Best Motherboards for Gaming in 2021: AMD & Intel Picks

Motherboards used for gaming demand much more performance than those used for general computing. They have to manage the power flow to expensive and delicate peripherals like GPUs, maintain a steady temperature, and handle the weight of everything hardcore gamers want to attach.

With extensive testing and research, we’ve made a selection of thirteen great gaming motherboards for you to choose from. We’ve included all of the information you need to make an informed purchase in this article, as well as our own thoughts on each motherboard.

Best Gaming Motherboards Overview

Award	Model	Design	Price
Best Intel Motherboard for Gaming	EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin		Check Price
Best for Z490 Builds	Asus ROG Maximus XII Extreme		Check Price
Best for Fast DDR4 RAM	Asus TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WIFI		Check Price
Best Less Expensive DDR5 Motherboard	MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI		Check Price
Best AMD Budget Build	Asus ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi		Check Price
Best AMD Motherboard for Gaming	Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra		Check Price
Best for Overclocking	Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Tachyon		Check Price
Best for Computer Management	Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero		Check Price
Best Mini ITX motherboard	MSI H510I Pro		Check Price
Best Micro ATX Motherboard	MSI MAG B460M Mortar Wifi		Check Price
Best Intel Budget Option	ASUS ROG Strix B560-A Gaming Wifi		Check Price
Best for Data Transfer	MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK		Check Price
Best for PCIe 5.0	ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero		Check Price

How To Pick The Best Gaming Motherboard For You

When you’re looking to buy a motherboard for gaming, you want something more sturdy and robust than a motherboard used for easier functions. Gaming requires a lot of power and generates a lot of heat — make sure you get something that can adequately handle both.

CPU Support

Each motherboard is designed to work with a specific type of CPU. You can only use compatible CPUs with each motherboard, and you need to make sure both the CPU type and socket are compatible. The question then becomes should you choose the CPU or the motherboard first if you’re creating a gaming computer?

Choose the CPU first, and then choose your motherboard. In general, CPUs will be more expensive and have more impact on how well your computer performs. Once you have a budget and are ready to start buying parts, look at the CPU first.

There will be multiple motherboards you can use with your CPU. When you’ve narrowed it down, start looking at things like the VRM, cooling, overclocking support, the number of ports, and what kind of hard drives and memory are supported. These factors will help you decide which motherboard is correct for you — and for your budget.

Form Factor

ATX, mini-ATX, and micro-ATX motherboards fit in a different design and case type. While you can use mini and micro-ATX motherboards in gaming rigs, they generally have fewer RAM slots and won’t mitigate heat quite as well.

If you can spare the space, consider going with an ATX motherboard. If you still want something smaller, make sure to choose one that’s specifically designed to handle gaming applications.

You also need to consider the mounting position, shape, and size of the motherboard you pick. Some are so large that they won’t fit in a standard case with the additional components added. Also, they might work but might be too large to allow for unrestricted airflow. 

Overclocking Support

If you plan to overclock now or in the future, focus your choices on boards designed for overclocking. While you can do the technical aspects of overclocking with any board, one designed for it will have the built-in cooling, power management, and software to handle it.

When a board supports overclocking, the company will advertise it. However, boards explicitly built for overclocking will usually be significantly more expensive.

In the long run, a board that can overclock could be a good investment because as the requirements for games change, having faster components through overclocking can keep you playing on the highest settings longer. Slower memory, CPUs, and GPUs can run more quickly when overclocked.

On the other hand, if you plan to upgrade your other components and will only use this motherboard until your next complete upgrade, you might be able to save some money by going with a motherboard that doesn’t support overclocking. 

VRM and Power Management

VRM means voltage regulator module, and it’s the part of the motherboard that controls how the power flows to different components.

The power from your PSU goes into the VRM before being sent to the CPU, for example. It regulates the voltage conveyed to the other components to ensure that it isn’t too high and doesn’t damage the components.

VRM setups with more stages are generally more steady and secure than those with fewer stages. For gaming, anything with 12 power stages or more is a good bet. If you plan to overclock, look for something with that many stages or higher.

