What are the best AMD and Intel motherboards?

Real control tower of your PC, the motherboard accommodates all the other components. All the more reason to choose it well!

You’ve finally decided which processor will power your new PC. Now it remains to choose a motherboard. A more complicated task than it seems, because if things are relatively simple on the chipsets , the manufacturers do not make it easy for us, with dozens of variants with sometimes subtle differences.

In addition, they try to increase the prices by charging their motherboards always more functions that will not always be useful to you. From our point of view, it is much more interesting to start with a “basic” model, but reliable then to add expansion cards yourself.

So forget the bling bling , the plastic titanium housings and other programmable screens. Save money for a better graphics card. With this in mind, we have chosen six motherboards for AMD Ryzen and Intel Core processors. Do you have more questions about what components to choose for a gaming PC? Consult our dedicated guides:

Guide to the best processors
• Guide to the best graphics cards
• Guides to the best feeds
• Best NVME SSD Guides
• Guide to the best coolers Guide to the best boxes

The best motherboards for AMD processors

If there is a thing for which we must salute AMD on the side of s motherboards, it is the excellent support for compatibility between the different generations of processors. Thus, an X470 card will be able to operate with no less than 4 generations of different processors. For maximum functionality support, however, we have decided to focus on B550 and X570 cards.

Gigabyte B550M DS3H: a simple and efficient motherboard

Built around the B550 chipset, this motherboard will accommodate all Ryzen 5000 or 3000 processors without the slightest worry. Despite its low price, we are entitled to two M.2 slots, one of which is wired in PCI-Express 4.0. The only real criticism that we can make with this card: it does not have a USB-C connector on its rear panel. A simple and quality model that will suit the vast majority of users.

MSI X570-A Pro: the ambitious full format

If size is not a constraint for you and you want to overclock your CPU and have maximum expansion capacity, an AXT card based on the X570 is ideal. The model we have chosen here is relatively basic, skipping features like Wifi or Multi Gig Ethernet, but it represents a good base to add whatever functionality you want.

Gigabyte B550I Aorus Pro AX: mini size, maxi features

If you are looking to make your PC as compact as possible, we don’t do better than the mini-ITX. However, this format has the drawback of having little updating capacity. This is why we have chosen this particularly complete model. Despite its small size, it offers two M.2 slots, as well as a 2.5 Gbit / s Ethernet connector and a Wifi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 card. So all you have to do is add a graphics card and you have everything you need to create a compact and powerful machine.

Best Motherboards for Intel Processors

Once is not customary, Intel has not introduced new chipsets to accompany its processors 11th generation (also called Rocket Lake). To take full advantage of their features, however, you will need the B560 or Z590. For a twelfth generation chip (Alder Lake) you will have to choose a motherboard using the Z690.

Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X DDR4: for the 12th gen

Have you fallen for an Alder Lake Lake processor? Choosing a motherboard is a bit more complicated than usual since DDR4 and DDR5 models are available. In practice, the choice is quickly made since the shortage of DDR5 makes the modules disgracefully expensive while the performance gain is less than 5% in most uses. So go on a solid DD4 card like this Gigabyte Z690 Gaming X DDR4. It is reliable, has all the useful features and is not too expensive.

Asus Prime Z590-P: the motherboard for overclocking

To really take advantage of the latest Intel processors, going through overclocking will be essential . An exercise that requires a quality motherboard like this Asus Prime Z590-P. In addition to a solid power stage, this motherboard offers many expansion capabilities and includes a 2.5 Gbit / s Ethernet connector. RGB enthusiasts will be in heaven since no less than 4 connectors for RGB LEDs are available.

ASRock Z590M-ITX / ax: it is full

As always, with Mini-ITX motherboards, we favored on-board functions to compensate for the lack of expansion capabilities. And this card does not do things halfway with six USB ports, two Ethernet sockets (including one 2.5 Gbit / s), but also Wifi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Enough to make a real little racing animal around a Comet Lake processor.

How to choose your motherboard?

ATX, Micro-ATX, ITX? Which format to choose?

Not all motherboards do the same size. Several dozen formats exist, but to date three dominate the mainstream market:

• ATX (305 x 244 mm): introduced in 1995 by Intel, it is by far the most common format, generally accommodating 5 PCI-Express ports.
• Micro-ATX (244 x 244 mm): this shorter variant of the ATX usually makes do with 3 PCI-Express ports .
• Mini-ITX (170 x 170 mm): created by Via, this very compact format is satisfied with a single PCI-Express connector and is generally limited to 2 RAM slots.

Although imperfect, especially from a thermal optimization perspective, these formats continue to dominate the motherboard market for decades. Some manufacturers (like Intel) have tried to improve things with formats like BTX, but these have been resounding failures. If the standard remains the ATX, space and additional expansion capacities are of limited use at a time when the only PC card will be the graphics card. So save a few euros and space by choosing a micro-ATX motherboard.

What are the differences between the chipsets?

Whether at Intel or AMD, there are currently two chipsets per platform. One entry / mid-range (B560 at Intel and B550 at AMD) and one dedicated to the high-end (Z590 at Intel and X570 at AMD). The big difference is in the number of PCI-Express lines available and therefore the connection and expansion possibilities. At Intel, overclocking is however reserved for Z series chipsets. The vast majority of users will therefore be perfectly fulfilled by a B-series chipset, whether in the reds or the blues.

Why are some motherboards more expensive?

The price of motherboards varies impressively. Thus a card using an X570 chipset from AMD is between 160 and 700 euros! The main difference is to be found in the connection side, with refinements such as Wifi or multigigabit Ethernet.

The more expensive models also tend to embed more advanced power stages opening the door to better frequency behavior boost . Beyond a certain threshold, the gains are frankly minimal, mainly coming down to aesthetic additions such as cardboard titanium heatsinks or more RGB than at the tuning show.

Unless you need a very special connection or plan a massive overclocking , no need therefore to invest in a very high-end model, the performance excluding overclocking will be the same. In terms of functionality, expansion cards (for multi-gigabit Ethernet for example) will be more flexible and cheaper.

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