The Finest Motherboards You Can Purchase in 2024

Intel and AMD are each pushing new tech upgrades together with their CPUs together with, however not restricted to PCI-E 5.0 and DDR5. Each of those require important chipset upgrades that additionally double as a requirement for each Intel’s Twelfth, and Thirteenth technology in addition to the now-released 14th technology Intel CPUs. AMD’s newest Ryzen 7000 collection takes a distinct method in contrast to Intel’s DDR4 and DDR5 reminiscence motherboard cut up to focus on solely DDR5 for its reminiscence wants.

This has ushered in a brand new technology of Intel and AMD motherboards to assist mentioned tech upgrades and their latest processors. Intel provides the H610, B660, H670 & Z690 chipsets for the Twelfth technology and H710, B760, H770 & Z790 chipsets for the Thirteenth technology, which noticed refreshes across the identical chipsets for the 14th technology. For AMD, the cost is led by the B650, B650E, X670, and X670E with the A620 collection catering to finances builds.

What Ought to Customers Look For When Selecting A Motherboard?

CPU Help: With Each AMD and Intel’s motherboard chipsets getting common refreshes and the latter’s socket repeatedly altering, you will need to know if the motherboard a consumer plans to get works with the CPU they need to pair it with.

Some motherboards would possibly require a BIOS replace; that is one thing customers would need to know since it could restrict their must diagnose points stemming from a scarcity of compatibility of a more moderen processor on a motherboard with an older BIOS model that doesn’t acknowledge the CPU paired to it. Some motherboards might not get BIOS updates to assist the most recent technology, making it a good suggestion to examine for compatibility pretty early in construct issues.

An instance could be Intel’s Twelfth and Thirteenth gen CPUs. Whereas the Twelfth gen works with each, Intel’s Twelfth and Thirteenth technology motherboards, the Thirteenth gen requires a compulsory BIOS replace on most Twelfth gen motherboards to be detected and run easily. The identical is true for Intel’s 14th-generation CPUs.

Reminiscence Help: The primary necessary distinction one must make when searching for a brand new motherboard is whether it is DDR4 or DDR5 suitable. Whereas AMD’s AM5 socket-based motherboards are solely DDR5 and AM4 are solely DDR4-based, making this a better affair, Intel’s motherboards for the Twelfth,Thirteenth, and 14th gen provide DDR4 and DDR5 SKUs.

Whereas it is a welcome addition for many system builders and fans, a lot of whom wish to use cheaper DDR4 reminiscence or repurposed modules from older builds, it does additionally require information of which motherboard customers are getting out of the field. Fortunately DDR5 reminiscence is significantly cheaper now, making a transition to the newer reminiscence modules a better job than it was beforehand.

Storage And Enlargement Choices: Trendy video games require more and more bigger quantities of storage to retain bigger recreation engines and bigger recreation property as time goes on. This leads to considerably bigger storage necessities for contemporary avid gamers.

On the productiveness entrance, the identical is true with trendy purposes usually taking on giant chunks of area. On condition that some customers additionally need a backup drive or secondary storage, it’s value testing what storage slots a motherboard has and if they’re sufficient for present and future storage wants.

Ideally, energy customers or customers in want of storage for gaming or productiveness causes, ought to need a number of M2 (NVME) slots on their motherboard and presumably SATA slots in the event that they plan to go for arduous drives over SSDs. On condition that trendy SSDs are traditionally low cost, it does make sense to select one off cabinets (nearly) as an alternative of delaying that buy.

Kind Issue: A motherboard’s type issue is a crucial factor to contemplate because it immediately influences, the selection of case, enlargement choices, and space on a piece desk or leg-room relying on the place customers place their PC. This does immediately have an effect on aesthetics and in addition the cooling choices one may need in some circumstances.

Some smaller motherboards have diminished reminiscence slots too, choosing 2 versus the usual 4 DIMMs which might hamper improve potential. Ideally, customers need an ATX motherboard for many PC circumstances, however they’ll additionally put money into a mATX/ITX case if they need a smaller PC or an EATX case in the event that they need to maximize their construct by way of enlargement slots and options.

PCI Categorical Compatibility: It is very important examine what PCI-E slots the motherboard has. Whereas PCI-E slots are suitable, they’ll prohibit one’s means in some circumstances to get probably the most out of their newer SSD drive or graphics playing cards particularly when upgrading down the road.

Whereas the highest-end GPUs at present cap out at PCI-E 4.0 x 16 speeds, it will possibly additionally assist to be prepared for PCI-E 5.0 speeds on the GPU stage to make sure a GPU improve subsequent technology is simply a graphics card swap away.

