Honestly, thats probably 95% of the market, maybe higher. The idea behind having only two memory slots instead of four is to minimize trace complexity and bring the slots closer to the CPU. That is compounded by the premium attached to anything which mentions DDR5. If you can spend this much and don't need the extra PCI 4.0 bandwidth that comes with similarly priced older X570 motherboards, the NZXT N7 B550 is well worth considering. Basic Input/Output System/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface connects the hardware and software that lives on the board (the firmware) to the operating system (OS, such as Windows or Linux). They're proof that it's possible to blend function with form. If you dont need Wi-Fi capability, the non-Wi-Fi version of the same board costs $30 less with the same specifications, making it easy to recommend if you plan on using Ethernet or have your own wireless card. No, but the Gigabyte A520 Aorus Elite, unlike almost all preceding A320 boards, definitely does not mean cheap and nasty. Then theres a comprehensive BIOS with extensive tweaking options. Where the Strix looks stronger, inevitably, involves overclocking. Our eight core 65WRyzen 7 3700X (opens in new tab)purred along without an issue. New York, In our testing, performance on our B660M Mortar was similar to those of the Z690-based DDR4 boards we tested previously. By The additional time also allowed NZXT to implement cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E as well, alongside 2.5GbE. You will receive a verification email shortly. In other words, this sub-$200 motherboard was able to utilize our i9-12900K processor to its fullest while costing a third less than most Z690 offerings. Its form factor (ATX, E-ATS, ITX, etc.) Do you want to be able to overclock your CPU? All the major manufacturers have Z590 boards specifically designed for serious overclocking. Even if youre into smashing out benchmarks on LN2 (and this board will see plenty of that in the hands of overclockers), it will handle the punishment with ease. Spec-wise this is surprisingly good for an A520 board. And RGB LEDs, of course. The E-ATX Aorus Tachyon has several features that make overclocking easier too, including buttons to raise/lower the CPU ratio, cooldown functionality, limp modes, multiple BIOS capability, Tantalum capacitors around the socket area (better and easier for insulating for sub-zero runs), and more. About the only thing it really lacks is Wi-Fi, but then do you really expect to have Wi-Fi at this price? But there are four RGB headers, including two that are addressable, in case you are looking to keep up effervescent appearances. The Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero has the premium parts and attractive looks to stand out, despite its fairly high price. Read our full Asus TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WIFI review (opens in new tab). How about memory support? Its unique aesthetic will appeal to many. The IO shield is preinstalled, which is blessedly now becoming standard practice on decent motherboards. When it comes to gaming performance above all else, MSI's micro-ATX MAG B550M Mortar is your best bet for an affordable next-gen Ryzen machine. Basically, if you make sure not to go for the cheapest Ryzen board, one with an 'A' at the front of its nomenclature, then you're good to tweak. A $400 USD motherboard can never be described as cheap, but compared to the exorbitant prices of the MSI Godlike and Gigabyte Aorus Extreme, it certainly feels more affordable. I've tested a bunch of AMD and Intel motherboards over the past year, from Mini-ITX to E-ATX, so you can decide which will make the best base to build on. Gaming performance is bang on where we expect it to be, within the margin of error. The second slot at the bottom also features a heatsink. The rear I/O is another definite highlight of the board. You get clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback buttons, antenna connectors, the standard audio ports with S/PDIF, and finally a single Intel i225-V 2.5G LAN port. A really good gaming motherboard will last you a few CPUs and make for trouble-free gaming. If youre unsure which motherboard chipset youre after when choosing the best gaming motherboard, or you have other questions that aren't addressed here, you can visit our motherboard basics page and our motherboard buying guide features to help narrow down your shopping options. PCIe slots are measured in both length (x16, x8, x4, x1) as well as by the number of data transmission lanes they provide (x16, x8, x4, x1). Plus, if you're a fan of Razer products, then theres a Razer-themed Z690 Taichi for easy integration into the Chroma ecosystem, too. The primary PCIe slot is not the topmost one either, its the one below it. Finally, there are HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports should you wish to use Intels Xe integrated graphics. Dave has been gaming since the days of Zaxxon and Lady Bug on the Colecovision, and code books for the Commodore Vic 20 (Death Race 2000!). It has to be said though, that the difference is slight, and only really noticeable with a super high-end GPU and CPU combination, and even then only at 1080p. The chipset determines which processor generations a motherboard is compatible with and what add-in cards can be used. And given the pricing of many Z590 motherboards, that makes for a welcome change. That being said it's still one of the better AMD motherboards out there. Asus' ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero wants to be the last AM4 motherboard you'll ever need. With plain Wi-Fi 6, 4x M.2 slots, a strong VRM, and loads of USB ports, most gamers will be happy. And a board's socket and chipset will limit which processors you can install. ), but these three are the most ubiquitous consumer form factors. The number of total slots contributes to the maximum amount of RAM your system can handle, paired with the chipset and OS. Realistically no one will run a setup like that but at least youre given the choice. Allowing the board to do the detailed brain work results in an overclock of ourAMD Ryzen 3 3100 (opens in new tab)quad-core test chip of 4.2GHz on all cores. Built my first custom PC with it a few months ago and I'm in love, The Best Intel Gaming Motherboards: Z690, Z590, Z490 X299, (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C (10 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), (4) USB 2.0, (2) Thunderbolt 4 Type-C (40/20/10 Gbps), (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C (20 Gbps), (3) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), 14 Phase (12+1+1, 12 60A MOSFETs for Vcore), (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port (20 