Best Gaming Motherboards for 2026 (Intel & AMD)

MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi Overview

The MAG B850 Tomahawk MAX WiFi is the motherboard we would put in the majority of gaming PCs built in 2026.

AMD’s B850 chipset uses the same base silicon as X870, but makes USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 optional rather than mandatory. That single difference is responsible for most of the price gap between the two tiers, and USB4 is a feature that a large number of gamers will never use.

What you do not give up is the part that matters. The board provides a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for your graphics card, a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot for a Gen5 SSD, two additional Gen4 M.2 slots, and four DDR5 slots that can be pushed past 8400 MT/s with a capable memory kit.

Power delivery is the other reason this board stands out at its price. The 14-phase 80A design and dual 8-pin CPU connectors are more than sufficient for a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and they hold up under sustained all-core load from a 16-core Ryzen 9 as well. Cheaper B850 boards will run the same processors, but they can throttle during long rendering or encoding sessions.

MSI also included Wi-Fi 7 and a 5GbE port, which is unusually generous for the tier, along with a USB 20Gbps Type-C header for the front panel.
If you are building an AM5 gaming PC and you are not planning to run multiple Gen5 SSDs or USB4 devices, this is the board that gets you the most useful features for the money.

ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero Overview

The ROG Crosshair X870E Hero is the AM5 board to buy when your budget is not the limiting factor.

X870E is AMD’s top desktop chipset. It uses a dual-chip design that mandates USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 and provides the most PCIe lanes available on the platform. The Crosshair Hero takes full advantage of that with two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, five M.2 slots, two USB4 Type-C ports, and both 5GbE and 2.5GbE networking.

Its 18+2+2 power stage design is well beyond what any current Ryzen processor requires, which is exactly the point. If you plan to run a Ryzen 9 9950X3D under sustained heavy load, chase manual memory timings, or push Precision Boost Overdrive aggressively, this board removes power delivery and VRM thermals from the list of things that can hold you back.

ASUS also does the small things well here. The BIOS is one of the better ones available on AM5, the memory tuning options are extensive, and features like PCIe Slot Q-Release Slim and tool-free M.2 latches genuinely reduce build frustration.

The obvious caveat is price. For gaming alone, this board will not produce a single additional frame over the B850 Tomahawk listed above. You are paying for connectivity, expansion, and tuning headroom.

Buy the Crosshair X870E Hero if you are building a high-end workstation-and-gaming hybrid, you need multiple Gen5 SSDs or USB4 devices, or you simply want the best AM5 board available and are comfortable paying for it.

MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi Overview

If you are building around an unlocked Intel Core Ultra K-series processor, the MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi is the board we would choose first.

Z890 is the only Intel desktop chipset that allows CPU overclocking, and it also provides the most PCIe lanes and the widest DMI bandwidth on LGA 1851. The Tomahawk delivers those platform advantages without the price premium attached to boards like the Maximus Z890 Hero or MEG Z890 Ace.

The 16-phase 90A power design is genuinely strong for the money, and it comfortably handles a Core Ultra 9 running sustained all-core workloads. Memory support extends past 9200 MT/s with a good kit, which matters more on Intel’s platform than it does on AM5 because Arrow Lake benefits noticeably from faster memory.

Connectivity is where MSI’s Tomahawk line usually shines, and this board is no exception. You get a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the graphics card, a Gen5 M.2 slot alongside additional Gen4 slots, a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, Wi-Fi 7, and a 5GbE Ethernet port.

The main thing to keep in mind is the platform rather than the board. LGA 1851 does not have the same long upgrade runway that AM5 does, so you should buy it expecting to keep the processor you install rather than dropping in a new one in three years.

For an Intel gaming build that needs overclocking support and modern connectivity without a flagship price, this is the sensible pick.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero Overview

The ROG Maximus Z890 Hero is ASUS’ flagship mainstream Z890 board, and it is the Intel equivalent of the Crosshair X870E Hero listed above.

Its headline feature is power delivery. The 22+1+2+2 stage design, paired with large VRM heatsinks, gives you far more headroom than a Core Ultra 9 285K or 290K Plus will ever demand. That matters if you plan to run manual overclocks with a custom loop, and it also means the board simply will not be a limiting factor under sustained professional workloads.

Storage expansion is the other reason to consider it. Between the onboard slots and the bundled DIMM.2 module, you get six M.2 slots, three of which run at PCIe 5.0 speeds. There are also two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, and both 5GbE and 2.5GbE Ethernet.

ASUS’ memory tuning tools are worth noting on Intel specifically. Arrow Lake responds well to fast DDR5, and features like AEMP III and DIMM Flex make it easier to reach high memory speeds without spending an evening in the BIOS.

The trade-off is the same as with any flagship board. For gaming, the Maximus Z890 Hero will not outperform the Z890 Tomahawk. You are paying for storage expansion, I/O, and overclocking depth.

Choose it if you want the most capable LGA 1851 board short of the Extreme models, and you have workloads that will actually use what it offers.

MSI MAG B860 Tomahawk WiFi Overview

Most gamers do not overclock their processor, and on Intel’s current platform there is very little performance left on the table if you skip it. That makes B860 an easy recommendation, and the MAG B860 Tomahawk WiFi is the version of it we like best.

