Best gaming motherboards for amd

MSI knows how to design and optimize their hardware to the best of their abilities. The company is known for its exclusive range and greatly produced hardware.

The motherboard has an exquisite voltage range for graphical processors. This is extremely true for the ever famous Ryzen range series. The different voltage range helps in regulating the power within the processors. When it comes to overclocking your computer, no better motherboard can facilitate this facility.

The motherboard can give excellent overclocking capability, which is extremely compatible with the normally budgeted Ryzen 7 x processor, making it one of the best AMD motherboards for gaming.

The PCIe pathways within this motherboard give the computer excellent working speeds. This removes the need to install re-drivers, which is always appreciable. With multiple releases on their hands, and each one getting better than the other, a lot is expected. The overclocking potential of the motherboard is extremely appealing.

ASRock has always delivered on their word of making the best motherboards in the computer hardware market. With each release of the model, they get better and better in their craft. This increases the transfer rate of the computer to exciting heights.

Add 2. Overclocking is always needed in gaming and this motherboard supplies. With overwhelming overclocking capabilities, it makes it the best AMD motherboard for gaming for your computer in While it's an excellent motherboard, if you aren't already committed to a shopping list of top-of-the-line components, you may want to consider a slightly less expensive board for your needs.

It's important not to overlook the new X versions, though. The basic chipset is a few years old, but with the newly released XS models, maybe it's time to take a more serious look at AMD's top boards. Notably, the 'S' in the new XS nomenclature denotes silence. Early generation X boards, with only a few exceptions, all came with pesky, whiny chipset fans. It won't win the feature showdown battle with more expensive boards.

Still, suppose you're looking for an affordable motherboard for a fast gaming system. In that case, it's a great shout, especially if you value one that's silent and well built but free of superfluous extras that do nothing for performance. The X chipset might be a couple of years old, but that doesn't mean it's time to put it out to pasture just yet. With PCIe 4. It shares a lot in common with its already highly regarded predecessor. With the inclusion of some critical feature updates and design tweaks, the XS Aorus Master should remain a best-in-class contender for AMD motherboards.

When we first saw X boards en masse at Computex in , one of the things that concerned us was the almost universal presence of chipset fans. The S in XS denotes silence. The base chipset design hasn't changed, but Gigabyte has added a lot of surface area to the cooling assembly, with almost the entire bottom half of the board now covered with heatsinks.

Gigabyte deserves credit for continuing to use finned VRM heatsinks, which add a lot of surface area. They're proof that it's possible to blend function with form.

Twelve ports consist of four USB 2. Something has to be done about that ridiculous USB naming scheme, but that's a story for another day. It's got loads of USB ports and storage options. It looks good too. This AMD motherboard comes packed with all the trappings you'd expect, including an onboard thermal sensor, onboard power and reset buttons, and a BIOS flashback option on the rear IO panel.

You also get a couple of M. These specs are generally par for the course, however. Sleek matte black and chrome finish and subdued RGB lend an air of subtlety to this particular board, and while the seamless M. This isn't a glaring issue but does add an extra step whenever you're trying to upgrade your storage. Overall, this board has many attractive features, but its comparatively steep price tag may draw your eye to more affordable offerings.

ASRock has made some great AMD Ryzen motherboards over the years, and this one packs in the latest high-end X chipset, forward-looking features, and serious performance. The PCIe 4. That's an impressive little added extra from what is an already special board. It is worth noting that it will require an Intel-based CPU cooling bracket.

That's only an issue if you want to use the stock AMD coolers, but otherwise, any third-party cooler will come with Intel brackets. The gaming frame rates of the MSI B Mortar put it above the rest of the B crew we've tested so far, and indeed its straight CPU performance puts it up there with some of the best Xs.

That bodes well if you're looking for an affordable home for your AMD Zen 3 CPU; this B has a great chance to ensure it performs to its fullest stock-clocked potential without breaking the bank. But you will be missing out on extra PCIe 4. You can also opt to ditch wireless networking, depending on whether you pick the straight Mortar or the more expensive Mortar Wi-Fi 6 version. But, as an affordable gaming board without OC pretensions, it's a great shout.

AMD's budget Ryzen motherboard chipset, the A, has largely slipped under the radar. While B and B motherboards were mainly regarded as entry-level, A was strictly seen as resolutely low-end. Enter the A If you're on a tighter budget and don't care about PCIe 4. There's cheap, and there's cheap, but a decent A board can more or less do everything aboard at double the price can.

The ASRock AM's audio is a bit of a let-down, but that's something that budget boards often compromise on. A gamer listening to compressed audio assets in-game probably won't be any less immersed, but you can opt for an external DAC if you desire one later in life, anyways. It benefits from the strengths of the Ryzen platform and adds some future-proofing into the mix. This helps reduce latency and allows for a little more performance headroom compared to a four-slot design.

This is another choice to aid overclockers who use LN2 cool a GPU by allowing extra room for pots and insulation. Read the full Gigabyte Z Aorus Tachyon review.

If you want the best, most fully-featured Intel Comet Lake motherboard, then I'm afraid you're going to have to pay for it. It is, as the name suggests, extreme, packing in a variety of luxurious and convenient extras a frickin' screwdriver with interchangeable heads for one , and it's also one of the highest performing Z boards we've tested.

