Modern gaming laptops are technological modern marvels. The amount of hardware packed into a small form factor can outpace even the best desktops of years past. With such stringent high-performance and tight tolerances, the right suite of software programs can have a surprising impact on your usability. While gaming laptops have specific software built-in from the manufacturer that you should be acquainted with, there’s plenty left to explore.  

We’ll take you through some of the basics you should be aware of with modern gaming laptops. These programs not only will add to your experience, but many of them are also free. Performance monitors, CPU tweaks, and utility programs augment the already impressive capabilities of your machine. These can help you understand the performance under the hood, a critical tool for future upgrade decisions.

Further reading: Best gaming laptops 2024: What to look for and highest-rated models

Built-in software 

Our first stop is the built-in suite of software your gaming laptop comes with. These programs will often give you fine-tuning control of power profiles and fan speeds at a minimum. RGB controls and even CPU or GPU overclocking tweaks are often be included, too. 

With the advent of AI technologies coming in the next generation of laptops, many of these tasks will be improved with new software. 

Laptops tend to have a more closed-off ecosystem, compared to enthusiast grade-desktops. Manufacturer installed software will often be the primary way that you will interact with the core functions. 

On laptops such as the Alienware M16, you’ll have access to Alienware Command Center. Here you’ll find the basic performance overlays for monitoring your CPU and GPU. Furthermore, overclocking profiles are also available with a variety of presets. 

You’ll often find the function row of your keyboard embedded with useful shortcuts that are connected to the included software. The Alienware M16 has a button to change performance profiles mapped to the F1 function key, for example.

The ASUS ROG Strix 16 laptop has a similar function row with RGB and power adjustments. It also includes a top row that controls volume and fan profiles. You can open the Asus Armoury Crate software, too.

On most gaming laptops, noise is often an issue with high-performance. To reach a comfortable noise level, you can choose power settings between balanced or varying performance modes. This in turn will allow you to keep fan speeds under control with thermals in check. 

AlienFX is the nomenclature for RGB controls and setting key binds. This suite also includes more niche features such as AlienVision to turn off monitor overlays and fine-tuning for gaming. 

Other brands such as Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte have similar software utilities that perform similar functions. 

Driver and BIOS updates are also found within these software suites, facilitating the process and reducing time browsing websites. 

Razer Synapse laptop software with CPU Overclocking.

Some will allow for more fine-tuning such as Razer’s Synapse. You can make CPU specific-performance tweaks here, avoiding a trip to the BIOS. 

Utility programs  

There are a few essential programs that accentuate the built-in software experience for many gaming laptops. 

Nvidia app

If your gaming laptop contains an Nvidia GeForce RTX GPU, you’ll find some very useful features.  The new Nvidia App is in Beta and is an update to the GeForce Experience. It allows for quick Game Ready driver downloads for your GPU. You can also select Studio Ready drivers if you’re using your laptop for productivity. 

The Nvidia app can also perform game optimizations, by adjusting best use settings for your hardware based on personalized data. The Nvidia Overlay allows you to monitor both GPU and CPU metrics, along with frame rates. As for Nvidia Shadow Play, this feature helps you capture game footage. In fact, it will record the last 30 seconds of gameplay. Screenshots are included in this feature as well.

AMD Radeon GPU laptop owners, on the other hand, will find the AMD Adrenalin software, which has metrics and other fine-tuning capabilities. 

Intel driver update utility

If your laptop has an Intel CPU, this utility can help you keep your drivers up to date directly from the manufacturer. While it’s often best practice to get drivers from the manufacture of your laptop, sometimes the pipeline for those updates can be slow. Alternatively, using the built-in driver updater in your laptop software can be sufficient. 

Steam, Epic Game Store, Xbox app

Don’t forget the essential game library programs that give you access to all the PC games your heart desires. 

Of special interest is Xbox PC Game Pass with the Xbox app. This gives you access to numerous great gamers for one monthly fee. The newly added titles can often be great as well, and a good way to experience many games without having to purchase individual titles. 

OBS Studio

Recording your game play or streaming are common use cases for laptop owners, and OBS Studio is a great way to do it. Allowing various methods and codecs, it’s a flexible way to share your gaming experience. 

Microsoft

Don’t forget to occasionally check your Windows updates and your Microsoft Store update tab. This can often be how many programs are updated on laptops, including some built-in software by the manufacturer. There are other useful programs on here too such as Dolby Access for audio settings if your laptop’s software does not support such a feature. 

There’s also a Windows HDR Calibration utility for configuring your monitor if its HDR capable such as the Razer Blade 16 with its Mini-LED display. This can be a useful program to get the most out of your HDR capable display. 

Overclocking and monitoring programs  

Gaming laptops are not as open-ended for enthusiast tinkering as a PC desktop, but some units do allow for a reasonable degree of overclocking. The MSI Titan series of laptops are famous for pushing its CPU limits with a more unlocked BIOS, for example. 

These types of programs can certainly be for more advanced users. Novice users, however, should stick to the preset overclocking profiles in their laptop provided software for the safest use. There’s a further set of options in many BIOS setups for enthusiast laptops when it comes to CPU overclocking as well. 

Some laptops, such as the ASUS ROG Strix 16, received BIOS updates during their lifecycle, allowing more options such as CPU undervolting to be applied.  Even if you’re not overclocking, monitoring system performance during gaming can be fun and help you learn about the technology. 

Intel’s extreme tuning utility

Intel’s XTU allows for fine-tuning of your CPU’s various parameters. You’ll need an unlocked Intel CPU such as the Core-i9 13900HX. This should be done by experienced users only, and only some laptops will be unlocked enough to allow any changes in Intel XTU. When done correctly, it can help unlock CPU power and help to reduce power draw to keep thermals in check. 

Gaming laptops depend on cooling. A monitoring program can help keep it under control.

Hardware Monitor or HWinfo64

Gaming laptops can have temperamental thermals and thermal throttling. The best way to check it is with one of these programs that can monitor your system vitals. From making sure temperatures are within spec to monitoring how certain games use the CPU more for performance, these can often come in handy. It allows you to make the best use of your overclocking and testing suite of software, too. 

MSI Afterburner overlay in the top left.

MSI Afterburner

While support for this program has been in doubt lately, enthusiasts can still benefit from the overlay features and performance-in game monitoring. Most users should use built-in monitoring, which you can find on Nvidia’s software. Always make sure downloads are directly from MSI to avoid any potential fake versions. 

Cinebench R23

You should be acquainted with Cinebench R23 for checking CPU single-core and multi-core performance. It pairs well with many of the hardware monitoring programs mentioned here, to test your CPU limits. 

This program will allow you to compare scores with similar hardware configurations to ensure all is functioning correctly. It can also stress test your CPU and help with thermal analysis. It’s a good way to measure any overclocking changes for performance and stability, too. 

When I tested an Alienware laptop with Cinebench R23, lower scores indicated a configuration issue with power limits in the BIOS. This helped me find the problem, fix it, and later re-check to see the expected higher score. If you want to verify that your gaming laptop is performing up to par, performance benchmarks are essential.

Want to test if your laptop cooling pad is working optimally? Run Cinebench R23 and try different positions for your cooling pad to see what works best. 

CrystalDiskMark

Gaming laptops can come with fast RAID 0 NVME configurations or single NVME ultra-fast drives. This utility can help you benchmark the speed of your drives and factor in a potential future upgrade if warrantied. Laptops typically have NVME drives that are upgradable, with multiple slots in higher-end laptops. Along with RAM, these are the only two user-friendly upgrades in most laptops. 

3DMark

This suite of benchmarks has an expansive set of tests that can stress, test, and compare scores for your CPU and GPU. Popular laptop benchmarks include 3DMark Time Spy and a DirectX12 test that runs the CPU and GPU. Time Spy Extreme brings it up a notch to 4K resolution. Testing Nvidia’s DLSS and AMD FSR are now available as well. Even ray tracing tests are available in this fully featured suite. 

PCMark10

To complement 3DMark, this suite will test the productivity aspects of your laptop and compare to industry standards. Performance and battery tests can help those who use these gaming laptops for work, such as digital content creators. It can also help in targeting where upgrades might prove beneficial, such as RAM or storage upgrades.  

Built-in game benchmarks

Many titles have useful built-in game benchmarks that can help you see performance metrics and resource use. You’ll find these benchmarks in games like F1 2023, Cyberpunk 2077, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Hitman 3. They’ll show you how your laptop performs in a specific title and even guide you to add more upgrades such as RAM if you hit a bottleneck. 

Conclusion 

Gaming laptops can be just as powerful as enthusiast-grade gaming PCs. With the right set of programs, you can unlock even more tinkering and power benefits from most units. You can also streamline your experience with items such as the Nvidia App for downloading drivers and the various monitoring programs to insure you are working with a top-spec unit. Laptops pack powerful hardware in a small space, so keeping track of what your hardware is doing is essential to get the most potential and longevity out of your machine.

When it comes to gaming laptops and the hardware that powers them, the GPU and CPU are often the focal point for overall performance. Although the GPU and CPU are no doubt important, there’s one vital component that you should consider: the system memory (AKA RAM).

RAM, when paired with VRAM (aka graphics card memory), can bottleneck your system. RAM often comes in the following capacities: 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB. However, it’s not always clear which amounts are optimal for gaming, so we’ll provide a number of practical examples below. Read on to learn more.

Further reading: Best gaming laptops 2024: What to look for and highest-rated models

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

RAM: 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB?

Most reasonable gaming laptops of the existing generation will come with a modest 16GB of RAM. We can eliminate 8GB of RAM for any serious gaming on current laptops, as that will quickly bottleneck in all but the lightest of games. Apple infamously still includes an 8GB MacBook Pro base model, but that won’t cut it in a gaming laptop.

When I turned on the Alienware M16 to play Hogwarts Legacy, I figured the Intel Core i9-13900HX with 16GB of RAM was ideal. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU with 12GB of VRAM also would make easy work of its 2560×1600 display.

When turning settings to Ultra, including ray tracing, I quickly realized I had a bottleneck in the pipeline. No, it wasn’t the CPU or GPU as you would normally expect.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Laptop memory is the most upgradable component along with NVME drives.

The 16GB of RAM was just not cutting it, constantly hitting its limits. A few screws later, an upgraded 32GB kit of memory improved the performance drastically. I would consistently see usage of RAM well above 20GB, making 16GB suboptimal.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Hogwarts Legacy Minimum Requirements are 16GB of RAM and 32GB for Ultra.

Reading the Hogwarts Legacy PC requirements confirmed my findings. Minimum or low specs recommend 16GB while Ultra settings will require the 32GB of RAM to function properly.

Later tests with 64GB of RAM were diminishing returns. The 32GB proved to be more than sufficient. 64GB of RAM therefore can be eliminated for gaming and relegated to productivity and professional users who may require it.

Does that mean that 16GB of RAM is too low? In this case, it was. This amount bottlenecked a high-performance laptop in a memory-hungry game. It’s the minimum amount you should consider, period.

Gaming laptops with a 4K screen should likely have 32GB of system RAM at a minimum for gaming. Likewise, 2560×1600 resolution high-end laptops packing an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU or RTX 4090 should similarly carry the same 32GB of RAM to avoid bottlenecks.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Sony’s minimum PC requirements of 16GB for Horizon: Forbidden West.

While 16GB of RAM is often the recommended minimum for most games, 32GB is quickly becoming relevant for new titles. What’s clear is that 8GB is vastly outdated in 2024.

When Sony released the PC requirements for the original Horizon Zero Dawn in 2020, the minimum PC specs called for 8GB of RAM with a recommend 16GB for Very High settings.

Fast forward to the new Horizon Forbidden West and that 8GB minimum has been replaced entirely by 16GB. While 32GB is not listed for this title as the Very High recommendation, 16GB continues to be present.

Many titles, such as Blizzard’s Diablo IV, may still support 8GB of RAM for the absolute minimum. They recommend 16GB for medium settings, however. Ultra 4K settings get the 32GB recommendation here for best performance.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Over 19GB of RAM used in Hogwarts shows how 32GB is beneficial.

Get 32GB of RAM if you’re an enthusiast, as that’s quickly becoming the new standard. 16GB can still be considered a reasonable minimum for most games, however.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Hogwarts Legacy at 4K: Over 23GB of system RAM and over 12GB of GPU VRAM allocated.

VRAM: What’s enough?

After you’ve settled on your RAM, another crucial piece to be aware of is in graphics card VRAM. Not to be confused with RAM, VRAM plays a crucial role. With mid-to-high resolution gaming, high or ultra textures, and ray tracing, it will have an impact.

For years, GPUs with 8GB of VRAM has been touted as the minimum on desktop PCs, with 12GB of VRAM recently becoming more prevalent.

A laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU and 16GB of VRAM is currently the top available amount. Likewise, the AMD Radeon RX 7900M also has 16GB of VRAM. The RTX 4080 follows closely with 12GB of VRAM, but most other laptop GPUs still fall squarely in the 8GB of VRAM realm.

Technologies such as Nvidia’s DLSS 3 with frame generation can help RTX 40 Series laptops punch above their weight and reduce GPU VRAM requirements somewhat. Combined with VRAM-hungry settings such as ray tracing, utilizing these on supported hardware can help to mitigate some performance penalties on demanding games while still enjoying the visuals.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Due to the very nature of laptop configurations, a modern gaming laptop should have a minimum of 8GB of VRAM for its GPU. This will include products such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and the RTX 4070 laptop GPUs.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Redfall on Ultra staying under 16GB of RAM and under 12GB of GPU VRAM.

While prices for laptops with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4090 can be high, the second-best choice will be the 12GB VRAM 4080 laptops. Many games will easily surpass the 8GB VRAM limit and even gobble up 12GB of VRAM with high textures and ray tracing.

Therefore, while the recommended minimum is 8GB of VRAM, if your budget allows a laptop upgrade, the sweet spot will be 12GB VRAM in the RTX 4080 models.

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

IDG / Thiago Trevisan

Go ahead, open it up and add more RAM!

Conclusion

A modern gaming laptop should have a minimum of 16GB of RAM and an 8GB VRAM GPU to play smoothly.

Those laptops with higher specs should target 32GB of RAM and 12GB VRAM GPUs such as the RTX 4080 to play the latest titles with all the eye candy turned on. 64GB of RAM will mostly be for content creators, as games tend to do fine with 32GB of RAM even on the high-end.

With the future being heavily influenced by AI, including in gaming laptops, the current recommended specifications are bound to change as new requirements are put in place. Thankfully, gaming still does not require absurd amounts of RAM. GPU VRAM is another issue entirely, with ray tracing and high textures keeping gamers always on the prowl for more GPU potency.

If you walk in on a team of graphic designers, you may be believe you’ve just stumbled into a PC gaming tournament. To power 3D intensive applications, many of those users seek out powerful gaming laptops. They can carry them to the field as a bonus, with or without the RGB.

Video editors are similarly enticed by gaming laptops. They’re often right behind gamers in the queue when a new model sees light of day. Bleeding-edge hardware and new screen technology constantly ups the ante for these users who depend on the best.

Are gaming laptops a good choice for a budding video editor or graphic designer? We’ll go over the hardware typically required, the all-important screen, and the drawbacks you will be dealing with by going this route.

Further reading: Best gaming laptops 2024: What to look for and highest-rated models

IDG / Matthew Smith

IDG / Matthew Smith

IDG / Matthew Smith

Performance

On the surface, it makes a lot of sense why professional users go on this RGB-laden path. Robust gaming laptops such as the Razer Blade 16 are filled to the brim with an overabundance of hardware. They’re chock full of RAM and the fastest mobile CPUs. The Intel Core i9-14900HX and Powerhouse GPUs such as the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 with 16GB of VRAM delivery astounding levels of performance.

It’s simple: PC games demand maximum performance of the GPU, CPU, and RAM. This means that gaming laptops are conveniently equipped to deal with non-gaming tasks. Video editing relies heavily on the GPU, with some CPU backup. 3D Graphics workflows are likewise dispatched intuitively, taking advantage of the same potent hardware.

Utilitarian workstation laptops may have unnecessary specialized hardware that adds to the price. Much of consumer grade hardware is well-suited for workflows such as Blackmagic Design’s Davinci Resolve or Adobe Photoshop.

Nvidia’s CUDA on its GPUs make easy work of 3D tasks, along with available Studio Drivers on consumer hardware.

Desktops can have higher performance for a lower price, but with a lack of mobility as a caveat.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Let’s break down what you’re getting in a high-end laptop. Workflows with video editing or 3D graphics will depend on the GPU. The CPU plays a vital role with photography and overall performance.

CPU

The fastest gaming laptops will pack a CPU such as the Intel Core i9-14900HX or an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX. Power draw is lower than desktop counterparts due to thermal limits. The Intel Core i9-14900HX utilizes a whopping 24 cores and 32 threads. This means it will breeze through synthetic benchmarks such as Cinebench R23 and software such as Handbrake.

Adobe Creative Cloud users with apps such as Photoshop will benefit from these fast CPUs. The highest clock speeds are shy of their desktop counterparts, but they remain capable. Encoding and decoding can also be a benefit with modern CPUs for video editors where the GPU is not needed.

New chips such as the Intel Ultra Core lineup have built-in AI capabilities, which help to regulate performance and power usage.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

A drawback of these powerful CPUs will come down to cooling. Thermal limits are quickly reached and result in throttled performance. Higher fan noise will be expected unless power settings are tweaked by the user. Laptop cooling pads will be essential for prolonged sessions. Video editing or 3D design software can often have similar demands as gaming on the hardware.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Gaming laptops have sizable power bricks to supply their ample performance. Battery life is typically poor, irrespective of the large power supplies. The high performance on tap and bright screens makes for quick depletion of batteries. Mark Hachman shared some of his thoughts on these power adapters in his review of the MSI Raider GE78.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

RAM

Gaming laptops often pack 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM. Some models, such as the MSI Titan 18 HX, can handle upwards of 128GB of RAM. The sweet spot for most will fall between 32GB and 64GB of RAM. It remains one of the most upgradable components on gaming laptops, which is a major plus.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

GPU

Ah, the GPU. It’s the star of the show for users seeking 3D performance. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 with 16GB of VRAM can breeze through many tasks with aplomb.

Video editors who use Blackmagic’s Davinci Resolve or Adobe Premier Pro have seen tremendous results. A powerful GPU can help with timeline scrubbing, adding affects, exporting, and overall snappiness. 3D graphics artists using software such as Blender will be all too familiar with GPU grunt to aid in workflow.

VRAM is vital in video editing or 3D work such as the 16GB found in the top-end Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. These mobile GPUs are not the full versions found on desktop, as power limits enter the fray in mobile hardware.

Gaming laptops will have both an internal GPU such as on an Intel chip and a discreet GPU such as an Nvidia GeForce RTX. The switch is often seamless and can aid with battery life. The internal GPU can sometimes aid in tasks like encoding when the CPU is involved, too.

There are some caveats with even the fastest laptop GPUs, though. They remain less powerful than their desktop counterparts for those requiring maximum performance. For example, a desktop Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 will be far superior to its mobile brethren. The laptop version is more on the level of a GeForce RTX 4070 Ti. This is par for the course due to mobile’s smaller size and thermal constraints.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Storage

Professionals rely on storage much like oxygen and gaming laptops do not disappoint. The Alienware M16 laptop above features multiple slots for fast NVME SSDs, which can be placed in RAID setups. With large and fast sizes readily available, internal storage can accommodate the workflows of professionals with ease.

Along with RAM, NVME drives account for the only user-accessible upgrades that can be done. The drawback here is that you’re stuck with the CPU and GPU for the life of the machine.

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Ports

If the internal storage isn’t sufficient, many gaming laptops pack a bevy of ports to accommodate professionals. With Intel based machines, Thunderbolt 4 is available with the fastest transfer rates.

Various flavors of USB are also abundant on gaming laptops, along with the prerequisite HDMI outputs. Connecting to external monitors will be essential for professionals, and gaming laptops have that capability built in.

Screens and usability

Gamers are not alone in chasing the best screen technology available. Video editors, photographers, and graphic designers rely on accurate, bright screens.

Creators enjoy working with high resolution 4K screens with maximum pixel density. Gaming laptops do not disappoint with numerous models such as the Razer Blade 16 offering such screens. One drawback will be screen size, as the biggest laptop currently tops out at 18 inches. The MSI Titan 18 HX packs a 120Hz 4K mini LED display, accompanied by a jaw-dropping price of around $5,000.

Looking for a more high-end gaming laptop? The MSI Titan 18 hx is your best bet.

MSI Titan 18 HX

Read our review

Image fidelity is essential for professionals and gaming laptops understand this dual nature. The Titan MSI 18 HX laptop has a 100 percent DCI-P3 screen capable of HDR 1,000, for example. Adobe RGB and sRGB are typically respectable and acceptable for most. Professional calibrated monitors may be preferred and they can easily be attached to most gaming laptops externally.

Lower priced gaming laptops such as the Alienware M16 will come with 2550×1600 resolution LCD screens. These are still high quality and may be adequate for all but the most precise work needing top color accuracy.

Check out our top pick for gaming laptops

Alienware m16 R2

Read our review

The ergonomics of gaming laptops come with its own pros and cons. First, many gaming laptops will have great keyboards such as the low-profile mechanical MX Cherry keyboards found on top-end units. Tactile response and accuracy are important for professional work, benefiting from the gaming-DNA.

Trackpads are often large and responsive, but one always has the flexibility of connecting external peripherals for more accurate inputs.

Audio is another component that will be important for users such as video editors. Laptop speakers are notoriously flimsy, but some high-end models such as the Razer Blade series have adequate speakers. Most professionals will turn to external solutions or headphones for mission critical work, however. Spatial or surround sound aspects of many gaming laptops will also be lost on professionals.

Conclusion

If you look past RGB aesthetics adorning most gaming laptops, they’re stellar professional machines. With hot-rod levels of hardware to power demanding games, it translates directly to many professional workflows.

Adobe Photoshop users will find powerful CPUs with high-clock speeds very capable. 3D graphics artists and video editors will benefit from the powerful GPUs with more than sufficient VRAM. Fast NVME drives and abundant RAM limits means that many demanding apps can have a home on these mobile powerhouses. Nvidia Studio drivers are available for professional applications and feature widespread support on consumer hardware. it’s a no-brainer that creators venture towards gaming laptops.

The garden variety of gaming laptops, such as those curated by PCWorld, is a big help to creators. Not everyone wants or needs a $5,000 laptop, so there are plenty of cheaper offerings available. With upgradability in the form of RAM and NVME drives, there’s also flexibility built-in for future proofing.

Mobility will be important for many who rely on travel and need portability. Poor battery life, loud fans, and smaller screens are often outweighed by the performance on tap. When the work is done, you’ll also have the benefit of playing the latest games for some leisurely activity if you so desire. The only choice you’re left with is if you’ll leave the RGB on or off.

Building your own gaming PC is one of the most satisfying experiences you can have in the hardware world. You’ve got the entire arsenal of PC hardware and components to choose from. If you’re up to the challenge, it’s fun to make these parts all work brilliantly together. Sometimes, things go wrong — and you learn, and do it again better in the future. In the end, you’re left with a sense of satisfaction if you stick with it. Did we mention it’s often cheaper, too?

Even if you’re a seasoned PC builder yourself, what lessons could you learn from a custom, boutique PC? That’s the question I asked myself. After having built dozens upon dozens of gaming PCs for fun (and for science!), I decided to order a Falcon Northwest Tiki.

we adore fnw's ferocious, immaculate fragbox

Falcon Northwest FragBox (Intel 14th-gen)

Read our review

This is not a question about if “building it yourself” is better than an PC built by someone else. It’s about what a DIY builder can learn from an iconic boutique PC builder who is experienced in the “art” of building PCs. Falcon Northwest, founded in 1992, was one of the first companies dedicated to building bespoke gaming PCs. You’ll find there are many more similarities than expected, and lots to learn.

What I learned throughout the process was surprising — and added to my PC knowledge toolbox. (The Tiki is a pretty impeccable machine, too.) Let’s discuss the most important lessons that all DIY PC builders can learn from the oldest custom PC builder around, and what you can incorporate in your build process. For more context into how FNW’s attention to detail translates to an actual computer you can buy, be sure to check out our 5-star review of the virtually flawless Falcon Northwest Fragbox.

Be sure to subscribe to Thiago’s YouTube channel, Classical Technology, for detailed PC analysis like the video below and near-daily coverage of graphics card trends.

Lesson #1: Planning your build

When I get the idea to build a PC, I’m the type of person that just wants to get up and start going right away. You know the drill — order the parts you’re enamored with and ask questions later. As long as they’re compatible, you’re fine, right? Use any leftovers for a second, or third, or fourth “fun build.” I’ve learned the hard way that this isn’t always the best approach.  

What can go wrong? Remember that GPU you wanted? Sure, it fits the case you chose — but not without some adjustments. Oh, and you forgot that this GPU has a different airflow pattern than your last one, making it run too hot in your new case. How about that powerful Mini-ITX motherboard you chose? Sure, it’ll perform great – but now you need to swap out to lower profile ram since the CPU cooler won’t fit.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

That’s the first lesson I learned from the Tiki — having an organized “system” in place throughout the build process. Due to the small nature of this case, this is even more vital. It is packing an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 from Asus, the ProArt. Why not a Founders Edition? It won’t fit. Everything was carefully chosen to properly fit inside this custom-built enclosure.

To mitigate heat issues, the case also has updated ventilation openings for dual fans that blow directly onto the GPU, keeping gaming temperatures in the 60s Celsius. You’ll see this trend in a lot of newer DIY PC cases, but it’s something Falcon Northwest has been doing for a while. There is a big emphasis on airflow focused designs to keep up with beefy hardware temperatures.

You can’t slam any CPU in your system without proper planning, either. This diminutive Tiki only has the space for a small 120mm liquid cooled AIO. If you throw an Intel 13900KS in there, that’s not going to work. You’ll need either a 13900 (Non-K with a lower TDP), or the AMD Ryzen 7800X3D.

While research will get you a long way to ensure part compatibility, new platforms such as AM5 have had teething issues. Certain DDR5 ram has proved difficult to stability work across different motherboards, for example. The QVL motherboard ram lists can be useful, but not always the final say. While most people won’t want to test out various kits of ram, one can learn a lot from the part selection from a builder such as Falcon Northwest.

