Do I need to spend extra money on my MOBO?

[Kyle2907]

Hi All,

I build my list as follows:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/BNjgFZ

I mainly use this PC for daily work (Video editing, Gaming (CS2, Planet Zoo, Planet Coaster)

Everything is fine....except the MOBO part...I don't know if it is a good idea to spend 300 CAD more on a MOBO.

In the list, I choose the 9800x3d bundle (option 1)

Option 1:

AMD R7 9800X3D CPU + MPG X870E CARBON WIFI Motherboard + CORSAIR RGB 32GB D5 6000MHz Black RAM $1498 CAD​

but I saw another 9800x3d bundle that is 300 CAD cheaper, the only difference is the MOBO (option 2).​

option 2:

AMD R7 9800X3D CPU + GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE Motherboard + CORSAIR RGB 32GB D5 6000MHz White RAM $1099 CAD​

My question is: is it a good idea to spend 300 more on MOBO?

​

 

[DaemonForce]

I see ZERO reason for it when I'm already not a fan of X870 and still can't be bothered to make the jump to AM5.
What kind of creator features are you looking for in the MPG X870E vs something like:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/TvVfrH/msi-pro-b840-p-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-pro-b840-p-wifi

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/sRG2FT/asus-tuf-gaming-b850-plus-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-tuf-gaming-b850-plus-wifi

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/H4xRsY/msi-meg-x670e-ace-eatx-am5-motherboard-meg-x670e-ace

 

[Dorek]

The x870E has some more pcie lanes and i guess maybe usb ports etc. but if you dont need them then could just go with the cheaper one.

 

[Kyle2907]

I see ZERO reason for it when I'm already not a fan of X870 and still can't be bothered to make the jump to AM5.
What kind of creator features are you looking for in the MPG X870E vs something like:

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/TvVfrH/msi-pro-b840-p-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-pro-b840-p-wifi

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/sRG2FT/asus-tuf-gaming-b850-plus-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-tuf-gaming-b850-plus-wifi

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/H4xRsY/msi-meg-x670e-ace-eatx-am5-motherboard-meg-x670e-ace

Well...I don't know too much about Motherboard...the only reason I chose it is because it was in the bundle...

and then I realized I might just overpay for the MOBO...To my understanding, I think MOBO is the less important part compared to GPU and CPU.

The first two you posted...I will take a look at it later, I just feel unnecessary to spend 700 CAD on a MOBO.

The x870E has some more pcie lanes and i guess maybe usb ports etc. but if you dont need them then could just go with the cheaper one.

Yes...I don't think I need those features...maybe I will just jump into a cheaper one...

 

[nomdeplume]

Believe X870(E?) is practically identical to the previous chipset gen.

Bit of research and refining suggestions on pcpartspicker will probably result in a better use of funds than either of those high markup bundles. Which don't seem like so completely great of a deal you would consider purchasing it and selling off the unwanted pieces to someone for an equally good price.

Motherboard are a great example of the current trend to avoid placing a combination of features and the performance to use them into any single component. You can expect to encounter the $$$ more to get anywhere near a reasonable component to be unavoidable sadly. If possible shop sales and do your wallet as many favors as you can.

 

[xorbe]

I got frustrated with high mobo prices, and so my 9800X3D is using an AsRock B650 Steel Legend WiFi ($179 when purchased). Just using one gfx card, one nvme, one ssd.

 

[DaemonForce]

Well...I don't know too much about Motherboard...the only reason I chose it is because it was in the bundle...

And you're dropping this kind of money on one...Okay.

and then I realized I might just overpay for the MOBO...To my understanding, I think MOBO is the less important part compared to GPU and CPU.

It's central to connecting everything and makes or breaks a build (will all the components agree with each other?) but there are all different makes, features and sizes.
I'm not asking these questions to make you feel dumb. I'm trying to get some idea of what you (as a creator) need in a workstation without the workstation mobo prices.
As you can probably figure out, there is a LOT of $$$$ getting dumped into that lot. Lots of creators, streamers, pro gamers, etc jumping over to Threadripper for no reason.

 

[_roman_]

My question is: is it a good idea to spend 300 more on MOBO?

No

Please check before purchase the mainboard manual. That is usually found online.
the mainboard manual will give you a lot of information.
mainboard tests are the second, less important point of information.

But a certain amount of money.

The carbon is a luxury mainboard.

If you have choices, you may look also in B650, B650E, X670, X670E mainboards. Please check before purchase the mainboard manual.

One important question? Do you need USB 4? Do you accept less PCIE 5.0 lanes on the graphic card slot?

 

[dgianstefani]

Neither of those are luxury motherboards lol.

