Motherboards PC Gaming

Motherboards PC Gaming

A good gaming motherboard doesn't have to be expensive and with the right overclocking features can extend the life of your components. While there are clearly a lot of options out there some motherboards seem to give you not only better options, but also a much better value for your money.

Even older LGA 1155 options give you great value if you can find them at the right price.

In this post I'll review and list the top rated Haswell 1150, Ivy and Sandy Bridge 1155, and AMD AM3+ socket motherboards for gaming. Don't forget to vote for your favorite motherboard in the polls below.

If you’re building a new computer this year, then here’s a quick summary of sockets and chipsets that have been released in the last couple of years.

Haswell Compatible LGA 1150 Motherboards:

Compatible with Intel’s most recent Haswell release and future Broadwell release, 1150 motherboards come in 6 chipset types; H81, B85, Q85, Q87, H87, Z87, and most recently Z97. If you’re an overclocker you’ll want to look at the Z87 chipset which, in my opinion, offers the most flexibility for gamers looking to build performance machines. Also, keep in mind that only the Haswell motherboard chipsets which end in “87″ offer Intel Rapid Storage and Smart Response technology. All Haswell motherboards offer built-in GPU support.

If you’re building a new PC, its worth upgrading to the new Z97 chipset:

Those looking for forward compatibility should look for the new Z97 chipset which is compatible with all Haswell processors as well as Intel Broadwell processors.

Socket AM3+

AM3+ motherboards were originally released in 2011 and are compatible with AMD’s newer FX series processors. AM3+ is also backward compatible with older Phenom II, Athlon II, and Sempron 100 Series CPU.

LGA 2011 Socket R

These motherboards are typically enthusiast-focused and in 2011 replaced Intel’s 1366 motherboards. LGA 2011 motherboards are compatible with Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge-e or enthusiast level processors.