Best Gaming Motherboards 2020 – Top 10 For Intel & AMD

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Motherboard is a key component of every computer. Its primary purpose is to link up all PC components together and make sure they run smoothly as one unit. For that reason, it is necessary to choose a motherboard that will serve as a good base for your computer, with proper software and functions.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best gaming motherboards of 2020, so you can choose one that’s best for you and start off the process of building your gaming machine on the right foot.

When choosing a motherboard you need to make sure it will be compatible with your processor, RAMs and will have enough slots to accommodate your other components like graphics cards, hard drives, etc.

Another thing to consider before buying new motherboard is the usage of your computer. Motherboards for office computers have usually fewer slots for other components, their software is customized for maximum efficiency and they are, of course, cheaper. On the other hand, gaming motherboards, which we will be covering today, have more slots, better software and technology, which allows them to handle heavier loads better and ensure smooth gaming experience.

In general, what separates the more expensive motherboards from the cheaper ones is primarily the number of slots and their quality, better software, better cooling and more features. With more expensive motherboards you are also future proofing your PC to some extent.

Gaming motherboards are also typically customized for overclocking. Besides that, the better board you get, the more you will be able to overclock your CPU and memory.

Factors To Consider Before Buying A Motherboard

Format

The vast majority motherboards come in three formats – Mini-ITX, microATX and ATX. Mini-ITX is the smallest one and is commonly used in less powerful PCs. These motherboards have maximum of one PCI-e x16 slot, meaning it can only be accommodated by one graphics card, while it is also difficult to assemble the cooling and other components in a way they don’t interfere with each other.

If you’re planning to build a more powerful PC, you should opt in for either a microATX or an ATX motherboard. When choosing between these two, take the size of your case into consideration and whether or not you will need the number of slots ATX motherboards offer.

Typically, microATX motherboards have enough slots any casual gamer will ever need, making the ATX an option for higher-end gaming rigs.

You may as well run across E-ATX motherboards, which are larger than ATX motherboards, however these are mainly used in workstation systems and buying one for your PC would most likely be a waste of money.

Socket

Another thing you need to be looking out for is the socket. Different processors have different sockets, which are incompatible with each other. You need to choose an appropriate motherboard for your processor.

Usually, new sockets are being introduced roughly every five years to ensure maximum performance, effectivity and support for the newest features. Currently, there is two major manufacturers, Intel and AMD, of which each uses a number of different sockets.

RAM support

In the current time, there is two types of RAMs on the market – older DDR3 and newer DDR4. As of today, DDR4 RAMs have become a standard, being faster, more efficient and the fact a single module can have up to 32GB of memory.

For that reason it doesn’t make sense to buy a motherboard with DDR3 support. The only exception is when you’re planning to use RAMs from older PC.

Most important slots

PCI-Express – PCI-e slots come in different variations differing by the number of pins they have, PCI-e x16 slots are intended for powerful graphics cards. If you plan on building a multi-GPU setup, make sure the motherboard you’ve chosen has enough of these slots. PCI-e x8/x4 slots are intended for less powerful graphics cards or eventually other cards that require faster data transfer. Basic PCI-e x1 are intended for smaller cards, such as sound cards, TV cards, etc.

SATA – SATA slots are primarily used for connecting hard drives. Every motherboard has typically enough of them for a standard user, however they can differ in terms of speed. The fastest SATA III have bandwidth throughput up to 6 GB/s, which is enough to accommodate fast SSDs in them. However, that’s not the case for newer SSDs with faster technology, as there is newer and better connectors for those – the M.2/U.2.

M.2/U.2 – Newer and faster SSD disks bring into play these type of connectors with much higher bandwidth throughput. If you plan on having a faster SSD disk in your PC, keep the M.2/U.2 connector in your mind when choosing a new motherboard

USB Ports – Every motherboard is occupied by a number of USB ports for hooking up various gadgets. You should take the number and the type of USB ports into consideration. Most motherboards combine fast USB 3.0/3.1 with slower 2.0. Yet we start to see more and more motherboards bringing the newest USB Type-C port into play.