Prices are in CAD.

Get the board that has a good VRM and connectivity.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

The board is only important up to the point that the vrm is capable of handling any cpu that can go into its socket both the ones you have listed check that box.

Beyond that it just comes down to quality of life features like number of m.2 slots and USB ports, wifi etc and that really comes down to your own personal needs.

 

[GerKNG]

why would you spend a single dollar extra for a motherboard if it has everything you need?
does it have enough (speed and quantity) USB/M.2/PCIe Ports?
does it suit your needs when it comes to audio, Network and maybe a specific feature you want?
if yes, why would you buy anything beyond that? i still use the cheapest b650 board i could find.

 

[DaemonForce]

The first two you posted...I will take a look at it later, I just feel unnecessary to spend 700 CAD on a MOBO.

Good. This is the point I wanted to hammer home. When I first decided on a Ryzen build, it was right before the coof and that was a very different time.
I made that choice coming from a FX-8370 system which was already incredibly long in the tooth and my Surface tablet was no longer keeping up with project sync.
I went very entry level AM4 with a R5 3600 and an ASUS X570 board called TUF Gaming. It was $200 USD which is like...$285 CAD?
It had ALL the features needed to keep my VR stream kit going but oddly enough, it had all the features that everyone was chasing in smaller formfactor at the $400-600 mark.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a motherboard:
What is the chipset and what features does it have that I need in this build? (PCI-E lanes, NVMe controllers, SATA controllers, USB controllers...)
What is the PCI-E/M.2 slot arrangement of the board? Can I run all the NVMe/SATA drives I need on this configuration?
Are the PCI-E/M.2 slots strategically spaced apart enough to slot in a giant honkin chonkin GPU in the top slot without causing grievances for whatever other card?
Are there enough fan headers to run all the necessary cooling and are there fan curve features to keep this from sounding like a jet engine?
How is the rear I/O on the board? Does it have enough USB slots (super popular question)?
Are there enough fast USB slots? Enough PS/2 USB-C slots? If not can I fix this with adapters? Are there enough USB headers to add enough USB? USB3 header?
Are the network ports fast enough for my needs? Do I need Wi-Fi? Do I need 2.5 or 10GbE ethernet? Can I add a 10GbE SFP+ card?
Are there enough audio ports for basic line-in line-out? Will there be enough resources to run a separate audio interface?
What CPUs are compatible with the board and do any choices look exciting? (high clockspeed/core SKUs, X3D cache, a certain TDP, decent cooler...)
Are the VRMs good enough to run the kinds of high power CPUs I want with overclocking headroom? (In case you prefer overclocking)
Are there enough memory slots to prevent this computer from being a paperweight after a few years? Is the memory topology of the board suitable?
Do the available memory kits suck? Are there any kits with good overclocking headroom? Is this board capable of running the memory at those speeds?
Does this board have any kind of teething issues with firmware, USB or any stability or compatibility issues that could be a complete show stopper? (Google)
Does the board fit the chassis?

These are all the kinds of question that should be asked well in advance and they can usually be answered by reading the mobo manual. Bring the difficult questions here.

 

[Kyle2907]

Good. This is the point I wanted to hammer home. When I first decided on a Ryzen build, it was right before the coof and that was a very different time.
I made that choice coming from a FX-8370 system which was already incredibly long in the tooth and my Surface tablet was no longer keeping up with project sync.
I went very entry level AM4 with a R5 3600 and an ASUS X570 board called TUF Gaming. It was $200 USD which is like...$285 CAD?
It had ALL the features needed to keep my VR stream kit going but oddly enough, it had all the features that everyone was chasing in smaller formfactor at the $400-600 mark.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a motherboard:
What is the chipset and what features does it have that I need in this build? (PCI-E lanes, NVMe controllers, SATA controllers, USB controllers...)
What is the PCI-E/M.2 slot arrangement of the board? Can I run all the NVMe/SATA drives I need on this configuration?
Are the PCI-E/M.2 slots strategically spaced apart enough to slot in a giant honkin chonkin GPU in the top slot without causing grievances for whatever other card?
Are there enough fan headers to run all the necessary cooling and are there fan curve features to keep this from sounding like a jet engine?
How is the rear I/O on the board? Does it have enough USB slots (super popular question)?
Are there enough fast USB slots? Enough PS/2 USB-C slots? If not can I fix this with adapters? Are there enough USB headers to add enough USB? USB3 header?
Are the network ports fast enough for my needs? Do I need Wi-Fi? Do I need 2.5 or 10GbE ethernet? Can I add a 10GbE SFP+ card?
Are there enough audio ports for basic line-in line-out? Will there be enough resources to run a separate audio interface?
What CPUs are compatible with the board and do any choices look exciting? (high clockspeed/core SKUs, X3D cache, a certain TDP, decent cooler...)
Are the VRMs good enough to run the kinds of high power CPUs I want with overclocking headroom? (In case you prefer overclocking)
Are there enough memory slots to prevent this computer from being a paperweight after a few years? Is the memory topology of the board suitable?
Do the available memory kits suck? Are there any kits with good overclocking headroom? Is this board capable of running the memory at those speeds?
Does this board have any kind of teething issues with firmware, USB or any stability or compatibility issues that could be a complete show stopper? (Google)
Does the board fit the chassis?

