Selecting a motherboard for your setup is a hugely important part of building your PC. Although it might seem like a daunting task, choosing from the hundreds of available options on the market, if you know your requirements and have a clear understanding of the necessary components, it is a rather simple task.
In this article, we will dive deep into the main features of motherboards and also pick some of the best motherboards on the market if you are looking to purchase a new one.
Table of Contents
The main things you have to keep in mind when choosing a motherboard are:
Chipset : The chipset of a motherboard is the part that determines what kind of processor you can use and also how good the performance of that processor will be. Modern chipsets have many features like overclocking, higher bus speeds etc. Higher end chipsets also support more PCIe lanes and more USB ports.
For Intel processors, you have the option of Z-series motherboards or H-series. The Z-series being the higher end models with overclocking support and generally more ports and PCIe lanes.
For AMD processors, you can choose from B-series or X-series. The B series motherboards are relatively cheaper but lack the number of ports found in X-series. So, it ultimately boils down to how many ports you will need,and how much overclocking you want to do.
Expansion Slots : Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) is a very high speed bus that’s found in the CPU or the motherboard. With this slot, you can connect devices like graphics cards, solid state drives, capture cards and network adaptors to your motherboard. Since they are high speed, there is virtually no lag when using these ports. Having more PCIe slots means you can use more high speed components in your system. Modern PCIe slots have better bandwidth and hence better performance.
When choosing your motherboard, be sure to check how many PCIe slots it has and more precisely how many lanes it supports. Having wider lanes means its bandwidth will be greater and hence it will ensure better performance.
RAM Slots: Not all motherboards have the same amount of RAM slots. So be wary of this. Most smaller boards have two slots while full size motherboards have 4 slots of RAM. Ofcourse, as you go higher up in price and size, you will get more slots.
Form Factor: Sometimes, getting the largest board is not the best option. Depending on the size of your cabinet, you will have to choose your motherboard. You won’t be able to fit a full size motherboard if your cabinet is only a small 10L small form factor case.
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Motherboards come in some standard sizes :
ATX : These are considered full size. These generally have seven expansion slots and four RAM slots.
eATX or Extended ATX: These are even larger than the standard ATX boards. These are generally used by enthusiasts and professionals who need more power and expansion.
Micro ATX: A slightly smaller form of ATX with two expansion slots and four RAM slots. These are meant for mini towers cabinets but can also fit in normal ATX cabinets.
Mini ITX: These are the smallest variants. They are meant for Small Form Factor(SFF) build and have one PCIe slot and two RAM slots.
External Ports: Be sure to check the amount of external ports you have on the motherboard. Most motherboards have USB 3.0 ports, but of varying generations, so checking these is important. Some may have Thunderbolt ports too, which is a big plus if you use devices that use Thunderbolt. Another thing to check are the display ports. If you only use a single monitor then having an HDMI and DisplayPort should be enough, but for multi monitor setups, having more display outputs is necessary.
Overclocking Support: This is a matter of personal preference. If you are planning to use your GPU and CPU to their fullest potential, then overclocking is a great tool. But not all motherboards will support this and it greatly varies from model to model.