Gbps), (3) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), (4) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps), (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C (20 Gbps), (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10 Gbps), (3) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), (3) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps), (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), (4) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps), (2) Thunderbolt 4, Type-C , (6) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, (2) USB 2.0, (2) Thunderbolt 4, Type-C , (8) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, (4) v3.0 (@48: x16/x8*/x16/x8), (CPU @44: x16/x4*/x16/x8), (CPU @28: x16/x4*/x8/x0), The Best AMD Gaming Motherboards: X570(S), B550, TRX40, X470 and B450, 40 Gbps: (2) Type-C (via Thunderbolt 4); 10 Gbps: (8) Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps): 7x Type-A, 1x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps): 4x Type-A, 10 Gbps: 2x Type-A, 1x Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1; 5 Gbps: 3x Type-A, USB 2.0: 4x Type-A, (2) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), (2) USB 2.0, (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10 Gbps), (3) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (5 Gbps), (4) USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A (5 Gbps), (2) USB 2.0, diagram and explanation of motherboard parts, H610 Motherboard Roundup: i9-12900K Meets Sub-$120 Micro ATX, Asus ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial review, 2. Coming in late to the game allowed the company to implement feedback from its Intel boards, adding more USB ports to the rear IO. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. A connector on the motherboard that allows you to run a cable to the case to add additional USB ports, typically on the front panel (though some cases provide top or rear panel slots as well). Read our full Asus ROG Strix B550-E Gaming review (opens in new tab). What youll no doubt be wondering about is performance: Is it actually all that much better than a more prosaicand cheaperB550 alternative? Read: Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme review. The only real concern hardware-wise is with the hot VRM temperatures, but do note this was during a stress test and isnt a typical loading scenario. While pricing is tough to take, the Extreme Glacial ($1499) represents what flagship-class motherboards should be. That would be a little unusual for ASRock which is normally known for its highly competitive bang for buck offerings. It supports a speed of 433 Mbps, not exactly the Usain Bolt of WiFi speeds when Wi-Fi 6 is the norm, but its enough for high-speed internet. The board delivered average or above average results in the 3DMark tests and actual game tests. I'm a sucker for a motherboard with a ton of USB ports this mobo has SO many. Read: H610 Motherboard Roundup: i9-12900K Meets Sub-$120 Micro ATX. It's possible for an x16 slot to only provide 8 lanes of data, for instance, which means the maximum possible data transfer rate is halved (though in many cases, because PCIe provides such a high ceiling for transfer speeds, a lower number of lanes doesn't make a tremendous difference). The MSI MPG X570 represents an amalgamation of bleeding-edge motherboard tech built to get the most out of AMD's 3rd gen Ryzen CPUs (opens in new tab). Of course, none of those things make any difference in-game and its easy to argue the $100 saving over a premium B550 board like theAsus ROG Strix B550-E Gaming (opens in new tab)can therefore be invested where it really countsin a better graphics card. Dave James There are other, less common form factors (XL-ATX, HPTX, etc. It's good to see 20Gbps USB begin to filter down the market, too. That bodes well if you're looking for an affordable home for your AMD Zen 3 CPU of the future; this B550 has a great chance to ensure it performs to its fullest stock-clocked potential without breaking the bank. We've picked our top two favorite gaming motherboards for each of the main Intel and AMD chipsets to give you the best options around. The board was happy to run DDR5-6400 memory, something not all Z690s could do. Pretty much every part of your PC plugs in to your motherboard. Its only real downside is that you'll find just six USB-A ports on the back. There are a further two regular horizontal ports adjacent to the heatsink. And as you would expect with a high-end board, our testing didn't reveal any issues in terms of the Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial's performance. The heatsinks are big and chunky affairs. Packed with 12 USB ports (eight of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds), a 2.5G LAN port, eight SATA ports, and integrated Wi-Fi 6, he Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero Wi-Fi is a good base for a high-end build. If you're building out a standard ATX scale gaming PC, then pretty much any motherboard is open to your whims, but if you want to go for a smaller chassis, either Micro ATX or Mini ITX, then you'll need a corresponding mobo. Overclocking focused motherboards have made a proper comeback. Its one of few A520 boards to include WiFi though, so that alone adds a great deal of usefulness. In our extensive testing, performance, thermals and overclocking were also well within the range of other Z690 boards we've tested. Features are important, as is a stable and refined BIOS, value for money, a good design, but sometimes it's something intangible. The ASRock Z690 Taichi looks every inch a premium product. Gigabyte's audio implementations usually impress, and the X570S does again. We wouldnt try overclocking aRyzen 9 3950X (opens in new tab)with liquid nitrogen on this board, but a smart pairing of a 65W CPU with a bit of PBO for good measure wont present any issue, as long as you have good case airflow. You're still looking at strong VRM, so the maximum turbo load of a 12900K shouldn't be an issue for it, and you still get a ton of I/O ports for your money. The BIOS is maturing regularly as well, which makes us completely confident in recommending the Gigabyte board as our pick of the Z690 bunch. It doesnt have a VRM that youd use to run aRyzen 9 3950X (opens in new tab)at full power for extended periods but it will do the job with a suitable CPU. After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. If your wish list increases, expect to spend extra. AMD is more generous, allowing all its CPUs and most of its motherboard chipsets. Its also unusual that theres not a Crosshair VIII Apex or Extreme, especially when Gigabyte and MSI have boards priced well above the Dark Hero. Heres why you can trust us. Unlike the ridiculous memory limitations present on Intel B460 motherboards, The Gigabyte A520 supports up to 128GB at DDR4-4733.