Top 15 motherboards

A motherboard, motherboard or the common board is a complex and basic component when building a computer, which is used to house all the elements for running the system. The main execution materials are textolite and getinaks, created using special printing technologies. Motherboards are available in several basic form factors:

• Micro-atx
• Mini-ATX
• ATX

Mini-ATX are used to build entry-level systems or mini-assemblies to save space and budget. Their main disadvantage is the lack of sufficient space for upgrade and installation of powerful components. Micro-ATX are installed in mid-level systems and can accommodate both low-budget and some top-end components. ATX are used in the assembly of high-end systems that require not only a lot of space for the component base (such as a video card or cooling system), but also high-quality materials of the board itself in order to withstand heavy loads.

We picked the top 15 best motherboards for assembling gaming computers on the most popular and current sockets in 2019.

The best motherboards for AM4

AM4 is designed to replace the outdated platform on the AM3 +, depriving it of its shortcomings and at the same time to contend with the now popular LGA1151. Its main innovations include:

• Support for new format DDR4 RAM and up to 3200 MHz;
• Stable work with multi-threaded Ryzen processors with integrated graphics and without it;
• Low heat emission, on average 65 W;
• Supports USB1 and 3.0 gen 2 at 5 and 10 Gbps.

The main disadvantage was the partial incompatibility of boards with previous sockets - only single models have support for them.

4 ASRock B450M Pro4

The board has 3 enhanced power phases and 3 regular ones, albeit in the lower arm and containing a pair of mosfets. Both VRM zones are covered with modest-sized radiators, but thanks to the cuts, they have an increased dispersion area for better heat dissipation. 6 cores in overclocking will keep the iron, but it will not work on the bus, since none of the boards on the 450 chipset have such functions.

Traditionally, the board has a curve for the ASRock BIOS. Buyers in their reviews praise many ports. There are 5 default slots for connecting coolers or water cooling systems. In order not to steam and burn the system once again, it is recommended to have a well-blown body or to purchase additional turntables. Considering the price, a great product came out, with the exception of a random house with masquets that vary from delivery to delivery.

 

3 MSI B450 TOMAHAWK

The power supply system keeps the acceleration of any six cores and is quite capable of pulling the Ryzen 2700 at 4 GHz without any overlays. This is the coldest of the B450 boards on the market thanks to its sturdy pitcher and horse-sized radiator.

The only hot spot is the controller. Offset is not here, but there is the possibility of autonomous BIOS firmware. "Tomahawk" has 4 slots for high-frequency RAM with a maximum of 3466 MHz. Supports first and second generation Ryzen processors. MSI did a lot of work and if it was still possible to get to the B350 chipset, then TOMAHAWK will withstand any criticism and give a big head start to competitors, despite not the best sound and network, which is justified by the manufacturer’s desire to maximize stuffing.

2 MSI X470 GAMING PLUS

The board has 4 + 2 enhanced power phases, each of which has acquired a double set of components. In the last generation, MSI surrendered under a flurry of criticism and stopped buying second-rate elements, catching up on the quality of ASUS. For his money has the best equipment VRM, even with a smaller number of phases, than the famous ASUS Prime. In general, it is also heated, but it is cheaper.

Among the shortcomings there is the impossibility of overclocking on the bus and the traditionally good overclocking potential of memory. No clock generator and voltage offset. Also cut the ability to overclock the integrated graphics APU. Thus, the board was an example of how you can save on minor things in favor of more important things. Mediocre sound and the network are compensated by a high-efficiency feeder, which is also not deprived of heating under load.

1 MSI X470 GAMING PRO CARBON

The Gaming PRO version has one more power phase, which has a positive effect on the temperatures and behavior of the board as a whole. As a result, MSI engineers managed to make a top pit among the pre-top mainboards. It is characterized by excellent memory overclocking, simple and clear BIOS with fast navigation. The conveniently located reset button on the I / O panel will also please the owner, who has decided to play around with the settings.