These are all the kinds of question that should be asked well in advance and they can usually be answered by reading the mobo manual. Bring the difficult questions here.

Thanks for the detailed explanation...

Yes...I should do some research first...so it could give me some knowledge when choosing a MOBO.

I will take a look at each of the questions and reconsider my choice for sure....

 

[eidairaman1]

Anything from AsRock?

 

[oxrufiioxo]

Anything from AsRock?

Yeah the SL is pretty decent

ASRock X870 STEEL LEGEND WIFI AM5 ATX Motherboard - Newegg.com

Buy ASRock X870 STEEL LEGEND WIFI AM5 AMD X870 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Motherboard with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

This comes in black also for a slight discount

GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE AM5 LGA 1718, ATX, DDR5, 4x M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB4, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE LAN, EZ-Latch, 5-Year Warranty - Newegg.com

Buy GIGABYTE X870 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ICE AM5 LGA 1718, ATX, DDR5, 4x M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB4, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE LAN, EZ-Latch, 5-Year Warranty with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

Pretty decent at it's discounted price

MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI AM5 ATX Gaming Motherboard, 4x SATA 6Gb/s, AMD Wi-Fi 7,USB 4.0 - Newegg.com

Buy MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI AM5 ATX Gaming Motherboard, 4x SATA 6Gb/s, AMD Wi-Fi 7,USB 4.0 with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

This is actually tied for cheapest board of these right now but I'd probably lean towards the other 3.

ASUS TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI AMD AM5 X870 ATX motherboard, 16+2+1, 80A SPS power stages, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 Ready, four M.2 slots, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5Gb LAN, HDMI, USB4 40Gbps, SATA 6 Gbps, USB 20Gbps Type-C - Newegg.com

Buy ASUS TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI AMD AM5 X870 ATX motherboard, 16+2+1, 80A SPS power stages, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 Ready, four M.2 slots, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5Gb LAN, HDMI, USB4 40Gbps, SATA 6 Gbps, USB 20Gbps Type-C with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

Keep in mind thread this is cad so US 250-280usd which I consider the sweet spot personally but everyone has their own min level of hardware they'd consider.

Thanks for the detailed explanation...

Yes...I should do some research first...so it could give me some knowledge when choosing a MOBO.

I will take a look at each of the questions and reconsider my choice for sure....

OP these are the four boards I probably would be looking at I've had good luck with every board maker on AM5 so it really comes down to the ones that offers you the features you want beyond this they kinda get stupid in pricing so unless you absolutely love the aesthetics of something more expensive all these boards will get the job done.


I really really like this board as well as a step up option over the others but it's hard to get and out of stock a lot but pretty awesome at around 330 usd I wouldn't pay more than that for it though.

ASRock X870E NOVA WIFI AM5 ATX Motherboard - Newegg.com

Buy ASRock X870E NOVA WIFI AM5 AMD X870E SATA 6Gb/s ATX Motherboard with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.ca

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

So....the eagle eyed will highlight that the difference in RAM pricing is because of the color...

The primary difference in the boards is the PCI-e layout, and the 5 GB and 2.5 Gb ethernet on the higher end one...with maybe a better sound chip (your mileage may vary). I'd choose the cheaper bundle, and plow the difference into either high speed storage or a GPU upgrade. Lord knows they're expensive enough.

 

[Waldorf]

From using brands for AM4, i prefer MSI, Asrock and Asus if it was customers preferred brand, but stay away from Gb.
the "deal" i got on the 2nd biggest board was useless, board had voltage fluctations i didnt even see on the lowest tier MSI/Asrocks running AMP profile on auto,
and spending almost a year in forums trying to get it to work (stable), found i wasnt the only one with the same problem.
and even prior to ryzen chips, never seen Gb offering the same features/quality in the same price range as others, and only got them if it was discounted to 1$ on cpu/ram/mb bundles from MicroCenter.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

From using brands for AM4, i prefer MSI, Asrock and Asus if it was customers preferred brand, but stay away from Gb.
the "deal" i got on the 2nd biggest board was useless, board had voltage fluctations i didnt even see on the lowest tier MSI/Asrocks running AMP profile on auto,
and spending almost a year in forums trying to get it to work (stable), found i wasnt the only one with the same problem.
and even prior to ryzen chips, never seen Gb offering the same features/quality in the same price range as others, and only got them if it was discounted to 1$ on cpu/ram/mb bundles from MicroCenter.

