We rated, reviewed 10 of the best gaming motherboards across various budgets, including the best Intel motherboards and the best AMD motherboards.
You must have heard of a good processor, good graphic card but ever heard of a good motherboard. Yeah, these motherboards are the main part of your PC for performance optimization, but we generally ignore them.
Motherboards are not directly responsible for your gaming performance, but they do provide stability to your system. If the motherboard is not of good quality, then it will fail your whole system.
There are a large number of features to be taken into account while purchasing a perfect motherboard like a few extra USB ports, to performance-enhancing benefits such as the ability to install better (newer) CPUs.
Here in this article, we are going to explore the top Gaming Motherboards in 2020.
Best Gaming Motherboards
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ASRock B450M PRO4 MicroATX Motherboard-
Specifications:
- AMD Ryzen Processors, AM4 Sockets
- MicroATX Form Factor
- RAM space of Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- x3 PCI-E Slots
- NVIDIA SLI/AMD Crossfire Support
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 & 2 ports
- Realtek ALC892 audio driver
- x4 SATA
Wow! What a high performing motherboard at such an exceptional price. The high performance is attributed to the MicroATX form factor and latest AMD AM4 Ryzen socket. It is the mixture of cutting edge technology like AMD Quad CrossFireX and late-gen USB 3.1 ports and the best micro ATX motherboard for gamers on a budget.
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Asus ROG Maximus XII HERO-
Specifications:
- ATX Form factor
- LGA1200 socket
- Intel Z490 chipset
- Memory support of 4 x DIMM (Max. 128GB)
- Multi-GPU support: NVIDIA 2-Way SLI Technology, AMD 3-Way CrossFireX Technology, AMD 2-Way CrossFireX Technology
Now, this is what you are probably looking for. Intelligent cooling and faster memory, AI overclocking and networking, Wi-Fi6 support and Asus Aura Sync illumination and many more features will enthral you to make it your choice. Moreover, it has very easy overclocking.
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GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming Motherboard-
Specifications-
- CPU & Socket Support: 8th Gen Intel Core Processors, LGA 1151 Sockets
- ATX form factor
- RAM Capacity of Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- x6 PCI-E Slots
- NVIDIA SLI/AMD Crossfire Support
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 & 2 ports
- Realtek ALC1220 audio driver
- x6 SATA
This model supports 8th generation Intel Core Processors (i7, i3 and i5). The value addition of special technology like UEFI, WIFI onboard, RGB Fusion technology, and triple M.2 slots makes it the ultimate choice with affordable pricing.
Overclocking power is still low.
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MSI MEG Z490 Godlike (Source 2)-
Specifications:
- E-ATX Form factor
- LGA1200 socket
- Intel Z490 chipset
- Memory support of 4 x DIMM sockets (up to 128GB)
- Multi-GPU support: 2-Way NVIDIA SLI Technology, 3-Way AMD CrossFire Technology
It may be tough to suit your pockets, but I think that if you are getting top performance with the MSI MEG Z490, then the investment is worthwhile especially for Intel. Some of its appealing features are inbuilt onboard thunderbolt video output, easy overclocking in BIOS and two 8-pin CPU power connectors.
In addition to all, it has an excellent thermal solution, staggering overclocking performance, easy installation and diagnostic solutions and most importantly, a solid build.
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ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming Motherboard-
Specifications:
- 8th/9th Gen Intel Processors, LGA 1151 Sockets
- ATX Form factor
- The RAM capacity of up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- x6 PCI-E Slots
- NVIDIA SLI/AMD Crossfire Support
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 & 2 ports
- Realtek S1200 audio driver
- x6 SATA
I will call it a masterpiece at exceptional pricing. It is a perfect mixture of power and budget. This motherboard is a powerhouse at an exceptional price and supports the latest Intel processors. Moreover, it has dual M.2 capabilities and USB 3.1.
The motherboard is very stylish and looks like tough military-grade exterior with an added value of ASUS Aura Sync for full RGB colour control.
There is a list of some extra perks like Gamer’s Guardian for overclocking and 8-Channel HD gaming audio by Realtek.
