When we’re going to assemble a new computer, whether for gaming or for tasks of any kind, the decision of which motherboard to buy is undoubtedly one of the most important. And the motherboard determines a large part of the possibilities and performance that we can obtain from our PC.
And not only are we going to limit or expand our present hardware possibilities, but it will also compromise a possible future upgrade.
The motherboard of a computer is like the skeleton of our body or the foundation on which a house is built. It‘s the piece that unites all the components and allows them to communicate with each other, so the total performance of our equipment will depend to a large extent on its quality, options and performance.
Currently, the motherboard market is very extensive and varied, and although only a few manufacturers are the main protagonists, the models they offer are countless. This variety can be divided mainly into three categories:
The range of motherboards we choose, and therefore the investment to be made, is what will determine the rest of the following points. Mainly, there are 4 problems that we can encounter:
Some of the most important factors to consider when you want to buy the best motherboard for gaming are the graphics card, connectivity, expansions, storage, the socket and the chipset. Beyond these, there’s also 2 vital aspects:
The form factor of a motherboard is basically its size and the arrangement of the connections and components on it. Its importance is given by its compatibility with the chassis/case of your PC. Whether you already have a tower that you can use or you have to buy a new one, it’s ideal to check that it’s compatible with the form factor of the motherboard. The most common form factors are:
The choice of motherboard will also determine not only the amount of RAM that we can install in our computer, but also its type and speed.
It is essential to check what type of RAM is compatible with the motherboard (DDR3, DDR4, DDR5), how many slots it has for different modules and what is the maximum capacity it supports. In addition, it is advisable to consider the maximum speed of the RAM that the motherboard supports so as not to limit performance.
For the best gaming PC it’s important to choose a motherboard with a capacity of 32 or 64 GB, and of course that it is compatible with DDR5, as it offers much higher speeds. For more basic uses, 16 GB and DDR4 may be more than enough. Of course, if you can opt for a motherboard with the possibility of expanding it in the future, all the better.
Beyond all the technical issues we have seen, there are two other points that we should take a look at. The first is the motherboard manufacturer. Although it may be circumstantial, I recommend that you opt for manufacturers with a reputation and experience in the industry, such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI or ASRock. These manufacturers usually offer higher quality, better support options and more frequent **firmware updates.
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The second point is the price. Beyond whether it’s low or high range, whether one manufacturer or another, the important thing here is the total budget item that you are going to allocate to it. My humble opinion is that you should not be stingy, especially if you plan on updating your PC in the future. It’s better to opt for a lower capacity hard drive or a little less RAM and allocate that money to a more expensive motherboard with more possibilities.
If your intention is to build a PC that you are going to use for many years at maximum performance, then opt for a good motherboard with the maximum future possibilities. Now, if the PC you are building is for a basic or average user, who is going to use it from time to time and for basic tasks, then a low-end or mid-range motherboard will be more than enough.