VRMs with more stages go through more steps to regulate the power flow and tend to have more options to cool the system. 

Keep in mind that power supplies bring in 12-volts of power and most CPUs use less than 1.5 volts, even when you’re overclocking. So the VRM on your motherboard is used every second that it’s functioning and is a valuable part of the setup. 

Cooling Systems

Every motherboard has some kind of heat-management system. While it isn’t as important when you’re listening to music, watching movies, or doing web browsing, it becomes much more necessary when you’re gaming.

Gaming generates a great deal of heat — though each game varies depending on the settings and the system on which it’s running.

A motherboard shouldn’t be the entirety of your cooling management because you also have fans, water cooling loops, and other solutions. However, it is the basis of the rest of your computer. If it can manage heat well, it lets the rest of your system handle the heat when you turn graphics to ultra and start modding in texture packs. 

Check out what the manufacturer uses to mitigate the heat. Some add-in extra space to help draw the heat away from the vital components. Others use additional pieces or have a good amount of room to support using an AIO cooler with it.

Ports and Slots

Check how many connections, ports, and slots the motherboard has before you purchase it. For example, more RAM slots are better. More PCIe slots are better. Even if you aren’t using them right away, they give you a chance to upgrade in the future if you start playing more demanding games.

You also want enough USB connections on the back of the case for you to be able to hook up all your peripherals. Check out all the different options to see what’s available before you buy. For example, most people don’t need two Thunderbolt ports. However, you can use it to improve your monitor setup or just to have more versatility.

PCIe

Your PCIe slots are where you connect other components with your motherboard. Some CPUs and motherboards support PCIe 3.0, and others support PCIe 4.0. PCIe 4.0 has double the data transfer rate of 3.0, which means that the information is sent more quickly. PCIe 4.0 is much more efficient than the earlier generation.

This doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with choosing PCIe 3.0. Many CPU and motherboard combinations still use this protocol, and it works great, even on higher-end titles. However, you’re more likely to play future releases if you choose a combination that supports PCIe 4.0. It’s just more future-proof. 

Another consideration is that the industry is moving toward PCIe 4.0 as a whole. This means that if you want to upgrade other components later, you’re better off having PCIe 4.0 on your motherboard. 

RAM

RAM is really where you get into a price versus performance debate. If at all possible, you should omit DDR3 from a place on your motherboard. Not only is it outdated, but it isn’t compatible with most newer motherboards.

However, you still have to decide whether to stick with a DDR4 board or pay a lot more and use DDR5 RAM. In general, boards that support DDR5 and DDR5 RAM themselves generally cost more than the alternatives.

However, RAM is a vital feature in your build. Some games rely on RAM more than others. For example, certain games require 16 GB of RAM to run smoothly and perform better with faster RAM. 

DDR5 is a significant upgrade, but it isn’t one you need to pursue if you’re on a budget. For now, it’s better to have more than 16 GB of RAM in your build, which is much more accessible for most people if it’s DDR4. 

Hard Drive Connections

Nowadays, many gamers prefer M.2 drives for their fast data transfer speeds. You can wake up your system in a heartbeat and reduce loading screens significantly if you use M.2 drives instead of HDDs or even SSDs. However, even if a board has multiple M.2 ports, they might not all be available.

For example, only users with 11th generation Intel CPUs can use all the M.2 slots on the Maximus XIII Hero. Some are unavailable on the 10th generation chips even though they fit the motherboard. Always read through reviews and tech specs to ensure that your chosen chip supports the types of drives you want to run.

Networking

Motherboards offer LAN ports rated for certain speeds. If your Internet connection is faster than the one supported by the motherboard, you may not be able to get all the speed you’re paying for. Check out the rating, whether WiFi is included, and whether Bluetooth is built-in.

Not all motherboards offer WiFi or come with a WiFi adapter. The ones that do will provide different WiFi connectivity types like 5, 6, and 6E. Make sure to know the difference and know which you prefer.

Power Connector

Look for a motherboard that has an 8+4 pin array for the power connector. It gives you more options, especially if you want to overclock in the future. You can always just use the 8-pin connector and upgrade later for now.

