Are you thinking of building a new PC and wondering what the best motherboard for Ryzen 9 5950X is? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best motherboards on the market for Ryzen 9 5950X processor.
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past few years, you already know that AMD has been on an absolute tear with its Ryzen 5000 series processors. The new Zen 3 architecture has taken performance to the next level, making AMD’s CPUs some of the fastest on the market.
The Ryzen 9 5950X is one of the flagship processors in the Ryzen 5000 series, and it offers an incredible amount of power. It was launched on 11-05-2020 and has sold like hotcakes ever since. It has 16 cores and 32 threads, making it the perfect choice for high-end tasks. The L3 cache is 64MB, and it has a TDP of 105 W. This means it can get quite hot, so you’ll need a good quality motherboard that can provide adequate cooling, especially if you’re going to be overclocking.
As you can imagine, such a powerful processor requires a high-end motherboard that can take full advantage of its capabilities. In this article, we will be taking a look at some of the best motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950X that are currently available on the market. Like all my review articles, I have split the motherboards into 3 different categories, depending on your budget.
The first category is the best high-end motherboards, which are motherboards that cost more than $300.
The second category is the best mid-range motherboards, which are motherboards that cost between $150 and $300.
The third category is the best budget motherboards, which are motherboards that cost less than $150. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950X!
Related Article: 9 Best Motherboards For Ryzen 9 5900x
Best High-End Motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950x (300$+)
As I told you, the first category is the high-end motherboards, which are a bit pricier than your average motherboard but offer the best performance.
1. Asus ROG Crosshair X570 VIII Dark Hero
Socket Type: AM4 | Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: X570
If you’re looking for the best of the best, then you can’t go wrong with the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero. This is a flagship motherboard that comes with a hefty price tag.
The ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero is a gaming motherboard that’s been designed to offer the best possible performance. It comes with a massive 16 (90A) phase VRM that’s capable of delivering up to 1260A of power, which is literally more than you will need even for the Ryzen 9 5950X, making it a great overclocking motherboard. And with so much power comes great responsibility, so the motherboard also comes with a great cooling solution. First of all, it is a 6 PCB layer motherboard for improved heat dissipation. It has 2 huge VRM heatsinks that are connected by a massive heatsink plate. And if that’s not enough, it also comes with a pretty large heatsink for the chipset that covers the M.2 slots.
But it’s not just the cooling that’s impressive; the Asus ROG Crosshair X570 VIII Dark Hero is also packed with features. If you plan to plug more than one graphics card into your motherboard, you’ll be happy to know that it is compatible with both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire. It has 2 PCIe 4.0 x16 slots that can be used in an 8x/8x mode or 16x/0x mode. It also has 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and 1x PCIe 4.0 x1 slot.
As for storage, the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero comes with 8 SATA III ports and 2 M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots.
The memory support is also great; it is capable of supporting up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM at 5100MHz across 4 DIMM slots.
And if that’s not enough, the motherboard also comes with a ton of features that will make your life easier. It has an on-board Intel WiFi 6 controller, a Realtek S1200A 7.1 channel audio codec, and a bunch of other I/O ports, including USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A.
Finally, the design of the motherboard is also pretty great. It has a nice matte black finish with RGB lighting that looks great.
All in all, the Asus ROG Crosshair X570 VIII Dark Hero is a great high-end motherboard for Ryzen 9 5950X. It offers amazing performance, features, and design.
What I Like About The Asus ROG Crosshair X570 VIII Dark Hero
I really like the fact that the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero is a gaming motherboard. It comes with a massive 16 (90A) phase VRM that’s capable of delivering up to 1260A of power, which is more than you will ever need. I also like that they didn’t overlook the cooling solution, so good work on that.
What I Don’t Like About The Asus ROG Crosshair X570 VIII Dark Hero
For such an expensive motherboard, I would have liked to see some more M.2 slots. Currently, it only has 2, which is the average of many medium-priced motherboards. At this price point, I would also expect to see a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 header on a motherboard.
2. MSI MEG X570 Godlike
Socket Type: AM4 | Form Factor: E-ATX | Chipset: X570
The MSI MEG X570 Godlike is MSI’S best enthusiast motherboard that’s designed for gamers and performance users. It also comes with a hefty price tag but also offers great features and performance.
