Get a new motherboard now even though I won't be using it for some years?

[A Computer Guy]

Asrock LiveMixer will give you cpu: x16, x4 + chipset: x4 and it's affordable $150 for a rare and colorful orange-ish painted motherboard that you will never tire of looking at.
Micron MTC20C2085S1EC56BD1 DDR5-5600 64GB ECC (2 sticks) works with this board as listed in my profile.

Having said that don't buy anything you don't need unless you need to have spare parts on hand or unless you can get it in a good deal. If you can sell your stock anytime to recoup your costs then I guess it doesn't matter.

 

[Dr. Dro]

The only reason to buy a Motherboard you won't use for a while if it's a limited run like XOC ones or ASUS ProArt. Those rarely get a second production run.

This, or if you have a specific need for a given hardware and software combination that must remain static over time and cannot be upgraded or changed due to support contracts or driver availability.

Besides, the motherboard is always losing some worth as it ages (with very rare exceptions applying), but the dollars on your bank account will net you a very small amount of interest

 

[eidairaman1]

Test your equipment as you get it fresh to avoid rma headaches, I'd go AsRock.

 

[valerianf]

I am doing similar to the OP: I bought a last generation AM4 board (x570s) and also a AM5 board (x670e) with all the peripherals.
For now I am using a AM4 x370 motherboard that I will replace beginning of next year.
The AM4 board is for my vacation house.
The only gamble is getting a motherboard or a component that is DOA.
But the advantage is buying when the prices are low.

 

[Bill_Bright]

The only gamble is getting a motherboard or a component that is DOA.

Those are BIG gambles and certainly not the "only" gambles. Many more have been stated above.

I note the OP said he's planning on storing the unused motherboard for "some years". Are you talking similar times? And you say with your AM5 board, you also bought "all the peripherals" too. "All the peripherals" suggests everything but the case and maybe PSU. I would not call that similar because one of the "gambles" is availability of those peripheral "compatible" components in the future.

And speaking of compatibility, AM4 and AM5 are not. And of course the x370 chipset does not support much of the advanced technologies the x570 does.

You say you are replacing the x370 board the beginning of next year - that is nearly upon us. How long have those unused board been sitting on the shelf? And what will you be replacing the x370 with?

But the advantage is buying when the prices are low.

You are assuming prices will only rise. That is not always a given.

 

[eidairaman1]

I am doing similar to the OP: I bought a last generation AM4 board (x570s) and also a AM5 board (x670e) with all the peripherals.
For now I am using a AM4 x370 motherboard that I will replace beginning of next year.
The AM4 board is for my vacation house.
The only gamble is getting a motherboard or a component that is DOA.
But the advantage is buying when the prices are low.

Go to a shop and have them test it so you don't risk the headache

 

[valerianf]

The x370 board will be replaced with the x670e board.
I have all the components (processor,DDR5, nVME, power supply...).
The board has been powered and I have updated the bios successfully.

On the x570s board alas the situation is a little dire.
I bought it oversea for my vacation house more than one year ago.
Alas I did not power it and will do it only mid 2025.
I have also all the components that are going around including the case.
This build could bring some surprise, but AM4 is a proven and stable platform.

I am worrying more about the AM5 build.
New bios are popping up several time by month.

 

[A Computer Guy]

The x370 board will be replaced with the x670e board.
I have all the components (processor,DDR5, nVME, power supply...).
The board has been powered and I have updated the bios successfully.

On the x570s board alas the situation is a little dire.
I bought it oversea for my vacation house more than one year ago.
Alas I did not power it and will do it only mid 2025.
I have also all the components that are going around including the case.
This build could bring some surprise, but AM4 is a proven and stable platform.

I am worrying more about the AM5 build.
New bios are popping up several time by month.

The difficult thing about keeping hardware on the shelf is you still want to at least keep track, if not also archive, any updates that come along the way so you have them when your ready. Imagine if you had an EVGA motherboard and didn't get the last UEFI/BIOS updates before support vanished.

