4. ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme AMD AM5 ~$899

Before the Glacial arrived, the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme was Tom’s Hardware’s pick for the best flagship AMD board — and it remains an exceptional choice for builders who want near-Glacial performance at $300 less. The 20+2+2 power stages with an included VRM fan provide excellent sustained thermal performance, and the five M.2 slots (two PCIe 5.0) satisfy even storage-heavy creative workstation builds. A 5-inch full-color LCD panel sits in the VRM heatsink area — at this price, larger than MSI’s 4-inch display on boards costing more.

Overclocking credentials are genuine: LN2 Mode for extreme cooling setups, ReTry button for failed OC POST recovery, FlexKey remappable function button, and a comprehensive array of ProbeIt voltage measurement points give this board a complete extreme overclocking toolkit. The dual networking — both 5GbE and 10GbE Ethernet ports — is a standout feature at this price, giving the Extreme one of the fastest wired networking configurations of any AM5 motherboard in production.

Tom’s Hardware’s verdict: “Asus’ Crosshair X870E Extreme offers solid value in the flagship AMD motherboard space.” For buyers who find the Glacial’s price hard to justify but still want a genuinely reference-class X870E board, the Extreme is the compelling alternative.

5. Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite WiFi7 AMD AM5 ~$280

The Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite WiFi7 earns its place as the go-to recommendation for budget-conscious builders who want the X870E chipset’s advantages — PCIe 5.0 for both GPU and M.2, USB4 connectivity — without paying X870E-flagship prices. KitGuru singles it out as a standout option for enthusiasts who want AMD’s top chipset at under £300, noting its solid VRM, three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots (plus a PCIe 4.0), dual USB4 rear ports, and Wi-Fi 7 as the headline reasons.

Three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots at this price is legitimately remarkable. Most boards at $280 offer one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. The Aorus Elite offers three, which means sequential storage speed isn’t a bottleneck even in heavily storage-loaded workstation builds. Power delivery — a 14+2+1 phase design — is adequate for Ryzen 9 9950X operation at PBO settings, though not the choice for aggressive manual overclocking. For gaming and general productivity, it performs identically to boards costing $150 more.

6. MSI MEG Z890 Godlike Intel LGA1851 ~$999

Tom’s Hardware names the MSI MEG Z890 Godlike the top Z890 board — the board they’d choose above all others for Intel’s latest desktop platform. The superlatives are backed by the specification sheet: 10GbE networking, Wi-Fi 7, Thunderbolt 5 via included add-in card, and eight M.2 slots (four PCIe 5.0 via expansion card) make it the most feature-complete Intel board available at its price. An included 4-inch Dynamic Dashboard III LCD for real-time system monitoring adds practical value alongside aesthetic appeal.

Power delivery is built for extreme overclocking of Intel Core Ultra 200K processors — the VRM is substantially provisioned and thermally managed for sustained boosted loads. EZ Mode and AI-assisted features in MSI’s BIOS simplify setup for builders who don’t want to dive deep into manual tuning, while full manual control is available for enthusiasts who do. TechSpot’s 50-board Z890 roundup noted the Godlike was not ready for testing at time of publication, but independent performance data from other sources consistently places it at the top of the Z890 hierarchy.

At $999, the Godlike shares pricing with the ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme. Tom’s Hardware chose the Godlike for its slightly more complete feature set — the four-inch LCD, eight M.2 slots, and Thunderbolt 5 support edge it ahead in practical utility for most users. For an Intel flagship build paired with a Core Ultra 9 285K, this is the reference choice.

7. Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Intel LGA1851 ~$280

PC Gamer picked the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 as their top Intel gaming motherboard recommendation for 2026, calling it the best choice for an ATX Intel gaming build where you want performance without premium overspending. At $280, it undercuts the MSI Z890 Tomahawk WiFi by around $34 while offering competitive specifications — and it holds the editorial advantage of PC Gamer’s direct “best for gaming” endorsement over its competition in the same price bracket.

