The best motherboards from reviews of buyers

Computers have gradually become an integral part of the life of all people. They are now replacing not only televisions and telephones, but they are also a means of earning or helping to brighten up leisure. The heart of the computer is the motherboard, and it depends on it for its maximum performance. It has a lot of connectors, so that its users can connect a good graphics card, several mainboards or other storage devices. Motherboards are made by a single standard, so they are able to work in any enclosure and any bundle of other components. In this article-selection you will find out what they are, how they differ, and on which model it is worth stopping in your hard choice.

Which motherboard to choose

At present the motherboard market is full of its developers. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the rating of the best developers of computer peripherals:

1. ASUS

This company is considered one of the largest manufacturers of equipment in the world, and especially game motherboards. AsusTek produces not only these parts, but also a host of other popular electronic equipment, widely distributed throughout the world.

2. GIGABYTE

Boards of this company received the highest ratings from various specialized publications. If it comes to which boards are used cutting-edge technology - you came to the right place.

3. MSI

The company was founded a long time ago, and during this time has proved itself as a company that produces some of the best motherboards. Electronics for quality and equipment can compete at the level of ASUS and GIGABYTE, but their models are slightly cheaper.

4. ASRock

This is a subsidiary of ASUS, established in 2002.It produces motherboards and even industrial PCs. The company recently entered the race of the largest manufacturers, and makes seven-league steps in its development.

The best motherboards with the form factor ATX

ASUS A88X-PRO

This motherboard has passed a severe test of time. Despite the old age( considering technological innovations), this model has very good characteristics. As many as six USB 3.0 inputs, several PCI Express 3.0 x16, two eSATA, a chic eight-channel sound and a unique cooling system that uses heat pipes. Of modern interfaces, only M2 is missing in the board, and there are no the most recent versions of supported protocols. But this should not be surprising, because at the time of the motherboard ASUS A88X-PRO absorbed all the advanced standards of quality, and this is what allowed it to take this place in the rating.

The opinions of customers who bought the ASUS A88X-PRO were used to highlight these advantages:

• Excellent overclocking potential;
• Effective cooling system;
• Good eight-channel path;
• A variety of interface choices.

Of cons:

• No significant flaws.

GIGABYTE GA-990X-Gaming SLI

The motherboard, based on the 990X chipset, is a very interesting proposition. The developers gave the motherboard with an 11-phase power subsystem a very small heatsink. It has the ability to install SSDshnik, whose interface is M.2 Socket 3. Slots PCI Express 2.0 can be combined using the format of SLI and CrossFireX.A high-universal system provides a complete variety of devices for connection. The sound is answered by a codec with 8 channels and an amplifier for headphones.

The opinions of customers who bought GIGABYTE GA-990X-Gaming SLI were used to highlight these advantages:

• A good network controller;
• High overclocking capabilities;
• Combining video slots with SLI and CrossFireX technologies;
• Support for M.2.

The minuses are:

• Small radiators, cooling board.

ASRock Z170 Extreme4

This board with the pre-top kit has excellent characteristics. It supports three monitors and has a built-in audio codec-HD with 7.1 channels. Of the features - the system BIOS( UEFI) is updated directly through the Internet, without the participation of the operating system or flash-media. It has two USB 3.1 C and A types, eight USB 3.0.It allows you to overclock the processor, RAM and other overclocking. It contains temperature sensors, and through the BIOS it is possible to adjust the speed of rotation of the coolers in the computer case. Motherboard ASRock Z170 Extreme4 is quite expensive, but the price / performance ratio is at the same level.

The opinions of customers who bought the ASRock Z170 Extreme4 were used to highlight these advantages:

• Beautiful appearance with red LEDs blinking during operation;
• Good CPU overclocking;
• A large number of extensions;
• Stable work;
• Excellent equipment.

From the cons are:

• Sometimes the BIOS system hangs.

MSI B150 GAMING M3

MSI believes that gamers can recognize a motherboard designed for business-oriented logistics, top-notch, but is it so? A model that could serve as an example of this idea is the MSI B150 GAMING M3, which is part of the Enthusiast Gaming series. In it there is an enhanced protection of circuits from interference, an excellent sound path and a good network controller. The motherboard is equipped with several interfaces, and among them you can see SATA Express and M.2 supporting NVME drives. In addition, PCI Express x16 slots and a unique port for mice with high speed are calculated for video cards. Thanks to this system, gamers get TOP results in different genres of games.