RGB and Extra Features

Some motherboards may come with extra features that don’t really have any impact on expansion or gaming performance.

In most recent years, this comes in the form of RGB lighting support. If your motherboard supports RGB- and a few boards on this list do- you’ll be able to sync its lighting setup to other RGB components on your system. This provides an excellent unified lighting solution if showing off is important to you.

Other extra motherboard features are usually much less impactful and seen most often in the form of included software. If the software is explicitly built to take advantage of your hardware- for instance, Intel Rapid Storage or XFast LAN- you should probably install it. Otherwise, you don’t really need to bother with any of it.

Best Motherboards for Gaming

EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin – Best Intel Motherboard for Gaming

If you’re looking for a cutting-edge, next-gen motherboard that will last for years to come, consider the EVGA Z690 Dark Kingpin. It has a 21-phase VRM design, 10-layer PCB, three M.2 slots, and eight 6Gbps SATA ports.

Earlier Dark Kingpin releases have been the height of motherboard luxury. Every part is over-engineered to make sure the person using it doesn’t experience any motherboard-related issues in the game. Also, EVGA software is widely believed to be among the best for tweaking and managing components like motherboards. 

Though this motherboard isn’t available to buy right now, it will be out any time. It’s an excellent choice for any gamer who wants the absolute best there is.

Pros:

• The board comes with two pump headers for AIO cooling.
• Excellent WiFi 6E connectivity

Cons:

• It isn’t released yet, so reviews aren’t available, and any build issues won’t be revealed until more people have used it.
• Dark Kingpin motherboards tend to be a bit more expensive than others.

Asus ROG Maximus XII Extreme – Best for Z490 Builds

You don’t need a top-of-the-line CPU to have excellent graphics in your games. Even the Z490, which is more affordable and accessible than the latest CPU releases, can still deliver amazing high-quality images and flawless gaming performance, especially if it’s paired with a superior motherboard designed for gaming. The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme is such a motherboard. 

One thing ASUS highlights about this motherboard is its compatibility with high-quality water-cooling setups. If heat management concerns you, the ROG Maximus XII Extreme can help mitigate that. Since GPUs tend to produce a lot of heat in certain games, this might help your computer last longer by keeping all of the components cooler.

Reviews praise the overclocking features on the board and how well they can manage the increased heat with the design. Even users who overclocked both their CPU and GPU found that temperatures stayed manageable on this board. The lighted backplate and display are other excellent quality-of-life features for gamers who want to push their components to the extreme.

One downside to consider is that the board isn’t as suited for automatic overclocking as some other boards. A user mentioned voltages going too high when they overclocked the board using its automated overclocking software.

Pros:

• Excellent cooling design helps mitigate heat
• Solid board construction

Cons:

• DDR4 memory is not future-proof now that DDR5 is being more widely utilized
• No support for onboard graphics, which can make setup without a graphics card difficult

Asus TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WIFI – Best for Fast DDR4 RAM

The ASUS TUF Gaming z590-Plus WIFI is a solid board for someone who wants a product that lasts. Gaming is harder on the components in a computer than most other activities. It generates heat and pushes the most important pieces to their limits. Since this motherboard is made with such solid parts and designed to last, it’s an excellent choice for those who want reliability.

Another exciting feature about this motherboard is the audio setup. The Realtek S1200A Exclusive DTS Custom for Gaming Headsets is designed to make everything in-game sound more authentic. The footsteps creeping up behind you in an FPS might be just a little more distinguishable — and help you get the first shot off. It also has two-way AI noise cancellation to make your discussion pop, too, even with background noise and loud keyboards.

With multiple M.2 drives, 6 SATA 3.0 ports, and built-in WIFI 6 capabilities, the TUF Gaming build has everything required to get you hooked up and into online or offline games. It offers a lot of connections for storage drives and the ability to get on the fastest and least-crowded WiFi bands.

Pros:

• The board is solid and feels like it will last a long time
• Though it only supports DDR4 memory, it can handle up to DDR4-5000+ rated sticks, which means it can handle faster memory than comparable motherboards.