| Feature | MSI B550M PRO-VDH | ASRock B450M Steel Legend | MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus | ASUS Prime X570-P/SCM | ASUS X570-E | MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX | ASUS Prime B450M-K | ASRock Z490 Extreme4 | Gigabyte Z490 Aorus PRO AX | MSI Z490-A Gaming Plus | Gigabyte H410M H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor Compatibility | AMD Ryzen 5000 series | AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen & 5000 series | AMD Ryzen 5000 series | AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen Processors | AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors | AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors | AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors | Intel 10th Gen Processors | Intel 10th Gen Processors | Intel 10th Gen Processors | Intel 10th Gen processors |
| Form Factor | Micro ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | Micro ATX | Micro ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | Micro ATX |
| RAM Slots | 4 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 2 DDR4 | 2 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 4 DDR4 | 2 DDR4 |
| Expansion Slots | 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16 | 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 2.0 x16 | 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16 | 1 PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x16 | 3 PCIe 4.0 x16 | 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 2.0 x1 | 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 2.0 x1 | 2 PCIe 3.0 x16, 3 PCIe 3.0 x1 | 3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 3 PCIe 3.0 x1 | 4 PCIe 3.0 x16, 3 PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x1 |
| M.2 Slots | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| USB Ports | 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0 | 2 USB 3.1 Gen 2, 6 USB 3.1 Gen 1 | – | 8 USB 3.2 Gen 2, 4 USB 2.0 | 7 USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 | 4 USB 3.2, 2 USB 2.0 | 6 USB 3.1 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0 | 9 USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 9 USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 6 USB 3.1 Gen 1, 4 USB 2.0 | |
| LAN | Standard LAN | Gigabit LAN | Wifi 6, Gigabit LAN | Gigabit LAN | Gigabit LAN | Gigabit LAN | Gigabit LAN | Gigabit LAN | Wifi 6, Gigabit LAN | Gigabit LAN | Realtek 8118 Gaming LAN |
| Audio | Standard Audio | 7.1 Channel HD audio | – | – | 7.1 Channel HD audio | – | – | 7.1 Channel HD audio | – | 7.1 Channel Audio | – |
| RGB Lighting | – | RGB Lighting | RGB Lighting | Aura Sync RGB | Aura Sync RGB | – | – | RGB Fusion 2.0 RGB | – | RGB Lighting | – |
| Price Range | Affordable | Budget-friendly | Mid-Range | High-End | Premium | Budget-Friendly | Budget-Friendly | High-End | High-End | Mid-Range | Budget-Friendly |
Here are some of our recommendations for motherboards, divided into two parts for Intel and AMD processors:
Best AMD Based Motherboards:
1. MSI B550M PRO-VDH
Highlights:
- DDR4 RAM Support
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports
- USB Type C
- Wifi
- Micro ATX form Factor
- Supports AMD Ryzen 5000 series chips
First up on our list is the MSI B550M PRO-VDH which is an excellent purchase if you want the best motherboard for the latest AMD Ryzen CPUs. Ofcourse older motherboards with the B450 chipset will still be able to support the new processors, but you will have to flash them yourself. So buying a B550 saves you the hassle and also gives you enough features to really make you consider these.
The motherboard has four USB Type A 3.2 Gen 1 ports and two Type A USB 2.0 ports. You get the standard LAN, DisplayPort, HDMI and audio ports. But this motherboard has the additional WiFi and Bluetooth connectors too. The board supports upto 128GB of DDR4 RAM, which is amazing, considering it basically future proofs your setup. You also have Addressable LED headers to control RGB lights should you install them in your setup.
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2. ASRock B450M Steel Legend
Highlights:
- AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processor and 5000 series support
- 2xUSB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports
- 6xUSB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports
- Gigabit LAN
- DisplayPort and HDMI port
- 2xM.2 slots (PCIe Gen 3 and SATA3)
- 7.1 Channel HD audio
- 4xDIMM DDR4 RAM Slots
The ASRock B450M Steel Legend is the best bang for your buck motherboard you can buy in the market right now. This board has a ton of features at a very reasonable price.The board has support for the latest 5000 series AMD Ryzen chips and has backward compatibility too.You get numerous USB 3.1 ports both on the front and rear panel.
The board has Gigabit LAN support and has ports for both DisplayPort and HDMI. The board supports a maximum of 128GB of DDR4 RAM and has 4 DIMM slots. You also get two M.2 drive slots, one of PCIe Gen 3 type and the other a STAT3 type. You also have RGB lighting on the board which is really great considering the price point.
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3. MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus
Highlights:
- Supports AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors
- ATX Form Factor
- DDR4 RAM Support
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 Support
- HDMI
For more gaming focused build, the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus is a great option. Apart from having support for the latest generation of AMD Ryzen 5000 Processors, the motherboard also has dual M.2 drives, PCIe 4.0 support which means very high performance. The motherboard also has support for upto 128GB of DDR4 RAM.The board has Wifi 6 support too which is a great advantage, considering fibre internet is slowly becoming a part of every metropolitan household.