Value: As motherboards push previous a sure configuration, transferring from important necessities to beneficial necessities, they begin transferring into fanatic territory the place they get costly extraordinarily quick for options that one might take into account area of interest in sure circumstances.

This does end in customers searching for finances choices in each Intel’s Twelfth and Thirteenth-generation motherboards and AMD’s new AM5-based motherboards for his or her Ryzen 7000 collection processors. Many of those choices are aggressive and provide wonderful options and value-added options that rival these of their higher-end friends in lots of circumstances.

Overclocking Help: Most trendy motherboards permit for the power to push accompanying Intel and AMD CPUs and assist RAM modules to larger clock speeds however not all of those are created equal. The method of reaching a steady overclock contains quite a lot of elements, together with the {hardware} being overclocked itself, energy supply mechanisms, and the underlying chipset and BIOS optimizations obtainable at a motherboard stage.

A normal rule of thumb is that higher-end motherboards are likely to have higher overclocking options, however this may be confirmed incorrect in the case of sure motherboards which can be custom-designed to overclock in addition to potential, making it a key issue for energy customers trying to eke out as a lot efficiency as potential from their gaming PCs.

The Finest Motherboards To Purchase In 2024

Listed below are a number of the greatest Intel and AMD motherboards handpicked by the group at GameRant to assist customers make an informed buy this 12 months:

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Method

The Finest Total Intel Motherboard

A White Odyssey

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Method is the successor to its well-received Z690-based predecessor, providing a cleaner aesthetic and loads of upgrades underneath the hood.

With Wi-Fi 7 underneath the hood along with the power to overclock RAM higher than earlier fashions because of DIMM Flex in addition to a 5Gb Ethernet port in play, the ROG Maximus hits a pleasant steadiness between type and performance because of its wonderful OLED show that may be personalized utilizing the bundled armory crate software program.

Model

ASUS ROG

Reminiscence Slots

4

Reminiscence Kind

DDR5, as much as 8000 MHz+

Kind Issue

ATX

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

CPU Help

Intel Twelfth/Thirteenth/14th Era

Chipset

Intel Z790

Socket

LGA 1700

Energy Phases

20+1+2 Energy Phases

Networking

5 Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-E 5.0/4.0

Professionals

• Helps all present Intel LGA 1700 socket processors as much as the 14th technology
• Has a number of the greatest aesthetics obtainable for an Intel gaming motherboard
• Gives Wi-Fi 7 assist out of the field
• Gives devoted on-board liquid cooling capabilities
• Has wonderful energy supply for even the highest-end Intel CPUs

Cons

• Costly relative to its options

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Method is among the latest Z790 motherboards on provide as a number of generational refreshes proceed to indicate up after Intel’s 14th-generation CPUs had been unveiled final month. It has the additional advantage of supporting all desktop CPUs from the Twelfth, Thirteenth, and 14th technology out of the field, making it a simple alternative for PC builders trying to go for a high-end motherboard that works from the get-go.

It provides Wi-Fi 7 compatibility and a 5 gigabit Ethernet port along with as many as 5 M2 slots underneath the hood, permitting customers so as to add as a lot storage as wanted. With a pure white aesthetic in play along with a wonderful OLED LiveDash show on provide, the Z790 Method is dressed to impress even because it provides loads of performance.

Backside Line: The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Method emerges as one of the crucial succesful and but costliest candidates for a brand new Intel motherboard however backs it with seems, highly effective overclocking potential, and loads of connectivity underneath the hood to make it a wonderful candidate for many premium PC builds.

GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Grasp Motherboard

The Finest Total AMD Motherboard

A Masterclass In Options

$450 $500 Save $50

Gigabyte’s high-end X670E provides loads of IO and PCI-E Gen 5 assist natively because it goals to couple reliability with worth for cash in a bid to seize the market with a aggressive entry geared in the direction of midrange/high-end customers with out breaking the financial institution.

Model

Gigabyte

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-E 5.0 x16

Reminiscence Slots

4 Slots

Reminiscence Kind

DDR5, AMD EXPO assist Upto 6666 MHz

Kind Issue

E-ATX

Wi-Fi

Sure, Wi-Fi 6E

USB Ports

12 on-board

CPU Help

Ryzen 7000 collection

Chipset

X670E

Socket

AM5

Energy Phases

16+2+2 Section VRMs

Audio

Hello-Fi Audio

Networking

Wifi 6E + Ethernet 2.5G + Bluetooth 5.3

Professionals

• Has a wonderful 16+2+2 section energy supply mechanism
• Has loads of PCI-E 5.0 choices. Has twin 5.0 M2 slots and an X16 GPU slot in PCI-E 5.0
• Has wonderful SSD and VRM cooling out of the field
• Comes with stable networking choices together with Wi-Fi 6E, BT 5.3, and a couple of.5G Ethernet in play

Cons

• The inventory BIOS requires an replace to get respectable boot timings and assist newer AMD CPUs out of the field

The GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Grasp Motherboard is a wonderful X670E chipset-based motherboard that delivers the tall ask of acceptable AM5 efficiency with plentiful I/O choices and premium design and it does so at a comparatively giant low cost over a few of its most quick rivals which have choices that price $100 or extra above the ask.

