With the AMD Ryzen 9000 series now a reality, that means a new generation of motherboards is coming to support them. We now know that this is going to include X870 and X870E boards, which have already been shown off during Computex 2024. You may have noticed that we’ve actually skipped ahead a little, right past the expected X770. Well, the change in naming convention has now been confirmed and it’s the 800 series we’re looking at.
Brands such as ASRock and MSI have already shown off their range of X870 & X870E motherboards at Computex this year, so it won’t be long until they hit shelves. If you’re putting together a new build for Zen 5, then one of these will be an excellent choice.
X870 & X870E motherboard release date window predicted
Just like with previous generations, X870 and X870E motherboards should be launching at the same time as the processors they are built to support – the Ryzen 9000 series. We’re still sticking to the AM5 socket with these, which AMD will support up until at least 2027.
AMD has already made it clear that their new range of desktop CPUs will be coming in July 2024, so we first expected to see these new mobos available at that time as well. However, with news that X870 motherboards may be delayed, there is now some uncertainty and we could be waiting for an extra month or two. The more mainstream and budget-friendly B850 and B840 chipsets are also likely affected by the delay, and they may have to wait a month even longer if last gen’s schedule is repeated.
X870 & X870E motherboard specs
Since some X870 and X870E motherboards have already been shown off at Computex this year, we can have a closer look at some of the key specs on board. As usual, there will be Wi-Fi versions to account for, plus some differences such as RGB or non-RGB variants. We will use two examples from ASRock’s range as a reference here, as we got to check out a few of their new models in-person.
| X870 Riptide WIFI | X870E Tiachi |
|---|---|
| Supports AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series processors | Supports AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 series processors |
| 17 power phases (80A Dr.MOS) | 27 power phases (110A SPS) |
| 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot | 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots |
| 4x DDR5 DIMM slots | 4x DDR5 DIMM slots |
| 1x Blazing M.2 (PCIe Gen5 x4) | 1x Blazing M.2 (PCIe Gen5 x4) |
| 2x Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4) | 3x Hyper M.2 (PCIe Gen4 x4) |
| Dual USB4 Type-C ports | Dual USB4 Type-C ports |
| 2.5GbE LAN / 802.11bs Wi-Fi 7 | 5GbE LAN / 802.11bs Wi-Fi 7 |
| ALC4082 Audio Codec | ALC4082 Audio Codec |
| BIOS Flashback support | BIOS Flashback support |
How much will X870 & X870E motherboards cost?
Pricing will depend on both manufacturer and model, as not all chipsets are utilized in the exact same way with the same level of features. In the ASRock examples we gave above, the flagship Tiachi should retail above the $500 mark, whereas the more stripped-down Riptide will be much cheaper.
The most budget option from this range could indeed be ASRock’s X870 PRO RS WIFI, which is expected to cost around $220 at launch. Prices are yet to be confirmed across the board, so these prices are estimates for the time being.
Why is there no X770 motherboard series?
AMD seemed to make a deliberate choice skipping the 700 series. Some leaked information prior to the big reveal at Computex already suggested that the 700 series chipset was not going to exist, instead going straight to the 800 series.
This has evidently been the case, rumor has it to avoid appearing to be a series behind Intel. Now, both Intel and AMD match up with 800 series chipsets to represent the new Ryzen 9000 series and Intel’s upcoming 15th gen.
