The short answer: for most X870 builds under $300, buy the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. Choose the ASRock X870 Pro RS WiFi when keeping motherboard spend as low as possible matters more than 5Gb networking and four fast M.2 slots. For a Ryzen 9 workstation, the ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi is especially attractive, … Read more
The short answer: for most AM5 builds that genuinely need USB4, I would start with the MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi. Choose the ASRock X870 Pro RS WiFi when you want the simplest lower-cost route to dual 40Gbps USB4, the X870 LiveMixer WiFi when you have a desk full of peripherals, or the ASUS ProArt … Read more
The short answer: for most AM5 builds under $200, I would buy the ASRock B850 Pro RS WiFi. If you use Ethernet and the ASRock B850 Pro-A is meaningfully cheaper, buy that instead. For Micro-ATX, the B850M Riptide WiFi is my first choice, while the Gigabyte B850M AORUS Elite WIFI6E ICE is the strongest alternative … Read more
The short answer: for most compact gaming PCs, I would start with the PowerColor Reaper RX 9060 XT 16GB. It is only 220mm long overall, two slots thick, uses one 8-pin connector and gives you 16GB of VRAM. Move to the ZOTAC RTX 5070 Ti SOLID SFF OC when you need much more GPU performance … Read more
The short answer: for most high-end AM5 Mini-ITX builds, I would start with the ASUS ROG Strix B850-I Gaming WiFi. Buy the Gigabyte B850I AORUS Pro instead if it is meaningfully cheaper, and pay for X870 only when you can name the USB4 device you actually need to connect. Last reviewed: August 27, 2026 Mini-ITX … Read more
Micro ATX AM5 buyer’s guide Best Micro ATX AM5 Motherboards in 2026 The best Micro ATX AM5 motherboard is not automatically the newest or most expensive one. The right board depends on whether you need two or four M.2 drives, Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE or 5GbE—and whether the money saved would buy a … Read more
9800X3D vs 9850X3D Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs 9850X3D: Which One Should You Buy? The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the faster processor, but it is not a new architecture or a larger CPU. It is essentially a higher-clocked version of the 9800X3D—and independent testing puts the real gaming advantage at roughly 0–4%. The short answer Buy … Read more
The short answer: the SAPPHIRE PULSE RX 9070 XT is the GPU I would start with for most Ryzen 7 9850X3D gaming builds. Choose the GIGABYTE RX 9060 XT Gaming OC 16G for high-refresh 1080p and less demanding 1440p gaming, or the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 5080 OC when 4K ray tracing, DLSS, CUDA or … Read more
The short answer: use the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE for a gaming-first build, choose the Noctua NH-D15 G2 LBC when you want premium quiet air cooling, or install the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 when sustained all-core work, PBO or maximum thermal headroom matters. Last reviewed: August 21, 2026 The Ryzen 7 9850X3D … Read more
The short answer: choose the PSU for the graphics card, not just the Ryzen 7 9850X3D. I would use 750W for an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT build, 850W for an RTX 5080 or for more upgrade headroom, and 1000W for an RTX 5090. For most high-end 9850X3D gaming PCs, the Corsair RM850x … Read more