This board has opened a new era for MSI, having stopped dropping the voltage during overclocking. This feature is not the best way to influence the temperature and energy consumption in idle time, but oddly enough, it fully complies with AMD specifications. Not suitable for overclocking the APU due to missing settings in the BIOS. The maximum amount of RAM supported is 64 GB with a frequency of up to 3466 MHz.

The best motherboards for socket socket Intel LGA1150

The LGA 1150 socket replaces the LGA 1155 and is designed for most modern processors. If you do not care for overclocking, take the motherboard from MSI or GIGYBITE. Want to save on an external sound card? Then pay attention to the “boards” with the installation of not lower than Realtek 1150. The combination of all the above will give you a quality base for building an inexpensive computer for both work and games.

4 Esonic H81-BTC-KING

Among the famous competitors lost payment from Esonic.This is a rather modest "board", created exclusively for office purposes and to drive into simple browser-based toys without any hint of serious games or leveling.

2 slots for DDR3 RAM, only 4 power phases and an abundance of USB slots indicate that the place of this board only in the office is to print documents or just watch movies. Of the benefits - there are Japanese capacitors. There are 4 SATA extensions, which will allow miners to attach 6 video cards to the board at once.

3 ASUS B85M-G

Third place went to the motherboard ASUS B85M-G. It can be attributed to the best-selling models that are equipped with an Intel LGA1150 socket. The cost of the device is quite low, so it is very popular. Ideal for those who want to save money, and at the same time build a good multimedia system for home or office computer.

All external interfaces have reliable protection, the panel is made of steel, which does not corrode. The model is especially relevant for the office, as the manufacturer has equipped COM and LTP ports. In the presented motherboard, the cooling system is based on high-quality solid type capacitors that guarantee durability even at critical temperature conditions (up to 105 degrees).

USB 3.0 interfaces speed up to 170% when interacting with any compatible peripheral devices, as they have support for the UASP protocol. With regard to management and configuration, then even a beginner will understand. Software Al Suite 3 is simple and wide functionality.

2 ASRock H81 Pro BTC R2.0

With the latest BIOS versions, the board is capable of issuing up to 1.35 Volts to the processor, although this is not the maximum that is needed. However, these indicators are quite enough for most users who want to have 4.6-4.7 GHz in overclocking.

Outwardly, it seems quite simple and has only 2 external USB 3.0 ports, and plus two normal ones - laughter and only. Built-in sound card also does not stand out. However, the abundance of PCIe slots is captivating. There are only 2 slots for RAM with a total capacity of not more than 16 GB and a frequency of 1866 MHz. Buyers in their reviews say that this model can be safely used for mining, it has excellent compatibility with GTX1080 Ti video cards and is characterized by a good cooling system. Please note that there is one more port above the video card slot, which makes it possible to install any dimensional cooler to ensure vertical blowing.

1 GIGABYTE GA-B85M-D3H-A (rev. 1.0)

The board does not have any restrictions on overclocking, for which it has become one of the most popular and relatively inexpensive options. It supports many processors, the list of which is as follows:

• Intel Core i7;
• Core i5;
• Core i3;
• Pentium;
• Celeron.

The BIOS has built-in protection and disaster recovery system for overheating or critical errors. The maximum amount of RAM supported is 32 GB of DDR3 format with a frequency of no more than 1600 MHz. There is support for the CrossFire system.

The best motherboards for socket Intel LGA1151

The LGA 1150 socket replaces the LGA 1155 and is designed for most modern processors. If you do not care for overclocking, take the motherboard from MSI or GIGYBITE. Want to save on an external sound card? Then pay attention to the "boards" with the installation of not lower than Realtek 1150 and not worse. The combination of all of the above will give you a quality base for building a low-cost computer for both work and games.