The opinions of customers who bought the MSI B150 GAMING M3 were used to highlight these advantages:

• Top level gaming platform;
• Quality build and sound;
• Great opportunities for players.

The minuses are:

• No overclocking.

ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING

This motherboard is recommended for gamers who want to minimize their costs for the purchase of good components. Despite the fact that ASRock Z170 Extreme4 is based on the latest chipset, the model is intended for medium-level systems. It does not have some cultic lotions from the ROG series, but most users do not need them. ASRock Z170 Extreme4 has all the latest graphics interfaces, and PCI Express 3.0 connectors allow to combine in one video subsystem the accelerators in the SLI mode. The board is expanded by 3400 MHz frequency memory modules, and it is also possible to install various M2 Socket 3 drives in it.

The customer opinions that were bought by ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING were used to highlight these advantages:

• All the features that allow to safely dispersesystem;
• Great audio;
• Qualitative assembly;
• Extensive opportunities for gamers.

The minuses are:

• Not all USB drivers are installed automatically.

Best motherboards with mATX form factor

MSI H110M PRO-VD

A set of systems with H110 logic is a very popular platform for creating gaming stations or office computers. Motherboards based on this chipset are an excellent option for medium-sized Intel Core i3 processors. The power subsystem of the budgetary motherboard MSI H110M PRO-VD is characterized by the progressive potential of the make-up system, built on a six-phase circuit. The developer has saved a little on the heatsink cooling the system, but with the loads that it claims, it will cope. The type of memory is DDR4 DIMM, 2133 MHz, the model has four USB 3.1 and four SATA 6Gb / s. There is a possibility to output USB connectors forward.

The opinions of customers who bought MSI H110M PRO-VD were used to highlight these advantages:

• Stable operation with all kinds of processors and memory;
• Efficient power system;
• Support for DDR4;
• Low price.

Of the minuses are:

• There are few memory slots - only two;
• No ability for any overclocking.

GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3V DDR3

The motherboards, which work with DDR3 RAM, make it easy to upgrade to the LGA1151 platform. The Intel B150 logical set is designed for business solutions and runs on Small Business Advantage technology. A characteristic feature of GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3V DDR3 is the M.2 Socket 3 interface, which works directly with three solid-state drives, in addition, it has high-quality capacitors from Japan. Unfortunately, there are only two RAM slots in the motherboard. The UEFI BIOS tries to regulate the voltage of all nodes, but since the power system does not have a heat sink, this places a heavy load on the MOSFETs. The sound of the model is 7.1CH, HAD, and six USB 3.0, of which four are on the back cover.

The opinions of customers who bought GIGABYTE GA-B150M-D3V DDR3 were used to highlight these advantages:

• Support for M.2;
• A large number of different connectors;
• Low price.

Of the minuses are:

• 2 slots for RAM;
• No radiator, cooling transistors VRM.

MSI B85M-G43

MSI, producing this board, has used all the latest developments. They put a maximum of slots on this small device. Four memory slots increase this figure to 32 GB.Six activated SATA slots allow you to connect multiple hard drives. But at a speed of 6 Gb / s can only work four of them. But the most surprising thing is that MSI B85M-G43 has CrossFire technology, which can accommodate two ATI Radeon video cards inside the computer case. This board is based on the LGA1150 socket.

The opinions of customers who bought MSI B85M-G43 were used to highlight these advantages:

• A good number of SATA connectors;
• There is a CrossFire technology;
• The whole four slots for RAM;
• There is an HDMI connector.

From the minuses stand out:

• For such a price they are quite insignificant.

ASRock 960GM-VGS3 FX

For those users who want to build an inexpensive assembly, this board is a great option. Very cheaply you will get a motherboard in which two RAM slots are built in, with a frequency of 1866 MHz and four SATA slots, with a speed of 3 Gb / s. This power is enough to use the computer in the office. The AM3 + socket on which the ASRock 960GM-VGS3 FX is based is also suitable for assembling PCs at home. Strangeness - there are no USB 3.0 slots and a small number of high-speed ports.

The opinions of customers who bought the ASRock 960GM-VGS3 FX were used to highlight these advantages:

• Low cost combined with good reliability;
• Nice sound.