With a wonderful energy supply system that’s adequately cooled in tow with SSD slots that additionally keep low temperatures, the Gigabyte X670E Aorus Grasp has customers coated on the networking and I/O fronts because of loads of USB ports, M2 slots, and PCI-E 5.0 assist in tow. It did have some software program points at launch, however that’s considerably of a regular when one is an early adopter of a brand new platform like AM5. A number of BIOS updates later, the X670E Aorus Grasp has wonderful reminiscence compatibility, runs the brand new X3D processors with ease and provides a set of options that few if any motherboards can beat, and even much less so on the value factors it competes at.

Backside line: A stable, premium motherboard with loads of I/O choices and networking options, and wonderful cooling at a value that appears extra reasonably priced than different rivals’ choices because it continues to commerce at a sub-10% low cost.

MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4

The Finest Funds Intel Motherboard

Stable Efficiency For Much less

$170 $190 Save $20

MSI’s MAG B760 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 motherboard is a succesful entry from the well-known Taiwan-based tech producer that provides a slew of I/O and onboard slots in a bid to seize the mainstream Intel CPU-based viewers with a mix of worth, performance, and reliability.

Model

MSI

Reminiscence Slots

4

Reminiscence Kind

DDR4

Kind Issue

ATX

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 6E

USB Ports

Upto 16

M.2 NVMe Connector

3 x M2 Slots

CPU Help

Intel Twelfth-14th gen

Chipset

B760

Socket

LGA 1700

Energy Phases

12+1+1

Networking

Ethernet 2.5G + Wifi

Professionals

• Gives a full ATX motherboard on a finances with well-distributed M2 slots and sockets
• Runs DDR4 reminiscence
• Gives a stable networking stack

Cons

• No RGB lighting would possibly really feel underwhelming for some avid gamers

The MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 is a wonderful entry-level B760 motherboard that redefines what a finances Intel motherboard ought to be in 2024. With a full stack of networking choices, respectable SSD, and VRM cooling out of the field, and the power to make use of older DDR4 reminiscence, the B760 Tomahawk Wi-Fi is a cost-conscious decide for an Intel motherboard that ought to swimsuit avid gamers, content material creators, and tech fans on a finances alike.

On the identical time, avid gamers would possibly really feel a bit miffed in regards to the lack of RGB on the motherboard itself whilst content material creators and productivity-centric shoppers would possibly respect the dearth of distractions on their PC. This, coupled with customers who need the most recent choices or not less than potential improve paths to DDR5 might make the Tomahawk really feel like a much less worthy possibility than a few of its extra RGB-heavy friends. Customers can decide up the DDR5 variant of the identical motherboard for under about $30 extra, making it a barely costlier improve if one needs to go for DDR5 as an alternative.

Backside Line: A wonderful, versatile B760 motherboard that delivers a stable spec sheet and respectable construct high quality however skips on RGB lighting altogether whereas throwing in sooner Wi-Fi 6E assist into the combo.

GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX

The Finest Funds AMD Motherboard

Effectively-Priced, Function-Packed

$210 $230 Save $20

The Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX is a high-end motherboard that includes the B650 chipset that permits it to command a a lot lower cost level, nearer to AMD’s extra budget-oriented motherboard lineups. It’s a succesful entry that additionally provides a PCI-E Gen 5 M2 slot that ought to permit entry to sooner PCI-E 5.0 storage down the road.

Model

Gigabyte

Reminiscence Slots

4

Reminiscence Kind

DDR5, As much as 6666MHz

Kind Issue

ATX

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 6E

USB Ports

As much as 19 USB ports

M.2 NVMe Connector

3 x M2 connectors

CPU Help

AMD Ryzen 7000 Sequence

Chipset

B650

Socket

AMD AM5

Energy Phases

14+2+1

Networking

2.5G Ethernet + Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3

Professionals

• Comes with a complete 5-year guarantee
• Has wonderful networking I/O in tow (Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Ethernet 2.5G)
• Permits for top DDR5 RAM overclocking out of the field

Cons

• Restricted to Gen 4 PCI-E for GPUs

The GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX is a succesful B650 chipset-based motherboard with a wonderful networking stack coupled with respectable DDR5 reminiscence in tow on a spacious ATX motherboard. With respectable energy supply, 4 RAM slots, and a complete 5-year guarantee, it does not depart a lot to ask for, particularly from a budget-level gaming motherboard.