4 MSI H110M PRO-VD

This model, in contrast to ASUS MAXIMUS VIII HERO, allows you to deploy a full-fledged gaming system with a relatively modest investment. The main advantage of the H110M PRO-VD is a large number of connectors: for devices with USB 3.1 support, 8 are provided here, and for SATA - as many as 6 (each bandwidth is up to 6 Gb / s). It is possible to install RAM memory standard DDR4 with a frequency from 2133 to 3600 MHz. There are 4 slots for this, which makes it possible to equip your PC with up to 64 GB high-speed and energy-efficient RAM.

You can also add to the list of advantages the built-in sound chip from Realtek - many manufacturers of expensive motherboards do not consider it necessary to add it to their solutions. In general, the H110M PRO-VD is not much inferior to the hardware capabilities of ASUS MAXIMUS VIII HERO, giving the latter a 30 percent odds in price. The reason for this is passive cooling: at maximum loads of a PC based on ASUS MAXIMUS VIII HERO, the drop in performance will be more noticeable.

3 ASRock Z370 Pro4

Not everyone will like that the radiators here are only on the left side and standard external USB is only 6. But in this case, given that the case will be under ATX and expansion slots 7, you can remove the memory strap with external USB ports. There is an option on the market for the Z370M Pro4 - the same thing, only Micro ATX and with the same problems. Although, in games it makes no difference whether there are radiators around the socket or not - the frequency of 5 GHz will be stable.

The maximum supported RAM is 64 GB, 4 slots are available with DDR4 support up to high frequency 4266 MHz. Buyers in their reviews praise convenient BIOS, good overclocking capabilities and the lack of ready profiles for overclocking. And advice: do not buy identical models on the H chipset - they are more expensive and there are no radiators on the socket. Be careful when buying - many manufacturers indicate support for SLI, but this feature is only available on single variants.

2 MSI Z370 KRAIT GAMING

Powerful radiators, a cool sound card, the ability to print additional accessories on a 3D printer - this is only a small part of all the features that the Z370 KRAIT GAMING can provide you. For lovers of pleasant appearance available lights. There are SLI, but the memory is officially supported only 4000 MHz. Therefore, you may feel that everything is cool, but what is missing. Audio Boost 4 with Nahimic 2+ technology will help you enjoy high-quality sound. It will help give your headset a studio-quality touch without noise and interference.

In case of problems, the built-in debugging system EZ Debug will help you, and, of course, convenient Click BIOS 5. The 2 slots for M.2 will help you easily install a couple of additional modules to expand the functionality. The only catch is a small overpayment for a strange design, without which you can safely do.

1 ASUS MAXIMUS VIII RANGER

The board is perfect for those who want to assemble a computer with high processor frequencies. With it, you can overclock the i7-6700 processor up to 4.9 GHz over the bus or up to 5 GHz over the multiplier in the case of the i7-7700K. 4 slots for RAM with a frequency of 3400 MHz and up to 64 GB - an excellent indicator for its category. What is good is the simultaneous support of SLI and CrossFireX technologies.

The board is made in a simple and spectacular design with no frills; the cooling of the supply phases is just great. On the site approximately every 1-2 months there are fresh drivers. CPU Installation Tool is better not to use, but to install the processor in the old way, so as not to break anything. The BIOS has many settings and the average user will have to read the manual and look at the guides in order to get comfortable with the controls.

Best motherboards for AM3 +

Socket AM2 + was the response of AMD to the creation of Intel LGA1150. These solutions combine two features: universality and affordability of motherboards based on them.A bonus for customers is the AMD AM1 module, which provides compatibility with subsequent generations of processors. The next step for AMD was a more productive AM3 +, designed specifically for the FX processor line and designed for overclocking top systems. Its characteristic features are the lack of integrated graphics, the “hot” north bridge, and good overclocking potential. At the same time, little is not limited to setting the multiplier - you need to “drive” along the bus, forgetting about voltage and RAM, the frequency of which for effective operation should not be less than 1866 MHz.

