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Last reviewed: August 14, 2026
X870 sits in an interesting position in AMD’s AM5 motherboard lineup. It gives you USB4 as a standard platform feature, PCIe 5.0 connectivity for graphics and NVMe storage, CPU overclocking, DDR5 memory tuning and support for Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 processors without automatically moving to the larger lane budget of X870E.
That does not mean every Ryzen build should use X870. If you do not need USB4 or the extra high-speed connectivity, a good B850 board can often accomplish the same gaming job for less. X870 starts making more sense when storage, fast external devices, connectivity or expansion are part of the reason you are choosing the motherboard.
The X870 motherboards I would shortlist
MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
The best balance here if you want lots of storage, 5Gb networking, USB4 and excellent troubleshooting features in a conventional ATX build.
- 4 M.2 slots with two CPU-connected Gen5 positions
- 5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, USB4 and excellent debug tools
- Limitation: the second Gen5 M.2 slot shares bandwidth with USB4
ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi
The distinctive choice for streamers and creators who actually need a huge number of USB connections and several fast SSDs.
- 4 M.2 slots: two Gen5 + two Gen4
- 5GbE, Wi-Fi 7, dual USB4 and unusually extensive USB I/O
- Limitation: only two SATA ports
ASUS X870 MAX GAMING WIFI7
Choose this when you want the core X870 benefits without paying for storage and networking features you are unlikely to use.
- Dual USB4, Wi-Fi 7 and PCIe 5.0 x16
- 3 M.2 slots + 4 SATA covers most gaming PCs comfortably
- Limitation: 2.5GbE and fewer M.2 slots than the MSI or LiveMixer
ASUS ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WiFi
One of the few ways to get X870, dual USB4 and modern AM5 features into a genuinely compact Mini-ITX system.
- Mini-ITX with USB4, Wi-Fi 7 and PCIe 5.0 graphics
- Gen5 primary M.2 + Gen4 secondary M.2
- Limitation: only two DIMMs and two M.2 slots
Compare the best X870 motherboards
Swipe → to see the full comparison
| Motherboard | Form factor | M.2 | Ethernet | USB4 | Best for | Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI | ATX |
4 total 2 × Gen5* |
5GbE | 2 × 40Gbps | Balanced high-end ATX build | Amazon → |
| ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi | ATX |
4 total 2 × Gen5 |
5GbE | 2 × 40Gbps | Creators & USB-heavy setups | Amazon → |
| ASUS X870 MAX GAMING WIFI7 | ATX |
3 total 1 × Gen5 |
2.5GbE | 2 × 40Gbps | Straightforward X870 gaming build | Amazon → |
| ROG Strix X870-I | Mini-ITX |
2 total 1 × Gen5 |
2.5GbE | 2 × 40Gbps | Small-form-factor PCs | Amazon → |
* Exact PCIe generations and lane configurations can change with the Ryzen processor installed. Check the motherboard specification for your exact CPU.
Do you actually need X870?
Before choosing between these four boards, make sure X870 is the chipset tier you actually need.
AMD’s current AM5 stack makes the choice relatively easy once you focus on connectivity rather than the chipset name.
Swipe → to compare B850, X870 and X870E
| Chipset | GPU PCIe baseline | Gen5 NVMe | USB4 | Total usable PCIe lanes* | Who should buy it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B850 | PCIe 4.0 | Yes | Optional | Up to 36 | Gaming/general builds that do not need X870 connectivity |
| X870 | PCIe 5.0 | Yes | Standard | Up to 36 | High-end gaming and creator builds needing USB4 |
| X870E | PCIe 5.0 | Yes | Standard | Up to 44 | Expansion-heavy systems with multiple high-speed devices |
* AMD platform maximums. Individual motherboard implementations differ.
Buy B850 if…
Your system will have one graphics card, a normal number of NVMe drives and ordinary peripheral requirements, and USB4 is not important.
A good B850 board still supports CPU overclocking, DDR5 EXPO and Gen5 NVMe. For a gaming-only Ryzen X3D system, moving from B850 to X870 does not automatically produce more FPS.
