gaming motherboards Archives

Hey, guys, we're going to be checking out the 5 best gaming motherboard so you can buy right now I made this list based on my personal opinion and hours of research and I've listed them based on performance features and price I've included options for every type of consumer So whether you're looking for a budget gaming motherboard with some solid features or high-performance gaming motherboard that you can overclock we'll have the product for you if you want more information and updated pricing on the products mentioned be sure to check the list below 5 Best Budget Gaming Motherboards in 2020 [table id=2 /] Gigabyte B450M DS3H This is our best budget AMD gaming motherboard if you're building a budget PC looking for a gaming motherboard that will work great with your AMD CPU then the Gigabyte B450M DS3H is a solid and affordable option for you currently priced at 73$. Gigabyte B450M DS3H is a nice little guy and, I have to say every year every chipset that comes out every new product. that comes out there's always that one that strikes a balance between a lot of features that you want without a price point that blows you away. I think gigabyte has struck an outstanding balance if not they've checked a lot of those boxes so take a look at this motherboard. Specifically, in the design department first and foremost, we are looking at a micro ATX board. so whilst it won't fill up full-sized massive cases it still definitely will be enough to put in a mid-range case. which will help to keep prices down as ATX boards usually make you put more hardware in there and then you spend more money. Gigabyte B450M DS3H is pretty good as little, and it does get the job done though. with that being said connectivity is also not effective with two PCI Express 16x physical slots. one of them running at full 16x mode and the other one running at 4x electrically. we have all the connections you could use now when it comes to multi-video cards. Gigabyte B450M DS3H does support crossfire but not SLI as crossfire allows for dual 4x connections. In contrast, Nvidia SLI does require at least dual text connections speaking by PCI-express connectivity. we also to are looking at a full-size m dot 222 1/10 connector for support for the latest MDMA drives. if you are running an Aur Athlon series from the two hundred or seventh-gen series, you will keep in mind that these guys are limited to only SATA 3 devices. So, if you're running an Athlon can't run npm ii, but the rest is pretty much good to go. moving right along we also do get ourselves the standard 4 SATA port layout which I would like to see in budget boards. move away from 4 SATA ports to maybe something like six or even eight as more and more people do want more storage. as time does go on storage gets denser so for me as a storage enthusiast I would have liked to have seen a lay six ports here but the height for ports is going to get you by just there. we're also to looking at for Ramdev's support for up to 64 gigs of ram. the actual aesthetic of this board is nice offering a clean and simple design with their grain also to kind of brown motherboard PCB overall it looks not bad with the only build accent or design break being the gold. if you buy branding, I like the way that this comes out especially for a more budget board it wasn't that long ago. those motherboards that were on the budget whether we'd blue ones from gigabyte, the weird brown ones from like a soos and, ASA or like green which wasn't that great. so I'm pleased to see that looks are getting a lot better. if we take a little bit of a look closer, we see that the PCI Express slots themselves are reinforced with the little metal tab to help with any bending. I've never had a problem myself with bending PCI Express slots and also do we get ourselves an array of weird things. the gigabyte likes to sprinkle on the top of their motherboards such as this sulfur ionization protect termination thing. it protects against sulfur compounds in the air that can destroy tiny registers. whether or not this is going to make a difference. I don't exactly know, but hey it's a nice thing to have. I guess cool story gigabyte I don't exactly know we're going to be worrying about that too much because this is more of a budget board. but, hey another nice thing to have audios handled weather we will take alc889a to own it and, also two in terms of networking. we also do look at another real text setup here actually building with this mod more. I found it to be not too bad everything did slot into place however the lack of a right-angle SATA connector do you leave my cable runs a little but not great looking. so if you are looking at a building with this motherboard try it over yourself a case that either allows for the young SATA cables to come around and down and underneath their motherboard tray, or look at a different motherboard. because it's not going to look so great especially if you have a side panel window the 24 pin is a little bit higher. then I would have liked I guess it kind of makes sense being an em ATX motherboard in some cases out there that are em ATX form factor has the power supplies and weird locations now. so I guess that kind of makes sense however I do like a traditional setup where the 24 pin looks at it in the middle of the board is not the biggest deal. Moving on to the actual pluses and minuses on the plus side with this mother water delivers some excellent value for what it has to offer with plenty of expandability connectivity and everything you would expect out of a