One of the good things about the AMD motherboards is that they are affordable and easily be overclocked. If you are building a new gaming PC powered by a Ryzen CPU, you might need a AM4 motherboard that can safely throttle your processor to higher clock speeds. To find the best motherboard for overclocking, this buying guide is enough to give you the best advice according to your budget.
Which the best AM4 motherboard for overclocking?
We have listed some of the top-rated AM4 motherboards to overclock your Ryzen CPU safely. Our team has gathered valuable information regarding the motherboards with AM4 socket and review them according to budget, value, performance and key features.
1. Gigabyte AB350 – Best Value AM4 Motherboard to Overclock Ryzen CPUs
Key Specs
- RGB Enabled
- USB 3.1 Type A
- M.2 & SATA
- DDR4
- Smart Fan 5
GIGABYTE AB350 is highly recommended for someone who is on tight budget and desperate to hook up AM4 motherboard for overclocking 7th generation Ryzen CPUs. Yes, we found this motherboard to enjoy higher clock speeds with limited number of CPUs from AMD.
It is one of the most affordable motherboard with price tag under $100. However, this motherboard shows the reflection of its lower price in other handy features like weak support for dual graphics cards and faster memory modules.
But AB350 might be a suitable option for you if you are building a low budget gaming PC. Although, it comes with the most basic features, it still stands out in the overclocking department. It is an ideal AM4 motherboard to throttle Ryzen CPUs to higher frequency.
GIGABYTE AB350 might be a good option for beginners who want to build a versatile gaming PC on budget. This low budget AMD motherboard passed most of our gaming tests with Ryzen 7 2600 CPU installed on it.
Lastly, it has on-board LED lights to customize your rig with different colors. The layout of the lights look really cool in the dark. Moreover, the fan control is really excellent when compared to other low budget AM4 motherboards.
2. ASRock B450M PRO4 – Best Budget Overclocking AM4 Chipset
Key Specs
- USB 3.1 HDMI
- Micro ATX
- Water Cooling Compatible
- DDR4 2933 MHz
- x4 SATA3 Slots
By choosing the B450M, you get more freedom to choose some of low cost CPUs from AMD with overclocking room. The ASRock B450M is still well priced under $100 which makes it quite reasonable option for beginners to enjoy higher clock speeds.
This AM4 motherboard is the best bang for your buck if you are thinking to buy 5th generation of Ryzen CPUs for overclocking. However, this motherboard lacks abundance of extra M2 and PCI-E x16 slots for hardcore gamers.
But at the same you are compensated with 4 DIMM & SATA 3 slots for improved performance. It is one of the best budget AM4 motherboards that supports aftermarket liquid coolers to keep the temperature at normal while overclocking.
Finally, a great AM4 chipset for a cheap price that supports most Ryzen gaming CPUs. It supports abundant memory modules and has enough space for external peripherals. The micro ATX dimensions makes this motherboard perfect for small PC cases.
Some people has found this motherboard difficult to assemble due to poor documentation. Apart from that, it is the most valued AM4 motherboard to achieve higher clock speeds on budget.
3. Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero – Best Overall AM4 Motherboard with Automatic Overclocking
Key Specs
- USB 3.1 Gen 2
- Dual NVMe M.2
- Aura Sync RGB
- I/O Shield
- 8 Channel HD Audio
- DDR4 Support for Faster Modules
- POST Display
We really like the features that come with high end AM4 motherboards Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero. Apart from the higher price point, this motherboard is truly a champion when it comes to performance. Surely you can test the limits of your Ryzen CPU by overclocking it on this high class AM4 motherboard.
Being priced over $250, this is one of the expensive motherboards to shine on our list. But again, the price of this motherboard reflects the high-end features that come along with. You get your hands on many professional features like POST display and on-board buttons for manual tweaks.
On the first impression, your eyes are caught up by bulky heatsinks and RGB lights. This board has plenty of room for external peripherals like ram, SSDs, multiple graphic cards, and networking cards. At the rear side, you get access to 9 USB 3.1 ports for faster data transfer.
Let’s talk about the performance of this motherboard in terms of overclocking. We tested latest titles on Ultra high settings with Ryzen 7 2600X overclocked to 4.0 GHz.
No doubt, this AM4 motherboard has world-class performance when you move to higher clock speeds. Asus ROG Crosshair VII Hero offers one click overclocking and cooling.
We didn’t used any aftermarket CPU cooler while overclocking the Ryzen 2600X, however, you can use any affordable aftermarket CPU cooler to test speeds over 4.0 GHz. We recommend this AM4 motherboard for gamers who intend to use all the fancy features that come along with it.
4. ASUS ROG Strix X470-F – Best AMD Motherboard for Hardcore Gamers
Key Specs
- USB 3.1 Gen 2
- NVMe M.2
- Aura Sync RGB
- Unique Overclock Performance
- ROG RAMCache II
- 4 DIMM Slots
- Immersive Gaming Audio
- 3 PCI Express Slots
Well under $200, you get the best AM4 motherboard to build a high-class gaming PC. It’s an ideal AMD motherboard if you want more juice out of your processor. It comes with unique features that every hardcore gamer looks for in a gaming motherboard.
From proper dual graphics card support, rapid memory, PCI-e X16 slots and AuraSync RGB lights, this motherboard has everything to offer for the money you pay for it. For faster data transfer, it features two M.2 slots out of which only one works at lightening fast speed.
ASUS ROG Strix X470-F sets a sweet spot between cooling and performance. If you are buying this AM4 motherboard for overclocking, you will definitely like the way it maintains the thermal balance.
This AM4 might not be the fastest to pair with latest generation of Ryzen CPUs, but at least you can overclock older gaming processors without any problem.
5. ASUS ROG STRIX X570-E – The Most Reliable AM4 Motherboard for Boosting Clock Speed
Key Specs
- Excellent Connectivity
- USB 3rd Gen Support
- Aura Sync RGB Lights
- Made for 2nd & 3rd Gen CPU
- Dual on-board M2
- MOS Heatsink 8mm Pipes
For gaming builds, versatile AM4 boards with plenty of support for external peripherals might be a good to checkout. This is what ASUS ROG STRIX X570-E is all about, as it offers plenty of storage and connectivity options to build your next gen build.
We really liked the idea of massive heatsinks along with RGB lights for a killer look. The MOS heatsinks with 8mm pipes ensure excellent balance between performance and cooling on one spot. For overclocking, this AM4 motherboard is highly optimized for thermal management.
However, this motherboard needs you to get out of your budget range if you need serious performance. It is a pricey motherboard but it is equipped with all the latest features like Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6, M2 and few SATA ports.
If you are a serious gamer, this might look a bit expensive when compared to other AM4 boards on our list. You can push your CPU by overclocking without spending money on expensive aftermarket coolers.
How to Choose Motherboard for Overclocking?
Although, modern AM4 socket motherboards come with overclocking feature, but still you need to find that one that has a user-friendly interface. Apart from that, there are other factors to see if you are into overclocking.
Cooling Bracket
Overclocking your CPU results in enormous heat, therefore, you will need a motherboard that supports the aftermarket CPU air or liquid coolers. For this, overclocking motherboards must have a cooling bracket to easily fit in the CPU cooler.
CPU
Obviously, the you must look out for the compatibility of your AM4 motherboard with the CPU you have bought. Although, many AMD motherboards are backwards compatible, not all of them are when you opt for the latest gen CPUs.
VRAM phasing and cooling also play a great role while choosing the best AM4 motherboard for safe overclocking.
