We mainly suppose CPU responsible for a PC performance, but the reality is CPU is not the only component behind every function. As the motherboard is responsible for connecting all the components, it can increase or decrease the PC performance comprehensively. For example, you have picked Intel processor i9 11900K; you should not depend only on the high-end CPU for everything you want to get from your PC. You have to look for the best motherboard for i9 11900K because your motherboard provides connectivity to other PC components to perform every single task.
The various parts such as CPU, GPU, optical drives, hard drives, sound card, video card, expansion slots, and ports are connected via cables or directly. When we talk about the motherboard, the first thing that comes to mind is its compatibility with the CPU, so you must know the compatibility areas of the motherboard you have planned to purchase. You may check the things such as CPU socket, memory, PCI expansion slots, form factor, etc.
Generally, we judge the motherboard performance with the form factors such as E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX, etc. Before going for other components, we often decide which form factor we should pick for our PC? It is not so simple; we should decide which type of PC we are going to build? Is it a basic level of PC for simple tasks or a high-end gaming PC? The professional builders often choose the CPU first and then go for other parts. For example, you are looking for an intelligent gaming PC; you have to select one of the top brands Intel and AMD.
To pick the correct motherboard, you should look at some key factors that either your motherboard is perfect or not for your gaming PC. We hope you may not need any professional help for building or upgrading your gaming PC; even beginners can pick their suitable product by following some simple principles.
How to select the best motherboard?
You can select a motherboard in different ways, users generally estimate its performance by price or brand, but it may lead you in the wrong way. You should check almost every spec and feature to evaluate its compatibility. Some simple parameters can help you choose the perfect motherboard for your gaming PC.
Form factor
As we mentioned, the most crucial thing in motherboards is there for factors. You must have to select a form factor before picking a motherboard. Here is a list of the most common form factors for desktops with their dimensions!
- E-ATX: 305 × 330 mm or 12 × 13 Inches
- E-ATX: 305 × 330 mm or 12 × 13 Inches
- E-ATX: 305 × 330 mm or 12 × 13 Inches
- E-ATX: 305 × 330 mm or 12 × 13 Inches
These are the four form factors you have to pick, one of them for your PC. The most common are ATX and mATX; although both have a minor difference between their dimensions, the significant difference is the number of expansion slots. For being a little bit smaller in size, mATX has fewer expansion slots than ATX. So if you want to build a high-end gaming rig but do not want to go for a giant size PC, they can quickly build with ATX for better results with more slots.
CPU Socket
The next step is CPU sockets; both top-class brands use their specific CPU sockets; for example, Intel uses LGA, and AMD’s most common and advanced CPU sockets are AM4, TRX4, and TRX40. So if you have bought a processor, you should check whether the motherboard you are going to pick can support the socket of your processor. In the other case, you can buy a processor that is supported by your motherboard. So you can pick the best motherboard by checking whether it supports the latest Intel LGA 1200 socket or not.
PCI Slots
You need to insert expansion slots such as sound cards, SSDs, RAID cards, NIC cards, graphics cards, and Co-processors into your computer to transfer data from one PC part to another. The more advanced PCI version means the faster data transfer rate; for example, PCI 4.0 is 2x faster than PCI 3.0. In other words, PCI 4.0 has a 16 GT/s data rate, whereas PCI 3.0 has only 8 GT/s. So if you want to build a high-end gaming PC, you should go for the motherboard that supports PCIe 4.0 with full speed PCIe x 16 slots for better and desirable performance.
RAM
RAM is another influential factor while choosing the perfect motherboard. As previously, you are looking for the best motherboard for your CPU; you should not ignore the type and amount of RAM your motherboard would have. You can pick a motherboard that could provide you with more memory slots that would be future-proof if you would like to upgrade your PC. As you are looking for a gaming rig, we suggest you buy a motherboard supporting at least DD4 16 GB at 3,200MHz so that you can play your favorite games in a better way.
Additional features
Some other features, such as integrated IO shield, WI-FI, Bluetooth, onboard audio, SATA ports, USB ports, and other valuable features, can help you select the motherboard. You would be able to build a top-end system if you pick your motherboard with full consideration.
Final Words
We hope you will find our suggestions helpful in picking the perfect product for your final desktop. Many other factors can affect your gaming performance except the motherboard. So you should pick every component after getting enough information about its compatibility. Every component is responsible for PC performance in one way, so be careful about every part of your gaming rig. In addition, we care for your time and resources and do not want you to regret any purchase. We recommend researching more and more on how motherboards affect gaming or PC performance. You can also visit the informational and review websites or read users’ reviews on eCommerce websites for more information to build your PC more professionally.