You’d think a higher priced custom-PC builder would want to push the limits of performance by choosing the most expensive motherboards and highest speed RAM, right? Not so fast! They’re often more conservative in their selection. That’s an important lesson to learn here. The bleeding edge hardware can put up impressive numbers, but often it’s so niche that it can have outlying issues that aren’t as widely known. Less is often more here, to use an apt phrase.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

PC build planning can sometimes be simple if you have a decently large case to work with and standard hardware. If you choose to do much more complicated builds, such as the something like the Maingear Turbo pictured above, plus add water cooling — you better set aside multiple nights!

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Part of your build process should be to choose parts that perform well, but also have more stability associated with them. This can save you hours diagnosing rare issues that only a select hand of enthusiasts may encounter.

Lesson #2: Test your build

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The internet is full of forum posts asking if a certain performance experience is “normal,” or if something is wrong with their hardware. There are many pitfalls that are possible when you build your own PC. Incorrectly mounting your CPU cooler? I’ve done that, temperatures were awful. Your system is constantly freezing? Bad RAM stick, as was the case with me.

Part of having a system in place is not only during the build process, but soon after as well. Falcon Northwest gives you documentation showing all the tests that they ran, complete with results from 3DMark, MemTest, Cinebench, and other useful PC benchmarking software.

This should be part of every DIY build process, too. After you’re done piecing your rig together, open your favorite game. With monitoring software that can keep track of frame rates and system temperatures, keep an eye on what is happening.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

If you installed something incorrectly (higher temperatures may be a big giveaway), you’ll notice it and you can start to fix the issue. Compare your FPS at your resolution and settings to a known good test sample. PCWorld’s GPU and CPU benchmark reviews are great for this, to gauge if your numbers are within an accepted range.

There are lots of great and free software that have widely available data. Cinebench R23 can tell you if your CPU is running healthy and within spec. Many games may also have a built-in benchmark tool, such a Shadow of the Tomb Raider or Cyberpunk 2077.

While a custom-builder such as Falcon Northwest tests their systems to ensure a good end-user experience and less RMAs, the exact same can apply to a DIY build, too.

Lesson #3: Uniqueness is a virtue

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The current crop of PC hardware, primarily PC cases, certainly have grown tremendously in the last several years. You’ll find everything from monster PC towers to small Mini-ITX cases. There are many exceptionally high quality and aesthetically pleasing cases available in the DIY market. Sure, some of them do seem to imitate each other, and innovation isn’t always a given.

Why did I always love building my own PC? Well, it was unique to me. I could choose the parts I wanted and put it in the exact PC case that made me satisfied. Like many DIY builders, I would gasp at the thought of picking up any generic box off the shelf for my personal build.

The Falcon Northwest Tiki does something that I cannot, however. Sure, you can pick up a Fractal Ridge case and “almost” get the spirit of the Falcon Northwest Tiki close enough, or any number of fantastic DIY cases.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Without the proper UV printer or talent for painting PC cases, I would be left with just a generic black or white PC case, typically. The Falcon Northwest Tiki here is adorned with an awesome “Circuit” theme that looks and feels stunning.

What’s the lesson here? Being distinctive and unique is part of the reason we love PC building so much. Go out of your comfort zone and you’ll be even more satisfied with the process. Learn how to do an open-custom loop, or perhaps even learn how to paint your own PC case.

Sure, it’s significantly more work — but the result is often something unique that you can be even more proud of.

Lesson #4: Value is relative

Falcon Northwest

Falcon Northwest

Falcon Northwest

There’s no doubt that buying a boutique custom built PC can often be expensive. It can also be bursting with value, however. This value is unique to each person and can often vary dependent on use case.

Sure, if you’re cost driven, pricing out a DIY system online will always get you the cheapest price. Cheapest isn’t always the answer, or even the priority, for many, however.

You’ll find that the enthusiast PC DIY builders often aren’t very different in their thought process as someone who also appreciates a well-crafted “boutique” PC. At the end of the day, it’s basically another enthusiast who is designing and building it on the other end, too.

In my case, I’m fully capable of building a very similar system, and in fact have done various mini-itx builds to see how mine would perform. I’ll also keep building my own PCs, because I love the process.

Where is the value for me? First, there is the nostalgic value. There’s no denying that Falcon Northwest has been in the game since the early 1990s. I remember spec’ing out their systems years ago. They were the “Lamborghini poster” on my wall, so to speak.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

There’s also the practical side. Falcon Northwest was the only boutique PC builder offering an Nvidia RTX 4080 Asus ProArt at the time in such a small enclosure. The Tiki case, custom manufactured and designed by Falcon Northwest, is also exceptionally unique – especially with the high-quality UV printing that has been done. I can’t easily replicate that, even with a high quality Mini-Itx case. That’s worth its weight in gold for me . It truly makes me super happy!

Here’s a good analogy: Enthusiast DIY PC builders often choose hardware based on the value they feel it has, which isn’t always tied to cost. For example, why does one choose a more expensive motherboard such as the Asus ROG Z790 Hero, instead of a more reasonable $200 motherboard? Sure, there are some gains, and a few features you may be after, but I’d bet it also has a lot to do with the design and perceived quality you’re getting out of it. (And if it simply looks sweet, that’s OK too).

That’s the same reason why you may choose that fancy kitted-out graphics card that’s $100 more than the base MSRP mode, which often performs the same.

Building your own PC is an amazing experience, full of intricate possibilities with the impressive span of hardware available.

This same eclectic field can have some important insight shed on it by an experienced PC builder, like I found with my experience with Falcon Northwest. That team is just a collection of PC enthusiasts too, getting paid to do what they love. Where we can take some lessons is from the experience, and collective fine-tuning of the building process that sheds light on how certain things can be done better.

If you’re interested in trying out the Falcon Northwest Tiki for yourself, prices start at $3,300 and go up depending on your chosen configuration. It was very worthwhile for this DIY diehard. If you’re interested in a more portable PC, we’ve tested Falcon Northwest’s iconic Fragbox and found it virtually flawless.

we've tested and adore fnw's ferocious, immaculate fragbox

Falcon Northwest FragBox (Intel 14th-gen)

Read our review

Be sure to subscribe to Thiago’s YouTube channel, Classical Technology, for detailed PC analysis like the video below and near-daily coverage of graphics card trends.

Intel and AMD’s next-generation platforms are both here, with advanced technology like DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5. That means a plethora of motherboard choices, from frugal options, to the most princely. It also means more options for small form-factor PCs. 

After we picked the best gaming ATX motherboards in 2023 in our last roundup, we’ve set our sights on a new goal: finding the best small form-factor motherboards in 2023. 

Small form-factor will encompass two main sizes: Mini-ITX, with a diminutive 6.7×6.7-inch (170x170mm) size, and Micro-ATX, with a slightly larger size at 9.6x 9.6-inch. (244x244mm) footprint. 

After carefully going over each motherboard and using them in real-world scenarios, we’ll answer the same questions as we would for standard ATX motherboards: 

What are the features and specs? Is it an aesthetically pleasing design with robust build quality? How is the performance, and are there any compromises due to size? We’ll also consider how the smaller form-factor means “less space” for features and some tradeoffs versus ATX.

Updated 9/08/23: See our review of the Gigabyte B650M DS3H. This microATX board uses the B650 chipset for AM5 compatibility, while being eminently affordable. It’s a great option for thrifty small-PC builders.

Best small form-factor gaming motherboards for Intel

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi – Best premium Intel SFF board

Pros

• Overall one of the best available Mini-ITX motherboards
• Two onboard M.2 slots, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 16x Gen 5 
• Solid networking and great audio options with included Strix Hive
• Enthusiast-approved ROG aesthetics and functional design elements such as Q-Latch for M.2 drives

Cons

• $469 MSRP will deter some shoppers 
• Mini-ITX has some inherent limitations due to its size
• Gamers might find some features unnecessary, such as Thunderbolt 4

Best Prices Today: $429.99 at Amazon

You’d like to build a small form-factor PC, but you want that “big” performance? No sweat, the Asus ROG Strix Z790-i Gaming WiFi brings you exactly that. Make no mistake, at $469 MSRP, this is an enthusiast-focused premium offering. 

What do you get in exchange? From the moment you open the tiny box, you’ll appreciate the included accessories and premium feel of the experience. You’ll get your usual fare of SATA cables and stickers, but there’s more! You’ll also get a neat external sound device, called the “ROG Hive,” which acts as a little hub. This is great for small builds that can’t fit sound cards or more expansion internally. The “FPS II” card also gives you more SATA ports and headers when connected to the motherboard, a clever way of keeping the important components unaffected while adding more utility in a small package. 

The accessories are fun, but you’ll be really impressed with the performance. Robust VRMs with 10+1 power stages should easily handle even the mighty Intel i9 13900K. Keep in mind that you’ll need some heavy-duty CPU cooling for the i9 CPUs, which may be a challenge in a small form-factor build. (You’ll likely want to pair this with a slightly less power-hungry Intel CPU, such as the i7 13700K, if only to save space on cooling.) 

Adding to its pedigree is the inclusion of next-generation tech. DDR5 RAM is standard, but keep in mind you’ll be limited to just 2 DIMM slots and 64GB of RAM. That’s one drawback in comparison to larger Micro-ATX or ATX motherboards that typically allow for 4 DIMM slots and 128GB. 

The latest PCIe is also here—with a PCIe Gen 5 16x slot for your GPU. Theoretically you can also get Gen 5 speeds on one of the M.2 slots, with some drawbacks: You’ll have to share those PCIe Gen 5 lanes for that to happen, meaning your GPU won’t have access to all 16x. The best solution is to keep the GPU at 16x, and just run the M.2 slots both at Gen 4, which is then fine. (Hard to saturate Gen 5 right now since the hardware is so new.) 

The good news continues with the onboard features. Need USB ports? You’ll get a total of nine rear ports! That’s a great number that rivals even some ATX motherboards. If that wasn’t enough, they’re mighty fast, too. You’ll even get two of the rarified Thunderbolt 4 ports for 40Gb/s goodness. They can even serve as display-out ports for monitors, along with the single HDMI-out available on the rear. 

For networking, you’ll get 2.5Gb LAN along with Wi-Fi 6E. Bluetooth is also standard, allowing for flexible connectivity. This is akin to many ATX motherboards, so there are virtually no compromises on the networking front. With the included Asus “ROG Hive” external device, you can have a volume dial at arm’s length for quick adjustment.

So it’s feature-packed and performs great—but how about the design aesthetics? It’s a pure-breed ROG, or Republic of Gamers, high-end enthusiast design from Asus. With gorgeous styling, tasteful RGB implementation, it’s one sweet package. While you may not see it much in a small Mini-ITX PC case, the visible parts are sure to impress. 

Are there any drawbacks to be aware of? First, it’s certainly a pricey option at $429 for some. You’re also paying for some features that gamers may not always need (such as Thunderbolt 4). It’s also restricted somewhat by its size, compared to a Micro-ATX motherboard or ATX. Fewer RAM slots, PCIe slots, and SATA ports, mainly. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic motherboard for the right user.

It’s not cheap, but if you’re aiming to build one of the fastest Mini-ITX gaming PCs known to gamers, this is a key component that will help accomplish that task. 

Read our full Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi review

Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi – Best midrange Intel SFF board

Pros

• Great I/O features for Mini-ITX 
• Two onboard M.2 slots, 20Gb/s USB, PCIe 16x Gen 5 
• Good networking and decent audio 
• Colorful ROG Strix design, integrated I/O shield

Cons

• B760 chipset doesn't take full advantage of Intel 13th-gen such as having more PCIe lanes 
• Not for CPU tinkerers and overclockers

Best Prices Today: $218.99 at Amazon

If you’re after a small form-factor build and want a good balance of features for the price, The Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi is a worthy choice. Coming in at $219, it is significantly cheaper than its Z790 counterpart, but with some notable drawbacks. 

While both boards are Mini-ITX, this motherboard is wrapped in the B760 Intel chipset instead of Z790. That means a lack of real overclocking support—we’d avoid most of the “K” Intel SKUs such as the 13900K. You’re likely to use something like an Intel i5 13600, which will have less power draw and heat. Both are advantageous in a small form-factor build! 

B760 also gives you less VRM cooling in general, to go in line with the more efficient CPUs. You’re also more limited with theoretical PCIe lanes, SATA ports, and USB ports. This isn’t as much of a factor since Mini-ITX already sets a cap of many of these items due to size. 

If some of those drawbacks are acceptable to you, there are many positive features to find here. While the included accessories don’t include novelties such as the “ROG Hive,” they also add to the cost. You’re still getting all of what you need here, like a Wi-Fi antenna, SATA cables, etc.—and nothing that you don’t. 

Most importantly, performance with most CPUs will still be stellar, even with the 8+1 power stage VRMs. You’re still getting access to DDR5 RAM, albeit the same two-slot limit as on any Mini-ITX motherboard at 64GB. 

PCIe Gen 5 is also here but limited to just the 16x GPU slot. That’s more than acceptable, as functionally even the more expensive Z790 version offers similar capabilities. While you can never do PCIe Gen 5 on the NVMe slots, Gen 4 is more than sufficient for almost any drive you throw at it. You’ll get the same two onboard NVMe slots on the more expensive Z790 version, too. 

The rear I/O is another area of comparison: As expected, you’re not getting Thunderbolt 4. That’s fine—many gamers won’t take advantage of these speeds. You still get 20Gb/s USB 3, however, which is more than sufficient for most users. 

You’ll get the same 2.5Gb LAN and Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth as with all other offerings. This makes it virtually identical to more expensive varieties. Audio is fine too. 

This motherboard also has one of the neatest designs we’ve seen—it’s very colorful. With high-quality materials, the premium feel is carried throughout. It also incorporates excellent design elements that are very functional, like the integrated I/O shield. You’ll find the Asus Q-latch, which lets you pop out your M.2 with a screwless design. 

Overall, if you’re okay with the limitations of B760—such as the lack of overclocking—you’re getting a great set of features here and saving a large amount of money. 

Read our full Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi review

MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi – Best Intel SFF board under $200

Pros

• Good balance of features for a $199 Micro-ATX motherboard
• Two onboard M.2 slots, eight USB ports
• Nice networking and decent audio 
• Clean design, integrated I/O shield

Cons

• B760 means no CPU overclocking 
• The four USB 2.0 slots should be at least USB 3.0  
• No heat sink on the second NVME slot 

Best Prices Today: $199.99 at Amazon

If you want to save some more cash while going Micro-ATX and still pack a punch, the MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi is just the ticket. With an MSRP of $199, it will have some tradeoffs—the same B760 chipset limits noted above, such as lack of overclocking, and less VRM grunt as well. 

You do get 12+1+1 duet rail VRMs, so you’ll be ready for almost any Intel CPU. We recommend avoiding the overclockable K SKUs here to save some coin—you’ll do great with even the standard i9 13900. With its lower wattage, it can be a boon for small form-factor builds that may lack proper CPU cooling. 

The increasingly mainstream DDR5 RAM is also supported, with faster and cheaper kits available as time goes on. You no longer have to hold onto DDR4 motherboards to save some cash, DDR5 is the trend going forward. You’ll also get 4 DIMM slots with a 128GB limit—better than Mini-ITX, which offers two slots and 64GB. (A good reason why those who run heavier RAM workloads should consider Micro-ATX for a workstation-style build.) 

PCIe Gen 5 is mostly a marketing spec, with less real-world viability at this point in time. You’ll have the GPU 16x lane as PCIe Gen 5, but everything else is PCIe Gen 4. This includes the two onboard M.2 slots, which are more than adequate for most users. 

The rest of the I/O is fine, with eight rear USB ports. Sure, you’re only getting up to 20Gb/s USB 3 speeds, but Thunderbolt 4 performance is much pricier than most would be willing to spend on. You do get four USB 2.0 ports, which is certainly a bit disappointing for those expecting USB 3. Rounding off the features are the networking inclusions, with the standard 2.5Gb LAN and Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth. Audio is fine here too, no issues to report for the price. 

With plenty of PWM fan headers, RGB headers, and SATA ports. You’re in good company with more expensive ATX motherboards here at much less the typical cost. 

Where you do save some money is in the smart design. No, it’s not cheap feeling—quite the contrary. The build quality is great, and form follows function with an aesthetically pleasing approach. You’re just not paying for fancy RGB effects or expensive OLED displays—which is welcomed to keep costs down.

The I/O shield is integrated, too! Not bad for $199. Our only minor design quibble is that the second M.2 slot isn’t covered by a thermal cover, something we’ve seen in previous generations of the Mortar. 

Overall, the MSI B760M Mortar is a competent motherboard for those looking to stay under $200 and still have a good set of features. Overclockers won’t be impressed, but most users will still get usable performance out of this unit. 

Read our full MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi review

Best small form-factor gaming motherboards for AMD

Asus ROG X670E Gene – Best premium AMD SFF board

Pros

• Stunning design and high build quality  
• Included ROG Gen-Z.2 NVMe card  
• Next gen features, DDR5, PCIe Gen 5 
• mATX will fit in smaller PC cases

Cons

• Only two DIMM slots and some may find 64GB RAM limiting
• mATX limits such as one 16x slot, and one onboard NVMe 
• $599 MSRP is bit high considering the specific use-case appeal

Have you ever wanted to buy a big, beefy motherboard, like from the Asus “Extreme” lineup, but they were far too big? Fret no more, the Asus ROG X670E Gene brings a lot of that “over-the-top” goodness to a smaller Micro-ATX form factor. It’s also priced for the premium market—at $599, it’s one of the most expensive small form-factor motherboards we’ve encountered. 

If you get over the sticker shock, you’ll be impressed with every facet of this motherboard. Performance is on par with any other high-end offering, with a 16+2 phase design for the VRMs. Indeed, the Ryzen 9 7950X or any of the X3D CPUs have met their match in this overachiever! 

Performance perks continue with support for the fastest DDR5 RAM kits that AM5 offers. (Not as fast as Intel, but blazing speeds regardless.) One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll be limited to two DIMM slots, instead of the usual four on Micro-ATX motherboards. Technically, if you’re overclocking RAM or pushing the limits, it’s better to have fewer DIMM slots for maximum performance. That’s exactly what type of user will enjoy this motherboard the most! You’ll be able to keep everything cool with seven PWM fan headers, too. 

PCIe Gen 5 is here too—and since this is the X670E chipset, it won’t skimp on PCIe lanes. The GPU 16x slot will give you PCIe Gen 5, plus an onboard M.2 Gen 5 slot. Don’t worry, you will get two additional M.2 slots on the included accessory, the ROG Gen-Z.2 card. One is PCIe Gen 5, and the second Gen 4—but that’s more than enough performance. 

Performance metrics are visible everywhere, even in the I/O, where there’s USB4, with speeds up to 40Gb/s. That completes the 10 USB ports on the rear, an impressive number in both quantity and quality of ports. You even get a PS2 port for legacy devices, a feature aimed at overclockers. 

Networking options are standard, with 2.5Gb LAN and Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth. This is just as expected, with cheaper motherboards offering similar. You’re not getting 10Gb LAN, however, an option we’d like to see on a motherboard of this caliber. 

Audio is robust with a SupremeFX 7.1 ALC 4080 codec, enough for most users, save demanding audiophiles. 

Aesthetically, the first thing you’ll notice when unboxing this gorgeous motherboard is the heft and sublime build quality. All parts of this motherboard feel extraordinarily premium, from materials to design aesthetics. 

The design shows “ROG” DNA (Gene…) through and through, with beautiful RGB in various areas. If you value high build quality and enthusiast-grade aesthetics, you’ll fall in love with the Gene. 

If the $599 price is acceptable to you, and Micro-ATX is your PC build/case objective, this is a mighty fine choice.

Read our full Asus ROG X670E Gene review

Asrock B650E PG-ITX – Best midrange AMD SFF board

Pros

• Good set of features for Mini-ITX 
• Two onboard M.2 slots, including 1x PCIe Gen 5 
• Good networking and audio 
• Capable VRMs

Cons

• Noisy M.2 fan may interfere with some builds 
• USB 2.0 ports should be upgraded  
• $289 MSRP still high considering some limitations

Best Prices Today: $289.99 at Amazon

If premium AM5 offerings are too spendy for you, we don’t blame you. With higher-than-ever platform costs, it’s important to save some cash when you can while getting top-notch performance. That’s where the Asrock B650E PG-ITX comes in. With an MSRP of $289, it’s by no means cheap—but you get a well-rounded performer. 

The board is wrapped in the B650E chipset—the “E” gives us some PCIe Gen 5 lanes that the standard B650 won’t have. This means that one of the two onboard NVMe slots can be Gen 5—a great option for those who like to be on the bleeding edge. You’ll also have the PCIe 16x slot at Gen 5, even though GPUs currently can’t saturate that. 

PCIe Gen 5 means you get to take advantage of everything AM5 has to offer, and it gets better: The beefy 10+2+1 phase-design VRMs have a whopping 10-layer PCB, more than normal. Translation: This little motherboard will handle any Ryzen CPU you throw at it, even the mighty Ryzen 9 7950X. We’re sure many gamers will want to pair this with the new 7800X3D, a fine choice for maximum gaming performance. You’ll just want to make sure your CPU cooler is up to task, as this chips can get spicy-hot. Thankfully, the clever design of this motherboard leaves some nice room for most CPU coolers to fit. 

Performance perks continue with DDR5, and the usual limit of two DIMM slots on Mini-ITX at 64GB. One area that the specs falter slightly is in the rear I/O. While you do get eight USB ports, four of them are only USB 2.0, which is a bit ancient at this point. You also don’t get USB4 like on the pricier Mini-ITX motherboards, so speeds will be closer to 20Gb/s USB 3 instead. That should be fine for most gamers, but at $289, we feel the USB implementation should be a bit better.

The design aesthetics of this motherboard are interesting, starting with the unusual M.2 fan. While it may look more like a VRM heatsink, this is certainly a larger-than-expected fan design, which may be hit-or-miss for some. Aside from that, it looks sharp. Functional design such as the integrated I/O shield and easy-to-use M.2 slots are great to see.

Despite the compromises inherent to a Mini-ITX motherboard, you’re still getting a great companion for fast Ryzen CPUs while saving some cash compared to more expensive offerings. 

Read our full Asrock B650E PG-ITX review

MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi – Best bang-for-buck AMD SFF board

Pros

• Great set of features for Micro-ATX at $239
• Two onboard M.2 slots, 20Gb/s USB, PCIe Gen 4 
• Solid networking and decent audio 
• Clean design looks great, includes integrated I/O shield

Cons

• Users who need more M.2 NVMe slots will be limited
• No PCIe Gen 5, so AM5 CPUs don’t get full capabilities 
• Not as many Micro-ATX cases available, niche market

Best Prices Today: $179 at Amazon$239.99 at MSI

While the $239 price is far from budget—we’ll have to wait for the A620 motherboards for that—the MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi still delivers great value. With a Micro-ATX form factor, it’s a good mix of performance and features without leaving out anything essential. 

It’s the standard B650 chipset, meaning you won’t have PCIe Gen 5, but Gen 4 more than suffices here. Both onboard M.2 slots will be more than snappy, and GPUs can’t currently utilize more than PCIe Gen 4. Performance is great, with VRMs packing a 12+2+1 duet rail system. This will make a perfect pairing for one of the standard Ryzen CPUs such as the 7700, or even works well with the zippy 7800X3D. While you’re not getting the top-tier performance of X670E VRMs, you should be within a few percentage points. DDR5 completes the package, with fast speeds and an available four DIMM slots. This will be an advantage over Mini-ITX, plus you’ll get a higher 128GB limit. 

You also get multiple PCIe slots, another clear advantage over Mini-ITX. This is useful for those needing to add some extra “add-in” cards, with an available 4x and 1x slot in combination with the GPU 16x slot. 

Showcasing the well-rounded nature of this motherboard, you’ll have plenty of USB ports on the rear, including 20Gb/s USB 3.2. Networking offers the complete 2.5Gb LAN with Wi-Fi 6E. Audio is also good, with a 7.1 ALC 4080 codec and plenty of inputs. 

The aesthetics and design are simple, but effective. You’re not getting RGB or crazy displays, but the motherboard looks and feels well built. With a classic, straightforward design indicative of other MSI “MAG” motherboards, it will fit into almost any build theme. Plus, the integrated I/O shield is a great feature that adds to the build experience here. 

While its $239 price is far from budget, the value is still here for what you’re getting. Combine that with a smaller Micro-ATX package, and it has most of the features and performance of ATX motherboards while staying within a reasonable price class. 

Read our full MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi review

What to look for in a small form-factor gaming motherboard

Choosing a small form-factor motherboard often has the same line of questions as the larger offerings, but with a few very special additions that are vital to the experience. We’re dealing with smaller units here, meaning they can fit in much smaller PC cases, and generally will have less features than their larger counterparts. The goal is to find the best blend of value, performance, and features for the size you need. 

Choose your platform: Intel or AMD 

Intel or AMD will be an important decision. For small form-factor motherboards, you may want to aim at a CPU option that can still perform very well, but perhaps not tax the power and cooling requirements nearly as much. 

Since you’re typically dealing with small enclosures that may not be able to handle 360mm radiators, some of the overclockable CPUs such as the Intel i9 13900K or the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X may run a bit hot for most builds. 

Thankfully, both brands offer tamer CPUs that have less power output and heat, such as Intel’s Core i7-13700 or AMD’s Ryzen 7700. 

Plan the size and hardware you want to use in advance 

Small form factor requires a bit of extra planning, so you’ll want to choose the size very early on. Mini-ITX motherboards can fit literally anywhere, as most cases will have the standoff screw alignments for them. Small cases can be a tight fit, so you may even want to consider shorter custom power supply cables to make sure it neatly fits without obstruction. 

Hardware choice is also important to consider: Intel will give you a choice of DDR4 or DDR5 RAM, depending on the motherboard you choose, so be aware of this. AMD AM5 is DDR5 only, so you’ll need to pick up a new RAM kit. 

PCIe slots and lanes also vary, even with small form-factor motherboards. Mini-ITX will only give you one 16x slot typically, which may be PCIe Gen 5 or Gen 4. PCIe Gen 5 lane distribution can also vary, with X670E usually having the best options. This will typically affect whether the top NVMe slot can be PCIe Gen 5 or Gen 4, but it’s not a big deal in most use cases. 

