Combination of motherboard and processor. Which motherboard to choose for your computer - types and characteristics

What should you pay attention to when buying motherboards? The first is its size. Currently, the most common form factors are Mini-ITX (17 x 17 cm), Micro-ATX (24.4 x 24.4 cm) and ATX (30.5 x 24.4 cm). In the optimal case, the form factor of the motherboard should match the dimensions of the case, but quite often larger cases are used to provide better cooling of the components.

The second thing to keep in mind when choosing a motherboard is compatibility with your CPU. For chips manufactured by Intel and AMD, as well as for different generations of these processors, there are different connectors (sockets) into which they are inserted.

For current Intel chips, two sockets are currently used - LGA 1151 and LGA 2011-v3, for AMD - FM2+ and AM3+. It should be borne in mind that this is not only about the fact that the processor must be physically compatible with the socket. Before purchasing, be sure to make sure that the motherboard's BIOS/UEFI also supports the processor you have chosen.

If you want to equip your PC big amount RAM, pay attention to the number of corresponding slots - there should be four of them on the motherboard. There are models in which you cannot insert more than two slats. Among other important technical characteristics, which you should pay attention to are the presence of USB 3.0 ports, an M.2 slot for SSD drives and RAID support. CHIP editors have selected some great motherboards for Intel and AMD processors.

Asus ROG Maximus VIII Extreme Gaming: Luxury equipment at an appropriate price.

LGA 1151: motherboards for Skylake

For processors of the Skylake family, Intel has assigned the LGA 1151 socket. On motherboards it is combined with various chipsets. Cheap models - with the B150 chipset or an even more “stripped-down” H110. In this case, functionality such as USB 3.1 and RAID are missing.

In addition, you will have to make do with only two RAM slots. However, the basic equipment of the board with these sockets offers quite solid - SATA 6 Gb/s, USB 3.0 and a Gigabit LAN port. Examples of such motherboards are or ASUS B150I-Pro Gaming.

Another thing is the Z170 chipset, which is the recommended choice for gamers, enthusiasts and Skylake processor overclockers. He can be found on ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Extreme Gaming. The cost of this motherboard is extremely high, but the list of equipment includes everything that can currently be found: 4 USB 3.1 ports, RAID SATA 6 Gb/s, support for M.2 SSD and 4 slots for DDR4 RAM.

Motherboards with LGA 1151 socket:

ASRock X99M Extreme4: motherboards with the X99 chipset are relatively expensive, but very well equipped.

LGA 2011-v3: motherboards for Haswell-E

The LGA 2011-v3 socket belongs to the top segment and is compatible with powerful, expensive processors of the Haswell-E family manufactured by Intel. It can work with both Core desktop processors, which have up to 8 cores, and Xeon server processors, which can have up to 18 cores. At the same time, Intel gives you the opportunity to choose between two chipsets - X99 and C612.

For those who do not plan to build a server based on Xeon processors, it would be better to choose the X99 chipset. But be careful: these things are expensive. A model like ASRock X99M Extreme4 costs about 15,000 rubles, but its equipment is quite generous. In particular, you can install up to 128 GB of RAM in your computer.

In addition, there are 10 SATA 6 Gb/s interfaces, RAID and a fast M.2 slot for SSD drives. You will get even more opportunities with ASUS X99-E: in particular, we note the presence of 2 USB 3.1 ports, 14 USB 3.0 ports, 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports and 8 slots for RAM.

Motherboards with LGA 2011-v3 socket:

MSI H81M-P33 Plus: A very affordable motherboard.

LGA 1150: motherboards for Broadwell and Haswell

The LGA 1150 socket for Intel processors of the Haswell and Broadwell generations (4th and 5th generation Core) is no longer relevant. Its official successor is LGA 1151 for Skylake processors. However, it’s still worth looking at motherboards with this connector, since there are currently very good offers, an example of which is MSI H81M-P33 Plus, costing less than 4,000 rubles. Of course, such a profitable purchase entails compromises: there are only 2 slots for RAM and the number of USB and SATA ports is very limited.

