Let me start by saying this motherboard is a beast. I paired it with my Ryzen 9900X and 96GB of G.Skill Flare X5 DDR5 RAM, and the performance has been stellar for video editing and 3D modeling.

The installation process had its moments though. Those new power connectors? Confusing as heck! The manual wasn't much help either, but after some trial and error (and maybe a few choice words), I got everything connected properly.

Pro tip: If you're using two RAM sticks, put them in the B slots, not A1/A2 like I initially tried. Learned that the hard way when I got stuck on the DRAM light during first boot.

The WiFi situation was another adventure. Had to update BIOS and use my phone's USB tethering to download drivers - not ideal, but once working, it delivers solid 250Mbps speeds just like my old setup.

What really shines are the thoughtful DIY features: EZ-Latch for M.2 drives (no more lost screws!), clear debug LEDs, and that genius front panel connector block that saves you from fiddling with tiny individual pins.

After weeks of heavy use - gaming sessions, rendering projects - zero stability issues. The VRM temps stay reasonable even under load, though I did notice the PCH runs a bit warm compared to my Intel builds.

The only real complaint? That massive heatsink over the M.2 slots makes GPU installation a tight squeeze if you're using a large air cooler. My Thermalright Phantom Spirit barely clears the graphics card.

For an X870 board at this price point with USB4 and WiFi7? Absolute no-brainer if you're building an AM5 system. Just be prepared for some initial setup quirks - once configured though, it's rock solid.