Best Motherboards For Gaming

The best feeling ever is playing games on your PC Build. Your time is well spent, your stress is released, and your daily tensions are forgotten.

Many people have made their careers in gaming, but office employees work at day and play games at night to remove their overfatigue. That happens because your entire focus is on the game you play, and you forget the tensions of your daily life.

A motherboard serves as the foundation of a computer. Building a PC without a motherboard is not possible. What you’ll want in a server or home theatre PC (HTPC) motherboard differs drastically from what you need in a gaming motherboard. Check out the best motherboards for 2021, from high-end options to budget-priced mobos!

Best Motherboards For Gaming 2021

1. Best overall: ASUS Prime TRX40-PRO
2. Best Wi-Fi 6 gaming motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X570-E
3. Best budget gaming motherboard: Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Elite
4. Best mid-range motherboard for gaming: ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus
5. Best feature-rich gaming motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus II Hero Z490
6. Best cheap gaming motherboard: MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon Wi-Fi
7. Best affordable motherboard for gaming: ASRock B450M Steel Legend

Best Motherboard for High-end Gaming – ASUS Prime TRX40-PRO

The ASUS Prime TRX40-PRO is the best overall motherboard for gaming in 2021. It’s the best motherboard for high-end gaming because it features numerous slots to insert some seriously powerful components without any problem.

ASUS’s Prime TRX40-PRO is an ATX motherboard with a TRX4 Socket capable of holding a 3rd gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor. This processor has 64 cores and 128 threads, and I’ve seen many professional gamers using this processor. Because the ASUS Prime TRX-40 PRO can handle even a beefy gaming processor like an AMD Threadripper, your CPU selection won’t be limited.

The ProCool II connectors with solid pins and premium chokes deliver reliable voltage to your motherboard. Its voltage regulator module (VRM) is covered with a heatsink, so your motherboard’s temperature remains cool even under heavy load. Capacitors sit under the VRM panel, and your VRM is covered with a heatsink to protect the capacitors from high temperatures.

On the left and right side of its socket, you get eight RAM slots that support up to 256GB of DDR4 RAM. Each slot supports a maximum bus speed of 4466MHz. With a high bus speed, the TRX40-PRO provides advanced multitasking.

Without a fast, reliable SSD, you’ll suffer slow boot times and even gaming may be impacted. Similarly, without an insanely powerful graphics card (GPU), playing games on ultra-high graphics won’t be possible.

The ASUS Prime TRX40-PRO boasts four expansion slots offering PCIe 4.0 revision. Three expansion slots are in the x16 format, while one is in the x4 format. In these three PCIe x16 slots, you can easily insert a powerful GPU such as an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. When paired with a capable CPU like an AMD Threadripper, a GPU like the RTX 3090 lets you game at 4K resolutions on high or ultra with many AAA titles.

There is multi-GPU support so you can add a GPU into each of the motherboard’s three PCIe x16 slots. Its 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes help avoid bottlenecks. Each expansion slot is covered with PCIe Steel Armor, which adds some beauty and safety to your graphics card.

You’ll find three PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD slots covered with heatsinks. SSDs that support the PCIe 4.0 format can easily deliver a read and write speed of up to 7000 MB/s. When you have equipped this motherboard with an M.2 NVMe SSD, you’ll enjoy insanely fast read/write speeds. Your games, video editing applications, programming software, and multitasking will become much easier because of these PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD slots.

The TRX40-PRO sports an AMD TRX40 chipset that is covered with heatsinks. A chipset controls the necessary power components of your motherboard. With its TRX40 chipset, the ASUS Prime TRX40 remains compatible with the latest CPUs, GPUs, SSDs, and RAM.

Connectivity is excellent. These ports deliver fast transfer speeds. You get ten USB ports, BIOS flashback, 8-Channel HD audio, and an Intel-I211-AT GIGABIT LAN Ethernet port on the backside. Out of its ten USB ports, six are USB 3.2 ports offering 5Gbps speed. Additionally, you’ll find three USB 3.2 Gen-2 Type-A ports offering a 10Gbps speed, and one USB 3.2 Gen-2 Type-C offering 20Gbps speed. So its backside ports are covered with some powerful USB ports delivering a maximum speed of 20Gbps. Unfortunately, the RAM touches the VRM panel, so you’ll want to avoid swapping RAM sticks too frequently. Still, this is the best overall gaming motherboard on the market.