Cons:

• Some people warned of instability without a BIOS update
• Reviewers mentioned having a difficult time fitting AIO coolers to this board because of the backplate design

MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI – Best Less Expensive DDR5 Motherboard

The MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI from MSI is the premier board from MSI for those using the Z690 platform. It supports the latest CPU with the newest socket compatibility and DDR5 memory. In short, this means that it’s a board for people who play the most demanding games — like custom-modded installations of open-world games. It can take almost anything you throw at it as long as you pair it with complementary parts. 

The VRM setup on this board is excellent, with an 18+1+1 power design delivery that keeps consistent voltages moving to your GPU and CPU. It’s one of those features that many motherboards don’t support — they have usable and reliable VRM designs with fewer stages. While they might work well, they won’t be as reliable or offer the premium performance you’ll get with a board like this.

Reviewers praise the large number of ports and the easy setup of this board. It handles the latest CPUs and delivers the kind of flawless performance you’d expect in the newest PC technology. However, they found that it didn’t always work with Windows 10, and some needed to upgrade to Windows 11 to get their drivers to work correctly.

Pros:

• Super fast WIFI 6E allows you to connect on the last-congested networks for the best possible WIFI connection.
• 5 M.2 slots give you access to fast storage on multiple drives

Cons:

• Requires an upgrade to Windows 11.
• It doesn’t have fancy and visible LED lights that some gamers want with their custom builds. The graphics card slot positioning ensures that much of it is covered.

Asus ROG STRIX B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi – Best AMD Budget Build

One of the B550 CPU series benefits is that you can get PCIe support at a lower price. Though this board is a little pricier than others that support the B550, it offers superior performance for just a bit more money and can help you get the most out of your CPU, which is especially important for gaming.

The ASUS ROG Strix B550-F Gaming is designed with a 12+2 phase VRM that should help regulate the power exchange between components. Reviewers found that it could run their GPU without getting too hot, but it was still hotter than similar boards with the same setup. You can mitigate the heat with extra fans or cooling solutions, but the board generally runs cooler because it has fewer PCIe lanes.

The backplate has eight USB ports, including one that supports BIOS Flashback functionality. It also has a port for the included magnetic Wi-Fi antenna. 

Pros:

• I/O is included and doesn’t require a separate backplate.
• The power supply can support 8+4 pin connections, which means you can overclock using this board.

Cons:

• The low number of M.2 connections might make this less appealing to M.2 enthusiasts, mainly because using them disables some SATA ports.
• PCIe latch feels less than sturdy and is positioned so that breaking it could damage your GPU.

Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra – Best AMD Motherboard for Gaming

The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra is another board that has a laser focus on managing temperatures. According to Gigabyte, it provides MOSFET temperatures that are 30 percent lower than comparable boards. This makes it ideal for gaming enthusiasts since simply opening a game like ARK Survival can spike your temperatures by 20 degrees Fahrenheit in just moments.

The board accomplishes this by using a Fins-Array Heatsink that helps move the heat away from the components by increasing the dissipation area by 300 percent over heatsinks of the same size. Its thermal conductivity pads can transfer 2.7 times more heat over the same amount of time than traditional thermal pads. It also lasts a long time because they have a ball-bearing fan designed to work for 60,000 hours.

The Aorus Ultra also includes a high-end HD audio codec that can detect the impedance of your headset to help mitigate issues with low volume and sound distortion. It can also help make your spoken audio sound better to listeners, which is ideal if you’re streaming as you game or playing with friends in an audio call. 

Pros:

• Each of the three M.2 slots has its own heatsink for temperature control.
• It has a Q-flash option and support for RGB lighting LED strips

Cons:

• Some reviewers commented negatively on the included Gigabyte drivers. They indicated that they were challenging to install.
• The M.2 positioning makes them difficult to target with additional cooling.

Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Tachyon – Best for Overclocking

When you want to push your gaming experience to the extreme, it’s time to consider overclocking your CPU and GPU. You can’t do this reliably without having a board that supports the necessary power exchange, cooling, and build to support such a thing. For overclockers who want to push the limits, consider the Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Tachyon. 

