How much to spend on a Motherboard

[Roli_i7]

Hi all. 
I wanted to build a pc. The one thing that i would like my PC to have would be good sound quality (with as little static noise as possible). Prices of motherboards can be pretty high, but i read that the sound that they offer is pretty good, so good, that you don't need an external sound card at all.(I'm into light electronic music making, if i can call it like that). 

So, is it worth gettin an expensive motherboard, since it will probably support DDR4 and better Overclocking that a cheap motherboard, or should i get an average motherobard and a sound card.

Thanks a lot

[Sreno1]

Depends on your CPU and budget.

[bgibbz]

Motherboards currently matter very little in terms of performance. Just buy what's affordable, preferably form either msi, gigabyte, or asus and you will be set. If sound is an issue, you can purchase An aftermarket sound card, something like the Asus xonar should work well. 

[StaffCorporal]

A sound card will almost always be a superior option. But it really depends on what you want to drive and how sensitive your ears are. As a general rule, I never spend more on the motherboard than the CPU. Most modern motherboards have fairly good on board sound, look for boards where is it marketed as a significant feature.

[Mira Yurizaki]

My general rule of thumb is to stop at $150, but buy the cheapest board that meets your connectivity needs. Motherboards only offer I/O options, they have almost no bearing on performance, especially today when the CPU pretty much controls most of the major features that are sensitive to speed anyway.

[Guest]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

My general rule of thumb is to stop at $150, but buy the cheapest board that meets your connectivity needs. Motherboards only offer I/O options, they have almost no bearing on performance, especially today when the CPU pretty much controls most of the major features that are sensitive to speed anyway.

unless you are me then whichever is blue would go for even if it costs more than the cpu itself

[Drak3]

Generally, expensive boards either have the benefit of a wide array of extras (dozens of options for overclocking, multiple M.2 slots, 8+ phase power, etc.) or have extra time spent in validation and stability testing (workstation boards).

Those types of features are entirely opinion when regarding their value.

If you don't care about any of those features, look towards the modest siblings, generally entry level 'Z' chipsets, as well as 'H' and 'B' chipsets on Intel's side. As for AMD, you can get the current cream of the crop for typically less that $100 USD.

[SeanAngelo]

15 minutes ago, Roli_i7 said:

Hi all. 
I wanted to build a pc. The one thing that i would like my PC to have would be good sound quality (with as little static noise as possible). Prices of motherboards can be pretty high, but i read that the sound that they offer is pretty good, so good, that you don't need an external sound card at all.(I'm into light electronic music making, if i can call it like that). 

So, is it worth gettin an expensive motherboard, since it will probably support DDR4 and better Overclocking that a cheap motherboard, or should i get an average motherobard and a sound card.

Thanks a lot

whats your cpu?

[Roli_i7]

Thank you all for your answers.

As about the CPU, i havent decided yet. I really want to get an AMD fx83xx because for that money, they seem to offer more.

It's either going to be an i5 something or AM3+ CPU. I would like the AMD though, since it is a little cheaper.

[SkilledRebuilds]

1 minute ago, Roli_i7 said:

I really want to get an AMD fx83xx because for that money, they seem to offer more.

It's either going to be an i5 something or AM3+ CPU. I would like the AMD though, since it is a little cheaper.

They seem to..... but it really depends on usage scenarios. There is a reason it's so cheap in comparison (but when overclocking, becomes way LESS cheap to do so)

Current i5's and AM3 CPU's differ quite a bit..... being cheap is only ONE factor between them.

 

I'd be looking up more on each CPU, for the intended usage (if gaming, watch for MIN-FPS values) if encoding, find out if the IPC of Intel's quad can match or even beat the 8-cores AMD can use in some programs (not all programs work to the strengths of your parts - iE: Software CPU Optimization)

 

Long term usages and budgeting for that long term usage.... finding the strengths of each CPU for the chosen needs.

[TubsAlwaysWins]

Generally you should spend about 60% of your budget on one.

Lol JK. Go on PCPartPicker and pick one with features/color you like and buy it. Im going to drop a extra $100 on my next motherboard for it to be all black.

[TubsAlwaysWins]

7 minutes ago, Roli_i7 said:

Thank you all for your answers.

As about the CPU, i havent decided yet. I really want to get an AMD fx83xx because for that money, they seem to offer more.

It's either going to be an i5 something or AM3+ CPU. I would like the AMD though, since it is a little cheaper.

Stay away from the FX stuff. It was a huge mistake for me. Wait for Zen or get Intel.

(If you are 100% set on AM3+ and you want to overclock get a 990FX board. Really wish I would have)

[DunePilot]

Sound cards are a waste of money imo, usually any of the overclocking motherboards by Asus, Gigabyte and the others will have good sound and will be nice. No reason to buy a $500 motherboard because you can accomplish the same thing most of the time with a $150 one. You can sometimes pick up some of the $250 boards for $100-130 with a good sale and a rebate.