Pros:

• 8 x RAM SLOTS
• 8 x SATA III pins
• Crystal Sound 3
• AMD TRX40 Chipset (supports up to an AMD Threadripper CPU)
• Robust power design
• 3 x M.2 NVMe SSD slots offering PCIe 4.0 revision
• Heatsinks are available on every power component
• 3 x PCIe x16 expansion slots with PCIe 4.0 revision and ASUS Safe Slot for easy insertion
• I/O: 2 x USB Type-C, 6x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, Gigabit LAN, 8-channel HD audio

Cons

• RAM touches the VRM panel, so it unplugging the RAM various times is not recommended

Best Gaming Motherboard With Wi-Fi 6 – ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming

The ASUS ROG Strix X570-E is an outstanding ATX gaming motherboard. This motherboard’s power design is wildly strong, providing 12+4 power stages with ProCool II Connectors and durable capacitors that support multi-core processors.

With these power stages, you get an AM4 socket with an AMD X570 chipset that supports AMD Zen 3 Ryzen 500 and third-gen AMD Ryzen CPUs. You can install powerful processors like an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X processor. This AM4 socket doesn’t support Threadripper processors by Ryzen, but the power of a 16-core, 32-thread, 4.9GHz Ryzen 9 processor can never be underestimated.

You get two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots, and the heatsink that covers the chipset also covers the M.2 slots. This feature allows you to insert two M.2 SSD drives for maximum storage performance. Your M.2 drives will not get heated on heavy loads because they are covered with large heatsinks.

This motherboard’s expansion slots offer high bandwidth. You can fearlessly insert any graphics card and get maximum performance. The chipset delivers PCIe 4.0 revision to the expansion slots of this motherboard. So inserting even a high-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 or an AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT is not a problem.

For graphics cards, there are five expansion slots available. Three of the expansion slots are PCIe x16, and the rest are PCIe x4. Asus Safety Slots (Armor) are installed in the two x16 slots, while the others are plain. It is also possible to install multiple graphics cards and get maximum performance.

I recommend inserting an AMD graphics card if you want to do this since CrossFire technology only works with AMD graphics cards. Although NVIDIA graphics cards also deliver excellent performance, this motherboard supports two-way SLI to insert dual NVIDIA graphics cards.

You get four RAM slots to insert sticks of DDR4 RAM and get a maximum number of 128GB. Inserting the latest RAM with high bus speed is easy because the backside of RAM slots is empty. RAM slots are near the VRM panels in other motherboards, but this motherboard’s backside is empty for RAM. You can insert or pull out the RAM whenever you want to. These DIMM slots offer a maximum bus speed of 4600 MHz.

You get Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting different peripherals like keyboards, mice, and headsets. Its Wi-Fi 6 antennas and Gigabit Ethernet port provide blistering fast internet speeds. The Ethernet port comes with a LAN guard that protects your connector from getting damaged. You can insert your connector in that LAN port easily. Unfortunately, you’ll only find two M.2 connectors. That should be fine for most people, but more would be nice. Still, the ROG Strix X570-E gaming is easy to overclock, features fantastic networking, and boasts a ton of USB 3 Gen 2 ports.

Pros: 

• 16 phase power delivery
• Excellent and easy to set BIOS interface
• Aura Sync RGB lights for impressive design
• It supports overclocking and delivers stable performance in that phase
• Wi-Fi 6 support, 2.5GbE and Gigabit Ethernet
• Easy to overclock

Cons:

• Only two M.2 connectors

Best Budget Motherboard for Gaming – GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS Elite

The Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Elite is the best motherboard for gamers because it packs an Intel LGA 1200 Socket. Gamers can easily equip this machine with an Intel Core i9 11th generation processor because this socket supports it. With an affordable price tag, the GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS Elite is a solid mobo that won’t break the bank.

This Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Elite has a Direct 12+1 Phase Digital Power Design with 6 Layer PCB. Shield Memory Routing helps you overclock your system more effectively. It also offers an RGB Fusion 2.0 with addressable and RGB LED headers. This feature adds extra beauty plus lightning to your motherboard for a PC that boasts a gamer aesthetic. It’s possible to control the lighting feature with RGB Fusion 2.0. Gamers who like to play their games in a dark environment will appreciate this feature.

Furthermore, this RGB Fusion 2.0 lets you add different colors to RGB Coolers and RGB SSDs. RGB Coolers and RGB SSDs have fixed colors, but RGB Fusion 2.0 feature can add different colors to those components.