budget type of motherboard without blowing you away. with outrageous things that you probably don't need connectivity is definitely on point. With plenty of RAM plenty of PCI Express connectivity and heck, there are even RGB headers so if you right into the RGB nurse there's already a header on there for you. with plenty of other things like USB headers and all that kind of stuff, you'd expect out of most motherboards out there and not to mention the actual aesthetic is not too bad. I do like this aesthetic keeps things simple keeps inks classy for a very budget price point though they've been said on the downslide, The SATA ports aren't right-angle. Still, it just would have been nice to have right-angle SATA connectors as most cases do have SATA cutouts in the motherboard tray to go ahead and run that not the biggest star into the world. although there's this weird gap between three of them. so I don't know how that's also working another thing that I wasn't exactly sort of a big fan on was, unfortunately. there's only one BIOS chip sure we're not getting that many BIOS chips or many other motherboards. But it wasn't that long ago when a gigabyte was putting Jew biases on everything, so that's not the biggest deal-breaker. but would have been nice to see in case you do happen to brick one and also, there are only two fan headers on Gigabyte B450M DS3H I would have liked to see at least three maybe even four as a lot of people these days are going for an exhaust fan one if not two on the actual CPU cooler and then a front intake. which means you're having at least for sure again this is a motherboard that's on a budget but would have been nice to see at least three if not four and that would have saved us from having to buy either an adapter or a splitter or something along those lines all in all though. if the Gigabyte B450M DS3H haters rock all a little board for budget builders who are looking for a new APU from aim DS then line up or, if you're looking at building a new Zen system and don't want to go for the new x470 family the fact that Gigabyte B450M DS3H is based on the new 400 Suzette. Also, it means it's compatible with just about every aimed EAP and also Zen chip. that is based on there's architecture so big thumbs up everything works out of the box and all in all it offers all the connectivity. that you would expect from a budget board and even things that may not necessarily be considered budget from just a few years ago. like nvme, support plenty of RAM support PCI Express for multiple video cards you set up and ready to go with Gigabyte B450M DS3H, and the looks aren't too bad honestly Specifications: Supports AMD 1st & 2nd generation Ryzen/ Ryzen with Radeon Vega graphics processors Dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs HDMI, DVI D ports for multiple displays PCIe Gen3 M.2 NVMe High-quality audio capacitors and audio noise guard RGB fusion supports RGB LED strips in 7 colors Realtek Gigabit LAN Pros: great price for a budget gaming motherboard with this many features flexibility handles upgrades well perfect for entry-level builds durable built-in surge protection and plated power connectors increase longevity Cons: cooling relies entirely on your systems passive cooling so overclock with caution Conclusion: If you're creating your first budget build PC and you want a motherboard that goes well with your AMD rise in CPU then the Gigabyte B450M DS3H is a great fit with solid standard features that every budget gaming PC needs with room to grow ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming this is our best mid-range Intel gaming motherboard if you're building an Intel gaming PC with a few bucks to spare and looking for a solid gaming motherboard then the ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming motherboard is one of the best mid-range options for you currently priced at $170 The 7390 plus gaming was the top of its line when it released last year now serving is a great mid-range board with heavy-duty construction and solid functionality for your building you'll love the motherboards extremely striking design with slick yellow and black patterning across it plus full RGB lighting control on the multiple LEDs across it making your PC build shine. You'll notice that it's also got a heavy-duty sturdy feel to it weighing up to three times more than most in its class. it's built with certified military-grade materials with patented tough chokes to deliver steady power to the CPU for added system stability, and tough capacitors for more temperature tolerance and a longer lifespan. You'll also find the cooling system is also enhanced by fan expert 4 software which controls the system fans based on multiple sensors across the board so your system can stay perfectly cool during extended gaming sessions. if you're using a heavy-duty graphics card then you'll love the steel armored PCI Express slot which is specially designed to support heavier cards that prevent damage plus with 2 more PC eyes you can easily add multiple cards for extra power. It's also features integrated RGB lighting as well as RGB headers, which can be controlled through aura sync software and syncs with other compatible products. The Realtek S 1200 a port allows for excellent sound outputs and this board also features fan expert 4 for ultimate cooling and quietness Specifications: Designed for 9th and 8th generation Intel Core processors to maximize connectivity and speed with dual M.2, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.1 Gen2 Military-Grade TUF Components like TUF