Our List of The Best Gaming Motherboards

In the table below you can see our list of top ten gaming motherboards for the year 2020. For better orientation we split the list in half. The first half covers motherboards featuring the AMD chipsets and the second half covers boards supporting Intel’s processors. All motherboards on this list cover various budget options and performance levels, so you can choose the one that both fits your budget and meets your needs. To read a full review, simply click “review>>“ on a respective row.

Product	Image	Rating
MSI MPG X570 Gaming PRO Carbon Wifi “Best overall“		9.8	Check Price review>>
ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi “Best value pick“		9.7	Check Price review>>
ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming “Great gaming performance“		9.5	Check Price review>>
MSI X370 XPOWER Gaming Titanium “Best for overclockers“		9.3	Check Price review>>
GIGABYTE B450 AORUS Elite “Best budget option“		9.1	Check Price review>>

1. MSI MPG X570 Gaming PRO Carbon Wifi

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REASONS TO BUY

Wi-Fi 6 Support
Futureproof With PCI-E 4.0 Slots
Super Fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports
Superb Overclocking Performance
Attractive Design With 3-Zone RGB Lighting

REASON TO AVOID

Higher Price

Our Rating: 9.8/10

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The number one pick on our list featuring the latest AMD X570 chipset is the MSI X570 Gaming PRO Carbon. Lately, it has been one of the most popular motherboards from the MSI lineup, offering the latest and greatest technology to ensure a top-level performance with enough slots placed well on the board to accommodate your hardware smoothly, and tons of features for maximum convenience, while not costing you a fortune.

It comes with two PCI-E x16 slots for multiple graphics cards setups, two M.2 slots allowing you to fit the super fast NVMe SSDs and a number of USB 3.2 Gen2 with 10 Gbps bandwidth for super fast data transfer, just to scratch the surface.

As for the memory, it supports DDR4 memory with speed of up to 4400MHz and 128GB maximum capacity, which is more than enough for any gamer out there. The audio also isn’t lacking with an onboard ALC 1220 Codec, which will provide a great sound quality for maximum immersion in games.

Design-wise, the darker design with a touch of carbon gives the motherboard a distinctive, super cool look, which can also be highlighted with custom RGB lighting utilizing the MSI Mystic Light RGB software.

If that’s not enough, you will also like it comes with:

Latest WiFi 6 Support – The latest WiFi solution, which supports MU-MIMO and BSS color technology, capable of delivering up to 2400 Mbps for minimum latency

Support For Water Cooling – setting up a water cooling system won’t be an issue for you with a dedicated water pump PIN header, which supports the latest custom and all-in-one water cooling systems

M.2 Shield Frozr – The newest and fastest SSDs tend to overheat under heavier loads and slow down your system. With the M.2 Shield Frozr you will be able to keep your SSDs cooler even under heavy loads (around 10% on average)

2. ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi

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REASONS TO BUY

Great Price To Performance Ratio
Solid, Unbreakable Design
Excellent Performance
Super Fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports

REASONS TO AVOID

Only Wi-FI 5 Support

Our Rating: 9.7/10

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ASUS hasn’t been typically the hottest pick at the lower price categories. Their motherboards represent the top-level of quality among others, but to be fair, the price to performance ratio has never been their strong side. However, we have to say things have changed with the current TUF Gaming line-up for the AM4 platform. Not only it is currently a top pick in its price range, but more importantly, it provides an excellent value for the money you spend.

The Asus TUF Gaming X-570-Plus deserves a top spot on our list for a reason. Firstly, it has all the perks of the latest AMD X570 chipset, including PCI-e 4.0 slots, multiple M.2 4.0 slots (with double the bandwidth compared to 3.0), super fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, the finest audio (Realtek S1200A Codec) and WiFi (802.11ac) solutions while providing top-level of performance for a very, very reasonable price.