Caution is always necessary when choosing a chipset. For example, C222 is intended for server solutions and is used in GigaByte GA-6LASL. The top socket for desktop computers is Z97, which is installed in MSI Z97A Gaming 6. Among the main equipment characteristics of this motherboard are USB 3.1 and Typ-C ports, M.2 slots and RAID support.

Motherboards with LGA 1150 socket:

ASRock FM2A68M-HD+: AMD systems are well suited primarily for low-cost projects.

Motherboards with FM2+ and AM3+ sockets

Intel dominates the processor market, but AMD should never be written off either. The rival of sockets 1150 and 1151 from the AMD camp is FM2+. At the same time, in technically AMD's representative finds himself in a not very advantageous position: for example, only DDR3 standard RAM is supported, the processor can have no more than 4 cores, and the maximum USB port standard is 3.0. But the integrated graphics are good, and a motherboard with such a chipset is very attractive in terms of price. One example is ASRock FM2A68M-HD+.

Another option from AMD is the AM3+ socket. It should be replaced soon so that we can talk about the same level as Intel. Available purchases with AM3+ may currently be ASUS M5A97 Evo R2.0 or ASUS M5A78L-M. It is important to remember that the PCI Express 2.0 bus is used here, which can be compared to a brake integrated into the system.

How to choose a motherboard is the question that users most often ask when assembling a new computer. Sometimes it is chosen for an already finished PC, intending to improve its performance and increase its capabilities.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to buy a new board if the previous one breaks. In this case, if funds allow, this situation should be used for a small modernization.

You should choose carefully: when assembling a computer, the motherboard is a system-forming factor in the computer ecosystem, on which all other components will depend.

Where to begin?

Before purchasing a board, you should know that it is one of essential elements computer. And the purchase of other components will depend on its choice - from the case, which must match in size, to the processor, memory modules and video cards.

Therefore, you should select a motherboard only in conjunction with other parts - or at least know their approximate characteristics. In addition, the buyer must understand for what purpose he will need the board - for office work, for high-performance games or as a home multimedia center.

Board functionality

The capabilities of a motherboard are primarily related to its price - the more expensive the device, the higher its functionality. New and expensive motherboards provide the ability to simultaneously install several graphics processors - for working with drawings and 3D objects or for connecting 2-3 monitors.

Budget boards provide maximum operation of one video card and are often equipped with built-in graphics, which are not compatible with most games, but are quite suitable for working with documents, Internet surfing, and sometimes even for watching movies in FullHD (if there is enough memory).

Choosing the motherboard size

When you start choosing a motherboard, you immediately pay attention to its dimensions. This nuance is especially important if the part is purchased for an existing system unit.

A large case can accommodate a board of any size, and in this case it is worth choosing the ATX form factor, which allows you to install more peripheral devices.

For a compact office computer or nettop, micro-ATX and mini-ITX formats are suitable, although it is unlikely that it will be possible to install even one powerful video card on such devices.

CPU compatibility

Each motherboard supports its own type of processor. It is important that both of these components are compatible. To do this, the board's characteristics indicate the compatibility of its socket (slot for installing a processor) with one or more types of chipsets.

Slots for memory and peripherals

Another nuance that people pay attention to when buying a board is slots for memory modules and support for certain types of RAM.

A high-performance computer definitely requires the ability to work with GDDR5, which provides high speed performance. It is also desirable that the number of connectors for memory sticks be more than 2 - four for a gaming PC (which will allow you to expand the RAM without changing modules, but by purchasing new ones), eight for a server or workstation.