Know the features you need the most  

Features can also be very different on some smaller motherboards due to size, combined with certain chipset limitations. You may not want to pay extra for some features that you’ll never use, such as Thunderbolt 4.  

Most small offerings will still have a good set of USB and I/O, and Wi-Fi has been mostly standard. Keep in mind, though, that some cheaper motherboards do omit Wi-Fi, so it’s important to go over the specs to make sure. 

Price to performance matters, even with small motherboards 

Prices for motherboards have increased this generation, and small form factor is no exception. You’ll typically pay more for smaller boards with comparable features compared to ATX. 

There are many benefits to a small build, such as saving space. It’s also very satisfying fitting powerful hardware in a small enclosure, and having it perform well. Just keep price in mind—sometimes the most expensive CPUs may not run as well due to the cooling limitations of smaller enclosures, so a cheaper option may be more optimal. 

How we evaluate small form-factor gaming motherboards

As mentioned above, there are particular areas you need to be mindful of with a small form-factor gaming motherboard. The following is an overview of our evaluation process.

Specs and features

Are you getting essential features, such as networking, M.2 support, and ample I/O options for the price? Small motherboards tend to have fewer features than their big ATX counterparts, so we need to find the right balance. 

Design

Sure, your tiny motherboard may be hidden behind cables in a small enclosure. Does it still have interesting design elements that are aesthetically appealing, and have some function? Items such as quick-release GPU PCIe slots, easy access to M.2 slots, etc. make a big difference to builders.

Performance

Just because you’re going small on size, doesn’t mean that you need to give up performance. Can this motherboard’s VRMs and next-gen tech, such as DDR5, keep pace with ATX motherboards without much compromise? 

Value

Are some of the restrictions on specs worth the decrease in footprint? Do you get the right features for the price? More importantly, the small size has to provide more value to you then it takes away in performance or features.  

Best Prices Today: Gigabyte B650M DS3H

AMD’s AM5 platform is maturing right on schedule, bringing with that some cheaper pricing. While initial higher platform expenses kept motherboard costs higher on average for early adopters, the trend is improving. 

Here we have one of the most affordable motherboards yet for AM5 — Gigabyte’s B650 DS3H. Coming in at $149, it’s a smaller microATX motherboard, but still one that lets you to step into the next-generation AM5. Using the B650 chipset allows for some costs savings over the more expensive X670. With DDR5 standard and bundled with a set of basic features, are there any serious compromises here? (Keep in mind, the AMD A620 chipset will be the true budget option — and that will certainly come with more compromises.) 

We’ll go over the features, design, and performance. Keeping careful tabs on its attractive pricing, we’ll see if buyers can still get that next-generation feel, but “on the cheap.” Coupled with a larger than ever selection of Ryzen 7000 CPUs that are often on sale now, it may be a good path for those wanting to keep costs under control. Its small size, albeit niche, makes this an even more interesting choice for compact PC cases, to boot. Let’s see the details!

Further reading: See our roundup of the best small gaming motherboards to learn about competing products.

What are the Gigabyte B650M DS3H’s specs?

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• microATX form factor (243.84 x 243.84mm)
• Supports AMD AM5 Ryzen 7000 CPUs 
• 6+2+1 Phases Digital VRM
• DDR5 RAM, dual-channel up to 4 DIMMs (up to 128Gb)
• 2x onboard M.2 slots (PCIe Gen 4)
• 1x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 4)
• 1x PCIe X1 slot (PCIe Gen 3)
• HDMI 2.1 and 2x DisplayPort out 
• 8 USB ports on back (Including USB C)
• PS/2 port for legacy peripherals 
• Realtek 2.5GbE LAN 
• RGB header
• 4 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 4 PWM fan headers 
• Realtek 7.1 Audio
• MSRP $149

What’s missing from the B650 chipset?

The B650 chipset is trimmed down from B650E and X670E. To hit these cheaper prices, you’ll have access to fewer SATA ports, USB ports, and no PCIe Gen 5 — not to mention the limitations inherent to the B650M’s smaller microATX form factor. You’ll only get PCIe Gen 4, and not 5 here. That’s fine for most users — we can hardly saturate these lanes as is currently.

What is the Gigabyte B650M’s CPU choice?

B650 AM5 gives you access to any current Ryzen 7000 CPU, from the original ones such as the Ryzen 5 7600X, to recent non-X variants such as the Ryzen 9 7900, to even the fast Ryzen 7 7800X3D. You may want to avoid some of the heavy brawler CPUs such as the Ryzen 9 7950X due to VRMs and cooling considerations. It doesn’t make sense to pair a premium CPU with this class of this motherboard. It’s a better match with something like a 7600X or non-X, lower-wattage CPU like the Ryzen 7 7700. The latter will also come with the AMD Wraith Cooler, giving you good bang for your buck. Keep in mind that microATX will usually allow for less radiator space in certain cases, so you’ll want to get something efficient for a smaller build.

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Does the Gigabyte B650M have DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 4?

AM5 is DDR5 RAM only, and prices are typically better now as more time has passed since its release. You will get four RAM slots, which is better than the two slots that smaller Mini-ITX motherboards offer, and on par with ATX motherboards. 

Being B650, you’re not getting access to PCIe Gen 5, but you will find PCIe Gen 4 in both the 16x slot and the two onboard NVMe slots. Only B650E or X670E will offer you more PCIe lanes (and PCIe Gen 5 for that matter) — but at $149, we’re not complaining.

You also get an additional Gen 3 1x slot — which is another advantage over Mini-ITX motherboards, and good for users who need that extra add-in card slot.

What storage does the Gigabyte B650M have?

You’re getting two NVMe PCIe Gen 4 slots onboard, which is reasonable for this size motherboard. Those should suffice for most users, and speeds will be plenty fast, too. For those who need more, you do have access to four SATA ports for more drives. Overall, storage options are good here for the price. 

What USB ports does the Gigabyte B650M have?

There are eight rear USB ports, including 1x USB-C, so the quantity is great for microATX. You do get four of them as USB 2.0, with the rest 3.0. For this price class, that’s fine — we’ve even seen USB 2.0 on more expensive motherboards such as the Asrock B650M PG-ITX. 

Interestingly, you’ll also get a relic — a PS/2 port for legacy peripherals. If you’re happy, you know exactly what to use it for. If you have no idea what it’s for, don’t worry, and move on! 

Dual DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 also help with Ryzen 7000 CPUs, which have built-in iGPUs. It’s unusual to have so many display-out options, so Gigabyte certainly intends for just the right user to match this with their needs.  

How is the Gigabyte B650M’s networking?

You get Realtek 2.5GbE Lan, which is standard on motherboards nowadays. Disappointingly, you won’t get Wi-Fi onboard. This can be a crucial deal breaker for many people who more and more rely on a solid Wi-Fi connection. Sure, you can just buy a separate USB or even PCIe dongle, but it’s an added cost. We’d like to see Wi-Fi here standard.

How is the Gigabyte B650M’s audio?

Audio is okay here, with three inputs on the back. For this price, it’s sufficient — and those who need better sound will want to add an external device or sound card.

What’s included in the Gigabyte B650M’s box?

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The unboxing experience is simple — not much here aside from a few M.2 screws and SATA cables. You do get the I/O shield — which is not integrated like on many motherboards this generation. No Wi-Fi antenna here either — because there’s no Wi-Fi onboard.

Other features of note

The quick release function of the GPU is nice to have, along with “Q Flash Plus,” which lets you update the BIOS without a CPU. You also get a reset button on the back. You also get four PWM fan ports, which is sufficient for a small build. 

Some features that are missing should be noted — such as the lack of Wi-Fi, which may impact many users. The I/O shield is also not integrated — a feature that most motherboards seem to have this generation. We can understand, however, due to the cheaper price.

Gigabyte B650M DS3H layout and design

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The Gigabyte B650M DS3H has an obvious design characteristic that’s hard to ignore: size! It’s a microATX motherboard, meaning you can jam it into smaller enclosures than standard ATX. It also will have more ports and slots compared to the even tinier Mini-ITX — a selling point for many PC builders.

Aesthetically, how does it handle this smaller size? For the $149 price, the build quality is good. Most of the important surfaces on the motherboard feel great and are well represented and covered throughout. For example, you have the neat monochromatic color scheme on both the I/O shroud area and PCIe slot area. Good coverage here makes the motherboard seem more premium and does not give away its budget status. The M.2 slots are also covered by this “Thermal Guard.” 

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You do not get an integrated I/O shield, which is understandable but slightly disappointing. It seems like many AM5 motherboards are including this, and it’s a nice little feature for PC builders. Not having one makes the I/O rear area more exposed than you’d like to see aesthetically, until it’s tucked away in a small build. Hopefully you won’t forget to put the I/O shield in place before installing the motherboard! 

There’s no RGB light show going in this motherboard, but you’ll get RGB headers. This is fine — many motherboards with RGB and fancy OLED displays also cost significantly more. 

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Around the back, it’s standard motherboard fare. Overall, the design of the motherboard here is very fitting for the price it comes in at. Sure, we’d like to see an integrated I/O shield, but we’re glad that the front of the motherboard looks pleasing and not bare-bones. It’s also built relatively well, similar to pricier options.

Gigabyte B650M DS3H BIOS and software

For those who like tinkering, the Gigabyte BIOS does give you some options for adjusting your system parameters. There’s a good chance if you’re running a standard Ryzen CPU such as a Ryzen 7 7700 you’ll rarely visit the BIOS (since you’re not overclocking). It’s still a nice place to be acquainted with, for setting DDR5 Expo profiles or boot settings. 

Gigabyte

Gigabyte

Gigabyte

Gigabyte also offers its software suite: Gigabyte Control Center. Like many motherboard manufactures, Gigabyte consolidates various utility software programs into one unit. This makes things like adjusting fan profiles, changing RGB themes, and even driver updates easier. While we typically still recommend some “old school” methods of driver updates and fan control, it’s nice to see some software improvements this generation. (Previous options consisted of various separate software downloads that each did different, often confusing, things).

Overall, for $149 you’re getting competent performance for the new generation of AMD Ryzen CPUs. It’s also true of the accompanying technological improvements such as DDR5. While you’re not getting top performance and overclocking — you’re also not paying top dollar. It’s a fair compromise.

best bang-for-the buck small AM5 motherboard

MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $179 at Amazon | $239.99 at MSI

Should you buy the Gigabyte B650M DS3H?

The Gigabyte B650M DS3H comes with a few unique points of interest. First, its $149 price makes it one of the better-priced options we’ve seen so far on the B650 chipset for the newer AM5 Ryzen CPUs. You’d have to go lower into the A620 chipset to see some better deals, at the cost of less features. It also is a microATX motherboard, a niche market. This can either be a positive or negative for some, depending on your PC build objective. 

It does put up “as expected” performance with most Ryzen CPUs, making a better pairing with the more affordable options. It has good enough VRMs, and support for DDR5 and PCIe Gen 4. 

It is missing a few key items, however. Primary of which is Wi-Fi — which can be a crucial point for some users. Adding a third-party solution is possible, but that also negates the cost savings here. You do get 2.5Gb Ethernet, so you’re covered there. The lack of an integrated I/O shield is a minor quibble. But we’d just like to see it in all boards come — as many have done so already for AM5. (See our review of the MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi, where fewer comprises are made on this microATX board but for a slightly higher price.)

Overall, it’s a good option for $149 if you can live with a few of those compromises, and don’t need more features. A larger ATX motherboard may give you more PCIe slots, better USB ports, and more SATA ports, but a small price increase. Otherwise, it’s a nicely design motherboard that is amongst the cheapest we’ve seen for B650, and keeps most features intact.

You might spend top dollar for fancy new graphics card hardware, but one of the key components to gaming performance is actually software. While the brute force of the hardware gets most of the glory (and is indeed essential), the software side is the magic that pieces it together. Without good software, even the ferocious Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 is reduced to a fancy paperweight—especially when running Cyberpunk 2077‘s glorious new path traced Overdrive mode. 

Software can also substantially improve the hardware performance. Enter Nvidia’s DLSS 3.0, or Deep Learning Super Sampling. Including both AI-powered frame generation and Nvidia’s wondrous latency-reducing Reflex technology, DLSS 3.0 makes for a potent recipe. And with the release of affordable new GeForce RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti graphics cards this summer, the fantastic technology is now a lot more accessible.

This isn’t the same old DLSS upsampling you’re used to, however. We’re going to go over some basics of what DLSS 3.0 is, and its application to Nvidia’s RTX 40-series GPUs. We’ll let you know how to use this feature, and tell you about optimal settings on some popular supported games. Let’s get cracking.

Further reading: The best graphics cards for PC gaming

How does DLSS 3 work?

DLSS 3 greatly accelerates gaming frame rates using a mixture of AI tasks running on dedicated tensor cores. It has three components that make it tick. 

Super Resolution (a.k.a. DLSS 2)

Also known as super sampling, DLSS 3’s core “upscaler” functionality is actually the DLSS 2 technology already integrated into countless games. DLSS renders game imagery at a lower resolution than your monitor runs at to increase raw gaming frame rates, then uses AI tensor cores to reconfigure the image with machine learning so that it looks sharp on your screen. This bypasses the performance penalty that your higher resolution would impose, while keeping graphics fidelity high. 

Frame generation

The novel element to DLSS 3 is in the “Optical Multiframe Generation” AI technology. After analyzing two images from a game back-to-back, DLSS 3 uses this information to insert an extra AI-created frame that does not have to be rendered by the game itself. This result is in even higher frame rates than standard DLSS 2. It can also help dramatically increase the smoothness in CPU bottlenecked games. 

Nvidia Reflex low latency

The third piece of the puzzle is in Nvidia’s Reflex technology. Frame generation is not free. Those AI-generated frames aren’t controlled by the player, since the game isn’t rendering them, so it can actually add latency (read: reduce responsiveness) in games. To combat this, Nvidia Reflex helps harmonize the GPU and CPU so that latency is reduced. It helps to bypass the traditional bottlenecks presented by both the GPU and CPU by deeper integration into the game engine itself. Reflex was created years ago to improve performance in esports games to amazing effect, but Nvidia now requires it in games that support DLSS 3.

Speaking of…  

What do you need to run DLSS 3?

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An RTX 40-series graphics card

DLSS 3 is exclusive to Nvidia’s “Ada Lovelace” RTX 40-series graphics cards. It is available for both desktop and laptop offerings, but not any RTX 30-series or prior GPUs. 

Nvidia says that’s because the new Lovelace GPU architecture includes more powerful AI tensor cores and, more critically, a new “Optical Flow Accelerator” that provides scene movement info critical to creating those AI frames. Performance on RTX 30 or older GPUs would not provide a good experience, so for now this technology is limited to the more powerful hardware. Currently, six RTX 40-series graphics cards are available that meet those requirements, with a seventh coming soon:

• The $1,600 RTX 4090
• The $1,200 RTX 4080
• The $800 RTX 4070 Ti
• The $600 RTX 4070
• The $399 RTX 4060 Ti 8GB or $499 RTX 4060 Ti 16GB (coming July 2023)
• The $299 RTX 4060

DLSS 3 is not supported on rival AMD Radeon or Intel Arc graphics cards.

Certain Windows settings need to be active

You’ll also need to turn on “Hardware Accelerated GPU” in your Windows display settings. (Settings > System > Display > Related Sections > Graphics > Change Default Graphics Settings > Toggle Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling on)

Certain in-game settings need to be active

Only specific games directly support DLSS 3. You’ll have to turn on “Frame Generation” settings after activating DLSS upscaling. This will also necessitate “Nvidia Reflex” being turned on, and most (but not all) games will do this by default. You’ll further have the option to set Reflex to additional “Boost.” 

Supported DLSS 3 games

There are currently over 25 games that are playable now, with many more coming. High profile titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 have recently received DLSS 3 updates, along with new releases such as Hogwarts Legacy. Rock Paper Shotgun maintains a helpful guide to all available and upcoming DLSS 3 games (they’re after the ray traced and DLSS games in the list).

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What are DLSS 3’s drawbacks?

DLSS 3 is fantastic for increasing overall visual smoothness, but as it develops during its early days, it also has a few potential issues to be aware of. 

Latency

While Nvidia Reflex addresses a lot of DLSS 3’s latency concerns, it’s also not the rapid response some users may expect from esports titles. That’s why DLSS 3 is better suited for single player games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Plague Tale Requiem, Microsoft Flight Simulator, etc. Even with Reflex on, DLSS 3 can play a sort of trick on your mind if you’re especially sensitive to how fast frame rates and responsiveness are intertwined, as PCWorld’s Brad Chacos explained during his review of the RTX 4090:

“While the DLSS 3 experience shines, it doesn’t always feel more responsive in your hands. Running Cyberpunk 2077 at 138fps with every possible bell and whistle active thanks to DLSS 3 looks absolutely stunning, full stop. But one of the perks of faster frame rates is increased responsiveness, and while Reflex greatly helps with that, Cyberpunk 2077 running at 138fps doesn’t feel substantially more responsive than running it at the 77fps or so it hits in native 4K. Having twice as many frames looks fantastic but those AI frames aren’t responding to your controls in the actual moment, though it’s close.

This is not a negative. This is not a drawback. It can’t be after running Flight Sim at 120fps, and Cyberpunk 2077 with ultra ray tracing at 138fps (the RTX 3090 tops out at 48fps). But it’s worth highlighting.”

Visual artifacts

Most of the DLSS 3 gaming experience looks fantastic. You won’t notice any visual issues or quirks. That said, there are some games that showcase some onscreen “artifacts” or abnormalities. UI elements can also not be displayed properly in some titles, all areas that are undergoing improvement. The good news is that software updates can remedy these issues as gamers age. The Hardware Unboxed deep dive embedded below does a great job of walking through DLSS 3’s visual quality, including highlighting potential quirks.

Needs powerful hardware

DLSS 3 shows some of its best results on already powerful hardware, like the Nvidia RTX 4080 or 4090. It also seems to do better when it’s boosting an already-okay frame rate to a higher one, such as 60 FPS to 120 FPS. Time will tell if upcoming weaker GPUs such as the RTX 4060 will still have the same impressive results, but it should be promising. 

Settings overload

Console gamers have it easy without as much customization sometimes! PC games not only have dozens of graphics settings, but it also has different levels for each one. Add to that DLSS 3, which now has its own hierarchy of graphic settings to learn.

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DLSS 3 settings explained 

Dozens more settings variations have entered the fray – making it confusing for gamers when choosing your graphics settings. After activating DLSS, Frame Generation, and Reflex, you have a few more choices to make.

DLSS feature options

• DLSS Auto: This will try and keep the frames as best it can to your monitor’s refresh rate
• DLSS Quality: The best visual performance, with modest or not much FPS uplift 
• DLSS Balanced: A good combination of higher frames and maintaining graphical fidelity. 
• DLSS Performance: You’ll notice somewhat less impressive visuals, but FPS frames are considerably higher. 
• DLSS Ultra-performance: Better FPS, but worse visuals – typically when you really want to overreach existing hardware or to hit a specific FPS at a higher resolution. (8K Gamers, you’ll want to learn this one!) 
• DLSS Frame Generation: This setting will just be a simple “On or Off” toggle in your game settings. Remember, you’ll need Ada Lovelace RTX 40 series GPUs to work. 

Nvidia Reflex and Boost

These are often found near DLSS options, but may be elsewhere in a video menu as well (as in Cyberpunk 2077). Nvidia Reflex will often be turned on automatically in most games with Frame Generation being active. That’s not always true, however, and many games let you disable Reflex manually even when running DLSS 3 Frame Gen. (We don’t recommend doing that.) You’ll also have the option for a “Boost” feature in many games. Reflex Boost overclocks your GPU so it can help in CPU limited scenarios even more. 

Even more options

To make matters a bit more complicated, some games even allow you to select only Nvidia’s DLAA along with Frame Generation and Reflex. Plague Tale’s Requiem is one such title. DLAA basically runs DLSS at your native monitor resolution for enhanced visual sharpness and clarity. When given this option, it offers the highest possible graphical setting you can achieve, balanced out by the obvious performance cost. You can usually choose DLSS instead if the DLAA performance is too low. 

In most games, such as Hogwarts Legacy, DLAA will automatically be grayed out when you select DLSS. 

The best DLSS 3 settings

The most powerful gpu is a dlss 3 monster

GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition

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Best Prices Today: $2,995 at Amazon

Here’s how we use DLSS 3 settings in our own rigs. For the most powerful hardware, such as the RTX 4080 and 4090, DLSS Quality should keep respectable frames in most games, even at 4K, and doubly so with DLSS Frame Generation enabled.  If you prefer a bit more pep in performance, DLSS Balanced would be the next ideal step.  You can also always just set DLSS to Auto and see if you’re happy with the results, as they will vary from game-to-game. 

If you have slightly less powerful hardware, such as the RTX 4070 or some mobile RTX 40 GPUs, DLSS Balanced and DLSS Performance become good settings to make sure you’re hitting good frames, with the nod still going to DLSS Balanced as preferred. We’d typically recommend avoiding DLSS Ultra Performance, as it upscales from such a low resolution image that it degrades visual fidelity a noticeable amount. 

Some games are just more demanding than others, so you’ll be able to judge if changes are needed, especially when adding ray tracing. 

DLSS 3: Let’s play some games! 

MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V

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Time to put this theory to practice. We’re going to play some particularly intense games and see how DLSS 3 can help. These games were tested at 4K, generally with Ultra or similar max settings, and ray tracing on. The hardware is an MSI Titan GT77 laptop with a 4090 inside, which is similar to an RTX 3090 Ti desktop GPU in performance. 

Keep in mind that this is at 4K, so people playing at lower resolutions such as 1440p or 1080p will always see higher FPS in general. Ray tracing also substantially lowers frame rates when on, so disabling that is another way you can achieve higher numbers. The idea with DLSS 3 is that we can have our cake and eat it too! You can experience ray tracing on Ultra, then flip on DLSS 3 to achieve better performance without compromising on other visual settings. 

DLSS 3: Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 has been around for a few years now, and recently it received DLSS 3 support. This game is notorious for crushing almost any GPU when ray tracing is on Ultra so it’s welcomed news.

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Let’s go over how some of the settings affect the overall performance by really pushing the system. On the MSI GT77 Titan, ray tracing on Ultra without any DLSS gives us a measly 27 FPS in this portion. That frame rate is too low to actually play, so let’s see how DLSS 3 can help us without having to reduce any other graphics settings.

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Next, let’s turn on DLSS to Balanced, but without switching on Frame Generation or Nvidia Reflex. Our frame rate jumps to 61, a much better result. The game still looks great and behaves much smoother with this extra FPS boost.

Our next option will have us once again setting DLSS to Balanced, but this time we’re also going to turn on Frame Generation in the menu. Nvidia Reflex, on the adjacent “Video” menu, will also be on. The result here is substantially better—a whopping 87 FPS. Remember that we started with just 27 FPS before turning on any DLSS features. 

How does it play with DLSS 3 Frame Gen active? Quite well, actually. It feels superior in every way to native rendering, or with just regular DLSS on. The game play is smooth, and no glaringly obvious artifacts or issues present themselves. (They can still happen, however, such as UI elements being a bit quirky at times.) 

The only downside here is that you’re increasing latency, which is somewhat by Nvidia Reflex. The latency in this game is acceptable, as it’s mostly a single player game where you’re exploring and occasionally engaging in faster scenes. 

A faster paced game, such as an online multiplayer esports title, is not an ideal match for DLSS 3 due to this latency factor.  In Cyberpunk 2077, it works beautifully. You can also turn on Frame Generation and Reflex without DLSS, giving you FPS of around 47, but here the greater benefit seems to be pairing it with DLSS so you can achieve maximum frame rates.

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

In Brad Chacos’ RTX 4090 desktop GPU review, we can see that even this ferocious flagship gets massive help from DLSS 3. Playing it at 4K resolution with ray tracing at Ultra pins the game to 42 FPS, but DLSS performance with Frame Generation brings it to 138 FPS. These are staggering numbers—with ray tracing still on!

DLSS 3: Hitman 3

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Hitman 3 is a popular game that also taxes systems quite heavily. With ray tracing on and DLSS off, this scene gave us only around 30 FPS at maxed-out 4K settings. This game is much like Cyberpunk 2077, in the sense that it’s a slower paced style game, so DLSS 3 can be a big help here.

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Switching DLSS on to Balanced, but keeping Frame Generation Off, wielded 64 FPS. That’s surely a significant boost, and makes the game feel tremendously more playable and smooth.

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Finally, switching DLSS to Balanced, but turning on both Frame Generation and Reflex, give us truly impressive results. We’re now around 91 FPS, a big leap from the original 30 FPS without DLSS 3. The game feels much smoother, and behaves very well. It’s difficult to even notice the DLSS process occurring unless you’re pixel-peeping for it.

Like with the other games, latency will also be increased, and helped with Nvidia Reflex. This title is one that benefits much more from the higher FPS and better performance, and any additional latency is not very noticeable. You can also select only Frame generation and Reflex without DLSS, giving you around 50 FPS. We’d still recommend going all the way with DLSS Quality or Balanced however, so you get all of the combined DLSS 3 benefits. 

DLSS 3: Hogwarts Legacy

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Continuing the trend of highly taxing ray traced titles, we arrive at Hogwarts Legacy. Without any DLSS, and when set to Nvidia DLAA, this scene in Hogmeade netted us only 36 FPS at 4K. Ick. Ray tracing and all settings are set to Ultra.

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We see better results with DLSS set to Balanced, with frame rates hitting around 59. The game feels much better already, and even the frame rate time seems more consistent. (You can also turn on just Frame Generation without DLSS, getting around 56 FPS, but your latency will also increase more that way, so better to pair it with DLSS.)

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DLSS Balanced alongside Frame Generation and Reflex give us 82 FPS, a huge boost from the 36 FPS we first saw. The game plays considerably better, with much more consistent and smooth performance. Without DLSS 3, we’d have to lower ray tracing or adjust other settings to achieve better results, so this is certainly a much more preferable option. Reflex kept the game feeling nice and responsive.

DLSS 3: Flight Simulator 2020

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is a notoriously difficult game to max out thanks to its beautifully expansive open world. It’s a highly CPU bottlenecked game, making a perfect pairing with DLSS 3.