After an unexpected disclosure, as the techno-bloggers say, “danced” AM3 +, AMD significantly pressed Intel, finishing off a competitor with a line of low-cost “stones” of the A4-A10 series.

3 ASUS M5A78L-M LE / USB3

This is an entry-level motherboard, not designed for overclocking due to the 760G chipset, a relatively weak cooling system and a small number of power circuits. It is able to “start up” RAM with frequencies up to 1866 MHz, but there are only 2 slots for RAM and one dual-channel mode. The maximum amount of RAM is only 16 GB and it is no longer able to see.

It is simply not recommended to drive a processor above 4.1 GHz, otherwise you will see reboots and blue screens of death. Solid capacitors do not swell under load and performed very well. From the factory, it often comes with the latest or penultimate version of the BIOS, but it itself is already obsolete. It is not recommended to install processors with a TPD above 95 watts, otherwise the power supply circuits will become hot and the circuits themselves will melt. Sometimes come across defective versions with a sounding sound system at more than 50% percent of the volume.

 

2 GYGABITE GA970-DS3P (rev. 2.x)

Meet the national favorite, the choice of which fell on most buyers. The use of this plan is comparable to the Paganini violin playing - it is very difficult, but if you delve into the nuances, it is able to give the most vivid sensations from the gameplay. The optimal frequencies for FX are from 4.0 to 4.2 GHz, which increases heat generation to 125 watts, respectively, the north bridge and the power supply circuits no longer cope with this load and require additional coolers with a diameter of 40 mm to be placed, otherwise overheating will occur in 10-15 minutes.

The new BIOS shows itself well, now being configured not only with the keyboard but also with the mouse. The board has a slot for connecting USB 3.0, as well as 8 ports on the rear panel, 6 of which are USB 2.0. Realtek 7.1 is responsible for the sound, and the maximum supported memory frequency reaches 2000 MHz with a volume of up to 32 GB. Users in their reviews recommend not to get involved in overclocking without additional blowing, otherwise you can safely warm your hands about the system unit.

1 ASUS M5A99FX PRO R.2.0

This is the best and most affordable motherboard for processors FX, Phenom, Athlon 2, Sempron 100. And at the same time the most expensive. It does not stand out by the number of slots for the RAM - there are 4 of them in the classics. But the main trump card is the increased frequency of the OP - up to 2133 MHz. The maximum amount is 32 GB, which is enough for the eyes for all possible operations. On the periphery of the case there are powerful bridges radiators for passive cooling with heat pipes.

An important element is the set of 4-pin connectors for the connection of fans, since additional fans are often required to improve air circulation. I am glad about the presence of 8 power phases at once, which is why you should not worry about protecting the board from “burning out”. With a full and proper upgrade, the board can hold a 5.1 GHz FX8300 processor without any problems. The main execution material is strong hardboard for increased loads and heavy “tower” cooling systems.

 

How to choose a motherboard?

When choosing a motherboard, rely on the following aspects:

1. Compatibility - an important parameter when choosing a "motherboard".Any element and external device must be physically and programmatically compatible with the board. An excellent option would be a board, which means switching to another processor in case of improvement.
2. The required number for ports, slots and socket (socket - connector or "pocket" to connect the processor). It is integrated into all the boards, but as far as USB ports and other elements are concerned, they can vary depending on the modifications. This is especially important when building a reserve for an upgrade in the future.
3. The presence of cooling systems (cooling radiators) on the chipset. Chipset - a set of chips mounted on the motherboard. Most often, all the logic is tied to the north and south bridges. There are boards on which there are no bridges, but there is another scheme for organizing logic.
4. Other components: built-in sound controller (speaker connection), video adapter (analogue of an external video card), network controller (internet connection), CMOS battery, russified BIOS (optional), recovery firmware

Popular vote - who is the best motherboard manufacturer?
We vote!

ASUS

MSI

Gigabyte

ASRock

Esonic

Total votes: 369

Vote results