LANGuard, TUF Chokes, TUF Capacitors, and TUF MOSFETs maximize system durability Gamer’s Guardian with Safe Slot and FanXpert 4 provides hardware-level safeguards for maximum performance with dynamic system cooling 8-channel HD Gaming Audio with TUF Gaming Headphone featuring Realtek S1200A high definition audio codec driven by Japanese capacitors for warm, immersive sound ASUS Optimum II improves memory stability and performance by improving trace isolation between PCB layers to maintain signal integrity even at higher frequencies Pros: are durability built sturdy and from military-grade materials upgrades with multiple PCI slots and more this motherboard can handle multiple upgrades to your built intelligent design tough chokers and capacitors increased system stability and lifespan Cons: Wi-Fi the inbuilt Wi-Fi could be better not usually meeting top connection speeds. Conclusion: If you're building a mid-range PC and you need a motherboard that can give your Intel CPU great support while also providing a sturdy housing for the rest of your parts then the ACE whose tough z3 90-plus gaming is a fantastic choice GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ULTRA GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ULTRA this is our best overall Intel gaming motherboard if you're building a souped-up Intel gaming PC and want a gaming motherboard that will give you the support you need for a great build then the GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ULTRA is one of the best options for you currently priced at $245. The GIGABYTE AORUS ULTRA can handle some of the latest Intel CPUs and provides effective housing for all the high-end parts to match the first thing that you'll notice about your AORUS ULTRA is its style with gorgeous headers with full RGB treatment. So if you've got a case with a viewing window your motherboard will light up in an array of colors that can be customized with RGB fusion. if you're looking for high performance then you'll love the advanced thermal design the AORUS ULTRA provides with multi-cut heat sinks. while the direct touch heat pipe provides fantastic cooling performance during intense gaming the motherboard also features thermal guards between its three and point 2 SSD slots. GIGABYTE has gone with an all-black PCB with silver accents typically when it comes to the Aorus boards gigabyte likes to keep the colors neutral, and they let the RGB do the rest. This board is no different, and we'll be showing you the RGB lighting here in just a little bit starting at the CPU socket. We, of course, have Intel's LGA 1151 socket Z 390 board support both eighth and ninth-generation Intel Core processors. This board features a 12 plus one power phase design that makes use of a digital PWM controller and dr. Moss the deliberate power components are covered by two heat sinks. A heat pipe connects that, and this heat pipe will make direct contact with the MOSFETs for the best cooling performance. Gigabyte has sort of connected this heat sinks to the rear i/o cover which makes the top corner look like a single piece and me kind of really like that hidden towards. The top corner of the board is your 8 plus 4 EPS connector as well as a four-pin fan header moving over towards the memory slots. There are two more fan headers which are for your CPU and CPU optional fans the memory slots on the board make use of gigabytes memory armor. Which is a one-piece stainless steel design along the edge of the board there are two RGB headers one is a standard four-pin header and the other is a three-pin addressable header? Then you have your 24 pin ATX power connection a USB 3.1 genuine header and a USB 3.1 gen2 type-c internal header coming down the board. You'll find a Thunderbolt header as well as 6 SATA 6 gigabits these are controlled by the Z390 chipset. Along the bottom of the board is where you're going to find the rest of your headers and connections so, from left to right you have your audio headers two more RGB headers again there is a four-pin standard and eight three-pin addressable EPM header comport header two USB 2.0 headers a postcode display 3/4 pin fan headers and finally your front panel connections for audio. Gigabyte is using their amp up an audio solution which leverages the Realtek ALC 12:20 audio codec with a smart headphone amp and as far as expansion slots go on the board. You have three PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots and three x1 slots all three of the x16 places have gigabytes PCI Express shield which again is a single piece of metal. There are three PCI Express 3.0 x4 m dot two slots on this board; all three of them have integrated heat sinks, and I think they look fantastic. Finally, we come to the rear i/o which has an integrated IO shield this is something I love to see on motherboards. As far as rear i/o ports go from left to right you have two USB 2.0 ports Wi-Fi antenna connectors two more USB 2.0 ports two USB 3.1 gn1 ports HDMI four USB 3.1 gen2 ports three of these are type-a and the other is Type C Gigabit Ethernet and of course your audio connections. Now, as far as lighting goes on the board, you have RGB LEDs on the i/o cover front edge of the board your PCH heatsink as well as the audio cover overall. I think the lighting on the board looks great and of course, you can control it with gigabytes RGB fusion software. If you're demanding a lot from your high-speed storage the heat is dissipated before it can cause any problems. if you're looking to get a high-end AMD CPU and you want something AMD compatible that