Best Boards: DDR5 Edition - 2024

DDR5 modules are now more affordable than ever, making it the right time to upgrade to the newer DDR5 memory and enjoy even better performance than the fastest DDR4 RAM . We’ve rounded up the best DDR5 motherboards to take the new chips for a spin.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Best Overall
$461 at Amazon

MSI B760 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi

Best Budget
$151 at Amazon

ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero

Best for Gaming
$635 at Amazon

MSI MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi

Best for Compact Builds
$187 at Amazon

GIGABYTE B650M AORUS Elite AX

Best Micro-ATX
$180 at Amazon

Best DDR5 Motherboard Overall: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

ASUS

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is a high-end DDR5 motherboard with everything you need to build a killer PC, whether you’re a gamer or a content creator. It’s not cheap, but you get premium components, PCIe 5.0 support, DDR5 memory speeds that could go up to 7800MHz, and a good range of ports, including Thunderbolt 4.

The board features a 20+1-phase power design rated at 90A, which is powerful enough to overclock any Intel CPU available today. The solid VRMs are only matched by the beefy heatsinks and comprehensive water-cooling abilities, giving you plenty of overclocking headroom even for demanding CPUs.

The rest of the motherboard is nothing short of impressive. It features two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots with x8/x8 capability, futureproof PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe slots, Wi-Fi 6E, RGB, and 2.5G Ethernet. In addition, you get plenty of tools for troubleshooting, including a 7-segment display, a BIOS FlashBack button, and an onboard power button.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Best Overall

$461$530 Save $69

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is equipped with the capabilities to run the latest PC hardware, from DDR5 memory to 14th-generation Intel CPUs. And if you’re worried about temperature buildup, let the built-in heatsinks and ROG Water-Cooling Zone put you at ease.

Pros

• Overclocking ready VRMs
• Superb build quality
• 12 USB ports, including two Thunderbolt 4
• Faster networking

Cons

• Expensive

$461 at Amazon See at Best Buy See at Newegg

Best Budget DDR5 Motherboard: MSI B760 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi

MSI

DDR5 motherboards can be expensive, but there are some good budget-friendly options if you’re willing to make a few compromises.MSI’s B760 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi is one of the most affordable DDR5 boards around. While it doesn’t support CPU overclocking, you get a great foundation for building a modern gaming or productivity PC without breaking the bank.

There is no PCIe 5.0 support, but gamers can still unleash the full potential of the latest GPUs with PCIe 4.0. DDR5 kits work flawlessly on this motherboard, and it supports 14th-generation processors, so gamers can tap into the power of P-Cores and E-Cores to accelerate gaming and productivity workloads. The only drawback is that gamers need a compatible CPU (12 or 13th Gen) to flash the BIOS for 14th-generation compatibility.

MSI B760 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi

Best Budget

$151$170 Save $19

MSI’s B760 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi is perfect for DDR5 support on a budget. If you’re looking for top-of-the-line performance but don’t want to break the bank, the B760 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi is the option for you.

Pros

• Solid value for money
• Great stock-clock performance
• Excellent I/O and upgradability
• Faster built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Cons

• No PCIe 5.0 support

$151 at Amazon See at Newegg See at MSI

Best DDR5 Motherboard for Gaming: ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero

ASUS

The ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero is one of the most capable AMD motherboards on the market, with PCIe Gen 5.0 for storage and graphics, DDR5, and an overclocking-ready VRM. The 18+2 power stages, rated at 110A per stage, can keep up with the insane power demands of the Ryzen 9 7950X flagship processor and other mainstream Ryzen processors.

ASUS didn’t skimp on cooling, providing robust heatsinks for the VRMs, chipset, and M.2 slots. A custom water-cooling setup can give you even more cooling headroom.

