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The ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi is the value pick in HotHardware’s December 2024 comparison, the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi is the connectivity-focused step up, and the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero is aimed at buyers who need specialist overclocking controls. The review found little reason to pay more for a motherboard expecting higher stock CPU performance; choose based on the features and expansion your build will actually use.
What the three-board comparison says
Zak Killian’s HotHardware review, published December 23, 2024, compares three premium AMD X870E Socket AM5 motherboards. Its recommendation is practical: weigh the board’s I/O, storage, networking, diagnostics, and tuning features against your intended build rather than assuming a more expensive board will make a compatible processor faster at stock settings. The prices below are the amounts reported in that review, not current quotes.
| Board | Review price context | Best fit in the review |
|---|---|---|
| ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi | About $350 at publication | Value-minded builders who want its feature mix |
| MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi | $499 at publication | Builders who will use its additional connectivity or storage conveniences |
| ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero | $699 at publication; the review also mentioned a temporary $669 sale | Extreme overclockers and users with a specific need for its tuning controls |
These are historical review prices from December 2024, not an indication of present-day pricing or availability. HotHardware disclosed that ASUS, MSI, and ASRock supplied the evaluated hardware; that disclosure describes the review context, not current sponsorship or retailer terms. Read the review’s conclusion.
Which motherboard suits your build?
ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi: value with a broad feature set
HotHardware favored the Nova for value among these three boards. Its highlighted features include two USB4 ports, a PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics slot, 5-Gigabit Ethernet, ALC4082 audio, POST-code LEDs, BIOS Flashback, and an eight-layer PCB. That makes it a sensible place to start if you want a premium X870E feature set without paying the higher review prices of the other two models. It is not automatically the right choice if you specifically need the Carbon’s connectivity and storage conveniences or the Hero’s overclocking controls. See HotHardware’s Nova assessment.
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- Ready for Advanced AI PC: Designed for the future of AI computing, with the power and connectivity needed for demanding AI applications.
- AMD AM5 Socket: Ready for AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop processors.
- Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking and AEMP to simplify setup and improve performance.
- ROG Strix Overclocking technologies: Dynamic OC Switcher, Core Flex, Asynchronous Clock and PBO Enhancement.
- Robust Power Solution: 18 plus 2 plus 2 power solution rated for 110A per stage with dual ProCool II power connectors, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors.
MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi: connectivity and storage convenience
The Carbon is the connectivity-rich step up in the comparison. The review highlights its many high-speed USB ports, convenient M.2 access, RGB accents, and Wi-Fi 7 with 320-MHz channel support. Its higher historical price is easier to justify if those connections, access features, or networking capabilities serve a real need in your system; paying extra for unused ports alone will not improve stock CPU performance. See the Carbon assessment.
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero: specialist tuning
The Hero’s strongest case is advanced tuning rather than general-purpose value. HotHardware points to extensive tuning controls, ECLK support, the ability to switch dynamically between a manual all-core overclock and AMD PBO, and three PCIe 5.0 M.2 sockets. Those features can matter to an extreme overclocker or someone with a concrete configuration need, but are difficult to justify if you will run default settings and do not need its particular expansion options. See the Hero assessment.
Rank #2
- Ready for Advanced AI PC: Designed for the future of AI computing, with the power and connectivity needed for demanding AI applications
- AMD AM5 Socket: Ready for AMD Ryzen 9000 & 8000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking, and AEMP to simplify setup and improve performance
- ROG Overclocking Technologies: Dynamic OC Switcher, Core Flex, Asynchronous Clock and PBO Enhancement
- Robust Power Solution: 18(110A)+2(110A)+2 power stages with ProCool II power connectors, MicroFine alloy chokes and premium metallic capacitors
Check lane sharing before installing drives and cards
PCIe lane allocation can change when high-speed devices are added. HotHardware notes that X870E’s USB4 requirement can constrain manufacturers’ lane allocation and that populating multiple M.2 or PCIe devices may affect the primary slot, depending on the board and configuration. This is not a universal behavior shared identically by every X870E motherboard.
Before buying, consult the exact model’s manual and inspect its lane-sharing tables for the devices you intend to populate. Confirm which M.2 sockets, expansion slots, and graphics slot can operate together at the modes you expect. The review’s discussion is useful context, but the board manual is the place to verify a specific configuration. HotHardware’s conclusion discusses lane allocation.
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- Ready for Advanced AI PC: Designed for the future of AI computing, with the power and connectivity needed for demanding AI applications
- AMD AM5 Socket: Ready for AMD Socket AM5 for AMD Ryzen 9000 & 8000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Enhanced Power Solution: 16+2+1 80A power stages, 8-layer PCB, 8+8 pin ProCool power connectors, alloy chokes and durable capacitors for stable power delivery
- Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking II, and AEMP to simplify setup and improve performance
- Latest M.2 Support: Two onboard PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots and two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots
What the review does—and does not—establish
The comparison treats stock performance as a poor reason to spend more among suitable AM5 boards, while noting that weak VRMs on inexpensive boards can be a concern with 12- and 16-core processors. That is a caution against choosing solely by price, not a claim that any of these three boards is required for a particular CPU or that every cheaper AM5 board is inadequate.
The review was published in 2024 and is not a current comparison of prices, stock, BIOS releases, board revisions, or memory compatibility. Those details can change, so verify them for the exact board and seller before purchasing. HotHardware’s testing setup is described on its testing page.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Premium Thermal Design: Heavy plated MOSFET heatsink with heat-pipe / high quality 7W/mK MOSFET thermal pads / extra choke thermal pads / onboard M.2 Shield Frozr
- EZ PCIe Release: A simple press of a button to effortlessly lock or unlock the PCIe slot
- Lightning Gen 5: The latest PCIe 5.0 solution with up to 128GB/s bandwidth for maximum transfer speed
- Dual LAN: Dual premium network solution for both Intranet and Internet
Rank #4
- AMD Socket AM5: Supports AMD Ryzen 9000 / Ryzen 8000 / Ryzen 7000 Series Processors
- DDR5 Compatible: 4*DIMMs with AMD EXPO Support
- Power Design: 16+2+2
- Thermals: VRM and M.2 Thermal Guard
- Connectivity: PCIe 5.0, 4x M.2 Slots, Dual USB4, Front and Rear USB-C, Sensor Panel Link
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
