Picking the best motherboard may not be as exciting as buying other components of a PC build, but it's important to get it right. Having a solid motherboard is extremely important since it acts as the foundation for your entire build. Asus is one of the primary motherboard makers for desktops, perhaps even the most popular. The company is often responsible for some of the best gaming motherboards you can buy. So, if you're looking to build a gaming rig, Asus is a great choice, and there's lots of great motherboards in the company's current lineup.

These are the best Asus motherboards to buy in 2024

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming motherboard.
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E
Best overall Intel motherboard

A high-end motherboard for a great price

The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is not as expensive as the ROG Maximus Z690, yet it offers all the essential features for a high-end build.

Pros
  • Large 18+1 stage VRM
  • Five M.2 slots (one with PCIe 5.0)
  • Good rear I/O with 2.5 gigabit Ethernet
Cons
  • Supply could dry up at some point

If you're looking to strike a balance between price and features in a Z690 motherboard, Asus's ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming should be intriguing. Although it's technically last-gen now, the Z690 is still a modern, high-end chipset and hasn't really been replaced by the Z790, which is more of a refresh than a replacement. The ROG Strix Z690-E packs about 90% of the features you'll find in new motherboards like the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero for a much lower price.

Visually, the Strix Z690-E is very similar to other high-end Asus motherboards as it primarily uses the color black with silver accents and text plus some RGB, but a significant portion of the motherboard is also colored dark gray with a brushed, metallic finish. This creates a two-tone look for the motherboard, which looks good but might not appeal to everyone. There's nothing in particular that prevents the Strix Z690-E from being aesthetically compatible with other components.

The Strix Z690-E comes with an 18+1 stage VRM (enough for even the flagship Core i9-13900K) and support for DDR5-6400, which is more than enough for a top-end PC. It also supports PCIe 5.0 graphics and five NVMe SSDs, one of which can run at PCIe 5.0 speeds. The rear I/O includes eight USB ports ranging from 3.2 Gen 1 to 3.2 Gen2x2, 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, and buttons to clear the CMOS and flash a new BIOS. It's basically everything you can ask for.

What's great about the Strix Z690-E is that it's discounted super low, down to $240 at the time of writing. Even if you're building a midrange PC, that's pretty affordable, yet it offers high-end hardware regardless of its older chipset. However, this probably also means it could go out of stock at some point or see its price go back up due to very low supply. If you want an LGA 1700 motherboard that you'll never want to get rid of for less than $300, this is the one.

Rendered image of ASUS ROG Strix X670-E Gaming WiFi
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
Best overall AMD motherboard

A motherboard that harnesses the full power of Ryzen 7000

The Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is a high-end Asus motherboard that supports PCIe 5.0 graphics, three PCIe 5.0 SSDs, and high-end Ryzen 7000 CPUs thanks to its large 18+2 stage VRM.

Pros
  • Large 18+2 stage VRM
  • Tons of PCIe 5.0 slots for GPUs and SSDs
  • Rear I/O features lots of USB ports, 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, and a CMOS button
Cons
  • Very expensive and has many non-critical features

With Ryzen 7000, AMD has launched its new 600 series chipsets, with the X670 and X670E on the higher end. Because these chipsets are so similar, I'm only going to recommend a single motherboard to represent both: Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming. Asus does have a few X670 non-E boards, but it seems the company has relegated the X670 chipset to the upper midrange, whereas the Strix X670E-E is truly high-end and has the features you'd want in a desktop that has some of the fastest components available.

The Strix X670E-E fits the archetype that most high-end Asus motherboards fall into: almost entirely pure black with some silver accents and RGB. Much of the motherboard, such as the M.2 and VRM heatsinks as well as the I/O housing, also has a brushed, metallic finish. Overall, the Strix X670E-E looks premium, and its appearance is malleable enough to fit in with most other components.

Although it's not the highest-end X670E motherboard Asus offers, the Strix X670E-E has basically everything you could possibly need: two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, support for fast DDR5-6400 memory, three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots (plus an extra PCIe 4.0 slot), and an 18+2 stage VRM. This is enough for a PC kitted out with the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X, a top-end GPU like the RTX 4090 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX, and even some PCIe 5.0 SSDs. Rear I/O includes tons of USB 3.2 ports, 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, and a convenient clear CMOS button.

At $500 or a little less if there's a sale, the ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming isn't cheap, but it is cheaper than other X670E boards from Asus while also being slightly better in some aspects. The ROG Crosshair X670E Hero only has two onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots while costing $200 more; only with an included expansion card does the Hero actually match the Strix. Overall, the ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is Asus's best X670/X670E motherboard.

Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero render
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
Best Z790 motherboard

The best of the best for Intel CPUs

As Asus' final flagship motherboard for the LGA 1700 socket, the Maximus Z790 Dark Hero has it all: a massive 20+1+2 stage VRM, five M.2 slots for SSDs (one with PCIe 5.0 support), and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Pros
  • Large 20+1+2 stage VRM
  • Five M.2 slots (one with PCIe 5.0)
  • Great rear I/O with two Thunderbolt 4 ports and WiFi 7
Cons
  • Prohibitively expensive and very overkill
  • LGA 1700 socket now effectively end of life

Although Intel's latest 14th-generation CPUs didn't launch alongside a new series of chipsets like 13th-generation CPUs did, many companies are adding to their 700 series catalogs to commemorate the last CPUs for the LGA 1700 socket. Many of these motherboards are high-end flagships that are designed to get the most out of the Core i9-14900K, and that's exactly what the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero does. It's a ludicrously top-end and expensive motherboard that unfortunately will never make it beyond the Raptor Lake Refresh.

The Z790 Dark Hero just exudes a premium appearance with its dark black colors, gray accents, and RGB lighting on the I/O housing. Both the VRM and M.2 heatsinks look great and stylized, with the larger M.2 heatsink being emblazoned with the ROG logo. There's even a backplate on the motherboard that has near full coverage, something that clearly sets the Dark Hero apart even from other top-end boards.

Of course, the Z790 Dark Hero comes with tons of high-end features too. It sports a 20+1+2 VRM that can handle even an overclocked Core i9-14900K, provided you have a good enough CPU cooler too. You also get five M.2 slots for SSDs, one running at PCIe 5.0, and given how big these heatsinks are, the Dark Hero should be able to handle future generations of PCIe 5.0 drives. The rear I/O is stacked too, coming with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, WiFi 7, 10 USB 3.2 ports, six audio jacks, a BIOS update button, and a CMOS reset button.

At $700, this is obviously one of the most expensive mainstream motherboards today, but if you have the budget then you might as well get it. Sadly, the socket on this board means you won't be able to upgrade the CPU past the 14900K, which is a point against it. The 14900K is a pretty powerful CPU though, so at least you won't want too much more performance as soon as the next generation drops.

Asus TUF Gaming B760-Plus DDR4.
Asus TUF Gaming B760-Plus DDR4
Best midrange Intel motherboard

A good midrange board for 12th-, 13th-, and 14th-generation CPUs

Asus's TUF Gaming B760-Plus DDR4 is a midrange motherboard using Intel's LGA 1700 socket. Its 12+1 stage VRM is good for midrange CPUs like the Core i5-13500 and Core i5-14600K.

Pros
  • Relatively cheap
  • Uses cheap but good DDR4 memory
  • 12+1 stage VRM is enough for midrange CPUs
Cons
  • Doesn't support PCIe 5.0 SSDs
  • Limited upgrade path

Although midrange Intel chipsets like B760 don't allow for overclocking, many of Intel's best midrange chips (like the Core i5-13400 and Core i5-13500) don't allow for it anyways, not to mention overclocking has sort of fallen out of style as well. If you're looking for a good, midrange Asus board, the TUF Gaming B760-Plus is probably the best option for Intel CPUs, given that it regularly goes for $170 or less.

With a 12+1 stage VRM, this motherboard probably shouldn't be used with anything but i3 and i5 CPUs, but considering i7s start at about $400, that's probably not going to bother you. Everything else on this board is pretty good though; it has three M.2 slots for PCIe 4.0 SSDs and uses DDR4 instead of DDR5, which is going to save you lots of money. The rear I/O includes six USB ports, five being 3.2, 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, and WiFi 6, which is good overall but it would have been nice if there were a couple more USB ports.

The TUF Gaming B760-Plus usually goes for $170 or less, but it has been seen for as little as $150, which is a great price. However, Asus's TUF Gaming Z790-Plus has also been creeping down in price, hitting a low of $200 at the time of writing. However, it's not clear if it's going to actually be available for that price regularly, so I'm recommending the B760-Plus instead. If Z790-Plus isn't that much more expensive at the moment you're shopping, you should consider it since it has a 16+1 stage VRM and two more USB ports.

ASUS TUF Gaming B650 PLUS
Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus
Best midrange AMD motherboard

Ryzen 7000 on a modest budget

The Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus is a midrange motherboard with support for PCIe 5.0 SSDs and midrange to high-end Ryzen 7000 CPUs.

Pros
  • Good VRM with 12+2 stages
  • Three M.2 slots, one with PCIe 5.0
  • 2.5 gigabit Ethernet
Cons
  • Expensive for the midrange

B650 and B650E are the new midrange chipsets that launched alongside Ryzen 7000, and since they're so similar, we're just recommending one B650 motherboard, the TUF Gaming B650-Plus. Compared to B650E, B650 just lacks PCIe 5.0 GPU support and is practically identical in every other aspect, so you're really not giving up anything by opting for one of Asus's B650 boards as opposed to one with B650E.

