Having robust VRMs is not the only thing that differentiates an X470 option from a budget-oriented B450 motherboard. X470 motherboards support higher RAM frequencies and also have excellent cooling systems over their VRMs and chipsets, therefore making them ideal for CPUs with more core counts. In addition to all of these features, the X470 motherboards are quite a bit cheaper than their TG, due to age, and can thus offer some pretty stellar value. Similar Reads: Best Motherboards for i7 8700K
Things You Must Know Before Buying X470 Motherboard
You might be wondering how we picked these 5 specific X470 motherboards out of a vast array that is available on the market. Well, there are several reasons that might contribute to one’s purchase decision when searching for the best X470 motherboards. Buying a motherboard for a modern gaming or creation-centric PC is not as straightforward as one might expect, as there are several factors that can complicate matters depending on how much value you want to squeeze out of your investment. However, as is the case with most purchases, you should also avoid spending a fortune on your motherboard just for the sake of it. Following are some of the factors to consider before buying a motherboard.
VRM Quality
While this one may not be for everyone, it is certainly one of the most crucial factors to consider before buying an X470 motherboard. A motherboard’s VRM or power delivery system is tasked with taking the direct power that is coming from the wall and converting it into clean, stable, and usable power for the CPU itself. The VRM design is absolutely crucial in order to get the best overclocking performance from high-end CPUs, and it should definitely be considered in the purchasing process. Furthermore, the VRM thermal performance is another factor that dictates the performance of the VRM components.
Form Factor
Desktop motherboards usually come in 3 different sizes, which usually correspond to the different case sizes that are available on the market. The most common and the standard size is the ATX form factor, which is supported by a variety of standard mid-tower and full-tower cases. For a more compact experience, one might choose to go with the Micro-ATX form factor which is a bit smaller than the ATX style and fits in the majority of compact cases, mid-tower cases, and full-tower cases. Finally, the niche-oriented mini-ITX form factor is ideal for super compact SFF builds inside tiny mini-ITX cases specifically built for this purpose. Usually, the ATX form factor is generally considered the sweet spot. While the quality of the VRM and the form factor of the motherboard are some of the things you should check first while making a purchase decision about a motherboard, these certainly do not make the entire list. In fact, there are numerous other factors that might be equally as crucial in the buying process, and for that, you should check out our in-depth motherboard buying guide that covers all such factors in appreciable detail.
Our Picks For Best X470 Motherboards In 2021
Choosing the perfect X470 motherboard for Ryzen processors requires a bit of research in the current scenario. A simple search will bombard you with various results from multiple different chipsets, all of which are directed towards different users. While the X570 chipset is the flagship option in terms of AMD motherboards and B550 motherboards represent the current mid-range, there is still a lot of value to be uncovered if one chooses to opt for an X470 motherboard in 2021. With that said, here are the 5 best X470 motherboards to buy in 2021 for Ryzen CPUs. The first motherboard in our guide is the ASUS ROG Corsair VII Hero. The Crosshair series from ASUS has been their high-end motherboard series for quite a while now when it comes to AMD, and it always aims to deliver some premium products. The ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero continues this trend with the X470 chipset and packs some amazing features, even by 2021 standards.
Coming to the VRM of the motherboard, there is no doubt that the X470 Crosshair Hero is well-equipped in this area. It has an incredibly robust power delivery system that can provide clean and stable current to even the most power-hungry of Ryzen processors. This configuration makes it an ideal motherboard for overclocking enthusiasts, as the solid VRM can allow the processors to hit high boost clocks in a more stable fashion. The Crosshair VII Hero is also well-equipped with various features. Firstly, it has 4 DIMM slots that can support up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM clocked as high as 3466 MHz. It has two M.2 slots that are wired directly to the CPU which can be used to install high-speed NVMe drives for storage. Connectivity is handled by the Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, as well as a whole host of USB-A and Type-C ports. The board also has “Clear CMOS” and “BIOS Flashback” buttons, which are highly appreciated. In terms of aesthetics, the ASUS Crosshair VII Hero stands out from the crowd. It has a very aggressive, gamer-y look that is the trademark of the ROG brand at this point. There is a generous helping of RGB lighting as well which is present mainly on the I/O cover and the chipset heatsink. The RGB can be configured using ASUS Aura Sync software to give the board a personalized look, which is a nice touch. For Buyers, the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero is the Best Overall X470 motherboard that is aimed at extreme performance numbers. It may be an expensive option, but its excellent power delivery and versatile features make it seem worth the investment. The AORUS line has provided some excellent offerings in recent years for both AMD and Intel chipsets, and the X470 chipset is definitely no exception. Our pick is the Gigabyte AORUS Ultra Gaming 7, which is a reasonably high-end board from the X470 AORUS lineup. Not only does it have excellent power delivery for the CPU, but it also has excellent features and some pretty unique design elements.
