After a long time, you have finally decided to give yourself a new PC and, since your computer friend has offered to help you, you have every intention of choosing its internal components one at a time. Aware of the “hierarchy” that dominates the hardware of a PC, you have decided to start your “journey” right from the best motherboard for gaming , that is, from that component that manages the entire data traffic in and out of the PC itself. For this reason, you opened Google in search of what are the best motherboards for gaming of the moment and you ended up here, on my website.
If this is the way things are, I am happy to let you know that you are in the right place, at the right time! In the course of tutorial, in fact, I will list the fundamental parameters to taken consideration when choosing a new motherboard for gaming , and then show you some very specific models, divide by category, which stand out for their excellent quality ratio. /price.
So, without waiting a moment longer, make yourself comfortable and carefully read everything I have to explain on the subject: I’m sure that, at the end of this guide, you will surely be able to opt for the solution that best suits your needs. Having said that, there is nothing left for me to do, except wish you good reading and … good shopping!
Characteristics of best motherboards for gaming:
Before listing what, at the moment, are the best motherboards for gaming on the market, let me give you some more information about the distinctive parameters of devices of this type.
Form factor:
The first aspect to take into consideration is, of course, the form factor (or form factor ) of the card, i.e. the physical size of the same. Since there are PC cases of different sizes and shapes, you have to make sure that the card of your choice fits comfortably inside. Currently, the most popular form factors are the following.
- ATX (or Advanced Technology eXtended ) – these best motherboards for gaming , which measure 305 × 244 mm , fit comfortably into “regular” sized cases. They are currently among the most popular, as they have all the slots and ports necessary to set up a complete PC without “external” additions.
- MicroATX – cards measuring 244 × 244 mm respond to this form factor . Although slightly smaller in height than the previous ones, these best motherboards for gaming allow you to build more compact.
- Mini-ITX – motherboards corresponding to this form factor have a very small size, equal to 170 × 170 mm . Generally, they are used for the construction of miniPCs used as multimedia servers, suitable for small desks or, again used.
Although there are still other form factors, albeit much less common, I suggest you move towards one of those listed.
Usually, ATX cases also support microATX and mini-ITX motherboards but, in any case, I invite you to always check dimensions.
Socket best motherboard for gaming
The socket , in a motherboard, indicates the number and position of the metal contacts present in the slot dedicated to the CPU. Consequently, it is very important to verify that the socket on the motherboard is compatible with the processor of your interest (or that you already own), always keeping in mind that the sockets compatible with Intel CPUs are irremediably different from those dedicated to AMD processors. . At the time of writing this guide, the most famous (and popular) sockets are the following.
- LGA 1151 – is socket compatible with processors of Skylake families (6 to generation), Kaby Lake (7 to generation) and Coffee Lake (8 a and 9 a generation) Intel Core, in i3 version, i5, i7 or i9 .
- AM4 – is the socket dedicated to AMD Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 processors.
- FCBGA 1526 – currently less prevalent, is the socket dedicated to the Intel Core family of 10 Ice Lake in generation (i3, i5, or i7 i9).
So, before making any purchase, take care to Google the socket with which the CPU in your possession is compatible.
Chipset:
Another component not to be underestimated is the chipset , that is the series of connectors, physical paths and, in general, integrated circuits that dominate the functioning of the motherboard, coordinating the transit of data between CPU, RAM, disks and other peripherals connected to the PC.
A cheap chipset could result in lower communication speeds (or even complete incompatibility) for CPU and RAM; moreover, you may find yourself without all the ports or slots necessary to house the other components of your computer. Conversely, in most cases, a high-end chipset allows you to get full support for most of the hardware available.
In any case, the choice must be made base on the processor of interest below you can find some popular.
Intel
- B360 (the cheapest)
- B365
- H370
- Q370
- Z390 (the most expensive)
AMD
- B350 (the cheapest)
- X370
- B450
- X470
- X570 (the most expensive)
RAM support
The RAM slots , in most cases, are positioned immediately next to the motherboard socket: this is a strategic choice, designed to minimize the journey that data must take to move from the central memory to the CPU.
On larger motherboards (ATX and microATX), generally, there are 4 slots for installing RAM memory modules; on the mini-ITX cards, on other hand, the slots available are reduce to two. At the time of writing this guide, almost all modern motherboards support DDR4 However, it is not necessary to use all the slots available to make the computer work: personally, I recommend that you always use half of the available slots, in order to take advantage of the dual-channel (a technology that improves memory performance , when the benches in use are identical); moreover, by doing so, you will have additional slots available that you can use for future upgrades, or should those.
Integrated peripherals
If you are reading this guide for the purpose of building a new computer, you will pleased to know.
For example, some motherboards for gaming include the Wi-Fi module and Bluetooth , sometimes even with external antennas; others, on the other hand, may have the integrated audio module and / or video module , together with inputs for connecting speakers, headphones, microphones, monitors and other peripherals of this type.
So, if you don’t need high video computing power for games, if you want to use Wi-Fi connections or, again.
Bus and connection ports:
The last parameter, but only in order of list, to consider when in motherboard gaming is its expandability factor : to make the computer work at its best and prepare it for future update, it is essential that the motherboard is equippe with a good number of connection ports and buses for connecting internal and external components. Here are the slots that should never missing on a motherboard.
- SATA – the buses for connecting mass memories (hard disks or SSDs) and optical drives. For a home computer, 4 SATA III type ports are sufficient, but have a greater number.
- PCI-Express x16 – is the connection slot dedicated to discrete video cards . On mini-ITX motherboards there is only one bus of this type, while larger motherboards provide at least two CrossFire configurations.