MSI didn’t do that well after the release of the PCIe 4.0 and X570 chipset. It had some overheating issues with a lot of its models, and there were a lot of complaints about it. But, when it comes to MSI MEG X570 Godlike, I think that they nailed it.
The MSI MEG X570 Godlike is an absolutely massive motherboard (literally!). It is an E-ATX motherboard that measures 304mm x 305mm, making it one of the largest motherboards on the market. But with size comes great power and performance. The motherboard comes with a 19 (14+4+1) 70A phase VRM that’s capable of delivering up to 980A of power, which is more than enough for any Ryzen CPU. So if you are thinking about overclocking your Ryzen 9 5950X, this motherboard will be more than capable.
Just like the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero, the MSI MEG X570 Godlike also comes with a great cooling solution. It has many heatsinks on the VRMS, chipset, and even on the M.2 slots that are connected via a heat pipe for better heat dissipation. If you plan on installing a water-cooling system, you will be happy to know that the motherboard also has a water flow header.
The MSI MEG X570 Godlike memory support is also great; it can support up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM at 5000+MHz across 4 DIMM slots.
As for storage, the MSI MEG X570 Godlike comes with 6 SATA ports and 3 M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slots, which is more than enough for any build. If this is not enough, the motherboard also comes with an M.2 XPANDER-Z card that gives you two more M.2 slots for even more storage options.
If you are planning to use this board for a gaming PC, you won’t be disappointed. It supports AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI, so you can use multiple GPUs for even better performance.
It has 3x PCIe 4.0 x16 that can be used in x8/x4/4x, x16/x0/x8, x16/x0/x0 modes, and 1x PCIe4.0 x4 for any other type of expansion card.
But what I really like about this board is the LAN configuration. It comes with 2x Killer LAN ports, one at 2.5 Gbps and one at 1 Gbps. And if you are wondering why I am so impressed by this, it is because, on top of that, the MSI MEG X570 Godlike also comes with a 10G super LAN card for ultra-fast networking. You also get 1x Killer Wifi 6 802.11ax (2.4 Gbps), and Bluetooth 5.1.
What I Like About The MSI MEG X570 Godlike
Really this is one of the best motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950X that you can get. It offers great performance, features, and design, and you get the two extra M.2 slots with the M.2 XPANDER-Z card.
What I Don’t Like About The MSI MEG X570 Godlike
The only downside to this premium motherboard is the price tag, but if you are looking for one of the best motherboards on the market, then you will have to be prepared to pay for it.
Related Article: 9 Best Motherboards For Ryzen 7 5800x
Best Mid Range Motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950x (150$ -300$)
You might consider a mid-range motherboard if you don’t want to pay the high price tags that some of the high-end motherboards come with. These motherboards offer great features and performance while still being affordable. So, let’s take a look at some of the best mid-range motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950X.
1. ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)
Socket Type: AM4 | Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: X570
While it is a mid-range motherboard, the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) still offers great power and performance. It comes with a 12+2 DrMOS power stage design that’s capable of delivering up to 50A per phase of power for stable performance.
ASUS has also used military-grade components on this motherboard, making it more durable and reliable. This motherboard comes with a great cooling solution that includes multiple fan headers and heatsinks on the VRM M.2s and chipset. The chipset heatsink comes with a fan which is not that great, but it’s not so noisy to be a bother.
The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) also comes with great storage options. It has 8 SATA III ports and 2 M.2 slots (1xPCIe 4.0 x4, 1xPCIe 3.0×4). To be honest, I am not sure if you really need that many SATA III ports, but it’s good to have them just in case.
As the name suggests, this is a gaming-first motherboard and comes with all the features you would expect. It supports AMD CrossFireX, so you can use multiple GPUs for even better performance.
It has 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (one “real” x16 and one x4) and 2x PCIe 4.0 x1 for any other type of expansion card.
The memory setup on the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) is also good. It can support up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM at 5100+MHz across 4 DIMM slots which are more than enough for any gaming build.
The networking is not as great as on the high-end motherboards on this list, but it’s still good. You get a 1x Gigabit LAN port, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and Bluetooth 5.0.
Additionally, you get plenty of USB ports with one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port for ultra-fast data transfers.
