If the CPU is the brain of the PC, then the motherboard is like the nervous system, connecting all the other components together, such as the graphics card, memory and drives, enabling them to communicate with one another.
Just like with any component you need to make sure that you choose a motherboard that is compatible with your CPU. In this guide, we will be focussing our attention on motherboards for AMD PROCESSORS.
There are three main factors to consider when choosing a new motherboard, the socket, the chipset and the size. You can see each of these three characteristics listed on the motherboard homepage on the Scan website and this guide will explain what you need to look out for.
The first thing to look out for is the socket, which is where the CPU physically connects to the motherboard. CPUs are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes, each with their own socket, so it’s critically important to make sure that the socket of the CPU and motherboard is the same. While AMD does change the socket design from time to time when designing new CPUs, most current AMD CPUs fall into three main sockets, Socket AM5, AM4 and TR5 all of which support different processors.
After checking the socket type you also need to consider the chipset. The chipset determines a lot of the capabilities of the motherboard, such as the number of add-in cards, the number of memory slots and USB ports. Some CPUs are only served by one chipset while other times you have a choice of chipsets, so you can strike the right balance between features and budget.
The last thing you need to consider when choosing a new motherboard is the size. Size is important because you need to make sure that the motherboard you buy can fit in your CASE. Larger motherboards are beneficial because they support more add-in cards and memory, but you can still build very capable and high performance systems with smaller motherboards. The computer industry uses codenames to refer to the size of the motherboard, but the good news is that those same codenames are used for the size of cases too.
The diagram illustrates the various sizes of AMD motherboards, ranging from the compact Mini-ITX to the largest E-ATX SSI-EEB. Understanding these sizes is crucial for ensuring compatibility with your PC case and for planning the expansion capabilities of your system.
| Mini-ITX | Micro-ATX | ATX | E-ATX SSI-EEB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (mm) | 170 x 170 mm | 244 x 244 mm | 305 x 244 mm | 305 x 330 mm |
| Typical PCIe slots | 1 | 4 | 7 | 7 |
| Typical DIMM slots | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4+ |
Before you browse the range of sockets and chipsets here's what else to consider when choosing a new motherboard.
There are many types of storage ports, so it's crucial to check that the motherboard you're looking at supports the drives you want to use.
Typically, most motherboards support at least one M.2 NVMe slot for PCIe SSDs. Beware, not all M.2 slots are the same speed, so look out for one with the latest PCIe version (a higher number), and that it is connected to the CPU via four PCIe lanes.
Some high-end motherboards also support U.2 and U.3 ports for PCIe SSDs. These have the same performance as M.2 SSDs, but are larger 2.5in drives, that therefore support a higher capacity, connecting via a cable to the motherboard.
Finally, all motherboards also support SATA ports for 2.5in and 3.5in SSDs and HDDs that connect via a cable. SATA SSDs and HDDs are much slower than PCIe drives, but can be a good option for storing large amounts of data such as documents, music, images and videos.
| TYPE | M.2 NVME SSD (PCIE) | U.2/U.3 SSD (PCIE) | SATA SSD | SATA HDD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance |
← HIGHEST LOWEST → |
|||
| Capacity |
← LOWEST HIGHEST → |
|||
Read our in-depth SSD buyers guide and HDD buyers guide for more information on each of these types of drive.
Although this guide is for AMD motherboards, AMD doesn't manufacture any motherboards itself. Instead, there are dozens of different motherboard brands making hundreds of different models of motherboard for AMD processors. With so much choice, here's our guide to the biggest brands and the series names they use to describe their motherboards.
| SERIES | USE CASE |
|---|---|
| Republic of Gamers (ROG) | High-end gaming |
| TUF Gaming | Mid-range gaming |
| Prime | General purpose |
| ProArt | Content creators |
| Workstation | Professional workstations |
| SERIES | USE CASE |
|---|---|
| Taichi | Flagship |
| Phantom Gaming | High-end gaming |
| Steel Legend | Mid-range gaming |
| Pro | General purpose |
| Live Mixer | Content creators |
| WS | Professional workstations |
| SERIES | USE CASE |
|---|---|
| AORUS | High-end gaming |
| Gaming | Mid-range gaming |
| Ultra Durable | General purpose |
| AERO | Content creators |
| SERIES | USE CASE |
|---|---|
| MEG | High-end gaming |
| MPG | Mid-range gaming |
| MAG | Entry-level gaming |
| PRO | General purpose |
Socket AM5 motherboards support AMD Ryzen 9000-series CPUs based on the Zen 5 architecture, plus older Ryzen 7000-series CPUs based on the Zen 4 architecture.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | ZEN 5 MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| Ryzen 9000-series, Zen 5 | X870E, X870, B650E, B850, B650, B840, A620 |
HIGH END+
X870E is the flagship chipset for AMD AM5 CPUs, supporting the fastest PCIe 5.0 GPUs and SSDs.
HIGH END
X870 is a cut down version of the X870E with fewer USB ports.
MID RANGE+
B850 and B650 are cut down chipsets, supporting PCIe 4.0 GPUs and either PCIe 5.0 or 4.0 SSDs respectively.
MID RANGE
B840 is cut down chipset, supporting PCIe 4.0 GPUs and SSDs, but fewer USB ports than B850
ENTRY-LEVEL
A620 is an entry-level chipset, supporting PCIe 4.0 GPUs and SSDs, but fewer PCIe lanes than B840.
