Hey there gaming enthusiasts! Are you ready to take your gaming experience to the next level? Of course, you are! But wait, before you dive headfirst into the world of gaming, let’s talk about one essential component that can make or break your experience – the motherboard.
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “How do I choose the right motherboard for gaming? It’s like choosing a needle in a haystack!” But fear not, my gaming friends, for I am here to guide you through this tedious task.
How To Choose A Motherboard For Gaming?
First things first, you need to ensure that your motherboard is compatible with your CPU. You don’t want to end up with a mismatched combo that leaves you with an unresponsive computer. That’s like trying to play a game with a broken controller. Not cool, bro.
Next up, check if the motherboard supports the game you want to play. There’s no point in getting a motherboard that can’t handle the latest games. You might as well be playing Pong on a black and white TV.
But wait, there’s more! You also need to consider the form factor, brand value, and reviews from other gamers. Think of it like shopping for a car – you want one that’s stylish, reliable, and has great reviews from other drivers. Except, in this case, you’re shopping for a motherboard, not a car. Unless you’re gaming while driving, which I wouldn’t recommend.
And there you have it, folks – a quick and easy guide on how to choose a motherboard for gaming. Now go forth and conquer the virtual world like the gaming gods you are! Oh, and don’t forget to read up on the positive and negative sides of gaming as a hobby. You don’t want to get too lost in the game, you know.
The Detailed Guide on: How to choose a motherboard for gaming is as follows:
Firstly let us understand what a motherboard is. The computer’s brain controls all the other computer components and the CPU (which is the heart of a computer). A motherboard is responsible for all the real-time activities and calculations on your computer and the game you are playing.
Some call a motherboard the heart of a computer; some call it the brain of a computer, and some call it the central nervous system of your PC. In short, it is the main thing in your computer without which the system cannot operate.
A motherboard has CPU sockets which connect a CPU with it, and the sockets of the CPU and motherboard should match to work together. The motherboard also has memory slots, RAM slots, sound card sockets and so on…. If you install any computer component on your system, it will be connected to the motherboard.
How many types of motherboards are there?
There are three standard sizes of a motherboard; you can consider them as types of motherboards: ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX. They are from largest to smallest, and yes, mini is even smaller than micro.
Difference between Micro ATX, Mini ITX and ATX Motherboard:
Following is the motherboard comparison: Mini one is smaller than the micro ATX and has a height and length shorter than the other two. And the advantage of micro-ATX is that the motherboards have small form factor cases which fit in the PC consuming less space. There is only one PCIe lane in the micro-ITXs, amicable with more minor form factor cases.
Read more: Will My CPU Fit My Motherboard?
How much should be spent on a motherboard?
The motherboard doesn’t directly influence the frame rate you get while playing a game, but it will affect it indirectly as the other gaming computer components will depend on it. It will determine the overall reliability of your system and if your motherboard is good.
An ordinary person new to gaming would spend more than usual and overspend on a motherboard without extensive research. And because of that reason, you may find your budget short for the other essential computer components determining the performance factor for the game you play.
Keep a balance between underspending and overspending on a motherboard, as some spare cash will help you upgrade the RAM and graphic card, which will significantly influence the performance of your gameplay.
A basic rule that you should follow is the overall budget for building a gaming computer. If you are making an expensive PC, you should have a reasonable budget set for a motherboard, but if you are spending less overall, go for a medium-range motherboard.
It would help if you kept in mind that the motherboard shouldn’t overclock the CPU. Once the processor overclocks because of extra usage or playing a heavy game maybe, it will not only depend on its cooler. But it will also depend on the motherboard’s quality to manage the extra heat and cool down the processor.
Read more: What Mouse DPI Should I Use For FPS Gaming?
Importance of Motherboard in a Gaming Computer:
The motherboards do not directly affect the performance of your computer system for gaming significantly as they do not directly influence the performance of the system. But motherboards do play an integral role in determining your new PC’s overall reliability and functionality.
Other gaming computer components are dependent upon the motherboard, and they affect your game’s performance. So eventually, you will require a better motherboard for the different gaming computer components to perform well.
Every other computer component connects to the motherboard, so it is definite that it has its importance. You will have to choose a motherboard that best fits the other features attached to it.
And those options will determine how much you can upgrade your system by adding the other components to that motherboard. The further essential details that will determine your computer’s speed are RAM, SSD card, and even the graphic card will be attached to the motherboard.
You will always be tempted to buy a cheaper option to save the budget for other computer components if they are more critical in determining the speed of your gameplay. But purchasing a more affordable board will hunt you later as it may be missing some essential features you will require for modern gaming in 2023.
You will have to find a durable motherboard and a reliable brand that can work for several months and years. It would help to balance overspending and underspending on a board that you are adding to your gaming PC.
Does the / of a Motherboard matter?
Choosing a motherboard brand in 2023 is a difficult task because there are plenty of options available these days. Many manufacturers ensure the reliability and quality of the board. But there are a few big names which have been at the top, and I suggest you stick to them for better quality and buy them without any second thought because of their excellent reputation. Gigabyte, MSI, AS Rock, and Asus motherboard are the top four motherboard manufacturers.
Though we do not recommend you to buy from any other than these four brands, there are some other options available for you, like Biostar and Evga. However, you may need extensive research to buy these brands and know what you are doing while making this purchase decision. Not all models are created with equal competency, so it doesn’t mean it is a good buy option if you have selected one of these manufacturers.