The board provides tool-free M.2 heatsinks and a PCIe easy-release mechanism that TechSpot specifically praised in their 50-board Z890 roundup for adding genuine build convenience. Connectivity is strong for the price: Wi-Fi 7, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) rear ports, and standard gaming-grade audio. The Aorus Lite design language — cleaner and less RGB-heavy than many competitors — suits builders who want a refined rather than aggressively styled interior aesthetic.

This is the board for builders who have chosen Intel Z890 at a mid-range budget and want the most consistently recommended editorial pick at the $280 price point. It doesn’t lead in any single specification, but its combination of build quality, feature set, and PC Gamer’s direct endorsement make it the safe, well-supported choice in the mid-range Z890 tier.

8. ASRock Z890 Taichi Lite Intel LGA1851 ~$399

Tom’s Hardware describes the ASRock Z890 Taichi Lite as “arguably the best contender in the modern, upper-midrange motherboard market” — and TechSpot’s 50-board Z890 roundup agrees, calling it a standout at its price. The defining feature is the six M.2 slots — a count usually reserved for boards at $500 or more. Combined with a twenty 110A power stage VRM, dual LAN (2.5GbE + 5GbE), and Wi-Fi 7, the Taichi Lite delivers a complete high-end feature set just under the $400 mark.

The “Lite” designation refers primarily to the absence of RGB lighting and some cosmetic design elements of the full Taichi. The hardware underneath is largely identical. For builders who find RGB unnecessary and don’t want to pay for it, the Taichi Lite’s neutral, clean aesthetic is an advantage rather than a compromise. The dual LAN configuration — separate 2.5Gb and 5Gb ports — allows aggregation or allocation of networking tasks in ways a single-NIC board doesn’t.

Premium audio (high-end codec), Thunderbolt 4 support (via header), and ASRock’s well-regarded BIOS — which offers deep overclocking customization with a clean interface — complete a package that punches significantly above its price. If storage density is your priority in an Intel build and you’re working near the $400 mark, nothing else delivers six M.2 slots with this VRM quality.

9. MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi Intel LGA1851 ~$249

TechSpot’s 50-board Z890 roundup calls the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi “clearly the best mid-range, $300-ish model” in the Z890 ecosystem. For around $249, MSI has packed in 5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 7, two Thunderbolt 4 (40Gbps) rear ports, and five M.2 slots — a connectivity resume that few budget boards in any platform generation can rival. The EZ DIY features (pre-installed I/O shield, tool-free M.2, simplified cable management) reduce build friction without compromising on hardware quality.

The 5GbE networking at this price point is a particular standout. Most Z890 boards at $250 ship with 2.5GbE. MSI’s Tomahawk steps up to 5Gbps wired networking for content creators who transfer large files over local network and gamers with 5GbE-capable routers or switches. Two Thunderbolt 4 rear ports — typically found on boards at $350 or above — adds connectivity that future-proofs the platform considerably.

For an Intel Z890 build that doesn’t need the most extreme overclocking or the largest LCD panel but does need excellent connectivity, storage, and builder-friendliness, the Z890 Tomahawk WiFi is the most compelling value choice in the platform’s mid-range tier.

10. MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi Intel LGA1851 ~$299

Mini-ITX builds — small form factor PCs that fit on a desk or in a compact case — demand that the motherboard sacrifice nothing essential despite the restricted 170×170mm footprint. The MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi is TechSpot’s best Mini-ITX Z890 pick, and it justifies that designation by fitting Wi-Fi 7, 2.5GbE LAN, Thunderbolt 4, and two M.2 slots into the smallest standard motherboard form factor. It manages this without the compromised VRM thermal performance that plagued earlier small-form-factor boards — the power delivery is adequate for Core Ultra 200K operation within the thermal constraints of compact cases.

Small form factor builds have grown dramatically in popularity among enthusiast builders who want a high-performance PC that doesn’t dominate a desk. The Z890I Edge Ti is built for this audience: a builder who refuses to compromise on CPU tier or platform capability but genuinely wants a compact machine. Two M.2 slots covers most storage configurations, and the Thunderbolt 4 rear port adds a versatile high-speed connection that is genuinely useful for compact builds connected to external docks or displays.