The first motherboards released for AMD's AM5 processors were expensive flagship models based on an X-series chipset, the X670. Though the one-step-down B650 chipset has roughly half the connectivity of X670, it covers the necessities; if you can get by with fewer USB ports and storage drive connections, a B650 motherboard can save you a lot of money. A variant on the platform, the B650E, also guarantees a PCI Express 5.0 x16 slot, perfect for anyone looking for a long-term board that can support future graphics card releases. The ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi lists for $269.99 but is often available for around $250, making it one of the least-expensive AM5 boards with a PCIe 5.0 x16 card slot. If you don't insist on PCIe 5.0 graphics (there's no major real-world benefit to it today), though, the same outlay can get you a better-equipped B650 motherboard or possibly one of the lower-end X670 boards, whose extra features and connectivity make this Steel Legend a tough recommendati...
ASRock's B650E Steel Legend WiFi is among the least-expensive AM5 motherboards equipped with a PCI Express 5.0 x16 slot. If you don't need that slot, though, you can find better-equipped platforms without one in the same price range.
PCI Express 5.0 x16 card slot; BIOS Flashback feature; Onboard support for Wi-Fi 6E; Includes GPU support bracket
Only two SATA ports; No quick-detach mounts for M.2 drives; GPU bracket incompatible with small GPUs, won't work in some cases; Aging audio codec; No BIOS EZ mode