The PC market is growing day by day and currently offers us great combinations of hardware for a really attractive price. One of the most important components is the choice of one of the best Intel motherboards.
Best Intel Compatible Motherboards In 2022
We must be very clear about your choice to make the right acquisition and that it meets all our needs. In Professional Review we are going to teach you what you really need to know in the best Hispanic guide.
ASROCK H570M-ITX/AC Intel SOCKET1200
About this item
- CPU:INTEL SOCKET1200 FOR INTEL 10TH/11TH GEN CORE
- CHIPSET:INTEL H570
- MEMORY:2*DIMM MAX 64GB DDR4
- SLOTS:1*PCIE4.0X16
- STORAGE:1*M.2 SLOTS;4*SATA 6GB/S PORTS
ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WiFi 6E LGA 1200
About this item
- Intel LGA 1200 socket: Designed to unleash the maximum performance of 11th Gen Intel Core processors
- AI Motherboard : AI Overclocking, AI cooling, AI networking and AI noise cancelation
- Robust Power Solution: 14+2 power stages with ProCool II power connector, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors
- Optimized Thermal Design: VRM and aluminum I/O heatsink, L-shaped heatpipe, Triple onboard M.2 heatsinks, including an M.2 backplate for improved cooling for PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot
- High-performance Gaming Networking: On-board Intel WiFi 6E AX210 and dual Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490
About this item
- Intel LGA 1200 socket: Designed to unleash the maximum performance of 10th Gen Intel Core processors
- Robust Power Solution: 14+2 power stages with ProCool II power connector, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors to provide reliable power even when push the CPU performance to the limit
- Optimized Thermal Design: Except comprehensive heatsink, heatpipe and fan headers, features low-noise AI cooling to balance thermals and acoustics by reducing fan speeds and maintaining a 5 Celsius delta
- Fastest Gaming Connectivity: Dual Ethernet with 5Gb and gigabit Ethernet , LANGaurd, dual M. 2, USB 3. 2 Gen 2, and Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (802. 11 ax)
- Industry-leading Gaming Audio: High fidelity audio with the SupremeFX S1220A codec, DTS Sound Unbound and Sonic Studio III draws you deeper into the game action
- Unmatched Personalization: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including RGB headers and Gen 2 addressable headers
- DIY Friendly Design: Pre-mounted I/O shield, BIOS Flashback, Q-Code and FlexKey
ASUS TUF Gaming B560M-PLUS WiFi LGA1200
About this item
- Intel LGA 1200 socket: Ready for 11th Gen Intel Core processors
- Enhanced power solution: 8+1 power stages, 6-layer PCB, ProCool socket, and durable capacitors for stable power delivery
- Comprehensive cooling: VRM heatsink, flexible M.2 heatsink, PCH heatsink, hybrid fan headers and Fan Xpert 2+
- Next-gen connectivity: PCIe 4.0, Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet, Intel Wi-Fi 6, rear USB 3.2 Gen 2, front USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C and Thunderbolt 4 support
- Two-way AI Noise-Cancelation: Reduce background noise from the microphone and audio output for crystal-clear communication in games or video conferences
GIGABYTE Z590 UD AC
About this item
- Supports 11th and 10th Gen Intel Core Series Processors
- Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
- Direct 12+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution with 50A DrMOS
- Shielded Memory Routing for Better Memory Overclocking
- Enlarged VRM Heatsink with Air-Flow Grooving to Increased Surface Contact.
Source: gigabyte.com
Better Motherboards And Relevant Concepts
We must take into account several concepts when choosing a motherboard:
- Components:Buying a good board should involve choosing good components, for example phases and capacitors. Asus has its Digi + technology , Gigabyte the Ultra Durable and MSI the Military Class . All of them have excellent components, but who today assembles the best power phases and CHOKES is Gigabyte. We believe that they are the benchmark in the sector .
- Cooling:We must choose between passive cooling (without fans), with a fan or a kit with a combo with liquid cooling (For example, the Gigabyte Z170X SOC Force). Passive cooling is usually the smartest option, because it doesn’t incorporate the annoying little fan that eventually breaks down. But… you will ask yourself: What components are usually refrigerated? Basically the hottest chips: power phases and main chipset of the south bridge.
- Chipset:It is in charge of the interconnection between the processor and the rest of the elements , controllers and memories of your configuration. The more advanced, it will have native support for USB 3.1 connections, it will allow to connect more graphics cards, PCI Express 3.0 or higher versions, etc. It is one of the most important elements of a motherboard, because it will determine the working capacity of the set of hardware. We must also consider that there are overclocking-oriented chipsets and others that are not.
- Expansion ports:these are very useful for connecting graphics cards, external television controllers, sound cards … There are many types: classic PCI , PCI Express , or the current M.2 NVMe for high performance storage units.
Before continuing with the list of the best motherboards on the market , we stop at this point because we find it very interesting to detail a little about it. The chipsets of the Z490 motherboards (Socket LGA 1151) currently have 24 LANES, while the AMD X570 have 20 . What are LANES? are the lanes that carry the processor informationto the rest of “fast” parts such as a graphics or M.2 NVMe SSD disk. With this argument we can affirm that it is a factor to take into account for the configuration of our PC. For example, if we want a Gamer PC with 2 Nvidia graphics cards, Intel’s Z490, Z390 series, and AMD’s X570 or B550 we will do well, but if we want three or more graphics cards we will have to opt for the X299X or TRX40 platform with more LANES or buy a motherboard with a PLX chip .
What does the PLX chip do? Basically it gives us the necessary bandwidth to connect the largest number of graphics cards (3 or 4) at X16 or X8 speed between them.
