Best Asus motherboards in 2023
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 as 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 we’re here to help by rounding up the best motherboards in the company’s lineup.
These are the best Asus motherboards to buy in 2023
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E
The best overall Intel motherboard
A high-end motherboard for a great price
$350 $380 Save $30
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.
- Large 18+1 stage VRM
- Five M.2 slots (one with PCIe 5.0)
- Good rear I/O with 2.5 gigabit Ethernet
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 Although it’s technically last-gen now, the Z690 is still a modern, high-end chipset and hasn’t really been replaced by Z790, which is more of a refresh rather than a replacement.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 (which is 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 has support for 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.
There are cheaper Z690 boards from Asus, but they make compromises on things like VRM quality, DDR5 support, and M.2 slots in order to offer that Z690 chipset. Unless you need overclocking support more than anything else a higher-end Z690 board has to offer, we really recommend either buying a board like the ROG Strix Z690-E Gaming or getting a midrange B660 motherboard.
Source: ASUS
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
The 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.
- 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
- 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, we’re only going to recommend a single X670E motherboard, Asus’s 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 offers 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, 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.
Source: ASUS
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
The best Z790 motherboard
The best of the best for Intel CPUs
Asus’s ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is expensive, but right now it’s the most impressive motherboard for Intel CPUs if you’re an enthusiast chasing the very best. It’s also a great choice if you’re a keen overclocker.
- Large 20+1 stage VRM
- Five M.2 slots (one with PCIe 5.0)
- Great rear I/O with Thunderbolt 4 and 2.5 gigabit Ethernet
- Prohibitively expensive and very overkill
Alongside Intel’s 13th Gen Raptor Lake CPUs, the company has launched the new 700 series chipset. In theory, this means Intel users can select a brand-new catalog of LGA 1700 motherboards that are more capable than last-gen 600 series boards. However, so far it’s not shaken out that way, and instead, companies like Asus are merely refreshing existing models with new chipsets.
The ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is no different, being visually identical to the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero in almost every way. The Z790 Hero has an almost pure black theme with some silver accents and text, plus an LED display on top of the VRM heatsinks. The style of this motherboard is a balance between minimalism and gamer-y, and should fit in well with most builds as long as you like solid black.
The Maximus Z790 Hero also has almost identical technical specifications to its Z690 predecessor. It has a 20+1 stage VRM, five M.2 slots for SSDs (one of which is PCIe 5.0 enabled), and lots of back panel I/O including two Thunderbolt 4 ports and 2.5 gigabit Intel Ethernet. Both the Z790 and Z690 motherboards have an impressive set of features in addition to their dark, gamer-y but not obnoxious design. One key area where the Z790 board is notably better is support for DDR5-7800; the Z690 version supports just DDR5-6400.
As it stands, Z790 is really only for high-end enthusiasts who want maximum performance for any price. Older boards like the ROG Maximus Z690 are on sale, with some lower-end Z690s hitting $300 or less. That’s not a huge difference for the total budget of a high-end PC, but if you’re interested in saving money, that’s an easy way to do it. However, 600 series boards will eventually run out of stock, and when that happens the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero will be cheaper and easier to find than its Z690 counterpart.
Asus TUF Gaming H670-Pro
The best midrange Intel board
Good for even Core i7s and Core i9s
Asus’s TUF Gaming H670-PRO motherboard comes with a 14+1 stage VRM, four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, and support for PCIe 5.0 GPUs.
- Decently large 14+1 stage VRM
- Four M.2 slots with PCIe 4.0
- Relatively cheap
Asus isn’t a brand known for cheap pricing and good deals, but its TUF Gaming H670-Pro motherboard is actually one of the best-value LGA 1700 motherboards we’ve seen. This H670 motherboard retails at $180 at the time of writing and comes with features that you’d normally only see on a higher-end Z690 or Z790 board, although it only supports DDR4 memory, not DDR5.
The TUF H670 is designed very similarly to other Asus motherboards, relying mostly on the color black, though its comparative lack of RGB noticeably sets it apart from more expensive boards. Additionally, while many products sold under the TUF brand go for a dual black and yellow theme, the TUF H670 has no yellow. If you like black, dark gray, and gray, then this motherboard is for you.
We’re pleasantly surprised with the features of this motherboard considering the price. It has a 14+1 stage VRM, which is more than enough for Core i5 CPUs and even up to the task of running Core i7s and Core i9s at stock, though perhaps with some slightly lower clock speeds. Additionally, there are four PCIe 4.0 enabled M.2 slots (something even high-end boards often lack) and PCIe 5.0 on the x16 slot for GPUs. The rear I/O is also pretty good, with seven USB 3.2 ports and 2.5 gigabit Intel Ethernet, which is also something not all high-end motherboards feature.