Buy X870 if…
You want USB4 as part of the platform, PCIe 5.0 graphics connectivity, strong modern I/O and a high-end AM5 board without needing X870E’s larger expansion budget.
This is why X870 makes particular sense for high-end gaming PCs that also double as creator systems or workstations.
Buy X870E if…
You know you need more expansion: several very fast NVMe drives, multiple add-in cards, high-end networking, extensive I/O or another configuration that actually benefits from the additional usable lane budget.
X870E does not automatically make the CPU faster
The reason to pay for X870E is additional platform connectivity and expansion. If your PC contains one GPU and two SSDs, a good X870 or even B850 board may deliver exactly the same useful CPU and gaming performance.
If you are not convinced you need X870, compare our Best B850 Motherboards before spending more.
The four X870 motherboards in detail
1. MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI
The X870 Tomahawk is the board I would use as the starting point for most full-size X870 comparisons because it gets the fundamentals right without turning the motherboard into a showcase for features that very few people will use.
Storage is particularly strong. There are four M.2 positions. With Ryzen 7000 or 9000 processors, the first two CPU-connected positions can run at PCIe 5.0 x4, while the remaining chipset-connected positions provide additional Gen4 storage. Four SATA ports remain available for conventional SSDs and hard drives.
The network configuration is also a meaningful step above many mainstream boards: 5-gigabit Ethernet is paired with Wi-Fi 7. Rear connectivity includes USB4 alongside several 10Gbps connections, and MSI provides a 20Gbps front Type-C header for compatible cases.
Troubleshooting is another reason I like the layout. MSI provides Clear CMOS and Flash BIOS controls, four debug LEDs and an EZ Digit Debug LED. Those features are far more useful when a new build refuses to POST than another decorative heatsink.
The main caveat is lane sharing. USB4 and the second CPU-connected M.2 position share bandwidth. When M2_2 is populated, both it and the USB4 controller operate with reduced PCIe bandwidth. MSI allows you to give M2_2 its full x4 connection in BIOS, but doing so disables USB4.
Buy it if: you want a high-end ATX AM5 board with four M.2 positions, faster wired networking and useful troubleshooting features.
Skip it if: you intend to use the second Gen5 M.2 drive and USB4 heavily at the same time and that bandwidth tradeoff matters to your workload.
2. ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi
The LiveMixer is exactly the kind of product that shows why every motherboard page should not simply contain “budget, best overall and premium” recommendations.
Its reason to exist is connectivity.
ASRock equips the board with two USB4 Type-C ports, a separate rear USB Type-C connection, seven rear 5Gbps Type-A ports and six additional rear USB 2.0 connections. There are even more connections available through internal headers.
That sounds excessive until you build a streaming or creator system with a webcam, microphone, capture interface, Stream Deck, audio hardware, external SSDs, controller, keyboard, mouse, lighting and other USB devices. In that environment, eliminating external hubs is a real motherboard feature.
Storage is also strong. Two M.2 positions support PCIe Gen5 x4 and another two support Gen4 x4. Networking is 5Gb Ethernet plus Wi-Fi 7.
The main storage compromise is SATA: ASRock provides only two SATA ports. For a modern all-NVMe build this might not matter at all. It is more restrictive if you maintain a large collection of SATA SSDs or hard drives.
Buy it if: you genuinely have a USB-heavy creator, streaming or production setup.
Skip it if: your system has a keyboard, mouse and headset and you would never use the enormous I/O advantage you are paying for.
3. ASUS X870 MAX GAMING WIFI7
The X870 MAX GAMING WIFI7 represents a different kind of X870 buyer: somebody who wants the platform’s core modern connectivity without turning the motherboard into one of the most expensive parts in the PC.
ASUS still gives you the features that justify choosing X870 in the first place. The main graphics connection can run at PCIe 5.0 x16 with compatible Ryzen 7000 and 9000 processors, and there are two 40Gbps USB4 Type-C connections on the rear panel.
Storage is simpler than on the Tomahawk or LiveMixer: one M.2 position operates at PCIe 5.0 x4 and two additional slots run at Gen4 x4. Four SATA connections are also available.
For a gaming system with one OS SSD, one large game SSD and room for a future third NVMe drive, that is already enough storage. There is little benefit in paying for four or five M.2 positions if they will remain empty.
