Best budget AM5 motherboards for 2023

Dec 13, 2023

If you're looking to add one of AMD's Ryzen 7000 to your system without spending a ton, check out our collection of the best budget AM5 motherboards.

When AMD released the Ryzen 7000-series desktop CPUs, the only AM5 motherboards around were high-end or mid-range models using the X670 chipset. Since then, the budget B650 and basic B620 chipsets have been released, dropping the bar to entry for the newest AM5 systems substantially. Pricing on CPUs and DDR5 memory have also dropped in the months since these new motherboards hit the market, making AM5 a good value look for any new system builders or those looking to upgrade.

These new affordable AM5 motherboards still come with the latest technology, like DDR5 RAM, USB4, and in some cases, PCIe 5.0. Some models even have PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots for the fasted NVMe SSDs to be installed on the motherboard, without needing a PCIe expansion card. These new technologies do mean that the goalpost for what budget means on AM5 has shifted, with most boards coming around the $200 range. I’ve rounded up what I feel are the best options for different users and price points, so you can build the AM5 system tailored to your needs.

The price to performance champ for AM5

The Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi is a mid-range Asus motherboard that supports one PCIe 5.0 SSD and is perfect to pair with mid-range Ryzen 7000 CPUs with its 12+2 stage power delivery.

The TUF line was my choice for price and performance for AM4, and it’s my recommendation again with AM5. The B650 chipset brings gaming and productivity features that will give enough performance for most use cases, with this TUF motherboard opting to add PCIe 5.0 M.2 support for fast storage options. You also get two PCIe 4.0 M.2 sockets, with all having heatsinks. It supports DDR5 with four slots, with speeds of up to 6400MHz. The 12+2 VRM power solution can support high-end Ryzen 7000 CPUs, thanks to 8-pin and 4-pin plugs for CPU power (while many B650 boards are limited to 65W).

That’s the core of the TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi, but the rest of the features on this board are also impressive. It has eight USB ports on the back I/O panel, with three running at 3.2 Gen 1 speed and one at the speedier 3.2 Gen 2x2 spec. Asus added both HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 ports for onboard graphics use, as Ryzen 7000 has an RDNA 2 iGPU on all chips. And while most B650 boards have 2.5Gb Ethernet, Asus also includes 2x2 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. There are dedicated 3.5mm audio jacks for line out/headphones, line-in, mic, c/sub, and rear, although no S/PDIF for optical audio. The six PWM fan headers should be enough to cool a midrange PC, and one is slightly higher amperage for use with an AIO CPU cooler.

Premium B650 chipset with PCIe 5.0 graphics support

The Asus ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi is a premium B650 chipset motherboard for the AM5 platform with support for PCIe 5.0 graphics, capable of overclocking thanks to a supplemental 4-pin EPS socket.

Asus’s ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi is a worthy choice for a more premium AM5 motherboard while still keeping within a limited budget. It has a 12+2 VRM power delivery solution and 8+4 pin power sockets similar to the more-affordable TUF, this time rated for 80A. The additional ‘E’ on the chipset brings new features. The top x16 slot is also PCIe 5.0, to go along with the primary M.2 slot. That gives some measure of future-proofing, as PCIe 5.0 graphics cards are still a ways off.

Asus also stuffs the back I/O panel even further, with one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port and ten additional USB ports — two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, four USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, and four USB-A 2.0. Asus added both HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 for onboard graphics output. There are dedicated 3.5mm audio jacks for line out/headphones, line-in, mic, c/sub, and rear, although no S/PDIF for optical audio. There is a S/PDIF header on the motherboard, but you'll need to purchase the adapter separately as it is not included. It also has Wi-Fi 6E and ROG Strix RGB accents glowing from a darker aesthetic. The only thing that’s not to like is the price, which at nearly $300, is much higher than we’ve been used to paying for midrange motherboards.

The cheapest way to get an AM5 rig together

MSI Pro A620M-E is the most cost-effective way to get an AM5 build running without unnecessary frills, supporting PCIe 4.0 graphics and SSDs.

The latest chipset to come out with support for the AM5 socket is the A620 platform. It’s aimed at entry-level builds running the 65W Ryzen 7000 CPUs. That’s the non-X or non-X3D versions, which is fine because the lower-power CPUs are also aimed at entry-level PCs. The MSI Pro A620M-E is currently one of the very few sub-$100 AM5 motherboards on the market.