No less important nuance– availability and number of connectors for peripheral devices:

USB slots. For a modern PC, it is recommended to choose a board with USB 3.0 connectors, which speed up the process of reading and writing media. Their number is usually 4, but on ATX motherboards it can be increased;
PCI Express slots required for connecting video cards. Moreover, it is better to use a different connector for each type of GPU. For example, new video processors improve performance when installed in a PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot;

ATA and IDE, connectors for connecting hard drives. The latter option is no longer used, and the number of the former determines how many built-in storage devices can be installed on a given PC;
PCI, a connector into which sound cards and other peripheral devices are connected.

Gaming motherboard

You can choose the right gaming motherboard by knowing the following features:

support latest versions RAM;
compatibility with the processor selected for gaming (Intel Core i5 and i7, Socket AM 3+);
the ability to install a powerful video card (it is necessary to have 1–2 PCI-E x16 slots and support for this technology in the motherboard BIOS).

Other board characteristics are not so important when choosing a device for gaming. Although it is worth considering that an increase in its functionality also affects the increase in cost.

The best boards for a computer in 2016

When deciding on purchasing a motherboard, many people wonder whether there is a better universal board that can perform any task. There are such options, but their cost will not suit every user. Therefore, you should choose a specific model depending on the intended use of the computer:

for study;
for work;
for running serious graphic applications;
for modern games;
for high-performance games running at maximum settings (board for an avid gamer's computer).

For study

Determining which board is suitable for a schoolchild or student’s computer is not easy. Moreover, the user’s goal may be not only to work with office programs, but also to play in his free time from studying.

In this case, you should choose models such as MSI H110M PRO-VH (for Intel processors) or Gigabyte GA-F2A78M-DS2 (for AMD). Their capabilities are enough to run, for example, AutoCAD, and for gaming applications, and the cost is quite low - within 4,000 rubles.

For office

The main characteristics of the office board are energy efficiency, small sizes, affordable price, reliability. It is possible that such a device will be installed on a nettop - a computer with minimal characteristics for operation and, most often, with a small hard drive (or without it at all).

Today, choosing a motherboard for an office is not particularly difficult - just buy any budget model. For example, GIGABYTE GA-F2A88XM-DS2, working with processors from AMD or MSI H81M-E33 for Intel. The price of each option is 3000 rubles.

For graphics programs

Working with graphics requires the use of more powerful hardware. Therefore, the board has serious requirements:

at least 4 RAM slots;
2 slots for video cards;
support for AM3+ and Socket 1151 (Intel) processors.

A possible option for using AMD chipsets is the MSI 970A-G43 board, which is distinguished by its functionality and comparatively affordable price(from 4500 rub.).

For Intel processors, the same manufacturer MSI can offer the B150M PRO-VDH model, the cost of which starts from 5,000 rubles.

For a budget gaming computer

Buying a gaming computer most often involves more serious expenses than when choosing an office option - such equipment will require more memory, a powerful processor, and a discrete video card. However, if you want to save money, you can try to reduce the final cost of the computer, starting with the motherboard.

The MSI A78M-E45 model (about 4,000 rubles) is quite enough to run modern gaming applications with minimal or medium settings.

The board has a built-in graphics card, which in the future can be supplemented with a discrete one (even two), supports FM2+ processors and installation of up to 64 GB of DDR3 RAM (more affordable than the latest generations of RAM).

The ASROCK B150M PRO4S/D3 model (for Intel), which can be purchased for 5,300 rubles, has approximately the same capabilities.

For a powerful gaming PC

A motherboard that meets fairly strict requirements will help you achieve maximum gaming performance.

The first of them is a high load, reaching almost 1000 W when connecting all gaming devices (manipulators, several video cards and monitors, a powerful processor and a powerful cooling system).

In addition, such a board requires at least 4 memory slots and an M.2 connector for SSD hard drives. All these characteristics are found in the ASROCK FATAL1TY 970 PERFORMANCE/3.1 model (supports AMD FX 9590 and 9370 processors), which can be called the best for gaming.

Although it is also suitable for any other tasks, it’s just that not every user will agree to pay almost twice as much for it. The average price of such a board is in the range of 8.5–10 thousand rubles.

