at full PCIe 5.0 speeds. Even after eating up all those lanes, you’ll still have some left for your PCIe 5.0 graphics card when paired with a high-end processor like the 9950X.

As you can guess, I was not surprised with the performance of this motherboard either. It theoretically supports up to 8000 MT/s speeds (with overclocking) for DDR5 RAM kits. Given that the sweet spot for AM5 CPUs is 6400 MT/s, this is more than enough. However, I was surprised by the longer memory training times during boot.

If you’re unfamiliar, memory training is the motherboard’s process of configuring RAM to run at optimal settings, ensuring stability and compatibility. While this usually happens only on the first boot or after major changes, it can delay startup if prolonged. This won’t be a problem in everyday use, but it’s still surprising to see on such an otherwise high-performance motherboard.

Fortunately, the VRM design and power delivery system bring us back to the positive. I can’t overstate how impressive the 22-stage power delivery configuration is — it can truly handle any CPU on the market. Overclocking won’t be a problem either as long as you install a good CPU cooler.

As for connectivity, ASUS has kitted the rear of this port with 13 USB ports, two of them being USB 4. You also get access to Realtek 5Gb Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. You’ll also find the Clear CMOS and BIOS flashback buttons around the rear.

In terms of competition, you could go with something like a Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite WiFi to save some money. With Gigabyte, you get 4 M.2 slots instead of the 5 on the ROG Strix and a less comprehensive VRM configuration. If you only care about gaming, the Aorus Elite will be more than enough.

However, if you care about overclocking, ASUS’s excellent Aura Sync RGB implementation, and the extra PCIe lanes, I’m more likely to recommend the ROG Strix X870E. It’s a pricey board, but it has all the features that an enthusiast could want.

In conclusion, this motherboard won’t be for everyone because of the price. Despite that, it is excellent in every regard. If you are building a high-end motherboard and are willing to pay the ROG tax, you’re getting a lot of bells and whistles here that you won’t find elsewhere.

To sum up, what I like is….

• Fantastic design and build quality
• Aura Sync support for effortless RGB integration
• Plenty of M.2 slots for storage
• Overbuilt and robust VRM setup

On the downside…

• Pricey, compared to its competition

Ratings

• Design: 9/10
• Features: 9/10
• Connectivity: 9/10
• Power Delivery: 9.5/10
• Value: 7/10
• Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Number 1. GIGABYTE X870 Gaming X – Our Top Choice

If you’re looking for an x870 motherboard that offers high-end performance without the premium price of the X870E chipset, the GIGABYTE X870 Gaming X is an excellent option. This board features the X870 chipset, which keeps PCIe 5.0 for the primary slots but trades a few additional PCIe lanes for a more budget-friendly setup, making it a more practical choice for most users.

Compared to its predecessor, the X670 Gaming X, the X870 Gaming X features upgraded VRMs, with a 16+2+2 power phase design versus the older model’s 14+2+1. This means better power stability, especially important for supporting a high end CPU like the 9950X’s core count under heavier loads.

The VRM heatsinks have also been expanded, with larger finned aluminum heatsinks providing improved passive cooling over the X670.

Design-wise, Gigabyte maintains the subtle, brushed aluminum finish with minimum RGB around the rear IO cover and the heatsink. This overall design choice strikes a nice balance between aesthetics and function.

It’s nothing particularly flashy, but I appreciate the industrial look and the intuitive PCIe quick-release latches. You also get toolless M.2 SSD installation thanks to Gigabyte’s EZ-latch design.

While it’s a cheaper board than the high-end X870E alternatives out there, it doesn’t skimp out on performance. The DDR5 RAM support is rated at 8200 MT/s, which is more than enough for almost any RAM kit out there. You also get four M.2 slots, two of which are PCIe 5.0 ready. That’s more than enough for most setups, and it leaves room for those looking to expand storage with high-speed drives.

However, it does lack a bit in the BIOS department compared to some higher-end boards. It’s slow and difficult to navigate, so troubleshooting things can sometimes be a problem. On top of that, the physical debug LED on the board is in a poor position that can easily be hidden by cables.

That’s a minor complaint considering the price, as the rest of the board is fantastic. The robust VRM setup is another positive point. It’s not as overbuilt as some of the more expensive X870E boards but will still comfortably support a CPU like the 9950X, even with mild overclocking. Plus, the VRM cooling solution is excellent, with chunky heatsinks ensuring stable performance under load.

