Choosing a motherboard is the most critical part of building a PC. People tend to forget this aspect and focus more on the CPU and the graphics card. The fact is that every PC component connects to the motherboard. The form factor of the motherboard dictates what size the PC will be and how much one can plug into it. Also, the CPU / chipset socket and processer to be installed play a major role and guide you on how to pick motherboards from a range of models.
How to Pick Motherboard? – Few Things to Look For:
Motherboards, especially the top-end models, come in a combination of features that could confuse a layperson. It ranges from $60 budget boards to as high as $1000. This makes it more essential to select before buying motherboards carefully.
What to Look For in Motherboard?
- Choose the right socket for the CPU – There are excellent CPUs available. Still, whatever one chooses, one should ensure that the motherboard has the correct socket for support. The Intel 10th and 11th Gen core processors fit with LGA 1200 socket, while the AMD chips use the AM4 socket.
- The slots and features will be lesser if the board size is small. Motherboards come in 3 main sizes ranging from largest to smallest. One can choose micro or mini boards and use smaller chassis. However, it will fit in fewer RAM slots, PCle slots, and other connectors.
- Budget for motherboards – one can find a decent motherboard for $150. However, spending will increase if one wants to overclock the chip, wants PCLe4.0, and needs more ports for connectivity. High-end chipsets are also available in the market, which will go above $200.
- Extra cost for high-end ports and built-in Wi-Fi – one should only pay for Wi-Fi and other high-end ports if needed. If a wired connection is used, there is no need to spend extra for wireless. However, one can prevent obsolescence of their PC by getting PCle 4.0, USB 3.1 Gen 2, or Thunderbolt 3 support.
Understanding the Basics: Board Size, Chipsets, Connectors, and Ports
For a novice PC builder, a dark motherboard can make it challenging to build or update a system as the labels on the board will be harder to see. For those who want to build a system where the board is clean and with few wires snaking around it, one should look for a motherboard with USB headers and fans around the edges. The USB3 and SATA header ports should point to the side instead of sticking up vertically. This will ensure a clean space on the motherboard and make it easier to build the system.
Conclusion
A refresher will not know the basics of how to pick a motherboard, including the difference between RAM slots, chipsets, and ports features. They need to know the basic features of the motherboard first.
