Even though things like CPUs and graphics cards usually get more attention, choosing the best motherboard for gaming (or any kind of computing task) is a key step in your PC build. Everything in your PC setup either plugs into your motherboard or plugs into something else that plugs into your motherboard. Its form factor (ATX, E-ATX, Micro ATX or Mini-ITX) will also dictate the size of the PC case you'll need to use. And a board's socket and chipset will determine which processors you can install in your CPU socket.
If you’re unsure which motherboard chipset you’re after when choosing the best motherboard for gaming, or you have other questions that aren't addressed here, you can visit our motherboard basics page and our motherboard buying guide to help narrow down your options.
The picks below start with recent Intel motherboards (with AMD motherboards further down), including the best gaming motherboards designed for Intel's latest 13th Gen "Alder Lake" and 12th Gen "Raptor Lake" CPUs, as well as older 11th Gen "Rocket Lake" processors. You'll find our recommendations below for the best motherboards for Z790, Z690, B660 and H610.
The best gaming motherboards for AMD CPUs (including Ryzen 7000 and 5000) follow our Intel picks below. For more on that front, especially if you're after an older AM4 board, you can also head to our dedicated pages for the best X570 motherboards and best B550 motherboards for more specific tested recommendations and picks.
And you may want to stick with AM4 since the latest AMD Ryzen 7000 motherboards are quite expensive compared to previous-gen boards from both AMD and Intel. Last-gen Ryzen 5000 processors and AM4 motherboards are still capable performers, and enticingly affordable. Just know that if you opt for an AM4 motherboard now, you are buying into a dead-end last-gen platform. Most (probably all) new AMD processors will be released on the new AM5 socket/platform, solely with DDR5 support.
AMD's last-gen AM4, as well as some of Intel's Z790 and Z690-chipset motherboards still support the older, more affordable DDR4 RAM. This can also decrease cost if you have an older kit you want to carry over to a new build. And opting for older DDR4 RAM doesn't make a major difference over DDR5 in gaming performance when you're using a dedicated graphics card.
Quick Motherboard Shopping Tips
Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
When choosing a motherboard, consider the following:
- Get the right socket for your CPU. You can find great CPUs from either Intel or AMD. But whatever processor you choose, make sure that your board has the correct socket to support it. The latest mainstream AMD chips use AM5 CPU sockets, while Intel's 12th Gen (Alder Lake) 13th Gen (Raptor Lake) CPUs use the LGA 1700 socket.
- Smaller boards = fewer slots and features. Motherboards come in three main sizes--for more info see our diagram and explanation of motherboard parts. From largest to smallest, there’s ATX, Micro ATX and Mini-ITX. (Yes, Mini is smaller than Micro). You can use a smaller cases with the micro or mini boards, but you'll have to settle for fewer card expansion slots, often fewer RAM slots, and generally fewer features overall.
- Pay for built-in Wi-Fi and high-end ports only if you need them. Don't spend extra for wireless if you are using Ethernet. You can future-proof your PC by getting USB 3.2 Gen 2 and/or Thunderbolt support. But Thunderbolt is very rare on AMD motherboards.
The Best Intel Gaming Motherboards: Z790, Z690, B660, H610
All the flagship-class Z790 motherboards offer the best of the best in terms of features and specifications, but the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Extreme presents the best value among them. You’ll lose a couple M.2 sockets over more-expensive boards, but this bird otherwise has everything else you could ask for and more, while costing between $200 and $400 less than the competition.
The Z790 Aorus Extreme delivers 10 Gb Ethernet, 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports, flagship-class audio, PCIe 5.0 GPU and M.2 support, overkill power delivery, and that high-end appearance you expect from a high-end board. MSI's Z790 Godlike offers up a few more features (like seven M.2 sockets), but costs $400 more, and it's also physically bigger, making it hard to recommend to most people unless money is no object.
The Z790 Aorus Extreme also performed well in our gaming, productivity, and overlocking tests, as you would expect from a flagship board. Just remember that this is an E-ATX model, so you'll need a case with a bit more room than standard ATX options. But you could certainly buy a bigger case with the money you'll save by opting for this board over other Z790 flagship options.