- PCI-Express x1 – is a slot, small in size and located near the PCI-Express x16 bus, which can accommodate other internal modules, such as Wi-Fi / Ethernet cards or dedicated sound cards. Typically, this bus is absent on mini-ITX motherboards.
- M.2 Slot (NGFF) – is a bus that allows you to connect solid state memories compatible with the M.2 standard: the operation is identical to that of SSDs , but, thanks to the potential of this technology, the transfer speed data is significantly higher.
As for ports, here are the ones that should always be present on a well-stocked motherboard.
- USB ports – the number of ports on the gaming motherboard should be high: at least 6 rear ports, two of which should be USB 3.0 or, better yet, USB 3.1. Some motherboards for gaming also have the USB Type-C connector (those with the connector that minsert either way).
- Jack audio input – motherboards with an integrated audio module generally allow the connection of audio peripherals via 3.5 mm jacks, divided by color. The number of ports present varies according to the power and functionality of the audio chip soldered to the motherboard.
- Digital audio input – the integrated audio module can also have coaxial or optical (Toslink) output, for better audio performance.
- Ethernet port – is the port that can be used to connect the PC to the router or printer, via a network cable.
- Video Outputs – best Motherboards for gaming equipped with an integrated video module have video outputs for connecting the monitor, which are exposed on the back of the case. Currently, the most popular output is HDMI, however it is common to find DVI or DisplayPort type ports as well. In older motherboards, there is also VGA output.
Which Gaming motherboard to buy
Now that you have precise information on the parameters to keep in mind when evaluating a new best motherboard gaming.
Best Gaming ATX motherboards
Let’s start this buying guide starting from the best ATX motherboards , the ones with the largest dimensions (and the generally more complete hardware equipment).
MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX (AMD)
The MSI B450 TOMAHAWK MAX is undoubtedly the ATX motherboard dedicate to those who intend to assemble a computer with good performance, without spending a lot. It supports AMD’s Ryzen CPU family, DDR4 type RAM memories has slots dedicated to SATA disks, M.2 type memories equippe.
Asus PRIME Z390-P (Intel)
The Asus PRIME Z390-P , on the other hand, is an ATX-format motherboard dedicate to those who own (or intend to buy) a CPU from the Intel family. Equipped with LGA 1151 socket, this motherboard features Intel Z390 chipset and integrated audio, video, Ethernet and Wi-Fi modules. It is compatible with DDR4 type RAM memories.
Asus Z390 ATX ROG MAXIMUS XI (Intel)
Although it is brand ROG ( Republic of Gamers, the acronym that Asus dedicate to component dedicate to games), the Asus Z390 ATX MAXIMUS XI is an excellent motherboard suitable for anyone who wants to assemble a PC well prepare for future updates. Equipped with LGA 1151 socket it is design for the convenient installation of a liquid cooling system has two USB.
Best Gaming microATX motherboards
Let’s now move on to microATX motherboards , those slightly smaller in size but, generally, just as complete as regards hardware.
Gigabyte B450M DS3H (AMD)
The “little one” from Gigabyte , albeit with an extremely low quality price ratio, must certainly take into consideration because hardware.
Asus PRIME B450M-A (AMD)
The Asus PRIME B450M-A motherboard is one of the best solution in the mid-range of the market dedicate to microATX video cards. It is equipp with an AM4 socket (compatible, therefore, with the CPUs of the AMD Ryzen family), compatible with DDR4.
Best mini-ITX motherboards
If you interested in assembling a small computer, to use as a home PC, console or multimedia “box”, you evaluate.
Gigabyte H310N 2.0 (Intel)
Compact but functional, the Gigabyte H310N 2.0 has everything you need to assemble a complete PC: LGA 1151 socket (therefore for Intel-branded CPUs), integrated audio, video and Ethernet modules, 4 USB ports (including two USB 3.0) and dual PS / 2 inputs to ensure compatibility with older mice and keyboards.
Gigabyte B450 i Aorus Pro (AMD)
Also belonging to the “compact” family, the Gigabyte B430 i Aorus Pro (equipped with AM4 socket, therefore compatible with AMD brand CPUs) integrates, in an extremely small space, everything that a computer with average performance high should have: support for DDR4 RAM, audio modules, video (with dual HDMI input), integrated Ethernet and Wi-Fi, 6 USB ports (including 4 USB 3.0 and 2 USB 3.1 Gen 3) and PCIe Gen3 X4 M slot .2 with thermal protection.
ASUS ROG Strix H370-I (Intel)
Although it is a compact dedicated to gamers, the ASUS ROG Strix H370-I can be used to build a high-performance mini-computer well prepared for future upgrades. In this case, this motherboard has LGA 1151 socket (compatible with Intel CPU), integrated audio, video, Ethernet and Wi-Fi modules.
Best gaming motherboards
The best motherboards for gaming deserve a fully dedicated section of this guide: it is, in fact, card.
ASUS TUF Z390-PRO Gaming Wi-Fi (Intel):
You can hardly ask for more from a gaming motherboard of this type: LGA 1151 socket for Intel processors, integrated.
ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (AMD)
Another excellent gaming motherboard, dedicate this time to owners of AMD CPU (socket is AM4), the ASUS TUF Gaming X570.
ASUS ROG Strix X570-E (AMD)
Also in this case, we are in the presence of a gaming motherboard with an ATX form factor and compatible.
Asus 390 ATX ROG MAXIMUS XI (Intel)
Currently, this best motherboards for gaming represents one of the top of the range of the Asus ROG family . Equipped with sophisticated systems for cooling and temperature monitoring it has LGA 1151 sockets, integrated audio, video. The ASUS proposal, however, meets the e-ATX (or Extended ATX) standard, which makes it slightly wider than ATX cards (measuring 305 × 330mm).
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