Quick shopping tips:
Contents
- CPU socket: The socket of the CPU and the socket of the slot on the motherboard must be matched. In this article, we only mention products of recent generations: AMD AM4 motherboards, Intel LGA 1200 motherboards, and Intel LGA 1151 motherboards.
- Motherboard form: There are four popular motherboard forms: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, and mini-ITX. The bigger motherboards usually have more features than the smaller ones.
Remember to choose suitable cases to fit the motherboard size, especially when using an E-ATX motherboard or a mini-ITX motherboard. - Motherboard tier: Like many other components, we can divide motherboards into three traditional tiers: entry-level, mid-range, and high-end.
Each motherboard tier has different features: ports, cooling solution, VRM design, RGB lighting, gigabit ethernet, PCIe type, and the number of PCIe lanes,… - Extra ports and features: Some ports and features are not for everyone because they cost more. Such as 2nd or 3rd M.2 SSD slot, SLI support, PCIe 4.0, RAID, dual gigabit ethernet, and extreme overclocking features.
Best motherboards for gaming
1. ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Dark Hero
Best X570 motherboard for high-end AMD gaming PC
SPECIFICATIONS
- Form Factor: ATX
- Socket: AM4
- Chipset: AMD X570
- Power stage: 14+2 IR3555 PowIRstages
- Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4
- Multi-GPU support: Supports NVIDIA 2-Way SLI, AMD 3-Way CrossFireX, AMD 2-Way CrossFireX Technology.
- PCIe x16 type: PCIe 4.0
- Wi-Fi ready: Wi-Fi 6 (802. 11Ax) with MU-MIMO support
TODAY’S BEST DEAL
REASONS TO BUY
- Support high-end AM4 CPUs, even overclock
- Support multi GPU to both AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards
- PCIe 4.0 ready
- Wi-Fi 6 and Gigabit Ethernet LAN
- ROG Overclock features
REASONS TO AVOID
- A little pricey
- So many features can make it hard to follow
ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Darl Hero is one of the most high-end motherboards on the market. It has all the features you need and more. The motherboard has an excellent, strong design with a lot of covering shields and heat sinks.
The motherboard features PCIe 4.0 for GPU and SSD. It would help if you bought a PCIe 4.0 SSD to experience incredible NVMe 5GB/second transfer speeds. PCIe 4.0 SSDs are pretty hot when running, but the motherboard already has heat sinks, which help cool down the M.2 SSD.
The X570 Crosshair VIII Hero has a lot of overclocking potential. If you are into this, buy a good PSU, cooling system, and a high-end Ryzen 5000 CPU. You will see how great those additional overclocking features are. You can overclock the CPU, GPU, and RAM.
Another excellent feature of the motherboard is flashing the bios via USB without a processor or memory. Along with the debug led, it can be handy when you need to diagnose and fix your system.
The motherboard also comes with reinforced PCIe slots, excellent audio output. The board’s RGB lighting is enough for basic needs.
Alternate choices:
ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming ATX Motherboard
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero X470
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2. ROG Maximus XIII Hero (WiFi 6E) Z590 LGA 1200
Best Z590 motherboard for high-end Intel gaming PC
SPECIFICATIONS
- Form Factor: ATX
- Socket: Intel 1200
- Chipset: Z590
- Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4
- Multi-GPU support: Supports NVIDIA 2-Way SLI Technology
- PCIe x16 type: 4.0 (Intel gen 11th only)
- Power stage: 14+2
TODAY’S BEST DEAL
REASONS TO BUY
- High-end motherboard for high-end PCs
- PCIe 4.0 ready
- Super speed thunderbolt connection
- Gigabit Ethernet ports
- Tri-band wifi and Bluetooth 5.2 are ready
- Extreme OC Kit
REASONS TO AVOID
- A little pricey
- You can not enjoy all features of the motherboard if you use 10th Intel CPUs.
If you are looking for a motherboard for your 11th high-end PC, this is the motherboard for you. You can also use the motherboard for 10th CPUs. However, you might not be able to use all features of the motherboard.