The B650-Plus has pretty much all the features you'd want for a midrange PC that could be turned into a high-end machine without any of the frills that make high-end boards more expensive. It has a 12+2 stage VRM and support for DDR5-6400, which is perhaps a little insufficient for the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X but should be enough for the second-place Ryzen 9 7900X. The B650-Plus also has three M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe 5.0 SSDs, and 2.5 gigabit Ethernet.

The only thing holding this motherboard back is its price tag of $240. Asus does have a cheaper B650 motherboard, the Prime B650-Plus, but it's not significantly cheaper while compromising on essential features like the VRM and M.2 slots. In particular, the TUF's superior VRM is important because a weaker and smaller VRM limits raw CPU performance. It's better to just pay a little more to get the TUF model, especially if you plan on upgrading at all.

Asus's TUF Gaming A620M Plus motherboard
Asus TUF Gaming A620M-Plus
Best A620 motherboard

Finally, a cheap AM5 motherboard

Asus's TUF Gaming A620M-Plus is a low-end AM5 motherboard with all the essentials you need for a Ryzen PC. It has two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, four DDR5 RAM slots, and a 10-stage VRM.

Pros
  • Two M.2 slots with PCIe 4.0
  • Decent 10-stage VRM
  • Good rear I/O
Cons
  • No overclocking
  • Not the cheapest A620 board

AMD has been promising cheap AM5 motherboards for months, and with the A620 chipset, these promises are finally sort of getting realized. AMD's A-series motherboards have never been all that popular because they have traditionally been used for the lowest-end boards and are very locked down, but A620 is a little different. Asus's TUF Gaming A620M-Plus is a bit of a higher-end take on the A620 chipset, and it's actually a pretty attractive board when it comes to features and price.

On a feature level, the A620 chipset has fewer USB ports and PCIe lanes and doesn't support overclocking. But this board is pretty good once you get past these limitations. It has a 10-stage VRM, which is on the weaker side but still perfectly sufficient for any Ryzen CPU short of the 7900X and 7950X. It also features two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots (though one more would have been nice). The rear I/O is impressive, with six USB ports, 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, and Wi-Fi. Pretty decent for a low-end model.

The TUF Gaming A620M-Plus launched at $150 and will probably get a little cheaper over the coming months. It's not Asus's only A620 board, and you might be tempted to choose the Prime A620M-A-CSM, which is $130. However, I would recommend getting the TUF because while the Prime model is very similar, it sacrifices 2.5 gigabit Ethernet for 1 gigabit as well as Wi-Fi, and it also just doesn't look very good. While $20 can make a substantial difference on a low-end build, I think the extra $20 is worth spending in this case.

render of the ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming motherboard seen from the front
ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi
Best B550 motherboard

Good if you're using Ryzen 5000

The Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming is one of the better B550 boards on the market, and it's a great option for those looking to build a powerful AMD-based build with one of the 5000-series processors.

Pros
  • Cheap
  • Support for cheap Ryzen 5000 CPUs and DDR4
  • 14+2 stage VRM
Cons
  • No PCIe 5.0
  • Limited upgrade path

The AMD 500 series is in its twilight years, and that's particularly bad for B550 boards. These motherboards need to be cheap in order to be worth pairing with low-end and midrange parts, but with production winding down, supply will decrease and prices will rise. In Asus' case, we see very few options for budget builders, but the company's ROG Strix B550-F is a good choice for anyone assembling a midrange PC that might want to install higher-end components down the line.

Being a last-generation motherboard, the Strix B550-F is missing support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, and instead has support for older (but cheaper) PCIe 4.0 and DDR4. As for what makes the Strix B550-F good among other B550 boards, it has support for DDR4-4600, a 14+2 stage VRM, and support for one PCIe 4.0 SSD and one PCIe 3.0 SSD. With the exception of PCIe 5.0 SSD support, the Strix B550-F is about on par with other Asus boards from newer generations. Additionally, the board has six SATA ports, Intel 2.5 gigabit Ethernet, and eight USB ports on the rear I/O.

At around $200, the ROG Strix B550-F is a bit expensive, especially for a last-generation motherboard using a midrange chipset, but it makes up for that with its good VRM and support for older CPUs and RAM that will more than offset the cost of the motherboard. The only significant downside to choosing this motherboard (or any B550 board) is the fact that it won't receive new CPUs. The Ryzen 9 5950X (or Ryzen 7 5800X3D for gaming) is the limit on this motherboard, and two years after launch, it's looking almost midrange.

The Asus ROG Strix B650E-I Gaming motherboard.
Asus ROG Strix B650E-I
Best mini-ITX motherboard

Lots of power in a tiny form factor

The Asus ROG Strix B650E-I is an ITX motherboard that packs lots of features in a small size: PCIe 5.0 for graphics, two M.2 slots, and plenty of rear I/O for pretty much anything. Its small 10-stage VRM prevents it from running a Ryzen CPU at full bore, but mini-ITX builds often limit performance regardless.

