Help choosing a motherboard

[jeremymwilson]

Hi all, the choices when it comes to buying a motherboard are overwhelming (to me). Can you help with the following?

 

• what are the must have features
• what are the features that I'll be glad I chose when I build the PC or during daily use
• what are nice but not necessary features
• and what are unnecessary because they just make the motherboard too expensive.

For the answers, assume modest rather than hardcore OC requirements.

 

I dont know if Intel/AMD matters for the answers but I'm planning a Zen 2 build.

 

Thanks a lot.

[Uptivuptiz]

3 minutes ago, jeremymwilson said:

-snip-

I think to make it easier for people to answer this question, you should find the CPU that you want in your system and ask for what motherboard is good. Remember to state the max size and what the general usage of the PC is.

[Jurrunio]

Modest in what? Stock settings 24/7 or overclocking?

[jeremymwilson]

3700x cpu.

 

Gaming but no streaming

[LukeSavenije]

28 minutes ago, jeremymwilson said:

Gaming but no streaming

not what @Jurrunio asked... and you should quote people

[dgsddfgdfhgs]

33 minutes ago, jeremymwilson said:

3700x cpu.

 

Gaming but no streaming

 

you should pick the right size first, atx / m-atx/ itx etc

pick the right chipset eg B450 is just fine for 3700x (avoid A320 at all cost)

make sure the ports meets your requirement.

 

this shall narrow down much selections

then eliminate them one by one for whatever reason..

 

 

[Stormseeker9]

50 minutes ago, jeremymwilson said:

3700x cpu.

 

Gaming but no streaming

Grab a B450 tomahawk or gaming pro carbon if you want some extra ‘rgb’ 

[melete]

Must-have or even important features are really up to you and your personal set of preferences.

 

For example, I will not use a motherboard that doesn't have debugging features like LEDs or post codes. That eliminates a whole lot of motherboards from my consideration entirely. Some people need a certain number of USB or front USB-C. Others value having a good audio codec. Etc, etc.

 

The only universal must-have (in my opinion anyway) are VRMs capable of running your chosen CPU. And even then, the quality of VRM design you need is conditional on if you're running stock settings, or using Precision Boost Overdrive or manually overclocking. The popularly recommended motherboards here tend to be the ones with good VRM designs for their price class (looking at you, MSI B450 Tomahawk). They might work for you, or you might want a feature that's not on those boards.

 

The best way to decide which motherboard is best for you is to think about what features you value, and then do some research about all the motherboards in your price range. Except for VRM information, the manufacturer's website will have all the relevant information about their motherboards. 

 

Here's a useful spreadsheet on Zen 2 VRMs. If you don't understand what's being presented there, the basic idea is that the motherboards with a green checkmark in the OC 3700X/3800X or stock 3700X/3800X columns are the ones capable of running a 3700X at peak overclocks or stock speeds, respectively, without VRM throttling or airflow concerns.

 

Most 400 and 300 series motherboards will need to have their BIOS updated to support Zen 2, which is a separate issue from the quality of the motherboard itself. The only guaranteed exception to this I can think of are the MSI B450 Max boards, such as B450 Tomahawk Max. Unless you're using a motherboard with a feature like Flash BIOS Button (or similar) you will need to use an older Zen or Zen+ CPU to update the BIOS.

[jeremymwilson]

45 minutes ago, melete said:

Must-have or even important features are really up to you and your personal set of preferences.

 

For example, I will not use a motherboard that doesn't have debugging features like LEDs or post codes. That eliminates a whole lot of motherboards from my consideration entirely. Some people need a certain number of USB or front USB-C. Others value having a good audio codec. Etc, etc.

 

The only universal must-have (in my opinion anyway) are VRMs capable of running your chosen CPU. And even then, the quality of VRM design you need is conditional on if you're running stock settings, or using Precision Boost Overdrive or manually overclocking. The popularly recommended motherboards here tend to be the ones with good VRM designs for their price class (looking at you, MSI B450 Tomahawk). They might work for you, or you might want a feature that's not on those boards.

 

The best way to decide which motherboard is best for you is to think about what features you value, and then do some research about all the motherboards in your price range. Except for VRM information, the manufacturer's website will have all the relevant information about their motherboards. 

 

Here's a useful spreadsheet on Zen 2 VRMs. If you don't understand what's being presented there, the basic idea is that the motherboards with a green checkmark in the OC 3700X/3800X or stock 3700X/3800X columns are the ones capable of running a 3700X at peak overclocks or stock speeds, respectively, without VRM throttling or airflow concerns.

 

Most 400 and 300 series motherboards will need to have their BIOS updated to support Zen 2, which is a separate issue from the quality of the motherboard itself. The only guaranteed exception to this I can think of are the MSI B450 Max boards, such as B450 Tomahawk Max. Unless you're using a motherboard with a feature like Flash BIOS Button (or similar) you will need to use an older Zen or Zen+ CPU to update the BIOS.

that's an awesome spreadsheet, really helps, thanks a lot.