But there is more to the ASUS TUF Gaming X-570X-Plus than that. It has been built for maximum durability and stability using the highest quality materials and the latest technology to ensure a longer lifespan. It has a six-layer PCB design with VRM, chipset and M.2 heatsinks to help keep the most important components at an optimal temperature so you can push your system to the limit without any worries

The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi also features :

SafeSlot – SafeSlot is PCI-e slot reengineered by ASUS with higher quality and more durable materials to provide a stronger slot, protecting your graphics card from bending

Stainless Steel Back I/O – High quality and corrosion-resistant stanless-steel back I/O ensures bend-free and more convenient installation and longer life span

DTS Custom For Gaming Headsets – DTS Custom takes onboard audio to another level. With three presets – Aerial, Soundscape and Tactical – you have three options to choose from depending on the game you play and immerse yourself through an exceptional audio quality

3. ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming

Form Factor: ATX | Socket: AM4 | CPU Support: AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation, Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics, Athlon with Radeon Vega Graphics, Ryzen 1st Generation, 7th Generation A-series, Athlon X4 Processors | Chipset: AMD X470 | Memory: DDR4, Up to 3600, Max 64GB | Memory Channel: Dual | DIMM Slots: 4x | PCI-e Slots: (2) x16 (x16, x8/x8), x16 (x4), (3) x1 | Storage: 6x SATA 6 Gb/s, 2x M.2 | USB Ports: 4x USB 2.0, 8x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (1x type-C), 3x USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Video Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort | Multi-GPU Support: AMD Crossfire, nVidia SLi

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REASONS TO BUY

Highest Quality Components
Top Gaming Performance
Supports Both AMD Crossfire and nVidia SLi
Comes With Reinforced PCI-e Slots
Decent For Ovrclocking

REASONS TO AVOID

No Wi-Fi Onboard

Our Rating: 9.5/10

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The ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming is one of the most popular motherboards featuring the older AMD X470 Chipset. If you’re currently using a 2nd Generation Ryzen processor and looking for a motherboard upgrade, you should take a closer look at this one. It has a support for fast DDR4 RAMs (3600MHz), three x16 PCI-e 3.0 slots, double M.2 slots, both with a heatsink and number of fast USB Ports including a type-C port on the back I/O panel.

As for the design, It has a cool, stealthy, darker look. To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of the graffiti and fabric tag used on the board. I think it just doesn’t go well together – but I will let you be the judge here. The only RGB you will find on the board is the ROG logo on the I/O panel cover, which is probably a good thing – graffiti, fabric tag and bunch of RGB lighting would look like a college party broke out in your case.

What’s great about the ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming is the high quality onboard audio – the SupremeFX S1220A Codec accompanied by the Sonic Studio III provides a topnotch audio experience. For the LAN connection you get the standard Intel Gigabit Ethernet.

The ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming also features:

Pre-Mounted I/O Panel – The sweet looking matte black I/O panel comes pre-mounted, meaning you will have no issues time installing the motherboard

Q-LEDs – These onboard LED indicators will help you quickly detect potential problems with the CPU, graphics card, memory and boot device

High-Quality Solid Capacitors – The capacitors on the side of your CPU were tested to combat extreme temperatures of -55℃ to 105℃ – Not sure if that is useful in real life, but at least you can be sure that every little detail has been taken care of

5-Way Optimization – ASUS 5-Way Optimization is a system tuning utility that automatically overclock your GPU and also keeps monitoring and tweaking your fan speeds to reach a balance between performance, cooling and acoustics. Because of that you can push your system without worrying about overheating or stability issues

4. MSI X370 XPOWER Gaming Titanium

Form Factor: ATX | Socket: AM4 | CPU Support: AMD Ryzen 1st and 2nd Generation, AMD Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics, Athlon with Radeon Vega Graphics and A-series, Athlon X4 Processors | Chipset: AMD X370 | Memory: DDR4, Up to 3200, Max 64GB | Memory Channel: Dual | DIMM Slots: 4x | PCI-e Slots: (2) 3.0 x16 (AMD Ryzen) / x8 (AMD 7th gen. A-series/Athlon), (1) 2.0 x16, (3) 2.0 x1 | Storage: 6x SATA 6 Gb/s, 2x M.2, 1x U.2 | USB Ports: 3x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 type-C, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Video Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort | Multi-GPU Support: AMD Crossfire, nVidia SLi

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REASONS TO BUY

Great Gaming Perofrmance
Insane Overclocking Ability
Durable Build Quality
Unique Style
Affordable High-end Motherboard

REASONS TO AVOID

No RGB Onboard
No Wi-Fi

Our Rating: 9.3/10

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At the time of its release, the MSI X370 XPOWER Gaming Titanium was the most expensive and advanced motherboard you could’ve found for the AM4 socket. As of today it is still an excellent mobo intended for gamers with a passion for extreme overclocking, costing you only half the price you would pay for it when it was first released.