The minuses are:

• Slow slots SATA;
• Total pair of connectors for RAM.

ASUS B85M-G

Developers from ASUS wanted that the owner of even the smallest case could place a video card, thanks to which the user could play the latest toys. This explains the appearance of ASUS B85M-G.The model has four slots for RAM memory, and in total its volume can be 32 GB.This number will allow the user to mount the video or work professionally in a graphics editor. The video card has a PCI-E x16 slot. In order to connect devices with USB, you can use as many as six ports, which can be found easily - they are located on the back of the panel. Only two of them work in high-speed mode 3.0.In addition, six more USB ports are connected from the front panel, which is a record for microATX.At ASUS B85M-G's disposal is the LGA1150 socket, which perfectly matches with Intel processors.

The opinions of customers who bought ASUS B85M-G were used to highlight these advantages:

• Sound 7.1;
• Huge number of USB ports;
• High stability;
• Four slots for RAM.

The minuses are:

• A small number of SATA slots;
• The latest BIOS is missing.

The best motherboards with the form factor Thin Mini-ITX

Intel DN2800MT

Modern chipsets can allow the creation of gaming systems on the Mini-ITX motherboard. According to this standard, the size of this board is limited to 25 mm in all projections. The Intel DN2800MT is listed in the Executive series, which features a wide range of management and security settings. It uses the Intel Q77 chipset, which supports vPro and other technologies. Maximum performance is limited by the size, because they are dictated by the required body. In Intel DN2800MT 1 expansion slot PCI-E x1 for video card, 8 USB-outlets, and it works on the Intel NM10 chipset.

The opinions of customers who bought Intel DN2800MT were used to highlight these advantages:

• Small size;
• No Noise;
• Low power consumption;
• Wide input voltage range.

The minus signs are:

• Cut-down functions;
• No drivers.

ASUS J1800I-C

This motherboard is the smallest among all, created in recent years. Its work is based on the Intel Celeron J1800 chipset. It is characterized by low power consumption and low heat release. As a result, it does not need a cooler, as it lacks a unique cooling system that works passively. In ASUS J1800I-C there are two DDR3L SO-DIMM slots, 2 SATA connectors operating at 3 Gb / s. They are enough to install good components for such a board.

The opinions of customers who bought ASUS J1800I-C were used to highlight these advantages:

• Good performance at a small size;
• Passive cooling system.

The minuses are:

• It is necessary to use low-voltage RAM.

ASRock H110TM-ITX

This motherboard company ASRock released specifically for monoblocks. It is equipped with an Intel H110 chipset and runs in LGA1151 processors. In this novelty there is a four-channel power system, ASRock H110TM-ITX allows you to install up to 32 GB of RAM.In addition, it can detect two SATA slots, with speeds up to 6 Gb / s and mSata. The device contains external and internal power connectors, USB 3.0 connectors. A nice LVDS interface will allow you to connect the LCD matrix. Limitation of the board faces reaches 20 mm.

The opinions of customers who bought ASRock H110TM-ITX were used to highlight these advantages:

• High speed SATA;
• Support for LVDS interface;
• Pleasant value.

Out of the minuses are:

• Low productivity.

Which motherboard to buy

1. For advanced gamers who like to get the most out of the full immersion in the game, ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING is perfect. However, it is worth considering the cost of this device, since it is not the cheapest.

2. People working in a medium of photoshop and other visualization, it is better to stay on ASRock Z170 Extreme4, because at a sufficiently high cost, its characteristics are revealed at a very high level.

3. ASRock Z170 Extreme4 is a pretoptop board with excellent characteristics that can be overclocked even more. Option for advanced users who want to get the most out of everything.

4. Small and cheap MSI H110M PRO-VD is an excellent option for schoolchildren and students, who will use it not only for work, but also brighten up the weekday with good settings in the game.

5. The small devices perfectly fit ASUS J1800I-C with a passive cooling system. In addition, it consumes very little electricity.

6. A little old, but all the same fighting ASUS A88X-PRO will enjoy eight-channel sound and a wide choice of interface.

7. ASRock H110TM-ITX, with a good SATA speed, is perfect for users who purchased a candy bar.

8. The small Intel DN2800MT with excellent security settings, supports the latest vPro technology and is not very expensive.