Gigabyte says they’ve reached a CPU overclock of 7314 MHz and memory overclock of 6870 MHz on the Tachyon. It uses a specialized VRM design to help deliver the kind of power and stable voltage that your overclock needs. It has a direct 12 phase design with 100A DrMOS for each vCore phase. This means it offers lower temperatures and a better transient response.

Ultimately, of course, this board is only as good as the parts you’re trying to overclock. It offers features like dual memory slot design and a non-standard layout specifically to help you overclock your other components. It won’t be as valuable if you aren’t using a CPU, GPU, and memory designed for overclocking.

Pros:

• The board includes built-in overclock buttons to help you manage your overclock quickly.
• It includes Intel 2.5G LAN that offers two times faster transfer speeds than traditional networking to help keep your gameplay smooth.

Cons:

• This board is significantly more expensive than most in its category, and many of the included extra features are only helpful for overclocking.

Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero – Best for Computer Management

Premium features and settings make the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero a clever choice for a no-compromises gaming build. It has PCIe 4.0, four M.2 slots, and many ports, including USB and two thunderbolt options. While you can use it for overclocking, it’s also a great all-around motherboard to use if you aren’t planning to do so.

It’s also a fantastic motherboard for someone who wants to build and upgrade their rig. It has Memtest86 installed on the BIOS, includes a flex key and start button on the motherboard, and has a Q-code reader. If you’re comfortable upgrading your machine, tweaking the settings, and pushing your components to work at their highest levels, consider the Maximus XIII Hero.

Reviewers praise the board’s performance in their favorite games, explaining that it can handle graphically intensive games without a stutter. The cooling and build construction are more than adequate to keep things running even when choosing the most demanding titles. 

Pros:

• Reviewers appreciated the built-in tweaking software and other included Asus drivers.

Cons:

• You can’t use all of the M.2 slots if you’re using the 10th generation Intel CPU and also can’t take advantage of PCIe 4.0
• Some say an AIO cooler fit is a bit tight and difficult to install with this motherboard.

MSI H510I Pro – Best mini ITX motherboard

One of the best features of the MSI H510I is its core boost that helps support multi-core processors to get the best possible speed. Since CPU speed is critical in almost every demanding game, a motherboard that supports it is an excellent choice.

It also has Steel Armor to protect VGA cards from bending. It also helps improve performance, stability, and strength. The integrated cooling features include a VRM extended heatsink, PCB cooling, and fan settings that adjust automatically. 

While a mini ITX board isn’t a standard motherboard recommendation, they make pretty decent gaming PCs. Most of the associated parts that will go into your computer will also be less expensive than they would be in larger builds. 

Pros:

• The MSI H510I has a PCIe 4.0 slot.
• It has an M.2 Gen3 slot as well. ​

Cons:

• You can only use PCI 3.0 SSDs with this board.

MSI MAG B460M Mortar Wifi – Best Micro ATX Gaming Motherboard

If you want to make a smaller build and save a bit of money on your processor, consider going with the MSI MAG Mortar. It’s a micro ATX board with a lot to offer, not the least of which is four slots for the RAM. If you choose an i5 processor, it can run up to 2666 MHz, but with an i7 or i9, you can use DDR4-2933 for a bit of an extra boost.

Even though it’s small and might not be as future-proof as some other options, the decent RAM options and the two M.2 drives make it more than capable of running even large and complex games smoothly. However, keep in mind that speed is good for the size of the board and its price. This might not be the right board for someone who wants to push their memory speed, even when considering only DDR4 options.

One great thing about this board is that it has a great VRM setup for its price point with a 12+1+1 power phase design. It should deliver power smoothly to your graphics card and CPU, which will help them work better, no matter which ones you pair with the motherboard.

Pros:

• This is a very inexpensive board you can [pair with other inexpensive components for a small but capable budget build.
• It performed well in tests against similar motherboards designed for the B460 chipset. ​​

Cons:

• This board is not for overclockers. It’s best not to buy it hoping to squeeze more power out of your other components.
• There are limited spaces for fans which might make this build a little warmer, especially considering the form factor and expected smaller case.

