AMD X570 Motherboard Overview

AMD went from strength to strength with the Ryzen 3000 series and its Ryzen 5000 successor, with each update bringing significant performance improvements to the table. If you are building a Ryzen-based PC in 2021, the best motherboards are still the ones utilizing the X570 chipset. Although you now have more options in the form of affordable B550 motherboards, X570 continues to offer more comprehensive PCI-Express 4.0 support.

See also: Budget B650 boards

High-End, Mid-Range, and Budget X570 Motherboards

The usual motherboard manufacturers offer an assortment of AMD X570 motherboards that all have a great deal in common. Since X570 in itself is a high-end platform, most boards are aimed at gamers and enthusiasts, but you still have options when it comes to feature sets and pricing. While there are no particularly cheap X570 boards, all of them are equipped with essential features such as ultra-fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots.

High-end chips like the Ryzen 9 5950X need more power than the more affordable models to power its 16 cores and 32 threads (105 W TDP compared to 65 W for the Ryzen 5 5600X). So if you’re going to overclock, it might be wise to opt for a high-end motherboard with a good VRM in order to take full advantage of the more demanding Ryzen chips.

That being said, the best overall value is usually found in the mid-range – and the X570 platform is no exception. We will nevertheless start with the big and pricey ones in the Extended ATX form factor. Feel free to skip to your preferred section using the quick links.

Enthusiast E-ATX X570 Motherboards

1. MSI MEG X570 Godlike

We’ll start with a full-featured motherboard from MSI in the ultra-premium segment. The board is designed for the latest Ryzen CPUs and features a 14+14+1 digital power design that is ready for some heavy-duty overclocking.

It also comes with M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks for keeping the temperature in check and allowing your storage devices to perform as they should. There is a double ball bearing Frozr fan on the motherboard as well. The MSI MEG X570 Godlike also comes with a display that highlights important information and errors that you should know about. You can customize it to display any visuals that you would like to view through the transparent case of your high-end monster build.

The Godlike features Wi-Fi 6 for fast internet and gaming, as well as 10 Gbps wired LAN via an included add-in card. There are three high-speed M.2 storage slots (with fans) and yet another add-in card that lets you add two additional fast SSDs.

MSI spared no expenses when creating the MEG X570 Godlike. It has everything you need and likely a lot more, as well as a price tag to match the extensive feature set.

Pros:

• Superb power delivery
• Lots of fast storage slots
• Complementary add-in cards
• Built-in OLED panel

Cons:

• Very expensive

 

Links: Manufacturer’s product page

2. X570 AORUS Xtreme

The X570 AORUS Xtreme is a Gigabyte’s answer to MSI’s Godlike in the ultra-premium segment. It comes with a 16-phases Infineon Digital VRM Solution with 70A power stage. This should be more than enough even for overclocking top-of-the-line Ryzen 9 CPUs. The motherboard features three ultra-fast NVMe PCIe 4.0/3.0 x4 M.2 for high-speed SSDs. All of these come with thermal guards to keep the temperature in check.

Actually, most of the board is covered in heatsinks. Perhaps, for this reason, it is one of few X570 models without a chipset fan.

If you enjoy RGB tinkering, you have plenty of options with this motherboard. You can add RGB components of your choice to sync with the motherboard and the rest of the hardware and peripherals. If you are looking for the best possible X570 motherboard for your next Ryzen build – and also one of the most extravagant – then the Aorus Xtreme and the MSI Godlike are definitely the main competitors.

Pros

• Superb power delivery
• Lots of fast storage slots
• Complementary add-in cards
• Built-in OLED panel

Cons

• Very expensive

Links: Manufacturer product page

3. MSI Prestige X570 Creation

The MSI Prestige X570 Creation is another high-end E-ATX board for the latest AMD Ryzen chips. Like most others of its kind, it has four RAM slots and supports up to 128 GB of DDR4 memory (though it’s limited to dual-channel mode due to the chipset limitations). More importantly, it also features enhanced networking capabilities, including 10 Gbps Super LAN and WI-FI 6 adapters.

Dual 8-pin CPU power supply and IR digital power design provide the electrons needed to run the AMD Ryzen 9 CPU with plenty of OC headroom.

While the Prestige X570 Creation is aimed at content creators, it will serve you equally well as a gaming motherboard depending on your PCIe and M.2 slot requirements.