The motherboard also has backwards compatibility, which means that if you want to fit older AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs in here, it will easily support them and perform just well if not better. And of course, since it is a gaming centric motherboard, it has RGB lighting. In terms of build quality, it is very well built and one notable thing is that it has I/O shields for better protection and convenience.
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4. ASUS Prime X570-P/SCM
Highlights:
- Supports AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen Processors out of the box
- Supports PCIe Gen 4.0
- Dual M.2 Drive Slots
- USB 3.2 Gen 2
- Aura Sync RGB
- ATX Form Factor
The ASUS Prime X570-P is a great higher end motherboard which is useful for people who want more performance for overclocking and need more expansion slots and RAM slots. The motherboard supports AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors and can be flashed to support the newer 5000 series processors too. The board has a slew of features and a number of ports.
There are a total of 8 USB ports out of which 2 are USB 2.0 ports and the rest are USB 3.0 ports. There are two M.2 drive slots for SSD drives and the board also supports PCIe Gen 4.0. Since it is an ASUS board, it supports Aura Sync which is the company’s own RGB lighting software.
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5. ASUS X570-E
Highlights:
- Wifi 6 Support
- Gigabit LAN
- 3xPCIe 4.0 support
- 2xM.2 Slots
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 Support
- Four DIMM 128GB DDR4 RAM support
- 7xUSB3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports on Rear Panel
- 1xUSB 3.2 Type C
For the big spenders and people who need the absolute best in terms of looks as well as performance, the ASUS X570-E offers it all. It has everything you will need in terms of ports and expansion slots to RGB lighting. But it will cost you. The board has support for AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors out of the box and can be flashed to support the latest generation. The board has a number of high end features that make it stand out. It has Wifi 6 support along with Gigabit LAN, it has three PCIe Gen 4 slots and two M.2 drive slots.
The board supports upto 128GB of DDR4 RAM and has 4 DIMM slots. Even more interesting is that on the rear panel, you get a total of seven USB 3.2 Gen 2 type A ports, so there is absolutely no chance of USB bottlenecks. You also get DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 2.0 ports on the back. The board also supports Aura Sync RGB lighting and has RGB LEDS on the board itself. It can be customised to your preference and looks very cool if you are into it.
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6. MSI B450M PRO-M2 MAX
Highlights:
- Two DIMM DDR4 RAM Slots
- 4xUSB 3.2 Ports
- 2xUSB 2.0 Ports
- PCIe Gen 3 Support
- One M.2 Slot
- mATX Form Factor
- Supports AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors
The MSI B450M PRO-M2 Max is an excellent budget motherboard that has decent features at a very affordable price. If you are looking to build a PC without breaking the bank,then this is a solid contender. The board supports AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors and has backward compatibility too. You get two DIMM DDR4 RAM slots and one M.2 Drive slot.
In terms of ports, you have a total of six USB ports, out of which 4 are USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and two are USB 2.0 ports. You do not get any USB C ports unfortunately. Another thing to note is that the board does not have a DisplayPort, only a single HDMI port. The board also has a micro ATX form factor which means it is great for small form factor builds.
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7. ASUS Prime B450M-K
Highlights:
- Supports AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen processors
- Supports upto 32GB DDR4 RAM
- One M.2 Slot
- PCIe 3.0 Support
- Gigabit LAN
- 6xUSB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports
- Micro ATX Form Factor
The ASUS Prime B450M-K is another motherboard that is priced very well for its features and should be in your consideration if you are in the market for a budget build. The board supports AMD Ryzen 3rd gen processors and has backward compatibility.
You can have a maximum of 32GB of DDR4 RAM on the board, as it has two DIMM slots. You get one M.2 Slot for SSDs and the board supports PCIe gen 3. There are a total of six USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports which is great to have.
