INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
While not as exciting as the best processors or graphics cards, the best motherboards arguably carry more weight than any other component in
Not only do they serve as the backbone of your PC, but the best motherboards also feature the latest technologies behind all of the best PCs
These features will help your computer reach its full potential by fully utilizing your hardware
They can even give your CPU more overclocking headroom, further expanding your potential performance.However, because of the vital
importance the best motherboards carry, it's absolutely necessary to ensure you get one that will last
If you try to cut corners and pick up an unreliable motherboard it may eventually fail, and when that happens you’ll have to deal with the
literal nightmare of having to replace it
To replace a malfunctioning motherboard, you’ll have to pull your entire PC apart and rebuild it from scratch – it’s not like
upgrading to the best graphics card
At the end of the day, you should do yourself a favor and get one of the best motherboards today, so you won’t have to replace it
tomorrow.Luckily, if you pick up a new Coffee Lake CPU you’ll no longer be stuck with the expensive Z370 chipset, as Intel has announced
the much cheaper H370, H310, Q370 and B360 chipsets
As such, you won’t have to empty your savings to buy a Coffee-Lake compatible motherboard anymore. That’s why we created this list to
help you find the best motherboard for your needs in 2018
Every single motherboard here has been tested by the TechRadar editorial staff and has earned our seal of approval
Not only will the motherboards on this list do everything you need them to do and more, they are built to last
And, considering how many different kinds of motherboards are out there, it’s important to know exactly what to look for.Best Intel
motherboard: Z370 Aorus Gaming 7Find the top of your gameForm Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA-1151 (8th-gen only) | Chipset: Intel Z370 | Memory
support: 4 x DIMM sockets (up to 64GB) | Multi-GPU support: Nvidia 2- and 4-way GPU SLI, AMD 2-, 3- and 4-way CrossFire | Features: 3 x PCIe
M.2 (Key M)Flashy designA-1 overclcockerNo Thunderbolt 3ExpensiveIf money isn’t an issue, the Z370 Aorus Gaming 7 from Gigabyte literally
Packed with more RGB lighting than you can shake a stick at, its the best way to celebrate Intel’s 8th-generation Coffee Lake Processors
It’s also an overclocking champion – its only limits are the restraints of your other components
You can reasonably expect upwards of 5GHz consistently with this motherboard
We’re not joking. Best budget Intel motherboard: MSI B250M Gaming ProLight things up with this low-cost motherboard from MSI.Form Factor:
Micro ATX | Socket: LGA-1151 (7th-gen and earlier) | Chipset: Intel B250 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 2 x DDR4 2400MHz (up to 32GB) |
Multi-GPU support: No | Features: 1 x PCIe M.2 (32-110mm), Intel Optane Memory ReadyMicro ATX form factorInexpensiveNot much room for
expansionOnly 2 RAM slotsYou don't need to break the bank to get your computer off on the right footing
This board from MSI is a great, inexpensive solution
It's limited in options for future expansions, so it's ideal for a one-and-done build
Since it's a gaming motherboard it has support for things like "Mystic Light Sync," which lets you synchronize all your RGB lighting with a
Best Intel Micro ATX motherboard: ASRock B250M Pro4A smaller form-factor with some room for you to improveForm Factor: Micro ATX | Socket:
LGA-1151 (7th-gen and earlier) | Chipset: Intel B250 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 4 x DDR4 2400MHz (up to 64GB) | Multi-GPU support: 2-Way
SLI, AMD Quad CrossFire X | Features: 1 x U.2, 1 x M.2 (Key M), Intel Optane Memory ReadyOn-board video supportSupports 7.1 channel
surround Limited PCIe expansionThis Micro ATX motherboard from ASRock packs a lot of features onto a smaller form factor
You lose out on the possibility of extra PCIe slots, but there are 4 memory slots to upgrade to a maximum 64GB DDR4 RAM
It also has support for on-board graphics, so if you're building a computer piecemeal, you can still use it before buying a dedicated
graphics card.Best Intel Mini-ITX motherboard: Asus ROG Strix Z370-I GamingThis small form factor motherboard is litForm factor: Mini-ITX |
Socket: LGA-1151 (8th-gen only) | Chipset: Intel Z370 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 2 x DDR4 4,333MHz | Multi-GPU support: No | Features:
Aura Sync RGB lighting, onboard M.2 heatsink, 5-way optimization, USB 3.1 Gen 2, Gigabit Ethernet with LANGuard, GameFirst, 2x2 802.11ac
Wi-Fi and MU-MIMO supportFlashy looksWi-Fi antennas includedLacks SLI/Crossfire supportThe best Intel Mini-ITX motherboard on this list
kicks things off by being one of the best Z370 motherboards you can buy today
Featuring the chipset behind Intel’s 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors, the Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming will support everything from
the Core i7-8700K all the way down to the Core i3-8100
While it may lack support for Nvidia SLI and AMD Crossfire, it does ship with an included Asus 2 x 2 Wi-Fi adapter. Best AMD motherboard:
Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-FiForm Factor: ATX | Socket: AM4 | Chipset: AMD X470 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 4 x DDR4 3,600MHz (up to