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

The results here are nothing short of impressive. With the desktop RTX 4090 and a Ryzen 9 5900X processor, 4K native hits a playable 65 FPS—a standard result for this heavily CPU-bottlenecked game. Turning on Frame Generation and bypassing that bottleneck brings us to 122 FPS, almost doubling the visual smoothness by blowing past the bottleneck with AI frames. Nvidia Reflex helps to keep the latency in check, and this is a game generally well suited to DLSS 3 improvements. 

This title also has numerous detailed UI and in-cabin graphics that have to be generated properly, so it’s a great test of how DLSS 3 can render minute details in sharp clarity. While it’s not always perfect, the boost in FPS and bypassing CPU bottlenecks are more than a win here. 

DLSS 3: Final thoughts 

Nvidia’s DLSS 3 combines the great benefits of DLSS, along with Frame Generation and Nvidia Reflex. While support is still limited to select games and hardware, and there are sometimes niggling artifacting and text issues, it’s extraordinarily promising. By allowing GPUs to stretch their legs well beyond traditional hardware limits, we can experience higher and better frontiers in games as developers take advantage of the technology. 

Sure, you’re getting some more latency, but Nvidia Reflex does a good job at keeping it under control. Often, it makes DLSS 3 games even more responsive than running at native resolution. While you’re not likely to want to play Counter-Strike or the like with it on, DLSS 3 is a huge boost to games such as Cyberpunk 2077.

With everything running well, DLSS 3 feels like black magic. Games shouldn’t run this good or look this smooth. If your PC supports it, we highly recommend checking it out.

The most affordable rtx gpu for dlss 3

GeForce RTX 4070

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Best Prices Today: $549.99 at Best Buy

Editor’s note: This article first published on April 14, 2023, but was updated to include new RTX 4060 GPUs and explicitly explain where to turn on Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.

8GB of VRAM, $399 MSRP. No, this isn’t 2020—it’s the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, launched in the middle of 2023. You’d be forgiven for mistaking this for the RTX 3060 Ti. And after seeing how closely it performs to its predecessor, you’ll probably be even more confused. 

We won’t sugar coat it: This GPU has been a disappointment. We gave the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 2 out of 5 stars in our review, with DLSS 3 and lower power draw being a couple of the redeeming factors. The performance is mostly stagnant from last generation, and in an age where 8GB of VRAM is getting crushed in newly released games, it falls short. 

To make matters worse, both the RTX 3060 Ti and AMD 6700 XT (which boasts 12GB of VRAM) are still both highly competitive because the 4060 Ti is so disappointing. 

We will compare the price and availability of all three contenders, reflecting on the value they can provide in a difficult market where costs have soared. Next, we’ll evaluate the performance chops of all three: Can the older GPUs really stack up favorably against the new RTX 4060 Ti? Finally, we’ll note important features that you should be aware of. GPUs, start your silicon engines! 

Be sure to subscribe to Thiago’s YouTube channel, Classical Technology, for detailed PC analysis like the video below and near-daily coverage of graphics card trends.

RTX 4060 Ti vs. RTX 3060 Ti vs. AMD 6700 XT: Price and availability 

The Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti has launched in two distinct flavors: A $399 8GB variant, and a $499 16GB version that’s coming in July. Availability of the initial launch has been the best you’ll find, with ample stock. Even the rarer “Founders Edition” model can be easily picked up at its MSRP. Gamers seem to be acting in unison in choosing not to purchase this new release. 

The Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti had a much more turbulent launch, with buyers rarely finding it in stock—and when they did, rarely at $399. Things have changed, and while the price is still high for this older GPU, it can be easily found for cheaper than the RTX 4060 Ti. 

mentioned in this article

GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (8GB)

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $399 at Best Buy

The AMD RX 6700 XT had similar, but not as drastic issues during its own launch. Packing a saucy $479 MSRP, it’s now going for well under that, and sometimes very close to $300 where it’s still available. 

High pricing from last generation still lingers, even with the “Great GPU Shortage” behind us. That’s why you’ll often find older models, such as the RTX 3060 Ti, not much cheaper than the RTX 4060 Ti in certain retailers. Which should you buy  of the three—if any? The next sections will guide you to a clearer picture. (RTX On meme intensifies.) 

RTX 4060 Ti vs. RTX 3060 Ti vs. AMD 6700 XT: Performance 

Performance is an objective battleground where we can clear up confusion surrounding the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti. First, let’s tackle what is under the hood. 8GB of VRAM, but a much more limited memory bus bandwidth of only 128 bits. This has been the trend with Nvidia GPUs such as the RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 4070, etc.

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

While Nvidia argues that the effective bandwidth is still sufficient for the RTX 4060 Ti since it packs more L2 cache, gamers will still find scenarios where this bandwidth limit rears its ugly head.

The Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti packed a 256 bit memory bus—more than even the RTX 4070 Ti has. Of course, the RTX 4060 Ti will have some DLSS 3 secret magic with its optical flow sensors, but that carries with it special caveats. These hardware limitations are why it’s possible to see limited or even negative performance gains on the newer RTX 4060 Ti versus the older GPUs in some scenarios (especially at higher resolutions). 

mentioned in this article

GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

Read our review

Knowing that 8GB of VRAM is not enough in 2023 for many gamers—even 1080p can see drawbacks—a 16GB VRAM version cometh soon. The jury is out on if that will make a difference, but we fear that with a $499 price and performance that will usually be identical to the 8GB version, it may not be enough. 

We can’t mention the RTX 4060 Ti without giving credit to the AMD RX 6700 XT. Packing a generous 12GB of VRAM with a 192-bit memory bus bandwidth, it certainly punches above its weight. 

Let’s look at some performance numbers to see how these competitors play out in real-world gaming. 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

At 1080p resolution—the intended use case for the Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti—we see some interesting numbers. There are some cases where it does pull away as expected, such as the 158.4fps versus the 137.7 of the RTX 3060 Ti. It also pulls away from the RTX 3060 Ti in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but the AMD 6700 XT is right up there at 117fps versus the 4060 Ti’s 119fps. 

The back and forth continues, with the RTX 4060 Ti being only a few frames per second better than the RTX 3060 Ti on the “total average.” The AMD 6700 XT is not far behind, either. When taking the pricing and age of these GPUs into consideration, the RTX 4060 Ti is only a mild improvement. 

It’s clear that owners of these two older GPUs should not look to upgrade to the RTX 4060 Ti. It may only make sense for those with much older GPUs. 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

If you weren’t impressed with the RTX 4060 Ti at 1080p, you will surely be disappointed with 1440p performance. Some titles even have the RTX 3060 Ti with a superior lead—such as Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Even excluding this game, the overall FPS average is a tie of 89fps between the two older GPUs, just short of 96fps of the RTX 4060 Ti. Certainly, almost negligible performance gains over an entire generation. 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Before the RTX 4060 Ti taps out, let’s give it an easier time. Ah, DLSS 3 and ray tracing—now it can breathe easier, right? 

Since the RTX 3060 Ti doesn’t have frame generation in its DLSS flavor, the FPS gains are constrained. Likewise, FSR 2 on the AMD 6700 XT does not jump up much either.  

DLSS 3—with frame generation on and Nvidia Reflex—propels the RTX 4060 Ti to much higher FPS, as in the case of 122.5fps in Cyberpunk RT Ultra. The gap in FPS continues with games that support frame generation, such as F1 2022. 

There’s a problem, however. DLSS 3 is not available on many games—and even some new releases such as Jedi Survivor, omit DLSS entirely. There’s another problem pointed out by Brad Chacos: DLSS 3 simply does not look as promising when starting off at 1080p. It makes great sense at 4K or 1440p, where you still have a high starting resolution to downscale. At 1080p, you’re more limited, erasing some of the visual eye candy detail when using ray tracing and such. For that reason, it doesn’t make DLSS 3 as effective on the RTX 4060 Ti as you’ll find at the upper echelon of Nvidia GPUs where there is more brute force. 

In conclusion for performance: The RTX 4060 Ti is not a worthwhile upgrade over either the RTX 3060 Ti or the AMD 6700 XT. While DLSS 3 and ray tracing performance is better, the lower-resolution entry point limits the appeal.  

RTX 4060 Ti vs. RTX 3060 Ti vs. AMD 6700 XT: Efficiency and features 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

This is where the RTX 4060 Ti truly shines—power efficiency. If looking at its performance through the lens of the power it puts out, this GPU is certainly impressive. Perhaps it is a combination of the new architecture, and some of the limited hardware specs versus the last generation that help it achieve these numbers. 

A hallmark of DLSS 3 is its ability to aid FPS performance with a lower power draw. This is certainly a feature that’s absent on both the RTX 3060 Ti and AMD 6700 XT, which both draw more power on average. 

The Nvidia-centric features are also a factor when looking at the RTX 4060 Ti. The AV1 encoding capabilities, along with the usual suite of software, such as Nvidia Reflex, help to round it out. 

Unfortunately, aside from DLSS 3 and perhaps some better performance for content creators, the RTX 4060 Ti really does not offer enough of an improvement for a substantial upgrade. The power efficiency is fantastic, but these GPUs aren’t for laptops—gamers want better performance, VRAM specs, and pricing first. 

RTX 4060 Ti vs. RTX 3060 Ti vs. AMD 6700 XT: Which wins? 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The RTX 3060 Ti was a popular GPU in its day, with almost-RTX 3070 level performance for $399. In 2023, the release of the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti is a disappointment. 8GB of VRAM is simply not enough in 2023 for any sensible future-proofing—as many new releases already struggle with the limit. Given that the RTX 4060 Ti is only a marginal improvement over the RTX 3060 Ti, it really shows how the RTX 3060 Ti was a stellar product that aged well. 

Buy this if you don't care about dlss 3 or rt

Radeon RX 6700 XT

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $299.99 at Amazon | $339.99 at Newegg

The AMD 6700 XT is the interesting option in the lineup. It comes with a much healthier 12GB of VRAM and performs relatively well in comparison to both the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 4060 Ti. It can also be found for cheaper than the RTX 4060 Ti. It does have some drawbacks—mainly higher power draw, no DLSS 3, and worse ray tracing performance compared to Nvidia. 

Today, both of these older GPUs have stood the test of time and aged gracefully. The Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti still cannot be recommended—it just offers too little in the modern age. It would have been more successful as an RTX 4060 or similar-level GPU instead, at a much lower price.

Be sure to subscribe to Thiago’s YouTube channel, Classical Technology, for detailed PC analysis like the video below and near-daily coverage of graphics card trends.

Imagine the scene: It’s a quiet Friday Night. You comfortably sit down to play—finally, it’s game time after a long week. How about firing up Cyberpunk 2077 and seeing what “Path Tracing” Overdrive mode is all about? You heard it was gorgeous, and highly demanding on even the mightiest hardware. 

Your senses struggle to take in everything you’re witnessing. Your eyeballs almost melt from the searing 1,000 nits brightness of the mini-LED screen. They’re then soothed by the gorgeous crispy 4K and massaged by the punchy colors. HDR accentuates every little detail of these path traced lights. The game’s neon signs are so vibrant that they’re almost etched into your retina! Dark corners of the game look clear and detailed, with satisfyingly deep blacks. 

Something else draws your attention: Is it raining outside? No—it’s not. You realize the enveloping surround effects of the speakers have made the sound wrap around you, like a warm blanket. You quickly become part of the world you’re gaming in, and the 4K performance is perfectly smooth. Nvidia’s DLSS 3 technology makes even the most stubborn frames subject to focus on serving you a great gaming experience.

Fully immersed, you miss your train’s stop home. No problem—you unplug your Razer Blade 16 laptop from the outlet and slip it into your bookbag. At a smidgen over five pounds, you have no trouble walking the rest of the way home. 

This fire-breathing laptop stole this desktop gamer's heart

Razer Blade 16

Read our review

My friends, I have been a desktop enthusiast gamer for over 20 years. I put aside my desktop rig for the last several months and have been engrossing myself in the modern gaming laptop experience, and I was blown away by modern offerings like the Razer Blade 16 and its powerful GeForce RTX 4090. They’re surprisingly versatile, with some even allowing overclocking and tuning!

It’s been a surprisingly great time—but not all roses.

After several weeks of testing, I wanted to share the shocking highs I’ve experienced when choosing to game on a powerful laptop, as well as compromises you should be aware of. It’s certainly not for everyone, but there’s magic to behold for those who wander further.

Be sure to subscribe to Thiago’s YouTube channel, Classical Technology, for detailed PC analysis like the video below and near-daily coverage of graphics card trends.

The bad news

Let’s get the drawbacks out in the open first, so we can have a frank and open discussion. I want to focus on the gaming experience, but there some harsh realities that mobile gamers will face: 

Price

Fire-breathing laptops like the Razer Blade 16 are high-end, premium products. Packing specs such as Intel’s Core i9-13950HX CPU and Nvidia’s ferocious GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, you’ll pay a pretty penny. While you can find RTX 4080 and RTX 4090 laptops in the low to mid $2,000 range, some models will easily cost more than $4,000. The Razer Blade 16 costs $4,299. (That said, if you don’t need the utmost performance, there are solid 1080p gaming laptops available under $1,000.)

Desktops

the desktop rtx 4090 is even more powerful

GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $2,995 at Amazon

Yes, building your own gaming desktop will always provide more raw value than gaming laptops. You can build your own desktop setup for an even higher tier gaming experience, for cheaper. Some people prefer (or even absolutely need) a mobile solution, however. There are many valid use cases to justify the extra expense. 

Remember, you’re getting some insane performance that can slip into your backpack and sip power compared to energy-hungry desktops.

Cooling and battery life

That said, gaming laptops run hot. Fans start spinning the second you start gaming, and there’s a lot of cooling variation between gaming laptops. The aluminum Razer Blade 16 feels warm to the touch, for example, but its fans mostly deliver an agreeable tone and loudness. You’ll want to raise the laptop with a simple stand for better performance.

The battery life of gaming laptops also disappoint compared to simpler productivity notebooks. You can game for maybe an hour away from an outlet, but you’ll want to be plugged in while playing the majority of the time. While the Razer Blade 16 offers surprisingly good battery life outside of gaming—hitting 7 hours in PCWorld’s video battery rundown test thanks to Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus technology, which switches to integrated graphics for light loads—this breed of machine really does need plugged-in power to maximize performance.

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Issues to note

Nvidia drivers have been hit-or-miss for some RTX 40 series notebooks. There is a known issue where some laptops with drivers newer than 528.29 will have random black screens or lockups. When it works, it’s smooth—but when you run into these issues, it can be a poor experience. I have not experienced this on the Razer Blade 16, but my Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 still locks up more than normal, so your mileage may vary. 

I previously encountered various issues such as mini-LED screen flicker and a quirky touchpad on the Razer Blade 16, but those were rapidly resolved with firmware updates. 

Now onto the good stuff!

High-end laptops deliver an excellent gaming experience

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The gaming experience is what you see, hear, and feel when using a system. After trying various RTX 40-series laptops this generation, the Razer Blade 16 was the one that consistently made me feel the most immersed in the experience. 

For context, my desktop system runs an RTX 4090 GPU paired with an LG 42-inch 4K OLED—so any laptop has stiff competition. I am in no way suggesting the desktop experience is not superior, I am merely suggesting that you can have just as good as an experience with a great laptop.

Let’s discuss the details of what makes the gaming experience on this Razer Blade 16. First, I’ll describe some specific games, and then break down each element of the components that make the whole thing work. 

Dead Space Remake and Callisto Protocol

These games are both very dark and atmospheric, with great lighting effects. The Razer Blade 16’s mini-LED screen was a revelation here. Deep, dark black levels contrasted with the most minute details when lighting effects pop off the screen with HDR. After experiencing the mini-led screen, even a high quality IPS display such as the 500 nit Razer Blade 18 panel felt dull and undefined, especially in very dark scenes.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Overall performance was good, even at 4K with the help of DLSS in Dead Space Remake, and FSR in Callisto Protocol. These are not the smoothest of games, with some frame rate drops evident at times—but that’s more on the game optimization side than any issue with the hardware. 

Hogwarts Legacy, Horizon Zero Dawn

Once again, vibrant colors absolutely dominate the experience here. While these games are typically better lit, even the darker scenes look stunning. 

Performance is once again great in both titles, especially with DLSS 3 in Hogwarts, which offers a great gaming experience over 60 FPS even at 4K resolution with ray tracing. That’s wild for a gaming laptop, especially in such a demanding game. Sound is also crisp and crunchy in both titles, with dialog being super clear. It’s common to hear the voices sound like they’re really in your room, with great separation and surround effects. Razer nailed the Blade 16’s audio

Jedi: Survivor

How about brand new, deeply unoptimized games like Jedi Survivor? The Razer Blade 16 runs them pretty well thanks to its raw brute force power! 4K with ray tracing will get you some sub-60fps performance, but it’s close enough that it remains a smooth experience with AMD’s FSR feature active. I dropped it down to 1080p, and it looked 99 percent as good with significantly higher FPS. 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The sound is stellar, with surround effects throwing voices around and effects. The real star of the show is once again the mini-LED screen, with beautiful colors, crisp details, contrast, and brilliant HDR. The light saber almost pops out of the screen!

What makes the Razer Blade 16 special

The mini-LED screen

The Razer Blade 16’s 1000 nit mini-LED screen means it’s super bright, and better yet, colors and contrast look significantly better than other traditional IPS screens.

HDR can be tricky to properly implement and calibrate for certain games, but I found the Razer Blade 16’s screen well-tuned out of the box and it absolutely makes a tremendous difference in visuals.  This means that games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and even the new Jedi: Survivor absolutely pop out of the screen. It’s not only the brightness. Lighting elements take on new life with HDR, and ray tracing is especially beautiful. 

This is particularly true on the Razer Blade 16 screen. The mini-LED screens on the RTX 4090 Asus Scar 16 and MSI Titan GT77 are great too, but don’t offer quite the same color, contrast, and life that the Razer Blade 16 version exhibits. I have had these laptops side-by-side and compared the same game scenes with them. 

Another ferociously powerful mini-LED gaming laptop

MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V

Read our review

Furthermore, only the Blade 16 includes an unorthodox dual resolution display, meaning it can natively support 4K and 1080p with a simple restart in Razer Synapse. It looks good in 1080p, too. Want higher frame rate in demanding games? Switch it over, and just like magic you get better performance with the lower resolution. While I do think 1440p resolution is likely the sweet spot for laptops, Razer’s unusual dual-mode display offers a compelling mix. 

I find myself often leaving it in 4K, as the RTX 4090 in this laptop can power most games competently. 4K resolution on a 16 inch screen is not necessary by any means, but if we’re talking the very fine details here, you can notice the increased sharpness if you really look. You can always plug in this laptop to a larger display if you’d wish – but the mini-led display is so gorgeous that I always wanted to use it. 

The sounds

The Razer Blade 16 has fantastic speakers with THX surround sound capabilities. They’re loud and offer great sound separation that makes you feel immersed within games. Some people may want to turn THX off, and you’ll still get a very well-rounded sound even then. 

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

What makes the sound experience complete are the acoustic profiles of the two cooling fans. Some laptops are annoyingly loud, hitting well over 55 decibels. Not the Razer Blade 16. You can set the fans to maximum speed if desired, but I recommend just leaving it on auto. Those powerful speakers easily overtake the fans, which are never abrasively loud.

Music sounded great, too. Gone are the days of tiny, poorly made laptop speakers. This small laptop has some mighty fine sound, second only to its bigger brother, the Razer Blade 18.

Performance

The Razer Blade 16 leaves the vast majority of even desktop gaming machines in the dust, full stop.

The RTX 4090 in this laptop is not the equivalent of the desktop RTX 4090—far from it. Still, even with 16GB of VRAM and some insanely powerful performance, it’s also only sipping 175 watts compared to the 450 watts of the desktop GPU. That’s darn impressive. Coupled with DLSS 3 (in supported games), the Razer Blade 16 can absolutely trounce games even at 4K. I found that I can run every setting on ultra, maxed out, including ray tracing, and still have great performance across the board. 

How about the rest of the hardware? You get a 2TB internal SSD and the option to add more. RAM is generous at 32GB of 5600mhz DDR5, which can be further upgraded to 64GB at the expense of some speed. While you aren’t able to upgrade the CPU or GPU like in a desktop, Razer opened up access to CPU overclocking. There is an entire community of enthusiasts who have achieved insanely high scores by this unlocked CPU, even surpassing many desktop chips. 

Conclusion

Razer Blade 16

Read our review

While prices reach stratospheric highs for premium gaming laptops, the experience they provide has also reached a new zenith, powered by potent hardware such as the RTX 4090 and Intel’s 13th-gen HX chips. In combination with the gorgeous mini-LED screens just starting to appear in notebooks, modern gaming laptops can offer terrific gaming experiences. 

The Razer Blade 16 particularly excels at this task. It’s a very well-rounded package that brings it together masterfully. 

Should you give up your desktop for a gaming laptop? Not necessarily—but it’s not such a crazy idea anymore. With such visceral gaming experiences possible on these refined and powerful laptops, it may even be the preference for some. I’ve certainly been converted into a believer.

Be sure to subscribe to Thiago’s YouTube channel, Classical Technology, for detailed PC analysis and near-daily coverage of graphics card trends.

Best Prices Today: MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi

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$199.99

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Intel CPUs have been maturing nicely in the PC building space, with both 12th-gen and 13th-gen offerings well received. This makes Intel more flexible for gamers looking to build more niche setups—such as Micro-ATX. 

Coming in shorter than a typical ATX motherboard, mATX allows for smaller, compact case options. Even better, you can often find performance and features with minimal compromise within that size. CPU overclocking is a moot point here because of the B760 chipset, but can motherboards in this chipset class still be “just right”?  

The MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi joins the fray as an under-$200 option for small form-factor builders. While not as tiny as Mini-ITX motherboards, Micro-ATX retains more space—and thus more features for the price. With a value-focused package, can it still be a viable option for a serious PC gaming rig? 

We’ll go over the features, the design, and the performance. Combining that with the value you’re getting for its price, is going mid-sized really worth it? The MAG series of motherboards from MSI have been well-priced options thus far, so we’ll see if the B760M Mortar continues this trend. 

MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi specs

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

• Micro-ATX form factor (243.84×243.84mm)
• Supports Intel 12th- and 13th-gen CPUs 
• 12+1+1 Duet Rail System with 75A
• DDR5 RAM, dual channel up to 4 DIMMs (up to 128Gb)
• 2x onboard M.2 slots (PCIe Gen 4)
• 2x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 4) 
• 1x PCIe X1 slot (Gen 3)
• HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort out 
• 8 USB ports on back (including 1x 20Gb/s)
• Realtek 2.5Gbe LAN with Bluetooth 5.3
• Intel Wi-Fi 6E 
• RGB headers for Mystic Light
• 4 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 6 PWM fan headers 
• Preinstalled I/O shield 
• Realtek 7.1 ALC 897 Audio
• MSRP $199

The MSI MAG B760M Mortar Wi-Fi will come in at $199, which puts it on cheaper footing when compared to MSI’s AMD B650M Mortar WiFi version, which we looked at recently. Thanks to Intel supporting both 12th and 13th generations, you could also use an older CPU such as an Intel i5 12600 here, too. 

Mentioned in this article

MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $179 at Amazon | $239.99 at MSI

The B760 chipset from Intel differs from the Z790 chipset in some important ways. The most vital thing to know is in CPU overclocking: You’ll need Z790 if you plan to tweak your CPU above stock. This can be an issue for some, especially if you’re planning to use an unlocked “K” Intel CPU for maximum performance. For most gamers, non-overclocked performance will still be more than capable. Another distinction of the B760 motherboards, is that you’re typically getting less-capable VRMs, too. 

Other important differences in B760 come down to fewer PCIe lanes, USB ports, and SATA ports. Keeping in mind that Micro-ATX motherboards already have fewer of these onboard due to size constraints, so the chipset’s limitations shouldn’t be an issue for most. 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The unboxing experience is basic but has the essentials. You’ll find SATA cables, M.2 accessories, and some neat stickers. The Wi-Fi antenna is here too, as Wi-Fi is standard on this motherboard.  

CPU choice

With support for both 12th- and 13th-generation Intel CPUs, you’ll have a vast variety of CPUs to choose from. Given the fact that B760 doesn’t offer overclocking like Z790, we’d recommend staying away from the highest-end “K” SKUs such as the i9 13900K. You’re much more likely to pair a i5 13600 or even a last-generation non-K CPU to save some cash here. An i7 13700 can also work great here for even more performance. 

DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 4/5

You have the option of DDR4 with this motherboard, but this unit is DDR5. You’re getting some of the best speeds, and overall performance will be within a few percentage points of more expensive motherboards. Combining this with the non-K CPUs can result in some nice price savings for a still competent build. 

You are getting PCIe Gen 5 for the 16x slot, but the other slot will be Gen 4. (And the 1x slot, useful for minor add-ons, will be Gen 3.) 

The M.2 slots will also be PCIe Gen 4, which is fine as Gen 5 is barely just arriving and still not saturated. 

Micro-ATX has these multiple PCIe slots as a big advantage compared to Mini-ITX motherboards, for those who need the extra utility. (At the cost of slightly larger size, of course.) 

Storage

We’d expect at least two NVMe slots on a motherboard of this size, and it delivers. While many larger ATX motherboards can have four or more, due to size and chipset limitations, two should be a good number for most builds. 

Both NVMe slots will be “Lightning Gen 4 X4,” with one having an M.2 “Frozr” shield for better thermal performance. We’d love to see both covered here, however. 

You’ll also get four SATA ports for other hard drives and SSDs, filling up your small form factor case with ease! 

USB ports

You are getting eight rear USB ports, with an interesting mix. Four of them will be the ancient USB 2.0—which while fine for some peripherals, certainly falls short of USB 3.0. You do get USB 3.0—and even a single 3.2 Gen 2×2 with 20Gb/s speeds—to balance it out. Not perfect, but certainly a fair selection for a smaller motherboard under $200.  

DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 also are here if your CPU supports the iGPU function. 

Networking

Connectivity is great here, similar to most ATX motherboard offerings. Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5GbE LAN are both standard, along with Bluetooth 5.3. That’s as good as we can expect for this size and price range, no complaints.  

Audio

Audio is capable, with a 7.1 ALC 897 codec. You’re getting a good selection of inputs in the back, but keep in mind that “audiophiles” may need to fish out their separate external solution for the best sound. Gamers and most users should be more than happy, however.  