The board keeps the features that actually affect a gaming build. You still get a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the graphics card, a Gen5 M.2 slot plus two Gen4 slots, four DDR5 slots with support past 9200 MT/s, a Thunderbolt 4 port, Wi-Fi 7, and 5GbE Ethernet. Memory overclocking is fully available, which is the tuning that gives Arrow Lake processors the most benefit anyway.

What you give up is CPU multiplier overclocking, which requires Z890, and some VRM headroom. The 12-phase 60A design is a step down from the Tomahawk’s Z890 sibling, and it is best matched with a Core Ultra 5 or Core Ultra 7 rather than a Core Ultra 9 running heavy sustained workloads.

For most people that is an easy trade. Pairing a locked or non-overclocked Core Ultra 7 with this board rather than a Z890 setup frees up meaningful budget, and that money almost always does more good in your graphics card.

If you want an Intel gaming PC and you have no intention of manually overclocking the CPU, start here.

ASUS ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WiFi Overview

Mini-ITX boards force compromises, and the ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WiFi makes fewer of them than almost anything else on AM5.

The 10+2+1 power stage design is unusually robust for a 17cm board, and it is capable of running a Ryzen 7 9800X3D or even a Ryzen 9 provided your case has adequate airflow. That is not something every mini-ITX board can claim.

Because it uses the X870 chipset, USB4 is guaranteed rather than optional. ASUS fitted two USB4 Type-C ports, which is genuinely useful on a small-form-factor system where you have limited room for expansion cards and will likely rely on external storage and docks.

The board also includes a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, two M.2 slots with Gen5 support on one of them, Wi-Fi 7, and 2.5GbE Ethernet. ASUS moves the audio circuitry and several controls onto the external Strix Hive II module, which frees up PCB space and makes front-panel connections easier during a cramped build.

The limitations are inherent to the form factor rather than the board. You get two DIMM slots instead of four, one expansion slot, and fewer SATA ports. Mini-ITX boards also carry a price premium over comparable ATX models.

If you are building a compact AM5 system and you do not want the motherboard to be the thing that limits it, this is the one to get.

ASUS ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi Overview

The ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi is the mini-ITX counterpart to the X870-I above, built for Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 processors.

Its standout feature is storage. Fitting two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots onto a mini-ITX board is not easy, and it means you can run two fast Gen5 drives in a system small enough to carry with one hand. Most compact boards make you choose between capacity and speed here.

Power delivery is also strong for the size, with 10+1+2+1 stages rated at 110A. Combined with the Z890 chipset, that gives you real CPU overclocking support in a small-form-factor build, though how far you can actually push a chip will depend heavily on your cooling and case airflow.

Elsewhere you get a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, and 2.5GbE Ethernet, plus the Strix Hive II external module and FPS card that ASUS bundles with its current ITX boards.

Two DDR5 slots are the main constraint, which is standard for the form factor and rarely an issue for a gaming machine. The bigger consideration is price, since compact Z890 boards command a significant premium over full-size options.

If you want a compact Intel gaming PC and you are not willing to compromise on storage speed or tuning options, this is the board to build around.

ASUS TUF Gaming B650-PLUS WiFi Overview

B650 is now the budget tier of AM5, and the TUF Gaming B650-PLUS WiFi has aged into one of the best values on the platform.

It supports Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series processors, including the X3D models, and its 12+2 power stage design is comfortably sufficient for a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7. You also get four DDR5 slots, three M.2 slots with PCIe 5.0 support on one of them, 2.5GbE Ethernet, and BIOS FlashBack for updating firmware without a compatible CPU installed.

The board’s real strength is maturity. It has been on the market long enough to receive years of BIOS revisions, and it has developed a reputation for stability and good Linux compatibility. That is worth something on a platform where early firmware issues were common.

The compromises are visible in the spec sheet. The graphics slot runs at PCIe 4.0 rather than 5.0, and the wireless is Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 7. Neither will cost you framerates today. Current graphics cards do not saturate a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, and Wi-Fi 6 is still perfectly capable for online gaming.

Buy this board if you want to get onto AM5 as inexpensively as reasonably possible and put the savings toward your graphics card. If B850 boards are on sale close to B650 pricing, take the B850 instead for the newer connectivity.

MSI PRO B860M-A WiFi Overview

The PRO B860M-A WiFi is the least expensive board on this list that we would still recommend for a real gaming PC.

It is a micro-ATX B860 board, so it fits into smaller cases than the ATX options above while keeping four DDR5 slots, which many compact boards give up. You get a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the graphics card, a Gen5 M.2 slot alongside two Gen4 slots, Wi-Fi 7, 5GbE Ethernet, and a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port on the rear I/O.

That last group of features is unusual at this price. Budget boards frequently cut back to Wi-Fi 6, gigabit Ethernet, and PCIe 4.0, so getting current networking and Gen5 support on an entry-level board is a legitimate advantage.

The compromise is power delivery. The 12-phase 60A design is best paired with a Core Ultra 5 or Core Ultra 7 rather than a Core Ultra 9 under sustained all-core load. For a gaming-focused system, that pairing is the sensible one anyway. B860 also does not allow CPU overclocking, though memory tuning is still available.

If your build centers on a mid-range Intel processor and you would rather spend the difference on a graphics card, this board gives up very little that will actually affect your gaming experience.