Read: Z790 Aorus Xtreme review
At around $330, the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro is a mid-range Alder Lake motherboard that covers all the bases very well, with minimal sacrifices. There are ample storage options, including four M.2 sockets, updated audio, and a new appearance. In our extensive testing, performance, thermals and overclocking were also well within the range of other Z690 boards we've tested.
Between its 13 USB ports on the rear IO, four M.2 sockets and capable power delivery, all at a price that's well below flagship options, there’s a lot to lovea bout the Z690 Aorus Pro. So long as you don’t require integrated RGB lighting or Wi-Fi 6E out of the box (you still get Wi-Fi 6), the Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro is an excellent Alder Lake motherboard to build your Z690 system around.
Read: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro review
ASRock’s Z690 Extreme WiFi is a great motherboard to build your Alder Lake-based system around if you’re looking to save money to spend on other components. Its out-of-the-box performance with some heavily multi-threaded applications was somewhat slower than average in some tests, but lightly threaded workloads and game testing saw this board shine. Hardware-wise, the board is well-equipped for its price, including three M.2 sockets, a whopping eight SATA ports, dual Ethernet ports (1GbE/2.5GbE), and integrated Wi-Fi 6E. The board looks good too, with its mostly black design, dark blue accents, bright RGB LEDs, and aesthetically pleasing notches in the PCB.
There are many competing options in the $200 price range, but only the ASRock Extreme comes with integrated Wi-Fi 6E and eight SATA ports. If you’re into RGB lighting, which the Asus and MSI do not have at this price, the Extreme WiFi 6E is the way to go. Unless you need more than five USB-A ports on the rear IO, the Z690 Extreme is the best Z690 board we’ve tested around the $200 mark.
Read: ASRock Z690 Extreme WiFi 6E review
The Gigabyte Z690I Aorus Ultra Plus has proved itself in our testing to be a well-performing, good-looking, and a cost-effective option in the Z690 ITX space. Priced well at $329.99, it’s cheaper than most of the competition, and it includes two M.2 sockets, a modern premium audio codec, and high-quality 105A MOSFETs to feed any CPU. Plus it’s an RGB-inclusive design.
If we look at the competition, we have ASRock’s Z690 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB4 ($299.99), the MSI MEG Z690I Unify ($399.99) and Asus’ ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi 6E ($409.99). These are more than capable ITX boards, with the difference coming down to price and your needs. All of these boards include Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5 GbE, at least two SATA ports and two M.2 sockets. The other boards have additional SATA ports, while the MSI is the only one with three M.2 sockets. The ASRock falls short if you compare audio codecs, but few users would notice a difference.
We like what the Gigabyte Z690I Aorus Ultra Plus has to offer. The new board fixed problems with the previous version’s PCIe slot and brought us a generally well-rounded and definitely a well-priced SKU. It’s also the only Z690-based ITX board with integrated RGB LEDs to make the it visually stand out in your case. Those who are looking to use more than two SATA drives will need to look elsewhere, but otherwise, the Ultra Plus is the best Z690 Mini-ITX option available for the price.
Read: Gigabyte Z690I Aorus Ultra Plus review
The Z690 Aorus Tachyon comes with robust power delivery that supports sub-ambient overclocking of any compatible Alder Lake CPU. The 105A SPS MOSFETs, large heatsink, and overclocking tools ensure the board doesn’t get in the way of top achievable clock speeds. And in our testing, it performed above average overall, with some of the fastest results in our new Blender benchmark, Cinebench R23 and Procyon Office, with our game tests also showing results slightly higher than average for the Z690 boards we've tested.
The E-ATX Aorus Tachyon has several features that make overclocking easier too, including buttons to raise/lower the CPU ratio, cooldown functionality, limp modes, multiple BIOS capability, Tantalum capacitors around the socket area (better and easier for insulating for sub-zero runs), and more.
Although this board is made for overclocking, it still does most everything else well too. From the four M.2 sockets and six SATA ports to the last-gen flagship Realtek audio solution, it comes packed with features that are useful for most any type of user. Still, those who need more than 64GB of RAM (professionals, content creators, etc), will have to look elsewhere.