Results

When choosing a video card that suits your needs and capabilities, it is worth considering several options with equal characteristics.

For applications that do not require resources, and especially for working exclusively with documents, models released 2-3 years ago are quite suitable - this will most likely be a board with acceptable parameters and price.

For those who are assembling a gaming computer, it is advisable to opt for the most modern board, which will not become outdated for a long time, and the components for which can be painlessly changed for several more years.

Have a nice shopping!

When assembling a computer, many are concerned about the question of which motherboard to choose, because there is a huge variety of models on sale that need to be selected taking into account numerous characteristics. It is best to give preference to products from well-known brands, the quality of which cannot be doubted and is officially sold in our country with a guarantee from the manufacturer. Reliability and quality are the main criteria when choosing a motherboard, because no one wants to buy a new one every year, or even earlier.

How to choose a motherboard for a computer?

The best motherboard manufacturers at the moment are the following brands:

Asus;
Gigabyte.

These are some of the most popular and well-known brands, in whose assortment you are guaranteed to find good model. Having decided on the choice of brand, we move on to how to choose a motherboard for a computer, taking into account its characteristics.

Motherboard design features

A motherboard is a special device that contains slots for connecting other computer components, including a video card, RAM, power supply and much more. Without it, it will be impossible to use your PC.

Basic set of elements present on the motherboard:

A socket is a large slot that houses the processor;
Chipset is a microcircuit that connects two bridges. The Northbridge connects the processor and video card. Southern is responsible for the functioning of the BIOS, HDD, mouse, display, keyboard and other external devices;
Slots to which RAM and video card are connected;
Connectors for floppy drive and hard drive;
Connectors for power supply, mouse, keyboard and other devices;
USB pins, which can be internal or external. They are used to connect the power button on the system unit, reboot, and other things.

All components of the computer are connected to the motherboard. Thus, it is used to place them and ensure the interaction of system components with each other.

Choosing a motherboard for Intel processors

When figuring out which motherboard to choose for Intel, you probably already noticed that such solutions are significantly more expensive. They are designed for more sophisticated models that support the latest RAM standards with frequencies up to 2864 MHz and even more. Often such motherboards have SATA connectors with a bandwidth of 6 Gb/s. Of course, not every board will have similar characteristics, there are also budget solutions, but in general, boards for Intel are much better. When choosing them, you need to pay attention to the standard of the processor slot, otherwise it may simply not fit.

Advantages:

Excellent throughput;
Top-end video cards and high-speed RAM are supported;
Wide selection of boards from budget to expensive professional models.

Motherboard for AMD processors

When figuring out which motherboard to choose for a computer, many choose solutions for AMD chips, which is due to their affordable cost. But in terms of their parameters they will be inferior to Intel solutions. New models are equipped with slots for DDR4 RAM, but as a rule, their operating frequency is lower - within 2400 MHz. The throughput will also be lower - no more than 3 Gb/s, although this is a decent result. Often such boards are equipped with a large number of RAM slots and are much cheaper.

Advantages:

Affordable price;
Modern standards of RAM and video cards are supported;
Available a large number of slots for expanding the amount of RAM.

Flaws:

Often they turn out to be not so durable, so boards for Intel;
They do not have such high throughput.

Chipset

The chipset is a processor integrated into the motherboard that is responsible for managing the equipment connected to it. It determines how functional and fast it will be - it will allow the filling to function at the limit of its capabilities or it will become a ballast that limits the capabilities of the system. Let's figure out how to choose the right motherboard for your computer and what you need to consider. You should choose a chipset based on the processor brand, but it is equally important that its characteristics meet your current needs for which the PC is being assembled.

Motherboards equipped with Intel chipsets:

For computers with average performance, the B250 and H270 chipsets are ideal. A more simplified version - B150 and H170 are suitable for assembling a working PC;
the Z270 chipset is suitable, supporting simultaneously several top video cards;
X99/X299 boards are selected for programming.