Pros

• Outstanding quality and performance
• Four high-speed PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots
• Onboard 10 Gbps Ethernet

Cons

• Costly

Manufacturer’s product page

Premium ATX X570 Motherboards

For the vast majority of gaming PC builders, a solid motherboard in the standard ATX form factor is the best starting point for a new build. Unless your requirements are very specific, these boards are more than sufficient for providing a great Ryzen-based gaming experience for years to come. What separates the premium models from the rest is what you get in addition to the base X570 functionality. In most cases, this includes a powerful VRM solution and additional connectivity, but also some other extras depending on the manufacturer.

1. Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Formula

The Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula is a premium motherboard for enthusiasts, with features and a price tag to match. It is ready for VRM liquid-cooling courtesy of a Crosschill EK III water block. In terms of cooling, more than half the board is also covered by heatsinks – even on the back, where the “armor” provides added stability. As with other ultra-premium boards, Asus has also included a gratuitous OLED display. High-speed networking is provided by a 5 Gbit/s Aquantia Ethernet controller.

Being a motherboard targeted at overclockers, the power solution with 14+2 IR3555 PowIRstages should be more than sufficient.

If you are looking for a motherboard in the ATX form factor with all the bells and whistles, then the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula is a strong contender for the top spot.

Pros

• Ready for liquid VRM cooling
• All high-end components
• Onboard 5 Gbps Ethernet

Cons

• Considerably pricier than the Hero edition

Manufacturer’s product page

2. Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero

If you don’t intend to need a liquid-cooled VRM, an OLED panel – and will settle for 2.5 Gbit Ethernet instead of 5 Gbit – then the ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero offers much better value than the Formula. And you still get a premium ATX board with all high-end components, just like with the Formula flagship.

Other than the features just mentioned, the Crosshair Hero is nearly identical to the Formula version but priced much lower. The same power solution is included, but the whole thing is cooled by plenty of heatsinks and a fan instead.

The Hero has received several glowing reviews by experts and users alike, so we won’t hesitate to recommend this board over many other high-end offerings. If there is one negative aspect, it’s that the Crosshair VII Hero is still a bit too pricey compared to some similarly well-equipped competitors.

Pros:

• Mostly identical to the Formula, minus water cooling
• Onboard 2.5 Gbps Ethernet
• Great overall performer

Cons:

• Still a bit expensive compared to other premium boards

Manufacturer’s product page

3. MSI MEG X570 ACE

If you’re looking for an enthusiast-grade ATX board – but prefer MSI over Asus – the MEG X570 ACE is in the same price range as the Crosshair Hero. It has a similar feature set and a sophisticated VRM (12+2+1) that should enable some serious tweaking.

In addition, the MEG ACE is equipped with fast Wi-Fi 6 MU-MIMO as well as a 2.5 Gbit LAN controller. With this motherboard, you also get an additional PCIe 4.0-enabled M.2 SSD slot for a total of three.

The MEG ACE sits just below the previously mentioned E-ATX X570 Godlike in MSI’s lineup. It costs considerably less, and you’ll have to get by without the add-in cards and some other bling, but the overall feature set is still top-notch.

Pros:

• Superb VRM solution
• Onboard 2.5 Gbps Ethernet and Wi-Fi 6
• Triple PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots

Cons:

• Just 4 SATA ports

Manufacturer’s product page

4. Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master

The X570 Aorus Master is another high-end motherboard from Gigabyte that sits right below the flagship Xtreme model and above the Ultra in the manufacturer’s lineup. The mobo comes with three M.2 slots for high-speed data transfers – and all leverage the new PCIe 4.0 standard. The motherboard has a clean Black and Silver theme that should blend in well with the rest of your build.

The PCI slots have metal shields to protect your graphics card and provide better support. The M.2 slots also have shields as well as heatsinks for better SSD cooling. Needless to say, the board has RGB lighting, but there’s also a small display that will show you important information such as error codes and system temperature.

As usual, the board supports the latest AMD Ryzen chips and comes with 4 RAM slots (max. 128 GB). What is less usual compared to lower-end motherboards, however, is the high-end 14-phase Infineon Digital VRM Solution with PowIRstage, so the power delivery is not going to be an issue even when overclocking the fastest Ryzen chips.

An integrated USB TurboCharger can be used to charge devices that support fast charging. The integrated I/O shield is going to make installing the motherboard much easier compared to motherboards that do not come with this feature.