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GIGABYTE Z490 Gaming X (Source 2)-
Specifications:
- ATX form factor
- LGA1200 socket
- Intel Z490 chipset
- Memory support of 4 x DIMM sockets (up to 128GB)
- Multi-GPU support: AMD Quad-GPU CrossFire and 2-Way AMD CrossFire
The features are not that much appealing, but when the budget is in question in mind intel enthusiast, then this may be a perfect choice. If I talk about features of this entry-level motherboard, then it has three PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, six SATA ports and four memory slots with support for DDR4-4600 and up to 128GB.
Other features include pre-installed I/O shield, an extra optional 4-pin connector and no USB Type-C connectivity.
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ASUS ROG Crosshair VI Hero ATX Motherboard-
Specifications:
- AMD Ryzen & Athlon Processors, AM4 Sockets
- ATX Form factor
- RAM Capacity of Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- x7 PCI-E Slots
- NVIDIA SLI/AMD Crossfire Support
- USB 3.1 Gen 1ports
- ROG SupremeFX audio driver
- x8 SATA
If you are looking for superb performance for your AMD gaming rigs, then this is a popular choice because it supports the most powerful Ryzen generation processors which makes it optimal with the high-end systems.
It has strong PCIe ports with inbuilt Safe slot technology which makes the ports super strong and will prevent warping or wear and tear of your video card.
Moreover, it has water as a coolant to optimize performance. Also, there is great AURA RGB lighting. The overclocking is very easy, which is an added value at a low price tag.
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MSI MPG Z390M Gaming Edge AC-
Specifications:
- Micro-ATX Form factor
- The socket of LGA-1151 (8th and 9th-gen only)
- Intel Z390 chipset
- Memory support of 2 x DIMM sockets (up to 32GB)
- Multi-GPU support: SLI/ CrossFire
Micro-ATX motherboard is a very good choice if you don’t have a lot of extra space on your desk. This Micro-ATX motherboard has all the features like full-sized ATX, dual M.2 slots, SLI and Crossfire support. It has lightning-fast performance that Intel Coffee Lake Refresh has to offer.
The features are so stylish and appealing that you will definitely make it your choice if you are looking for a micro space motherboard.
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Gigabyte X470 AORUS Gaming 5 ATX WiFi Motherboard
- CPU & Socket Support of AMD Ryzen & Athlon Processors, AM4 Sockets
- ATX Form Factor
- RAM Capacity of Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- X5 PCI-E Slots
- NVIDIA SLI/AMD Crossfire Support
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports
- Realtek ALC1220-VB audio driver
- x6 SATA
What an advanced technology that supports AMD, Ryzen’s first and second-gen processors and that too at such a small price tag. As starter pack, it supports for 2-way crossfire and SLI graphics which guarantees lag-free and quality gameplay.
Besides above said, you’ll find dual PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 slots along with the pack of internal and external USB ports, and dual BIOS. Moreover, it has 8++3 phase VRM which facilitates the chips to run all cores at fast speed.
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MSI Creator TRX40 –
Specifications:
- Form Factor: E-ATX
- sTRX4 socket
- AMD TRX40 chipset
- Memory Support of 8 x DIMM sockets (up to 256G)
- Multi-GPU support of 3-Way NVIDIA SLI and 3-Way AMDA CrossFire
Good overclocking Efficient cooling Has 10GbE, 1GbE and 2.4Gbps WiFi Double-slot cooling limits M.2 adapter card Expensive
If you are having AMD Threadripper on your PC, then this motherboard like the MSI Creator TRX40 is a necessity for you. This giant motherboard can tolerate the most demanding computing. It is filled with latest features like PCIe gen4 slots and M.2 connectors, USB3.2 Gen2x2, WiFi 6 and 10G LAN, MSI’s Frozr Heatsink design and RGB lighting.
Moreover, overclocking efficiency is the great along-with excellent cooling system. The only drawback is that It’s costly. This is the ultimate choice of professionals.
Conclusion
One of the essential qualities of a good motherboard is the ability to make the hardware of your system to reach its full potential. It will optimize every inch of your internals’ performance and helps you to overclock efficiently while gaming.
Hence cheaping out on motherboard is a very risky affair.
So which gaming motherboard will you choose? The X570 and Z390 Godlike are easily the best motherboards you can get for the respective AMD and Intel chipsets. The top four boards on this list would make any build go to the next level and give you plenty of opportunity for overclocking.
Personally, my needs are more suited to hardcore gaming and hardcore gaming alone so something like the budget MSI B450 would suit me perfectly.
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