Read: Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Tachyon Review
So long as you don’t plan on overclocking your CPU or want to use PCIe 5.0 devices before your next upgrade, the MSI MAG B660M Mortar WIFI DDR4 and its B660 chipset makes for a great option for those looking to get into Alder Lake without putting a heavy burden on your build budget.
It lacks the fancy looks or RGB lighting of pricier boards, but does come with everything you need to get the most out of a stock-clocked Alder Lake CPU. The Mortar includes two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 sockets, six SATA ports, a premium last-generation audio solution and VRMs that easily manage the flagship Core i9 CPU.
In our testing, performance on our B660M Mortar was similar to those of the Z690-based DDR4 boards we tested previously. In other words, this sub-$200 motherboard was able to utilize our i9-12900K processor to its fullest while costing a third less than most Z690 offerings.
Read: MSI MAG B660M Mortar WIFI DDR4 review
After our benchmark testing and a close look at its ample feature set, the Asus ROG Strix B660-I Gaming WIFI has proved to be a worthy compact motherboard in the budget-friendly B660 space. The tiny board comes equipped with a PCIe 5.0 slot, two M.2 sockets, integrated Wi-Fi 6, and a last-gen premium audio solution. The only real concern hardware-wise is with the hot VRM temperatures, but do note this was during a stress test and isn’t a typical loading scenario.
Outside of that, the performance across all of our testing was good, easily competing with the other DDR5-based boards. For $219.99, it’s reasonably priced, feature-rich and a good performer. You can’t ask for much more out of this class of board. The Asus ROG Strix B660-I Gaming WIFI is the ITX board of choice if you’re looking to save some money and don’t plan to overclock your Alder Lake processor. If you do, there are Z690 options (we reviewed two already, the ASRock Z690 PG ITX-TB4 and MSI MEG Z690I Unify) though most of these are well over $300.
Read: Asus ROG Strix B660-I Gaming WIFI review
Of the sub-$120 Intel H610-chipset motherboards we've tested, Asus Prime H610M-A D4 is the only one that supports two M.2 sockets for storage, and a key-E M.2 socket lets you easily add CNVi-based NICs for speedy and reliable Wi-Fi.
If you’re looking to get into Alder Lake on the cheap and will not overclock, the H610 chipset is the least expensive way in, but it’s not without drawbacks. There are fewer USB ports and what’s available is slower (no 20 Gbps USB or Type-C ports, for example).
While the entire Alder Lake processor stack is technically supported, you’re limited in what processors you can utilize with this chipset, considering the slower performance we saw in heavy multi-threaded loads with our Core i9 on all tested H610 motherboards. And don't expect loads of external expansion. There are just six USB ports here, none of them faster than the pair of teal 10 Gbps ports. But if you’re not trying to run the best Alder Lake has to offer, this sup-$110 board is a good way to get the latest and greatest Intel has to offer without putting huge a hole in your bank account.
Read: H610 Motherboard Roundup: i9-12900K Meets Sub-$120 Micro ATX
The Best AMD Gaming Motherboards: X570, X670, B550
AMD's current flagship X670/X670E chipset brings with it support for PCIe 5.0, although there are no current-gen graphics cards that benefit from this doubling of bandwidth over PCIe 4.0, and PCIe 5.0 SSDs are only just being leaked and announced.
If you want to save some money, consider a B650 motherboard, which has fewer PCIe 5.0 lanes, but generally only enough lanes for one fast SSD and graphics card. Note, though, that many higher-end B650 boards (much like B550 in the previous gen) approach or exceed the price of some X670 alternatives. So shop carefully based on the features you need or are likely to use in the future.
The real value on the AMD side for now is opting for an older AM4 CPU and motherboard. You can still get very good performance from AM4 CPUs and cheap B650 motherboards, but know that this is a dead platform and you won't get the latest features, like PCIe 5.0 support or USB4.
If you’re not sure which chipset you’re after or have more basic questions, you can visit our motherboard basics and motherboard buying guide stories to help narrow down your board buying options.
