A good CPU is only as good as the motherboard that it sits in, which is why it’s important to choose the best CPU and motherboard combo for your PC. With the constant one-upmanship of the world of CPUs, things change rapidly, luckily, we’re at a stable point right now where the majority of mainstream CPUs can sit on one best motherboard, depending on whether it’s AMD or Intel.

The Ryzen 9000 series has changed the game, while mostly showing that efficiency is not the be-all-and-end-all, the launch was rocky, to say the least. It may be wise to hold off on 9000 series CPUs for now, until the release of AMD’s 800 series motherboards. However, the 9000 series will work just fine on any 700 series AM5 motherboard you might currently have. With all that being said, how do we pick the best combinations?

Combos at a glance

We aim to bring you the most optimal CPU and motherboard combinations that help take the headache out of picking compatible PC parts. You can rest assured that all of the combinations we present are compatible and the motherboards have the building blocks in place to fully support the CPU in all of its endeavors.

How we picked the best CPU motherboard combo options

Through extensive research, and considering the features needed for motherboards to support a range of top CPUs, we’ve selected combinations we believe will offer excellent performance for years to come. We have also considered budget of course, although the best options aren’t always wallet-friendly.

For this list we’ve chosen only the most recent motherboard sockets, considering future-facing features and performance, as well as optimal availability. We leverage our reviews and personal experience heavily on PC Guide, so we offer the best insight we can when it comes to CPU and motherboard combinations. If you want to know more, you can visit our PC Guide Testing Labs page to get an overview of how we test all the hardware that we get.

Should you be looking for the right CPU for you, have a look at our best CPU for gaming list. Also, check out our best graphics card round-up to fill out your system needs. We hope whatever you opt for, this guide helps you get a system, you’ll be very happy with!

Ryzen 7 9800X3D + ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi

Specifications

• CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi
• CPU Core and Thread count: 8 cores – 16 threads
• Motherboard form Factor: ATX
• CPU Base Speed: 4.7 GHz
• Motherboard Socket: AM5
• CPU TDP: 120W
• Motherboard RAM Capacity : 192GB DDR5
• CPU Boost Speed : 5.2 GHz
• Motherboard PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 5 storage + GPU

What We Think

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming processors and the support it gets from the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E motherboard, it can unleash it full potential, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Reasons to Buy

• Provides plenty of power to the processor and lets it run at its full potential
• Great memory overclock reaching fast transfer speeds
• Quick disconnect NVMe and GPU makes upgrades and installation a breeze

Reasons to Avoid

• A more premium option with features unnecessary for most
• Does take a long time to memory train for quick boots

• Shop on Amazon

The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is currently the best gaming CPU on the market, and while its reign is threatened by the Ryzen 9 9950X3D, we’re sure it will be a very popular pick among gamers. This processor is based on the AM5 platform, meaning it needs an AM5 motherboard, and while there are plenty of chipsets on the AM5 platform that would support this CPU, we recommend pairing it with the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi motherboard.

In our Ryzen 7 9800X3D review, it delivered excellent gaming performance and took it to the next level with PBO enabled. However, this also increased its power draw and temperature, which isn’t surprising. Another reason for recommending that specific board for this CPU is that it can be overclocked, which wasn’t possible with the previous X3D processors.

This means you can make its 8 cores run faster, which consumes more power and generates more heat. On top of that, you need more VRMs so that the energy is cleaned and stabilized before reaching the CPU, resulting in a higher overclock overhead. This brings us to the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E mainboard. In its review, we tested its performance using the Ryzen 9 9950X, which is the flagship of the Ryzen 9000 processors.

This CPU has a higher 170W TDP, more cores and threads, and faster clock speeds than the 9800X3D. Since it has an 18+2+2 power delivery design, it had no issues delivering as much power as the 9950X needed. It delivered 189.065W while running Blender and 197.997W during the Cinebench 2024 multi-core test.

During Blender, it managed a score of 260.38 in Monster with a maximum CPU and motherboard temperature of 74.8°C and 38°C. For Cinebench, we got 2175 points, and the CPU and motherboard remained at a comfortable 75.6°C and 37°C. So, not only did this motherboard enable this processor to perform at its best, but it remained cool while doing so.

So, we’re confident that the Ryzen 7 9800X3D wouldn’t be held back by this board, and with it at the center of your PC, you should be able to build a high-end setup as it features PCIe 5.0 support for the GPU and storage devices and a maximum RAM support of 192GB DDR5.