 

[valerianf]

"Imagine if you had an EVGA motherboard and didn't get the last UEFI/BIOS updates before support vanished."
@A Computer Guy
Fully agreeing with you: time to time I am downloading the important manufacturer files (i.e. bios) that I keep on a local archive.
The real potential loss is RMA as the warranty period has expired.

 

[chrcoluk]

To add some context to the above, PCIe is now used for many things, PCIe slots, NVMe drives, USB and SATA. So you can't have five PCIe cards, but you can have several high speed NVMe drives plus a couple 10Gbps USB things. In theory I think the motherboard makers could make boards with a ton of PCIe ports, and you sometimes see them - marketed as mining montherboards - but for the majority of mortals it has been decided that storage is more important than whatever else you have to add, and statistically speaking they are probably right.

But yeah, a proper sanely priced HEDT segment would be nice from both camps, but given how expensive computers are anyway, "sanely priced" is right out.

If its designed with portability in mind, then they dont need to try and judge what is right.

Add a basic built in i/o config, so lets say 4x SATA 1x or 2x M.2, 4-6 USB, 1 gigabit NIC and we golden.
Then if someone wants a 2nd NIC or higher spec NIC, stil a card in, want more USB, stick an adaptor in and connect to onboard headers, want more SATA, stick a card in, want more M.2 stick a card in. These would be one off expenses as movable from board to board so in the long term is cheaper.

Of course the big problem is, my idea makes them less money, as they will find it harder to charge more for boards if the built in i/o is reduced so heavily, and they deliberately segregate the market on i/o connectivity.

Its one reason I have moved from laptop to NUC for portable mobile use, as with every new laptop I buy, I am paying again for a screen, and a keyboard, and a touchpad because its all built in instead of portable. Duplicated expenses.

 

[azrael]

Just had a look at that ASRock motherboard only to find out that it apparently has been discontinued. I guess they don't want the previous boards to ruin the chance of selling the new boards, even though they're using the same chipsets. Only now with even more M.2 slots and USB ports, and at a higher cost, of course. I could kick myself...

Happy holidays to all of you!

 

[_roman_]

The reality is, you were lucky your components were not discovered to be DOA after the warranty expired.

I do not get your point. I'm sorry when i misunderstood you.

My MSI B550 Gaming edge wifi mainboard was always used with esd protection while assembling in my pc cases. I'm kinda sure i sold it with a few months left of those 24 months "cheap" warranty from the european customer law. Same as with the graphic card or processor. I think I'm one of the few users who uses a esd wrist band with esd plug while dealing with electronics.

I'll try to explain it in another way.

I downgraded my parts.
I got a second hand ryzen 3 3100 and sold my ryzen 5800X. The ryzen 5800x had for sure some months left of those 24 months european customer law warranty.
i got a second hand nvidia 960 gtx 4gb to test the nvidia drivers and sold my radeon 6600XT. (same for the 24 months "warranty")
i sold mx 2x32GiB DDR4 ram and got a cheap 1x8GiB DDR4 module.

I waited for a decent offer and i got a ryzen 7600X + asus x670 mainboard bundle.
At that point i sold my am4 parts.
The 1x8GB RAM, the nividia 960 gtx, ryzen 3 3100 processor were sold for the same price i purchased those parts.
I lost big cash on the original setup for the ryzen 5800x, the mainboard and the original DDR4 Ram. I had several different ram kits on that mainboards, several different processors.

note: that stuff with the warranty in europe is difficult to explain in english for myself. There are some differences.

I think it's a valid way to get rid of bad parts over the time when you are patient. I had a corsiar psu dying in those 24 months and presonus speaker dying in those 24 months. Therefore I prefer to get rid of that stuff with a few months left of that "24 months warranty".

 

[azrael]

note: that stuff with the warranty in europe is difficult to explain in english for myself. There are some differences.

I think it's a valid way to get rid of bad parts over the time when you are patient. I had a corsiar psu dying in those 24 months and presonus speaker dying in those 24 months. Therefore I prefer to get rid of that stuff with a few months left of that "24 months warranty".

