Motherboard Comparison

The choice of motherboard can be one of the most difficult decisions when building a custom computer, but because of the effect it has on the rest of the build process we present it first. There has always been a debate over whether Intel or AMD is the best CPU choice in different applications, and the selection of a motherboard determines which processors will be available to pick from; choices over memory type and other related things add to the confusion. Puget Custom Computers has many hardware articles that can help you get up to speed, and by taking the time to give them a look you can make a much more informed decision. In the event that you are uncertain, don't hesitate to contact us.

All of our motherboards have built in LAN support. Motherboards often have other built-in features as well, including USB, Firewire, and RAID controllers. Each of the desktop motherboards listed below has full audio support, and in some cases even 6-channel or 8-channel sound! Make sure to become familiar with what features your motherboard has so you don't waste any money adding controller cards for features you already have!


 Asus TUF B650M-PLUS WIFIAsus ProArt Z790-Creator WiFiAsus ProArt X670E-Creator WiFiAsus Pro WS WRX80E-SAGE SE WIFI
SocketAM51700AM5sWRX8
CPU CompatibilityAMD Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop ProcessorsRaptor LakeAMD RyzenThreadripper Pro
Form FactorMicroATXATXATXSSI EEB
Chipset ManufacturerAMDIntelAMDAMD
ChipsetB650Z790X670WRX80
Front Side Bus DMI 4.0  
Network Connectivity2.5G Networking + WiFi 610G + 2.5G Networking + WiFi 6e10G + 2.5G Networking + WiFi 6eDual 10G Networking + WiFi 6
Network Controller Marvell 10G + Intel I225 + Intel AX211Marvell AQC113CS + Intel I225-V + Intel AX210Intel X550-AT2, Intel AX200
Audio ControllerRealtek 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODECOnboard Realtek S1220A HD AudioOnboard Realtek S1220A HD AudioOnboard Realtek ALC4080 HD Audio
Cooling System Passive HeatsinkHeatsinkHeatsink and Fan
Number of Fans   2
ColorBlackBlackBlackBlack
Notebook-Display
Memory Support
TypeDDR5DDR5DDR5DDR4 ECC Registered
Maximum Speed5200 MHz5600 MHz5200 MHz3200 MHz
Number of Slots4448
Maximum Size per Slot48 GB48 GB48 GB256 GB
Maximum Amount Supported192 GB192 GB192 GB2048 GB
Onboard Video
Chipset ManufacturerAMDIntelAMDASpeed
Processor TypeRDNA2CPU Dependent AST2500
Maximum Resolution7,680 x 4,320  1920x1200
Maximum HDMI Resolution  4096x21604096x2160 
VGA   1
HDMI111 
HDMI Version2.12.02.0 
DisplayPort1 1 
DisplayPort Version1.4   
USB  4.0 
Notes: Displayport IN for Thunderbolt OutputsDisplay Port In - usable with dedicated GPU and USB4 displayVGA output via included expansion bracket
External Connections
USB 2.04 1 
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0)1   
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB 3.1)2678
USB 3.2 Type C   1
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type C1 11
USB 4  2 
PS/2 Keyboard   No
PS/2 Mouse   No
Audio OutSurround Sound (7.1)Surround Sound (7.1)Surround Sound (7.1)Surround Sound (7.1)
Audio InLine-In/MicrophoneLine-In/MicrophoneLine-In/MicrophoneLine-In/Microphone
S/PDIFOptical  Optical
LAN (RJ45)122 
Mgmt LAN (RJ45)   2
Wireless Antenna PortYesYesYesYes
Thunderbolt Ports 2  
Thunderbolt Version 4  
BIOS FlashbackYesYesYesYes
Internal Connections
USB 2.02232
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB 3.0)1111
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C1   
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C   1
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type C 11 
SATA III 6.0Gbps4848
M.2 Connector2443
M.2 Support1x 42-80mm (PCIe 5.0), 1x 42-80mm (PCIe 4.0)2x 42-110mm NVMe (Gen4), 1x 42-80mm NVMe (Gen4), 1x 42-80mm NVMe (Gen4) + SATA2x 42-80mm (PCIe 5.0), 1x 42-80mm (PCIe 4.0), 1x 42-110mm (PCIe 4.0)42-110mm NVMe (Gen4) & SATA
U.2 Connector   2
Serial (Com)   1
TPM (module sold separately) 1 1
Compatible TPM Asus TPM-SPI Asus TPM-SPI
SATA Controllers
SATA III 6.0Gbps Controller 14x via AMD B650 ChipsetIntel Z790AMD X670AMD WRX80
SATA III 6.0Gbps Controller 2   Asmedia
Expansion Slots
Slot 1PCI Express 4.0 x16Slot not available on this boardSlot not available on this boardPCI Express 4.0 x16
Slot 2PCI Express 4.0 x1PCI Express 5.0 x16PCI Express 5.0 x16PCI Express 4.0 x16
Slot 3PCI Express 4.0 x4 in a x16 sizeSlot not available on this boardSlot not available on this boardPCI Express 4.0 x16
Slot 4 Slot not available on this boardSlot not available on this boardPCI Express 4.0 x16
Slot 5 PCI Express 5.0 x8 in a x16 sizePCI Express 5.0 x8 in a x16 sizePCI Express 4.0 x16
Slot 6 Slot not available on this boardSlot not available on this boardPCI Express 4.0 x16
Slot 7 PCI Express 3.0 x4 in a x16 sizePCI Express 4.0 x2PCI Express 4.0 x16
Additional Information
SLI Compatible NoNoYes
Crossfire Compatible No Yes
RAID SupportNVMe RAID 0/1/10 and SATA RAID 0/1/10 via RAIDXpert20/1/5/100,1,100, 1, 10
Built-in Webcam No  
Built-in Microphone No  
BluetoothYes (5.2)Yes (5.2)Yes (5.2)Yes (5.0)
Dual GPU Slot Spacing  3-Slot 
Integrated IO ShieldYesYesYesYes
Remote Management   Onboard
BIOS Features
UEFI BIOSYesYesYesYes
EZ FlashYesYesYesYes
OC ProfilesYesYesYesYes
Puget Measured Battery Life
Dimensions
Height244 mm305 mm305 mm310 mm
Width244 mm244 mm244 mm330 mm
Net Weight1.434 kg1.538 kg1.579 kg2.5 kg
Power Supply
AC Adapter Output