Despite having the X370 chipset, it can still compete with the newest boards using the X570 chipset in terms of connectivity. It has three PCI-e x16 slots with support for both SLi and CF, double M.2 slots (3.0, 2.0), U.2 slot, six SATA 6 Gb/s Slots, plenty of USB Ports, including a USB type-C Port. Included is also the gigabit Ethernet from Intel and a high quality ALC 1220 Codec audio.

The main thing the MSI X370 XPOWER Gaming Titanium has been known for is its support for high-end overclocking. A high quality power supply support – 4 + 6 + 6 pin ATX 12V + 24 pin and six fan headers with DC/PWM mode with countless system tuning and troubleshooting tools allows you to really push your system to the limits.

Taking a look at the board we have to say it is fairly stylish. It comes in all white with silver heatsinks on it, giving the board a nice polished look. There is no RGB on the board, although there is an RGB support through the RGB header on the bottom of the board.

The MSI X370 XPOWER Gaming Titanium also features:

Water Cooling Support – A designated water pump header supporting up to 2A will allow you to opt for the most popular All-in-one or custom water cooling solutions on the market, if you ever opt for one

PCI-e Steel Armor – Strengthened PCI-e slots protect against GPU bending and provide more stability

M.2 Shield – This board also features a neat M.2 shield, which not only looks good, but also helps to cool your SSD, which leads to higher performance

5. GIGABYTE B450 AORUS Elite

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REASONS TO BUY

Compatible With Ryzen 3rd Gen Processors After Bios Update
Great Gaming Performance
Excellent Value For The Price
Pre-mounted I/O Shield
Solid Build Quality

REASONS TO AVOID

Lacking Fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports

Our Rating: 9.1/10

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The fifth and final spot on our list for AMD boards goes to Gigabyte’s B450 Aorus Elite for multiple reasons. Firstly, despite having the older B450 chipset, it is now fully compatible with the Ryzen 3rd Gen processors due to the Bios update. So if you are on a budget looking for a decent board with support for Ryzen 3000 processors, definitely check this one out.

Besides that, it is a solid performing board with enough connectivity to satisfy a wide spectrum of gamers. It supports RAM speeds of up to 3200MHz with 64GB max capacity, two PCI-e x16 slots with support for AMD Crossfire if you ever decide on double GPU, two M.2 slots where you can accommodate the super fast NVMe SSDs, rich I/O panel which comes pre-mounted, with DVI-D and HDMI ports which you can use if you own one of the AMD processors with integrated graphics and plenty of USB 2.0 and 3.1 Gen 1 Ports. Unfortunately, there is none of the super fast USB 3.1 or 3.2 Gen 2 ports.

Design-wise, we can see it has simple design with multiple LED zones, giving the board a fancier look. There is also a plenty of room for customization via the RGB Fusion 2.0 software, which offers advanced tools and countless light effects to allow you to personalize your system even more, if you are into that.

The Gigabyte B450 Aorus Elite also features:

AORUS M.2 Thermal Guard – The M.2 Thermal Guard prevents throttling and bottlenecks from M.2 devices as it helps to reduce and dissipate heat before it becomes an issue.

AMD StoreMI – A powerful tool, which combines the speed of your SSD with the capacity of you HDD into a one, easy manageable drive. The AMD StoreMI „combines“ the two types of storage into a single drive and automatically transports your most used data to your SSD.*

Integrated I/O Shield Armor – The integrated I/O shield features a neat, durable design, while providing a convenient experience when setting up your PC

*AMD StoreMI software comes free only with motherboards that feature an AMD X399, 400 or 500-series chipset. Learn more.