The ROG Maximus XIII Hero has everything you need for regular gaming or more. You can see the whole motherboard is shielded with a pre-mount IO cover and heat sinks. You can use maximum juice of the components, even push more with overclockable components like CPU, GPU, and RAM.
The motherboard allows you to use multi GPUs, many M.2 slots, SATA connectors, three gigabit-ethernet ports, tri-band wifi. It also has a lot of USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 4 ports (x2)! Read the manual before using more than one of any components (GPU, M.2 SSD, SATA drive) to make sure everything works.
Alternate choice:
ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WiFi 6E
ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming Z490- WiFi 6
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(Image credit: Amazon)
3. ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming (WiFi 6)
Best AMD motherboard for mid-range gaming PC
SPECIFICATIONS
- Form Factor: ATX
- Socket: AM4
- Chipset: AMD B550
- Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4
- Multi-GPU support: AMD 2-Way CrossFireX Technology
- PCIe x16 type: 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 mode), 1 x PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot, the rest ports are PCIe 3.0
- Power stage: 12+2
TODAY’S BEST DEAL
REASONS TO BUY
- A B550 motherboard with high-end features
REASONS TO AVOID
- The price is a little costly for a B550 motherboard
- The PCIe safe slot latch is hard to handle for newbies
Although this is a B550 motherboard, it is not like other B550 ones. You can misread the ROG B550-F as a high-end X motherboard by the look. Just compare it with the motherboards above.
The motherboard has the high-end features of an X570 motherboard. It works with up to Ryzen 3000 CPUs out of the box. If you want to use more recent CPUs, you might want to upgrade to the newest bios.
The motherboard has PCIe 4.0 lanes for new GPUs and SSDs. You can run the latest GPUs and SSDs, which need PCIe 4.0 lanes for maximum performance. The Strix B550-F is still compatible with older PCIe 3.0 models.
Alternate choice:
MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK Gaming Motherboard
ASUS ROG Strix B450-F Gaming II
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(Image credit: Amazon)
4. ASUS ROG Strix B560-A Gaming WiFi
Best Intel motherboard for mid-range LGA 1200 gaming PC
SPECIFICATIONS
- Form Factor: ATX
- Socket: Intel 1200
- Chipset: B560
- Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4
- Multi-GPU support: CrossFireX AMD GPU
- PCIe x16 type: PCIe 4.0 for GPU, PCIe 3.0 for drives
- Power stage: 8+2
TODAY’S BEST DEAL
REASONS TO BUY
- 8+2 Teamed power stages with ProCool power connector, high-quality alloy chokes, and durable capacitors to support high power multi-core CPUs
- High-quality gaming audio
- A lot of I/O ports: HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 output, two M.2 slots, and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 USB Type-C
- WiFi 6 ready and Realtek 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
- Supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
REASONS TO AVOID
- A little costly for a B560 motherboard
- Unable to overclock CPU
If you want an excellent motherboard for your PC, but you don’t plan to do any overclocking, then the ASUS ROG Strix B560-A Gaming WiFi is the best choice for you. This one costs the same as a cheap Z590 motherboard but lacks some overclocking features and better-built quality.
Compared to other B560 motherboards, the Strix B560-A has 3 case fan headers, many I/O options, a high-speed USB C header, a better sound processor, a pre-mounted I/O shield cool heat sinks for VRMs, chipset, and M.2 SSDs.
The motherboard also has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and 2,5G Ethernet, ready for all kinds of devices and networks.
Alternate choice:
MSI MAG B460 Tomahawk Gaming Motherboard
Buy from Amazon
(Image credit: Amazon)
5. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi
Best Z390 motherboard for LGA 1151 builds
SPECIFICATIONS
- Form Factor: ATX
- Socket: 1151
- Chipset: Z390
- Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4
- Multi-GPU support: Support for NVIDIA Quad-GPU SLI and 2-Way NVIDIA SLI technologies, AMD Quad-GPU CrossFire and 3-Way/2-Way AMD CrossFire
- PCIe x16 type: PCIe 3.0
- Power stage: 12+1
TODAY’S BEST DEAL
REASONS TO BUY
- Supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel overclockable CPUs
- Cool looking and efficient advanced thermal design with multi-cuts heatsinks and heat pipes.