Some major compromises had to be made to get to that low price point. The x16 slot is limited to PCIe 4.0, as is the M.2 slot. Given the type of PC builds this motherboard will be used for and the lack of any worthwhile PCIe 5.0 hardware, that’s fine for most basic computing. It has one HDMI 2.1 output and one VGA, a rarity on modern motherboards and possibly indicative of the basic workstation builds this is aimed at. It also has three 3.5mm audio jacks for line out/speakers, line-in, and microphone.

MSI also dropped two RAM slots, leaving the Pro A620M-E with two, which can use overclocking profiles rated up to 6400MHz. Given that DDR5 modules are dual-channel anyway, that still means effectively quad-channel if both are used. The other compromise is on the I/O panel, with only two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports and four USB-A 2.0 ports, though it also includes RJ45 Ethernet (at 1Gbps), two PS/2 ports, and three audio ports for line in, mic in, and line out.

Plenty of power in a compact package

ASRock B650M PG Riptide WiFi is one of the best mid-range motherboards in the mATX form factor with support for PCIe 4.0 graphics and SSDs and midrange Ryzen 7000 CPUs.

AM5 hasn’t been around for long, and mATX is becoming a form factor that isn’t produced in great numbers. That’s why it’s awesome to see ASRock release the B650M PG Riptide, an mATX motherboard with a budget price and mid-range features. The 12+2+1 VRM solution is powerful enough for any Ryzen 7000 CPU, although TechSpot says you’ll need to disable the 75C thermal limit in BIOS to remove the unnecessary power restriction.

Moving on to the rest of the board, you’ll be glad to know that one of the two M.2 slots uses PCIe 5.0 speeds, with the remaining one at PCIe 4.0. It also features four SATA ports, two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, and two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. It has both HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 outputs and 3.5mm audio jacks for speakers, line-in, and mic. You also get WiFi 6E and 2.5Gb LAN. That’s a ton of connectivity for any mATX motherboard, rounded out by a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, four USB-A 2.0 ports.

For small form factor cases

The compact MSI MPG B650I Edge WiFi has everything you'll need for a midrange AM5 build going into a small form factor chassis.

Mini-ITX is a niche form factor, usually coming in flagship motherboards which is a bit of a waste when you only have one PCIe slot. MSI’s MPG B650I Edge is firmly on the premium side of AM5’s midrange, with prices edging up to the $300 region. That’s expensive, but it’s still one of the cheapest mini-ITX motherboards for AM5, and small form factor builds always cost more. Feature-wise, this smaller board doesn’t give MSI much space to work with, so expect fewer frills. The graphics card slot is PCIe 4.0 x16, and both M.2 slots are also PCIe 4.0. Maybe that’s a good thing, as PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs run hot, and keeping thermals under control in a smaller PC case is always a balancing act. To aid that, MSI put a tiny fan onto the M.2 heatsink for active cooling.

The 8+2+1 VRM stage is on the small side, but you’ll be using a 65W Ryzen 7000 chip anyway, again due to thermals being a primary consideration. MSI says the 80A power delivery is capable of 170W loads, but I’d suggest skipping the X-chips unless you are water-cooling your PC. The two DDR5 slots support DDR5-6600, which is higher than some high-end AM5 motherboards. The rear I/O has one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, three 3.5mm audio ports for speakers, line-in, and mic, and a 2.5Gb Ethernet port.

Best power delivery circuits for B650

The Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX is a strong mid-tier AM5 motherboard with a better-than-average power delivery circuit with beefy heatsinks to keep temperatures in check.

Gigabyte’s B650 Aorus Elite AX is everything you need for a midrange AM5 build with your choice of Ryzen 7000 CPUs. The 14+2+1 digital VRM solution is rated for 70A, enough for even the Ryzen 9 7950X (if left at stock settings) or for some overclocking on less spicy CPUs. The four DDR5 slots can support 6600MHz speeds, and the power delivery has impressive heatsinks.