The B650 Aorus Elite is a whole bundle and whereas some would possibly really feel {that a} PCI-E Gen 4.0 X16 slot is dated, it nonetheless runs each current-generation graphics card at full capability at present. It is very important notice that the motherboard does include some points that require a BIOS replace to get sorted, one thing that some finish customers may not like along with considerably questionable heatsink placement that may be a bit annoying to deal with whereas becoming within the motherboard in a case.

Backside line: Stable specs, wonderful networking, and an honest value, all have customers going for the Aorus Elite B650 Motherboard. Whereas it is not excellent, it comes near taking over most X670 motherboards.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Darkish Hero

The Finest Premium Intel Motherboard

Subsequent-Gen Prepared Hero

$688 $700 Save $12

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Darkish Hero is the most recent in a collection of well-established Z790 Motherboards within the ROG lineup. It provides native Wi-Fi 7 assist as one of many first motherboards within the business to take action whereas throwing in higher reminiscence overclocking and energy supply.

It comes with a bolder aesthetic along with slicing right down to 4 obtainable SATA ports from the unique Hero with an in any other case similar arsenal because it integrates its extra M2 slots on the board itself, eliminating the necessity for customers to get area for the ROG Hyper M2 card its predecessor makes use of.

Model

ASUS

Reminiscence Slots

4 Reminiscence Slots, Upto 192GB Supported

Reminiscence Kind

DDR5 Upto 8000 MHz+ (OC)

Kind Issue

ATX

Wi-Fi

Sure, Native Wi-Fi 7 Help

CPU Help

Intel Twelfth/Thirteenth/14th Gen CPUs

Chipset

Z790

Socket

LGA 1700

Energy Phases

20+1+2

Networking

Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet

Graphics Card Interface

PCI-E 5.0

Storage

5 x M2 NVME PCI-E, 4 x SATA 6GB/s

Professionals

• Aesthetically bolder than its final technology iteration
• Helps Wi-Fi 7 out of the field
• It has a wonderful, improved 20+1+2 section energy supply system for high-end CPUs
• Integrates extra M2 sockets on the board itself than its predecessor
• Has assist for PCI-E 5.0 GPUs
• Has assist for Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 out of the field

Cons

• PCI-E 5.0 x16 bandwidth is shared between GPU and M2_1 slot
• Significantly pricier than the final gen Z790 Hero
• 2.5G Ethernet on a high-end motherboard appears to be a limiting issue

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Darkish Hero is one in all ASUS’s newest and biggest Z790-based motherboards as Intel’s intentions of conserving the Z790 chipset round for an additional 12 months turn out to be more and more obvious. It bakes within the M2 slots that the Hero beforehand used an M2 card for onto the motherboard, throws in higher RAM overclockability, and provides Wi-Fi 7 to the combo. Asus additionally improves the facility supply to twenty+1+2 from the 20+1 provided within the Hero because it manufacturers the motherboard prepared for “Intel® Core™ Subsequent-Gen” CPUs forward of the 14th technology CPU’s launch later this month.

It does minimize corners in different areas although regardless of clocking in a powerful $100 improve in value. The Darkish Hero retains an similar set of ports on provide to the Hero itself however removes two SATA ports and retains the Ethernet port on provide restricted to 2.5GB/s. Whereas it’s noticeably extra aesthetically interesting than its predecessor, it does additionally provide delicate adjustments underneath the hood whilst it’s restricted by the Z790’s PCI-E 5.0 lanes on provide: The 16 lanes in play are shared between the twin 5.0 GPU slots in addition to the primary M2 socket which means that customers searching for a next-generation improve might need to resolve between next-gen storage or GPU if planning to run both at most bandwidth at PCI-E 5.0.

Backside Line: All in all, the Z790 Darkish Hero is a wonderful, albeit much more dear providing than the Hero it replaces and is anticipated to be 14th-generation prepared out of the field (updates to present motherboards are already obtainable on-site for ASUS) that does restrict its upgrades to a mixture of delicate under-the-hood tweaks, aesthetic features and Wi-Fi 7.

