Building your gaming PC yourself is far more rewarding than buying one that is pre-assembled. You have a lot more features and specs than you would if you purchased a pre-assembled PC, and you will spend less money. Everything you want in a gaming PC can be a reality when you build your own. First, you have to start with the motherboard.
Buying a new gaming motherboard can be exciting, and it’s even more exciting when you know what you’re looking for. One of the easiest ways to find what you are looking for in a gaming motherboard is to educate yourself on what’s available and know what kind of gaming experience you are seeking.
Knowing these facts will lead you in the right direction to find the best gaming motherboard for your unique gaming needs. These factors will help you find a great gaming mother that will meet or exceed your gaming expectations.
1. Choosing the Right Manufacturer
If you’re like many people, you don’t look for the most expensive computer accessory, but motherboards are a bit different. The big brands, including Asus, Alienware, Gigabyte, and many others are best.
A gaming motherboard has to offer a lot of power, plus other things in order to handle heavy-duty gaming. Some gaming motherboard manufacturers add a lot of perks to their products, such as customizable RGB lighting, as well as, PCIe slots that are reinforced.
2. The Power of Memory
When you’re searching for the best gaming motherboard, memory is one of the primary factors you should consider. Always consider the maximum RAM your memory can efficiently support. Gaming motherboards offer two options for memory, DDR3, and DDR4 RAM. If you currently are not using RAM (random access memory or main memory) at the time, the DDR4 is your best option. DDR4 RAMs are cheaper and faster than DDR3 RAMs, making DDR4 RAMs the best choice for memory compatibility.
3. Important Features
Expansion slots and ports are needed to attach your keyboard and mouse. It’s best your gaming motherboard has at least two 3.0 USB ports. If you’re not concerned with budgeting, look for motherboards that are equipped with ThunderBolt or Type-C USB ports. Expansion slots are great for installing wireless, graphics, and sound cards. If you want even more features, there are motherboards that are available with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
4. Form Factor and Size
Gaming motherboards are available in a variety of sizes and are referred to as the form factor. The smallest motherboard available is the Mini-ITX and the largest motherboard available is the E-ATX. The size of the motherboard determines the number of features you can experience.
Small motherboards feature two memory slots while larger motherboards feature more than three memory slots. If you’re planning on having a heavy-duty gaming experience with all the bells and whistles, you will need a fairly large motherboard that can provide all the features without malfunctioning with error codes and other instances.
5. Chipsets
Chipsets are important for the proper operation of features of the computer. The latest chipsets will feature current technology. Both AMD and Intel motherboards offer a variety of chipsets to choose from. Chipsets with integrated graphics give you what you need without requiring you to purchase a separate graphics card.
Keep in mind each chipset comes with different perks, as well as, limitations. ATI adapters are a popular and inexpensive video card, and NVIDIA is a more expensive video card that offers lightning speed.
6. Networking Needs
Your networking needs depend on how you prefer your gaming experience. Every motherboard is equipped to handle wired cable connectivity or LAN, so you will have a way to connect to the internet. If you prefer a wireless internet connection, Wi-Fi, you will need to purchase add a wireless adapter to your computer or purchase a high-end motherboard, which will be expensive.
If you purchase an add-on wireless adapter, it fits the PCI/PCIe slot on your computer. If you don’t have space, you can purchase a USB adapter. For any reason you may require a Bluetooth connection, always check the specs of a motherboard before you make your purchase.
The best gaming PC is only as good as its motherboard. Use these factors to help you find a gaming motherboard that suits your needs and meets your expectations. Happy gaming!