Gigabyte’s B650E Aorus Master is a high-quality, well-rounded board at a much lower price than X670E alternatives. Priced at $349.99 at Newegg, it does blur the line between the full-featured X670 chipset, but it has everything B650E has to offer, just perhaps fewer speedy USB ports in this case. It has four PCIe 5.0 M.2 sockets, many USB ports on the rear IO, and the same robust VRMs found on the much more expensive X670E Aorus Master. And it delivered as expected in our performance tests and benchmarks, as well.
The B650E Aorus Master has a premium appearance fit to be the focal point of your build and a price point that’s a lot more palatable than many X670-based options. It’s one of the most complete and well-rounded options available for B650E and should be on your shortlist if you’re looking to build a Ryzen 7000 system and don’t need the extra bandwidth of X670.
MORE: Gigabyte B650E Aorus Master Review
ASRock's X670E Taichi is a well-rounded, attractive AM5 motherboard in the premium mid-range space. For $499, it includes an abundance of storage options: eight SATA ports, four M.2 sockets, and plenty of USB ports, two of which are USB4 Type-C (40 Gbps). And our benchmark testing showed there's nothing to worry about when it comes to performance or overclocking.
About the only drawback is the price. But to be fair, the $499 price point is $90 less than the Intel-based Z690 Taichi, which shocked many reviewers and consumers, launching at nearly $600. These new boards are more expensive to make. And sadly, the high prices are likely here to stay as there are few hints the price trends will change anytime soon.
Note that we recently compared three other top-end X670E motherboards to this model from ASRock, and found the X670E Taichi easy to recommend, because its price is far lower than the competition, and it delivers nearly all of the key features for AMD's latest platform.
If your budget for a new Zen 4-based system (and your case) allows for such a board, the X670E Taichi is a good option among its peers and is the best AMD AM5 board for around $500. Just remember that, if you don't need loads of PCIe bandwidth, you can save yourself $100 or more by opting for a B650E model, many of which still have the key new features most builders are after.
MORE: ASRock X670E Taichi Review
Packed with 12 USB ports (eight of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds), a 2.5G LAN port, eight SATA ports, and integrated Wi-Fi 6, he Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero Wi-Fi is a good base for a high-end build.
Read: Asus X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Hero Wi-Fi Review
The Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra focuses on doing basic things very well, such as its twelve 40A core voltage MOSFETs and triple PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 storage slots. With nothing more than a 2.4Gb/s Wi-Fi 6 module to add to its basic Gigabit Ethernet, the paucity of premium add-in features helps Gigabyte to maintain a sub $300 price despite the cost of PCIe 4.0 compliance.
Read: Gigabyte X570 Aorus Ultra review
Asus’ ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi delivers premium features including SupremeFX Audio, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, solid power delivery and more. It’s a good option around the $200 mark, though there are similarly specced boards that cost less. If you don’t need Wi-Fi capability, the non-Wi-Fi version of the same board costs $30 less with the same specifications, making it easy to recommend if you plan on using Ethernet or have your own wireless card.
Read: Asus ROG Strix B550-F Gaming Wi-Fi review
NZXT’s first foray into AMD motherboards is a success. Coming in late to the game allowed the company to implement feedback from its Intel boards, adding more USB ports to the rear IO. The additional time also allowed NZXT to implement cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E as well, alongside 2.5GbE. Outside of that, the appearance changed significantly from the company’s previous boards, with shrouds dominating the surface and an absence of on-board RGBs.
With an MSRP of $229, the NZXT N7 B550 costs about $15 more than our primary pick, but delivers a newer Wi-Fi chip, more and faster USB ports, and solid performance in a package that's visually distinct from all other B550 competition. If you can spend this much and don't need the extra PCI 4.0 bandwidth that comes with similarly priced older X570 motherboards, the NZXT N7 B550 is well worth considering.
Read: NZXT N7 B550 review
Savings on the Best Motherboards
Whether you're buying one of the best motherboards or a different model, you may find some savings by checking our list of coupon codes, especially our list of Newegg promo codes and Micro Center coupons.
MORE: How To Choose A Motherboard
MORE: All Motherboard Content
MORE: CPU Benchmarks