This motherboard is essentially a trimmed version of the X670 model, dropping PCIe 5.0 graphics in favor of PCIe 4.0 x16 but keeping PCIe 5.0 support for one of the three M.2 slots. The other thing trimmed is the back I/O panel, which still has eight USB 3.2 ports (one of which is a USB Type-C port) and four USB 2.0 ports. Gigabyte offers both HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 for onboard graphics use and 3.5mm audio jacks for speakers, line-in, and mic, plus 2.5Gbps Ethernet. That gives it most of the features, including WiFi 6E, from the premium X670 chipset for $50 less.

Creator-focused feature set

The Gigabyte B650 Aero G is a creator-focused mid-tier motherboard for the AM5 platform geared for stability, with a one-cable solution for display output, charging, and data.

While most budget AM5 motherboards have one or two standout features, few can claim a unique selling point. The Gigabyte B650 Aero G is a creator-focused midrange motherboard for AM5 chips designed for a one-cable connection to a graphics pen display. Gigabyte calls this system VisionLINK, which sends a DP 1.4 video output over a USB-C port in alt mode, along with 60W power delivery and data transfer. It’s compatible with a handful of Wacom and Huion pen displays that use USB-C, removing the usual cable mess.

While this motherboard doesn’t carry the B650E chipset, Gigabyte has included support for PCIe 5.0 SSDs, which is usually exclusive to those higher-end chipsets. That joins two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots and four SATA connectors. The back I/O panel has the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, also used for VisionLINK, three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, four USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB-A 2.0 ports. You get HDMI 2.1 for onboard graphics, 3.5mm audio jacks for speakers and mic, and S/PDIF output. It also has a DisplayPort input, which loops one output from your dedicated graphics card and pipes it into the VisionLINK port for use with an attached pen display.

A blank canvas for your creativity

The NZXT N7 B650E is the antidote to the overdone gamer aesthetic with monotone minimalism, tons of USB ports, and inbuilt NZXT CAM RGB control to light up your PC.

Most midrange AM5 motherboards choose either gamer styling with edgy lines and RGB lighting or basic designs that are better if your case doesn’t have a window. NZXT says you should proudly show off your motherboard, and its N7 B650E is the result. It uses minimalist metal panels to cover everything but the ports and slots of the motherboard, with white and black versions to suit your theme. The best part – it’s not style over substance.

Hiding away behind those panels is a solid 16+2+1 power phase design rated to 90A. That means it can handle the largest CPUs in the Ryzen 7000 range, putting it ahead of most of its class. It supports DDR5-6000, Ryzen’s sweet spot, and has PCIe 5.0 support on the top x16 slot for graphics and one of the three M.2 ports. The rear I/O panel is well-provisioned, with one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-A Gen 2 ports, four USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB-A 2.0 ports. NZXT adds WiFi 6E to the 2.5Gb LAN for connectivity. You also get HDMI 2.1 for onboard graphics use, S/PDIF optical output, and five 3.5mm audio jacks for surround sound use. The only thing that’s not to like is the price, which is often over its $317 MSRP. Still, it comes with premium features for that price tag and a style that is hard to beat.

Upgrading to Ryzen 7000 and AM5 is an exciting but expensive prospect. The new technology stuffed into these chips is powerful, but upgrading also means new memory modules. With AMD's AM4 platform, my go-to recommendation for price and performance was the Asus TUF line. I haven't changed that opinion with the move to AM5, and Asus' TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi is my choice for the best budget AM5 motherboard. It has a capable 12+2 VRM solution kept cool by large heatsinks and fed by an 8-pin and a 4-pin EPS socket and onboard WiFi 6. The only feature it is really missing is PCIe 5.0 graphics support, but the first graphics card needing PCIe 5.0 is likely some way off.

If cost is the primary factor, I recommend the MSI Pro A620M-E, which will get a new AM5 PC build humming along for less than $100. It gives you DDR5 but lacks PCIe 5.0, and the 88W maximum that the VRM solution can supply means being limited to the 65W Ryzen 7000 CPUs.

The Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi is a mid-range Asus motherboard that supports one PCIe 5.0 SSD and is perfect to pair with mid-range Ryzen 7000 CPUs with its 12+2 stage power delivery.

If you decide that your budget can stretch a little farther, check out our collection of the best AM5 motherboards to see what jumping up to the next chipset, X670, brings. You should also check out our recommended CPU coolers for AM5 so that you have everything needed to build that new PC.

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