Best B850 motherboards in 2026 – our top picks
Table of Contents
AMD has the upper hand over Intel when it comes to processors, and it’s been that way for a couple of years now. While the brand’s 9000 series CPU lineup offered decent performance in workstation tasks, it was the arrival of AMD’s X3D series that saw both gamers and PC builders flock to Team Red.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D was AMD’s biggest product launch in years and saw the brand climb to the top of the CPU ladder for most domestic use cases. It destroyed anything Intel had to offer in gaming and continues to be the most sought-after CPU out there.
Alongside AMD’s latest 9000-series CPU launch was the next generation of AM5 800 series boards, which featured decent improvements over their predecessors. So, if you are looking for a motherboard that can handle the capabilities of the Ryzen 9000 processors without breaking the bank, we recommend you check out the B850 options.
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This is a mid-range chipset but offers excellent value for money and can easily handle any Ryzen 7000 or 9000 processor without holding it back. We’ve selected a handful of B850 mainboards for you, catering to different budgets, and even have one reviewed option, the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI, which received a 4.5 rating from us and is our top pick.
Products at a glance
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Best B850 motherboard overall
MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX – 243.84×304.8mm
- PCIe Version: Gen 5 PCIe and Gen 5 NVMe
- Memory Speed: 8400 – 5600 (OC) MT/s
- Memory Capacity: 256GB DDR5
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Best runner-upASUS ROG Strix B850-A
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX
- PCIe Version: PCIe 5.0
- Memory Speed: 8000+MT/s (OC)
- Memory Capacity: 256GB DDR5
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Best mid-rangeGIGABYTE B850 AORUS Elite
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX
- PCIe Version: PCIe 5.0
- Memory Speed: 8200 MT/s (O.C)
- Memory Capacity: 256 GB DDR5
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Best budgetASRock AMD B850 Pro RS
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX
- PCIe Version: PCIe 5.0
- Memory Speed: 8000+ MT/s (OC)
- Memory Capacity: 256GB DDR5
How we picked
Here at PC Guide, we have a rigorous testing process for motherboards and all the other hardware we recommend, such as CPUs, GPUs, routers, and more. This allows us to gauge their real-world performance by testing various combinations and enables us to recommend the best options.
Motherboard testing is divided between performance, connectivity, and features, efficiency, build quality, and aesthetics. In addition, we also factor in the price because everyone operating with a different budget should get the best bang for their buck.
Our top picks
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX – 243.84×304.8mm
- PCIe Version: Gen 5 PCIe and Gen 5 NVMe
- Memory Speed: 8400 – 5600 (OC) MT/s
- Memory Capacity: 256GB DDR5
- Excellent ease of use and installation process
- Incredible connectivity speeds in PCIe and networking
- Great VRMs and cooling on them
- Strong price point
- Lacks USB 4 Thunderbolt
- No segment display or onboard power buttons
If you’re in the market for the best B850 motherboard for your next-gen Ryzen 9000 gaming PC, we recommend you check out the MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk Max WiFi. This is an excellent board with great build quality and features, and when we reviewed it, its performance earned it a 4.5/5 rating.
To begin with, this motherboard has PCIe 5.0 connectivity for the graphics card and the storage devices. What this means is that you should experience fast read and write times with the best Gen 5 SSDs and get full access to the 5.0 x16 slot with the latest RTX 50 and Radeon 9000 series GPUs.
Besides that, the memory capacity and maximum supported memory speed are nothing to laugh at either, as you have an overhead of 256GB and 8,400 MT/s, respectively. While 256GB RAM is a bit of overkill, as even 64GB or 32GB is more than enough for gaming and work, it does allow you to stack up more memory for better efficiency.
In addition, going for the maximum memory speed isn’t always the best idea, as depending on the VRMs and other aspects, you can run into stability issues. So, the consensus is that 6,000 MT/s is the sweetspot for Ryzen 9000 processors.
