I went with this board for many reasons, but this was only 1 of 2 boards that had the features I needed for my pc build that was under $700. Did I want to spend to more on my motherboard than I did on my 7950X? Of course not but unfortunately there were not any cheaper options that offered what I needed. On top of that, I plan on using this motherboard for as long as it's supported and wanted a motherboard that I could trust to last me a solid 4 years. I had bought mediocre grade motherboards in the past and got mediocre performance and longevity.
As far as the features though, I needed to be able to have 8 total USB A ports on the back with 3 USB C ports as well. I also wanted USB 4 as I figured that an accessory that I'll use within the next 2 years will need support. I am utilizing all 8 USB A spots on the back of my pc and 2 of the USB C spots, which leaves me the two USB 4 available still. I'm even utilizing 2 of the 3 USB spots on the front of my case without any issues. Not only do I use them on a daily basis all at one time, but the motherboard has had no issue powering all the devices and running them properly. It's been a dream come true as I thought powering and using so many USB devices at once would cause issues.
I also needed a board with 4+ nvme M.2 SSD spots on the board. Also this was one of very few 7000 series mobos in general that supported any kind of custom water loops which I have been planning on building. Would have already built one but the 4090 and 7950X are incredibly efficient without the custom loop. The board also has all high end parts as far as vrm/power stages/controllers and I wanted a board that I felt comfortable powering my system and lasting for the next 4ish years. Plus with it being a new platform with AM5, I understand the issues newer platforms can have and I wanted a board that gave codes, had easy overclocking and troubleshooting tools, bios flashback, reset and flex key buttons, etc. for if and when issues arise.
So far I have had the 7950X and this motherboard since launch day and it has been nothing short of incredible. On top of it having premium parts and all the features I needed for my system, the motherboard IMO looks the best out of any available. This is my first time buying a premium board and I had really high expectations. Not only has this board far exceeded those expectations but I could not be happier with its performance, reliability and ease of use thus far (knock on wood). Would I suggest everyone to buy this board? Heck no, this is an enthusiasts level board with so many fantastic features that make life much easier and convenient. But if your needs are similar to mine, this board has been worth every dollar and then some.