X870E is the top chipset for AMD's AM5 socket. It launched in 2024 alongside the Ryzen 9000 processors and replaced X670E. Every X870E board has to provide USB4, a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot and at least one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, so it is the one AM5 tier where you do not need to hunt through the listing for those three things. Every board we track is on the X870E deals page.
Cheapest X870E boards right now
All 62 X870E motherboards, with price drops and price history
Amazon Warehouse offers on X870E boards
Where X870E sits in the AM5 range
AMD's 800-series chipsets for AM5 run, from top to bottom, X870E, X870, B850 and B840. The E stands for Extreme. The structural difference from X870 is that X870E uses two chipset chips where X870 uses one. That gives the board maker more PCIe 4.0 lanes, SATA ports and USB ports to share out, which is why X870E boards tend to have more M.2 slots and fuller rear panels.
The chipset is a refresh of 2022's X670E rather than a new design. What changed is what AMD requires of the board: USB4 became compulsory, and the boards built around it are newer. X870E does not make a processor faster. The same Ryzen chip performs the same on a B850 board, provided that board's power delivery is up to the job.
Key specifications
| Feature | X870E | X870 | X670E |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2024 | 2024 | 2022 |
| Chipset chips | Two | One | Two |
| CPU overclocking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PCIe 5.0 graphics slot | Required | Required | Required |
| PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot | Required | Required | Required |
| USB4 | Required | Required | Optional, varies by board |
The PCIe 5.0 lanes for the graphics slot and the main M.2 slot come from the processor, not from the chipset. The chipset's own lanes are PCIe 4.0, and it connects back to the CPU over a PCIe 4.0 link, so everything hanging off the chipset shares that link.
Compatible CPUs and memory
X870E boards take every AM5 desktop processor: Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G and Ryzen 9000. Because the chipset launched with Ryzen 9000, those chips work without a BIOS update; a processor released after your particular board was made may still need one, so look for a BIOS flashback button. Our BIOS and CPU compatibility guide explains how that works.
Memory is DDR5 only, as on every AM5 board, with AMD EXPO and Intel XMP profiles supported. CPU and memory overclocking are both allowed. AMD has said AM5 is supported through 2027 and beyond, so the socket is not yet at the end of its life.
What still varies by board
- Lane sharing. USB4 is provided by a separate controller that uses PCIe lanes from the processor, and so do extra PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. On some boards, filling a particular M.2 slot drops the graphics slot to x8 or shares bandwidth with the USB4 ports. The manual has a table showing this; read it before you plan more than two drives.
- Number of M.2 slots and how many of them are PCIe 5.0 rather than 4.0.
- Networking. WiFi 7, and 2.5, 5 or 10 gigabit Ethernet, are board features, not chipset ones.
- Power delivery and cooling. See VRMs explained for when this matters.
- Size. Most X870E boards are ATX, with some E-ATX models that need a case to match.
Who should buy X870E
Buy X870E if you will use the extra connectivity: three or more NVMe drives, a capture card or fast network card alongside the graphics card, USB4 docks or external SSDs, or a workstation build around a 12- or 16-core Ryzen. If your build is one graphics card and one or two SSDs, X870 or B850 will run it identically for less. The three are compared side by side in X870E vs X870 vs B850.
If you find an X670E board at a good discount, it offers the same PCIe 5.0 guarantees. You give up guaranteed USB4 and may need a BIOS update before a Ryzen 9000 chip will start.
What to check on the listing
- The exact model name, including suffixes such as WIFI or ICE. Similar names can hide different features.
- How many M.2 slots there are and what speed each runs at.
- The rear USB count, and how many of the ports are USB4.
- Form factor against your case.
- For a Warehouse offer, the condition note. AM5 puts the socket pins on the board, so bent pins are the main risk with an opened box. Our Warehouse guide covers what each grade means.
X870E boards are the most expensive on AM5, so a drop on one is worth more in pounds than the same percentage on a budget board. The X870E deals list shows current prices against each board's own history, and Warehouse offers are listed separately.
Questions people ask
Is X870E faster than X870 for gaming?
No. Both give the graphics card a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot fed directly by the processor, and both allow overclocking. X870E adds a second chipset chip for more ports and lanes, which does not change frame rates.
Do all X870E motherboards have USB4?
Yes. AMD requires USB4 on every X870E and X870 board. The number of USB4 ports, and whether they share bandwidth with an M.2 slot, varies by board, so check the specification and the manual.
Does X870E support Ryzen 7000 processors?
Yes. X870E boards use the AM5 socket and support Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G and Ryzen 9000 processors, all with DDR5 memory.
What is the difference between X870E and X670E?
They are closely related. Both use two chipset chips and both guarantee PCIe 5.0 for the graphics slot and an M.2 slot. X870E, from 2024, makes USB4 compulsory; on X670E, from 2022, USB4 was optional and is found on only some boards.