15 Best Gaming Motherboards (Intel & AMD) in 2023

Dec 31, 2023

You have decided to build a new desktop PC and picked whether you are on Team Blue or Red. Now, you must be in search of the perfect motherboard for your Intel or AMD gaming PC build. Whether you are planning to use the top-of-the-line 13th-Gen Intel Core i9-13900K processor or the Ryzen 7000 on the AM5 platform, you have come to the right place. We have curated this guide to help you find the most suitable gaming motherboard for your PC build in 2023.

In this guide, we have included Intel and AMD motherboards across different price brackets, so you can splurge depending on your build and your budget. From high-end Z790 and X670E gaming motherboards to lower-end H760 and B550M motherboards, we’ve listed them all here.

The ASUS ROG line of motherboards has been critically acclaimed to be one of the best, and the ROG Strix Z790-E is no exception. It’s an exceptionally good pick among the high-end Z790 motherboards available in the market. Are you looking for the best motherboard for the Intel Core i9-13900K? This is the one, and we even used this motherboard in our 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K review, and it handled the monstrous high power consumption CPU like a piece of cake. We love its overall feature set too. The aesthetics are also pleasing, with tons of customizations in the Armoury Crate Software. This motherboard also has an AI overclocking feature, making it quite easy to overclock your CPU if needed.

Talking about the port selection and connectivity, the ROG Strix Z790-E features 7x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one being a Type-C port. Apart from that, there are 4x additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 Ports, another Type -C which runs at Gen 2×2 (20Gb/s), and for networking, it has Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth v5.3 support. The motherboard also has decent internal headers, including a Thunderbolt 4 one if users wish to install it. There’s no native Thunderbolt support, though. You can refer to our best Z790 motherboard guide to find more high-end Z790 models, but this one will easily fulfill the needs of most gamers.

There are 4 DIMM slots to install DDR5 RAM, and it supports frequencies of up to 7800MHz. The VRM quality is impeccable, with 18+1 power stages. As we said before, it can handle the highest-end 13th Gen chip, the Core i9-13900K, without breaking a sweat. There are 3x PCIe x16 slots, with the top one being PCIe 5.0 and others working on PCIe 4.0. In terms of storage support, you can install 5x M.2 SSDs, with the top slot supporting Gen 5 SSDs too.

Buy from Amazon ($449.99)

The ASRock Steel Legend series has been a reliable mid-range option for PC builders that are looking for unique aesthetics combined with value. This white motherboard has stellar looks with its camo pattern and customizable RGB lighting. This is an affordable, yet featureful gaming motherboard to consider in the Z790 lineup. It has four DIMM slots for installing DDR5 RAM, with a max supported frequency of 7200 MHz.

Speaking of the ports selection & connectivity, the ASRock Z790 Steel Legend features 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (one of them being Type-C) and 7x additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. But, it doesn’t have any Gen 2 x 2 ports which run at double the bandwidth. Still, if your Front I/O supports it, there’s an internal Gen 2×2 header. This board has support for Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth v5.3. You can get Thunderbolt 4 support as well, by utilizing the internal Thunderbolt AIC header. The board has 3x PCIe x16 slots with one supporting PCIe 5.0, one with PCIe 4.0, and the last one being restricted to PCIe 3.0.

Clearly, there are fewer cutting-edge features on this Z790 motherboard, but for gamers, those don’t end up mattering all that much. The VRMs are capable here with 16+1+1 power stages. The storage support is 5x M.2 slots in total, with one of them supporting PCI 5.0 SSDs. All newer Z690 and Z790 boards have been pushing PCIe 5.0 a lot, but not all of them support it on the M.2 slot. This motherboard does, though, making it futureproof for next-gen storage, and a big reason why it made this list.

Buy from Amazon ($289.99)

The MSI Tomahawk series is popular among PC builders for being one of the best mid-range motherboard options. The all-black design with a matte finish on the heatsinks and covers gives the board a minimal aesthetic. While we are now in the mid-range chipset category, hence you get less cutting-edge features, this board is still perfectly apt for gaming PCs. There are 4x DIMM slots for installing DDR4 RAM with a max supported frequency of 5333MHz.