Core Ultra 9 285K + MSI MEG Z890 ACE

Specifications

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
• Motherboard: MSI MEG Z890 ACE
• CPU Core and Thread count: 24 Core – 24 Thread (8 P-core 16 E-core)
• Motherboard form Factor: ATX
• CPU Base Speed: 3.7GHz (P-core) 3.2GHz (E-Core)
• Motherboard Socket: LGA 1851
• CPU TDP: TDP 125W (base) 250W (Maximum)
• Motherboard RAM Capacity: 256GB DDR5
• CPU Boost Speed : 5.5GHz (P-core) 4.6GHz (E-Core)
• Motherboard PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 5 storage + GPU

What We Think

The Core Ultra 9 285K and the MSI MEG Z890 ACE make an excellent pairing as this board has everything the 285K will need to deliver excellent multi-threaded and gaming output.

Reasons to Buy

• Plenty of PCIe and NVMe slots for expansion
• Great EZ DIY build and options
• Lots of connectivity on the rear and internal IO

Reasons to Avoid

• A very expensive component to to include in a build

• Shop on Amazon

This is a high-end pairing with neither component costing below $500, so it is an expensive pairing. However, when it comes to compatibility and performance, this is one of the best, as the MSI MEG Z890 ACE has an LGA 1851 socket, which is a requirement for the 285K. In addition, we’ve tested this combination in-house for our MEG Z890 ACE and Core Ultra 9 285K reviews and can give you the full breakdown of the level of performance you can expect.

Before we get into the performance benchmarks, we used the RTX 3090 with this combination; however, the 285K can easily be paired with newer flagship graphics cards like the RTX 4090 or the RTX 5090 without causing a bottleneck. A benefit of using one of the latest RTX 50-series GPUs with this pairing is that it has a PCIe 5.0 slot for the GPU, meaning each lane can support a data speed of 4 GB/s, and with an x16 connection, the total bandwidth would be 64GB/s, which translates to exceptional in-game and professional performance.

This board also has a 24+2+1+1 power delivery system, which means the CPU, memory, SoC, and other components have 24, 2, 1, and 1 filters to clean the energy, respectively. The more VRMs there are, the better the power supply to the processor is, which results in better performance and efficiency.

MSI MEG Z890 Ace temps, Image by PC Guide

MSI MEG Z890 Ace Avg package power, Image by PC Guide

MSI MEG Z890 Ace Cyberpunk 2077, Image by PC Guide

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For gaming, we ran Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p low settings to put more stress on the 285K, and we got 172 FPS. In Blender Monsters and the Cinebench 2024 multi-core test, we got a score of 267.30 and 2433, respectively. The average power that the motherboard supplied to the processor during our testing was 206.1W while the maximum TDP for the 285K is 250W.

So, it didn’t quite reach as high as what we’ve seen with other motherboards like the ROG Maximus Z890 Hero, as it managed to deliver 233.5W of power. Despite that, it came very close to delivering the same performance and had a maximum temperature of 32°C compared to the Maximus Z890 Hero’s 38°C.

Overall, this combination should set you up for years to come as the LGA 1851 platform is new, and the future Intel processors will be based on it, giving you plenty of options to upgrade to and making up for the initial hefty payment you’d have to make.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X + ASUS X670E Crosshair Hero

Specifications

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
• Motherboard: ASUS X670E Crosshair Hero
• CPU Core and Thread count: 16 Multithreaded Cores 32 Threads
• Motherboard form Factor: ATX
• CPU Base Speed: 4.3 GHz
• Motherboard Socket: AM5
• CPU TDP: TDP 170W (PPT 230W)
• Motherboard RAM Capacity : 192GB, DDR5 @ 8000+(OC)
• CPU Boost Speed : up to 5.7 GHz
• Motherboard PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 5 Storage + GPU

What We Think

The X670 Hero is perfect to play host for the 9950X because of the inclusion of PCIe Gen 5 capabilities for both storage and GPUs. Note that X670s will soon be superseded by the X870s.