Still not sure which AMD chipset is right for you? This table shows the key characteristics of the main models. Also bear in mind that motherboard manufacturers are free to add or change the specifications to a certain extent, so be sure to check the specs of individual motherboards.
| X870E | X870 | B850 | B840 | B650E | B650 | A620 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCIe Slots for Graphics Cards | 1x16 or 2x8 PCIe 5.0 | 1x16 or 2x8 PCIe 5.0 | 1x16 or 2x8 PCIe 4.0 | 1x16 PCIe 4.0 | 1x16 or 2x8 PCIe 5.0 | 1x16 or 2x8 PCIe 4.0 | 1x16 PCIe 4.0 |
| PCIe Lanes for NVMe SSDs (plus PCIe GPP) | 4 PCIe 5.0 (plus 4x PCIe GPP) |
4 PCIe 5.0 (plus 4x PCIe GPP) |
4 PCIe 5.0 | 4 PCIe 4.0 | 4 PCIe 5.0 (plus 4x PCIe GPP) |
4 PCIe 4.0 (plus 4x PCIe GPP) |
4 PCIe 4.0 |
| Usable PCIe Lanes Total / PCIe 5.0 (up to) | 44/24 | 36/24 | 36/4 | 34/0 | 36/24 | 36/0 | 32/0 |
| Overclocking | check | check | close | close | check | close | close |
| USB 3.0 Ports | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| USB 3.1 Ports | 12 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| USB 3.2 Ports | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| USB 4.0 Ports | check | check | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| SATA Ports (or PCIe 3.0) | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
We also stock a select of previous generation Socket AM4 motherboards which support AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPUs based on the Zen 3 architecture and older AMD Ryzen 4000-series CPUs based on the Zen 2 architecture.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | AM4 MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| Ryzen 5000-series, Zen 3 | B550, A520 |
MID RANGE
B550 is the mid-range motherboard chipset for AMD AM4 CPUs supporting the most PCIe lanes and USB ports.
ENTRY LEVEL
A520 is the entry-level motherboard chipset for AMD AM4 CPUs, supporting the least PCIe lanes and USB ports.
Still not sure which AMD chipset is right for you? This table shows the key characteristics of the main models. Also bear in mind that motherboard manufacturers are free to add or change the specifications to a certain extent, so be sure to check the specs of individual motherboards.
| B550 | A520 | |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe Slots for Graphics Cards | 1x16 or 2x8 PCIe 4.0 | 1x16 PCIe 3.0 |
| PCIe Lanes for NVMe SSDs (plus PCIe GPP) | 4 PCIe 4.0 (plus 4x PCIe GPP) |
4 PCIe 3.0 (plus 4x PCIe GPP) |
| Usable PCIe Lanes Total / PCIe 5.0 (up to) | 38/30 | 34/26 |
| Overclocking | check | close |
| USB 3.1 Ports | 6 | 5 |
| Maximum SATA Ports (or PCIe 3.0, up to) | 8 | 6 |
The third main type of CPU socket is TR5, which is used by the Ryzen 9000 Threadripper PRO and Threadripper 9000 CPUs. These are ultra-powerful CPUs with lots of cores, ECC RAM and PCIe lanes, making them the ultimate choice for a workstation or content creation PC.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | TR5 MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000-series, Zen 5 Ryzen Threadripper 9000-series, Zen 5 |
WRX90, TRX50 |
HIGH END+
WRX90 is the flagship chipset for AMD TR5 CPUs, supporting the most PCIe lanes and PRO management features.
HIGH END
TRX50 is a cut down chipset for AMD TR5 CPUs, supporting fewer PCIe lanes and lacking PRO management features.
Still not sure which AMD chipset is right for you? This table shows the key characteristics of the main models. Also bear in mind that motherboard manufacturers are free to add or change the specifications to a certain extent, so be sure to check the specs of individual motherboards.
| WRX90 | TRX50 | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | Threadripper PRO | Threadripper & Threadripper PRO |
| Usable PCIe Lanes Total / PCIe 5.0 (up to) | 148/144 | 92/88 |
| AMD PRO Manageability | check | close |
| AMD PRO Security | check | close |
| Overclocking | check | close |
| RAM | 8-channel, up to 2TB | 4-channel, up to 2TB |
Here are some common questions and answers to help you find the information you need.
No, AMD motherboards do not support Intel CPUs. Please read our Intel motherboard buyers guide for more guidance.
No, a motherboard can only support either an AMD or Intel CPU. This guide covers motherboards for AMD CPUs but we also have a dedicated Intel motherboard buyers guide.
For gaming you should look out for a motherboard that supports a Socket AM5 processor and the AMD X870E chipset.
There are three main AMD sockets and dozens of different chipsets, so it depends on what you're going to use your PC for. This guide covers all this and more, so scroll up to the top of this page to find out all you need to know about choosing an AMD motherboard.
The latest AMD motherboard chipset is the X870E for Socket AM5 processors.
The best AMD motherboard chipset is the X870E for Socket AM5 processors.
For gaming you should look out for a motherboard that supports a Socket AM5 processor and the AMD X870E chipset.
There are dozens of different chipsets, so it depends on what you're going to use your PC for. This guide covers all this and more, so scroll up to the top of this page to find out all you need to know about choosing an AMD motherboard.
