On 10/17/26 07:11, Landon wrote:
Hello Debian users,
I'm planning to build a new desktop computer running Debian 13
(Trixie), and I'm looking for recommendations for a reliable
AMD AM5 motherboard.
I've been using Debian for years. My current desktop has a
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P FX motherboard with an AMD FX-8370 CPU.
It's approximately ten years old and has been extremely reliable.
I'm hoping to get similar longevity from my new computer.
I use my computer throughout the day, so stability and reliability
are considerably more important to me than overclocking or extra
features. I would particularly like to avoid motherboards with
persistent BIOS/UEFI, Ethernet, or other hardware problems.
The planned system includes:
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB
- 32 GB DDR5-6000 EXPO RAM, with possible future expansion
- Samsung 9100 PRO 2 TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD
- At least two SATA drives
- Debian 13 with its standard kernel and packaged drivers
I'm willing to run the RAM at a lower speed if necessary for
long-term stability.
My motherboard requirements are:
- ATX form factor
- Reliable 2.5 GbE or faster wired Ethernet
- PCIe 5.0 x16 for the GPU
- At least one PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe slot that doesn't reduce GPU
bandwidth or disable SATA ports
- At least three usable SATA ports, including when the primary
NVMe SSD and any required PCIe expansion card are installed
- Native 20 Gbps USB (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2), or an available PCIe
expansion slot suitable for adding a 20 Gbps USB adapter.
The slot must remain physically accessible with the GPU
installed and must not reduce GPU or NVMe bandwidth or
disable the required SATA ports.
- Preferably $200-$300, with $400 as an absolute maximum
- Good BIOS/UEFI stability and ongoing security updates
USB4, Wi-Fi 7, and optical audio are optional. I'd prefer mature,
well-supported hardware over newer features.
I'm particularly interested in hearing from people who have
firsthand experience running Debian on AM5 motherboards,
especially with Ryzen 9000-series processors.
Which exact motherboard models and revisions have worked
reliably for you? How long have you been using them?
Have you experienced any Ethernet disconnections, USB problems,
BIOS regressions, boot failures, or other hardware instability?
Which BIOS version and kernel are you using?
If possible, please also mention which Ethernet controller your
motherboard uses and whether it works reliably with Debian's
in-kernel drivers.
I'd also appreciate recommendations for models to avoid if
you've encountered serious, reproducible problems.
My goal is a dependable Linux desktop that I can use for many
years without constantly troubleshooting motherboard issues.
Thanks in advance for your recommendations.
Landon
What workload(s) are you going to run on the computer? Notably, why the
high performance graphics card?
I use and recommend ECC memory. Memory has become astronomically large,
such that bit error rates are no longer astronomically small.
I put each OS on a small disk and install mobile racks in all of my
computers; where possible. This allows me to mix and match OS's and
computers as desired. I am not aware of M.2 NVMe PCIe 5.0 racks yet,
but StarTech does make PCIe 4.0/3.0 units:
https://www.startech.com/en-us/hdd/m2-removable-pcie-n1
I question the Windows practice of putting the OS on the fastest disk.
My ideas for a high-performance workstation include:
* OS disk should contain only the boot loader, the kernel, configuration
files, apps, and daemons. Once the OS is booted and the apps/ daemons
are running, the OS disk should see little activity (/var/log). A SATA
I, II, or III disk-on-module should be sufficient.
* There should be enough RAM such that swapping does not occur. Put tmp
and/or caches on a RAM file system if the apps/ daemons need it.
* Hot storage should be on a high-performance array. ZFS
stripe-of-mirrors on Optane U.2 disks is my wish-list.
* Persistent storage should be on a storage server/ NAS with a short,
fast network connection.
David