The same reasoning applies to networking. ASUS uses 2.5Gb Ethernet rather than the 5Gb connection on the MSI and LiveMixer. If the rest of your home network is 1Gb or 2.5Gb, that is not necessarily a practical disadvantage.
Buy it if: you want dual USB4, Wi-Fi 7 and PCIe 5.0 graphics in a straightforward three-M.2 ATX system.
Skip it if: you specifically need 5Gb networking or four-plus onboard NVMe drives.
4. ASUS ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WiFi
The X870-I is not the board to buy because Mini-ITX sounds more premium. It is the board to buy when reducing the physical size of the PC is one of the main objectives of the entire build.
Within those limits, ASUS fits a surprisingly complete X870 platform into a 6.7-inch square board. With Ryzen 7000 and 9000 processors, the primary graphics slot runs at PCIe 5.0 x16 and the first M.2 position runs at PCIe 5.0 x4. The chipset-connected second M.2 slot operates at Gen4 x4.
Rear I/O is unusually strong for a tiny board. There are two USB4 Type-C connections, five 10Gbps USB ports, Wi-Fi 7 and Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet. BIOS FlashBack and Clear CMOS controls also remain accessible from the rear.
ASUS moves some functionality onto the supplied ROG FPS card and external ROG Strix Hive II because there simply is not enough physical room on Mini-ITX for everything an ATX board can carry.
And the limitations are real: two DIMMs, two M.2 slots and one conventional expansion slot. That is perfectly reasonable in a 10-liter gaming PC and completely unnecessary in a full-size tower.
Buy it if: the entire PC is being designed around a genuinely compact Mini-ITX case.
Skip it if: you have room for Micro-ATX or ATX and expect to add storage or expansion cards later.
What actually matters when choosing an X870 motherboard
1. Start with the features that made you choose X870
This sounds obvious, but it prevents a lot of overspending.
If you do not need USB4, PCIe 5.0 graphics or a richer high-speed I/O configuration, ask whether you need X870 at all. A good B850 board already supports Ryzen CPU overclocking, EXPO memory tuning and Gen5 NVMe storage.
X870 makes more sense when you can point to a specific feature and say: “That is why I am spending more.”
2. Count M.2 drives by speed and connection — not just quantity
Four M.2 slots do not automatically make one motherboard better than a board with three.
Determine how many SSDs you will actually install, which need Gen5 bandwidth and where their lanes originate. CPU-connected Gen5 storage and chipset-connected Gen4 storage can have very different implications for bandwidth sharing.
For a gaming PC, three M.2 positions may already provide many terabytes of practical storage. A creator working with several local high-speed scratch drives may legitimately benefit from four or more.
3. Read the lane-sharing notes before buying multiple Gen5 drives
High-end motherboards have many connectors, but CPUs and chipsets still have finite PCIe resources.
The MSI on this page demonstrates why the manual matters: its second Gen5 M.2 position and USB4 controller share bandwidth. That does not make the board bad; it simply means you need to understand the configuration if both devices are central to your workload.
Similar tradeoffs exist across modern motherboards. The headline M.2 count never tells the entire story.
4. 5Gb Ethernet is only valuable on a multi-gigabit network
I prefer 5Gb Ethernet on a high-end motherboard when everything else is equal, but it should not decide the purchase unless the network can use it.
A fast NAS, multi-gigabit switch and suitable cabling can make 5GbE useful for video and large-file workflows. A system connected to a 1Gb router receives no benefit from the motherboard supporting 5Gb.
5. USB count can matter more than extreme overclocking hardware
For many creator systems, this is the overlooked motherboard specification.
Cameras, microphones, audio interfaces, capture devices, Stream Decks, external storage, controllers and everyday input devices can consume a large number of USB ports quickly.
That is why the LiveMixer is on this list. It is not here because I consider it “second best” to the MSI. It solves a different problem.
6. Don’t rank X870 boards by VRM phase count alone
All four motherboards here provide power delivery designed for modern AM5 processors. The more useful question is whether the board can comfortably sustain the CPU and workload you plan to run.
