b840 doesn't allow cpu overclock, same as a620. I'd just skip it
b650 min..something like the tuf gaming b650 plus wifi can be had for £165 at the mo (basically pcie4 al round with wifi 6)...,
but B850 are the new boards coming out and not that much more..if you're buying a 5090 and want futureproof etc guessing budget reasonably healthy without wanting to go to the fancy boards. Something like the b850 riptide wifi will give you the equivalent of the B650e-f asus board (actually better and cheaper too now with b650 boards going up in price)...it's pcie 5 gpu and primary m.2..has total 4 m.2(rest being pcie4), wifi 7 (this is new to new boards...I just got a new wifi 7 mesh network at home...what a difference..no dead spots or drop in signal...worth it just so i don't get moaned at anymore, so if i was going new mobo, I'd include just so you're covered if you upgrade your wifi down the line) and is £214.99. If you do vid editing or moving large amount of photo's etc, maybe x870 board with usb4 built it. aorus elite board looks nice too..looks like has the easy instal bits added so less use of screwdrivers etc
only thing then is whether you like a digital debug display on your mobo. any problems it'll throuw up a code which helps you pinpoint the problem..in general use it nowmally displays your cpu temp (or does on mine)..price of those has gone up though..x870 tomahawk for example was £260 and is now £300...nothing like bumping a price up because it's popular
Thanks for the detailed response.
The main purpose of the PC is to run a golf simulator. Until recently, it's been ok at 1080p with the detail level turned down a bit. Some of the newer more detailed courses stutter a bit though. I upgraded from a 1080p projector to a 4k projector in December, and need a new video card to run it. The manufacturer suggested an RTX4080 or RTX4090 to be able to run 4k at full detail, so I figured since the 5000 was coming in a few weeks, I'd hold off for that.
The PC is also used for gaming, and occasional photo / video editing... although that's pretty rare.
My plan was to upgrade what's required just now - and then hopefully not need to upgrade it again (especially the video card) for 5+ years.
I wouldn't go as far as saying there's no budget, but I'd rather spend a bit more now to make it more future proof. The thing I find infuriating with Intel chips is that each new CPU generally needs a new motherboard if you leave it 3 or 4 years. The new motherboard generally needs upgraded RAM too - which makes it an expansive upgrade. Like I mentioned previously, I'd like to set and forget, so am unlikely to use OC utilities etc.
If I'm getting a PCIE 5 GFX card, I feel like I might as well get a PCIE 5 motherboard. WiFi isn't too important, as I use a LAN connection. I do need Wifi to connect to my golf sim (am currently using a WiFi 6 dongle) - so WiFi 7 isn't necessary. I don't currently own any USB 4 devices either... but I guess that may change in the future as they become more mainstream.
I don't currently have a digital debug display on my motherboard, but it sounds useful... although not essential.
As suggested above - maybe I'm best trying the RTX5090 in my current system for a week or 2, and seeing how it performs. It may be that I can run the software at max detail at 4k and I don't actually need to make the jump yet.
On the other hand, now the idea of upgrading is in my head... it will probably happen!
I upgraded the PSU in my PC a few weeks ago as the fan was making a dreadful noise, so now have a Corsair RM1000X, which should handle the RTX5090. I also have a Noctura NH-D15S Chromax cooler - which is compatible with the AM5 socket (and the 9800X3D) - so that's another £100 I don't have to spend! Just some new paste.