Actually not that hard to explain. In the EU you have two years to lodge a complaint about your product to the seller (business only, not private sales). The first year the seller has to prove without a doubt that the damage is due to your misuse. The second year those roles are reversed and you have to prove that there was an existing fault. Earlier, you only had 6 months instead of that first year, but they changed that a couple of years ago. Also, you need to give the seller three attempts at fixing the issue. After that you can demand a full refund.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I do not get your point. I'm sorry when i misunderstood you.

It seems you are not following the main point of the thread - which is buying parts today, then putting them on the shelf and not using them for many months or even years. In the meantime, the warranty runs out and you are left with an old, out of warranty part, still in the original, unopened box.

 

[azrael]

Well, I managed to find a brand new ASRock X670E PG Lightning in Poland at a reasonable price (although still quite a bit more expensive than I could've bought it here at the time of creating this thread). Long story short, I ordered it. Wish me luck.

 

[AsRock]

If you already have an actual plan for upgrading to AM5 say next year and you see those boards on sale AND you are actually using all of those PCIe slots, I'd say go for it. But buying what amounts to high end motherboards just in case? Probably not no.

The x670E boards have two chipsets, so they support more stuff than the normal version.

And some have already dropped in price, surly over 12+ months they even be cheaper and even better if you wait for a sale.

 

[_roman_]

No one knows how long they will sell X670 or B650 mainboards.

I do see new batches of ASROCK B650 livemixer mainboards wiht higher price. (i was interested in that board for quite a while - so i checked prices)

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

To the OP's point...I see most of this covered. Driver support is of a finite time limit, purchasing stuff that sits on a shelf is actively throwing away parts if you have any sort of defect, and you are likely going to require a reinstall (or new key purchase) of windows, assuming that you transfer everything.

Your original issue though is one that I've seen brought up here before. It's not about the amount of PCI-e slots, it's actually about how manufacturers prioritize those slots for things like M.2 slots. As non-enthusiast/high end users continue to need less and less connected (sound cards, nics, etc...) the vestigial slot space is getting reassigned. Consumers like fast SSDs, but they require connection, and manufacturers know interconnection is some of the most expensive bits...so there's always a fight.

I personally recommend you don't buy a motherboard you may never use. Instead, maybe you should just buy an M.2 to PCI-e converter. Those exist: Amazon product page
The amazing thing is they were all the rage when mining was bigger...so they aren't exactly insanely expensive either.

This is kind of like buying a spare car when you know your vehicle may have a charging issue...instead of buying a replacement alternator.

 

[Chrispy_]

It seems you are not following the main point of the thread - which is buying parts today, then putting them on the shelf and not using them for many months or even years. In the meantime, the warranty runs out and you are left with an old, out of warranty part, still in the original, unopened box.

The only time this has ever benefitted me is when I had a couple of X99 boards sat on a shelf as spares in stock for any PCs that needed fixing on the spot. I forgot about them and then discovered last year that they were selling for vastly more than I paid for them because X99 boards were long-discontinued, rare enough on the used market, and incredibly desirable as unopened old stock to repair extremely pricey Broadwell-E Xeon systems.

 

[Bill_Bright]

The only time this has ever benefitted me is when I had a couple of X99 boards sat on a shelf as spares in stock for any PCs that needed fixing on the spot.

Yeah, buying to have as spare parts can certainly make sense. Back in the day when mirrored RAID arrays were commonly used for redundancy in mission essential systems, we would buy several extra hard drives to keep on hand as ready spares to "hot" swap in, should a drive fail. We kept them still sealed in the original packaging.

But a motherboard, even as a ready spare, is quite different from a hard drive. But in the OPs case, it is not about having a spare for an existing system - but a potential new (Old? New/old? ???) system in the future. As I said way back in October,

Point is, if you buy a new motherboard today and save it for later, you may not be able to find a compatible CPU or RAM or other components or software to use with it. And frankly, old motherboards don't even make good paperweights.