The question is very acute, given that professional electronics engineers recommend building a system unit around it.

The motherboard is the most important part of any computer. The stability of the entire computer as a whole depends on its quality and stable operation. Do not forget that all other components are connected to it in one way or another, and the motherboard coordinates their work. And if we compare the system unit with the house, then it is advisable to compare the motherboard with its foundation.

In total, there are three dozen parameters that can characterize this board, but this article will focus on the most significant of them that really affect the performance and stability of a computer device.

Component manufacturer.

Despite the fact that there are quite a number of manufacturers of computer components in the world, only a few of them make worthy motherboards. And so the question which company is better buy a motherboard answer is quite simple. Your choice should be stopped at the following four manufacturers:

• asus.
• AsRock (Subsidiary of Asus. The developments of this company are used with minor changes.).
• gigabyte.
• MSI.

It is better not to pay attention to such exotic manufacturers as Zotac and Biostar, as they are inferior to the main companies both in quality and functionality. If you need to assemble a server or workstation, then you can look at Intel products. There is nothing superfluous in such boards and they are optimally suited for long-term and uninterrupted operation in 24/7 mode.

Important! By and large, there is no difference between the four main manufacturers, and at home the difference is completely invisible. For the server and workstation, the company's products will be the best choice.Intel.

Processor socket.

Each motherboard has a socket for installation CPU, which is called socket . This is the most important selection criterion, since only one type of processor can be installed in the selected socket.

How to choose the right processor for the motherboard? First of all, you should decide on the manufacturer of the processor. Only two companies in the world produce decent processors: Intel and AMD. The sockets of these companies are incompatible in principle.

• Intel Sockets.

Leading manufacturer of processors and chipsets. It holds about 75% of the market, and only new processors from AMD could improve the situation somewhat. The following Intel socket models are relevant:

1. LGA 2066.

The newest and most modern socket of an American company. Supports the most productive processors and will be in demand for a long time. The only disadvantage of motherboards on such a socket is the high price.

1. LGA 2011-3.

The platform of the previous generation, but still the performance of such processors is more than enough to solve all household tasks.

1. LGA 1151-v2.

A mass segment of processors that perfectly combines an affordable price and acceptable performance. The perfect choice for the modern home computer. It should not be confused with the previous LGA 1151 platform, as their sockets are incompatible.

Important! If you need to build a mid-range computer for the home, then you should opt for a motherboard with a socketLGA 1151-v2. This is the best option in all respects.

• AMD sockets.

The Canadian manufacturer makes affordable, but not as powerful processors as Intel's eternal competitor. Nevertheless, due to the affordable price and wide overclocking options, AMD processors are quite popular.

The most common sockets are:

1. Socket TR4.

The most powerful processors of the company are built on this socket. Supports up to 16 (!!) cores and a four-channel memory controller. Perfectly suited as an extremely productive home computer, and for a workstation.

1. socket AM3+.

Socket for budget mothers. Low performance and very low price. Suitable only for an office computer.

1. socket AM1.

Bulk socket segment from AMD. Direct competitor to Intel's LGA 1151-v2. Has similar characteristics. Perfect for building a home system unit.

Important! If you decide to assemble a computer based on processorsAMD then the question as choose motherboard processor solved very simply. The ideal choice would be a board with an AM1 socket.

Motherboard chipsets.

A chipset is a set of chips that provides the functionality of the motherboard as a whole. It depends on how much hard drives or video cards can be connected and how fast they will work. The socket and chipset determine the final cost of the motherboard by 80%.

By and large, chipsets differ from each other only in the type and number of supported interfaces. All existing chipsets can be divided into three large groups:

• First level.

Motherboards based on such a chipset can only be used in office computers or in extremely cheap entry-level system units. For AMD, such chipsets include AMD 760G or NVidia 7025. For Intel, the H110 or H170 (270) chipset can be distinguished.

• Middle level.

Golden mean. Completely suitable for the formation of home system units. Allows you to connect the required number of hard drives and USB devices. How to choose a motherboardAMD with sufficient functionality? Just choose devices with chipset and B350 or X370. For mothers with Intel processors, these chipsets will be Intel B350 or Intel Z350.

• High performance chipsets.

Maximum functionality for big money. It will be possible to connect an almost unlimited number of hard drives, USB devices and at least 2 video cards to such a motherboard. Some models contain Wi-Fi or Bluetooth modules.

For Intel mothers, this chipset is the X299. For AMD, maximum functionality can be obtained on AMD X399.