can work with a lot of power then you'll to stick around for the Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero coming up next Specifications: Supports 9th and 8th Intel Core processors Dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs Intel optane memory ready 12+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution with DrMOS Advanced thermal design with direct touch heat pipe Onboard Intel CNVi 802.11AC 2x2 wave 2 Wi-Fi Alc1220 vb enhance 114db(rear)/ 110db(front) SNR in microphone with WIMA audio capacitors Intel Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed RGB Fusion with multi-zone LED light show design, supports addressable LED & RGB LED strips Pros: style RGB lighting brings this motherboard to life providing a high-end look to your build cooling intelligent multi-cut heat sinks and direct touch heat pipe allow for efficient cooling speed with 3m point two slots and dims RAM when utilized well this motherboard allows for an incredibly fast PC. Cons: size the RGB x' make this motherboard bulky not suiting it for smaller cases or builds Conclusion: If you're looking for a motherboard that can handle your Intel CPU and all the parts that support it then you'll love the GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ULTRA with its flashy design intelligent cooling design and high-end compatibility ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is the workhorse of enthusiastically driven users who are looking for something beautiful, aesthetically pleasing robust, and feature-packed. the thing you need to know about the Maximus series is that it is an enthusiastically driven motherboard which aims at pleasing the craziest builders out there. If you're going to go for a custom water-cooling configuration, simple or dual loop, this is the kind of series you want to go for. And the Hero Edition is the entry-level of that enthusiastic realm. And to my surprise, it did come with a bunch of new features which some of which did surprise me. So going straight to the obvious the ROG Maximus XI Hero is an ATX motherboard meaning thirty point five centimeters long for twenty-four point four centimeters wide as usual it is powered by an LGA 1151 CPU socket which can support both the eighth and ninth generation of Intel Core-i processors. Note that the VRMS is beefier than the previous generations and can output at least double the wattage that the 10th series could and that's because the ninth generation and in particular the i9 9900 K needs tons of power to run optimally. Hence, it is no surprise to see that we have larger thicker, and bigger heat-thinks than on its predecessors. Memory wise we have the usual dual channel which can support up to 64 gigabytes of ddr4 ram overclockable up to four thousand four hundred megahertz. This is much much more than previously featured on its predecessor: the Hero X, which only had up to 4,133 MgHZ overclockable rams and even more than these very motherboard siblings Prime Z390-A or as the Strix Z390 series which had a ram overclockable up to 4,266 megahertz so kudos to Asus for this. Staying in the memory, we have a dual M.2 solid-state drive configuration. One which can support sticks up to eight centimeters long and one up to 11. Worth noting the Z390 chipset just as its predecessors, is Optane ready, meaning that both of our M.2 solid-state drives can swap data up to 32 gigabits per second each. Still, with these kinds of speeds, of course, we are going to face some overheating on our sticks, and that's why both of them have individual heat shields that are also equipped with thermal pads. PCIe wise nothing surprising. We have our usual six third-generation PCIe expresses. Three single slots, single speeds, and 3 16 slots at different rates Note that only the closest one to the CPU can feature up to 16 full BUS speeds, so if you have only GPU to run on your computer. This is where you want it for optimal performances, and if you are going to go for a dual GPU configuration, you want it to be on. Those two 16 slots and they will be sharing their BUS speed to feature an 8x8 full bus speed the last six in the place will feature two or four top bus speed depending on the bias configuration. Notice that because the two first 16 slots are most likely to carry is a heavyweight of our video cards. They have been metallically reinforced SATA wise, and as usual, this motherboard will support six third-generation SATA plugs which can all transfer up to six gigabits per second individually and i/o eyes our motherboard features are fully integrated IO shield. Starting from the left, we have our BIOS and CMOS button right here a ps2 mouse keyboard connector to USB second-generation connectors, which can both transfer up to 480 megabits per second for 3.1 second-generation USB plugs which can transfer data up to 10 gigabits per second to 3.1. first-generation USB plug which can transfer data up to five gigabits per se and, we have our DisplayPort as well as an HDMI display output our surge-protected Gigabit LAN and, we have our standard dual-band Wi-Fi adapter which comes with not so usual 2x2 Wi-Fi mumumu. I know it's an adorable name what does that mean both of our Wi-Fi antennae have individual and dedicated Wi-Fi streams that are going to translate in better coverage faster download speeds and an overall improvement in connectivity. Barracuda super kudos triple kudos to Asus for integrating this new standard hump this awesome board finally, we have five audio channels plus optical alright. So let's talk about connectors on our motherboard