Other features of note

An integrated I/O shield continues to be a party favorite on newer motherboards, and we’re glad to see it here. The screwless M.2 drives are also nice, saving some headaches with small screws. Debug LED is also here, but you won’t find BIOS flashback. 

MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi design 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi follows in the tradition of similar MSI motherboards, such as the “Tomahawk” series, when it comes to design. You’re greeted with a mostly monochromatic silver, with various shading offering contrasting points. 

While it lacks much RGB or gamer aesthetic, this is a clean design that can work great in almost any environment. The I/O cover area follows this same design metric, with some nice visual accents in black outlining the almost industrial-looking silver. The integrated I/O shield is another great design feature that we’re happy is becoming more prevalent on all classes of motherboards. 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

While the VRM heatsink area does not look quite as imposing as on Z790 motherboards of a higher ilk, it fits in perfectly here. Continuing down the PCIe slot areas, you’ll find the top M.2 slot with a “Frozr” thermal cover. Sadly, the lower M.2 remains exposed—it would be nice for it to also be covered for visual continuity and thermals. This area is mostly blocked by the GPU, so it’s a minor quibble. (Do note that the previous MSI MAG B660M Mortar WiFi motherboard—with a similar design to this—does have that second NVMe slot cover.)

For the $199 price, the fit and finish feel high-quality and durable. Since you’re not paying for overkill RGB effects or fancy OLED screens, this simple design approach helps to keep the cost down. 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The back of the motherboard is what you’d expect—no need for a fancy backplate here. Overall, given the small form-factor size and lower price, the design across the entire motherboard is very fitting for what you’re getting. 

MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi: Performance, software, and BIOS 

The MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi is not geared towards maximum performance. The B760 chipset forgoes CPU overclocking for cost savings, but this doesn’t mean that you’re not still getting capable performance. 

With its 12+1+1 Duet Rail System VRMs, this board is more than capable for most CPUs. While we’d avoid most of the “K” SKUs, you’ll find a perfect pairing with something like an i7 13700 or similar. There’s a hidden benefit to this, too. While some may be sad over the loss of CPU overclocking, using these more efficient CPUs may be a great boon when building a small form-factor PC. Lower power will mean lower heat output, making smaller air or liquid coolers easier to implement and keep under control. 

When you remember that CPUs such as the i9 13900K often require a 360mm liquid cooler to keep it under control, it’s easy to see how that can be difficult to properly implement in a small PC case. (From our experience, Micro-ATX supporting cases usually top out at 240mm or 280mm for radiator support, with some exceptions.) 

Going further, DDR5 RAM is standard here—with an option for DDR4 if you purchase that version of the motherboard instead. We’d likely recommend sticking with DDR5, as the costs are down now for most kits, and you’ll be taking more advantage of what the B760 platform has to offer with newer CPUs. 

PCIe Gen 5 is here for the 16x GPU slot, which currently is not saturated by modern GPUs. It’s still nice to have for future possibilities, however. You’re not getting Gen 5 for the NVMe slots, but you’re getting Gen 4 and that is likewise more than capable at this point. 

Let’s talk about the BIOS—which may be a less-frequent destination for most users of this motherboard. As with the B760 chipset, you’re going to be limited when it comes to CPU tweaking compared to Z790. That’s fine for most users, and the BIOS will still give you access to most other items you may be used to. You can set the XMP profile for the DDR5, and various other configurations of drives and boot priorities. The BIOS is generally easy to navigate and use, but after setting initial profiles, it’s unlikely you will spend much time in here. 

If you prefer to keep some tweaking to Windows itself, MSI offers its MSI Center software. Motherboard manufacturers have been on a trend lately of integrating as many elements as possible into one piece of software. 

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You’ll get access to MSI’s Mystic Light RGB control for attached devices, along with some items such as hardware monitoring and driver updates. While we still recommend that certain taks be done in the BIOS, for these items, it’s much easier to do them in Windows. 

Overall, the MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi performs as expected for its size and price class, with some good software and BIOS support. Aside from CPU overclocking, you’re not missing much here. 

Should you buy the MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi?

The MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi starts out with a few challenges: First, it’s a Micro-ATX motherboard, meaning that right off the bat it will have some built-in limitations due to its size versus larger ATX options. Secondly, it comes wrapped in the B760 chipset, further limiting its CPU overclocking and some features like PCIe lanes. 

For $199, how does it add up? It does so very well, navigating those limitations in a compelling package for those wishing to remain under $200 with a small design. You’re still getting access to the latest Intel CPUs, with fast DDR5 RAM support. You do get a single 16x PCIe slot, flanked by two onboard Gen 4 NVMe slots. Robust networking and good audio support round out the features—making it as capable as most ATX motherboards. 

Sure, some users will be disappointed in the lack of CPU overclocking support—but we’d argue that that’s not this motherboard’s target. Most users will be far happier with the $199 price point for Micro-ATX, which typically has less selection in the marketplace due to its “niche” size. You can even find a DDR4 version if that suits your needs better. Keep in mind that higher-end small form-factor motherboards also dramatically increase in price for more features, easily doubling what we have here cost wise. 

For this price, you’re not losing much in the way of compromises, and that’s great news. With newer motherboards often exhibiting higher pricing, it’s nice to see something with good baseline features that won’t break the bank or skimp on the essentials.

Sure, benchmarking your graphics card may sound like rocket science, but it’s not as difficult as you might think. Roll up your sleeves, because this guide will show you just how easy, enjoyable, and important it is to benchmark your GPU. And not just when you’re overclocking! Benchmarking also helps you make sure your current graphics card is running properly after months and years of use, and makes it easier to know whether or not you should upgrade. We’ll cover benchmarking for both stability and performance.

For even more information, be sure to check out our roundup of the best graphics cards, as well as our supplementary guide to the best GPU benchmarking software.

Why you should benchmark your GPU

First, though, here’s why you should be benchmarking your graphics card even if you aren’t trying to make it to the top of the competitive overclocking charts:

• To get a baseline performance metric so that you know if your GPU is performing as it should by comparing to other standard results.
• To be able to compare your current PC’s performance against your future hardware upgrades. How much performance will you gain by buying a new graphics card? Now you’ll know!
• To check for stability and other vitals like thermals, clock speeds, etc.

First, test for stability and temperatures

Now that you know why you should benchmark, it’s time to get into the how. Let’s start with stability and vitals. It’s rare, but sometimes a graphics card can be defective from the factory. That can mean a dead card, but in many cases you’ll get what are called “artifacts”—basically imperfections on the image, flickering, or even pulsating colors. 

The first program we’re going to use is Unigine Heaven 4.0. It’s free for personal use and runs a loop of a graphical environment that really utilizes your GPU. The first order of business here is to make sure your graphics card can run without shutting down or displaying any weird graphical glitches, so you should allow it to run Heaven for at least 30 minutes, to allow the GPU to get up to temperature.

If all looks good, you’ll also want to keep an eye on the vitals, Those will be displayed in the top right corner, along with your GPU info.

The first vital is temperature, which can indicate various potential issues with your hardware and case airflow. If your GPU quickly reaches its maximum temperature limit, it could indicate a rare (but possible) issue with its thermal paste, or (more likely) restricted airflow in your case if there isn’t enough clearance for the fans to get cool air.

A good example of recent issues have been in the GDDR6X memory temperatures of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3090 Founders Edition. You’d never know without stress-testing the GPU that the memory can get very close to the VRAM temperature limit, potentially throttling your performance. (Some people have successfully updated their thermal pads and noticed a significant improvement)

the best 1080p graphics card

Radeon RX 6600 Swft 210

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Best Prices Today: $199.99 at Amazon

How do you know the normal operating temperature for your graphics card’s GPU core? It varies by model (Google your GPU name for concrete details) but basic reference-style coolers can often run as high as 84 Celsius, while some larger graphics cards with hefty heat sinks and multiple fans—like Sapphire’s fantastic Nitro+ series—can be lower in the 60s and 70s. You’ll know if you’re in the danger zone if your temperatures are in the higher 80s, and your fans are spinning aggressively; this often will indicate poor case airflow. Add some fans or open some case panels and temperatures should improve. That’s a direct benefit of knowledge gained while benchmarking and testing your GPU.

You can also keep an eye on the core clock and memory clock of your GPU, to make sure it is performing near the intended specs. An easier way is to just run the benchmark option in Unigine Heaven, and then you can compare your score with others online and get a good baseline to make sure you’re in the ballpark.

How to benchmark your GPU to gauge baseline performance

After you’ve tested for stability and thermals, you can take your benchmarking degree up to a doctorate by testing performance. Here we’ll use the popular 3DMark benchmarking suite, which includes some free modes. Time Spy (which tests DirectX 12 graphics performance) and Port Royal (ray tracing performance) are some of the most widely used benchmarks around. 3DMark even has an online hall of fame where you can compare your scores against others!

What numbers should you keep an eye on? It’s simple. There’s one total score, and then separate individual scores for the CPU and GPU if you’re running Time Spy. Port Royal just has GPU scores and a total score. If you make a tweak to a component in your PC, the individual scores give you a better idea of the affect it has on the total score. (This especially useful if you’re looking to overclock. Take a look at our article on Nvidia’s Automatic overclocking tool in GeForce Experience.)

3DMark mark can also show you the approximate frame rate performance you’d get on a chosen game and resolution, which is very useful information to gauge your performance and compare it against what new upgrades may accomplish for you. If you’re doing some overclocking, running 3DMark can also reveal instabilities in your system, such as crashes, so you can adjust your numbers and try again.  

How to benchmark your GPU in games

Another very fun way to benchmark your GPU is to use the automated benchmarks built into many games. (Check out our GeForce RTX 4070 review to see some common ones, or the list of games with built-in benchmarks at the always fantastic PC Gaming Wiki.)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a favorite of mine because you can easily see the frames per second performance that you’re getting in each scene, giving you a good indication of how the game will run overall. As a bonus, if you upgrade your graphics card or other PC hardware, you can re-run the benchmark and you’ll know exactly what gains you’ve netted.

More advanced gamers can use software such as Fraps or OCAT to manually benchmark performance of games that don’t have a built-in benchmark, but this will require more time, testing, and figuring out a repeatable testing scenario to avoid potential scene-to-scene variance.

There you have it! You’ve graduated to GPU benchmarking pro. Now you know how to check that your graphics card is stable and fully functioning, how to validate performance numbers to make sure your GPU is up to spec, and how to gauge the baseline performance of your hardware for future upgrade comparisons. And who knows? You may enjoy benchmarking so much, you’ll turn it into a hobby!

the best 1080p gpu for ray tracing

Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition

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Editor’s note: This article originally published in 2021, but has been updated with more relevant references over time.

Best Prices Today: Asrock B650E PG-ITX

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AMD has now launched the highly anticipated Ryzen 7800X3D, which is a gaming behemoth. It’s also “smaller” in core count than its 7950X3D CPU brother, but still often faster for gaming. 

This translates perfectly to Mini-ITX performance. You don’t need the biggest footprint to be extraordinarily nimble. Gamers are now spoiled with a rich selection of CPUs ranging from the efficient Ryzen non-X CPUs, multicore X variants, and now X3D. 

Enter the Asrock B650E PG-ITX motherboard. At only 6.7×6.7 inches, this diminutive, small form-factor contender is anything but weak. 

It comes packed in the B650E chipset, promising some savings over X670E. 

We’ll go over the features, design, and performance. Does this motherboard contain enough hardware to truly minimize compromise compared to larger-scale motherboards, while performing well? This will all be viewed through the ever-important lens of “price to performance,” key for an enthusiast-grade offering. It has some drawbacks and positives—let’s find out what they are. 

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming motherboards to learn about competing products.

What are the Asrock B650E PG-ITX specs?

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• Mini-ITX form factor (6.7×6.7 inches, or 17x17cm)
• Supports AMD AM5 Ryzen 7000 CPUs 
• 10+2+1 Phase Power Design with 10-layer PCB
• DDR5 RAM, dual channel up to 2 DIMM (up to 64GB)
• 2x onboard M.2 slot (Gen 5 and Gen 4)
• 1x PCIe 16x slots (PCIe Gen 5) 
• HDMI-out plus eDP signal connector 
• 8 USB ports on back 
• Killer 2.5GbE LAN 
• Killer Wi-Fi 6E 
• 2x RGB headers 
• 2 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• PWM fan headers 
• Preinstalled I/O Shield 
• Realtek 7.1 ALC 1220 Audio
• MSRP $289

The Asrock B650E PG-ITX comes in at $289, which is right around the middle in terms of pricing for small form-factor offerings. It’s cheaper than competing motherboards such as the Asus X670E Strix-I, but still expensive relative to its size. 

The B650 chipset will be a slightly cut-down version of X670, but the “E” gives this motherboard a slight PCIe-lane upgrade. While you’re already getting less theoretical USB, SATA, and other ports with B650, Mini-ITX imposes its own limitations due to reduced size. 

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In the box, you’ll get a basic set of accessories such as the Wi-Fi antenna, and some miscellaneous items such as screws. No cool trinkets here like you get with the more expensive motherboards, such as the external sound device with the Asus models. Let’s move on to the features and see how they stack up: 

CPU choice

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This is one area where you’ll have plenty of choice. You can pair the saucy new Ryzen 7800X3D with this motherboard, or perhaps you’d prefer to keep the wattage down and use a non-X variant such as the 7900. Either way, you’ll have expansive support here, and we’re assuming well into the future with subsequent CPU releases. CPU cooler compatibility should also shine here, since the socket area isn’t as enclosed as you normally find. 

DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5

AM5 will be DDR5 RAM only, and Mini-ITX will further limit you to only two sticks, with 64GB total of RAM. While it still supports fast speeds, you’ll have less capacity here due to the size. 

B650 “E” means that you’ll have a nice little extra allotment of PCIe Gen 5 to share with the M.2 drive. The 16x PCIe Gen 5 slot will be for your GPU, and then the other M.2 slot will be PCIe Gen 4. 

Storage

As expected, you’ll only get two onboard NVMe slots due to the Mini-ITX form factor. This is typically fine for gaming builds of this caliber, although we’d love to see a third offered. SATA is also limited, with only two SATA ports—but once again, should fulfill the need of most gamers with small enclosures. 

USB ports

With eight rear USB ports, you have a good quantity of ports. Disappointingly, four of these USB ports are only 2.0, which is a bit of a miss on a motherboard of this price. 

HDMI- and eDP 1.4-out is also here to take advantage of Ryzen’s built-in iGPU function for your display when needed. 

Networking

Networking is standard fare, with Killer’s 2.5GbE Lan standard, along with Killer’s Wi-Fi 6E. This is now the expected suite of networking on modern motherboards, and it’s great to see even smaller form-factor designs including these without compromise. 

Audio

Audio is good, with a 7.1 ALC 1220 codec. You will also have some inputs in the back, which will suffice for most users. Optical is here too, which can be great for those connecting external audio devices such as certain speakers. 

Other features of note

The integrated I/O shield is here, which we love. Captive screws for the M.2 are also a good touch. 

There are a few “misses” here, however. No BIOS flashback button, a feature that many cheaper motherboards are now including. You’ll also notice the large M.2 fan as a dominant feature, but it can be noisy if not properly adjusted and is perhaps superfluous. Most motherboards do fine with thermal pads only. It’s also missing a debug LED, a feature some may find useful. 

Asrock B650E PG-ITX design 

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Thiago Trevisan

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The Asrock B650E PG-ITX motherboard is an adorable motherboard—until you see that rather peculiar M.2 fan area. While you may mistake it for something more akin to a VRM heatsink, it’s meant to cool the M.2 drive. You can remove it if you want or if it interferes with your PC’s interior aesthetic. 

Otherwise, it’s a straightforward Mini-ITX design. You’ll have the colorful accents on the I/O area, but not much in the way of RGB. That’s fine—most small form-factor builds are a bit cramped and tend to block access to the visuals. You still have RGB headers for some extra pizazz when needed. 

One nice plus of the design is the positioning of the VRM heatsink. Together with the overall more open sides, this makes installing larger CPU coolers much easier. Some small form-factor motherboards tend to be very closed in, making some larger coolers impossible to fit. That’s a good design element here that benefits the user. 

The protruding M.2 fan design aside, the M.2 drives will be safely tucked away and should remain cool. The rear of the I/O area has some nice colorful outlines of the USB ports, along with patterned design. The rest of the motherboard is basic, with the usual DDR5 RAM area mostly for utility. The top is likewise sparse, with most of the visual action happening to the left side of the CPU with the VRM heatsink and I/O area. 

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Going around to the back, it’s mostly standard fare with a little bit of extra support here. While you’ll never see the backside frequently, it’s nice to know that the materials and overall finish of the entire motherboard generally feel pretty good. 

Asrock B650E PG-ITX performance, software, and BIOS 

The Asrock B650E PG-ITX motherboard includes a very capable 10+2+1 power phase with 105 amps. It may not appear as impressive on paper as larger ATX motherboards, but this is more than adequate for even the fastest Ryzen CPUs. It also packs a 10-layer PCB design—which is more than many offerings. This solidifies the connections and gives you higher-quality componentry. You’ll likely be more limited by the actual CPU cooler in a small form-factor build than by VRM temperatures. 

You can expect performance here to be almost on par with higher-end motherboards since you’ll have access to the same fast CPUs and DDR5 RAM. 

DDR5 is also mandatory on AM5—but with Mini-ITX motherboards, you’ll typically get only two DIMM slots. This limits you to 64GB of RAM—which is sufficient for any gaming build or even light workstation scenarios. 

PCIe Gen 5 support is impressive on such a small motherboard. You’ll get the GPU slot at 16x Gen 5, plus an M.2 Gen 5 slot. While Gen 5 components are just barely coming out now, you’ll have more than enough future-proofing here to upgrade later when the technology is more widespread. You’ll also get a second Gen 4 NVMe slot, boosting your onboard capacity.

Other performance aspects of the I/O are a bit of a miss—namely the USB ports. While you do get eight of them, you won’t find any USB4 or a large selection of faster USB 3.0 ports. You get too many of the older USB 2.0—which, while fine for peripherals, certainly should be upgraded on a motherboard of this price. At least you do get some faster USB 3.0 ports, so it’s not all bad news. 

To further tweak performance, we have the Asrock BIOS. It’s mostly improved from years past, and you’ll find most of the usual RAM and CPU tweaking options here. While you may not want to break any records with a Mini-ITX motherboard such as this, it will certainly have some overclocking headroom depending on your cooling gear. 

Most users will be fine just setting the AMD “Expo” DDR5 RAM profile for your kit, and possibly some auto-overclocking such as AMD “PBO” (Performance Boost Overdrive).

Asrock also offers software in Windows, like many motherboard vendors. It even offers overclocking with the “Blazing OC Tuner,” which can adapt the overclock based on use. While a neat idea, we typically recommend avoiding these types of automatic-overclocking pieces of software, as it can sometimes open a can of worms with stability issues if anything changes. It’s likely to just be a safer bet to stick to the traditional in-BIOS tweaks for any modification that you can manually adjust if needed. 

You’ll also get Asrock’s motherboard utility software and Polychrome RGB. These allow you to adjust your RGB header colors, and other useful items for adjusting options without using BIOS. An auto-driver installer will find your drivers—such as the network items—so you can have an easier time upon initial setup. 

Asrock

Asrock

Asrock

We’d recommend more frequent BIOS updates for B650E than usual, since it’s a new platform and bugs get squished a lot more often early on. Some users may experience longer than normal boot times, which certain other AM5 motherboards have also experienced. Overall, it’s a decent showing on the software side for those who want to dabble with the utility they provide. 

Is the Asrock B650E PG-ITX worth it?

The Asrock B650E PG-ITX is a fine small form-factor motherboard, with a few limitations. AM5 started off as an expensive platform for gamers, and it’s slowly improving with cheaper DDR5 pricing, along with some cost savings with the B650 chipset in lieu of the pricier X670. 

Mini-ITX has some limitations right off the bat, such as RAM capacity limited to 64GB, and less “stuff” onboard. That’s no fault of the Asrock B650E PG-ITX, of course. It does skimp in a few areas, however—such as USB 2.0. The M.2 fan is also a dubious choice, likely unnecessary, and adds to the bulk (and to the noise, too—unless you adjust the fan curve). 

While $289 MSRP is cheaper than some higher-end offerings in the small-motherboard space, it’s still a bit on the expensive side. We’d love to see more robust features for that price—as it stands now, it’s just “enough” (i.e, not an overachiever). 

Still, gamers will be happy with the ability to pack fast DDR5 RAM and blazing Ryzen CPUs such as the 7800X3D in such a small unit. It’s also capable with modern tech like a PCIe Gen 5 16x slot and NVMe support. The B650 “E” gives it that extra PCIe Gen 5 boost over regular B650. 

 It has enough features for most gamers to be happy, and those seeking more will have to pay a bit more for another option.

It’s time once again for a new Nvidia graphics card release—words that can either bring excitement or dread to gamers. (Especially to our pocketbooks!)

After a lukewarm response (at best) with the controversial RTX 4070 Ti due to astronomical pricing, Nvidia has now released the $599 GeForce RTX 4070, a highly efficient 1440p monster. This is now the cheapest “Next Generation” graphics card available from Nvidia or AMD. It also promises to pack the same great DLSS 3 technology we’ve enjoyed in GPUs such as the ferocious GeForce RTX 4090.

GeForce RTX 4070

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Best Prices Today: $549.99 at Best Buy

We must also look at its predecessors to determine what’s changed—and what hasn’t. The GeForce RTX 3080 was much-lauded at $699 for its value in 2020, even though pandemic woes kept it much higher on average. Similarly, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT at its currently discounted price of under $550 still packs a punch with its 16GB of VRAM and 3080-like performance. Does the RTX 4070 have what it takes to beat them? They’re the last-gen GPUs that the RTX 4070 matches up best with performance-wise.

Which GPU should you spend your hard-earned money on? We’ll look at the pricing, performance, and important items such as power consumption. New technologies such as DLSS 3 Frame Generation also have an impact on differences here, along with 4K viability due to constraints on the VRAM bandwidth and capacity. Let’s find out how the RTX 4070 compares to the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT!

Further reading: The best graphics cards for PC gaming

Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Price and availability

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With the Nvidia RTX 4070 freshly released, we’re happy to report that stock seems abundant at the base $599 MSRP. Retailers seem to have good inventory, and prices don’t go much above $679 even for fancier models. With that in mind, it’s still important to point out that we’ve experienced some serious “price creep” this generation. The RTX 4070 costs $100 more than the $499 RTX 3070 did, and we even said most people should opt for a $400 RTX 3060 Ti over the 3070 last generation due to their miniscule performance differences.

Moving on to the RTX 3080, both the 10GB or 12GB models are fairly difficult to find in today’s marketplace. It makes sense, as they sit in a perilous position in the Nvidia product stack where they start to overlap with new RTX 40-series releases. They both had troublesome beginnings in the sense that they came during the “Great GPU Shortage,” making availability and pricing unrealistic for most gamers.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT seems to fare much better in the modern era, and AMD has yet to release a next-gen GPU cheaper than the $899 Radeon RX 7900 XT. It’s still widely available on many retailers, and a basic search brought up several models under $600 on Newegg.

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

So the RTX 4070 is in stock at MSRP—but is that enough? That used to be a simple metric we judged a GPU on during the shortages but times have changed. Clearly, for many gamers, it’s still on the expensive side for a 1440p-class graphics card. Judging by the abundance of 4070 stock still on store shelves a few days after launch, it clearly falls short as a good value in the eyes of gamers.

The verdict for the pricing debate is complex here. We can safely eliminate the RTX 3080 from discussion as it’s scarcely available now (used graphics cards being an exception). The Radeon RX 6800 XT is certainly a GPU that’s garnering gamer attention due to its combination of lower pricing and ample 16GB of memory. Let’s take it to the performance section.  

Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Performance

Performance is the “truth” for GPUs—a stage where none can escape the almighty benchmarks. While we can expect the RTX 4070 to trounce its RTX 3070 predecessor, historically we’d look to the 80- or 90-series GPUs from the previous generation to compare against a new 70-class card. This time, we also have more competition in the form of the Radeon RX 6800 XT from AMD (and to some extent the 6900 XT and 6950 XT).

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Let’s first look at the traditional rasterized gaming performance we can expect, so we can compare these GPUs without ray tracing upscaling tech. Keep in mind here that the RTX 4070 carries a TDP of 200 watts, which is well below both competitors here. We’re off to a promising start—but that starting price of $599 is always there in the background to remind us it better be good for this price!

There’s also another noteworthy issue worth mentioning: The RTX 4070’s 4K performance is hampered due to the VRAM memory bandwidth, as we covered in detail in our RTX 4070 review. Sure, one can argue this is a 1440p GPU. But for $599, one can also argue it should be a better 4K GPU than it is.

Remember folks: Games are only getting more VRAM hungry, with an abundance of high textures and ray tracing adding to the mix. Recent game releases have already made 8GB graphics cards such as the RTX 3070 limited at 1440p. Nvidia bumped the RTX 4070’s VRAM up to 12GB of faster GDDR6X memory, but it’s not just the capacity that’s the issue; overall memory bandwidth is too, and that’s hurt by Nvidia decision to go with an ultra-narrow 192-bit memory bus.

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With Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray tracing off and DLSS/FSR off), the RTX 4070 immediately falls short of both the RTX 3080 and 6800 XT. This is a very demanding game—but you’ll need at least a RTX 4070 Ti to best the older GPUs at 1440p or 4K.

The $599 RTX 4070 does manage to squeak a victory by the $499 RTX 3070, if only by a few FPS. This is not a very impressive performance for $599 in 2023, years after most of the competition released. The GeForce RTX 4070 is efficient with less power draw in comparison to the other GPUs, at least.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a game that clearly favors AMD GPUs in terms of performance, but we have some better news here for the RTX 4070. It at least more or less equally matches the RTX 3080 in frame rate. The Radeon RX 6800 XT significantly pulls ahead here.

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The 4070 ekes out slight victories of its own in Gears Tactics and Horizon Zero Dawn, but note how the 6800 XT is faster than the 4070 at 4K, yet slower at 1440p. AMD built out the Radeon RX 6800 XT’s memory subsystem for 4K gaming, while Nvidia didn’t do the same with the RTX 4070. You can see how much faster the RTX 3080 is at 4K as well due to its wider memory bus.

Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Ray tracing and DLSS

Let’s return to Cyberpunk 2077, but this time with ray tracing. We’ll look at Ultra, not the incredibly strenuous new “Overdrive” technology preview with full path tracing.

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Ah, finally! The RTX 4070 is no longer a fish out of water, as we observe it in its natural ray traced habitat. With ray tracing set to ultra, we can see how the AMD 6800 XT starts to fall behind the Nvidia GPUs. This is expected and goes to show how the ray tracing chops in the hardware of Nvidia RTX 40-series has evolved.

While frame rate performance is still lower than we’d like at 37.5 FPS, it’s at least a big jump over the 6800 XT at 25.3 FPS. But we start to see a more drastic change as we look at DLSS/FSR upscaling performance on their Balanced setting. Even with ray tracing still active and set to Ultra, the RTX 4070 reaches comfortably playable frames over 74 FPS, while the RX 6800 XT lingers under 53 FPS. The RTX 3080 gets a similar boost to the RTX 4070, but the 4070’s more advanced ray tracing and tensor cores give it a clear edge in this scenario.

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

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We now reach the “raison d’etre” of Nvidia’s master plan: DLSS 3 with frame generation.

With DLSS 3 Frame Generation enabled, the RTX 4070 absolutely runs away from both the RTX 3080 and AMD 6800 XT. We’re talking 117 FPS versus 74 FPS from the RTX 4070 running “just” DLSS Balanced, while the rival GPUs struggle to hit 60fps with DLSS/FSR Balanced alone. That’s a significant difference, but keep in mind we’re using technology only available on RTX 40-series GPUs due to some inherent hardware upgrades intended specifically to make DLSS 3 soar. Nvidia’s new tech can add some latency, but requiring the latency-reducing Nvidia Reflex in DLSS 3 largely negates that (and sometimes actually improves responsiveness).  

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

With ray tracing on in Watch Dogs Legion at 1440p, the RTX 4070 once again starts to pull away from the 6800 XT. This is also true when FSR/DLSS are on Balanced. This highlights Nvidia’s ray tracing advantage in general, since we see the RTX 3080 run in line with the RTX 4070 as well. It’s also worth noting how poorly the RTX 3070 and its paltry 8GB memory capacity performs with ray tracing on in this notoriously memory-heavy game. Ray tracing only exacerbates VRAM demands.

Looking at one last ray tracing title, Hitman 3 also has DLSS 3 available, which the RTX 4070 takes advantage of here fully. While native non-ray traced performance equals the contenders, DLSS 3 is really the magic trick that propels the RTX 4070 ahead when you start turning on ray tracing and upscaling features.

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

As expected, performance metrics between these three GPUs hold some big caveats to be aware of to determine a victor. If you’re after games that offer mostly straight up rasterization, such as most esports titles, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT clearly is the winner here. Its 16GB of VRAM can also not be ignored, with the bevy of recent games fully exploiting any VRAM they can get ahold of. With both the RTX 3080 and RTX 4070 having significantly less, it’s certainly a selling point for the 6800 XT—and its memory bus bandwidth is not limited like the 12GB RTX 4070.

The RTX 4070’s DLSS 3 feature is obviously the game changer here. Not every game supports the technology, and it’s mostly found in single player style games like Hogwarts Legacy, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Cyberpunk 2077, and so on. If these are the types of games you play, especially with ray tracing enabled, DLSS 3 makes a huge difference.

That’s the spot where the RTXD 4070 shines, coupled with its efficiency. If we remove DLSS 3 from the equation, we’re not left with much against the RTX 3080. But the Radeon RX 6800 XT is very impressive here for all other, more traditional games people play – especially its huge 16GB memory capacity and now-lower price.

Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Power draw and other features

AMD always had good arguments for its RDNA GPUs in terms of efficiency. While they’re still not power hogs, Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 40-series certainly gave us a new scope of GPU efficiency.

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

With a TDP of 200 watts, the RTX 4070 is clearly well below the 300+ watts of both the RTX 3080 and AMD 6800 XT. Nvidia’s new card is pumping out just as many (and sometimes more) frames as those last-gen titans with a fraction of the power use. That’s efficiency!

The reduced power draw has real world benefits, too. The RTX 4070 will typically run much cooler and thus quieter than these other GPUs. That’s how the RTX 4070 finally offers some reasonably small cooler designs—such Nvidia’s own Founders Edition—which can fit in almost any PC build with ease. All RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT models are massive three-slot beasts.

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Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Thiago Trevisan/IDG

Driver support is another area to consider. Traditionally, Nvidia drivers seem to have an edge in terms of overall efficacy and release cadence. For example, some of the more recent AMD Radeon drivers for the RX 6000-series GPUs took months to roll out, even after the newer RX 7000 GPUs had their drivers already.

Nvidia GPUs such as the RTX 4070 also have a few important features aside from DLSS 3 that you should be aware of. Content creators generally favor Nvidia GPUs due to their performance in video editing, 3D heavy applications, and machine learning. While our focus here is mostly on gaming, these are items to be aware of if you plan on using your GPU for these purposes. The Nvidia Broadcast suite is especially enticing for streamers.

RTX Super Video Resolution is also a neat technology that improves the visual quality of offline and streaming—a “nice to have,” but not essential—while Nvidia Reflex truly helps in esports responsiveness. AMD also has its suite of features, of course, from Smart Access Memory to FSR and Radeon Super Resolution, and FSR 3 is coming to challenge DLSS 3 sometime in the future. In general, however, software and feature support is a big feather in Nvidia’s cap.

Nvidia RTX 4070 vs RTX 3080 vs AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: Verdict

GeForce RTX 4070

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $549.99 at Best Buy

The Nvidia RTX 4070 is the latest GPU to enter our battlegrounds. How did it fare? Make no mistake—it’s going up against seasoned and still-relevant GPUs such as the RTX 3080 and AMD’s 6800 XT. The RTX 4070’s $599 MSRP still feels high for a 1440p GPU, and so far it seems it isn’t flying off the shelves like previous-gen graphics card launches have.

Let’s tackle the Nvidia GPUs first. If you currently have an RTX 3080, is there much reason to upgrade? If you mainly play esports titles, or games with minimal ray tracing, not really. These games also typically may not offer DLSS 3, so you’re more than fine with the DLSS 2 support that many games do offer for the RTX 3080.

Here’s the kicker: If you happen to mostly play the type of games that do have DLSS 3 support, then you’ll certainly get a big frame rate improvement with Frame Generation on the RTX 4070. You’ll also be using considerably less power. Still, without DLSS 3 the RTX 4070 isn’t very impressive versus the RTX 3080. You could even call it disappointing, really.

Radeon RX 6800 XT

How about the RTX 4070 versus the 16GB Radeon RX 6800 XT? AMD’s offering is cheaper and you’re getting more VRAM. You’re also getting typically superior performance in most non-ray traced games, such as most esports titles, especially at 4K resolution. That said, the Radeon RX 6800 XT also draws a lot more power (if that matters to you). Ray tracing performance will also suffer in games that support it.

The answer here likely depends on whether you consider DLSS 3 Frame Generation vital, or if you demand access to Nvidia’s suite of other software features. Still, it’s difficult to ignore the Radeon RX 6800 XT’s raw brute force performance in many, many non-ray traced games.

While the GeForce RTX 4070 offers amazing efficiency, and it’s technically the cheapest GPU with DLSS 3 you can get now, we certainly think the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT and its 16GB of memory can appeal to many gamers, too. Pick you poison!

At a glance

Expert's Rating

Pros

• Overall one of the best available Mini-ITX motherboards
• Two onboard M.2 slots, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 16x Gen 5 
• Solid networking and great audio options with included Strix Hive
• Enthusiast-approved ROG aesthetics and functional design elements such as Q-Latch for M.2 drives

Cons

• $469 MSRP will deter some shoppers 
• Mini-ITX has some inherent limitations due to its size
• Gamers might find some features unnecessary, such as Thunderbolt 4

Our Verdict

If you’re looking to build the absolute best Mini-ITX system possible, then the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is surely the motherboard you’d choose. It’s expensive and some of its features will seem superfluous to those who don’t need them, but for the builder who wants it all in a compact package, this small form-factor beauty has it.

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Mini-ITX, or small form-factor, has been all the rage the last few years in PC builds. Who doesn’t want to pack a ridiculous amount of power in a small PC case? One could even argue that part of the appeal is the challenge of maximizing performance within those constraints. Plus, these motherboards are so damn cute! 

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll be interested in what the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi brings to the table. Featuring support for Intel’s 13th-generation CPUs, it offers a stepped-up level of “mini” performance. It tips the scales on pricing, too—but in return you get a rich feature set and enthusiast-grade chops. 

We’ll look at this motherboard’s features, design, and performance. Mini-ITX has a few drawbacks that don’t affect larger ATX boards, but does this unit make up for that with its generous offerings? Let’s find out!

Further reading: See our roundup of the best gaming motherboards to learn about competing products.

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Thiago Trevisan

What are the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi specs?

• Mini-ITX form factor (170x170mm or 6.7×6.7 inches)
• Supports Intel 12th- and 13th-gen CPUs
• 10+1 Power Stage with 105 amp
• DDR5 RAM, dual channel up to 2 DIMM (up to 64GB)
• 2x onboard M.2 slots (1x PCIe Gen 5 and 1x PCIe Gen 4)
• 1x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 5)
• HDMI port
• 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (supports DisplayPort) 
• 7x additional rear USB ports 
• Intel 2.5GbE LAN 
• Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3
• Aura Sync header for RGB
• 2 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 3 PWM fan headers 
• Clear CMOS 
• Preinstalled I/O shield 
• ROG Strix Hive audio external device
• ROG High Definition ALC4050 codec
• ROG FPS II Card
• MSRP $469

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi carries with it an MSRP of $469. This is encroaching on high-end ATX motherboard territory, so it should pack a punch for its size. You can’t expect to get the same amount of I/O or PCIe slots as with the bigger brethren, but there are plenty of features you do get. In other words, you’re going to pay a premium to have so many features squeezed into a small design. But this board offers everything you’ll need for a monster (err, Mini-monster) gaming PC build! 

Starting with the unboxing, you’ll discover a rich treasure-trove of bundled accessories. You’ll get the standard SATA cables, NVMe trinkets, and even ROG-branded swag. 

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What you don’t usually see with any motherboard is a bundled external sound device/USB combo. The ROG Strix Hive attempts to solve the small form-factor space issue by offering functionality outside of the case. It has everything from an audio codec to a volume input dial, and even extra USB. It even includes some nifty diagnostic features. We applaud this effort to offer add-on functionality while leaving the board free to maximize performance features. The device pairs well with this enthusiast motherboard. 

Going further, you also get a “ROG FPS II” card. This plugs in directly to the motherboard, and extends its capabilities to include two SATA ports, and a collection of headers. Another smart way to keep the main motherboard focused on providing vital performance, and augmented by such add-on elements. 

What CPUs are supported?

The Z790 chipset allows you to use both Intel 12th- and 13th-generation, giving you flexibility in your CPU. This particular motherboard is a mini-enthusiast powerhouse, so there’s a good chance you want to pair it with a door-busting Intel i7 or i9 such as the 13900K. Even the mighty 13900KS with its 6Ghz speeds should do fine here if your cooling solution can keep up. 

Does it support DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5?

DDR5 support is here, and you’re able to use some mighty fast kits, surpassing even what AMD currently offers on AM5. You’ll be limited to only 64GB of RAM and two separate slots, however. This is due to the board’s diminutive size. We figure that’s more than fine for a gaming build, and technically two RAM slots often offer more stability and performance compared to four. 

How about PCIe Gen 5? Does a small motherboard like this mean you’re not fully covered here? Not at all! Being Z790, you’re given a PCIe Gen 5 16x slot—only one due to the space constraints. That’s for your GPU, which will have more than enough headroom for even future releases compared to PCIe Gen 4. 

Storage support

The NVMe slot is also PCIe Gen 5. In this regard, the motherboard stands out from the many others that cap the NVMe slots at PCIe Gen 4 even if the board supports Gen 5. This will be a nice-to-have feature going forward as more PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives are released, letting you take full advantage of the 13th-gen Z790 platform with all of the bells and whistles.  

You will also have a second onboard NVMe slot, but this one is PCIe Gen 4. Given that most drives barely saturate even this, you’ll be ahead of the game here. 

As mentioned, the ROG FPS II card features two SATA ports, which while modest compared to ATX offerings, should fit the needs of small builds. 

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USB ports

Continuing with the surprising level of features, you’re getting nine total rear USB ports. That alone is as good, if not better than, many ATX motherboards. 

Adding to that is another enthusiast-grade feature—two of those ports are Thunderbolt 4. With super-speedy 40Gb/s, Thunderbolt is arguably one of the most flexible I/O offerings. You can use it to connect displays since it supports video over DisplayPort, or connect a gamut of available Thunderbolt peripherals and storage drives. Of course, you still have a standard HDMI-out as well if your CPU supports the iGPU functionality. 

Networking

WiFi 6E and Intel 2.5GbE LAN are both here along with Bluetooth 5.3. That’s about as fully featured as they come—save for some 10GbE LAN hyper-enthusiast motherboards.   

Audio

Audio is great, especially considering the included Strix Hive external unit. This will give you great connections that are at arm’s length instead of only in the rear I/O of the motherboard. The handy volume wheel lets you quickly adjust audio levels even if you’re in the middle of a gaming session. 

Other features of note

It’s always commendable to see an integrated I/O shield on a motherboard, so kudos. You also get Asus’ suite of “Q-Design” features that include Q-DIMM, Q-Release for easy GPU access, and Q-Latch for M.2 screwless installs.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi design

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Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi will impress right off the bat. Its small size already draws attention. When you start to look at how detailed the design is here, it’s impressive how the compact size has been maximized. It’s sad that this beauty will likely be buried within a smaller, cramped Mini-ITX case that has minimal, if any, window space. 

Every iota of the board’s surface sports functional and aesthetically pleasing touches. Starting in the I/O shield area, you’re presented with Strix branding in a monochromatic theme. To accentuate that, you have a very tasteful “pop of color” with some elegant RGB design that almost seems to reflect off of the different surfaces. The PCIe slot area continues in the same vein, with functional M.2 armor looking dapper. 

If you need more RGB, you’re able to add it through the Aura Sync 3-pin or 4-pin headers. This external functionality add-on, while not as useful as the neat Strix Hive and FPS II cards, is still nice to have. While small form-factor cases don’t offer the same opportunities for RGB goodness as larger cases, you’re still likely to need the headers to power things like CPU and GPU water blocks, or even RGB fans. 

You’re also getting great quality-of-life design inclusions—with the M.2 Q-Latch, GPU Q-Release, etc. These make the build and maintenance experience second to none. It’s even more important in small form-factor builds, where access can be much tighter for internal changes later on. 

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi performance, software, and BIOS 

Mentioned in this article

Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $529.99 at Amazon | $629.99 at Asus

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-i Gaming WiFi has a 10+1 VRM Power Stage with 105 amps. That means it can handily take care of even the mighty Intel i9 13900KS, if your CPU cooling solution is up to the task. You might not be getting the same theoretical level of VRM cooling as with some ATX motherboards like the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. But in practice, this board offers top-notch CPU performance in a small form-factor, and comes very close to many larger enthusiast motherboards. 

The motherboard will keep cool with its imposing VRM solution. Your bigger challenge will be properly cooling some of the i9 CPUs in a small enclosure, as many of them prefer 360mm AIO liquid coolers, which can only be a “custom fit” in most small PC cases. 

To add to your fast CPU, you’ll be able to take advantage of the fast performance of DDR5 RAM, with an excellent memory controller onboard. 

PCIe Gen 5 is for the GPU 16x slot, and for the NVMe M.2 slot. Hyper-fast Gen 5 drives are just hitting the market, meaning this small motherboard will be among the tiniest to wield such speeds. While you’ll also be fine with the second Gen 4 onboard slot, it’s nice to know that this premium motherboard takes advantage of what the platform has to offer. You’ll cool those drives with the M.2 stacked armor cover and thermal pads. 

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Since this is an enthusiast-grade motherboard, you’ll find the BIOS is a great experience. The Asus BIOS continues to be one of the best in the industry, with clear navigation and plenty of tinker-points for you to meddle with. 

Asus

Asus

Asus

BIOS updates can be done via the BIOS itself, making it fairly simple. It’s also packed with “AI,” or automatic overclocking tools for the CPU, and the usual XMP profiles. The AI overclocking tools can even get a read on the cooling performance of your CPU cooler and adjust the optimal overclock accordingly. 

Users be cautious, however: It’s always best to know exactly what your settings are doing, and diligently monitor CPU temperatures for abnormalities. Even “AI” tools, as good as they’ve become, can still sometimes fall short of setting everything ideally. For everyone else, you can just leave it on “Auto” and it will do the rest. 

If you’d prefer to stick to Windows for most other tasks after setting the basic XMP settings, you have the Asus Armoury Crate software. 

Asus

Asus

Asus

Motherboard software has been much more stable and feature-rich the last few generations, and this one is no exception. It has a bevy of feature-rich options to engage with. Some of them include “Fan Xpert” for fan profiles, “Aura Sync” for RGB customization, and even driver updates. 

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The brute force performance of the motherboard is covered, how about I/O speeds? Thunderbolt 4, a rarity on any motherboard is here with two slots. This is a great boon for users who need peripherals connected or just super-fast storage. 40Gb/s is fast—in fact the fastest you can get at the moment for USB level transfers. 

Are there drawbacks for performance? While Asus has done a stellar job packing in as much as possible, it’s still a small form-factor unit. This has inherent physical limitations, all while still commanding a premium price. You’ll find beefier VRMs and more DDR5 slots, for example, on comparable ATX motherboards. 

If you’re willing to live with a few small compromises, the performance offered here is absolutely top-shelf with very little downside.  

Is the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi worth it?

So you’ve fallen in love with small form-factor builds, and want to build the absolute best system that you can? Lucky for you – the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is the best, most fully featured Mini-ITX motherboard you can buy. 

It offers a dizzying array of features such as Thunderbolt 4, PCIe Gen 5 NVMe slot, and cool extras such as the Strix Hive external card. It also offers great performance in terms of VRMs and DDR5 for its size, allowing you to pair it with an i9 CPU. 

A cheaper alternative

Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $218.99 at Amazon

It’s pricey at $469, however. Even though it’s technically the best, there are some users who can do with a less feature-rich Mini-ITX motherboard and save some bucks. For example, not everyone needs Thunderbolt 4, or the blistering performance of an i9 CPU. (The Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi would be one such example of a $219 MSRP alternative for those who don’t need to overclock or have those extra features.) 

If you want the best money can buy in the Mini-ITX realm, the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is an excellent choice.

Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi

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Small form-factor motherboards have taken on an entirely new life over the last few years. The extraordinary power of modern hardware no longer needs a huge monolithic structure to house it. You also no longer need the treasure reserves of a medieval king to afford one!

Thanks to Mini-ITX motherboards such as the Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi, small builds are more widely accessible. Supporting a gamut of powerful Intel CPUs, both 12th- and 13th-gen, you’ll have good choices across the board. (Pun intended.) 

Part of the reduced cost is due to the B760 chipset, a scaled-back version of the Intel 13th-gen Z790. While you’re getting better pricing, there are some compromises, too. We’ll go over the features, design, and performance of this small form-factor motherboard. Does this board strike a satisfying balance of cost savings and access to powerful hardware? Are there caveats you should be aware of? Let’s find out!

Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi: The specs

• Mini-ITX form factor (170x170mm, or 6.7×6.7 inches)
• Supports Intel 12th- and 13th-gen CPUs
• 8+1 Power Stages with 80A 
• DDR5 RAM, dual channel up to 2 DIMMs (up to 64GB)
• 2x onboard M.2 slots (PCIe Gen 4)
• 1x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 5)
• HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort out 
• 8 rear USB ports on back (including 1x 20Gb/s)
• Intel 2.5GbE LAN 
• Wi-Fi 6E With Bluetooth 5.3
• Aura Sync header for RGB
• 4 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 3 PWM fan headers 
• Clear CMOS 
• Pre-installed I/O shield 
• ROG SupremeFX 7.1 high-definition codec S1220A
• MSRP $219

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Thiago Trevisan

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The Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi comes in with an MSRP of $219. In the past, Mini-ITX components have often been expensive—diminutive hardware often adds to the cost. Here we have a nicely featured small form-factor motherboard that still appeals to gamers, with some nice savings. 

First thing to be aware of is that Mini-ITX motherboards automatically have fewer features and I/O compared to larger Micro-ATX and ATX motherboards. You’ll typically have only a single PCIe 16x slot, and fewer NVMe slots, SATA ports, and USB ports. 

How does the Intel B760 chipset do with those restrictions? Feature-wise, it certainly keeps up for most users. Just note that CPU overclocking and overkill VRMs will be for the Z790 realm. Most other users should be more than covered. Again, you’ll typically get fewer PCIe lanes and things like SATA ports, but these won’t matter as much as on larger motherboards. 

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The unboxing experience is pleasant and simple. You’ll get a couple of important items such as the Wi-Fi antenna, SATA cables, and some ROG swag.  

CPU choice

You’ll have support for any of the Intel 12th- and 13th-generation CPUs, ranging from the meekest to the mightiest options. Given that overclocking is not a focus of this motherboard and its price class, you’ll get better bang for buck with some of the more midrange CPUs such as the Intel i5-13600 or i7-13700. Those seeking overclocked beasts such as the i9-13900K will be better served by a Z790 motherboard such as the ROG Strix Z790-i. 

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DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5

DDR5 support is here and allows for 64GB of fast RAM. You’ll notice Mini-ITX motherboards will only have two available DIMM slots, which is the norm for this size. 

You will also get a single 16x PCIe Gen 5 slot, for your GPU. The NVMe slots will be limited to PCIe Gen 4. GPUs also only take advantage of PCIe Gen 4, so you’re more than covered here. Gen 5 NVMe drives are just starting to be released, and Gen 4 offers more than enough performance still. 

Storage

Two included NVMe slots are more than acceptable on a small form-factor motherboard such as this. Given that they’re also PCIE Gen 4, you’ll have more than enough storage and performance on hand for most gaming builds. You also get four SATA ports for hard drives, which should also be more than enough for small builds. 

USB ports

With eight rear USB ports, and 1x USB C at 20Gb/s, you’ll have fantastic options for almost any scenario here. This is almost on par with many ATX motherboards, so very little in the way of compromises here. If you’re after even faster USB4 or Thunderbolt, you’ll have to spend at least twice as much to find it.  

DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 are also here if your CPU supports integrated graphics, making it easy to diagnose without a discrete GPU. 

Networking

You’ll get the same connectivity options as most ATX motherboards. Wi-Fi 6E and Intel 2.5GbE LAN are both available, as well as Bluetooth 5.3. Certainly, very few would need more for this class of motherboard, so it’s great to see how well-rounded these options have become.  

Audio

Audio is good, with a ROG SupremeFX 7.1 codec. It also has a variety of audio inputs in the back, allowing headphone and speaker connections. 

Other features of note

We always love the integrated I/O shield, as it makes the entire build process much more enjoyable. M.2 Q-latch for easy access to the M.2 slots is standard, too. You’ll also have the same CPU cooler compatibility as LGA1700 Z690, so it’s easy to transfer over your hardware. It’s fantastic to see a smaller, more affordable motherboard having the same options as the bigger enthusiast motherboards do! 

Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi: Design 

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The Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi wastes no time in letting you know that it means business. Or better yet, it means gaming! With a super-colorful PCIe and I/O shield area, it’s a very attractive design. 

The second impression you’ll get is one of quality. The fully adorned design is not only on the surface, but in the choice of materials used, and the tactile feel is also top-notch. The board feels hefty and substantial, in spite of its miniscule size. 

Every area is laden with either colorful and interesting design elements, or functional VRM and heatshield armor. The M.2 slots are nicely protected and cooled—no exposed areas here! This overall attention to detail adds to a feeling of quality and enthusiast-grade design. 

You’ll also have an Aura Sync RGB header onboard, for adding a dizzying array of lights if you want to. The motherboard itself, while colorful, is not adorned with much in the way of RGB or special screens. That’s a given with this price class, you’d need a more expensive and larger motherboard for more pizazz. That’s okay—the colorful design more than fulfills its duty for eye-candy goodness. 

Other smart design elements are the integrated I/O shield, M.2 Q-latch, and well-labeled inputs. These small touches further showcase the attention to detail, and the fact that you don’t need a super-expensive motherboard to be an enthusiast. 

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Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi: Performance, software, and BIOS 

The Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi features an 8+1 VRM Power Stage with 80A. While this seems small compared to some beastly motherboards with 20+ Power Stages, it’s more than enough for the types of CPUs you’ll likely pair with this board. 

Performance is expectedly less than with Z790 motherboards, even small form-factor ones such as the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I, which is a cousin to this board. We wouldn’t go slapping an Intel i9-13900KS on here since you’ll waste a lot of that performance. You’ll do fine with a regular i9-13900, i7-13700, or even i5-13600, however. Those will still perform well and give you cooler and more controllable performance, which could be a big benefit in smaller ITX builds. 

DDR5 is here, so you’ll be experiencing more or less the same performance as with more expensive motherboards. You’re limited to two slots and 64GB, but that is more than enough for gaming builds of this caliber. 

PCIe Gen 5 is here for the GPU 16x slot, but only PCIe Gen 4 on the NVMe slots. This is far from an issue, and basically exactly what you’d want for a full-fledged small gaming build. Sure, you’re not topping out all of the specs that are present in Intel’s 13th-generation CPUs, but you’re also saving money. (Both in price, and heat output!) 

Even if you won’t be overclocking on B760, it still has a pleasant BIOS to spend some time in. Of course, it won’t be as fully featured as some of the bigger Asus ROG motherboards, but you’ll have user-friendly options here for many other items. 

With B760 being a fairly new chipset, it’s always good to update your BIOS to catch updates with fixes quickly. It should mostly be a more mature platform compared to when B660 was new, however. 

Exiting the BIOS, you’ll also find that Asus has done a fine job with its Armoury Crate software. Gone are the days when you’d absolutely avoid any type of included motherboard software. This one is useful and functionally stable, with myriad options. You can set Aura Sync RGB profiles, fan curves, and even update drivers. 

Should you buy the Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi?

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Can you have almost the same enthusiast-level Mini-ITX experience on the cheaper $219 Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi as on pricier options? 

