Gigabyte & ASUS B850 & B840 Motherboards Leaked: Mid-Range & Budget Options for AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs

A new wave of AMD-compatible motherboards from Gigabyte and ASUS has surfaced online, showcasing designs, form factors, and features of the B850 and B840 chipsets. These motherboards are positioned as mid-range and budget alternatives for AMD's Ryzen 9000 series CPUs and are anticipated to debut early in 2025.

ASUS Motherboards: ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, and Prime Series

ASUS is preparing three models in its B850 and B840 lineup:

ASUS ROG Strix B850-A Gaming WiFi

• Target Audience: Mid-range gamers.

  • White PCB with RGB accents on the I/O shroud.

  • 2x PCI-E x16 (Gen 5 & Gen 4), 4x M.2 slots.

  • USB 3.2 20 Gbps, wireless connectivity.

• Design: Premium with larger heatsinks.

ASUS TUF Gaming B850-Plus WiFi

• Target Audience: Budget-conscious gamers.

  • All-black design with smaller heatsinks.

  • 2x PCI-E x16 (Gen 5 & Gen 4), 2x M.2 slots.

  • Solid connectivity options, including wireless.

ASUS PRIME B840M-A-CSM

• Target Audience: Entry-level users.

  • Micro-ATX form factor.

  • Gen 3 speeds on M.2 and PCI-E x16 slots.

  • 4x DIMM slots, 2x M.2 slots, 4x SATA ports.

Gigabyte Motherboards: AORUS, Eagle, and Gaming Lineups

Gigabyte is introducing five B850 motherboards across its AORUS, Eagle, and Gaming series:

1. Gigabyte B850 AORUS Elite WiFi 7 (Black & White Editions)

   • Target Audience: Mid-range performance enthusiasts.

     • Gen 5 & Gen 4 PCI-E slots, multiple M.2 ports.

     • Available in sleek black or white colorways.

2. Gigabyte B850I AORUS PRO

   • Target Audience: Compact system builders.

     • ITX form factor with premium features.

     • Gen 5 support, advanced connectivity.

3. Gigabyte B850 EAGLE WiFi6E & GAMING WiFi6

   • Target Audience: Budget gamers.

     • Basic designs with older WiFi 6/6E standards.

     • More modest specs compared to the AORUS series.

These motherboards serve as cost-effective alternatives to the X870/X870E chipset, offering:

• PCI-E Gen 5 & Gen 4 support (on most B850 models).

• USB 3.2 20 Gbps ports instead of the mandatory USB 4 on higher-end boards.

• Enhanced connectivity options, including WiFi 6, WiFi 6E, and WiFi 7.

Launch Timeline

These B850 and B840 motherboards are likely to debut at CES 2025, alongside new AMD hardware releases aimed at countering Intel’s Arrow Lake and NVIDIA's latest offerings.