With the launch of the new Ryzen 7000 desktop
processors, AMD also debuted a series of new motherboard chipsets. Zen 4 CPUs like the
Ryzen 9 7950X, 7900X, Ryzen 7 7700X, or Ryzen 5 7600X don t work on the older AM4 or AM3
chipsets. They are only compatible and must be paired with one of the latest X670E, X670,
B650E, or B650 motherboards. The question is, which one to choose? What s the best AM5
motherboard for your new Ryzen 7000 processor? If you want to make an informed decision,
we prepared for you a detailed video, to understand better how the new chipsets compare in terms
of features, options and performance, as well as what their prices are these days! Before
we delve into the ins and outs of every AM5 chipset, I d like to show you a quick comparison
table. It s the quickest way to make sense of what these chipsets offer and how they
differ. As you can see, there are four chipsets: X670E, X670 without an E, B650E and B650.
They all support PCI Express 4.0, but only some are compatible with PCI Express 5.0.
Worth noting, the two chipsets whose names end in E are the only ones that include PCI
Express 5.0 lanes for the graphics slots. And only the first three are required by design
to have at least one PCIe 5.0 NVMe slot for a fast solid-state drive. Other than that,
the differences between the AM5 chipsets are related to the number of additional PCI Express
lanes and SuperSpeed 20 Gbps and 10 Gbps USB ports. Let s take them one by one and see
exactly what they offer. The X670E is AMD s most powerful AM5 chipset for Ryzen 7000
series CPUs. Under the hood, it s a chipset made of not one, but two smaller chips that
communicate between themselves via four PCI Express 4.0 lanes. By design, the X670E chipset
supports 24 direct processor PCI Express 5.0 lanes: 16 lanes go to the graphics slots - you
can use one graphics card in x16 mode or two in x8 mode, 4 lanes are used for a fast NVMe
SSD, 4 lanes are general purpose lanes (GPPs), meaning they are free and can be used independently
as the motherboard manufacturer sees fit. Besides the direct processor PCIe 5.0 lanes,
the X670E also offers 12 PCIe 4.0 lanes and 8 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Manufacturers can use the
PCIe 4.0 lanes to implement other fast components on their motherboards, like Ethernet, Wi-Fi,
or additional NVMe SSD slots. PCIe 3.0 ports can be used for lower-speed components such
as SATA ports, namely for hard disk drives. Another key aspect of the X670E chipset is
that it also supports a maximum of two SuperSpeed USB ports at 20 Gbps and twelve SuperSpeed
USB 10 Gbps ports. So X670E motherboards are the best choice for PC enthusiasts and users
who require high performance, extended PCI Express 5.0 connectivity, and as many high-speed
ports as they can get. These motherboards are made for gamers and professionals who
want the best of the best, and they re an excellent pair for flagship CPUs such as the
Ryzen 9 7950X or 7900X. Unfortunately, high-end hardware comes at a steep price, so the X670E
motherboards will require a quite deep wallet. Get ready to pay anywhere between 330 and
1300 dollars for one! I loved the ASUS Prime X670E-Pro WiFi that I tested recently, and
I warmly recommend it to anyone who wants a well-balanced motherboard. And its price
is about 350 USD. Or maybe you d like to splurge a bit on a superior model like the ROG Crosshair
X670E Hero, which also has WiFi 6E, which sells for around $700. But hey, the sky is
the limit when it comes to high-end devices, so if money doesn't matter, you could even
spend 1300 USD for an MSI MEG X670E GODLIKE Gaming Motherboard. Moving on, the X670 high-end
chipset is, more or less, the same as the E variant. It s also dual-chiplet, meaning
that this one, too, has two smaller chips inside it, connected via four PCIe 4.0 lanes.