Reasons to Buy

• Ryzen 7000 series and 9000 series compatible
• High memory speed and capacity
• Extensive overclocking support
• Robust power stages
• Great customizability
• Sleek aesthetics

Reasons to Avoid

• Very expensive
• Reserved for enthusiasts
• If you don’t have high-end hardware, this may be a waste
• Armory crate – everyone who uses it, dislikes it
• Very gamer focused – If you don’t like that kind of thing

• Shop on Amazon

AMD’s Ryzen 9000 series may be a little held back by the level of efficiency that AMD is trying to achieve, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light is named the 9950X. In our review, we state that this CPU is highly capable of being AMD’s latest flagship and rips through tasks when you enable PBO. This is why we think it will make a fantastic pair with the X670E Hero, as it has a robust power delivery system to give the CPU a constant stream of stable power.

The 9950X has 16 fully hyperthreaded cores totalling 32 logical processors. This suggests that it would be good at multi-core workloads, and good it is. In our testing, the 9950X smashed the 40k mark in Cinebench, which isn’t something we see a lot of that’s for sure. With that in mind, the Ryzen 9 is let down a little by its single-core performance. If you’re looking for a CPU that will do tremendously well when gaming, you might be better off waiting until X3D launches.

The X670E Hero is one of the best X670 motherboards around, it’ll also likely be cheaper around the launch of the 800 series motherboards. The 18+2 Phase power delivery system makes it great at delivering power when it is needed. If you have a soft spot for PCIe Gen 5 storage, this motherboard will fill your needs, with two dedicated Gen 5 M.2 slots. Not to mention the fact this motherboard comes coupled with a PCIe Gen 5 card. If you’re interested, we suggest you read more about this motherboard in the review we posted.

The Core i9-14900K and the ASUS Z790 Dark Hero make a fantastic CPU and motherboard combo thanks to the plethora of features that the Z790 offers. Not to mention the fact that the 14900K is still top of the pack (for now) when it comes to single-core performance. So if you want to game on the Intel platform, the 14900K might be the best choice for you. Intel has patched the issues that caused chip degradation with the 14th and 13th-generation CPUs, so it’s safe to buy again.

This Intel CPU is still using the split core technology introduced in the 12th generation Alder Lake CPUs, this means that you get 24 cores and 32 threads. 8 of those cores being hyperthreaded P-Cores, and 16 E-Cores, with half of those E-Cores also being hyperthreaded. As we mentioned in our review of the 14900K. That’s how it’s able to score so damn high in the multi-core tests. It just packs more cores than any other CPU on the market right now, mainstream anyway. And with Single-core boost speeds topping 6GHz, it’s easy to see why it performs so well when gaming.

The Dark Hero is built for enthusiasts who want the best of the best out of their motherboard, as we mentioned in our review, with a robust 20+1 teamed power solution delivering clean and stable power when the 14900K needs it the most. Power delivery is one of the motherboard’s most important functions, as it facilitates power to all components within the PC. When overclocking it’s important to have the most stable power possible, as any fluctuations could knock the CPU out of whack. And as it turns out, the 14900K is quite the beast when properly overclocked.

7800X3D + MSI B650M Project Zero

Specifications

• Motherboard RAM Capacity : 128GB DDR5 @ 7600+(OC)
• CPU Boost Speed : up to 5 GHz
• Motherboard PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 Storage + GPU

What We Think

A very good pair for a sleeker, smaller gaming rig. You don’t need a whole lot of overclocking capabilities with the 7800X3D, as the 3D V-cache cannot handle it.

Reasons to Buy

• Good value for money
• Looks good, really like the white
• Thermal armour keeps VRMs cool

Reasons to Avoid

• Slight performance loss vs X670E
• Difficult to install if your case doesn’t accommodate for the rear connections
• Micro-ATX, so only 1 PCIe slot

• Shop on Amazon

This is a more budget pairing based on gaming performance. The 7800X3D is very capable of pushing frames in even the most intense of games, the 3D V-cache gives it a nice boost where it lacks in raw power from its inclusion on the chip. Because of the V-cache, and the limitations it poses, we have paired this CPU with a B650M, because you just don’t need that much power with an X3D CPU. This way, you can save some money and perhaps upgrade your GPU instead.

X3D shines in gaming scenarios, as we found out when we reviewed the X3D. If you’re looking for something similar but for productivity, then the base 7700X might be of interest to you. There is no 7800X as of yet, but if the random reignition of AM4 has taught us anything, the lack of base 7800X may not last forever.