MSI MEG X670E GODLIKE Motherboard

The Finest Premium AMD Motherboard

Overclocking AMD Juggernaut

$1241 $1300 Save $59

The MSI MEG X670E GODLIKE is MSI’s model of what the highest-end AMD motherboard providing ought to appear to be. And it does examine almost all of these packing containers. The value nonetheless may be too restrictive for many customers besides overclocking fans.

Model

MSI MEG

Reminiscence Slots

4

Reminiscence Kind

DDR5, As much as 6666MHz

Kind Issue

E-ATX

Wi-Fi

Sure, AX 6E

USB Ports

9 onboard

CPU Help

AMD Ryzen 7000 Sequence

Chipset

X670E

Socket

AM5

Energy Phases

24+2+1 Section Energy Design

Networking

Wifi 6E + 10G+2.5G Ethernet

Professionals

• Helps each, PCI-E 5.0 GPUs and M2 SSDs concurrently
• Prime-of-the-line 24+2+1 energy section design for overclockers
• Has a wonderful networking stack with Wi-Fi 6E, 10G plus 2.5G Ethernet and Bluetooth
• It comes with a devoted M-Imaginative and prescient Dashboard Exterior LCD

Cons

• Is significantly costlier than the competitors
• Has no USB 4.0 or Thunderbolt 4 ports out of the field

The MSI MEG X670E GODLIKE Motherboard is among the costliest MSI motherboards up to now and doubles as one of the crucial costly AMD-centric motherboards customers can buy going into 2024. It sports activities the high-end X670E chipset, a wonderful energy supply mechanism for customers trying to push their AMD CPU to larger clocks. The Godlike motherboard provides Wi-Fi 6E, and twin Ethernet, with as much as 10 gigabit speeds, throwing in a wonderful contact display M-Imaginative and prescient exterior dashboard into the combo that can be utilized to regulate sure motherboard capabilities or show data as per consumer wants.

The Godlike does fall quick in some areas, nonetheless. It doesn’t have USB 4 or Thunderbolt 4 assist in contrast to a few of its high-end competitors and stays priced at what can solely be thought-about a prohibitively excessive price ticket for even a premium gaming motherboard with extras at present.

Backside Line: All in all, the MSI MEG X670E GODLIKE Motherboard is among the most interesting within the enterprise even when its price ticket pushes it nicely out of vary of most of its competitors in the case of AMD motherboards. It takes its place as comparable high-end motherboards such because the ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Excessive have turn out to be notoriously arduous to search out within the present market and regardless of its shortcomings, it’s the greatest gaming-centric motherboard customers can purchase at present.

Why Is Selecting A Good Motherboard Vital For Finish Customers?

Whereas most barebones motherboards that supply the identical socket and CPU compatibility can suffice for entry-level customers, they are often necessary enablers or alternatively limiting elements in the case of most customers if they don’t seem to be picked primarily based on one’s wants. Whereas consumer wants can fluctuate, they often revolve across the following:

– Longevity of the underlying CPU socket

– Enlargement slots for storage and extra {hardware}

– Ease and availability of BIOS updates for newer {hardware} assist

– Energy supply mechanism for higher-end CPUs (with extra power-hungry cores at excessive clocks)

– RGB lighting assist

– Diagnostic LEDs/on-board shows

– Help for newer ports (Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2)

FAQ

Q: What are AM5 Suitable Processors?

AMD’s newest Ryzen 7000 and 7000X3D collection CPUs and APUs are all suitable with the AM5 socket. Customers would possibly want a BIOS replace in some circumstances for his or her motherboards to acknowledge new AMD Ryzen 7000X3D CPUs and/or newer APUs when launched.

Q: Is PCI-E 5.0 Compatibility Obligatory For Motherboards In 2024?

PCI-E 5.0 is a comparatively newer normal that’s backward suitable with PCI-E 4.0; it provides double the bandwidth of its predecessor however has but to see widespread adoption in 2024 with loads of PCI-E 5.0 motherboards obtainable however peripherals being a lot tougher to search out at present.

If customers should have the quickest SSD storage potential, it may be a needed consideration for them; quick PCI-E 5.0 SSDs that exceed PCI-E 4.0 speeds exist already and are bought commercially.

There are at present no mainstream GPUs that use PCI-E 5.0-tier bandwidth successfully, making it extra of a future-proofing mechanism than an precise requirement for customers.

Q: What Is The Most Frequent Motherboard Dimension Or Kind Issue?

The commonest motherboard dimension and/or type issue is the ATX spec which is 305 x 244 mm. (12 x 9.6 inches). Different fashionable type elements embrace:

EATX (Prolonged ATX)

mATX/μATX/uATX (microATX)

mITX (Mini-ITX)