On the connectivity front, you get access to 10 USB ports, and two of them are Type-C USB 4 ports. You also get Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and 2.5 Gigabyte Ethernet. Around the back, you also get a BIOS flashback button and two Wi-Fi antenna connectors to boost signal strength.

The ASRock X870 Pro RS is the closest competitor, and it’s a tight battle between the two. To some, the ASRock board might look a bit better, but it has a slightly weaker VRM setup. Feature-wise they are nearly identical, so personally I prefer the Gigabyte X870 Gaming X as it manages to be slightly cheaper without skimping out on the experience.

All in all, the Gigabyte X870 Gaming X is the best value motherboard you can buy if you’re looking to get into the AM5 platform with a Ryzen 9000-series CPU. It has a robust VRM system, user-friendly features like the BIOS flashback button, and a clean industrial design. While the BIOS is a bit clunky, it doesn’t take away from the excellence of this motherboard at all.

To sum up, what I like is….

• Affordable price
• Impressive power delivery design
• Easy M.2 SSD installation
• Excellent memory overclocking

On the downside…

• BIOS is a bit slow and clunky

Ratings

• Design: 8/10
• Features: 8.5/10
• Connectivity: 9/10
• Power Delivery: 9/10
• Value: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 8.5/10

FAQ

1. Which chipset generally works best with the Ryzen 9 9950X?
When looking for a chipset to pair with the Ryzen 9 9950X, it’s important to consider power delivery and expansion options. The latest X870 line often includes more PCIe lanes and USB 4.0 support, making it a top choice for enthusiasts. However, B650 chipsets still provide robust performance at a lower cost, making them suitable for budget-conscious builds.

2. How important is the VRM design for the Ryzen 9 9950X?
When deciding on a motherboard for the Ryzen 9 9950X, the VRM design is essential. This CPU’s 16 cores demand a stable power source, so look for at least a 12-phase VRM design to maintain steady performance under heavy loads. Higher-end boards might feature 16 phases or even more, which helps keep temperatures in check and supports better overclocking potential.

3. Do motherboards for the Ryzen 9 9950X support DDR5 memory?
Yes, most AM5 motherboards compatible with the Ryzen 9 9950X come with DDR5 slots for higher memory speeds. This upgrade can improve system responsiveness and gaming performance. Check the official specs for maximum RAM speeds to ensure the best compatibility.

4. Is PCIe 5.0 support necessary for my build?
PCIe 5.0 provides faster data transfer rates for graphics cards and NVMe SSDs, making it a forward-looking choice. Current hardware may not saturate PCIe 5.0 fully, but having it ensures compatibility with next-generation devices. For tighter budgets, PCIe 4.0 boards can still deliver strong performance at a lower price point.

5. Can the Ryzen 9 9950X be overclocked on most AM5 motherboards?
Yes, the Ryzen 9 9950X can be overclocked on most AM5 boards with an unlocked BIOS. The success of an overclock largely depends on the motherboard’s power delivery system and cooling setup. Higher-end chipsets often come with more stable overclocking features to handle the CPU’s higher power draw.

6. What is the benefit of having multiple M.2 slots?
Multiple M.2 slots allow for easy installation of high-speed SSDs, which can significantly reduce loading times in games and speed up file transfers. Having more than one slot also lets users run multiple drives in the same system, improving both workflow and storage organization.

7. What is the typical I/O setup on motherboards supporting the Ryzen 9 9950X?
Expect a mix of USB 3.x ports, a USB Type-C or USB 4.0 port, Ethernet (commonly 2.5Gb or higher), and audio jacks. Some boards include advanced features like BIOS Flashback buttons or additional display outputs. Make sure the I/O configuration suits the peripherals you have now and might add in the future.

8. How can I ensure the motherboard delivers enough power to the CPU?
Start by checking the VRM phase count to confirm it meets the Ryzen 9 9950X’s power demands. At a minimum, a 12-phase VRM design is recommended for stability under load, while 16 phases or higher are ideal if aiming for aggressive overclocking. Additional power connectors (such as dual 8-pin EPS) and large VRM heatsinks also indicate a motherboard designed for reliable power delivery.

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Konstantinos Chiotis

Combining a passion for tech and enthusiasm for games sparks dedication. Striving to learn the ways of new technologies and discussing components such as motherboards, GPUs, and processors in detail is a part of Konstantinos's life. These factors are what drive him to write eloquently on hardware comparisons and reviews. Most importantly Konstantinos is a PC builder since he was 14years old and he has been in the tech industry for more than a decade and that is what makes him stand above in the realm of PC gaming and hardware.

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