Finally, the design of the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) is also targeting the gaming market. It has a black and orange color scheme with a camouflage pattern on the M.2 heatsinks, which looks great.
What I Like About The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)
The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) is a great motherboard for Ryzen 9 5950X. It has a really good power design and cooling solution. It also comes with plenty of storage options and USB ports.
What I Don’t Like About The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)
The biggest downside to this motherboard is the fact that the second PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is only x4. When we are talking about a gaming board, we really want that second slot to be at least x8, so we can use two GPUs efficiently.
2. Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI
Socket Type: AM4 | Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: X570
The second motherboard on our list is the Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI. It’s one of the most popular mid-range Gigabyte motherboards on the market, and for good reason.
The Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI is a great motherboard for a number of reasons. First of all, it comes with a 12+2 (with a doubler) DrMOS power stage design that can deliver up to 600A of power to your CPU. That’s more than enough for any Ryzen 9 5950X build.
It also comes with a nice cooling solution that includes multiple fan headers, an aluminum heatsink on the VRMs, and a fan chipset heatsink. It also has one M.2 heatsink, which is good, but it would be better if it had two.
The Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI storage options are more than enough for any build. It has 6 SATA III ports and 2x M.2 slots.
The Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI has a pretty standard memory setup. It can support up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM at 4800+MHz across 4 DIMM slots which are more than enough for any gaming or productivity build.
And if you are wondering about the expansion slots, the Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI has 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 and 2x PCIe 4.0 x1 slots. Keep in mind that the second PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is only x4. Just like the ASUS motherboard, this is not ideal if you want to use two GPUs.
The networking on the Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI is also good with a 1x Intel I211-AT Gigabit LAN port and an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 adapter. You also get Bluetooth 5.0 support.
As for the connectivity options, the Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI has 7 USB ports. It has 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. You get 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports via the headers if you want to add more USB ports.
The Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI’s design is neither great nor bad. It’s a pretty standard motherboard with a black color scheme and minimum RGB lighting.
What I Like About The Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI
First and foremost, the DrMOS power stage design on the Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI is pretty good. It can deliver up to 600A of power to your CPU, which is more than enough for any Ryzen 9 5950X build. Additionally, it comes with a good cooling solution that includes multiple fan headers and an aluminum heatsink on the VRMs.
What I Don’t Like About The Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI
While overall, the Gigabyte X570 AORUS ELITE WIFI is a good motherboard, I don’t like the fact that it only has one M.2 heatsink. With the PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, a lot of heat is going to be built up, so it would be better if it had two.
Additionally, the expansion slots on the motherboard are not great. The second PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is only x4 which is not ideal if you want to use two GPUs.
Related Article: 9 Best Motherboards For Ryzen 5 5600x
Best Budget Motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950x (under 150$)
The final category of motherboards is the budget motherboards. These motherboards do not have as many features as the mid-range and high-end motherboards, but they are still a good option for a Ryzen 9 5950X build if you are on a budget.
1. MSI B550-A PRO
Socket Type: AM4 | Form Factor: ATX | Chipset: B550
The first budget motherboard on our list is the MSI B550-A PRO. It doesn’t have any flashy features or design, but it has a good set of features for a budget motherboard.
The MSI B550-A PRO comes with a standard ATX form factor and a black color scheme. It has a powerful 10+2+1 phase VRM design that can deliver enough power to your Ryzen 5 5950X. But you should keep in mind that this is a budget motherboard, so if you want to do some crazy overclocking, you might want to look at a different motherboard.
The cooling on the MSI B550-A PRO is also pretty good for a budget motherboard. It has two aluminum heatsinks on the VRMs, one chipset heatsink, and one M.2 heatsink. The M.2 heatsink is a nice addition and is placed close to the main PCIe slot, which is good cause this is where most of the heat will be generated.
The MSI B550-A PRO has 4 DIMM slots that can support up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM at 4000MHz. This is a pleasant surprise as these memory specs are more than what you would expect from a budget motherboard.
The expansion slots on the MSI B550-A PRO are a bit limited, with only 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16, and 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. This is not bad, but it would be nice to have a second PCIe 4 Gen slot.