In this range, users can still get a decent selection of ports & connectivity. The MSI B760 Tomahawk motherboard features 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gb/s) Type-C port, and 4x additional USB 2.0 ports. You don’t get features like Thunderbolt on the internal headers, but it has the usual features like an additional Type-C port to plug in your front I/O. In terms of networking, this board has Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.3.

There are 2x PCI-e x16 slots on this board, with the top one supporting the new PCI-e 5.0 standard. There are 3x M.2 slots, but all of them support PCIe 4.0 only, which means you can’t use Gen 5 SSDs on this motherboard. Still, when we talk about the VRMs, the predecessor of this motherboard (B660 Tomahawk) had lower VRM temperatures when compared to competitors. You have similar capabilities here with its 12+1+1 power stage VRM, making this board a great choice to consider for an Intel-based Gaming PC.

Buy from Amazon ($169.99)

GIGABYTE also offers amazing options for both Intel & AMD chipsets, and their B760M AORUS Elite AX motherboard is one of the most affordable B760 board suitable for gaming, thanks to its above-decent VRM quality, and an all-around basic feature set that doesn’t include new technologies. It’s a neat looking white motherboard with subtle AORUS branding on the various covers & heatsinks. It supports DDR5 RAM on its 4x DIMM slots with a maximum frequency of 7600MHz.

In terms of ports & connectivity, you get all the usual bells & whistles on the B760M AORUS Elite AX. There is one high-bandwidth USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C Port, but there aren’t any high bandwidth internal headers. It features 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one of them being the Type-C port. Additionally, the board has 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and 4x USB 2.0 ports. For networking, it features Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth v5.3 just like the other options.

There is no support for PCI-e 5.0 either, but graphics cards don’t give you any sizable FPS gains when plugged into a newer PCI-e port, so this is completely fine to be honest. There are 2x PCIe x16 slots, the top one being a PCIe 4.0 and other being PCIe 3.0. For storage, it has 2x M.2 slots, both supporting PCIe 4.0. The VRMs on this motherboard are solid, with a 12+1+1 power stage design. Overall, it is a highly recommended option if you don’t care about new features and want to save a few bucks.

Buy from Amazon ($179.99)

The MSI Z790I Edge is the perfect ITX motherboard to use in your upcoming Intel-based small form factor gaming PC. It’s reasonably priced, offers a decent feature set, and looks cool because it’s a white-color motherboard. Although, if you want Gen 5 SSD storage support, you’ll need to look elsewhere, like this Z790-I Strix ITX board from Asus, which has PCIe 5.0 support on the M.2 slot but costs much more. This board has one PCIe x16 slot, running at PCIe 5.0 speeds.

When we talk about ports & connectivity, being an ITX board, it obviously won’t offer the same number of features as bigger sized options. The rear I/O panel packs 6x USB 3.2 ports in total, 4 of them being Gen 1 and the other 2 being Gen 2. There’s a 20Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port, both as a port at the back I/O, and as an internal header for your case’s Front I/O. For networking, it features Wi-Fi 6E along with Bluetooth v5.3.

The board has 2x DIMM slots for DDR5 RAM with a maximum frequency of 8000MHz, which is pretty great. For storage, it can take 3x M.2 SSDs, with two slots being PCIe 4.0 and one supporting PCIe 3.0/SATA mode. The onabord VRMs are pretty reliable, with a 10+1+1 power stage design.

Buy from Amazon ($339.99)

The ASUS PRIME is an entry-level motherboard series, usually best suited for basic office use. However, several models are decent enough to use in gaming PCs. In fact, some ASUS Prime boards are based on high-end chipsets too. The ASUS Prime H770 Plus is a newly released white motherboard with accents all over it, which makes this basic motherboard look quite nice. It has 4x DIMM slots for DDR4 RAM, with a max supported frequency of 5066 MHz.