You’ll get three M.2 slots to insert an NVMe SSDs. These slots support the latest revisions of PCI Express. A thermal guard covers two of the slots, while the other slot is bare. NVMe SSDs must be inserted into slots that thermal guards protect.

You should use the first slot to insert NVMe SSDs with PCIe Gen 4 format if your SSD conforms to the PCIe 4.0 revision to achieve the highest read and write speeds. Two of the slots are PCIe 3.0, and in that format, the maximum speed is 3000-3500 MB/s. It will help if you are careful when inserting your NVMe based SSDs into these slots.

While looking at the expansion slots, you only get three slots to insert your graphics cards. Two slots are in the x16 format, and the last one is in x4 format. The first slot is covered with PCIe Steel Armor, while the rest are without armor. If you have one graphics card to insert, use the first slot because you’ll get full safety and easy insertion.

This motherboard supports two way CFX (CrossFire X) Technology. So inserting dual AMD graphics cards is possible. Sadly, you won’t find SLI for running two NVIDIA graphics cards at once.

Gamers can enjoy excellent sound with the built-in AMP-UP Audio Chip. Gamers most commonly use gaming speakers to enjoy the music, but this Audio Chip does not require you to connect a speaker. With the High-End Audio Capacitor and Audiophile Grade WIMA Capacitors, you can enjoy an excellent voiceover without any speakers.

Pros: 

• AMP-UP Audio
• RGB Fusion 2.0
• Q-Flash Onboard Button
• Advanced thermal design
• M.2 Connectors with Thermal Guards
• C-Type USB Ports on the front and backside

Cons:

• No SLI technology, so NVIDIA users who insert multiple graphics cards will never enjoy that feature

Best Mid-range Motherboard for Gaming – ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus

The ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus is an ATX motherboard that supports Intel processors and delivers maximum performance to high-end gamers. Intel has some powerful processors, including Intel Core i9-11900K and Intel Core i9-10900K. These two processors are the latest variants by Intel, offering 10 cores, 20 threads, 3.70GHz base frequency, and 5.30 GHz turbo frequency. So to handle these numbers, you need to have a modern socket with a good CPU cooler.

This ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus has an LGA 1200 Socket that has 49 more pins, and it delivers stable power to your processor. This socket can easily handle the load of an Intel Core i9 processor, and inserting a processor is also easy because it’s an LGA Socket whose pins are straight, and on straight pins, inserting a processor is very easy.

You can easily insert a powerful processor and get stable power delivery from your processor to your entire PC build. There’s also a Thunderbolt 4 port. Thunderbolt 4 is a USB Type-C port offering a video output capabilities, 40Gbps transfer speed, and most importantly, external graphics card insertion.

You can even insert a graphics card externally through this Thunderbolt 4 port. Thunderbolt 4 also offers the fastest charging for your Apple devices, including iPhones and iPads. You can charge your smartphones on this port at a fast speed. That’s the power of the Thunderbolt 4 port, and its other USB ports include 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port. On the front side, you only get two USB ports. So you get nine USB ports overall, and each port has the fastest speed, excluding the USB 2.0 ports.

This ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus has four expansion slots, two PCIe x16, and two PCIe x4. On the first x16 slot, you get PCIe 4.0 revision, and on the second PCIe x16 slot, you get PCIe 3.0 revision. So if your graphics card’s maximum memory is more than 16GB, use the PCIe 4.0 slot, but if it is below 16GB, use PCIe 3.0 slot. It is better to insert a graphics card in the PCIe 4.0 slot because you’ll get maximum performance, so don’t bother with PCIe 3.0 slot.

The storage option includes three M.2 NVMe SSD slots of PCIe 3.0 x4 mode. Each M.2 slot is covered with M.2 Frozr that keeps your M.2 hard safe, and you get maximum performance from them. PCIe 3.0 x4 slots of the M.2 format deliver impressive speed in gaming or normal use. Its graphics card’s expansion slot is covered with ASUS Safe Slot, as is its M.2 slot covered. ASUS has focused on making these power components safe.

You get an onboard WiFi 6 whose antenna is on the backside. This Wi-Fi 6 delivers 2.4Gbps speed, which is best for online gaming and video conferencing. LAN ports deliver top-notch speed with low latency for online gaming and video conferencing. Still, when you have a Wi-Fi 6, you can expect a fast connection in online games and video conferences.

For online gamers, ASUS has added another option, and that is the two-way AI Noise Cancellation. This feature reduces noise from the microphone and incoming audio, and you don’t get distracted from noise while playing any game or attending any podcast or video conference.