Pros:

• Excellent power delivery solution
• 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6 included
• Three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots

Cons:

• Rather expensive
• Using all M.2 slots means losing 2 SATA ports

Manufacturer’s product page

5. Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming

We will now once again return to Asus and one of the hardware editors’ favorite: the ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard. While the Crosshair has some additional premium features, this is a solid upper midrange motherboard that has most of the features that a gamer needs. You still have great performance and the ability to overclock so you are not missing out on much.

Like all the other motherboards that we have looked into so far, this one comes with RGB lighting as well. The logo and cybertext light up and you can plug in additional RGB fans and lighting strips.

This is not Asus’ top-of-the-line model, so you can spare the wallet but still get all the features that you need and then some. There are two M.2 slots for high-speed PCIe 4.0 storage and the usual 4 RAM slots to populate. In addition, this board has plenty of PCI slots. It comes with highspeed Wi-Fi, 2.5 Gbit LAN, and an integrated I/O shield for easy installation.

If you are looking for a premium X570 motherboard for gaming then the Asus ROG Strix X570-E Gaming is a great option to consider. FYI: there is also a scaled-down version of this board know as the Strix X570-F, which we can’t recommend over the X570-E. The reason is not that it’s a bad motherboard, but (at the time of writing) it costs almost as much as the E model and lacks key features such as Wi-Fi 6 and 2.5 GbE.

Pros:

• All the ROG features at a lower cost
• 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6
• Excellent build quality

Cons:

• Only two M.2 slots

Manufacturer’s product page

6. ASRock X570 Taichi

The X570 Taichi is part of ASRock’s premium lineup for Ryzen 3000/5000 and competes directly with the just-mentioned Strix X570-E from Asus. What sets these boards apart is mainly their varieties of slots and ports.

Much lite its main rival, the Taichi comes with Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax (2.4Gbps) + BT 5.0, but no 2.5 Gigabit LAN. Instead, you get an extra PCIe 4.0-enabled M.2 slot.

The Taichi supports CrossFireX as well as SLI, which is common for high-end motherboards. Something that’s a lot less common is that you can get Thunderbolt 3 with this board. Unfortunately, that requires a separate, proprietary add-in card that you attach to the board’s TB3 header.

Another unique ASRock feature is a flexible integrated I/O shield that should simplify installation. The Taichi’s full-coverage heatsink on top of the M.2 slot area is not making waves among reviewers, on the other hand, as it appears to be rather impractical to handle. Issues with a noisy fan have also been reported.

Pros:

• Excellent VRM
• AX-class Wi-Fi included
• Thunderbolt 3 header

Cons:

• Fan is noisy unless turned down manually
• Impractical large heatsink

Manufacturer’s product page

Budget X570 Motherboards

While X570 is a premium platform, you can still find a great X570 board on a budget. One of the more affordable X570 motherboards could actually be a better option compared to a premium-priced B550 board due to X570’s improved I/O capabilities.

1. MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus

There is an MSI Gaming Plus motherboard for most recent platforms and X570 is no exception. Value is in focus here, so some cutbacks have been made to keep costs down. It has little in the way of extras – you have to settle for a standard 1 Gbps network adapter and there’s no onboard wireless chip, for example.

All of the essential areas of the X570 platform are nevertheless in place, including dual slots for high-speed M.2 SSDs, USB 3.2 Gen2 ports (type-A and type-C), and support for 4400+ MHz RAM clocks. It also comes with a high-definition ALC1220 audio chip, which is somewhat rare in the budget segment. Considering the price tag, the 8+2-phase VRM solution is quite capable and should be sufficient for moderate overclocking.

All in all, it’s a no-frills but competent board that offers excellent value and is a step up from its B550 counterpart in terms of I/O capabilities.

Pros:

• Capable VRM
• Dual Gen4 M.2 slots
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports

Cons:

• No extras to speak of

2. Gigabyte X570 Gaming X

Gigabyte’s value-oriented Gaming X lineup sits right below the Aorus-branded motherboards, but the X570 Gaming X does not compromise much in any area. It is usually a bit more expensive than its MSI counterpart but is also slightly better equipped, with a 12-phase VRM and a thermal guard for one of the board’s two Gen4 M.2 SSD slots.

Other than the strong VRM, this affordable X570 motherboard includes Gigabyte’s Q-Flash Plus solution for updating the BIOS without installing the CPU, so there is no need to worry about it supporting the latest Ryzen 5000-series chips. For easy installation, it also comes with an integrated I/O shield, which isn’t always found on cheaper boards. If you are into light shows, you can hook these using the onboard RGB Fusion 2.0 headers.

