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This bundle is mainly attractive as a high end Ryzen 7 and X870E platform at a lower price than recent Micro Center offers. The board is valued for ECC support, and the current $650 price compares well with past bundles that paired similar CPUs and boards with RAM or even a cooler. The big drawback is that no DDR5 RAM is included, and the separate memory cost is described as steep enough to erase much of the appeal. It feels strongest for anyone already planning a build and willing to source RAM separately.
people who are ready to build now and already have DDR5 RAM on hand because commenters said the deal doesn't include RAM and that DDR5 pricing is "astronomical," so it only makes sense if you can supply RAM yourself.
buyers who want a Micro Center-style bundle value but are specifically targeting the 9850X3D price point because one commenter compared Microcenter bundle pricing for the 9800X3D/9850X3D and said this $650 deal is a better price point than the current Microcenter options.
PC builders who care about ECC support options in the future because a commenter noted Newegg's 870E bundle supports ECC (even though the included RAM isn't ECC), which can matter if you want that upgrade path later.
people who were hoping this bundle would include RAM because multiple commenters called out that "no ram included" makes the deal not worthwhile, since DDR5 RAM bought separately is described as extremely expensive.
people who missed the earlier bundle that included 32GB RAM (and maybe an AIO) and were waiting for that exact kind of package because commenters said they're waiting for a similar return of the RAM-included deal and would jump on it only if they didn't already have the CPU ready.
buyers who have a Micro Center nearby and can shop their bundles instead because one commenter said the deal may be less compelling "unless u have a Microcenter near you," implying local availability/pricing changes the value.
The X870E-E ROG Strix R2 bundle at Micro Center reportedly includes an additional PCIe card, which can improve expansion options versus board-only setups.
The deal may be less attractive for shoppers near Micro Center because alternative bundles can price differently and may include extra items like a PCIe card.
The overall price can be inflated if RAM costs rise, since one build price reportedly jumped from about $800 to $1500 with most of the increase attributed to DDR5 RAM.
The Micro Center-specific R2 motherboard reportedly reduces Wi‑Fi 7 bandwidth from 320MHz to 160MHz compared with the standard ROG Strix, which may affect wireless performance expectations.
No RAM is included, so you still need to buy a DDR5 kit separately. That matters because DDR5 pricing is high enough that the total build cost can jump a lot without a memory bundle.
It can be better if you want the lower $650 price and an X870E board with ECC support, while Micro Center's comparable ECC bundle is around $950. If you do not care about ECC, Micro Center's lower-priced bundle can be closer in value, especially when RAM is included.
Earlier bundles included extras like 32GB RAM and even a free AIO cooler, and one similar Micro Center deal paired a better ASUS board with 32GB RAM for $800. This current deal is cheaper at $650, but it leaves RAM out, so the total cost can rise quickly.
Even then. I snagged the X870E-E ROG Strix and 9800X3D back in November for $750 from Microcenter. This deal has it for $650 with the 9850X3D. Microcenter has the X870E-E ROG Strix R2 in the bundle now for $930/$950 (9800X3D/9850X3D) which has an additional PCIe card included with the board.
Even then. I snagged the X870E-E ROG Strix and 9800X3D back in November for $750 from Microcenter. This deal has it for $650 with the 9850X3D. Microcenter has the X870E-E ROG Strix R2 in the bundle now for $930/$950 (9800X3D/9850X3D) which has an additional PCIe card included with the board.
Really weird, when you look at the specs on the ASUS website, the X870E-E ROG Strix supports Wi-Fi 7 320MHz bandwidth while the X870E-E ROG Strix R2 supports Wi-Fi 7 160MHz but has the additional PCIe card. Other than that, the boards look pretty much identical, I don't understand why ASUS would downgrade the WIFI in R2. I wonder if the R2 is a microcenter specific MB.
Really weird, when you look at the specs on the ASUS website, the X870E-E ROG Strix supports Wi-Fi 7 320MHz bandwidth while the X870E-E ROG Strix R2 supports Wi-Fi 7 160MHz but has the additional PCIe card. Other than that, the boards look pretty much identical, I don't understand why ASUS would downgrade the WIFI in R2. I wonder if the R2 is a microcenter specific MB.
So which board is the better buy Asus or Msi? Noticed asus has ECC memory
So which board is the better buy Asus or Msi? Noticed asus has ECC memory
Both boards probably have more features than most people need. They are in a similar class, and each has its strengths and weaknesses, for example MSI has more expansion slots and ASUS better M.2 Support (including 3 Gen 5). I have built with ASUS and MSI and have had good experiences with both, though many view ASUS as having the better reputation. If you are just gaming or building a home office computer ECC probably won't make a difference. Now if I was to pick between the two boards, ASUS has the best features for my case but others might find the MSI works better.
Last edited by scojoh February 6, 2026 at 11:30 AM.
I built a pc with this cpu a year ago. Out of curiosity I checked the prices today. What was a $800 build is now $1500. The notable increase was the ram from $92 to $479. But every component but the cpu had gone up, and that only went down $25 in a year.
If you don't need a new machine right now, don't get one. It's literal modern day highway robbery. Sellers know ram prices are up so they're putting everything up, even things that have not been impacted by AI infrastructure.
maybe you built it with the 9800x3d? the RAM and NVMEs sky rocketed. 3-400 now for mid tier vs last year or few years ago 100-300 max for top tier. i got hosed i bought all my stuff on tuesday same cpu, board, etc... then this sale went day after most of my stuff shipped i was tempted to send it back and reorder but not sure its worth the 2-300 savings and waiting over another week for everything lol.
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Community Reviews
This bundle is mainly attractive as a high end Ryzen 7 and X870E platform at a lower price than recent Micro Center offers. The board is valued for ECC support, and the current $650 price compares well with past bundles that paired similar CPUs and boards with RAM or even a cooler. The big drawback is that no DDR5 RAM is included, and the separate memory cost is described as steep enough to erase much of the appeal. It feels strongest for anyone already planning a build and willing to source RAM separately.
Common Questions (3)
No RAM is included, so you still need to buy a DDR5 kit separately. That matters because DDR5 pricing is high enough that the total build cost can jump a lot without a memory bundle.
It can be better if you want the lower $650 price and an X870E board with ECC support, while Micro Center's comparable ECC bundle is around $950. If you do not care about ECC, Micro Center's lower-priced bundle can be closer in value, especially when RAM is included.
Earlier bundles included extras like 32GB RAM and even a free AIO cooler, and one similar Micro Center deal paired a better ASUS board with 32GB RAM for $800. This current deal is cheaper at $650, but it leaves RAM out, so the total cost can rise quickly.
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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If you don't need a new machine right now, don't get one. It's literal modern day highway robbery. Sellers know ram prices are up so they're putting everything up, even things that have not been impacted by AI infrastructure.
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