The Tomahawk B850 is a great mid-tier motherboard option which grants you access to the incredible speeds of te AM5 platform, without the price tag of the X870. With top-level Gen 5 performance, the latest connectivity, and EZ solutions for installations, this is a motherboard that ticks practically every box I can think of.
PC Guide
Regarding the power delivery system, this board features a 14+2+1 (80A) design, which should allow for a clean and stable power supply to the processor regardless of the workload. To test it out, we paired the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the RTX 4070 Ti with it.
When it came to gaming, we got 242 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 and 730 FPS in Counter-Strike 2, with a power draw of 67.2W and 54.4W, respectively. However, when we ran Blender, which requires more power from the CPU and GPU, the power draw ramped up to 74W with the 7800X3D reaching a maximum temperature of 27.5°C.
Seeing how the 7800X3D has a 120W TDP, the B850 managed to deliver however many watts of power depending on the workload, which shows that the CPU’s performance wasn’t held back by the motherboard.
Overall, this is an excellent B850 motherboard, and while it may not have a USB 4 connection, it comes with plenty of high-end features like WiFi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, 5G LAN port, and other robust connections.
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX
- PCIe Version: PCIe 5.0
- Memory Speed: 8000+MT/s (OC)
- Memory Capacity: 256GB DDR5
- Robust VRM design
- Plenty of AI features for optimized performance
- No USB 4 port
- Priced slightly higher than other options
If you’d rather check out other options before making up your mind, we recommend you check out the ASUS ROG Strix B850-A motherboard.
This is a feature-packed ATX motherboard featuring a robust 14+2+2 power stage VRM design, which ensures clean and stable power delivery, ideal for users looking to push their CPUs to the limit with overclocking. This board supports DDR5 memory speeds up to 8000+ MT/s, which should be more than enough for high-level multitasking and gaming performance.
Just like our top pick, it also sports PCIe 5.0 slots for both GPU and storage. What this means is that you can easily future-proof your build with the latest and fastest Gen 5 graphics cards and NVMe SSDs, delivering super-fast load times resulting in high efficiency and quick system responsiveness.
When it comes to networking options, this board features WiFi 7 for a wireless connection and a 2.5 Gb Ethernet port. This should ensure lag-free online gaming and streaming, regardless of the connection you opt for. However, to make the most out of the WiFi 7 functionality, you’ll need a WiFi 7 router.
Overall, this motherboard covers everything you’ll need to build a high-performance gaming rig or a powerful workstation.
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX
- PCIe Version: PCIe 5.0
- Memory Speed: 8200 MT/s (O.C)
- Memory Capacity: 256 GB DDR5
- Excellent overall performance
- DIY makes it great for first time builders
- It has a relatively friendly price point
- It has only one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot
If you’re looking for the maximum value for money, check out the Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite. This motherboard competes with the high-end board, with its features and price making it a steal.
This mainboard has a 14+2+2 VRM design, exactly what we’ve seen on the previous B850 boards, meaning its performance should be similar but at a lower price point. It can also accommodate 256GB of DDR5 RAM, which can run up to 8200 MT/s overclocked.
So, you’re not missing out on anything, and it comes with WiFi 7 and PCIe 5.0 connectivity, and the three M.2 slots should ensure you’ve got plenty of space to increase the storage. A neat feature of this motherboard is the X3D Turbo mode, which, according to Gigabyte, increases gaming performance by fine-tuning core distribution, power usage, and bandwidth.
What this means is that you should be able to experience even better performance if you pair this board with an X3D processor, and Gigabyte claims the increase in output can be up to 18%. Besides that, this board is also great for first-time builders as the EZ design of this board makes it easy to install and remove components without having to fiddle with an army for screws.
