ChipFlip
A used motherboard can cost $200 or it can cost $900. Before paying for the top of that range, here's what the extra money is actually buying, using real tracked listings as the reference points.
What separates a $200 board from an $800 one
The Gigabyte B850 Aorus Stealth tracks at $209.70 and the MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk Max WiFi tracks at $793, both AMD platforms, nearly four times the price gap. The jump buys a stronger power delivery system for higher-end CPUs, more M.2 storage slots, better connectivity like faster networking and more USB options, and typically a stronger VRM setup for sustained heavy loads. None of that matters if the CPU going into the board doesn't need it.
Match the board to the CPU, not the other way around
A budget or mid-range CPU doesn't benefit meaningfully from a flagship motherboard's power delivery, since it was never going to draw enough power to stress a cheaper board's VRMs in the first place. Buying a $793 board for a modest chip is money spent on headroom that chip will never use.
Where the expensive board earns its price
High-core-count CPUs pushed hard, serious overclocking, or a build packed with multiple high-speed NVMe drives and add-in cards that need the extra connectivity. The ASUS ROG STRIX TRX40-XE at $499 exists specifically for AMD's workstation-tier Threadripper platform, a different category of buyer entirely from someone running a mainstream chip.
The used-market angle
Motherboards carry real risk buying used, more than most components. Bent CPU socket pins, a fried M.2 slot, or a damaged PCIe lane aren't always visible in photos and won't show up until you're already troubleshooting a build that won't boot. Ask sellers directly whether the board was tested with a CPU installed, not just visually inspected.
Bottom line
Don't buy motherboard tier as a status symbol. Figure out what your CPU and storage plans require, then buy the cheapest board that covers it. The gap between $200 and $800 is real, but only if you're going to use what it buys.