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Intel Based Motherboards:
1. ASRock Z490 Extreme4
Highlights:
- Supports Intel 10th Gen Processors
- 4xDDR4 DIMM RAM Slots
- 2xPCIe 3.0 x16, 3xPCIe 3.0 x1
- 2xM.2 drive
- 9xUSB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
- Gigabit LAN support
- HDMI and DisplayPort
- RGB lighting
- ATX Form Factor
The ASRock Z490 Extreme4 is a great motherboard for PC enthusiasts and professionals who want the best of the best hardware in the market. The motherboard supports Intel Core 10th Gen processors and has a ton of great features like having support for upto 4266Mhz DDR4 RAM. The board has four DIMM slots and supports upto 128GB of RAM.
You also get a lot of USB ports, all of which are USB 3.2,which means there will be no bottlenecks in transfer speeds. The board also has support for 7.1 Channel HD audio, which means that you will be able to enjoy full surround sound. The board has RGB lighting on it and it looks really good. It also has software for configuring the RGB lighting to your heart’s content.
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2. Gigabyte Z490 Aorus PRO AX
Highlights:
- Supports Intel Core 10th Gen processors
- 4xDIMM RAM slots (DDR4)
- Intel Optane Memory Ready
- Wifi 6 support
- Gigabit LAN support
- RGB Fusion 2.0 RGB
- ATX Form Factor
While a bit on the more expensive side, the Gigabyte Z490 Aorus PRO AX is a great motherboard for people who really want to overclock and get the most out of their CPU. The motherboard has four DIMM slots that support upto 128GB of DDR4 RAM. The board also has support for upto 7.1 channel Audio and has S/PDIF out ports too.
As for internet connectivity, you get Gigabit LAN support and Wifi 6 support which are really great features for future proofing your PC. The board also supports Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossFire connection for multi GPU setups. There are two M.2 slots and six SATA connectors. In terms of ports, you get two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C ports, two USB 3.2 Gen2 type A ports and five USB3.2 Gen 1 ports. The board also has minor RGB lighting, which is subtle but still looks good.
3. MSI Z490-A Gaming Plus
Highlights:
- Supports Intel Core 10th Gen Processors
- Supports upto 4800Mhz DDR4 RAM
- Premium Thermal Solution
- Gigabit LAN Support
- 4xDIMM Slots(upto 128GB RAM)
- RGB Lighting
- 6xUSB ports
- 7.1 Channel Audio support
- ATX Form Factor
The MSI Z490-A Plus is another great offering by MSI that has a lot of features at a great price. The build quality is excellent and it has numerous heatsinks on the board to keep temperatures in check. The board supports the 10th gen Intel Core processors and can easily overclock the processors without breaking a sweat.
The board has four DIMM slots and supports up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM and can utilize 32GB RAM sticks per slot. The board also has Gigabit LAN support and has two M.2 slots. There is also a healthy dose of RGB lighting on the board and looks really good. Of Course you can customize the lighting to your preference.
4. Gigabyte H410M H
Highlights:
- Supports Intel Core 10th Gen processors
- Dual Channel RAM support
- 2xDIMM Slots
- 2xUSB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports
- Realtek 8118 Gaming LAN
- 1xM.2 Slot
- Micro ATX Form Factor
The Gigabyte H410M H is an excellent budget board that deserves a spot on your shopping cart if you are looking to make a budget build. The board supports Intel Core 10th Gen processors but unfortunately, it won’t be able to overclock the processors. Even if you do, the heat management won’t be that great so keep that in mind. The board has two DIMM slots that support DDR4 RAM. The size of the board is micro ATX so it will easily fit smaller cases. The board also has two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports along with two USB 2.0 ports.
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This content is collaboratively crafted and vetted by Shubham, a Mechanical Engineering specialist. His passion for unraveling the intricacies of machinery and consumer electronics mirrors his avid interest in gaming. With his wealth of expertise, Shubham adeptly navigates readers through the complexities of audio, home appliances, and everyday products, guaranteeing a smooth and enjoyable shopping journey. For every product you read about on this site we do rigorous research and testing behind the scenes to bring you the best value for money options. For any query directly reach out to me at my personal Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shubhamgarg8024/