- Socket: AM5
- Chipset: B850
- Form Factor: ATX
- PCIe Version: PCIe 5.0
- Memory Speed: 8000+ MT/s (OC)
- Memory Capacity: 256GB DDR5
- It has a very pocket friendly price tag
- Doesn’t cut on a lot of factors
- Doesn’t have WiFi 7
While the B850 chipset falls under the mid-range category, there are budget options for it as well, and if you were looking for one, check out the ASRock B850 Pro RS WiFi. This motherboard, at the time of writing, has a price tag of $189.99, which is a lot less than other options on this list.
So, it is lighter on the pocket, but let’s see what the compromise is because budget options have to cut out something to reduce the price. This mainboard features WiFi 6E connectivity, whereas other boards feature WiFi 7.
While that may seem like a massive downgrade, WiFi 6E is still a solid option to game, stream, and work on, as the 6GHz frequency has a high bandwidth and can accommodate high speeds, resulting in a lag-free online experience.
The memory speed and capacity are 8,000 MHz and 256GB DDR5, respectively, and the VRM design is 14+2+1, so there shouldn’t be a huge difference in the power handling for the processor.
There is also a good amount of onboard cooling as the M.2, VRM, and chipset all have heatsinks, which combined with plenty of fan headers, should result in a smooth and cool gaming PC.
Overall, this is a great motherboard that covers everything, and while you’ll have to compromise on the WiFi, it isn’t a huge blow as this board should keep up with other offerings easily.
Why you can trust us
Here at PC Guide, we have a long history of testing motherboards from different brands featuring various technologies. We do not compromise on quality, and our reviews are free from brand bias as we believe transparency is the most important aspect when it comes to reviews.
Our robust testing process allows us to showcase the real-world performance of motherboards and other hardware, and we rate them based on the output, whether that is good or bad. Every product makes the list on its merit, and we only suggest those that meet the highest standards for performance, quality, and reliability because that is what we look for in our personal use as well.
While not every product has been tested in this guide, our goal is to test and review every product we recommend and we keep building our portfolio and will update this guide with more reviewed motherboards.
How to choose the best B850 motherboard
The B850 chipset has different variants, and before settling on the first option you see, there are a couple of factors you need to consider that will help you make an informed decision.
Budget
The first and most important aspect you need to consider is your budget. While the B850 chipset is the same in every motherboard but depending on the brand, the price will fluctuate. For example, an ASRock B850 motherboard won’t drain your wallet as much as an ASUS Strix B850 motherboard.
So, we always recommend that you filter the available options based on your budget and pick the board that offers the best balance between performance and value for money, as that is what mid-range offerings are all about.
Form Factor
The form factor of a motherboard can have a great impact on the overall performance of your system. The most common size for boards is ATX, but there are smaller boards like mATX and ITX, which offer fewer expansion slots, VRMs, and features.
They also cost less, but you’re bound to limited upgrades and performance. On the other hand, ATX and E-ATX cost more but have robust VRMs, more M.2 and RAM slots to increase the storage and memory, better on-board cooling solutions, and more.
So, it is a trade-off between performance and cost, but generally, the best option is to go for an ATX motherboard.
FAQs
Is B850 better than X870?
When it comes to performance, there shouldn’t be a huge difference between the B850 and X870; however, if you’re looking for high-speed connections like USB 4 and don’t mind spending a bit of extra cash, the latter is the better option for you.
That being said, if you don’t plan on overclocking your CPU to the extreme and want great value for your money, a B850 motherboard should serve as a solid foundation.
Is B650 better than B850?
The B850 chipset is much better than the B650 as it offers WiFi 7 connectivity, PCIe 5.0 support for the GPU and storage devices, and great DIY features. On the other hand, the B650 motherboard has PCIe 4.0 connectivity, WiFi 6, and you can find options that cost less than the B850, but the trade-off is features and performance.
Conclusion
We chose the MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI as the best B850 motherboard due to the performance it showcased during our in-house testing. It didn’t hold back the 7800X3D from performing at its best, and it also has excellent features that should help deliver great performance regardless of the task at hand.
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