Those were our picks for AMD boards. For Intel users we’ve picked the following boards:

Product	Image	Rating
GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Master “Best overall“		9.7	Check Price review>>
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming “Best overall runner up“		9.6	Check Price review>>
GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming “Best for showcasing buids“		9.2	Check Price review>>
ASUS PRIME H370M-Plus “Best value pick“		9.1	Check Price review>>
MSI B360 Gaming Plus “Best budget pick“		9.5	Check Price review>>

1. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Master

Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Intel LGA1151 | CPU Support: 9th and 8th Generation Intel Core i9 processors, Intel Core i7 processors, Intel Core i5 processors, Intel Core i3 processors, Intel Pentium processors, Intel Celeron processors in the LGA1151 package | Chipset: Intel Z390 | Memory: DDR4, Up to 4400, Max 64GB | Memory Channel: Dual | DIMM Slots: 4x | PCI-e Slots: (3) 3.0 x16 (x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4), (3) 3.0 x1 | Storage: 6x SATA 6 Gb/s, 3x M.2 | USB Ports: 8x USB 2.0, 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 5x USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Video Ports: 1x HDMI | Multi-GPU Support: AMD Crossfire, nVidia SLi

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REASONS TO BUY

Durable, Solid Build Quality
Great For Overclocking
Onboard Wi-Fi + Highest Quality Audio
Metal Back Plate For Better Cooling And Stability
Neat Aesthetics

REASONS TO AVOID

Premium Price
Memory Overclocking Could Have Been Better

Our Rating: 9.7/10

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If you are looking for a high end board featuring the latest LGA1151 socket for your Coffee Lake Refresh processor, the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master is the one you most definitely need to take a closer look at. It offers a superb performance for gaming and excellent overclocking capability. Talking overclocking, the Gigabyte’s BIOS is not necessarily the most user-friendly, but it definitely offers the most options that I’ve personally seen. So, if you are an experienced overclocker, you will love what you can do with this board in terms of overclocking.

Looking at the actual board, it offers enough slots and connectivity to support the most sophisticated gaming setups. It has three PCI-e x16 slots supporting both CF and SLi for multiple GPUs, three M.2 slots (all three have a designated heatsink), memory support for up to 4400MHz with 64GB maximum capacity and of course, the super fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports including a type-C Port for super fast data transfer. This board also comes with onboard WiFi (Intel CNVi 802.11ac) and a high quality audio (Realtek ALC1220-VB Codec).

At first glance, the board looks somewhat inconspicuous, but if you take a closer look, everything looks and feels super precise and professional, just the way you want it. And the cherry on top are the brushed metal heatsinks, which give the board truly a premium look.

This board also supports RGB lighting via the addressable and non-addressable RGB headers as well as the RGB Fusion 2.0 Software that lets you customize your lighting with countless options and effects.

The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Master also features:

Integrated Base Plate – The integrated base plate provides significantly better stability and also serves as an additional thermal solution

Solid Pin Power Connectors – These solid pin power connectors offer a precise and stable power supply to you most power hungry components, especially your CPU

Ultra Durable Memory Armor + Ultra Durable PCI-e Armor – Both the Memory and PCI-e slots armor are made from one piece stainless steel offering more stability and durability using high quality materials

2. ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming

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REASONS TO BUY

Decent Support For Overclocking
Ample Fan Headers + Watercooling Support
Heatsinks For Both M.2 Slots
Integrated I/O Panel
Onboard Wi-Fi + Top Notch Audio
Onboard RGB + Plenty Of RGB Support

REASONS TO AVOID

Higher Price
Excessive Design

Our Rating: 9.6/10

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Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming is one of the most popular mainstream boards from ASUS. It offers an attractive design, rich connectivity and a very solid build quality. It also has a broad support for overclocking, however if you don’t want spend time manually tweaking your board, you can put in use the 5-way optimization system, which does the work for you and automatically increases the CPU clock rate and provides an extra performance that way.

Looking at the board, it is equipped the way you would expect a high-end board to be. It has three PCI-e x16 slots, from which two of them are reinforced and support for CF or SLi multi-GPU build. The memory can be overclocked to 4266 MHz which is a decent increase compared to the Z370 chipset. For a fast data transfer, you will find two M.2 slots, both with a designated heatsink, the usual six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, 4 super fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports on the back I/O from which one is a type-C.

