Joe Shields

NZXT dives headfirst into AMD motherboards with the N7 B550. You get Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5 GbE networking, premium audio and capable power delivery for $229.99.

Inexpensive, well-equipped, and capable of handling the 5950X

Premium parts

The new Crosshair VIII Dark Hero brings out-of-the-box Ryzen 5000 support, a stealthy black theme, improved 90A VRMs, 12 USB ports, eight SATA ports and no more chipset fan for $399.

A reasonably priced Micro ATX board that’s flagship-CPU capable.

The ASRock X570 PG Velocita includes robust VRMs, good performance and overclocking capability at a mid-range price point.

The B550 Taichi Razer Edition brings improved Razer Chroma integration, Killer networking, out-of-the-box Ryzen 5000 support, improved appearance and solid power delivery for $299.

Designed for Overclocking, but also a well-rounded performer

Server-class features and 10GbE, with overclocking ability

Good performance, designed for Creators

The EVGA Z490 FTW offers solid performance, plus a speedy USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port.

Solid performance, budget-friendly price and feature-rich

Asus’ TUF B550M-Plus Wi-Fi brings TUF features to B550.

The ASRock B550 PG Velocita includes robust VRMs, good performance and overclocking capability at a mid-range price point.

Asus’ Prime B550M-A Wi-Fi is inexpensive and (mostly) full-featured.

MSI’s B550I Gaming Edge Wi-Fi includes all the expected bells and whistles of the B550 chipset in a Mini-ITX size package, sans RGB.

The $1100 ASRock Z490 Aqua performed well during testing with the monoblock, keeping the VRMs exceptionally cool, even when overclocked. But is it worth the insane price of admission?

The Strix Z490-E Gaming performed well at stock speeds and includes features expected of this platform and price point. But is it the best around the $300 mark?

The Z490 Taichi performs well at stock speeds and includes comparable features with other boards around its price point. Styling sets the Taichi apart from the rest.

The ASRock B550 Taichi has B550 internals with X570 looks and price. The board performed well against its peers, has a capable VRM, eight SATA ports and the signature premium Taichi appearance.