It has been a while since AMD launched its Ryzen 9000 series CPUs, with the initial batch including the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X; later joined by the massively popular Ryzen 7 9800X3D. The latest-generation processors were then followed by the launch of X870 and X870E motherboards. However, if you’re in search of a cheaper alternative, that’s where the B850 and B840 chipsets come in. These have now been shown off as part of CES 2025 in early January, release day is almost here and product listings are readily available to pre-order across several popular retailers.
These more budget-friendly B850 and B840 motherboards come several months after the enthusiast picks. While it isn’t necessary to buy a new 800 series motherboard to support the 9000 series (they’re still using the AM5 socket featured on last-gen 600 series boards), these new boards will offer the most up-to-date support.
B850 and B840 motherboard release date
Right now, both the new B850 and B840 motherboards are listed online with a release date of January 15th. This reflects earlier rumors and speculation claiming the 15th as the launch day. Even ahead of that, B850 motherboards were leaked online by momomo_us, a reliable source; Gigabyte’s range includes multiple boards using the B850 chipset.
Where to buy B850 and B840 motherboards – US retailers
Here are the best retailers in the United States if you want to buy or pre-order one of these new AMD motherboards.
B850
- Amazon
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-A Gaming WiFi
- ASUS TUF Gaming B850-PLUS WiFi
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-E Gaming WiFi
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-I Gaming WiFi
- ASUS ROG Strix B850-F Gaming WiFi
- ASUS TUF Gaming B850M-PLUS WiFi
- GIGABYTE B850M AORUS Elite WIFI6E ICE
- GIGABYTE B850 Eagle WIFI6E
- GIGABYTE B850 AORUS Elite WIFI7 ICE
- GIGABYTE B850 Gaming WIFI6
- GIGABYTE B850 AORUS Elite WIFI7
- GIGABYTE B850M Gaming X WIFI6E
- Best Buy
- Newegg
B840
- Amazon
- Best Buy
- Newegg
Where to buy B850 and B840 motherboards – UK retailers
Next up, the UK – there are a couple of regional retailers we like to focus on outside of Amazon.
B850
- Amazon UK
- Overclockers UK
- Scan
B840
- Amazon UK
- Overclockers UK
- Scan
Where to buy B850 and B840 motherboards – Canada retailers
Lastly, there are a few different places to grab one of these boards in Canada.
B850
- Amazon CA
- Best Buy CA
- Newegg CA
B840
- Amazon CA
- Best Buy CA
- Newegg CA
Can you pre order B850 and B840 motherboards?
As far as pre-orders go, we can already see many SKUs available online ahead of time that are available for purchase – whether to be shipped on the January 15th release date or picked up in-store (the latter is dependent on the retailer). So, yes, you can pre-order either the B850 or B840 motherboards, though there are only a couple of days until they launch at the time of writing, and we don’t expect demand to be incredibly high regardless.
B850 and B840 motherboard specs
Details for these two new chipsets started appearing a while back in anticipation of the Ryzen 9000 series. AMD has already officially disclosed a few key specifications for the B850 and B840 chipsets, such as a lack of overclocking support on the entry-level pick. Further official information on the two new chips can be found on the AMD website.
| Specification | AMD B850 | AMD B840 |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe | Gen 5 NVMe (graphics optional) Gen 4 Graphics | Gen 3 |
| USB | USB 3.2, 20 Gbps | USB 3.1, 10 Gbps |
| Overclocking | CPU and Memory | Memory only |
| Graphics | 1×16, 2×8 | 1×16 |
| Socket | AM5 | AM5 |
As far as specific motherboard models go, leaks for Gigabyte & ASUS B850 & B840 motherboards reveal that models such as the ROG Strix B850-A and TUF Gaming B850 will offer 2x PCI-E x16 slots, 4x DIMMS, and 4x M.2 ports. Now that retailer listings have arrived online, we can see specs like this displayed – as usual, some specs and designs differ depending on model and manufacturer.
B850 and B840 motherboard price
Comparable to other hardware launches, the price of a new motherboard can vary quite a lot. AMD has several partners for the new B850 and B840 motherboards, so different designs will understandably vary in price. So far, we have found listings for the B850 chipset boards that range between $200-$350. The B840 features cut-down specs, so you can expect to find one for cheaper – so far we’ve seen $180 upwards on retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy.
What CPUs are B850 and B840 motherboards compatible with?
Since the B850 and B840 motherboards use the familiar AM5 socket, they are compatible with processors from Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series. Here’s a list of compatible consumer desktop CPUs for reference (there are also the workstation Threadripper chips we’ve excluded here):
Ryzen 7000 series
- AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
- AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D
- AMD Ryzen 7 7700
- AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
- AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
- AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
Ryzen 8000 series
- AMD Ryzen 3 8300G
- AMD Ryzen 5 8400F
- AMD Ryzen 5 8500G
- AMD Ryzen 5 8600G
- AMD Ryzen 7 8700F
- AMD Ryzen 7 8700G
Ryzen 9000 series
- AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
- AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
- AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
AMD launched the 9950X3D and 9900X3D processors at CES 2025, both of which will be available to buy within Q1 2025.