ASUS ROG Strix B560-A Gaming Wifi – Best Intel Budget Option

The ROG Strix B560-A is perfect for a budget build that still includes PCIe 4.0. It also has a respectable power stage setup with an 8+2 design. You can use two M.2 drives, take advantage of WiFi 6, and use the two-way AI noise cancellation to hear your team better, even in noisy environments. 

Reviewers praise the build quality and the multiple connections, including 2.5G Ethernet. With this board, you get a lot of little quality-of-life upgrades that you don’t usually find on inexpensive motherboards. It’s a great budget option for gamers who want stable power, solid Internet speed, and many ports to hook up peripheral devices.

While some complain about Asus’s customer support, most reviewers are pleased with their purchases. While you might not get overclocking and extreme power stage setup with this one, you will get everything you need to play the vast majority of current games and those that will come out in the next couple of years.

Pros:

• It supports high-speed DDR4 RAM, which makes it easier to pass on the DDR5 upgrade.
• Power stage design is more than sufficient for most other peripherals you would use with the board. ​​

Cons:

• You will have to flash the BIOS if you want to use the latest features since some were added since it was released.

MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK – Best for Data Transfer

MSI includes a feature on the MAG B550 TOMAHAWK that helps keep up the data transfer rate that makes M.2 drives worth it. It’s called M.2 SHIELD FROZR. It helps prevent data throttling with an extended heatsink that dissipates heat over the motherboard itself. 

If you want fewer loading screens and intend to put your games on the M.2 drives, this feature makes this motherboard extremely desirable. It doesn’t affect the transfer speed on other types of drives but can significantly impact how your M.2 performs.

The TOMAHAWK also has PCIe slots that are secured with extra solder points. These help hold up cumbersome graphics cards. The weight of some GPUs can damage some motherboards over time as their weight drags the motherboard out of position. Users also praise the VRM design and overclocking abilities.

Pros:

• This board includes MSI’s Mystic Light which gives you a lot of control over the RGB on your device.
• It has both 2.5G LAN and Gigabit LAN to keep your connection extremely quick. ​​

Cons:

• It only includes 7 USB 3.2 ports, while many others have 8.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero – Best for PCIe 5.0

It’s important to understand that most gamers don’t need the kind of power the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero delivers. With DDR5, PCIe 5.0, and Windows 11, it has the latest features, and even borders on being next-generation tech since so few motherboards offer PCIe 5.0. If you want to get ahead of the curve, consider this board. 

The VRM design on the Maximus Z690 Hero is incredible as well. It has a 20+1 power stage setup to help the board guide smooth and optimized current to the essential parts. You can be sure that when your GPU and CPU are under heavy load, this motherboard will handle the power demands.

Pros:

• There are three M.2 slots, and two of them support PCIe 4.0 SSDs.
• The audio drivers are ROG SupremeFX and deliver a 113 dB signal-to-noise ratio. ​​

Cons:

• Some users had difficulty getting compatible parts to work.
• It’s costly compared to other boards and won’t offer much more utility since far less expensive rigs can handle modern games.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Motherboard Brand Is the Best?

It’s hard to say which brand is the best since each release is different on its own. However, check out ASUS, MSI, and Gigabyte. Each is popular with consumers, has released excellent motherboards in the past, and has a release with modern components that gamers will want to play the latest and greatest games.

How to Choose the Best Motherboard for Gaming?

Everyone has their own process. I prefer to choose my CPU before my motherboard because it helps me know which motherboards I can choose from. After that, I list things I want to have, like more than 12 power stages and active cooling. Finally, I look for boards within my budget, read reviews, and choose one from the group.

Which Is Better? Intel or AMD?

Intel and AMD aren’t necessarily better or worse than the other. They both shine in different areas, and people are often very dedicated to one or the other. It is best to decide which brand is best for you before shopping for a motherboard since they aren’t compatible with both Intel and AMD.

What Is the CPU Socket Type?

Every CPU generation is built a bit differently. They fit into a specific socket that’s designed for them. If two CPUs are different but in the same family or generation, they will often work in the same socket. There are often multiple motherboards for each socket type. There are also very similar motherboards designed to support two different chips but still offer the same features.