The storage options on the MSI B550-A PRO are pretty close to what you get from a mid-range motherboard. It has 2x M.2 slots, one of which is PCIe 4.0 x4 and the other is PCIe 3.0 x4. You also get 6 SATA III ports for all your storage needs. This is a pretty good set of storage options for a budget motherboard.
The networking options are a bit limited on the MSI B550-A PRO as it only comes with a Realtek RTL8111H Gigabit LAN port. You are out of luck when it comes to wireless networking as this motherboard does not come with a Wi-Fi adapter. But the good thing is that it does come with a Gen 2.0 USB Type-C port.
Finally, the MSI B550-A PRO comes with an ok black color scheme. The motherboard doesn’t have any RGB lighting, which is something that I really like. When you are trying to build a budget motherboard that covers all the basics, you don’t want to have any flashy features that are going to drive up the cost.
What I Like About The MSI B550-A PRO
I think that the MSI B550-A PRO is a pretty decent budget motherboard. It has all the basic features you need for a Ryzen 9 5950X build, such as a good VRM design, memory support, and storage options. It also comes with a black color scheme that will match most builds.
What I Don’t Like About The MSI B550-A PRO
The only thing I don’t like about the MSI B550-A PRO is that it only has one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. This might be limiting if you want to use two GPUs in your build. But again, we are talking about a budget motherboard, so you can’t expect all the bells and whistles.
2. Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE
Socket Type: AM4 | Form Factor: Micro-ATX | Chipset: B550M
This is the only Micro ATX motherboard on this list and also the second budget motherboard. I thought I should include a different form factor in case you want to go with a smaller build.
As a micro ATX motherboard, the Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE doesn’t have such powerful power delivery as ATX mobos. It comes with a 5+3 phase VRM design which is ok if you want to run a Ryzen 9 5950X at stock speeds. But if you want to do any overclocking, I would recommend looking at a different motherboard with more power delivery.
The cooling system on the Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE is good; it has one huge heatsink on the VRM and one chipset heatsink. It doesn’t have any M.2 heatsinks, which is pretty standard for a micro ATX motherboard.
The Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE comes with 4 DIMM RAM slots that can support up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM at 4733MHz. This is a pretty impressive set of memory specs for a budget motherboard.
The Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE storage options are pretty good as it comes with 2x M.2 slots, one of which is PCIe 4.0 x4 and the other PCIe 3.0 x2. You also get 4 SATA III ports for all your storage needs.
The PCIe slots on the Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE are a bit limited with 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (the one is x16 and the other is x4 ), and 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. This might be limiting for some people who want to use multiple GPUs in their build.
The Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE comes with a pretty basic set of networking options. It has a Realtek Gigabit LAN port, and 12 USB ports in total. It doesn’t come with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth adapter, which is pretty standard for a budget motherboard.
Finally, the Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE comes with a black and silver color scheme. Frankly, I don’t like that much the way it looks. But I guess it’s a matter of taste.
What I Like About The Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE
I think that the Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE is a pretty good budget motherboard. It has all the basic features that you need for a Ryzen 9 5950X build, such as good memory support and a decent set of storage options.
What I Don’t Like About The Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE
The only thing I don’t like about the Gigabyte B550M AORUS ELITE is that it doesn’t have A Gen 2.0 USB Type-C port. This might be a limiting factor for some people who want to use the latest peripherals.
Related Article: 9 Best Motherboards For i9 12900k
Ryzen 9 5950x Motherboard Buying Guide
Before I wrap up this article, I want to quickly go over some of the things you need to keep in mind when looking for a Ryzen 9 5950X motherboard.
I think it is really important to know what features are important when you are looking for a motherboard. Knowing why you need a specific feature is way better than blindly following some online advice.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the things you need to keep in mind when looking for a Ryzen 9 5950X motherboard.
1. The CPU Socket
This is the number one thing you need to keep in mind when looking for a Ryzen 9 5950X motherboard. You need to make sure that the motherboard has the right CPU socket for your processor.
The CPU socket is the part of the motherboard where you insert the CPU. Each CPU has a specific socket type that is compatible with it. For example, the Ryzen 9 5950X uses the AM4 socket (like all AMD Ryzen processors).
It is important to choose a compatible motherboard because if you don’t, your CPU won’t work.
2. The Chipset
The chipset is the heart of the motherboard. It is the chip that controls all the parts of the motherboard. It doesn’t affect the capability directly, but it affects the performance and features that the motherboard can offer.