The big difference between this and the Z370 platform is that it comes with integrated Wi-Fi meaning all the Z390 boards will have Wi-Fi in their kit no matter the model, so kudos to Intel for that. In this case you are getting the Intel 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Wireless AC 9560 adapter that pushes wireless data 2x faster than other Wi-Fi solutions.

The ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming also features:

Superb Cooling Solution – With 7 fan headers, water pump headers, heatsinks for both M.2 slots, high quality chipset and VRM heatsinks and a thermal pad, you will get an excellent cooling support, so you can push your system to the limits

Excellent Audio Solution – Utilizing the S1220A codec, SupremeFX is the integrated-audio solution that was made for the most immersive audio experience in games

Aura Sync – ASUS Aura Sync offers full RGB lighting control and synchronization with other Aura- capable ASUS RGB components in your build, with countless lighting effects and presets meaning you can personalize and showcase your unique build

5-Way Optimization – ASUS 5-Way Optimization is a system tuning utility that automatically overclock your GPU and also keeps monitoring and tweaking your fan speeds to reach a balance between performance, cooling and acoustics, so you can push your system without worrying about overheating or stability issues

3. GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming

Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Intel LGA1151 | CPU Support: 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processors, Intel Core i5 processors, Intel Core i3 processors in the LGA1151 package | Chipset: Intel Z370 | Memory: DDR4, Up to 4000, Max 64GB | Memory Channel: Dual | DIMM Slots: 4x | PCI-e Slots: (3) 3.0 x16 (x16. x8, x4), (3) 3.0 x1 | Storage: 6x SATA 6 Gb/s, 2x M.2 | USB Ports: 6x USB 2.0, 6x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C | Video Ports: 1x HDMI, 1x DVI-D | Multi-GPU Support: AMD Crossfire, nVidia SLi

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REASONS TO BUY

Attractive Aesthetics With Plenty Of RGB
Decent Overclocking Capability
High Quality, Durable Design
Superb Gaming Performance
Intel Optane Memory Ready

REASONS TO AVOID

Older Model
No Wi-Fi/BT

Our Rating: 9.2/10

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The Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming is an older board, but can still be a good option if you are looking for something extravagant to showcase your build. There is plenty of RGB LEDs, namely the PCI-e slots, memory slots, audio, chipset heatsink and in between the chokes. You will have endless options to customize the lighting to your liking.

Connectivity-wise, you will find three PCI-e x16 (x16. x8, x4) slots supporting CF and SLi for multi-GPU setups, two M.2 Slots and six SATA III Ports for fast storage options, dual channel memory with speed of up to 4000 MHz (OC). There is also enough USB ports including the type-C for ultra fast data transfer.

On the back I/O you will find HDMI and DVI-D Ports, Ethernet port, number of USB 2.0, 3.1 and type-C port, PS/2 combo for mouse and keyboard, S/PDIF connector and 5 audio jacks.

The only thing that’s missing is the WiFI/BT, which you can only find on the more expensive models.

The GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming also features:

Hybrid Fan Pin Headers – All Hybrid Fan Headers can automatically detect the type of cooling device whether it be fan or pump with different PWM or Voltage mode, giving you an option to build a powerful, versatile cooling system

Intel Optane Memory Ready – Intel Optane is a memory technology, which accelerates your storage devices to reduce boot and load times, leading to a faster and more responsive system overall

Reinforced PCI-e And Memory Slots – Both the Memory and PCI-e slots armor are made from one piece stainless steel offering more stability and durability using high quality materials

4. ASUS PRIME H370M-Plus

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REASONS TO BUY

Great Valur For The Price
Super Durable And Long-lasting Design
Good Gaming Performance
2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports For Super Fast Data Transfer
Budget Friendly

REASONS TO AVOID

No RGB Onboard
No x8/x8 Option For Double Graphics Card

Our Rating: 9.1/10

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If you’re looking for a budget friendly option for your rig, you should most definitely check out the ASUS Prime H370M-Plus. Despite lacking the ability to overclock, it offers a good performance with maximum durability and excellent build quality. If you decide on it, you will get a perfect foundation for your PC with all-around protection of your components for a reasonable price.