For many users, you can. You’ll still get the same features such as DDR5, some PCIe Gen 5, and CPU choices. A $219 price is not particularly cheap, especially given the limits you’ll have on CPU tinkering compared to Z790. 

For enthusiast users who want to pair a powerful, overclockable CPU such as the i9-13900K with a cheaper motherboard, B760 may not be the best option. We’d recommend sticking to the less powerful and non-overclockable CPUs with this motherboard.  

Those limitations aside, the ROG Strix design will make enthusiasts happy, with great attention to detail and many included features that rival even some ATX motherboards. If you never plan to overclock, there’s not much compromise here for users who just want to game and have the appropriate supporting features. No need to pay more for features you won’t need; and you’ll still get respectable performance.

Best Prices Today: MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi

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AMD now has a plethora of CPU options, ranging from the original Ryzen 7000 lineup to the new X3D variants. There’s also a couple of non “x” variants such as the Ryzen 9 7900, too. That means you’ll have plenty to choose from. This opens the possibilities for smaller, more efficient builds. 

That’s where the MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi comes in. As in “Goldilocks”—this one is just the right size. Micro-ATX sits in between the standard ATX size you’re used to, and smaller Mini-ITX motherboards. (It’s a bit shorter in length than ATX). It’s a great compromise of size, features, and performance. 

Coupled with the more affordable B650 chipset, it also takes aim at a more reasonable price. We’ll go over the features, design, and performance. Are you missing out by going to a smaller motherboard? Or does the space savings mean that you can cram it into an even smaller case? Let’s find out!

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MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi: The Specs

• Micro-ATX form factor (9.6×9.6 inches)
• Supports AMD AM5 Ryzen 7000 CPUs 
• 12+2+1 Duet Rail System with six-layer PCB
• DDR5 RAM, dual channel up to 4 DIMMs (up to 128GB)
• 2x onboard M.2 slots (PCIe Gen 4)
• 2x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 4, 16x/4x) 
• 1x PCIE X1 slot
• HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort out 
• 8 USB ports on back (including 1x 20Gb/s)
• Realtek 2.5Gbe LAN with Bluetooth 5.2
• Wi-Fi 6E 
• RGB headers for Mystic Light
• 6 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 5 PWM fan headers 
• BIOS Flashback button 
• Pre-installed I/O shield 
• Realtek 7.1 ALC 4080 audio
• MSRP $239

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The MSI MAG B650M Mortar Wi-Fi will set you back a cool $239. While AMD’s AM5 overall platform costs are initially higher, B650 chipsets help make it more affordable. 

This B650 chipset is slightly trimmed down from B650E and X670E. It saves cost, but you’ll also have to do with less: fewer USB options, SATA ports, and PCIe lanes. You still get PCIe Gen 4, and two M.2 NVMe slots. Keep in mind that Micro-ATX motherboards typically will have less I/O to begin with, due to size. 

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The unboxing experience is expectedly bare-bones. You get two Wi-Fi antennas for the 6E support, some stickers, Ez M.2 clips, and SATA cables. 

CPU choice

AMD has tons of CPU options for Ryzen 7000 on the market now. Want the original 7700X? Sure! How about a more power-efficient, cooler-running 7900 for a smaller case? That will work too. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, the new X3D CPUs such as the 7950X3D will also give you the fastest performance around. We’d likely recommend something sensible like the 7700X, or the upcoming 7800X3D for this class of motherboard. The 7600 will be a great option, too.

DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 4

AM5 is DDR5 RAM exclusively, but prices now make it more attainable than before. Performance on average will be great—and you can fit up to 128GB across four RAM sticks. That’s one advantage of this Micro-ATX form factor over smaller Mini-ITX options, which typically only have two RAM slots. 

You won’t get PCIe Gen 5, but plenty of Gen 4 is on tap. Both 16x slots are Gen 4, and you also get a 1x slot. This is another reason why Micro-ATX is versatile for small builds, as smaller motherboards won’t have this many slots. This makes it great for add-in cards and expansion, without needing full-size ATX. Just make sure your GPU will allow clearance for any extra cards. 

Storage

NVMe slots are limited to two onboard. While we’d like to see three, it’s understandable for this form factor to have some limits due to size. You do get six SATA ports for more storage options, however. Some motherboards come with an add-in NVMe PCIe card of some sort, but it’s sensible that you would not have this included in this price class. You can still add one separately as an option, as you’ll have the slot if your GPU isn’t massive. 

USB ports 

With eight rear USB ports, including 1x USB C, I/O is great for the size. No USB 4 here—but it does pack 20Gb/s USB for those needing fast transfers. Small motherboards typically will have limited USB options, so it’s great to see an almost ATX-level offering here. 

DisplayPort and HDMI 2.1 also help augment Ryzen 7000 CPUs, which have built-in iGPUs. This comes in handy for troubleshooting without a discrete GPU when needed!  

Networking

You’ll get similar connectivity options to ATX motherboards. Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5GbE LAN are both standard, along with Bluetooth 5.2. Networking is complete and robust. Users needing more, like 10GbE, will need to step up to much more expensive (and often larger) motherboard options. 

Audio

Audio is fine here, with a 7.1 ALC4080 codec. It also has enough inputs on the back for most users. If you need much better sound options, you’ll have to do with external solutions or add-in cards. 

Other features of note

We’re happy to see an integrated I/O shield, it makes the experience of building much smoother. You also get “Ez clips” for the M.2 drives, which simplify access. A BIOS Flash button is also clutch when you just need that special-case BIOS upgrade. That’s a lot of features that were traditionally relegated to expensive enthusiast motherboards of the past, so it’s great to see them make their way here. 

MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi: Design 

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The MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi immediately reveals its biggest design trick: its Micro-ATX form factor. This opens it up to fitting much smaller cases, expanding the possibilities for builds. It can even come in handy in a normal-sized case, like, say, the Lian Li O11 Dynamic. If you’re water cooling and don’t have much room on the bottom due to thick radiators, Micro-ATX can keep the motherboard clear of that space. 

Aesthetically, it shares a lot with MSI’s Tomahawk lineup, and that’s great news. It has an exceptionally clean design, with robust-looking VRM heatsinks, and armor plating in the right places. 

While this motherboard comes in at a cheaper price point, the design and build quality certainly do not indicate that. Materials and finish are great, with most important areas covered by heatsinks, or “Armor.”

A standard ATX alternative

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $213.18 at Amazon | $219.99 at Best Buy

If you don’t think you need the smaller form factor, you’re often better off going with a larger ATX variant such as the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk we recently reviewed.

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The M.2 “Frozr” shields protect the two NVMe drive slots. It adds an element of completeness to the design—many cheaper motherboards leave this area exposed.  

You won’t find any RGB effects, however. You can still add RGB via the headers to your liking. Part of the price savings comes from not having fancy screens or intricate motherboard effects. 

Excellent news: The I/O shield is integrated, and the M.2 NVMe drives have retention clips! PC builders can rejoice at these simple, but highly vital quality-of-life inclusions. 

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Sweeping around to the back, you’ll find the typical bare design. Overall, this is a very attractive motherboard that makes tremendous sense for small builds where RGB is often harder to spot. Looks premium, for a less-than-premium price—great design! 

MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi: Performance, software, and BIOS 

The MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi has a 12+2+1 power stage and a six-layer PCB. If you compare this to some overkill motherboard VRM stages on hyper-expensive motherboards, it doesn’t look impressive on paper. Once again, this is not an overkill motherboard, but the “Goldilocks” special! 

The same holds true for performance—it will competently handle even the blistering Ryzen 9 7950X3D without issue. While you won’t break any records, it’s more than capable. Depending on your build, you’ll still see great performance even from the more efficient “non-X” SKUs such as the Ryzen 9 7900. Lower watts and temperatures, meaning more consistent performance in small spaces. 

DDR5 is also standard here—up to 128GB. The same caveat holds true: overclocking the fastest kits probably doesn’t make sense. That’s okay—it still can handle almost anything you throw at it with Expo profiles and super-fast performance. 

Going further, while you’re not getting PCIe Gen 5 performance, PCIe Gen 4 is more than sufficient for GPUs and most NVMe drives on the market. There’s no need to incur that extra expense! You’re technically not taking full advantage of AM5’s PCIe Gen 5 potential, however. That makes the more expensive CPUs less of a good match for this board, but you’ll have many other options that fit the bill. 

Closing off motherboard performance, the USB ports are fast, with 20Gb/s speeds. That’s the norm with even pricier ATX motherboards, with very few having the 40Gb/s speeds of USB4.

If you’d like to tweak your system, we have the MSI BIOS for that. Much like Asus, MSI has a marvelous BIOS that allows you to tune various elements. Ranging from CPU overclocking, to configuration of your hardware—it’s all here. 

Those that would rather leave the tinkering to science will also be happy: Automatic overclocking with AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) is available, along with AMD’s Expo profile for DDR5 RAM. 

It’s also simple to update the BIOS—something we’d recommend doing. While mature systems don’t always need BIOS updates, B650 is still new and updates early on often fix many teething issues.

If you’d like to spend as little time in the BIOS as possible, MSI Center has a few options to keep you entertained. Of course, Mystic Light allows for RGB header control and symbiosis with other peripherals. 

It also has some rudimentary hardware monitoring, although we’d recommend better third-party options for that. You can set PWM fan speeds, and even use “Live Update” to grab drivers. Overall, it works well—a big improvement from buggier motherboard software of the past. 

Should you buy the MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi?

The MSI MAG B650M Mortar WiFi delivers on its goal: Micro-ATX versatility, without compromising on features. It does all this for $239.99, a very fair price in today’s more expensive motherboard market. 

Impressively, it does this without skimping on features that you’d get on even larger ATX motherboards. Networking is just as good, and audio and even PCIe slots are well represented. The board closes the gap even further with eight USB ports, and good overall performance. 

Given its ability to pair with powerful CPUs and smaller cases, the B650M Mortar offers a potent combo for small form-factor enthusiasts. It certainly makes one consider Micro-ATX over Mini-ITX if more I/O is needed. 

Of course, it isn’t the flashiest design, and lacks the RGB flair some users may desire. It also won’t break any records with its specs—but it doesn’t have to. It’s a very well-balanced effort that allows small form-factor builds to be more financially sensible.

Intel and AMD have launched their new generation of CPUs into the wild. With these releases, come a slew of new motherboard choices. There are many familiar faces from past generations, loaded up with the latest tech like DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5. 

For the last several months we’ve been painstakingly going over these motherboards with a fine-tooth comb: What features do they offer for everyday gamers? How good is the build quality and design? How good is the performance offered? These considerations come together to create the intrinsic value offered by each motherboard, and to answer the all-important question: “Is this motherboard worth it?” 

Each motherboard brings with it a nuanced experience: from opening the box, to holding it in your hands, to updating drivers, and to finally using it for gaming. 

We’ll also make a big deal out of pricing, because it’s a vital step in choosing a motherboard. We won’t sugar coat it: Motherboard prices have gone up on average with the new generation, so we want to make sure you’re getting value for your dollar. From expensive enthusiast motherboards, to a more affordable ones—we’ve got you covered. 

In this gaming motherboard roundup, we’re going to cover premium options, midrange options, and more affordable options. (Truly “budget” motherboard options will be for a future roundup, as AMD is still releasing more affordable options to compete with Intel, and Intel has more coming as well.)

Best gaming motherboards for Intel

1. Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero – Best premium Intel gaming motherboard

Pros

• Great for both gamers and content creators 
• Excellent I/O, M.2 drive options, and USB ports
• Attractive design and robust build quality

Cons

• 10GbE networking would be welcomed
• Gamer-only PC builds may be better off with the cheaper Strix models

Best Prices Today: $529.99 at Amazon$629.99 at Asus

If you’re after a premium motherboard for your Intel 13th-generation CPU, the Asus ROG Z790 is one of the best choices on the market. The Intel i9 13900K makes an excellent pairing here, with twin 20+1 power stages offering overkill performance.

Packing DDR5, PCIe Gen 5, and loads of USB ports, it has plenty of I/O, too. M.2 drive slots are plenty—with three onboard, plus an included ROG M.2 PCIe card that lets you add two more. Other standout features include Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5Gb networking, and more “heatsinks” than you count.

Packaging is nicely done, with a premium box and accessory inclusion to match the $629.99 MSRP. The motherboard is also very well-built and feels substantial in the hands, with a weighty heft.

The ROG, or “Republic of Gamers,” branding has been popular with enthusiast gamers. Part of the reason is the gamer-centric design, which this motherboard has in spades. Like RGB? You’ll be at home here, with a beautiful I/O area display. The rest of the motherboard is adorned with high-quality finishes and plenty of thermal “armor” covers, too. The VRM heatsinks look downright imposing—and do their job tremendously well.

With performance to match the aesthetics, gamers will find loads of overclocking features here too. A great BIOS, Clear CMOS, and an onboard power button all make your overclocking life easier!

This motherboard is no doubt amongst the more expensive, but for the enthusiast who doesn’t mind spending a bit more to get some extra features and nicely done details, it offers value—with few compromises on aesthetics or performance.

Read our full Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero review

2. MSI Z790 Edge WiFi DDR4 – Best midrange Intel gaming motherboard

Pros

• Good set of features for both gamers and content creators 
• Plenty of I/O, five M.2 slots, and 10 USB ports with 20Gb/s USB
• Beautiful silver design, plus integrated I/O shield

Cons

• $369 MSRP isn’t terrible, but DDR4 should be cheaper
• No upgrade path after 13th-gen Intel, as Z790 is the last before a chipset change

You’ll get some mighty bang for your buck in the midrange segment: enough features and aesthetics to impress, but at a price you can stomach. 

The MSI Edge WiFi Z790 is a prime example. Besides boasting a healthy feature set, the board comes in either DDR5 or DDR4 versions, giving you even more flexibility in your budget, should you choose to stick with memory you already have or to save on purchasing last-gen modules. (We’d go for the DDR5 version ourselves, as a means of future-proofing, but you can expect to pay about $30 extra for that support.)

Both versions support 12th-gen and 13th-gen Intel CPU—the 16+1+1 phase VRM can handle even the i9 13900K for gaming. However, a midrange CPU such as the 13600K or 13700K would make an excellent pairing here. You’ll also get lots of I/O—with 10 USB ports, including fast 20Gb/s. Five M.2 slots and PCIe Gen 5 in the form of a 16x slot round out the offerings.

Aesthetics are king with this board—the white and silver design will be an elegant foundation for any build. The entire motherboard is covered with nice thermal armor and tasteful accents. The build quality is solid, to boot. 

With a price of $369, and the ability to pair with cheaper DDR4 and an older Intel 12th-gen CPU, there is great value here. While it doesn’t have the fancy box or accouterments of more expensive motherboards, it’s got the features you’ll need at an excellent price range. 

3. MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 – Best bang-for-the-buck Intel gaming motherboard

Pros

• Great for both gamers and no-frills content creators 
• Good offering of I/O, M.2 slots, and plenty of USB 
• Edgy, but clean design

Cons

• Gamers wanting more RGB flare will need to look elsewhere   
• MSRP of $309 is fair, but we’d like to see this DDR4 version cheaper due to no DDR5 and more limited PCIe Gen 5

Best Prices Today: $249.95 at Amazon$309.99 at B & H

If you want to enjoy nearly the same next-generation performance in games as you would in much more expensive motherboards, the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk has you covered. Sure, it’s not a premium $500-plus behemoth, but it has exactly the features you’ll need to have a great experience. And sure, there are some cheaper options out there, but this board will give you loads of features for the price. 

As with the Edge WiFi Z790 above, opting for DDR4 helps cut the build costs considerably. Support for 12th- and 13th-gen Intel CPUs gives you lots of options and price flexibility You’ll get the same 16x PCIe Gen 5 found on many more expensive motherboards, plus Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gb LAN. No skimping on M.2 slots here, either—you’ll get a total of four PCIe Gen 4 slots! That’s followed by 10 USB ports on the back, (20Gb/s) and even BIOS Flashback and Clear CMOS. All told, it should leave only the most demanding gamers needing more. 

Top it off with a clean, no-frills design, and you’re most of the way there in terms of features compared to pricier options. The motherboard is basic in terms of RGB, but you do get RGB headers. You also get PWM fan headers and even great VRM performance, with a fancy-sounding 16+1+1 “Duet Rail Power System” that can handle even an i9 Intel CPU! 

In terms of value for what you’re getting, it’s a great package. You’ll also have a significantly cheaper platform cost by combining the $309 MSRP, cheaper DDR4, and wide array of Intel CPUs to pair with. 

Read our full MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 review

Best gaming motherboards for AMD

1. Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero – Best premium AMD gaming motherboard

Pros

• Well-rounded features for gamers and content creators
• High build quality, premium feel 
• Next-gen performance: VRMs, DDR5, PCIe Gen 5, USB4

Cons

• Overall higher AM5 platform costs make this a premium experience
• 10GbE networking would be welcome at this level

Best Prices Today: $609.99 at Amazon$699.99 at Asus

AMD’s new AM5 platform brings with it some mighty-fast CPUs such as the Ryzen 9 7950X. With this power, you’ll need a premium motherboard to pair with it: Enter the Asus ROG X670E Hero. Repeating much of what makes the Hero an enthusiast favorite on Intel and past AMD X570, it’s back with even more features. 

DDR5, PCIe Gen 5, all there—and these PCIe lanes are very expansive on the X670E chipset. Not only will you get two PCIe Gen 5 16x slots, but you’ll also get four onboard M.2 NVMe slots. Two of them are PCIe Gen 5, and two are Gen 4—now that’s storage performance! Wait, there’s more! With the included accessory PCIe Gen 5 card, you can add an additional NVMe drive. 

Nestled amongst the 12 rear USB ports, you’ll find USB4, which has similar 40Gb/s speeds to Thunderbolt 4. The usual Wi-Fi 6E and Intel 2.5Gb LAN are here too, plus a few nice usability features: Asus Q-Release and Q-Latch, for the PCIe slot and M.2 slots, respectively. These make swapping out components effortless. 

But you want a ROG Hero because of the aesthetics and RGB, right? With a resoundingly weighty build quality, the overall design is also gorgeous. There are glossy and matte finishes throughout, but your eye will quickly be drawn to the showy RGB instead. Nicely done—and best of all, it completely fits the design and makes for a premium experience. 

With new Ryzen CPUs such as the 7950X3D models coming out, those seeking maximum performance will do well with the ROG Hero, which has the 18+2 teamed power stages to handle blazingly fast CPUs.

The combination of excellent features and mouth watering eye-candy certainly justifies its $699 MSRP. This board is for enthusiast gamers wanting a premium experience. With DDR5 getting cheaper, and more Ryzen CPU models being released, there are more opportunities for overall lower platform costs, too. 

Read our full Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero review

2. Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master – Best midrange AMD gaming motherboard

Pros

• New tech is here—DDR5, PCIe Gen 5 
• Plenty of M.2 slots, USB ports, and network connectivity
• Great VRM performance for any Ryzen 7000 CPU
• AM5 strong future upgradability
• Great build quality and value overall

Cons

• 4 SATA ports may be a limit to some (a B650E limitation) 
• Missing faster USB port is 3.2 Gen 2 20Gb/s
• M.2 PCIe Gen 5 may limit GPU speed to 8x if all populated

Best Prices Today: $508.99 at Amazon

AMD gives us various options with AM5—such as B650E, which has slightly reduced functionality compared to X670E. The price is also reduced—and in our opinion, you’ll still get most of the goodies. It just has a few less PCIe Gen 5 lanes, USB ports, and SATA ports. Keep in mind that AM5 only gives you access to Ryzen 7000 CPUs, since it’s a completely new platform. (Sorry, Ryzen 5000 fans, you’ll have to stick to X570 Or B550)

The Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master brings its $349 MSRP to the Ryzen AM5 lineup. While it only has four PCIe Gen 5 lanes, it’s more than you’ll get with B650—thanks to the “E” designator. They’re used optimally here, with four onboard M.2 NVMe slots. SATA ports top out at four—but given the generous NVMe storage, you’ll likely never saturate these options for most gaming builds. 

The I/O doesn’t stop there, with a whopping 13 USB ports on the back, up to 10Gb/s USB Gen 2. While you won’t get USB4, you’d have to pay more for the privilege. Other great options include Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5Gb LAN, and HDMI-out for the integrate iGPU. 

The Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master still looks premium—even if it’s cheaper than its X670E brethren. With a straightforward monochromatic design, it has the right nuanced touches just in the right places. 

A lot of those visual niceties also translate to performance—with the impressive VRM heatsinks having some real presence. You’ll also have thermal pad “armor” covering the NVMe slots, for functional aesthetics. 16+2+2 Digital VRM not only looks great, but it can handle the glorious performance of even the Ryzen 9 CPUs. 

Certainly, gamers who chose the B650E Aorus Master won’t feel like they’re missing anything. It’s a premium design with a fair price for next generation technology. 

Read our full Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master review

3. MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi – Best bang-for-the-buck AMD gaming motherboard

Pros

• Great set of features for the $260 price 
• Three M.2 slots, 20Gb/s USB, PCIe Gen 4 
• Good networking and audio options
• Stealth design looks great, plus Integrated I/O shield and screwless M.2 

Cons

• Would be great to see M.2 slot covers on all areas
• Price means some limitations (no PCIe Gen 5) don’t take full advantage of AM5

Best Prices Today: $213.18 at Amazon$219.99 at Best Buy

While the launch of AM5 initially brought with it a bevy of pricier motherboards, we’re starting to see more affordable options, too. We’ll refrain from calling these “budget,” but they do represent a great bang-for-buck value.

The MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk enters the fray at $239 MSRP and packing the B650 chipset. You’re not paying for expensive overhead features here that you may never use, such as those found on X670E. Instead, you’re getting just the right compliment of specs that will keep your gaming build humming along.

It’s all DDR5 here—so while you can’t save money by using DDR4, you’re at least on the same level ground as the more expensive motherboards for capabilities. You’ll also get the same Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5Gb LAN as on more expensive motherboards. Add to that three PCIe Gen 4 NVMe M.2 slots, but no PCIe Gen 5. That’s okay—the tradeoff is worth it since nothing can saturate PCIe Gen 5 slots currently.

The board’s USB is no slouch, with up to 20Gb/s Type C available. Performance continues with the 14+2+1 VRM power system, perfectly capable of taming the Ryzen CPUs— although the Ryzen 5 and 7 pair best with this value-oriented offering.

How about aesthetics? They’re minimalist, in a good way. Attractive design with stealthy dark colors abounds. Granted, you don’t get the RGB party or overkill armor plates on the PCIe area of more expensive motherboards, but that’s fine. The VRM heatsinks are more than sufficient and look great. The understated look has the bonus of fitting almost any build’s design aesthetic.

Overall, it’s a great performer with just the right features—without skimping on important elements. Best of all, it keeps the price significantly lower than other options.

Read our full MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi review

What to look for in a gaming motherboard

When you’re choosing your motherboard for your gaming rig, there are many important things to consider. We’ve narrowed down the most vital and essential for your purchase. 

Choose your platform: Intel or AMD 

The first item on your list should be whether you’re going with team Blue (Intel), or team Red (AMD). For example, do you want the most future-proof motherboard available as of today for CPU upgrades? Then AMD is your best bet, because AM5 just launched and should have more support than Intel’s older 13th-gen platform. 

Or perhaps you’d prefer to save a few bucks and are okay with either 12th- or 13th-gen Intel CPUs for a while. 

Know the hardware you want to use in advance

Plan out the hardware you plan to use on your motherboard, to make sure it will be sufficient. For example, only Intel currently supports both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM, if you’d like to still use the former. 

Also be aware of certain PCIe lane and bandwidth limitations. For example, if you’re planning to use three or more NVMe PCIe Gen 4 drives, you may want the higher-end AMD X670E platform or Intel Z790 platform. These typically will give you more PCIe lanes. If you’re fine with just a couple, the cheaper B650 AMD motherboards may work just fine. 

You’ll also want to look closely at CPU-cooler compatibility; some newer motherboards may need adapters to work with older brackets. The same holds true for motherboard size —ATX being the standard for most. If you have a small form factor case, you’ll likely need Mini-ITX or Micro-ATX to fit. 

Know the basic specs and what you’re likely to use 

While gamers may not be as demanding as content creators who may require features like Thunderbolt and 10Gbe networking, there are still essential basic features you should be aware of. 

If you plan to use Wi-Fi, make sure your motherboard comes equipped with it—not all of them do. If you plan to set up a beefy flight- or racing-simulation rig, you’ll want to make sure to have plenty of USB ports, for example. 

Price to performance matters—pay attention to the details

Motherboards can have so many variations that it’s often confusing to the consumer, so pay attention to the details and features. If your particular use case doesn’t require fancy features like USB4 or 10Gb networking, you can often save large amounts of money foregoing them—and get most of the performance otherwise. 

How we evaluate gaming motherboards

We take a systematic approach in every motherboard evaluation, with a careful eye on the following:

Specs and features

The nuts and bolts of each motherboard: For the price, does it have the requisite features that a gamer would need and appreciate, and how are those features implemented in the user experience? 

Design

Are the visual aesthetics appealing, and do they represent the board’s intended purpose? Is it well laid-out, and does it incorporate PC build-friendly design considerations? 

Performance

How well does it handle the latest CPUs and tech like DDR5? Does it have fast USB, PCIe lanes, and other I/O? Do BIOS updates address important issues in a timely manner?

Value

Given everything the motherboard offers for its asking price, does it provide good value for the gamer and an overall good experience? 

The Intel Arc GPUs have been an interesting new release in the GPU market for one big reason: It’s a third player in a market that sorely needs competition for prices to stay sane. Nvidia and AMD currently have a strong grasp on the market, with Nvidia maintaining a dominating lead.  

Here comes Intel, a behemoth company in its own right. There’s a problem, though. The Arc GPUs such as the A750 and A770 are promising, but full of early teething issues. The hardware seems capable, but the driver software side is playing catchup. 

Today we’re going to answer whether daily driving an Intel Arc A770 is reasonable in 2023. Is it going to be too buggy to even consider? We’ll take it through the basic driver installation, and the quality of that experience. We will then put it to work in some popular games and see if it’s up to snuff in real-world use. Questions about performance metrics compared to the competition aside, our goal is to find a smooth, competent experience foremost. 