With the ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus, you get a Z590 chipset that sports Intel CPU compatibility. Overall, it’s a great mobo for gaming with Wi-Fi 6 and stellar inputs/outputs.

Pros:

• Thunderbolt 4 port
• Aura Sync RGB Lightning
• Onboard Wi-Fi 6 connection
• 3 M.2 Slots with M.2 Shield Frozr
• Expansion slots are covered with ASUS Safe Slots
• 14+2 Power Stage with ProCool II Power Connector
• Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation with better Audio Effects

CONS

• One expansion slot is covered with a Safe Slot, while the 2nd is not covered

Best Feature-rich Gaming Motherboard – ASUS ROG Maximus II Hero Z490

The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero is a lightweight motherboard of 12-inches having an ATX form factor. ATX motherboards are great for gamers, and this motherboard is even better because it supports artificial intelligence (AI) Cooling, AI Overclocking, and AI Networking.

These are the three extraordinary features that gamers love. Overclocking is must-have for gamers, and the ASUS ROG Maximus II Hero Z490 makes overclocking a breeze. The AI Cooling feature manages and controls fan usage. It analyzes the current temperature of your motherboard and makes your fan work accordingly. So your motherboard remains cool even under a heavy load, it delivering equal power to every component.

So what does this motherboard offer to gamers? The first thing is its Intel LGA 1200 Socket. It supports 10th generation Intel processors. Intel is the only brand whose CPUs deliver excellent performance in every case. You can equip this motherboard with an Intel Core i9-10900K CPU, a deca-core processor for gaming.

This LGA 1200 Socket is the best fit for this CPU, and it delivers stable power. The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero has an Intel Z490 chipset. It delivers PCIe 3.0 revision to your expansion slots. Also, it holds up to three M.2 components delivering incredible speeds via its PCIe x4 NVMe M.2 slot.

When we see the expansion slots, we get six slots, three PCIe x16, and three PCIe x4. Each slot has the PCIe 3.0 revision, and on two slots, you get the Safe Slots option added by ASUS. ASUS adds this option in expansion slots because people roughly insert the graphics card into them. So to avoid any damage, ASUS has added armed on these slots, dubbed Safe Slots.

This motherboard also supports three-way CrossFireX Technology and two-Way SLI technology. You can insert up to three AMD graphics cards or two NVIDIA GPUs simultaneously. Adding more than one graphics card can improve in-game performance. You’ll experience up to a 70-80% increase in performance when you equip this motherboard with two or three graphics cards simultaneously.

This motherboard also has three M.2 slots covered with an M.2 Shield Frozr. The revision in these M.2 slots is PCIe 3.0. So you can get a read and write speed in between 1600MB/s to 3000MB/s. These slots are also covered with heatsinks, so don’t get worried while putting an extra load on your PC.

You get onboard Wi-Fi 6 with dual Ethernet ports. Wi-Fi 6 delivers a maximum speed of 2.4Gbps, but its Marvel-series Ethernet port delivers 5Gbps speed, whereas its Intel Ethernet port is limited to 1Gbps speeds.

Pros:

• Onboard WiFi 6
• Dual Ethernet ports
• Heatsinks on every power component
• AI Networking (Eliminates Lag From Online Games)
• AI Cooling (Makes your motherboard’s fan rotate accordingly)
• AI Overclocking (Best for gamers because it bears an extra load)
• 6 expansion slots covered with Safe Slots offering 3-Way CF and 2-Way SLI

Cons:

• 1 LAN Port only offers 1 Gbps speed

Best Bang for Your Buck Gaming Motherboard – MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi

The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon motherboard is an ATX motherboard compatible with Intel CPUs. This motherboard has an Intel LGA 1200 Socket that can handle up to a 10th-gen Intel Core i9 processor.

MSI makes overclocking a breeze thanks to a slew of features. Its Pump Fan support allows you to control water cooling pump speeds for optimal flow and noise control. During extreme loads, your cooling fans rotate fast, and noise occurs. But this Pump Fan support feature controls the noise, and the fan rotates at its normal speed. So your PC remains quiet even during heavy gaming sessions.

It has an Intel Z490 Chipset featuring the PCIe 3.0 revisions. MSI has packed this motherboard with the latest Chipset that is covered with a heatsink. Each motherboard I mentioned is covered with a heatsink, and more heatsinks mean more performance stability.