However, on the X670, there are only eight usable direct processor PCIe 5.0 lanes available:
4 of them go to the NVMe slot and 4 general purpose lanes can be used by motherboard manufacturer
as it sees fit. AMD artificially downgraded the X670 chipset by limiting the speed of
the graphics slot to PCI Express 4.0. That means that any graphics card you mount on
an X670 motherboard will work on PCIe 4.0 max, even if it s a PCIe 5.0 GPU. While that
s not an issue right now, as no graphics card can truly benefit from the huge bandwidth
offered by PCIe 5.0, it is worth keeping this in mind for the future, if you intend to keep
the AM5 motherboard for the many years to come. The other specs of the X670 are the
same as the ones of the E chipset: 12 PCIe 4.0 lanes, free to use by the motherboard's
manufacturers for things like Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or NVMe, 8 PCIe 3.0 lanes, up to two 20 Gbps
and twelve 10 Gbps USB ports, and up to 8 SATA Ports. X670-based motherboards are for
those who want to get their hands on most of the features of the X670E chipset, including
PCIe 5.0 support for the NVMe SSD slot, but are OK with running their graphics card on
PCI Express 4.0. This will give you the option to build a computer with some of the best
hardware available today, for the CPU, I d say a Ryzen 9 7900X or Ryzen 7 7700X would
be the right choice, while still keeping the costs a bit lower than going with an X670E
motherboard. Get ready to spend somewhere around 280 dollars a motherboard like the
MSI PRO X670-P. Moving on now to the even cheaper options, the B650E is the mid-range
chipset for Zen 4 CPUs. Unlike the other two, the B650E and B650 don t have a dual-chiplet
design. There s only one chip inside the chipset, and while we still get the same features as
on the high-end chipsets, the total number of PCI Express lanes and ports is lower. On
the bright side, just like the X670E flagship, the B650E offers: 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes for the
graphics slots - one graphics card in x16 mode or two in x8 mode, 4 PCIe 5.0 lanes go
to a fast NVMe SSD, 4 PCIe 5.0 GPPs can be used independently according to the motherboard
manufacturer s choice. However, besides the 24 direct processor PCIe 5.0 lanes, the chipset
only has 12 additional PCIe 4.0 and 3.0 lanes. Depending on the motherboard manufacturer,
these can be used for connecting other components or as NVMe ports for instance. Last but not
least, the B650E also supports a combination of either one SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps port
and two 10 Gbps USB ports, or four SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps ports. If you re a gamer, the
B650E chipset is the one you should look for. Motherboards based on it offer the same performance
as the ones using the X chipsets and also come with extended PCIe 5.0 support, for the
graphics card included. If you can live with a lower number of ports and you re also careful
with your budget, a B650E motherboard is the best choice. As far as I ve seen on Amazon,
prices range somewhere between 270 USD for an ASRock B650E PG Riptide for example and
350 USD for a GIGABYTE B650E AORUS Master. A good pair for such a motherboard would probably
be an Ryzen 7 7700X or a Ryzen 5 7600X. Similar to how the X670 is a cut-down version of the
X670, the B650 is a shrunk version of it's E chipset. In most respects, like the number
of PCI Express lanes or SuperSpeed USB ports available, the B650 is identical to the E
version. However, there s one essential difference: the B650 chipset is designed for PCI Express
4.0 connectivity only. By default, it doesn t offer PCIe 5.0 for the graphics slot or
other components. Still, AMD left an open loophole in this chipset: if a motherboard
manufacturer wants, it can add an NVMe slot that supports PCI Express 5.0 in x4 mode.
A B650 motherboard is what you should buy if your budget is somewhat constrained. It
s a clear choice for anyone looking to build a budget-friendly yet still powerful desktop
computer. If you don t need PCI Express 5.0 or a lot of high-speed ports but you want
to switch to a new Ryzen 7000 processor, B650 offers everything you could ask for. Moreover,
the performance you ll get from the CPU is the same as with any of the higher-end chipsets.
To keep the costs in check, I d pair a B650 motherboard with a Ryzen 5 7600X CPU. The
price for a B650 motherboard starts from somewhere around 200 USD. For instance, a GIGABYTE B650M
AORUS Elite is sold for exactly 200 USD, while an ASUS TUF Gaming B650-Plus that also includes
an M.2 PCIe 5.0 slot will cost you around 240 USD. Hopefully, now you know more about
the differences between the AM5 chipsets. You ve seen how the motherboards compare,
and I hope we shed some light about what these chipsets offer. What would you go for? Will
you choose a flagship motherboard based on the X670E chipset, will you show moderation
with an X670 or B650E, or will you stick to your budget and choose a B650 motherboard?
Let us know in the comments section below. That was it for today, I trully hope it was
helpful, and if you found it as such, o even interesting, please subscribe to our teeny-tiny
channel. Good luck and thanks for watching!