Important! For a computer worth up to a thousand dollars (about 60,000 rubles), a chipset is more than enoughZ350(Intel) orX370(AMD).

Motherboard dimensions.

Modern motherboards differ from each other not only in functionality, but also in size. This is also worth considering when assembling computers. There are five sizes in total:

• E-ATX.

The largest items. As a rule, this size is used for the most advanced mothers with flagship processors and elite chipsets. Size - 30.5 * 33 centimeters. Assembly requires an expensive large-sized case.

• ATX.

The classic size, most motherboards have it. Dimensions 30.5*24.4 cm. The smartest choice for building a computer as most cases come in this size.

• Micro-ATX.

A smaller version of the ATX mother. In most cases, it has reduced functionality and is created on simplified mid-level chipsets. Dimensions 24.4 * 24.4 centimeters. Considered a budget option.

• Mini-ATX.

Such a mother is intended for assembling compact systems with small video cards or without them at all. The functionality of the chipset has been cut. Most budget system units are built on mothers of this size. The physical size of the board is 17*17 centimeters.

• Mini-STX.

A very miniature printed circuit board, having a size of 14 * 14 centimeters. Designed specifically for creating multimedia centers and ultra-compact computers for video playback. Used where maximum compactness is required.

Important! ATX andMicro -ATX - the most suitable motherboard sizes for a universal home computer.

The number of slots for RAM.

In most cases, the motherboard has either 2 or 4 RAM slots. There is an extremely small group of elite mothers that boast 8 memory slots, but such devices are few and far between and very expensive.

Important! It is most profitable to buy boards with 4 memory slots. This will make it possible to quickly add RAM and not change the entire device.

Connection interfaces on the rear panel.

A wide variety of connectors can be located on the rear panel, including such unusual ones as S / PDIF or a Wi-Fi antenna. Modern boards are equipped with several USB ports, audio jacks, and a PS / 2 port, which is used to connect a keyboard or mouse. RJ-45 is mandatory for Internet connection.

Important! NumberUSB ports on the rear panel should not be less than 6, and 2 of them should beUSB 3.0 In addition, it will not be superfluous to have a portUSB -C (all modern phones are equipped with it) andHDMI (it will be convenient to connect a TV or monitor).

Particular attention should be paid to audio connectors. It is best if the motherboard will natively support 5.1 or 7.1 sound. This eliminates the need to buy an additional audio card.

Connecting hard drives (HDD and SSD).

To date, even budget motherboards have at least 4 SATA connectors, where you can connect any hard disks(including solid state) and DVD drives, if they are still needed.

An average budget device can have 8-10 SATA connectors, which will not be superfluous if you plan to store a large amount of information.

Important! The connector will not be superfluousSATA Express required for connectionSSD drives and allowing them to run at full speed.

Connectors for expansion cards.

The motherboard must have at least one PCI -x16 slot to connect a modern video card. Several PCI -x1 slots will also come in handy, where you can connect additional sound cards, video capture cards, TV tuners and more.

Important! If you plan to play games a lot and actively, then you should think about purchasing a device with twoPCI-x16 connectors. This will allow you to connect two video cards at once.

Choice results.

Summarizing all of the above, the following conclusions can be drawn.

For an office computer, a motherboard with an AMD AM3 + socket with an integrated video card, two lines of RAM and a minimum number of connectors and interfaces will be quite enough.

If you need a universal home computer, then the best choice would be a motherboard with an LGA 1151-v2 socket, with four lines of RAM and with all common interfaces.

If you want to play at maximum performance or do video processing, you should pay close attention to the LGA 2066 socket, which will provide maximum performance and functionality.

Hello dear audience. In this article, we will try to figure out how a gaming motherboard differs from a regular one. Let's consider what the textolite looks like with all the key elements, why the reinforced power subsystem is used and what tasks are assigned to the gaming MP.

We want to say right away that the presence of LED backlighting and the huge “Gaming Ultra Speed ​​Power” inscription does not yet make the board a game board, but such loud nameplates add significantly to the final cost. In most cases, it is more cost-effective to purchase an ordinary office mother, since the functionality will be almost the same, and the price will be much lower.

What fee can be considered a game

To avoid confusion in the future, any MP does NOT initially affect the performance of the installed hardware. If it works in normal mode, then it will do it the same way on any motherboard. BUT if you are trying to overclock the iron, this is a completely different matter. The purpose of the article is to show how a board for a computer.

Of course, we can invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of the best gaming MPs of 2018, but I would like to convey the essence no less.