Its M.2 slots section is also covered with Shield Frozr. The heatsink integrated with Chipset is not proportional to this M.2 heatsink. So you get separate heatsinks for Chipset and separate heatsink with M.2 Slots, including an M.2 Shield Frozr. The M.2 Slots are best for NVMe based SSDs because it supports PCIe Gen 3 X4 memory providing high read and write speed.

The six-layer PCB design works best for gamers and overclockers by providing higher performance with long-lasting system stability. The five expansion slots with three PCIe x16 and two PCIe x4 let you add plenty. There are 2 X16 slots with PCIe Steel Armor, which adds an extra layer of security to your graphics cards. You can either insert an AMD or an NVIDIA graphics card. You will experience no problems inserting the cards because the PCIe Steel Armor covers the two PCIe x16 slots.

With these expansion slots, you get a PCIe 3.0 revision. So your maximum bandwidth reaches 16Gbps. You can find numerous graphics cards with a maximum memory of 16 GB. This motherboard supports three-way CFX and two-Way SLI technology. Therefore, you can expect three AMD graphics cards or two NVIDIA cards to work simultaneously.

Your motherboard is made even more beautiful with the Mystic RGB Light feature. The RGB lights work best in dark environments, and only gamers can appreciate their value. These RGB lights can also be integrated with other RGB lighting components. It is possible to change their colors or set a specific color depending on your choice.

Pros:

• 6 Layer PCB
• Mystic Light RGB
• Core Boost Technology
• Twin Turbo M.2 Slots With M.2 Shield Frozr

Cons:

• It has a small number of USB ports

Best Budget Gaming Motherboard – ASRock B450M Steel Legend

The ASRock B450M Steel Legend is a good, cheap gaming motherboard. It arrives in a Micro ATX form factor. As its name suggests, Micro ATX is smaller than ATX. Still, you are capable of inserting some powerful components into this motherboard. So don’t worry if it’s a Micro ATX Form Factor motherboard.

This ASRock B450M Steel Legend is a Micro ATX motherboard with AM4 Socket and AMD B450 Chipset. The AM4 Socket can easily hold an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and the B450 Chipset offers PCI Express 3.0 slots to the power components.

So if your motherboard is capable of loading an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, it means it will deliver the best graphics and maximum FPS in games. It has an XXL Premium Alloy Heatsink, Premium 60A Power Choke, Sapphire Black PCB, and 2oz Copper PCB. These all components will deliver excellent voltages to your motherboard. Playing heavy games is not a problem when you have these things installed on your motherboard.

When we look at the RAM section, we get four Slots with DDR4 Boost support. But you get a maximum memory of 64GB, whereas the previous ones could hold 256 and 128GB memory. Typically, 8GB of RAM should be fine with 16GB recommended. 32GB or 64GB is great for hardcore gamers. Very few gamers equip their motherboards with 128GB DDR4 RAMs.

This motherboard has two video outputs: The first is DisplayPort 1.2, and the second is HDMI 1.4. You can drive two 4K displays simultaneously with its video out ports. On DisplayPort 1.2, your refresh rate reaches 60Hz, while on HDMI, your refresh rate reaches 30Hz.

You’ll find two PCIe x16 slots format and one PCIe x4. With just one slot, you get the PCIe 3.0 revision, and that slot is covered with PCIe Steel Armor. The rest are not capable of holding a powerful graphics card. So you’ve to be careful with that.

This motherboard only supports the CrossFire X Technology, not SLI. So NVIDIA users cannot benefit from dual GPU support. But if you only insert one graphics card, then it’s good. For inserting multiple graphics cards, you’ve to replace this motherboard.

The front side is covered with two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, and the backside is covered with numerous high-quality ports. On the front section, you only get two. But around back, you’ll find six USB 3.1 ports, as well as USB Tpye-C jacks.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Micro ATX Form
• Realtek Gigabit LAN
• Powerful thermal design

CONS

• No SLI feature
• Only 1 x M.2 Slot to insert your NVMe based SSD hard

Best Gaming Motherboards 2021 – Final Thoughts

Ultimately, there are tons of motherboards on the market. The ASUS Prime TRX40-PRO is the best overall gaming mobo while the ASUS ROG Strix X570-E and ASUS ROG Maximus II Hero Z490 pack a ton of features. On a budget, the Gigabyte Z590 AORUS Elite, MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon Wi-Fi, and ASRock B450M Steel Legend are good value options. And the ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus is an excellent value.

Your turn: Which gaming motherboards do YOU recommend in 2021?