AMD does not lag behind its competitors, producing chipsets for various purposes. The only thing is that they are not as powerful and work slower. On the other hand, they are cheaper.

A320 motherboards are intended for assembling an office PC;
The B350 chipset was developed for gaming computers, improving processor performance;
For professional PCs, they use the X370 chipset, which supports multiple video cards and is faster than others.

Computer motherboard form factor

It will be easier to choose AMD or Intel motherboards if you know their form factor. It determines the physical dimensions of the panel, and at the same time the number of slots provided by the manufacturer. Small boards often have reduced capabilities because they cannot accommodate many connectors. Based on the form factor, the models currently produced are divided into several types, each of which is suitable for a specific system unit:

ATX is the most popular format. It is a full-size board on which it is possible to accommodate the maximum of necessary slots. The dimensions are as follows: 30.5x24.4 cm;
MicroATX is a reduced board, the size of which does not exceed 24.4x24.4 cm. The number of additional slots does not exceed 6;
MiniATX is the most miniature version with dimensions of 17x17 cm. This board can fit even in a compact system unit, but there is also a significant drawback - a very limited number of slots and problems with organizing effective cooling.

Socket

The socket is an important selection factor that determines which processor is usable.

Intel offers several LGA1150 and LGA2011-3 options. This is an outdated format. which is still in use, but it is better to pay attention to the more modern socket 1151. In the future, you can easily replace the processor with a new, more productive one;
When figuring out how to choose a motherboard for an AMD processor, it is better to order a model with the current AM4 socket or the still in demand AM3+ and FM2+. The newer the socket, the easier it will be to select a replacement processor in the future, so it is better to give preference to the newest socket.

Now you know how to choose a motherboard for a processor, let's move on.

Number of RAM slots

The more slots, the better, because this opens up wide opportunities for upgrading your PC in the future. If we talk about the memory standard, then it should be DDR4. DDR3 sticks may be cheaper, but they work less efficiently and may soon disappear from sale. When figuring out which motherboard to choose in 2018, you need to take into account what frequencies it supports, otherwise the part may slow down the system.

Budget models support a frequency of 2400-2600 MHz, which will be enough for the average user;
To build a gaming and professional PC, the frequency must be above 3000 MHz. As a rule, boards in the mid-price segment and premium models have it.

The number of slots is of great importance; there are 4 in a full-size board, and only 2 in Micro and Mini. Keep this in mind, the ability to expand the memory capacity will never be superfluous.

Other connectors that the board may be equipped with

When understanding the question of which gaming motherboard to choose, you will notice that most models are available with slots for PCI Express 16 type video cards. There can be from 1 to 4 such slots, which is useful when assembling a computer for gaming and mining. A spare slot for placing an additional video card will never be superfluous. You can connect there and optional equipment, like a modem, solid state drive and much more.

You need to pay attention to other slots to make working with your computer comfortable:

USB 3.0 and 2.0 - used to connect external devices such as a keyboard and mouse. It is desirable that there be at least 5 of them;
PS/2 is an obsolete connector that was previously widely used to connect a keyboard. Now its presence does not make sense, since all peripherals are produced with a USB connector;
DVI is intended for connecting a monitor and is present exclusively in models with a built-in video card. HDMI is used for the same purpose, but you can also connect a TV to it;
BIOS reset key. Used to reboot it;
eSATA - connector for connecting external hard drives;
RJ-45 - port for connecting an Internet cable;
Audio output for headphones and microphone.

Built-in elements

Modern motherboards can be equipped with a wide range of modules, including built-in sound and video cards, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and much more. Accordingly, if they are already integrated into the board, then you do not have to buy them separately. But as a rule, integrated modules turn out to be worse and weaker than those that you can buy separately and install yourself. Therefore, such savings are doubtful.

Electronics

Inexpensive boards use simple capacitors that can behave unpredictably. If there is overheating or a power outage, the electrolyte in them swells, but the circuit continues to function. Solid-state capacitors will be more reliable, but also expensive.

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