For the Ryzen 9 5950X, you want to look for a motherboard that has either the B550 chipset or the X570 chipset. The B550 is the budget option, while the X570 is the high-end option. These chipsets were designed specifically for the Ryzen 3000+ series CPUs, so they will offer the best performance and features.
3. The Power Design
If you have noticed, the power design is the first thing I review in a motherboard. The reason for that is that the power design directly impacts the stability and performance of your CPU and your system overall.
The power design of a motherboard is the part that delivers power to the CPU and other components of the motherboard. It is really important to get a motherboard with a good power design because if the power delivery is not good, your CPU will not be able to perform at its best. This becomes even more important if you plan to overclock your CPU.
4. The Cooling System
Another important factor to consider when looking for a Ryzen 9 5950X motherboard is the cooling system. The reason for that is that the Ryzen 9 5950X is a very powerful CPU, and it can get quite hot when it is under load.
You won’t be able to know how good the cooling is on a motherboard just by looking at the number of heatsinks or fan headers. You will have to do extra research about this and read reviews online.
5. The Form Factor
The form factor is the physical size of the motherboard. It is important to consider the form factor because it will not only determine which case you can use with your motherboard but also how many expansion slots and drive bays you will have.
There are 3 main form factors for motherboards: ATX, mATX, and mini-ITX. The ATX is the largest form factor, while the mini-ITX is the smallest.
When choosing the form factor, there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on your needs and preferences. If you want a smaller PC with less expandability, then you should get a mini-ITX motherboard. If you want a large PC with lots of expandability, then you should get an ATX motherboard.
6. Expansion Slots
When I am talking about the expansion slots, I am talking about the PCIe slots. These are the slots that you use to install expansion cards like graphics cards, sound cards, and network cards.
All the X570 and B550 chipsets will have at least 1 PCIe x16 slot. This is the main slot with 16 PCIe lanes that you will use for your graphics card.
If you want to install more than one graphics card, then you should look for a motherboard with multiple PCIe x16 slots. You will also need to make sure that the motherboard supports CrossFire or SLI.
7. Memory Support
Memory support is another important thing to consider when you are looking for a Ryzen 9 5950X motherboard.
The Ryzen 9 5950X supports up to 128GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM. So, you want to make sure that the motherboard you are looking at supports at least that.
But it is not that simple. You should also consider the memory overclocking potential of the motherboard. Some motherboards will be able to overclock the memory to a higher frequency, while others will not.
8. SATA And M.2 support
Next, you want to consider the SATA and M.2 support.
The motherboard you will choose should have at least 2 M.2 slots. These slots are used for M.2 SSDs, which are the fastest storage devices available, and you will use them for your operating system and programs.
When it comes to SATA, you should look for a motherboard with SATA III ports. SATA III is the latest and fastest version of the SATA standard. It has a data transfer rate of 6 Gbps.
9. Networking and Connectivity
When I am talking about networking and connectivity, I am talking about the Ethernet port, the WiFi, the Bluetooth, and the USB ports of a motherboard.
All motherboards come with an Ethernet port. This is the port you will use to connect your PC to the internet using a cable.
WiFi and Bluetooth are not a must, and you will find them only on some high-end motherboards. So, if you don’t need them, then you don’t have to worry about it.
When it comes to USB ports, you should pay attention to not only the number of USB ports but also the type of USB ports.
The latest and fastest version of the USB standard is the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. So, if you can find a motherboard with USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, that would be the best choice.
10. Design
This is the less important factor, but it is still something you should consider. The design of the motherboard won’t affect the performance of your PC. But it is still something you should consider because you will have to look at it daily.
You will find many different designs and colors of motherboards. So, you should choose the one that you like the most.
Related Article: How Much Does A Motherboard Cost?
Conclusion
Now you know which are the best motherboards for Ryzen 9 5950X and how to choose the right one for you.
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment down below.
Nick Ryley is a computer architect and the owner of The Pc Geekz.
His love for playing games got him interested in computers in the first place. He wanted to be able to build a gaming PC that could run all the latest games at max settings, and this has him pursuing a major in computer architecture!
He started this blog to help people out and answer some of the most common questions about computer building