Checking the Compatibility of Motherboard and CPU:
Understanding the compatibility of motherboard and CPU is very important to choosing the best motherboard for your computer. If they both are compatible, all you need to know is the board’s chipset, like AMD has a B450 chipset and uses the same type of socket as your processor.
In all the AMD processors, the AM4 socket is used; if you have that socket, you are good to go. For more clarity on the compatibility of your motherboard and its processor, read their respective websites for more extensive research and knowledge.
You always want to choose a motherboard that suits the CPU’s sockets and vice versa. You need to know what chipset type your motherboard has to know that. Following are some examples of different chipsets, like AMD: B550/B450, which support separate processor sockets. Though it may be difficult for you to understand these terms, you will soon know what I mean once you finish reading this guide till the end.
People who build a new computer for themselves use either the previous generation processors or the current one. It will be a good option for you if you have the latest 2023 AMD and Intel processors, as they will be compatible with most motherboards. Though it doesn’t end your options here of all compatible chipsets, the latest ones are recommended ones for you for a particular CPU series.
Checking the RAM and Motherboard compatibility:
When selecting a perfect motherboard for your gaming computer, you should also look for one compatible with the RAM modules. The reason for that is RAM will determine the speed of the game that you play and provide the best performance. And when the motherboard is compatible with the RAM, it will boost your gaming performance. You should consider these points while checking the compatibility of RAM sticks and board.
That motherboard should support a DDR4 and DDR5 RAM type:
It is the most basic type of RAM module which the board should support. This RAM is used in 2023 for modern-day gaming, where previously DDR3 was used. A motherboard will either keep the DDR4 RAM or the DDR5, not both at one time. DDR5 RAM is released on specific motherboard series like Intel x5690 for 12th generation Intel CPUs, and AMD should also be able to support it later this year (2023).
The motherboard should support the RAM Speed:
See if the motherboard you are planning to buy supports the speed of the RAM modules. If you are buying 3200 MHz RAM sticks, make sure that your motherboard supports them, and its information will be available on the motherboard’s official website, where you can check the supported RAM speeds.
Motherboard’s maximum RAM capacity should be exceeded:
You need to check what maximum RAM capacity is available on your motherboard. If you plan to upgrade your RAM stick, make sure you buy a motherboard that has more ability to support it later on. A modern-day motherboard would support 32, 64 and 125 GB, respectively.
Having enough RAM slots on the motherboard:
Make sure that there are enough RAM slots available on your new motherboard. You may need to upgrade your RAM size as per your needs as a new game may require more RAM to operate, so having more slots on the motherboard for upgrade is essential. A modern-day motherboard should have 2-3 slots minimum if you wish to upgrade the RAM later.
If you have checked these mentioned points to figure out the best compatible motherboard with the RAM, you will be good to set up the best gaming PC for yourself. But there are always chances that some choices may backbite you, only a small event, but yes, there are some. Sometimes even after doing the research, some RAM modules are not the right fit for your motherboard even if the following specifications match.
It is an unfortunate case if it happens with you and the manufacturers of motherboards call it a qualified vendor list (QVL) for their motherboards which you can check. QVL is the list where they have officially checked and tested the boards which work with that specific RAM module.
But as we know, there are many models around, so it is near impossible for the manufacturers to test and try all the RAM sticks with the motherboards and mention it in the QVL list. Many of the modules will work perfectly fine even if they are not on the list, and some may not.
Modern-day hardware works perfectly fine with almost everything because the manufacturers make it general to fit in any socket and be compatible. Buying an available modern-day RAM module and motherboard will be suitable as you don’t want any complications later on to work in the other gaming computer components.
This ends our detailed discussion of choosing a motherboard for a gaming guide. Now there are some frequently asked questions which you can look at if you have any additional questions, there may be someone who already requested them, and we added them in the next section.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what motherboard to get for gaming?
It would help to look for actual clock rates for a perfect gaming motherboard. Thick copper wires for better durability, quality capacitors, and premium sockets are the things you should look for in a gaming motherboard.
It would help if you kept in mind and research before buying a gaming motherboard, as they will make sure your computer doesn’t overheat during your gameplay and gives an ultimate performance.
How do I choose the correct motherboard?
To choose the correct motherboard, check its form factor, BrandBrand and reputation. Checking the socket type is essential to see if it fits the existing CPU.
You need to pick the right chipset, flexible host bus speeds should be there in that motherboard, and also check the requirements of the game that you are going to play on that motherboard or the load that you are going to give to your PC so that it doesn’t get overloaded.
Does motherboard matter for gaming?
The motherboard does allow your graphic card and CPU to perform well or bad. Just like the solid-state drive’s impact on FPS, keep in mind that the motherboard does not directly influence game performance.
How do I choose a CPU and motherboard?
The form factor of the PC, and then which types of games you will play on them to see if they fit your requirement. Then after figuring out the suitable PC and other components that you are going to add in that, you can choose a motherboard and CPU which merge well with each other.
And those who support the 2023 games that you wish to play. Please make sure the motherboard and CPU sockets support each other so you don’t face any issues while assembling them.
Final words:
I hope this guide has helped you understand How to choose a motherboard for gaming. Most of the queries are updated in frequently asked questions if someone asks a new question, so please look at that section; it may have the question you have in mind.
Thanks for reading!