As it was written above, the board itself does not affect performance, but both the possibility of components and their working potential will depend on its capabilities. In other words: you have a hypothetical Intel Core i7 8700k and 2 MP:

• MSI H310M Gaming Plus
• MSI Z370 Gaming M5.

In the first case, we have the most budgetary mother, on which it is impossible to overclock anything, due to the peculiarities of the chipset. What is a chipset read here. Yes, it's cute, made in red and black design, and even with a reinforced PCI-E slot, but that's where all the advantages of the H310 end.
In contrast to it, there is the top-end Z370 chipset, capable of overclocking any system component (processor, memory, video card). Additionally, the power subsystem is reinforced here, a lot of ports for connecting coolers, peripherals, high-speed solid-state drives and more.

Can this device be called a gaming device? Yes, because it squeezes all the juice out of iron, which is critical to achieve optimal frame rate.

Criteria for choosing gaming boards

Always check the proposed product for compliance with the following parameters:

socket(processor socket) - only the current solution at the current time. In our case, these are s1151v2, 2066, AM4 and TR4. Under these sockets, stable updates in the form of new processors will be released in the coming years. The remaining connectors are already considered obsolete.

Chipset Here the algorithm is the same as in the previous case. Current platform - current chipsets (B350, X370, X470, X399, Z370, Z299).

RAM– DDR4 only, operating in 2-channel mode. Modern game board should have at least 4 slots for RAM, since the requirements for its number are regularly growing, and adding a couple of additional bars over time will not be superfluous. And you have a place.

Interfaces– SATA 3, M.2 or SATA Express slots. Nowadays, there is nowhere without solid-state SSD drives, and to ensure their performance, you need to have modern hardware.
video card- a mandatory attribute of a gaming machine, and therefore the presence of at least one PCI‑E x16 3.0 is required. The bigger, the better.

Cooling- the most important element of a gaming PC. Components heat up quite noticeably, and even more so under overclocking. Modern MPs allow you to plug in 5 or more fans with the ability to adjust frequencies. More combs for connecting coolers - lower temperatures. Office models allow you to install no more than 3-4 turntables, which is critically small.

Form factor- Another feature of gaming motherboards. A truly gaming card is considered an ATX or E‑ATX card, in which the connectors are located fully and do not overlap each other.

Expansion ports– here the logic “more is better” fully justifies itself. Don't want to sacrifice a second video card for the sake of a capture card? With a gaming MP, such problems will not arise. And the lack of SATA ports does not threaten you. Want to know what motherboard connectors look like and are called? To you .

Modding elements

Practice shows that gaming PCs are increasingly becoming visually more interesting. Users regularly try to match components in each other's color, bother with backlighting, purchase cases with a transparent side cover. It seems to be an insignificant detail, but it adds decent aesthetics.

That is why manufacturers add decorative plastic and aluminum linings, radiators of interesting shapes, additional visual decals, backlighting and more to their motherboards. Increasingly, you can see how the ports for connecting components are located on the board in such a way that during assembly it would be possible to hide the cable as neatly as possible.
Now it makes no sense to pull the wire through the entire MP, which not only spoils appearance system unit, but often interferes with the installation of components.

Design features

And now let's talk about the moments that are probably not taken into account in any motherboard aimed at office use. The first point is the cooling system, or rather, support for tower-type super-coolers, the height of which can reach under 170 mm, and the fan can close one or even several RAM slots.

Gaming solutions are free of such shortcomings in most cases, unless the DDR memory heatsinks are extremely tall. Every millimeter is clearly measured here. An additional moment is a reinforcing plate on the reverse side of the MP, which does not allow the textolite to bend under the weight of the radiator, the mass of which can exceed 1 kg.

Since it's about reinforcement, you should also pay attention to the reinforcing elements around the PCI-E x16 slots. Some video cards weigh about 1.3–1.5 kg, while literally “hanging” on the PCB of the motherboard, although they are partially fixed with screws on the case.

Repair shops know quite a few cases where PCI-E ports were literally uprooted due to overly heavy gaming hardware.

Basically, that's all we wanted to say about gaming motherboards. But don't be fooled by the big words on the cover of the accessory box. The phrase "Gaming" does not always reflect the essence of what is happening. That's all I have, share in social networks, Bye.

When assembling a computer, many are worried about which motherboard to choose, because there are a huge variety of models on sale that need to be chosen taking into account numerous characteristics. It is best to give preference to products of well-known brands, the quality of which cannot be doubted and it is officially sold in our country with a manufacturer's warranty. Reliability and quality are the main criteria when choosing a motherboard, because no one wants to buy a new one every year, or even earlier.

How to choose a motherboard for a computer?