But it only really makes sense if you're buying a K-series Core i9 and genuinely intend to overclock the nuts off it. The Maximus XII will allow you to get the highest clock speed out of your K and won't turn it into a pile of molten slag while you're at it.

It's an aspirational Z motherboard and arguably the best gaming motherboard for Comet Lake overclocking, but I'll concede it's not a particularly realistic purchase for most of us. The rarified air of the ultra-enthusiast ROG board up top might make one giddy, but the Z Gaming Carbon will bring us back down to earth without a bump.

Sure, you're never going to get the same level of luxury feature list as you'll find with either the Maximus XII or MSI's own Godlike boards, but when it comes to the nuts and bolts of pure performance, it's right up there. Where it matters, in the gaming performance stakes, there's practically nothing between any of the Z boards we've tested, and it's only ever a little behind when it comes to the actual CPU performance in productivity apps.

The power componentry and cooling aren't enough to stop the thirsty CPU from throttling when it's pushed to its 5. Grabbing one of the best Z motherboards might be appealing to your inner elitist, but the sticker price shock is definitely a problem. If you can put up with the memory speed limitation and have no intention of overclocking well, with a K-series CPU anyway , then this is the kind of board that should be on your PC building wishlist.

Pairing it with a 65W non-K processor and having a crack at pseudo overclocking is definitely worth the minimal efforts too.

You get a pair of heatsink-covered M. The increased power demands of 10th generation CPUs mean motherboards generally have to include improved VRM designs, and on that front, the B Steel Legend is well equipped.

Each stage can deliver up to 60A. Bear in mind that overclocking is not allowed on B motherboards, so the VRM will not see extreme loads as you might get with an all-core overclocked Intel Core i9 K. But the ASRock B Steel legend is still a highly competitive offering and comes highly recommended by us.

It shows its steel, one might say. If it had Wi-Fi, we might even have said it was legendary. It has triple M. You'd have to climb right to the top of the product stack to get the same from MSI and ASUS, both of whom offer a little more polish but also charge plenty for the privilege. Though there's a lot to be said for extreme motherboards , this is a great value Intel board. The only real downside for us is that this mobo is perhaps a little too flashy and may not suit more restrained gaming builds.

But that's a small criticism of an otherwise top board. Boasting stable 5GHz overclocks using several memory speeds, including 3,MHz with tweaking, its single PCIe x16 slot pushed top-shelf graphics cards to speeds that matched or exceeded most Z ATX boards during testing. The smallest Strix has a lengthy features list, with no shortcomings despite the tiny form factor, including dual PCIe Gen3 x4 M. Despite the dense set of features, the Strix ZI's clean design makes quick system assembly and configuration an important consideration for ITX rig building.

It's worth noting that this board can be hard to find, but the previous generation ROG Strix ZI model, with its slimmer design, remains an excellent alternative, especially at clearance prices.

But what is it that makes a great motherboard? Features are important, as is a stable and refined BIOS, value for money, a good design, but sometimes intangible. Sometimes it's that the damn thing works. Motherboard testing is often one of the most painful things a tech journalist has to do. There are headers for the included Wi-Fi antenna to help with wireless connectivity, as well as a gigabit ethernet port. The MPG X supports Wi-Fi 6, and while that does necessitate a Wi-Fi 6 compatible router, it's backward compatible with other Wi-Fi standards and gives the potential for a speed boost down the line.

The MPG X features enough compatibility to get the most out of your hardware now and in the future, provided you're willing to pay a premium for it. While it's certainly an excellent mobo, if you aren't already committed to a shopping list of top-of-the-line components now or shortly, you may want to consider a slightly less expensive board for your needs.

Despite the X chipset showing its age, Gigabyte's XS Aorus Master feels like an old dog that's learned some new tricks. The fact that it comes with four M.

Really the cooling all around gets a thumbs up from us. The finned VRM heatsinks add a ton of surface area. Our only real knock against the Aorus Master only offers single 2. That being said it's still one of the better AMD motherboards out there.

You also get Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking as well as Intel 2. If you're looking at building a Zen 3 system, then the necessary BIOS updates should drop in January for this motherboard.

Performance is typically good for a high-end Asus board, matching X motherboards for gaming performance without issue. That said, of the B boards we've tested, it's the far more affordable MSI board that actually comes out top in our straight performance testing. But the Asus can overclock far better, even if it does chew up more raw power from the plug on the whole.

Though that still feels like a tough recommendation when X boards are the same price…. The gaming frame rates of the MSI B Mortar put it above the rest of the B crew we've tested so far, and indeed its straight CPU performance puts it up there with some of the best Xs. That bodes well if you're looking for an affordable home for your AMD Zen 3 CPU of the future BIOS updates to support Ryzen chips are due to start rolling out in January ; this B has a great chance to ensure it performs to its fullest stock-clocked potential without breaking the bank.

But you will be missing out on extra PCIe 4. You can also opt to ditch wireless networking, depending on whether you pick the straight Mortar or the more expensive Mortar Wi-Fi version. But, as an affordable gaming board without OC pretensions, it's a great shout. AMD's budget Ryzen motherboard chipset, the A, has largely slipped under the radar. While B and B motherboards were mostly regarded as entry-level, A was strictly seen as the resolutely low end.