The rear IO is just as impressive, with eight 10Gbps USB-A ports, two 40Gbps USB4 ports, an additional 20Gbps USB-C port, 2.5G Ethernet, optical audio output, and HDMI 2.1 for integrated RDNA2 graphics on the Ryzen 7000 Series CPUs. It’s an excellent motherboard for overclockers, and the presence of onboard power and reset buttons, a BIOS flashback, and a 7-segment display make it ideal for extreme tweaks.

ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero

Best for Gaming

Rocking AMD’s X670E chipset, the ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Hero has all the bells and whistles you need to utilize the AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors fully.

Pros

• Capable VRM and cooling
• Premium build quality
• Easy overclocking in BIOS
• Multiple, high-speed USB ports

Cons

• Expensive

$635 at Amazon See at Best Buy See at Newegg

Best Mini-ITX DDR5 Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi

MSI

From taking up less desk space to their aesthetic appeal, Mini-ITX builds are exploding in popularity. The MSI MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi motherboard lets you build a mini powerhouse that looks as good as it performs. This motherboard can unleash the power of current GPUs and the fastest DDR5 kits, ensuring smooth gameplay for modern titles, all within a compact form factor.

If you’re leaning towards AMD for your compact build, the ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-I is an excellent alternative, but it costs more than the MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi while offering the same 105A VRMs and many of the same features. From a budget perspective, the MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi is a much better value than other AMD and Intel mini-ITX offerings. Pairing it with a powerful AIO cooler can reduce overheating issues when running demanding workloads.

MSI MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi

Best for Compact Builds

$187$310 Save $123

The MSI MPG Z790I Edge Wi-Fi is a perfect option for building a powerful PC that can fit inside a compact case. It supports leading DDR5 speeds and many of the latest features for a powerful, future-proof build.

Pros

• Chart-topping DDR5 speeds
• PCIe 5.0 support for current and future GPUs
• Robust 105A VRMs
• Affordable than other flagship mini-ITX motherboards

Cons

• No PCIe 5.0 support for storage

$187 at Amazon See at Best Buy See at Newegg

Best Micro-ATX DDR5 Motherboard: GIGABYTE B650M AORUS Elite AX

GIGABYTE

Micro-ATX motherboards are like the forgotten middle child, but this motherboard packs enough of a punch to earn its place among the best DDR5 motherboards. Unlike mini-ITX boards, the GIGABYTE B650M AORUS Elite AX offers more I/O and expansion slots, making it ideal for users looking to build a compact PC with room for expansion down the road.

The B650M AORUS Elite AX is affordable, works with the latest AM5 processors out of the box, and even supports DDR5 memory overclocking. While the 60A power stages might struggle with high-end CPUs, it’s not really a dealbreaker since mid-range AMD CPUs like the Ryzen 5 7600X pack enough power for competitive gaming and everyday productivity tasks.

GIGABYTE B650M AORUS Elite AX

Best Micro-ATX

$180$200 Save $20

The GIGABYTE B650M AORUS Elite AX is compact while offering more upgrade potential than ITX boards. It’s also affordable and supports many of the latest features, like AM5 CPUs, DDR5, and PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs.

Pros

• Affordable
• Supports AM5 CPUs and PCIe 5.0 SSDs
• Excellent I/O, including 12 USB ports
• Onboard Wi-Fi 6E

Cons

• No PCIe 5.0 for GPUs

$180 at Amazon See at Newegg See at B&H

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FAQ

Q: How much faster is DDR5 RAM over DDR4 RAM?

With more memory bandwidth than DDR4, DDR5 is generally faster than DDR4 in both gaming and productivity. According to benchmarks from TechSpot , DDR5 can offer up to 35% performance gains in games.

Q: Can I use DDR4 RAM in a DDR5 motherboard?

No, DDR5 RAM uses a different pin layout than DDR4, meaning you cannot install a DDR4 RAM module on a DDR5 motherboard.

Q: Can I use DDR6 RAM in a DDR5 motherboard?

DDR6 is still in development and hasn’t been released, but if the latest DDR5 is any indication, users will need a new motherboard to use DDR6 RAM.