The best motherboard manufacturers at the moment are the following brands:

• asus;
• gigabyte.

These are one of the most popular and well-known brands, in the assortment of which you are guaranteed to find a good model. Having decided on the choice of brand, we move on to how to choose a motherboard for a computer, taking into account its characteristics.

Features of the design of the motherboard

The motherboard is a special device that has slots for connecting other computer elements, including a video card, RAM, power supply, and much more. You won't be able to use your PC without it.

The basic set of elements present on the motherboard:

1. A socket is a large slot that houses a processor;
2. A chipset is a microchip that connects two bridges together. The northbridge connects the processor and graphics card. South is responsible for the functioning of the BIOS, HDD, mouse, display, keyboard and other external devices;
3. Slots to which RAM and video card are connected;
4. Connectors for the drive and hard drive;
5. Connectors designed for power supply, mouse, keyboard and other devices;
6. USB pins, which can be internal or external. They are used to connect the power button to system block, reboot and more.

All components of the computer are connected to the motherboard. Thus, it is used to place them and ensure the interaction of the system components with each other.

Choosing a motherboard for Intel processors

When figuring out which motherboard to choose for intel, you probably already noticed that such solutions are significantly more expensive. More sophisticated models are intended for them, supporting the latest RAM standards with a frequency of up to 2864 MHz and even more. Often in such a motherboard there are SATA connectors with a bandwidth of 6 Gb / s. Of course, not every motherboard will have similar characteristics, there are also budget solutions, but in general motherboards for Intel are much better. When choosing them, you need to pay attention to the standard slot for the processor, otherwise it may simply not fit.

Advantages:

• Excellent throughput;
• Top-end video cards and high-frequency RAM are supported;
• A wide selection of boards from budget to expensive professional models.

Motherboard for AMD processors

When figuring out which motherboard to choose for a computer, many choose solutions for AMD chips, which is due to their affordable cost. But in terms of their parameters, they will be inferior to solutions for Intel. New models are equipped with slots for DDR4 RAM, but as a rule, the frequency of their operation is lower - within 2400 MHz. Bandwidth will also be lower - no more than 3 Gb / s, although this is a decent result. Often, such boards are equipped with a large number of slots for RAM and are much cheaper.

Advantages:

• Affordable price;
• Modern standards of RAM and video cards are supported;
• A large number of slots are available for expanding the amount of RAM.

Disadvantages:

• Often they turn out to be not as durable as motherboards for intel;
• They don't have that much bandwidth.

Chipset

The chipset is the processor integrated into the motherboard, which is responsible for controlling the equipment connected to it. It depends on it how functional and fast it will be - whether it will allow the filling to function at the limit of its capabilities or become a ballast that limits the capabilities of the system. Let's figure out how to choose the right motherboard for your computer, and what you need to consider. You should choose a chipset according to the company of the processor, but it is equally important that its characteristics correspond to your current needs for which the PC is being built.

Motherboards equipped with Intel chipsets:

• For mid-range computers, the B250 and H270 chipsets are ideal. A more simplified version - B150 and H170 is suitable for assembling a working PC;
• the Z270 chipset is suitable, which supports several top-end video cards at the same time;
• The X99/X299 boards are selected for programming.

AMD does not lag behind its competitor, releasing chipsets for various purposes. The only thing is that they are not as powerful and work slower. On the other hand, they are also cheaper.

• A320 motherboards are intended for assembling an office PC;
• For gaming computers, the B350 chipset was developed to improve processor performance;
• For professional PCs, the X370 chipset is used, which supports multiple video cards and is faster than others.

Computer Motherboard Form Factor

Choosing AMD or Intel motherboards will be easier if you know their form factor. It predetermines the physical dimensions of the panel, and with it the number of slots provided by the manufacturer. Smaller boards often have reduced capabilities because they can't fit a lot of connectors. According to the form factor, the models currently being produced are divided into several types, for each of which a certain system unit is suitable:

• ATX is the most popular format. It is a full-sized board, which can accommodate the maximum required slots. The dimensions are as follows: 30.5x24.4 cm;
• MicroATX is a reduced board, the size of which does not exceed 24.4x24.4 cm. The number of additional slots in it does not exceed 6;
• MiniATX is the smallest version with dimensions of 17x17 cm. Such a board can even fit into a compact system unit, but there is also a significant drawback - a very limited number of slots and problems with efficient cooling.

Socket

The socket is an important selection factor that determines which processor is usable.