Pros
  • PCIe 5.0 for GPUs and SSDs
  • Two M.2 slots
  • 10+2 stage VRM is good for ITX
Cons
  • Can struggle to run the 7900X and 7950X at max power

Since we're at the crossroads between the last generation and the newest for both AMD and Intel, deciding on the best mini-ITX board from Asus is difficult, but overall the ROG Strix B650E-I is probably the best. In general, Intel motherboards are pretty much out of the running because Alder Lake and Raptor Lake CPUs consume significantly more power than their Ryzen counterparts, which is a problem for ITX PCs since they tend to be dense and harder to cool.

The Strix B650E-I, despite not being Asus's highest-end ITX board, is pretty much 95% of the way there. It has PCIe 5.0 on the x16 slot for graphics, support for DDR5-6400, and a 10+2 stage VRM. That's basically everything you need to support a high-end GPU and CPU. The higher-end Strix X670E-I has basically identical features except for a couple more USB ports and a front panel add-in card that isn't really worth the extra cost.

There are lots of Intel LGA 1700 and last-gen AMD AM4 mini-ITX motherboards to consider if you're not going to be using a Ryzen 7000 CPU. Both the ROG Strix Z690-I and ROG Strix Z790-I are comparable to the B650E-I with similar support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5, plus they also come with Thunderbolt 4. The ROG Strix X570-I uses the old AM4 socket and supports Ryzen 3000 and 5000 CPUs, but it's basically a dead-end for hardware upgrades and doesn't have PCIe 5.0 or DDR5.

render of the Asus ProArt X670E Creator motherboard.
Asus ProArt X670E-Creator
Best content creation motherboard

Great for content creation and professional work

The Asus ProArt X670E-Creator is specifically made for professionals and creators who need high-end hardware. Equipped with four M.2 slots for SSDs, a pair of PCIe 5.0 enabled x16 slots for graphics, and a large VRM, this board can handle basically anything. 

Pros
  • Top-end 16+2 stage VRM
  • Support for Ryzen 7000 and further generations
  • Two PCIe 5.0 SSD slots, two USB4 ports, 10 gigabit Ethernet
Cons
  • Very expensive
  • Only three audio jacks

While the purpose-built workstation CPUs require top-end motherboards based on chipsets that have more in common with server hardware, it's totally possible to build a workstation using a high-end mainstream chipset like X670E. Asus's ProArt X670E-Creator actually stands fairly uniquely among AMD motherboards, as no other company quite goes to the lengths Asus did to create a motherboard that appeals primarily to professionals instead of gamers.

One of the key things a workstation needs to provide is lots of VRMs to ensure a top-end CPU can perform the best it can, and with 16+2 stages the X670E-Creator can get even the Ryzen 9 7950X running at full bore. But connectivity is super important too, and Asus didn't skimp out: PCIe 5.0 on the x16 slot for GPUs, two PCIe 5.0 slots for M.2 SSDs, 10 gigabit Ethernet, two USB4 ports, and eight extra USB 3.2 ports on top of that. However, there's only three audio jacks, and that might be a problem for anyone working with audio.

At the time of writing, the ProArt X670E-Creator is just over $450, $50 down from its official price of $500, and this is not even that expensive for a workstation board. What's especially nice is that the AM5 socket should get support for the next couple generations of Ryzen, maybe even the next three, and it's highly unlikely you'll want to upgrade for anything less than PCIe 6.0 support.

Best Asus motherboards: The final say

Asus motherboards are best when they're midrange or high-end; the company's budget options leave much to be desired. Still, last-generation motherboards like the ROG Strix Z690-E are on sale and still have the same high-end features they launched with. The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero is undeniably the more capable board, but it costs almost twice the price.

The Asus ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming motherboard.
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E
Best overall Intel motherboard

The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming WiFi is not as expensive as the ROG Maximus Z690, yet it offers all the essential features for a high-end build.

As for AMD users, Asus's ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is a great option for those using the Ryzen 9 7900X or 7950X. It has everything you need to support upgrades down the line, and it should offer top-tier performance. However, it is also very expensive at about $500, so if you're on a budget, the TUF Gaming B650-Plus will serve you better.

Rendered image of ASUS ROG Strix X670-E Gaming WiFi
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
Best overall AMD motherboard

The Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is a high-end Asus motherboard that supports PCIe 5.0 graphics, three PCIe 5.0 SSDs, and high-end Ryzen 7000 CPUs thanks to its large 18+2 stage VRM.

The ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming is one of the components we've recommended in our AMD streaming PC build guide, thanks to its high-end features. Want a second opinion? Join the XDA Computing forums and talk to our expert community about other options that might make sense for you.