64GB) | Multi-GPU support: Quad-GPU SLI, CrossFire | Features: 2 x M.2 (Key M), Q-Flash, Multi Zone RGB lightingAmazing looking
motherboardGreat expandabilityExpensiveWith the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 Wi-Fi, Gigabyte further illustrates its mastery of motherboard design
Rocking the new AMD X470 chipset, allowing full support of the new AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation processors, this is the best motherboard if
you’re looking to side with Team Red
What’s more, it supports Quad-GPU SLI and extremely fast RAM (up to 3,600 MHz) for peerless expandability, and thanks to its multi-zone
RGB lighting, it looks good while it does it. Best budget AMD motherboard: MSI X470 Gaming PlusForm Factor: ATX | Socket: AMD AM4 |
Chipset: AMD X470 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 4 x DDR4 3,466MHz (up to 64GB) | Multi-GPU support: Crossfire | Features: 2 x PCIe M.2 (Key
M) Great price Great expansion Need a larger caseFor years, AMD has been the reigning champion of budget builds, and in 2018 that
doesn’t seem to be changing
Marketed exclusively to gamers, the MSI X470 Gaming Plus is loaded front to back with features like 2 PCIe M.2 slots and quick performance
tweaking buttons to make sure you’re on top of the game at all times
And, since it’s a gaming-centric motherboard, you can expect it to have all kinds of flashy RGB lighting that you can even customise from
your smartphone. Best AMD Micro ATX motherboard: ASRock AB350M Pro4Nothing flashy, but plenty of performance to loveForm Factor: Micro ITX
| Socket: AMD AM4 | Chipset: AMD Promontory B350 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 4 x DDR4 3,200MHz (up to 64GB) | Multi-GPU support: 2-Way
SLI, AMD Quad CrossFireX | Features: 1 x PCIe M.2 (Key M)Excellent priceSupports RAM overclocked to 3200MHz Not flashy or excitingIf you
want to get where you need to go, and you don't care about things like fancy RGB lighting or eye-catching, futuristic-looking heat
dissipators, the AB350M Pro4 is the motherboard for you
In spite of its plain-Jane looks and no-frills aesthetic, this is a solid motherboard with plenty of room to expand and grow with your
computer needs.Best AMD Mini-ITX motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X470-ISmall size, huge performanceForm Factor: Mini-ITX | Socket: AMD AM4 |
Chipset: AMD X470 | Memory Support: Dual-Channel 2 x DDR4 3,466MHz (up to 32GB) | Multi-GPU support: No | Features: 1 x PCIe M.2 (Key
M)Dual-channel RAM supportM.2 compatibility RAM tops out at 32GB Big things come in small packages – a fact that ASUS aims to prove with
Supporting the latest AMD chipset, everything in this tiny board is designed with performance in mind
Even down to the BIOS, where you can find a stress-test for overclocks before you boot into Windows
This board even elevates beyond the constraints of the Mini-ITX form factor by including a M.2 Audio Combo riser, so that you can install
your M.2 NVMe drive without getting in the way of other components. Best Intel Core X-Series motherboard: ASRock X299 Taichi This one goes
up to 11, but more accurately, 4400MHz memoryForm Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA-2066 | Chipset: Intel X299 | Memory Support: Quad-Channel 8 x
DDR4 4,400MHz (up to 128GB) | Multi-GPU support: Nvidia 3-Way SLI, AMD 3-Way CrossFireX | Features: 3 x PCIe M.2 (Key M)Gigantic memory
supportSlots for 8 RAM modulesHigh priceThe X-series processors are here and they're spectacular, so if you want to take advantage of all
they have to offer, you need an X-series motherboard
This ASRock X299 is an excellent choice, with support for overclocked memory speeds up to 4400MHz(!!!) and 8 different slots for memory
It also supports up to 128GB of RAM, so with an X-series processor and a good graphics card (or 3…) this thing will absolutely tear apart
anything you throw at it.Best AMD Ryzen Threadripper motherboard: ASRock X399 Professional Gaming sTR4This is the motherboard AMD dreams are
made ofForm Factor: ATX | Socket: sTR4 | Chipset: AMD X399 | Memory Support: Dual -Channel 4 x DDR4 3,200MHz (up to 128GB) | Multi-GPU
support: 4-Way SLI, AMD Quad CrossFireX | Features: 1 x U.2, 3 x PCIe M.2 (Key M)4-way SLI or Crossfire supportAwesome RGB lighting Really
expensiveIf you're the type of builder with lots of cash to burn and an ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ build-method, this Ryzen
Threadripper board is certainly for you
It supports 4-way SLI or Crossfire configurations, so you can just empty your bank account in the name of PC glory
All that graphical horsepower can be supported by as much as 128GB DDR4 memory, and it even features some flashy RGB lighting to let
everyone know what they’re looking at. Coming to termsIf you’re unfamiliar about what makes the best motherboards, well, the best, we
would like to include a bit of a primer for anyone who might not know what to look for
Motherboards are available in a range of different form factors, most commonly ATX and micro ATX
However there are plenty of more esoteric form factors including the recent mini ITX
Don’t worry though, because most of the time PC cases will support one or both of these form factors.Moreover, in our rundown of the best
motherboards, we detailed the socket type that each mobo adheres to
For those not in the know, the socket is the part on the motherboard that the CPU locks into
Typically, newer Intel processors use either LGA 1151 or 2066 while the latest AMD Ryzen architecture is designed for the AM4
chipset.HAKqTKChcmhFEAvpN7qeGh.jpg#