- Storage:These are the connections that allow us to install state-of-the-art hard drives and SSDs . Speed is increasingly important in reading and writing these discs that are cheaper. In the last generations of boards (almost all current chipsets) we have found the SATA III , 2 connections and the wonderful M.2 NVMe connection that obtain astonishing MB / s rates , avoiding the messy storage and cable cables. data. In addition, the prices of these units are falling a lot, an example is the Samsung 970 EVO and EVO Plus.
- RAM memory:Very to take into account because it is not the same to acquire a motherboard with DDR3 modules or with the current DDR4 RAM . We can also take advantage of our RAM from the previous PC or we are interested in having higher speeds, voltage and latency. In this regard, the chipset is also an important element in determining what maximum frequency of RAM memory is capable of supporting.
- Rear connections:Sometimes we do not take this aspect very into account and we get some surprises. HDMI, Displayport, DVI, USB 3.0, USB 3.2 Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 connections for gaming peripherals are often very important in everyday use.
Main Connections That You Should Know About The Motherboard Of Your PC
For all this, the motherboard is one of the most important components of any PC , in this section we will see all the most important connectors that a motherboard includes, and what is its main function. The components that we will be able to install on our equipment will depend on them.
Socket CPU
The CPU socket is an array of hundreds of metal contacts to which a PC’s central processing unit connects . The CPU socket supplies power to the processor and allows data to be sent to and from the processor from main memory . Intel and AMD use different sockets, so motherboards are only compatible with models from one of the companies.
Memory Sockets
A typical motherboard has at least two sockets for random access memory (RAM). RAM acts as a high-speed system to temporarily store the data that programs need while they are running . When the processor needs instructions, it receives them from RAM, and when it saves a document or file, it goes from RAM to the main storage unit.
PCI / PCIe Connectors
Many motherboards have PCI connectors for additional expansion cards. These connectors are long slots that cards are inserted into. There are several types of add-in card connectors. Some of the most common include Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) and Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) , used primarily for video cards, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) , used for other types of add-on cards such as sound cards and storage controllers.
Hard Drive Connectors
Every motherboard has at least 4 hard drive connectors. Today’s motherboards use Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) hard drive connectors, which are L-shaped to ensure cables are connected in the correct direction. The old Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) connector uses two rows of 20 pins each. Some motherboards have connectors for SATA and IDE drives. The CD or DVD drive also connects to an IDE or SATA interface.
Socket M.2
The M.2 socket is quite recent, it is the connector where the most modern SSDs are placed, that is, those that are based on the M.2 format . These slots can be connected to the processor’s PCI Express complex using 2 or 4 Gen3 or Gen4 lanes on the most powerful boards, or they can also have a SATA III interface.
Internal USB And Audio Connectors
All motherboards have the odd internal connector to extend their USB port connectivity. We are going to use these connectors when we purchase a chassis that has this type of connectivity on its front. There will normally be two types of internal USB connections on the motherboard, one on the side for USB 3.2 (formerly USB 3.0) with 19 pins in two rows, and one or two more for USB 2.0 in the lower area with 9 pins. A USB 3.2 Gen Type-C header is also available on the higher-end models.
In addition, there will be a connector for the 3.5 mm Jack ports that has the I / O panel of the chassis, on-board buttons, the LED debug panel, the board’s boot post and extra elements that the manufacturer wants to put in.
TPM Connector
The TPM connector is one of the additions that has been in all motherboards for years but few know of its existence and usefulness. With this connector we can install a small expansion board that will be in charge of providing us with access to our encrypted equipment with hardware protection. Fundamentally it was introduced with the objective of giving functionality to Windows Hello, the authentication method by biometric characteristics of Windows.
Rear Panel I / O Connectors
Motherboards have connectors for different types of peripherals, usually located on a backplane that remains exposed at the back of the PC case when the tower is closed. The most common peripheral connection is the universal serial bus (USB) connection , while some motherboards also have connections for audio speakers along with ports for FireWire , serial, and parallel devices . Some motherboards have pin banks, which can be used to connect additional peripheral ports on the front of the computer case.
Power Connectors
Every motherboard has at least one power connector. This connector is used to bring power from the main power supply to all installed components . Because some of today’s PCs have very high power requirements, some motherboards have additional ports for auxiliary power connectors. Generally we will find a 24-pin ATX connector and an 8-pin EPS connector.
Lighting Connectors For The Box
On the side of the motherboard closest to the front of the PC case are the case connectors, a bank of pins to which very small cables are connected. The connectors on the case are used for the power and status lights on the front of the case, as well as the power button that turns on the PC.
Fan Connectors
These connectors are specifically designed to connect to the CPU cooling fans and the PC chassis fans . The system BIOS monitors the CPU cooling fan speeds, and if the fan is not connected to this header, you may get an error when starting the PC. Many motherboards include secondary fan power connectors, these connectors are primarily used to power and monitor multiple case fans.
Size Does Matter On The Best Motherboards. Why?
Based on the domestic use of motherboards we can differentiate four formats :
- Format XL-ATXand E-ATX : These are special formats and involve the acquisition of a large tower with 10 or more expansion slots . They are ideal for mounting full liquid cooling, multiple graphics cards, and many storage drives.
- Standard ATXformat : Normally its measurements are 5 x 24.4 cm and it is compatible with 100% of PC cases on the market (Mid Tower or Semi-Tower) . It is our recommended format in all our Gamer configurations or for Workstation equipment.
- Micro ATXformat (mATX): It has a smaller size, but we do not find a great advantage . It is a very common format, but with the arrival of smaller motherboards it has been a bit out of place. Ideal for salon teams.
- ITXformat : Its arrival has revolutionized the world of motherboards and gaming equipment with really small dimensions and capable of moving 2560 x 1440p (2K) resolutions without messing up and even the highly demanded 3840 x 2160p (4K) with some ease.