• Intel offers several variants of the LGA1150 and LGA2011-3. This is an outdated format. which is still in use, but it is better to pay attention to the more modern socket 1151. In the future, it will be possible to easily replace the processor with a new, more efficient one;
• When figuring out how to choose a motherboard for an AMD processor, it is better to order a model with the current AM4 socket or the still in demand AM3 + and FM2 +. The newer the socket, the easier it will be to find a replacement processor in the future, so it is better to give preference to the newest socket.

Now you know how to choose a motherboard for a processor, let's move on.

Number of slots for RAM

The more slots, the better, because it opens up great opportunities for upgrading your PC in the future. If we talk about the memory standard, then it should be DDR4. DDR3 sticks may be cheaper, but they work less efficiently and may soon disappear from sale. When figuring out which motherboard to choose in 2018, you need to consider what frequencies it supports, otherwise the part may slow down the system.

• Budget models support a frequency of 2400-2600 MHz, which will be enough for the average user;
• To build a gaming and professional PC, the frequency must be above 3000 MHz. As a rule, motherboards of the middle price segment and premium models have it.

Of great importance is the number of slots, which are 4 in a full-size board, and only 2 in Micro and Mini. Keep this in mind, the possibility of expanding the memory capacity will never be superfluous.

Other connectors that the board can be equipped with

Understanding the question of which gaming motherboard to choose, you can see that most models are available with connectors for video cards like PCI Express 16. There can be from 1 to 4 such slots, which is useful when assembling a computer for games and mining. A spare slot for an additional video card will never be superfluous. You can also connect additional equipment there, such as a modem, solid state drive, and much more.

You need to pay attention to other slots in order to work comfortably with a computer:

• USB 3.0 and 2.0 - used to connect external devices such as a keyboard and mouse. It is desirable that there be at least 5 of them;
• PS / 2 - an obsolete connector that was previously widely used to connect a keyboard. Now its presence does not make sense, since all peripherals are available with a USB connector;
• DVI - designed to connect a monitor and is present only in models with a built-in video card. HDMI is used for the same purpose, but you can also connect a TV to it;
• BIOS reset key. Used to reboot it;
• eSATA - connector for connecting external hard drives;
• RJ-45 - port for connecting an Internet cable;
• Audio output for headphones and microphone.

Built-in elements

Modern motherboards can be equipped with a wide range of modules, including a built-in Wi-Fi sound and video card, Bluetooth, and much more. Accordingly, if they are already integrated into the board, then you do not have to buy them separately. But as a rule, integrated modules turn out to be worse and weaker than those that can be bought separately and installed independently. Therefore, such savings are questionable.

Electronics

Inexpensive boards use simple capacitors that can behave unpredictably. In case of overheating or power outages, the electrolyte in them swells up, but the circuit continues to function. More reliable, but also expensive, will be solid capacitors.

Not the most common problem. Most users do not change the processor until the computer is completely replaced. However, sometimes due to a breakdown or upgrade, it becomes necessary to replace installed processor. In this case, the question arises of how to choose a processor for the motherboard. In this article, we will analyze this problem and talk about how to choose the right processor.

In order to match the processor to the motherboard, you need to find out which socket it supports. A socket is a connector on the motherboard designed to install a processor. There are different kinds of sockets. Sockets differ in size, shape and number of legs. Therefore, it is not possible to install the processor in the wrong socket.

Now the most popular are the following sockets:

• For Intel processors
  • LGA 1150
  • LGA 1155
  • LGA 1356
  • LGA 1366
• For AMD processors

If you are on a motherboard that is installed in a working computer, then you can find out the name of the socket using special programs for viewing the characteristics of the computer. The most suitable program for our case is the CPU-Z program. With this program, you can find out all the main characteristics of the processor and motherboard.

The name of the socket will be indicated on the first tab of the CPU-Z program, opposite the inscription "Package". Also, using this program, you can find out the manufacturer and model of the motherboard. To do this, go to the "Mainboard" tab.

Just because a motherboard is equipped with a particular socket does not guarantee that it will support all processors with the same socket. Some newer processors may not work. So in order to select a processor for the motherboard, you need to go to the website of the manufacturer of this board and view the list of supported processors. Finding the information you need is not difficult. Just enter the name of the motherboard in search engine and go to the official website of the manufacturer.

If you have a motherboard to which you need to match the processor, but the computer does not work or is not assembled at all. Then you can see the name of the motherboard on its box. If there is no box, then carefully inspect the board itself, a name should be applied to its surface.

Once you know the name of the socket and the motherboard, choosing a processor is not difficult. First, choose a processor that is equipped with the desired socket, and then check if it is supported by your motherboard.