- Wi-Fi ready and Gigabit LAN: Intel CNVi 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Intel Gigabit LAN
- RGB FUSION 2.0 supports addressable LED & RGB LED strips
- Smart Fan with 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and some hybrid fan headers with FAN STOP
- Front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C header for high-speed connectivity
- Dual Ultra-Fast NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 with Thermal Guards for a long time operating
- Multi-Way Graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable Design
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not the latest technologies
The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO Wi-Fi is a hot pick in its time. There are LGA 1200 mobos and CPUs, but LGA 1151 builds are still good for value.
When holding the motherboard, the first thing you can feel is it has a thick, solid PCB that can easily support heavy CPU air coolers.
The second thing you can see is its reliable power phase. With 12+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution, you can use the motherboard to overclock any unlocked 1151 CPU. Remember to use a good CPU cooler; a custom cooling system is the best.
The motherboard features the Realtek ALCS1220 audio onboard codec, using quality capacitors. It is good enough for gaming, music, and movies.
You can also see two M.2 NVMe slots for SSDs with heat sinks, Intel AC wifi, and an Intel gigabit NIC which are pretty enough for fast storage and connectivity.
In addition, as many high-end motherboards, the Aorus Z390 Pro Wi-Fi also supports SLI and CrossfireX multi GPUs. The PCIe slots are reinforced with metal to prevent the motherboard and the graphics cards from bending or breaking.
Alternate choice:
ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard LGA1151
MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC LGA1151
Buy from Amazon
(Image credit: Amazon)
6. ASRock B450M PRO4 AM4
Best budget am4 motherboard
SPECIFICATIONS
- Form Factor: Micro ATX
- Socket: AM4
- Chipset: AMD B450
- Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4
- Multi-GPU support: Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX and CrossFireX
- PCIe x16 type: PCIe 3.0
- Power stage: 9 Power phase
TODAY’S BEST DEAL
REASONS TO BUY
- Support all AM4 CPUs, including the latest CPUs
- Able to overclock AMD AM4 CPUs, at entry-level though
- Supports an M.2 NVMe SSD for fast loading speed
REASONS TO AVOID
- Unable to run high power CPUs
There is not much to discuss the Asrock B450M Pro4. The motherboard is a budget choice for AM4 builds. You can experience many features from basic to advanced, even overclocking the RAM, CPU, and GPU.
Remember not to push your system too hard. The motherboard is not built for overclocking high-end CPUs.
Alternate choice:
Buy from Amazon
(Image credit: Amazon)
FAQs
1. Which motherboard brands are best for gaming?
Most brands have their own products for gaming. You can choose one of the following series:
- ASUS ROG STRIX
- ASUS ROG MAXIMUS
- GIGABYTE AORUS
- MSI MAG
- MSI MPG
- ASRock Taichi
- etc
2. Do motherboards make a difference in gaming?
The short answer is no. As long as your system works properly at default loads, the motherboard has no impact on gaming performance.
However, when you want to overclock your system (CPU, GPU, RAM), the motherboard impacts gaming performance. Many cheap Z Intel motherboards and cheap AMD motherboards can do overclocking. But if you want your overclocked system to work properly for a long time, a reliable motherboard is a must-have.
3. Are motherboards worth upgrading?
It depends.
If you upgrade from a budget CPU to a high-end CPU and/or GPU, you should upgrade your motherboard, maybe a new power supply, too. But if you make a small upgrade for your PC, like add one more RAM stick, a little more powerful CPU, or GPU, you might not have to upgrade your motherboard.
You better pay attention to your power supply. When people often have problems with the power supplies more than with the motherboard.
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