Once that requirement is met, the difference between a very capable VRM and an extremely overbuilt one rarely changes normal gaming performance.
For most buyers, M.2 layout, USB, networking, BIOS features and physical expansion are more likely to affect ownership.
7. Ryzen 8000 can change the PCIe configuration
Do not assume every AM5 CPU exposes the same lanes and generations.
Several motherboard specifications change when a Ryzen 8000-series desktop processor is installed. A slot advertised as PCIe 5.0 with a Ryzen 9000 or 7000 CPU may operate at PCIe 4.0 or with fewer lanes on a different processor.
Always check the exact motherboard specification against the CPU you intend to use.
What I would avoid when buying X870
Do not pay for X870 just because your CPU is expensive
A Ryzen 9 or Ryzen X3D processor does not automatically require an X870 motherboard.
If the PC uses one graphics card, two SSDs, ordinary networking and no USB4 devices, a good B850 motherboard may provide everything the system needs.
Likewise, do not automatically jump from X870 to X870E because it is the higher chipset. X870E earns its place when the build genuinely benefits from the additional expansion and high-speed lane budget.
Other X870 motherboards worth considering
GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE
One of the more interesting choices for a white build. Current revisions provide four M.2 positions, dual USB4, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE and extensive tool-free installation features.
ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi
Another strong light-colored alternative with three M.2 slots, dual USB4, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE and an ALC4082 audio implementation.
GIGABYTE X870 EAGLE WIFI7
Worth checking when local pricing makes it attractive. It retains the core X870 features including dual USB4, Wi-Fi 7 and a Gen5 primary graphics connection without trying to compete with enthusiast boards on every secondary specification.
Continue building your AM5 system
X870 motherboard FAQ
Is X870 worth it over B850?
X870 becomes worth considering when you want features such as USB4 as a standard platform capability and PCIe 5.0 graphics connectivity. For a simpler gaming PC that does not need those features, B850 can provide the same useful CPU performance for less.
Is X870 or X870E better?
X870E provides a larger total PCIe lane budget and is better suited to expansion-heavy systems. X870 retains USB4, CPU and memory overclocking, Gen5 graphics and Gen5 NVMe support and is sufficient for many high-end one-GPU systems.
Does X870 support Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 CPUs?
Yes. X870 is an AM5 chipset supporting Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 desktop processors. Exact PCIe lane generations and configurations can differ with the CPU installed, so check the board’s specifications for your processor.
Does X870 support Ryzen CPU overclocking?
Yes. AMD lists both Ryzen processor overclocking and DDR5 memory overclocking with EXPO as enabled on X870.
Do all X870 motherboards have USB4?
USB4 is a standard part of AMD’s X870 platform specification. The exact number and implementation of USB4 connections still varies by motherboard.
Does X870 support PCIe 5.0 graphics cards?
AMD specifies PCIe 5.0 graphics connectivity for X870. Exact operation can depend on the processor installed, particularly when comparing Ryzen 7000 and 9000 processors with some Ryzen 8000 models.
How many M.2 slots should an X870 motherboard have?
Three is already enough for many gaming PCs. Four becomes more useful for creator systems, large local storage libraries and workloads using multiple scratch drives. Check lane-sharing rules as well as the raw slot count.
Is 5Gb Ethernet necessary on an X870 motherboard?
No. It is useful when your NAS, switch and other local network equipment support multi-gigabit speeds. If the rest of your network is 1Gb or 2.5Gb, a 5Gb motherboard connection provides little immediate benefit.
Is X870 good for a Ryzen 7 9800X3D?
Yes, but X870 is not required simply because the 9800X3D is a high-end gaming CPU. Choose X870 if you also want its connectivity and expansion features; otherwise a good B850 board can be a sensible pairing.
Should I buy an X870 Mini-ITX motherboard?
Only if compact size is an important goal. Mini-ITX sacrifices DIMM, storage and expansion capacity to achieve its size, so ATX or Micro-ATX is usually more flexible when the case has room.
Specification references
Platform and motherboard specifications were checked against current AMD and manufacturer documentation. Exact specifications can vary by revision and by the Ryzen processor installed, so verify the exact model before purchasing.
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