RAM speeds of up to 4400 MHz (OC) are supported, but there are unfortunately no high-speed USB 3.2 Gen2 ports. As with most other boards in this price category, it also lacks WiFi or anything faster than the standard Gbit LAN.

Pros:

• 10+2-phase VRM
• M.2 heat spreader
• Reinforced GPU slot

Cons

• No USB 3.2 Gen2

3. ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (WiFi)

The TUF Gaming X570-Plus with onboard WiFi is one of the most popular X570 boards on the market. There are several good reasons for this. Although it’s a bit more expensive than the budget alternatives from Gigabyte and MSI, it brings some significant extras to the table. Most importantly, you can get it with a fast Intel 802. 11ac WiFi adapter for only slightly more than the non-WiFi version.

Other highlights considering the price level include the 12+2-phase power delivery solution, OC memory support up to 5100 MHz, as well as three USB 3.2 Gen2 ports.

This board has also been extensively reviewed and left testers and users alike with a very solid impression. As a whole, this makes the TUF X570 a very attractive choice at its current price level.

Pros:

• 12+2-phase VRM
• 3x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
• AC WiFi (optional)

Cons:

• No front panel Gen2 port

Best ITX/Small Form Factor Alternatives

Each of the major motherboard manufacturers (with the exception of MSI) offer a single X570 board in the ITX form factor. All of them are in the premium or semi-premium segment, so if you are looking for a more affordable alternative it’s better to look at the more varied B550 offerings.

1. Asus Strix X570-I Gaming

Asus claims that the Strix X570-I Gaming is proof that the best things do perhaps come in small packages and they may be right. The Strix X570-I is quite possibly the best X570 motherboard in the mini-ITX form factor. Bit-tech has awarded it with an ‘Exceptional‘ rating.

It features an 8+2 power stage, with a heatsink that has a built-in fan. There’s also an AIO header if you are interested in liquid cooling your CPU. The Strix X570-I Gaming also comes with diagnostic LEDs that let you know what went wrong when overclocking. As is the case with nearly all ITX boards, you have to contend with two RAM slots. This is not an issue for most users, as it still gives you the option to equip it with 64 GB of RAM in total.

Another prominent feature is the Intel Wi-Fi 6/BT 5.0 adapter with MU-MIMO support. Onboard RGB is also included – not only does the logo and side of the motherboard light up, but you get headers for connecting additional fans and lights.

If you are looking to build a mini-ITX gaming PC that does not compromise on performance then the Strix X570-I Gaming will be a great place to start.

Pros:

• Actively cooled VRM
• Dual M.2 slots (one on the rear)
• Onboard WiFi-6

Cons:

• The usual ITX limitations

Summing Up

The new AMD X570 motherboards support the AMD Ryzen 3000 series chips that are based on the 7nm process. All of them offer support for the key feature of this generation – PCIe 4.0 – and an X570 mainboard is going to be the best way to access this feature from day one. PCIe 4.0 is backward compatible with legacy hardware but offers twice the bandwidth for high-end SSDs and GPUs that can take advantage of it.

Tip: If you are looking for a more cost-effective solution, have a look at our list of X470/B450 boards that are Ryzen 3000-enabled out of the box.

Ryzen 3000 Support on Previous-Gen Motherboards

If you already own a 1st or 2nd-gen Ryzen PC and just want the 3rd-gen upgrade, many previous-gen motherboards are compatible. Here’s a quick overview:

AMD Ryzen Platform	1st-gen Ryzen Support	2nd-gen Ryzen Support	3rd-gen Ryzen Support
X570	No	No	Yes
B550	No	No	Yes
X470	Yes	Yes	Yes
B450	Yes	Yes	Yes
X370	Yes	Yes	Partial
B350	Yes	Yes	Partial
A320	Yes	Yes	No

When taking this upgrade route you will need a BIOS update, which is available for most X470 and B450 boards. You will miss out on PCI Express 4.0 support and faster RAM, but will still get a healthy boost in terms of CPU performance. If you are on a budget, you can also build an entirely new system based on an X470/B450 board with BIOS Flashback or one with a pre-applied Ryzen 3000 BIOS.

Here we have looked into some of what will likely be the best AMD X570 motherboards that you can buy in 2021. Let us know what you think about these boards and whether or not you are interested in getting one for your next build or system upgrade!