The B650M Project Zero is based around power delivery and aesthetics, boasting a 3-layered power delivery system of 10+2+1 power phases, it’s puts even the best motherboards to bed. This would be a build centered around looks, or at least aesthetically focused. That is where Project Zero shines, all of the connections on the motherboard are at the rear, meaning there are no wires visible on the front. When we reviewed this motherboard, we thought that this was a nice touch from MSI.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D + Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro

Specifications

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
• Motherboard: Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro
• CPU Core and Thread count: 8 Multithreaded cores 16 Threads
• Motherboard form Factor: ATX
• CPU Base Speed: 3.4 GHz
• Motherboard Socket: AM4
• CPU TDP: TDP 105W (PPT 142W)
• Motherboard RAM Capacity : 128GB DDR4 @ 4400(O.C.)
• CPU Boost Speed : up to 4.5 GHz
• Motherboard PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 storage + GPU

What We Think

The 5800X3D is still one of the best value gaming CPUs on the market, paired with the X570 Aorus Pro, it makes for a fantastic budget gaming combo.

Reasons to Buy

• Cheap enough on sale
• Amazing Zen 3 performance
• Efficient

Reasons to Avoid

• Sometimes rare to find new
• Revisions can cause confusion with BIOS update
• Old platform, can invest in newer technology for similar money

• Shop on Amazon

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D is to this day probably one of the best value gaming CPUs on the market, it’s on the AM4 platform, which is technically still in support, but it can’t be for much longer. This is quite literally one of the only downsides that this CPU has, apart from the limitations, if you’re on a budget and want to game, this CPU is a fantastic choice, as we stated in our review. However, I wouldn’t pick this up for multitasking workloads, as the first version of the 3D cache limited the CPU quite heavily.

The 3D V-cache in the 5800X3D is limiting because it’s not a fan of high voltages or temperatures, so AMD has limited the boost clock speeds and the overclocking capabilities of this CPU quite massively. Because of this, it’s not the best at performing multi-core workloads. But its gaming performance is phenomenal compared to the other CPUs of the time. It took until the 9700X for a base AMD CPU to beat it in gaming performance.

The X570 Aorus Pro that we have chosen to pair this AM4 CPU with is more than capable of supporting it. The 5800X3D doesn’t need much power thanks the the limitations on overclocking that it has, but this motherboard is packed with features such as PCIe Gen 4 connectivity on the GPU and the storage, which should keep you going for a while. As we mentioned in our review, if you want something aesthetically pleasing and very capable, then this might be the motherboard for you.

How to choose the best CPU and Motherboard combo

When looking to create your own CPU and motherboard combo, there are a few things that you should be on the lookout for. If you make a mistake here, you could cause yourself a massive headache, or worse, lose money. So we suggest following this guide closely if you’re looking for something different but don’t know how to pull it off. We got you.

Compatibility

Intel and AMD motherboards are different, and it’s been that way for a long long time. But it’s also important to remember that motherboards can change on the same brand by generation, so we created a little table to help out with socket selection in case you are ever stuck on what motherboard works with what CPU.

We didn’t list them all, just the up-to-date ones. If we wanted to list all of the CPUs, we’d be here forever.

Power consumption

CPUs are the second major consumers of power in the PC, with the first being the best GPUs, with that being said, you still need to watch what you’re putting in your PC if you care about a high energy bill at the end of the month. It would help if you also made sure that the motherboard and the PSU can handle all of the power that the CPU is requesting. More on that in a minute.

Budget

There’s no point shopping for motherboards that you can’t afford, or that take up way too much room in your budget, while it is true that motherboards are one of the most important components in your system, you’re paying for features mostly, not necessarily functionality. CPUs and GPUs cost way more because they are the main drivers of performance, given that the motherboard mainly provides power, you should opt for a board that can fully support the other hardware you are choosing and one that suits your connectivity needs.

Power delivery

On that, power is the most important thing a motherboard does, and some are better at it than others. If you have a high-end CPU that you plan on overclocking, then you will want a motherboard with a higher power phase count and a more robust delivery system. That way you can overclock your CPU without having to bother too much about stability within your system. Usually, the most premium motherboard chipsets (X670, Z790, X570) etc, have the best power delivery systems available to them.

Size

Despite what people tell you, size does matter, well, for PC building anyway. Larger motherboards require a larger case and tend to be more feature-rich and include more connectivity. By contrast, smaller motherboards tend to have fewer features but are more budget-friendly as a result.

About the Author

Joel Loynds

Joel is a a lover of janky games, Magic the Gathering, and going down rabbit holes. For PC Guide he has written about peripherals, the Steam Deck, retro games, news and more.