I have no idea whats going on

[Duchess]

So I dont get motherboards.  I know why theyre there, i even watched Linus' video on the different sizes.  But why would I need a $200 dollar one?  Whats bad about an $80 dollar one?  Am I just paying for brighter colors and more outrageous font?  How do I know what I need if I do know the difference?

 

Please help its the only piece thats hard to research and decide in a build.

[79wjd]

At a point you're paying for gimmicky features and aesthetics (i.e. with the ROG boards you're basically paying for the ROG label). 

 

But there is a point where you gain more. H97 boards, for example, don't support overclocking (officially) and thus you need a Z97 board for that. Z97 also offers other features (more sata ports/possible SLI support/etc...). Z97 boards also generally (although not always, and there are some H97 boards that have this too) have better VRM heatsinks/cooling in order to properly allow for overclocking. 

 

So, up to a point, the more you pay the more you get, but once you reach a certain level you're just paying for gimmicky features, brand names, and looks. 

[Ddave]

Built in usb 3.0, m.2 connections, more dimm slots, better vrm, stuff like that.

Basically more ports to put your stuff on.

 

 

 

 

 

I think.

[Godlygamer23]

Most people are fine with cheaper boards with an Intel based setup. There are certain periods where you need a more expensive board where you're doing extensive overclocking, need more PCIe slots, USB ports, etc. My own board cost me $120 and does exactly what I need it to do, including keeping my 3570K at 4.2GHz.

[CobbleWalker]

1 minute ago, Duchess said:

So I dont get motherboards.  I know why theyre there, i even watched Linus' video on the different sizes.  But why would I need a $200 dollar one?  Whats bad about an $80 dollar one?  Am I just paying for brighter colors and more outrageous font?  How do I know what I need if I do know the difference?

 

Please help its the only piece thats hard to research and decide in a build.

The easiest way to learn is to watch and infer, watch this video series. 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwimnee9jOzKAhWMHD4KHbBkAmYQ3ywITjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DgnpASmjWPB0&usg=AFQjCNGsu-M-oklpN30Nz0e3O7VybRozMg&sig2=UvuSag1VIF5TJFD4-ExhlQ&bvm=bv.113943665,d.cWw

[Duchess]

Also what size is best?  I at some point want 2 GPUs if that matters.  And whats the pricebreak where youre just wasting money?

[Omon_Ra]

Nowadays it's really more about connectivity: number of SATA ports, M.2 slots, PCI slots, USB 3.0/3.1 ports, multiple NIC's, etc. Depending on the CPU you're looking at, overclocking ability is a factor. Otherwise it's pretty much what fits your budget/needs, functionally and aesthetically.

[Godlygamer23]

Just now, Duchess said:

Also what size is best?  I at some point want 2 GPUs if that matters.  And whats the pricebreak where youre just wasting money?

The best size is what best fits your needs. If you can get away with an ITX build, go for it. And the price break is when the boards stop offering you features that you want to use. Any board that's more expensive with features that you won't ever use....To me, that's wasting money.

[xiej]

Just now, Duchess said:

Also what size is best?  I at some point want 2 GPUs if that matters.  And whats the pricebreak where youre just wasting money?

You decide when you're wasting money, if you need the features or not. Maximus Hero is the limit for me. micro-atx and ATX support 2 GPUs, usually.

[GlassBomb]

More expensive ones generally tend to have more features that you may, or may not need. 

 

1 minute ago, Duchess said:

Also what size is best?  I at some point want 2 GPUs if that matters.  And whats the pricebreak where youre just wasting money?

I would just look into the normal ATX size motherboards.

[Duchess]

5 minutes ago, powderbanks said:

Nowadays it's really more about connectivity: number of SATA ports, M.2 slots, PCI slots, USB 3.0/3.1 ports, multiple NIC's, etc. Depending on the CPU you're looking at, overclocking ability is a factor. Otherwise it's pretty much what fits your budget/needs, functionally and aesthetically.

To be completely honest I dont know about ports.  My plan is to find the holes that look like the pegs and pray diligently.  Might even break out the duct tape and super glue

[Duchess]

9 minutes ago, Godlygamer23 said:

The best size is what best fits your needs. If you can get away with an ITX build, go for it. And the price break is when the boards stop offering you features that you want to use. Any board that's more expensive with features that you won't ever use....To me, that's wasting money.

So this only works with a micro motherboard?  Looks like its a lot bigger than micro but I dont want to buy the wrong stuff.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-bfcaeg300kkwn1rp

[xiej]

1 minute ago, Duchess said:

So this only works with a micro motherboard?  Looks like its a lot bigger than micro but I dont want to buy the wrong stuff.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-bfcaeg300kkwn1rp

A ITX motherboard will fit in M-ATX and ATX cases too, and M-ATX will fit in an ATX case as well as M-ATX.

That particular case is M-ATX, so it fits M-ATX and M-ITX motherboards.

[xiej]

5 minutes ago, Duchess said:

To be completely honest I dont know about ports.  My plan is to find the holes that look like the pegs and pray diligently.  Might even break out the duct tape and super glue

 

Reconsider. You'll break something, definitely.

[Duchess]

Just now, xiej said:

 

Reconsider. You'll break something, definitely.

But your signature...  It inspired me

[xiej]

1 minute ago, Duchess said:

But your signature...  It inspired me

Do as I say(right now), not as I did.

[MageTank]

4 minutes ago, Duchess said:

Also what size is best?  I at some point want 2 GPUs if that matters.  And whats the pricebreak where youre just wasting money?

It's hard to call something a waste, as worth is subjective. Some people will scold others when they spend $400 on a motherboard, but that person could also need PEX8747 for quad SLI. 

 

For most budget SLI boards. $100-$200 is the price range. http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#l=2&sort=a8&page=1&s=24,30

However, when you click the 3-way SLI button, you notice a change. http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#l=3,4&sort=a8&page=1&s=24,30

 

All of a sudden, the cheapest board capable of 3way SLI is $200. However, the performance gained for being able to leverage that extra card is worth it to some people. 

 

For size, it depends on what you want. However, if you want to use two GPU's, do not go any smaller than Micro-ATX. Mini-ITX will not be able to leverage SLI or Crossfire without a dual slot riser card, and a motherboard with a BIOS to support it (ASRock does with my BIOS at least). 

 

As others correctly stated, there are also differences with chipsets that directly impact performance. H series boards do not have native support overclocking. The Z chipsets however, can overclock both CPU and memory, resulting in more performance:dollar if done correctly. 

 

I would take the advice of others listed in this thread. Try to go with a standard ATX board, preferably Z series if going Intel, and invest in the best board you are willingly able to afford. If price is a factor to you, then make a list of things that you absolutely want, and see if you can fit them into the budget. You mentioned dual graphics, is that AMD or Nvidia? AMD can run in crossfire on H series boards, so you can technically save money by going that route (albeit you lose the overclocking mentioned previously). If you want dual graphics under Nvidia, then a Z/X series board is pretty much your only option. At that point, buy the cheapest board that offers what you are looking for on your list of features, and enjoy yourself. Since you don't exactly know what most of the ports do. I highly suggest using pcpartpicker with the compatibility filter turned on. It will warn you if your parts list has any issues.

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/

 

Good luck.

[Duchess]

3 minutes ago, xiej said:

Do as I say(right now), not as I did.

Haha will do.  I had a nice list someone helped me make but apparent the forum post got deleted because my bookmark takes me to nowhere