Arc A770 Limited Edition

Read our review

In Brad Chacos’s initial Arc A750/A770 review, he ran into several driver and game issues early on with the initial release. Intel is up against tough competition in the software world. Nvidia and AMD have had years to develop their drivers, so if Intel also wants your hard-earned dollars, it’ll have to prove it’s worthy. 

Check out PCWorld’s YouTube channel for Intel Arc updates as well as how the performance has improved with each driver update.

Intel Arc: The drivers 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Our first order of business after installing the Arc A770 is to download drivers from the Intel website. You’re presented with a choice of either the newest certified release, or if you’re feeling frisky, beta drivers. We’ll go with the standard stable release for our test. 

While we’d usually recommend the stable release for most users, Intel Arc GPUs are a rapidly evolving breed. In some cases beta drivers may likely cover more recent game releases and squish more bugs. (In theory, your mileage may vary.)  

The initial install process went smoothly, and Intel Arc Control performed well. Brad Chacos remarked how it felt “laggy” during his initial review, so it appears to be improved with the newest drivers. After you’ve become familiar with the layout, it’s easy to navigate through and functions well. Brad had also noticed that Windows would constantly ask if you “allow” it to run Intel Arc Control, an issue that’s also fixed. 

The third-party software MSI Afterburner also seemed to work fine with the Intel Arc GPU, reporting the on-screen GPU temperatures and data as one would expect. 

The test system:

• Intel Arc A770 16GB 
• Intel Driver 31.01.101.4146 (Feburary 22, 2023)
• Asus ROG Hero X670E motherboard
• AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
• 32GB of DDR5 
• Samsung NVMe

Let’s discuss some issues that may still pop up for some. The first concerns booting into BIOS. On the Asus X670E Hero motherboard, the Intel Arc seemed to not display an image through DisplayPort when attempting a BIOS boot. Using HDMI, it immediately worked. DisplayPort worked fine when in Windows and had also worked in the BIOS when an Nvidia GPU was present with the same settings. 

This may vary and be dependent on the interaction between a specific motherboard or BIOS, so you may have a different experience. (We can confirm that the Arc GPU will boot into the BIOS with DisplayPort in a different system) 

Another known issue some users may experience concerns Resizable BAR showing incorrectly in Intel Arc Control as “unsupported”—even when correct settings are applied, which can be confirmed as active in the free software GPU-Z. Device Manager can also confirm by selecting the Intel Arc GPU in Display adapters, selecting Resources, and checking that Large Memory Range is there. 

Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition

Read our review

(The issue was reportedly fixed in more recent Arc Control versions, but some users have still encountered this.) 

As Resizable BAR, or “reBAR,” support is very important for the performance of Intel Arc GPUs, this is certainly relevant to the experience. While it will be active, it’s nice to see confirmed that it is working, or you’ll have doubts about the performance of the GPU itself. 

The above aren’t complete deal breakers, but still show how buggy issues may crop up on occasion. In general, Arc is much less buggy with the newest drivers than the initial release, so it’s certainly good progress. 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Game performance

Let’s look at Intel Arc in some popular games. Keep in mind there may be some variation of bugs that may be hardware-specific, and some that may come down to DX9, DX11, and DX12 games. Intel Arc certainly has the best expected performance in DX12 games, but Intel has also recently made a big deal about how DX9 has been optimized in the latest drivers. 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Hogwarts Legacy                         

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Hogwarts Legacy is one of the latest popular releases. It’s also a graphically intensive game, with ray tracing included. These types of games absolutely love VRAM—making a good test subject for the Intel Arc A770 with 16GB of the good stuff. It’s also a good test to see if ray tracing and Intel XeSS are functional and bug-free. 

I wanted the first test to really push the Arc GPU and see if it would throw in the towel. Intel Arc A770 is certainly best suited to 1440p, but we’ll start with 4K—for maximum effect. 

I placed the settings on Ultra, turned off ray tracing, and set Intel’s upscaler XeSS on balanced mode. 

The Intel Arc A770 did very well. Even in the busy Hogsmeade town area, it maintained very playable frame rates, without any serious dips. Inside Hogwarts, FPS would be even higher. 

What was most surprising was that it was all still very smooth—there were no aggressive FPS dips, stutters, or skipping about. The extra VRAM on this Arc A770 16GB really helps at these resolutions—it’s also 256-bit bus width. Compare this to the 4070 Ti 12GB’s 192-bit bus, which is quickly saturated and often results in poor performance at these resolutions. 

Turning ray tracing on brings the FPS down below 30—but even then it was still consistently smooth. If you play at a more reasonable 1440p, the overall gaming experience is quite positive on Intel Arc for this game. 

It’s no surprise: Intel even had drivers at the ready for Hogwarts before AMD released its own recently—which is a good sign for Intel’s software. Everything worked as you’d expect—menus loaded quickly, and there were no errant game crashes to report. 

Our first real-world game experience resulted in various sessions of smooth gaming, with no real bugginess to speak of in this particular game. Ray tracing worked as it should, performance penalty aside. Intel XeSS also provided some good results, making an otherwise unplayable setting much more palatable.

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Cyberpunk 2077  

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Jumping into Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p, the Intel Arc continues to be fairly bug-free. At Ultra with FSR 2 on Balanced, we’re not quite at 60 FPS, but the performance is smooth enough. Even though Intel Arc GPUs actually do ray tracing rather well, this is a heavy game that makes the RTX 4090 break a sweat. Regardless, even with a taxing workload on the GPU, it’s still reasonably smooth and at least remains consistent. 

Everything loaded and performed as it should, and any performance or lack thereof would just come down to the power of the GPU itself. This is great news and puts it on better ground versus the competition. Ideally, as Arc drivers improve, we can compare hardware to hardware without splitting hairs over buggy drivers. 

AMD’s FSR 2 also worked great on Balanced here, giving a much-needed FPS boost. 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Dead Space

Dead Space is a popular remake and can be graphically intensive. This is the first game where I faced some issues. At first, it was a less consistent frame-rate performance. Moving around would cause the frame rates to dip from playable to unplayable. Most other games seemed to at least remain consistent, but this could also be due to this game specifically—not a bug, per se, but it could be down to unoptimized drivers. 

Another interesting note is that this game also caused some weird screen issues. First, it completely locked up the system when I tried to change the in-game resolution—resulting in a system reboot being needed. Secondly, it would sometimes have a hard time going into “full-screen” mode and remained in “windowed.”

It could be behavior particular to this title, as most other games did not exhibit this. It can illustrate how you may still run into a buggy experience here or there with Intel Arc. (This game has worked mostly without similar bugs on the Nvidia GPU previously used here.) 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Returnal 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Returnal is another popular PlayStation port that’s come to the PC—and we’re going to run it at 1440p on the Intel Arc A770. 

Epic settings, with ray tracing, give enjoyable performance. It’s smooth with only an odd dip here or there depending on the scene. This game also supports Intel’s XeSS, and we place it on Balanced. Performance jumps up, and the smoothness continues. The VRAM in the Arc is really helping, too—as this game likes VRAM, as well. Everything worked as it should, and it’s good to see Intel XeSS in more titles. 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Spiderman Remastered

Spiderman Remastered presented some issues during Brad Chacos’ review: It would crash when loading ray-traced reflections. 

With the newest drivers, the game played very smoothly without the same crashing issue. Ray-traced reflections were turned on, and reflection resolution set to high. In both 1440p and 4K, it worked well and as intended. Combining this with AMD’s FSR 2 upscaling provided some good results as well, without any issues to report. 

With Intel staying on top of its game optimizations in drivers, the results have been good. Sometimes tweaks are needed on a “per-game” basis with more individual attention, but it’s great to see many of the early issues no longer present. 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: Hitman 3 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

In Brad Chacos’ initial Arc review, he ran into some issues with Hitman 3. After months of new drivers, I had a much smoother experience. The game loaded and played without issue, with very smooth performance across the board. 

I also did not experience any corruption of files or other odd behavior, and overall the Intel Arc GPU performed as it should. 

Intel Arc A770 16GB: DX9 and DX11 game optimizations

While DX12 has great games and is the latest, how does Intel deal with the thousands of older DX9 and DX11 titles out there? Counterstrike: Global Offensive is a tremendously popular title, even though it’s been around for ages. Likewise, DX9 performance has been vastly improved in newer Intel Arc drivers. If you consider low performance a “bug,” Intel’s newer optimized drivers boost performance a great deal for these older games. Same game, new driver, higher performance—if you call it a bug or not, it’s been squashed! 

The same is true of other games like Starcraft 2, and Guild Wars 2. DX9 optimizations are a very good demonstration of Intel’s ability to improve the product by significant amounts, which bodes well for future improvements. 

DX11 performance will certainly be a lot more varied, and it’s an area that Intel should focus on improving further. That’s an important component as not every game will be simply DX12. Gamers want to play a variety of titles, both old and new. 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

The verdict: Is the Intel Arc still too buggy to recommend? 

After taking the Intel Arc GPU through its paces on the newest available driver, there’s a lot of good news. We’re happy to see new game releases such as Hogwarts Legacy get fast driver releases accompanying them. This shows that Intel is on the ball, and really trying to improve. Intel Arc therefore can be recommended, with a few things to keep in mind. 

Coupled with recent price drops of the A750 GPU to $249, Intel may find a much more willing buyer with these driver improvements. It seems like most of the big early issues with daily use of the drivers are mostly gone, resulting in a more seamless process. 

Intel Arc A750 Limited Edition

Read our review

Is Intel Arc still buggy? It’s not all perfect—some minor issues persist and may still occur due to the new nature of the software. It seems to be stable enough that one can recommend it now, so that’s good news. Brad Chacos included it in his recent 2023 GPU recommendations. 

With some minor caveats, and if you’re willing to work through some teething issues, Intel Arc is maturing nicely enough to be considered against the Nvidia and AMD competition. That’s good news for everyone!

The AMD 7900 XTX has proved to be an impressive GPU, but the story didn’t start there. The 6900 XT that preceded it opened up the competitive high-end GPU landscape against Nvidia in a dazzling way. So much so that the 6900 XT remains relevant today. 

That’s the cool thing about last-generation GPUs. The new AMD cream of the crop has not obsoleted the older gen, not by a long shot. GPUs such as the 6900 XT remain potent, and in many cases, can prove to be excellent price-to-performance warriors. The refreshed AMD 6950 XT added a few percentage points to the mix, too. With AMD putting the 6000-series GPUs on sale, is it enough to draw you away from the breakneck performance of the 7000 series to save a few bucks? 

Radeon RX 6900 XT

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $1000 at AMD

We’re going to retroactively look at the big guy from last generation—the 6900 XT—and the 7900 XTX of this generation. They were both the fastest and top AMD GPUs on release. Keeping in mind the 7900 XT and 6950 XT also exist, we’ll keep the attention on the OG “original” top dogs. 

We’ll go over the current market prices, gaming performance, and important things to be aware of. As with most GPUs, it’s not always a rosy situation that leads you down the correct path. The GPU market is often murky, challenging, and full of twists and turns. 

AMD 6900 XT vs. AMD 7900 XTX: Price and availability 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Both GPUs debuted at a $999 MSRP. This makes them impressive—since comparable Nvidia GPUs are priced higher, such as the RTX 3090 and RTX 4080. 

Recently, AMD has dropped the price of the older 6900 XT to as low as $629 to make way for the 7900 XTX. (You can even pick up the 6950 XT for under $700, too.)  

They have another shared attribute, this time concerning availability. The 6900 XT came during a very turbulent time of the GPU shortages, making it rarely available at MSRP. Thanks to an ease in the GPU market, it’s easily found in stock now.

While the 7900 XTX has launched during a downturn in GPU purchases, it too has availability issues. Its less-performant 7900 XT sibling has remained in stock at $899, but the $999 XTX proves to be too appealing with its price-to-performance advantage to stay on the shelves. 

Neither the 6900 XT nor the 7900 XTX have had ideal launch and availability conditions for most of their existence. If you were to purchase today, you’d more easily find the older 6900 XT for cheaper in stock. 

Radeon RX 7900 XTX

Read our review

Best Prices Today: $949.99 at Amazon

As we’ll find out, the 7900 XTX has an impressive performance uplift if you consider both GPUs at their original $999. That MSRP has stayed the same, unlike the RTX 4080, which has crept up. If we compare the current $629 6900 XT price, however, you’re certainly paying more for each frame by a similar dollar amount as of today. 

Considering the above, we’d say the 7900 XTX is one of the better performance values you can get today, for those seeking the most frames. If you can do with a bit less performance, the 6900 XT is still a good value. 

AMD 6900 XT vs. AMD 7900 XTX: Performance

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Performance is the dueling ground where the real questions will be answered concerning these two contenders. 

What are you missing with the older generation? Nvidia has made DLSS 3 with frame generation an exclusive advantage to only its RTX 4000 series of GPUs.  AMD technology such as FSR (FidelityX Super Resolution) is currently similar on both generations, so you’ll enjoy parity there. The advantage comes down to better brute performance instead. That’s good news, meaning 6900 XT buyers can still enjoy a relatively modern GPU experience. 

Keep another important performance issue in mind: CPU choice. With the 7900 XTX reaching such high frame rates, your CPU choice will become even more of a factor in some games. Just as the RTX 4090 can have CPU bottlenecks at even 4K, the 7900 XTX will be much more demanding. Meaning you’re likely able to skate by with a fast—but not “fastest” CPU—such as the 6900 XT without as much bottlenecking. 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

With Cyberpunk 2077 (ray tracing and DLSS/FSR off), the 7900 XTX is one of the most impressive GPU’s we’ve seen. It even puts up a domineering effort against the Nvidia RTX 4090, which is quite the feat! 

We also see the 6900 XT with very close performance to the RTX 3090, but far from the 7900 XTX. If this was your game of choice, the latter’s performance is around 63 percent better on paper. Oddly enough, the price difference between $629 and $999 for both GPUs currently stands around 58 percent. While you’re getting tremendous performance increases, the price is similarly higher. You’ll have to ask yourself if you’re fine with the acceptable 91 FPS at 1440p for Cyberpunk, or if you need more (such as 4K, and ray tracing, where the answer favors the 7900 XTX). 

There is no doubt that when comparing their original $999 MSRP, instead of the cheaper current price of the 6900 XT, the performance gains make the 7900 XTX a better choice. But at current prices, it’s a bit more of a toss-up.

In looking at the lower-priced 7900 XT, the price-to-performance difference falls in favor of the 6900 XT, as the $899 7900 XT lacks the same oomph as its bigger XTX brother (but doesn’t lack the high pricing). 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, we find a game that likes AMD hardware in general. The 6900 XT is putting up impressive numbers still—even at 4K it’s able to go above the magical 4K 60 FPS barrier. At 1440p, once again we see the 7900 XTX with nearly a 60 percent gain over the 6900 XT. 

That is incredible—but once again you must ask yourself if the 123 FPS of the 6900 XT at 1440p is insufficient. Chances are, it will do you just fine, and you’re paying much less. 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Returning to Cyberpunk 2077, we now see how ray tracing fares. AMD has made some impressive improvements to its ray-tracing performance in the 7900 XTX, although it’s still behind Nvidia. 

In most cases, ray tracing is where you’ll likely also want to pair FSR to ensure you’re getting playable frame rates. With FSR balanced, you’re getting over 50 percent better ray-tracing performance with the 7900 XTX over the 6900 XT. With FSR off, that number climbs slightly closer to 60 percent, where the brute force of the 7900 XTX plays a bigger role. You will get less FPS with it off, and sometimes low enough to be unplayable with ray tracing. 

The story with ray tracing is oddly like regular rasterized performance differences between both GPUs. In both cases, the 7900 XTX performs more than 50 percent higher. 

If your primary goal is ray tracing, chances are you’ll be better served on the Nvidia side. Otherwise, you’re likely paying similarly for that performance increase on the 7900 XTX versus the 6900 XT. 

AMD’s FSR technology is a great performance feature on both GPUs, and they’ll be further augmented by the eventual release of FSR 3. 

In the performance conclusion, if you’re okay with the $999 price, the clear choice is the much faster 7900 XTX. It’s one of the few decent “bang-for-buck” GPUs nowadays, even at its current price. If you’re okay with some compromises in frames, the $629 6900 XT has more than enough chops to handle demanding games. 

AMD 6900 XT vs. AMD 7900 XTX: Power and other things to know

As we’re talking about the leading performers from AMD, efficiency isn’t always the first talking point. While AMD has heavily pushed its relative efficiency in the past, Nvidia has certainly showcased some impressive numbers, too. 

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

Brad Chacos

With a 355W TDP on the 7900 XTX and a tamer 300W on the 6900 XT, they’re both reasonable. Remember, the RTX 4090 has a whopping 450W TDP, albeit with more performance. 

This means that typically you’ll have an easier time cooling and fitting these AMD GPUs in your system. AMD made a point initially that these are “normal-sized” and use the regular PCIe 8-pin adapters compared to Nvidia’s 12VHPWR solution. While that is true, some AIB third-party coolers such as the PowerColor Red Devil can be just as massive! 

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Thiago Trevisan

Another important point to touch on is in driver support. While AMD has been much better in recent generations with driver updates, there have been some issues. For example, updated drivers for the 6900 XT were noticeably late after 7900 XTX drivers had already been released for some new game releases. That’s one thing to remember about buying the older GPU—you may have less frequent driver updates over time compared to the shiny new thing. 

AMD 6900 XT vs. AMD 7900 XTX: The verdict 

There is no doubt that, pound for pound, the 7900 XTX is impressive. If we consider that the $999 MSRP technically stayed the same versus the 6900 XT, it’s even more so. (We’re looking at you, RTX 4080!) 

We can find the 6900 XT at $629 today, however. And while it doesn’t have the door-busting performance of the 7900 XTX, it’s still competent in modern games. It’s also much easier to find in stock. You will be missing out on the top frame rates, and likely have insufficient ray-tracing performance. If you combine FSR and the upcoming FSR 3 with the 6900 XT, it will prolong the life of this GPU even more. 

Having said that, if you find a $999 7900 XTX, the performance gains are clearly worth it for many. You’ll enjoy 50 percent more frames in many games, including ray tracing, at the same original MSRP of the 6900 XT. 

How about phrasing it like this: If you were considering the 6900 XT, is the $370 difference worth it to jump to the 7900 XTX? If we consider future depreciation of both, it’s a close call. You’ll be able to enjoy the 7900 XTX for much longer than the 6900 XT, as it’s more future-proof with its increased performance. In the long term, you may be able to enjoy more performance now, and a longer life—therefore negating some of the 6900 XT’s price advantage. Either way, you’ll still have great performance with both! 

Verdict: The 7900 XTX, albeit more expensive, is likely worth it over the 6900 XT currently, as it will give you longer usability and comes with tremendous performance gains.

Best Prices Today: MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi

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AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs bring with them next-generation performance and features. Higher platform pricing is an unfortunate side effect—but is there a way to have your next-gen motherboard cake and eat it too? 

For your consideration: the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk, which aims to fulfill that performance promise without breaking the bank. With an MSRP of $259.99, is this enough to help alleviate some of the costs associated with AM5? 

We’ll go over the specs, and talk about the board’s features, performance chops, and design attributes. For those wanting to take advantage of the new goodies in AMD’s AM5 platform, while saving a few bucks, the Tomahawk B650 could fit the bill.

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi: The Specs

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

The MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk blends the popular Tomahawk series with B650. While the price has gone up to $259.99 MSRP from the B550, it’s still among the more affordable AM5 motherboards. 

This ATX motherboard will work exclusively with AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs, and it also brings to the table most of the good stuff like DDR5. The B650 chipset differs from B650E and X670E—the “extreme” variants—mainly by having less theoretical USB and SATA ports, and no PCIe Gen 5. You’ll still have plenty of PCIe Gen 4 here, such as three onboard M.2 slots. (Granted, you’ll see some parity with the more basic X670 motherboards without the “E,” such as the Asus X670-P Prime.)

mentioned in this article

Asus Prime X670-P

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Best Prices Today: $199 at Amazon

In the real world, these theoretical differences between X670E and B650 often don’t show themselves unless you’re really pushing your system. 

The unboxing experience is basic, as you’d expect for $259. You do get Wi-Fi and a Wi-Fi antenna, some stickers, EZ M.2 clips, and the usual SATA cables. 

• ATX form factor 
• Supports AMD AM5 Ryzen 7000 CPUs 
• 14+2+1 Phase Design with six-layer PCB
• DDR5 RAM, dual channel up to 4 DIMMs (up to 128Gb)
• 3x onboard M.2 slots (PCIe Gen 4)
• 2x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 4, 16x/4x) 
• HDMI and DisplayPort out 
• 10 USB ports on back (including 20Gb/s)
• Realtek 2.5GbE LAN
• AMD Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2
• RGB headers for Mystic Light
• 6 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 8 PWM fan headers 
• BIOS Flashback button 
• Preinstalled I/O shield 
• Realtek 7.1 ALC 4080 Audio
• MSRP $259.99
  

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi: Features 

With it’s $259 MSRP, the Tomahawk’s feature set has most of the good stuff. For networking, you’ll have both Wi-Fi 6E, along with 2.5GbE LAN—just like on much more expensive motherboards. 

On the I/O side, you’ll be missing PCIe Gen 5, but since there isn’t much hardware to even saturate those ports yet, PCIe Gen 4 is more than sufficient. With three onboard M.2 slots, you’ll have more than enough speed and space for gaming. This is also a gift for content creators who don’t need more than that and can therefore save some serious bucks! (There are six SATA ports here as well for hard drives.)

DDR5 is here, and while that may add to the platform costs, prices have been steadily going down as more kits are available on the market. 

Ryzen 7000 CPUs give you an integrated iGPU—which is great for diagnosing issues without needing a discreet GPU. You’ll get both HDMI and DisplayPort in the back. Together with BIOS Flashback, and the EZ debug LEDs, you have the handy tools that much more expensive motherboards also offer (albeit in a more basic fashion—no fancy debug display here). 

Audio is also well represented, with the Realteck 4080 codec, and a good offering of inputs/outputs on the back including optical S/PDIF. 

I/O is also well represented in the rear—with an abundant 10 USB ports. USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 type C with 20Gb/s is also here, for those needing one of the fastest ports available. You won’t find USB4 with 40Gb/s, but that’s not expected at this price range. 

MSI also gives us M.2 slots that are “screwless,” plus an integrated I/O shield—making the build experience much better! We are glad to see these features work their way into even more affordable motherboards. 

With surprisingly few compromises, the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk delivers on most of the features of much more expensive options—leaving very little on the table. Only those more hardcore gamers or content creators who need additional PCIe Gen 5 lanes, M.2 slots, faster 10GbE, or more substantial cooling may need more—but you’ll also have to pay more. 

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi: Design

The MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk sports a decidedly streamlined design—nothing frivolous here! The mostly blacked-out, simple aesthetic is quite impactful, and will fit in with virtually any build. 

Starting at the top: The I/O shield area and VRMs are stealth and give the motherboard a high-end look. The right side, for its part, is bare—at this price point there’s not a lot of “armor” on tap. 

Making our way to the Tomahawk’s lower regions, we’re greeted with a nice M.2 “Frozr” Shield over the top slot as well as towards the bottom. This helps keep your drives cool—and it’s a shame the feature wasn’t applied to the last exposed M.2 slot as well. The screwless M.2 slots themselves are a nice design choice at this price class. Besides the simple “Tomahawk” lettering above the slots, the overall look is minimal, but tasteful. 

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Thiago Trevisan / Foundry

Overall, there’s enough here for it to be very attractive, and the areas that don’t have much going on will be blocked by large GPU coolers anyway. There are no native RGB effects, but you do get RGB headers for adding whatever you wish. 

The integrated I/O shield sports USB ports that color-coded by speed. Well done!

MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi: Performance, Software, and BIOS

The MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk has a 14+2+1 power stage and six-layer PCB. While this looks less impressive on paper compared to higher-end motherboards, it’s more than enough. You wouldn’t necessarily pair a Ryzen 9 7950X with this board—but you could, and it would handle it fine without going crazy. For its $259 MSRP, this motherboard makes more sense with the Ryzen 5 7600X or Ryzen 7 7700X—a perfect complement. 

The I/O shield area and VRM heatsinks are substantial enough for almost anything, and the M.2 slots’ “Frozr” cooling amor adds confidence (though we wish it was on all M.S slots).

You’re missing out on PCIe Gen 5 performance, but PCIe Gen 4 is more than enough to meet your needs. You get to take advantage of next-gen performance with the DDR5 memory support.

Even the USB ports are plenty fast, with 20Gb/s speeds—which is only beat by the 40Gb/s found on a few select premium motherboards.

The MSI BIOS is easy to use, with plenty of tweaking options, such as for the CPU and RAM settings. We recommend at least setting the “Expo” RAM profiles in order to take advantage of your DDR5 kit’s performance. Ryzen 7000 can also benefit from some “Eco mode”-style tinkering if you’re up for it, reducing heat and power draw while maintaining most performance. (Check out our Ryzen 7000 Eco Mode tips here.)  

Automatic overclocking such as AMD’s Precision Boost Overdrive (PBO) are found here along with with MSI’s own settings—but keep an eye on your CPU temperatures as they can quickly get hot! (Ryzen 7000 is more likely to be limited by your CPU cooler, than the motherboard itself!) 

For AM5 B650 motherboards, frequent BIOS updates are probably a good thing since it’s a new platform and there are bound to be fixes and refinements over time.

MSI Center is a software option for those who prefer to stay out of the BIOS. Here you can adjust your fan curves, create RGB effects, and monitor system-critical information. You can also check for driver and software updates! Motherboard companies have been working to simplify these software solutions. While they’re still not perfect, it’s worth a look for some functions. Otherwise, the BIOS or separate bespoke software can take care of your settings. 

Should you buy the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi?

With a price tag of $259.99, it’s no longer a budget offering—but still much more affordable. Many AM5 motherboards are well over $300, and here’s the kicker: The MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk gives you most of the same features as its more costly competitors! 

It has competent networking, USB and M.2 options, plus DDR5. It could even run the Ryzen 9 7950X if you wanted that.

Sure, you may not get 10GbE networking, or USB4, or even RGB “armor” plates. Those are premium options that come with a premium price.

For gamers and content creators who know their needs and can do without a few bleeding-edge amenities, you’ll be rewarded with a healthy collection of specs and decent pricing. Plus, we think its stealth and minimalist design looks pretty snazzy!