Motherboards for a 2018 Computer Build

• 

  gimli on 10/02/2018 - 19:23

  Haven't built a system in quite a while too. But I do remember motherboards vary in support for overclocking so that may be one consideration.

• 

  John Kimble on 10/02/2018 - 19:25

  +4

  Wow. That's like saying "I'm in the market for a car but haven't bought one in a while. There's so many to choose from, what's the difference between them and which ones should I stay away from?"

  Perhaps put a bit more effort in and do some research/read some reviews?

  Maybe once you've narrowed it down to a handful (not 40 odd) you would have a base to ask people for recommendations/advice/experiences?

  A price range would probably help too.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 10/02/2018 - 19:32

  +9

  Here's how I see it

  1 - CPU and socket

  You have to first look at what CPU you want exactly and see what socket you need
  Just be aware that core i5 and core i7 now span 2 platforms and sockets - an i5 8600k is on socket 1151CL and an i5 7460X is on socket 2066
  nobody would be stupid enough to buy 7460X but I have to make sure you are aware

  2 - Chipset

  Decide what chipset you need.
  If you buy an 8th Generation Intel CPU there is only one choice which is Z370 as its currently the only chipset with the 1151CL socket
  (please be very sure you choose the correct motherboard with Z370 as the older Z270 may appear to have the same socket but its 1151 not 1151CL - their pins are different! and also dont get confused with AMD's AM4 X370!)

  3 - Brand and range

  In terms of differing motherboards you will have to check out the features yourself. Within product ranges you will see loads of differing features which include things such as Built in wireless, extended IO, USB C support, RGB, M.2, Fan Headers Supplied, Increase Choke and Capacitor counts/quality, etc.
  As for brands I feel like all of them do a great job these days and you should choose based on which one you like the features and look of best.
  If you really want my opinion my personal go tos are Gigabyte and ASUS. MSI are pretty good too and Asrock makes great boards on the budget end.

  I'm sorry if I state some really basic things - I just like being thorough and it might help some newer people that come across this comment

  if you have any questions I will answer anything!

  also btw why not AMD?

  • 

    vinni9284 on 11/02/2018 - 09:08

    "socket 2066 nobody would be stupid enough to buy 7460X"

    I tend to agree with this comment for a normal build however the advantage of having a Socket 2066 mobo is of future upgrade CPU's and headroom.

    For an example, you can purchase a top end Engineering Sample CPU ~ Xeon 12 Core CPU "E" from eBay for around $300 - $400 and it works well.
    Furthermore, if you are willing to spend a little more, you can get a top-end Qualification Sample "Q" CPU for $500. This sample is recognised via Windows rather the E "Genuine Intel Xeon CPU" with no specifics.

    The negs for the E Sample is that Nvidia / AMD GPU software may not recognise the CPU specs and not allow for VR. However I am sure that there are software tweaks to bypass this.

    It is not for everyone.

    Cheers

• 

  Harold Halfprice on 10/02/2018 - 19:33

  Most motherboards generally have the same features. You can expect a similarly priced motherboard that's of the same chipset but different manufacturer to have almost identical features.

  Even entry level motherboards have pretty much all essential features. Once you start going up a bit in price, you might get better VRMs for overclocking, more ports (USB, SATA etc), more fan headers, more flashy lights and cheesy gamer decals.

  Top of the line high end motherboards may start to introduce features that aren't really mainstream yet (10gbit ethernet, latest USB tech etc) - but really don't offer a whole lot more to warrant their prices in my opinion, especially for a normal user - you're mainly paying a premium for the flagship model.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 10/02/2018 - 20:38

  +1

  Just make sure you match your RAM speed to the board. I choose the CPU, the GPU, then the board, then the RAM.

  Things to consider when buying a board:
  Size of board needs to match case.
  Do you want armour?
  Do you want Wi-fi and LAN?
  How many RAM slots you need and what speed?
  How many PCI slots you need and what speed? Are they far enough apart?
  Do you want a trusted supplier or you ok with taking a risk - cheap China parts often have less rare earth on fittings and components, so they wear out faster.
  What type of power connection does it have, will it match your PSU.

• 

  vinni9284 on 11/02/2018 - 08:57

  1 - Figure out what parts & specifications you would like to purchase.
  2 - Price everything.
  3 - Look at some of online PC shops (E.g. Centrecom/MSY etc) with their "Ready made" PC equivalent parts/specs and compare.

  This may sound a little stupid but I have seen ready made PC's similar specs cheaper than building it yourself.

  However tbh, nothing beats building a PC from scratch.

  Cheers