The focus for the AORUS Ultra Gaming 7 seems to be the enthusiast crowd who love to overclock their processors manually (If you’re one of them, you should definitely check out (our in-depth CPU overclocking guide). Gigabyte has packed a strong 10+2 phase VRM design in the AORUS Ultra Gaming 7, which makes it a pretty powerful motherboard for overclocking. This board would be best paired with a high-end Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 processor from AMD’s Zen or Zen+ generations. The AORUS Ultra Gaming 7 does not disappoint in the features department as well. The two M.2 slots are covered with metal heatsinks that do have a fin-design so they are more effective than normal heat-spreaders. Connectivity-wise, the board takes advantage of the Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0 capabilities. Gigabyte has opted for an aggressive design language with this board and they have clearly focused a lot of their attention towards the aesthetics of this board. There is a healthy helping of permanent orange accents on the board that might clash with many themed PC builds so that is something to keep in mind before making a purchase decision. The RGB implementation is tasteful and is concentrated mostly on the I/O cover, which looks very nice. Similar Reads: Best Motherboards For i9 9900k If you want a performance rich Best Looking X470 motherboard that focuses mostly on overclocking and aesthetics, then the Gigabyte AORUS Ultra Gaming 7 seems to fit the bill quite nicely. It does demand a hefty premium, but the value proposition seems good enough to justify the purchase. Moving on to a more reasonable option, we have the MSI Gaming Plus X470 motherboard which is a mid-range offering from MSI’s lineup. Despite being a value-oriented motherboard, it offers excellent VRM power delivery and thermal performance which makes it ideal for overclockers on a budget. This board further extends MSI’s hold in the MSI vs ASUS debate as far as value goes.
One of the biggest strong points of the MSI Gaming Plus X470 is its above-average power delivery for the CPU. While it is a mid-range offering, the board can easily handle high core-count CPUs such as the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, even at overclocked settings. This is an excellent prospect especially at this competitive price point and can be an excellent value for those looking to maximize their bang-for-the-buck. Apart from the VRM design, however, the MSI Gaming Plus X470 has had to cut some corners to accommodate the fall in price. The board does have two M.2 slots for NVMe drives but lacks M.2 heatsinks for their thermal management. The lower M.2 runs at PCIe Gen 2 speeds due to bandwidth limitations, which is another downside of this board. It also lacks premium features such as wireless networking and USB-C ports, but that is to be expected due to the price point. Even in terms of aesthetics, the board fails to leave a good impression as it is filled with red accents that might clash with themed builds, with questionable RGB placement. Therefore, all in all, the MSI Gaming Plus X470 is the choice for Best X470 MSI Motherboard, if you are looking for a performance-focused motherboard on a tight budget. It lacks some bells and whistles of the more premium offerings, but that might be forgiven given the price point. Another entry from the ASUS Strix line, the ROG Strix X470-F Gaming is not quite as high-end as the Crosshair VII that was mentioned earlier, but it still packs a decent punch given its lower price tag. The Strix X470-F is not meant to compete with the Crosshair series at all, rather it is meant to slot in beneath the Crosshair series in ASUS’s product stack to provide more value-oriented options.
The X470-F is a decent performer when it comes to VRM power delivery and its thermal management. The power delivery system itself is decent enough for overclocking the Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 CPUs from AMD’s Zen and Zen+ generations, but we would advise against overclocking any Zen 2 Ryzen 9 parts on the X470-F. Adequate VRM heatsinks are also provided, but the board often hits uncomfortably warm temperatures when prolonged synthetic loads are applied. Still, the performance is more than satisfactory. Other Motherboard Buying Guides: Best X299 Motherboards The Strix X470-F has some decent features too, especially considering the price point. It does have two M.2 slots for storage which are covered by adequate metal heatsinks. The board also features Gigabit LAN, numerous high-speed USB ports, 3-pin aRGB and 4-pin RGB headers, and a built-in I/O shield. As far as looks go, it is quite an attractive option from ASUS. There is an aggressive design on the chipset heatsink, while the I/O cover features a subtle, streamlined RGB implementation which looks very impressive, and gets our recognition for the Best RGB X470 Motherboard. The ASUS Strix X470-F definitely does not hold a candle to some of the more premium offerings on this list, but it does cover all the necessary bases quite adequately. If the Strix X470-F is the best board that falls in the budget, there is no reason why you should not seal the deal. ASUS Prime series is the budget lineup of motherboards from ASUS, but it does include some good candidates every now and then. One of the finest Prime boards is the ASUS Prime X470-Pro which is an excellent value considering its affordable price tag and host of features.
Important Reads: X470 VS X370 While the ASUS Prime X470-Pro certainly does not compare to the more premium boards from the Strix and Crosshair series in terms of power delivery, its 10-phase VRM design is quite robust considering the price. It should be able to handle any Ryzen 5 or even older Ryzen 7 processors under moderate overclocks without any problems. One should, however, avoid pairing this board with newer Ryzen 9 Zen 3 parts from recent years. The last x470 motherboard is the ASUS Prime X470-Pro. In addition to the above-average power delivery system, the Prime X470-Pro does offer some good features as well. It has some really hefty VRM heatsinks which help tremendously in the thermal management of the power delivery system. An adequate M.2 heatsink is also provided which extends to become the unified chipset heatsink as well. The number of USB ports is not that impressive, however, and the board lacks any wireless connectivity as well. Aesthetically, this is one of the most impressive X470 boards on the market with its unique white design language and tasteful RGB implementation. The RGB over the chipset heatsink pairs really nicely with the overall white color of the heatsinks and the white stripes on the PCB itself. This is the X470 board to buy if you want to buy the Best Budget X470 Motherboard. Similar Motherboards Guide: Best B350 Motherboards While the ASUS Prime X470-Pro might not be topping the charts in terms of performance or features any time soon, it performs really well considering its budget status in the ASUS lineup. If you are on a really tight budget for an X470 board, then the X470-Pro is one to consider as well. This was Appuals’s guide for the best x470 motherboards in 2021. Don’t forget to leave a comment and share feedback.,
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