The only real weakness of Asus’s TUF Gaming H670-PRO is the lack of overclocking, though overclocking isn’t as important as it used to be. We really like the TUF H670’s fairly big VRM, its four M.2 slots, and its support for cheap DDR4 RAM. This motherboard would be great for a midrange machine you plan on upgrading over time. You can find some Z690 Asus motherboards for less (like the Prime Z690-P for $150) but these motherboards usually have fewer M.2 slots and worse rear I/O. You’ll have to determine if that’s worth the savings.
Source: ASUS
Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus
The 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.
- Good VRM with 12+2 stages
- Three M.2 slots, one with PCIe 5.0
- 2.5 gigabit Ethernet
- 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.
While the TUF Gaming B650-Plus primarily uses the color black similar to other Asus boards, it has other characteristics that make it distinct. It uses yellow accents instead of silver to evoke a heavy-duty aesthetic, and the VRM heatsinks have a noticeably blocky shape, which is unusual. It might be difficult to pair this motherboard with components that match it, but if you’re into black and yellow and don’t mind the lack of RGB lighting, the B650-Plus is a good option.
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 important 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 TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi
The best Z590 motherboard
Great for overclocking 10th- and 11th-generation CPUs
The Asus TUF Z590 Plus WiFi motherboard is an affordable Z590-based board that comes with all the essential features of a high-end motherboard.
- Super cheap
- Unlocked for CPU overclocking
- Three M.2 slots
- Could go out of stock soon
Intel’s old 500 series isn’t just last-gen, but now last-last-gen with the arrival of 13th Gen Intel CPUs. Still, building a PC based on a Z590 motherboard isn’t a terrible idea since they’re all on sale; high-end boards that used to go for hundreds now cost less than $200. Asus’s TUF Gaming Z590-Plus is a solid board that can power a value-oriented PC using old but still capable hardware.
The Z590-Plus is primarily black with plus silver and yellow accents to achieve a two-tone appearance, with some RGB on the edge of the board thrown in for good measure. Most TUF branded boards go for a somewhat polarizing industrial design, but the Z590-Plus’s design is more typical and a decent fit for most components
On a technical level, the Z590-Plus is generally outdated. It only supports DDR4 memory and PCIe 4.0 SSDs, and just one at that (plus two PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSDs). This isn’t great for performance but DDR4 RAM and PCIe 3.0 SSDs are cheap, and PCIe 4.0 storage is also becoming quite inexpensive as PCIe 5.0 SSDs enter the market. The 14+2 stage VRM is more than enough for top-end CPUs like the Core i9-10900K and the Core i9-11900K. Additionally, the rear I/O includes a 2.5 gigabit Intel Ethernet port and seven USB ports, five of which are USB 3.2.
At $140 or so, the TUF Gaming Z590-Plus makes a decent case for supposedly outdated 10th and 11th Gen Intel chips, which use cheaper memory and storage than current-generation CPUs. It’s important to bear in mind that your upgrade path on Intel’s 500 series is limited since it’s not getting any new CPUs (and hasn’t since very early 2021), which means the limit is the 10900K or the 11900K. If you want or need something faster than that, you’ll have to try one of Asus’s more recent boards.
Source: ASUS
ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi
The best B550 motherboard
Good if you’re using Ryzen 5000
$185 $205 Save $20
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.
- Cheap
- Support for cheap Ryzen 5000 CPUs and DDR4
- 14+2 stage VRM
- 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.
The Strix B550-F is mostly black with some hot pink accents, but otherwise is pretty plain-looking since much of the PCB is exposed. Some gold and silver colored capacitors also compromise the board’s appearance. The Strix B550-F doesn’t look bad and it’ll pair with most components fine, it just isn’t visually impressive.
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, has 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.
Asus ROG Strix B650E-I
The 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. It’s small 10-stage VRM prevents it from running a Ryzen CPU at full bore, but mini-ITX builds often limit performance regardless.
- PCIe 5.0 for GPUs and SSDs
- Two M.2 slots
- 10+2 stage VRM is good for ITX
- 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.
It’s understandably difficult to decorate a mini-ITX motherboard since there’s very little room, so Asus plays it safe by coloring everything black, giving a brushed, metallic finish here and there, and adding some silver accents. There’s not much to say about the Strix B650E-I visually, but since components like the GPU and CPU cooler will be covering much or even most of it, the lack of creativity might not be a bad thing.
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 is basically a dead-end for hardware upgrades and doesn’t have PCIe 5.0 or DDR5.
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 Hero is undeniably the more capable board, but it costs almost twice the price.
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-E
The best overall Intel motherboard
$350 $380 Save $30
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; if you’re on a budget, the TUF Gaming B650-Plus will serve you better.
Source: ASUS
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
The 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.