Choosing the best gaming motherboard for your gaming PC can make all the difference when it comes to getting the most out of your rig’s components. After all, there’s little point investing in parts like the best 12th Gen Intel Core series gaming CPU or AMD Ryzen 5000 series if your new processor doesn’t have access to a chipset that can unlock its full gaming potential. performance.

The best gaming motherboard for you will ultimately depend on what you expect from your system. Do you plan to overlock? How many USB ports do you need? Will you be buying another of the best gaming SSDs in the near future? These are all important things to consider when sorting through the various chipsets available at different price points.

One of the biggest differentiators between Intel and AMD right now is PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 gaming RAM support. Intel is currently the only manufacturer to support the latest standards, but that will change when the new AMD Ryzen Zen 4 CPUs hit the scene later this year.

Here are your options for the best gaming motherboard:

Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero

The best gaming motherboard it is the Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero.

If you’re looking for the best intel motherboard To pair it with its shiny new 12th generation processor, look no further than the Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero. In addition to its two large LED screens, this ATX behemoth packs cutting-edge specs and plenty of expansion slots.

As the best motherboard z690 on the market, it can accommodate a large amount of NVMe storage with its three M.2 storage slots that can be expanded up to five with two additional Hyper M.2 cards. Its I/O is also stacked, with seven USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports. Don’t forget its software offerings, too, with programs like AI Overclocking that make it super easy to squeeze every last bit of performance out of your components.

What we like…
Lots of PCIe expansion
easy overclocking
PCIe Gen 5, DDR5, and Wi-Fi 6E support

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Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme

The best amd motherboard it is the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme.

If you are determined to grab the best x570 motherboard for your system instead of waiting for the Zen 4 chipsets to arrive, the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Xtreme should be at the top of your list. Its price may be as big as its E-ATX form factor, but it’s packed with niceties you won’t find on other models.

If you’re holding on to an older AMD Ryzen CPU, the Gigabyte X570 Aorus can easily fit your older chip via its Q-Flash Plus button. This allows you to update your BIOS without inserting a processor into it. 10Gb Ethernet and passive chipset cooling are also nice touches. It would take forever to highlight everything this motherboard has to offer, but you can find a full breakdown of the key specs in the table below.

What we like…
X570 chipset with passive cooling
10Gb Ethernet
Support for every generation of Ryzen CPUs

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MSI Pro B660M-A

The best budget motherboard for Intel it is the MSI Pro B660M-A.

This LGA 1700 microATX motherboard from MSI is a solid choice for a mid-range or budget gaming PC, and is our personal choice for the best motherboard b660. It comes with two M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs and plenty of USB 3.0 ports despite its smaller size. You can put up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM in 4 DIMM slots at a maximum frequency of 4800MHz to boot.

You’ll miss out on any overclocking potential of the Intel K-series processors, but with the mighty Intel Core i5-12400 and its non-K styling it still delivers serious gaming performance at standard speeds, so it’s not too much of an issue. big. The MSI Pro B660M-A is also a well-proportioned board, allowing you to fit it into a slimmer chassis than the larger standard ATX board.

What we like…
Low price
Micro ATX form factor
M.2 expansion slots

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Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)

The best budget motherboard for amd it’s the Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi).

The X570 and B550 boards are your best bet for running AMD Zen 3 CPUs, but even a cheap X570 is a hefty investment. However, the cheapest motherboards in today’s range offer the best combination of performance, functionality, and affordability if you absolutely must have today’s best technology.

The Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) is the cheapest X570 motherboard we’ve tested, and as such makes it the most cost-effective entry point into the PCIe 4.0 ecosystem. It will still cost you a lot more money than previous AM4 TUF Gaming motherboards require, but the more than capable TUF board should help you outperform any Ryzen CPU you have.

Cheap way to get PCIe 4.0
Supports Ryzen 5000 out of the box
Robust, high-value feature set

Read PCGamesN Asus TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi) review for our full verdict and score.

motherboard buying guide

Choosing the perfect motherboard for your rig can be like walking a tightrope, with all the I/O you want on one side and cost on the other. However, with a little critical thinking and planning your build around your board, the process can be quite straightforward.

After all, unless you’re an overclocker, it all comes down to good quality, a form factor that works for your case or preference, and a handful of ports. Performance between motherboards is totally insignificant at this point: everything that used to make a difference in PC performance has long since moved into the CPU itself.

After all, the motherboard is the vessel for all the other, frankly, more interesting components that really make your gaming PC work. It’s an important part of the puzzle, but one that doesn’t need to keep you up at night.