On the board itself you can find two M.2 slots and two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports for the fastest data transfer possible, two PCI-e x16 reinforced Safe Slot slots (the bottom one is x4) with Multi-GPU support, 4 DIMM slots with dual channel memory of up to 2666MHz, six SATA 6Gb/s ports, Gigabit Ethernet and high quality ALC887 8-Channel High Definition Audio Codec.

The board offers a quite simple design with no RGB on the board, which may be a downside for someone. However, if the looks aren’t priority for you and your rather want to focus on functionality and overall build quality, that’s exactly what the ASUS Prime H370M-Plus can offer to you.

The ASUS PRIME H370M-Plus also features:

5X Protection III – The ASUS 5X Protection III features high quality components, PCB design and standards to ensure an exceptional stability and durability, which prolongs the lifetime of your build

Intel Optane Memory Ready – Intel Optane is a memory technology, which accelerates your storage devices to reduce boot and load times, leading to a faster and more responsive system overall

Audio Shielding – The audio shielding helps with reducing interference between analog and digital signals, which leads to a better audio experience

5. MSI B360 Gaming Plus

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REASONS TO BUY

Budget Friendly
7 Fan Headers + Water Cooling Support
Nice Aesthetics
USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports
RGB Support

REASONS TO AVOID

Locked Up Memory Speed
No M.2 heatsinks

Our Rating: 9.5/10

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The last pick on our list for Intel boards in the MSI B360 Gaming Plus. This is not a typical high end motherboard loaded with features you would expect to be on this list. This is a solid board with everything a casual gamer needs, without the ability to overclock. So if you are someone who’s not into overclocking, looking for a budget friendly option, while getting a good value, I highly suggest you picking this one up.

Like I said before, it has everything a casual game would ever need – support for 9th Gen Intel processors, support for fastest SSD disks on the market, number of super fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports, support for multi-GPU setup via the AMD Crossfire, you name it. And it all comes with a fair price tag.

One of the downsides to this board is that it has memory speed locked up to 2666MHz. That doesn’t mean you can’t put in faster RAMs, just keep in mind you won’t be able to crank them up faster than 2666MHz. That’s just one of the things that goes with the B360 chipset.

The MSI B360 Gaming Plus also features:

PCI-e Steel Armor – One of the PCI-e x16 slot uses the Steel Armor technology, meaning it is more durable and will protect you graphics card from bending and EMI

Mystic Light Sync – Lets you control RGB LED solutions from other brands, meaning you can synchronize your other components lighting together with ease

7 Fan Header + Watercooling Support – There is seven fan headers including a designated pin header for water pump, meaning you have enough support and options to keep your system cool even under heavier loads

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There you have it. Those were our picks for the best gaming motherboards of 2020. If you want to share your thoughts and experiences, or you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below and I will be more than happy to help you out.

Cheers!

Richard

Kevin says:

February 15, 2020 at 5:48 pm

Your post definitely had me going back to the days where I was addicted to researching computer parts so I can build my most optimal PC. Right now, I have a nice gaming PC with an Intel i7 6800k, 32 GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics card. It performs quite well. I’ve been satisfied with all the games I play and my ability to video edit them. That being said, I might be looking for an upgrade soon and I want to try out building a custom water-cooled PC and building more of a workstation PC. Which motherboard works really well with custom water-cooling?

- Richard says:
  
  February 15, 2020 at 6:02 pm
  
  That really depends on how much money you are willing to spend on it. But basically any boards with water cooling support will do. But there are also motherboards that come with watercooling system. Like the ASrock X570 aqua. But these are very pricey.
  
  Hope this helps
  
  Richard

Best Gaming Motherboards 2020 – Top 10 For Intel & AMD

Factors To Consider Before Buying A Motherboard

Our List of The Best Gaming Motherboards

1. MSI MPG X570 Gaming PRO Carbon Wifi

2. ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus WiFi

3. ASUS ROG Strix X470-F Gaming

4. MSI X370 XPOWER Gaming Titanium

5. GIGABYTE B450 AORUS Elite

1. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Master

2. ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming

3. GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming

4. ASUS PRIME H370M-Plus

5. MSI B360 Gaming Plus

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