I've used about 40 am4/am5 gigabyte boards they are as good as any other brand at the low end they all kinda suck with asus the one usually charging a premium for similar features.

 

[Waldorf]

@oxrufiioxo
sure, but when i have a +300$ board unable to do what a <150$ board from other brands can (same cpu/ram/gpu), im done wasting money on them.

@Kyle2907
forgot to look at the list.
you definitely want the RMx not the RMe, at least not for the little difference.
RMx 750
you have a decent case (space wise), why not get an AIO, set it up for exhaust (to dump the cpu heat outside the case), and lower case/mb/gpu/drive temps by a lot?
Liquid freezer 280

i recommend checking the Arctic website, they have discounts on cooler because of their anniversary.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

@oxrufiioxo
sure, but when i have a +300$ board unable to do what a <150$ board from other brands can (same cpu/ram/gpu), im done wasting money on them.

Sure, but I've had duds from all 4 makers and all 4 of them have terrible CS, the worst was the X570 msi boards that couldn't even handle the 3950X while costing the same as the gigabyte/asus models.


It can be all of them or none of them and every generation of boards is its own thing asus was terrible for me for z390/Z490 and they had some really huge blunders with Z690 and X670 doesn't mean I'm going to write them off.

 

[Waldorf]

cant speak for intel, havent build anything using their chips for +10y, and the only boards i remember unable to handle an x950 chip was either because of oc,
or it being the cheapest board in the lineup, i dont see it making sense buying a top tier cpu, only to save on the board, so never had issues there.

 

[kapone32]

The boards you listed are for if you want more storage. As an example the Carbon has 5 M2 slots. You are right $700 for a MB is expensive. Unless you plan on keeping the system for some time and buying more AM5 CPUs down the line. To be honest the best X870E board for the money is the X870E Taichi from As Rock as you still get things like 6 SATA ports and 2 PCIe lanes connected to the CPU. While some people have no issues Gigabyte boards are quirky. As Rock is the only vendor that gives you 120Hz support on the on-board HDMI and DP too. If I was the OP I would look at the layout of the Taichi vs the Carbon and Elite WIFI 7. The VRMs should be very similar and AM5 X3D cannot be Oced to run past 100 Watts so it is huge nothing burger. If you want cheaper with the newest specs the B650 Pro RS Wifi is a great Micro Atx Board that has Pcie 5.0 support for GPU, M2 and DDR5 but another 2 M2 slots and a x4 Pcie slot.

 

[Dragam1337]

Neither of those are luxury motherboards lol.

Prices are in CAD.

Get the board that has a good VRM and connectivity.

With a 9800x3d vrm hardly matters - uses so little watts.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

With a 9800x3d vrm hardly matters - uses so little watts.

I agree but you should never buy a board that can't handle every cpu the socket supports that being said most anything 200+ its a non issue and even the asrock 130$ usd B650 boards have a good enough vrm.

cant speak for intel, havent build anything using their chips for +10y, and the only boards i remember unable to handle an x950 chip was either because of oc,
or it being the cheapest board in the lineup, i dont see it making sense buying a top tier cpu, only to save on the board, so never had issues there.

Its a problem with similar or even cheaper boards can handle it with ease and that was stock it's because MSI in their infinite Wisdom copied their b450 tomahawk vrm on everything below the ACE/Unify which was 350 usd and wasn't till they released the tomahawk later that they had a semi decent 200 usd ish X570 board later they fixed them all with the X570 max boards thankfully and have been pretty great since.

 

[kapone32]

I agree but you should never buy a board that can't handle every cpu in the socket supports that being said most anything 200+ its a none issue and even the asrock 130$ use B650 boards have a good enough vrm.



Its a problem with similar or even cheaper boards can handle it with ease and that was stock it's because MSI in their infinite Wisdom copied their b450 tomahawk vrm on everything below the AC which was 350 usd and wasn't till they released the tomahawk later that they had a semi decent 200 usd ish X570 board later they fixed them all with the X570 max boards thankfully and have been pretty great since.

MSI X570S Ace Max was more aesthetically pleasing but the Unify was insane for 3 electrically wired PCIe slots. They really made up for the gaffe with those boards. Of course the God like is pure PC porn.