Don't waste the Ryzen 9 9950X's potential with the wrong motherboard

AMD's new Zen 5 processors (CPU) from the Ryzen 9000 series include the Ryzen 9 9950X, a high-performance chip ideal for enthusiasts who need raw power for gaming and creative work.

The Ryzen 9 9950X works with many modern motherboard chipsets, including X870 and B850, both of which I've focused on here. My top pick is the Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite Wi-Fi 7, but there are plenty of alternatives to check out.

Recent updates

January 17, 2025: With X870 motherboards now readily available, I've reworked this guide with all-new picks for your Ryzen 9 9950X. — Cale Hunt

Choosing the best motherboard for your Ryzen 9 9950X

Why you can trust Windows Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X in AM5 motherboard socketWindows Central Best Award

The Ryzen 9 9950X is an outstanding CPU for gaming or for creative work. (Image credit: Ben Wilson | Windows Central)

The best motherboards for the Ryzen 9 9950X allow it to realize its full potential, which includes overclocking. Boards with strong overclocking support and high-end features understandably don't come cheap, with the Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite Wi-Fi 7 coming in at around $320. My runner-up pick, the Gigabyte X870 Eagle Wi-Fi 7, is a better bargain at about $210.

You can go even cheaper with the ASUS Prime B650-Plus WiFi for about $130, though you do lose out on some of the more premium features available in the newer X870 boards.

If that just won't do and you have a lot of money to burn, the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero will remain relevant for years to come. It has what it takes to seriously overclock your Ryzen 9 9950X, and it comes with all of the best X870 features like Wi-Fi 7 and PCIe 5.0 support. It usually costs somewhere around $700.

Do I need a BIOS update for Ryzen 9000 CPUs?

Building or upgrading a PC with a newly released processor sometimes comes with some motherboard compatibility hiccups. If you're buying one of the newer X870 boards that I've highlighted here, you shouldn't really have to do anything to get it going with the Ryzen 9 9950X.

However, if you opt for an older X670 or B650 board, you might need to update the BIOS to get it to recognize the Zen 5 CPU.

In the past, you needed to have a CPU installed in the board to update the BIOS. And since the latest chips wouldn't work without the update, you needed an older CPU. If you weren't upgrading from something compatible, you were usually left calling some friends or local enthusiasts to help out.

However, with new motherboards, a BIOS flashback function has solved the problem. Instead of requiring an older CPU to update the BIOS, you can now download the update, move it onto a USB flash drive, and plug it into the board. Hit the button on the board, and it performs the update from there on its own.

Is the Ryzen 9 9950X good for gaming?

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X is the top-tier chip announced in the first run of 9000-series processors. It boasts 16 cores, 32 threads, a 5.7GHz boost clock, and a 170W TDP.

It will absolutely crush gaming to the point that it will probably be overkill for most PC gamers. AMD is targeting creators with extra heavy workloads with its Ryzen 9 9950X, and those who are focusing only on gaming should check out the Ryzen 7 9700X or Ryzen 5 9600X to save some money.

In Windows Central Senior Editor Ben Wilson's Ryzen 9 9950X review, he states:

"It's indisputable that the Ryzen 9 9950X is the world's most powerful consumer CPU, but it comes at a cost, both literally and through hardware requirements. You'll need a capable cooler to keep this 170W beast under control and performing its best, but it'll deliver the best metrics for creative apps."

TOPICS
Cale Hunt
Contributor

Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.