How Long Will a Motherboard Last?

It depends on the board itself, how you use the computer, and whether it’s kept clean and cool. I’ve had my current gaming motherboard for almost six years, and it still works great in every game I try to play. However, other people I know have had multiple motherboards fail and die in that time. In short, there is no way to tell. 

How Many RAM Slots Do I Need?

That’s a matter of personal preference. While you can get by with fewer slots if you purchase larger GB sticks of RAM, it seems better to have more. Each slot will also only be rated to handle a certain amount of RAM.

What Are PCB Layers?

The PCB layers on your motherboard are a measure of how many layers there are in the motherboard. In general, more PCB layers mean a motherboard was more challenging to make. Multiple layers can also make the motherboard more solid and sturdy. Not all motherboard manufacturers publish how many PCB layers are on their motherboard.

How Important Is VRM?

VRM is most important if you’re overclocking your CPU. Overclocking components make the power demands higher. Having a board that can fine-tune the voltage and power flow can be the difference between success and failure.

However, VRM is also important to people running high-end CPUs with heavy power requirements. It’s less critical with less intense CPUs, but it is still something you should consider. 

Always look for VRM with built-in heatsinks, especially if you plan to overclock.

Do I Need to Match My RAM to My Motherboard?

You can’t use RAM that’s faster than what your motherboard can support. For the best possible results, check out the manufacturer’s website and look for a list of RAM sticks that will work with the motherboard. It’s best to buy one that the board supports — though you can make non-supported sticks of the right type may work.

Do Certain Graphics Cards Only Work With Particular Motherboards?

Some motherboards won’t support certain graphics cards because they don’t have the correct PCIe slots. Check with the motherboard manufacturer before buying one to make sure your GPU will work with your motherboard.

However, it’s important to note that you can use an AMD or NVIDIA graphics card with any kind of motherboard and CPU. Unlike CPU compatibility, GPUs work with any motherboard that has the right technology and slots.

Will My Motherboard Have Onboard Graphics?

Most modern motherboards don’t include onboard graphics. However, some CPUs do have them. Without onboard graphics, you’ll need a graphics card to see any display on your monitor.

How Do I Make My CPU Work With My Motherboard?

Make sure the CPU you get is compatible with the motherboard. Unlike RAM and GPU, there is no chance a non-compatible CPU will work with your motherboard. Interestingly, some motherboards have been updated to support more modern CPU generations but require a BIOS update before working with those CPUs.

Can I Use My Motherboard to Connect to the Internet?

Not always. Some motherboards have WiFi built into the board itself. Others come with a WiFi antenna attachment that sits connected to the motherboard. For ones without WiFi capability, you’ll have to purchase your compatible WiFi antenna for your PC.

Do I Need to Use Both the 8-pin and 4-pin Connector With My PSU?

No, you don’t. You will always need to use the 8-pin connector. The 4-pin connector is there as a supplement for overclockers. Not all PSUs will work with the 4-pin connector.

Can I Use All My Components With Any Form-factor Motherboard?

You can’t. Micro ITX boards, for example, simply don’t have enough room for more than one significant addition to the computer. Check example builds before purchasing parts for your computer, especially if you’re not using a standard ATX board. 

Is the Motherboard Even Important for a Gaming PC?

It’s important enough just because you can’t have a computer without one. However, it’s also important because it manages system cooling, determines power regulation, and connects all the disparate parts of your build.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get an excellent motherboard, but you also shouldn’t simply purchase one because it’s cheap.

How Many Fan Headers Do I Need on My Motherboard?

I wouldn’t purchase a computer without three fan headers, which are the places where you connect computer fans to the motherboard. Gaming is an activity that generates heat, and fans can help direct that heat away from your components and out of the case.

While some cases do fine with only two, it’s better to look for a motherboard with an option for more. 

What Are LAN Ports?

Lan ports are where you plug the Internet cable into your motherboard. They are rated to support different speeds. For example, a 2.5 Gbps port will handle less speed than one rated for 5 Gbps.