so as usual, we have a couple of second-generation USB connectors, which can both transfer up to 480 megabits per second a 3.1 first-generation connector, which can transfer up to five gigabits per second and a 3.1-second generation type see front panel connector. Which can transfer that up to 10 gigabits per second and let's not forget our standard front panel audio connector, so we've talked about the usual suspect on this motherboard. But here comes my favorite part of this review the enthusiastic slash esthetical part of it and this motherboard has pictures to feel compared to its Maximus X predecessor and a lot of expectations coming from the active community. Because again this motherboard supposedly should give you the very extreme of what's out there in terms of builds and should be able to support absolutely anything your money can throw at it. And of course, it does not disappoint starting with the fans this motherboard can support natively up to eight fans plus an extension which can add another four fans on this thing. So potentially twelve fans in the same time and I should give you a hint on how extreme the item is a note that out of those eight fans two of those plugs can be used for water pumps so yes our rock Maximus 11 ero Edition can support a single or dual custom water cooling loop configuration custom loop water one or two. You got it, but that is not all our motherboard come with an external thermal sensor a water flow sensor right here, and then the water flow in and out sensor again aiming at leasing the most extreme builders out there. Alright so moving on in the true mark of an enthusiastic motherboard we have articulated screen. Which will allow us to monitor and troubleshoot our system in case of problems we also have our soldered button start and reset and somewhat a poorly placed man ok button down. Specifications: Designed for 9th 8th Generation Intel Core processors maximize connectivity, the speed with Dual M.2, USB 3.1 Gen 2, onboard 802.11AC Wi-Fi and ASUS optimum II for better DRAM overclocking stability Revamped 5-way optimization overclocks intelligently based on smart prediction and thermal telemetry while FanXpert 4 delivers dynamic system cooling Aura Sync RGB lighting with addressable headers features a nearly endless spectrum of colors with the ability to synchronize effects across an ever-expanding ecosystem of AURA Sync enabled products Pre-mounted I/O shield ensures streamlined installation and represents ROG's attention to detail and quality Pros: cooling water flow controls and insane amounts of inbuilt heat management overclocking dedicated onboard clock generator and locked reference major bus frequencies optimization five-way optimization software for fine-tuning performance direct from Asus Cons: single-purpose this is an overclocking board and doesn't perform above average during regular use Conclusion: If you're building a heavy-duty gaming rig and you want a motherboard that can handle the heat and strain of all parts firing at their limits then the ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero Wi-Fi is the card for you with a design that makes overclocking easy giving you great gaming performance. Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero this is our best high-end gaming AMD motherboard if you're building a high-end AMD gaming rig and you need a motherboard that will provide a fantastic base for your build then the Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero is one of the best options for you currently priced at $420. The hero provides a myriad of great features for your high-end build with fantastic compatibility and high-speed connections. you'll find the hero is built solid with sturdy brushed finished aluminum and vivid LEDs for a sleek modern look. the rear i/o has an incredible 12 USB ports making the most out of the size of the board and the added heat sinks to each endpoint to slot make for a cooling efficient build. If you're planning on using a lot of processing power regularly then you'll appreciate the four DIMM ram slots which can take up to an impressive 128 gigabytes of ddr4 ram so you can game record and render projects while multitasking to take full advantage of the AMD rise in CPUs insane thread counts. If you're planning on running hyper intensive games on their max settings then you'll also be happy to know that the motherboard features reinforcements on its GPU slots for heavier GPUs like the Nvidia Titans so you can use multiple graphics cards for maximum graphics potential the motherboard. also, features an onboard power and reset button allowing you to cycle the BIOS for fast efficient resets to make changes. the key features are compatibility works with AMD rise in series two thousand and three thousand processors features 8 USB 3.2 gen 2 ports for USB 3.2 gen 1 ports for dims ram slots supreme FX audio and 2 m point 2 slots with dedicated heat sinks Pros: USB 12 USB ports on the rear allow for more connectivity than most other motherboards heavy duty can handle multiple high-end GPUs for incredible graphics performance Ram can house up to 128 gigabytes of RAM for insane multitasking and processing speed Cons: video output lacks any direct video ports so you'll need a discreet video card Conclusion: If you're looking for an AMD compatible motherboard that can handle the sheer power that a high-end gaming rig can pump out then the Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero is a fantastic choice with a heavy-duty build that can handle the most intensive parts on the market