Collection: Motherboards

How to choose a motherboard

Quick version: match the socket to your CPU, pick a size that fits your case, then spend on the features you'll actually use and skip the ones you won't. The board won't win you frames on its own — it decides what you can plug in and how far you can push it. Here's the bit that matters.

Match the socket first

This is the one people get wrong, and it's the one that stops a build dead. Your board has to match your CPU's socket and memory type.

• AMD AM5 — Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 series, DDR5 only. The current AMD platform.
• AMD AM4 — still runs Ryzen 5000 on DDR4. Old now, but a solid budget pick if you're not chasing the newest chip.
• Intel LGA1851 — Core Ultra 200S, DDR5. Intel's current socket.
• Intel LGA1700 — 12th, 13th and 14th Gen. Previous-gen, heaps of stock, usually better value.

Pair a board and CPU from different sockets and it simply won't post. Sort this before anything else.

Pick a size that fits your case

Form factor sets how big your PC is and how much you can bolt on later.

• ATX — full size, the most slots and headers. The default for gaming and creator rigs.
• Micro-ATX — fewer slots, cheaper, fits smaller cases. Fine for most builds.
• Mini-ITX — tiny, a single GPU slot, and you pay extra for the shrink. Great for a small-form-factor battlestation, fiddly to work in.

Whatever you pick, make sure your case takes that size. An ATX board won't squeeze into a Mini-ITX case.

Decode the chipset

The chipset is the board's tier. It changes features and price, not raw speed — a B-series board runs the same CPU as the flagship.

• AMD AM5: B850 is the sweet spot for most builds. X870E and X870 add more PCIe 5.0 and USB4 if you need it; B840 is entry-level. The older 600-series (X670E, X670, B650E, B650, A620) runs the same chips and is often cheaper.
• AMD AM4: B550 and X570 for Ryzen 5000 on DDR4 — the budget and upgrade path.
• Intel LGA1851: Z890 for overclocking and the full feature set, B860 for mainstream builds.
• Intel LGA1700: Z790 and B760 — previous-gen, plenty around, good value.

Don't pay flagship money for features you'll never touch.

Spend on the features you'll use

• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in — get it unless you're hard-wired to the router.
• M.2 slots — check how many and which PCIe generation. Gen4 is plenty for gaming; Gen5 only matters for the fastest drives. Two-plus if you'll add storage later.
• VRM and power delivery — this is what lets a board run a high-end CPU without throttling. Skimp here and a good chip underperforms.
• USB and fan headers — boring until you run out. Count what you'll actually plug in.

RGB and oversized heatsinks look mint in photos and do nothing for performance. Buy them because you want them, not because they're ‘better’.

Leave room to upgrade

Buy for two or three years out, not just today's parts. Look for multiple PCIe 4.0/5.0 M.2 slots, a primary PCIe x16 slot on Gen4 or Gen5, and 2.5GbE with Wi-Fi 6E or 7. Spending a bit more now beats a full rebuild later.

Brands we stock

ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and ASRock — the four we keep on the shelf, and the four worth buying. They cover everything from budget B-series boards to flagship X870E and Z890. At any given price the difference is BIOS, VRM quality and bundled extras, not reliability.

Frequently asked questions

Will any motherboard work with my CPU?

No. The socket and chipset have to match the CPU — an AM5 board only takes AM5 Ryzen chips, an LGA1851 board only takes Core Ultra 200S. Check the socket first, every time.

Do I need DDR5, or is DDR4 still fine?

Depends on the platform. AM5 and Intel LGA1851 are DDR5 only. AM4 and older LGA1700 boards run DDR4 — cheaper, and still plenty quick for most builds. The board decides; you can't mix the two.

Is a pricier chipset actually faster?

Not for raw performance. A B850 runs the same Ryzen chip as an X870E. You're paying for more PCIe 5.0 lanes, more USB and better overclocking headroom — handy for some builds, overkill for most.

Do I need to update the BIOS for a newer CPU?

Sometimes. A board that's sat on the shelf a while might need a BIOS update to recognise a newer chip. Most current boards can flash the BIOS without a CPU installed, which makes it painless. Not sure? Ask us before you buy.

ATX, Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX — which one?

Match it to your case and your slot needs. ATX for maximum expansion, Micro-ATX for a tidy mainstream build, Mini-ITX for small-form-factor. Smaller boards mean fewer slots, so don't go tiny if you want multiple drives or expansion cards.