In terms of ports & connectivity, this board has 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, one of them being Type-C. Apart from that, there’s 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and 2x USB 2.0 ports as well. No high-bandwidth USB internal headers are present (like USB Gen 2×2 which support 20Gbps), but there is a Thunderbolt USB4 header if you wish to install it. There is PCIe 5.0 support on the top PCI-e x16 slot, with two other x16 slots supporting PCIe 4.0. Overall, things are not bad for an entry-level board!

For networking, it only has an ethernet port, so you will have to plug in a WiFi adapter like this one, or install a dedicated WiFi + Bluetooth module into the M.2 Key E slot (a welcome inclusion). This board can support 3x M.2 SSDs, two being PCIe 4.0 and the last one supporting SATA as well. The VRMs are decent enough, and there’s a heatsink here as well, so don’t worry about things overheating. That is actually a real concern when buying entry-level motherboards, as some of them don’t even come with VRM heatsinks.

Buy from Amazon ($149.00)

We have another option from the ASUS Prime series on this list, and this is one of the most affordable entry-level motherboards that supports 12th & 13th Gen Intel CPUs. The Prime H610M-A should not be confused with other models, because the ‘A’ variant is superior to others in terms of its VRM quality and the fact that has a heatsink. So if you are looking to buy this board, make sure you get the ‘A’ variant model specifically. The heatsink covers have a brushed aluminum look to them, with white stripes all over the motherboard.

The board supports up to 2x DDR4 modules with a maximum frequency of 3200MHz. Speaking of ports & connectivity, it’s all quite basic here it being an entry-level motherboard with the H610 chipset – 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, and an additional 4x USB 2.0 ports. No high-bandwidth internal headers are present either, but you get the standard USB 3.2 Gen 1 & USB 2.0 headers for plugging in Front I/O. No wireless networking options are available, but you get the option to plug in a module to the Key E M.2 slot. There is one PCIe x16 slot, which runs on PCIe 4.0.

When talking about SSD support, it has 2x M.2 slots running at PCIe 3.0. So as you can see, this motherboard is basic in terms of features. But the fact that it has a VRM heatsink and the a quality VRM configuration similar to some H670 boards, makes it a compelling purchase for a budget Intel Gaming PC.

Buy from Amazon ($109.99)

Part of ASUS’ high-end lineup, ROG Strix motherboards are no joke and are packed with all the latest features. The ROG Strix X670E-E features the X670E chipset along with many features that make it one of the best AMD motherboards to buy. You’d fall in love with its design, its beautiful black themed metal-like finish and the RGB effects on its VRM shield. It has 4x DIMM slots that support DDR5 memory with a max frequency of 6400MHz.

The port and connectivity options here are impressive, with 12x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, ten of which are Type-A and the remaining two are Type-C. There is a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20Gb/s) port at the back I/O panel and one as an internal header. Networking options here are WiFi 6E and Bluetooth v5.2.

There are 3x PCIe x16 slots onboard, two being PCIe 5.0 and one being PCIe 4.0. For storage support, it has 4x M.2 slots, with three of them supporting PCIe Gen 5 SSDs and one being limited to Gen 4. It’s amazing that users can install so many Gen 5 SSDs on this board. The VRAM configuration is quite robust, with an 18+2 power stage design.

Buy from Amazon ($479.99)

ASRock’s PG Lightning motherboards offer great value, making this option a value for money choice for your AMD gaming PC build. It is affordable than most X670 boards, while still featuring the higher-end X670E chipset. The design is surprisingly not flashy at all, which you don’t often see on any ASRock motherboards. The heatsink covers have a matte black finish with a striped pattern on the board itself, making the design unique but minimal too.

The ASRock X670E PG Lightning gaming motherboard has 4x DIMM slots for DDR5 RAM, at a max supported frequency of 6600MHz. In terms of ports and connectivity, it has USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20Gb/s) but only on one Type-C port at the back I/O and as an internal header too, another single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, and 6x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two of which are Lightning Gaming Ports. An internal Thunderbolt 4 header is present too.

There are 3x PCIe x16 slots, with the top one supporting PCIe 5.0 and others running at PCIe 4.0. Storage support includes 4x M.2 slots: one supporting Gen 5 SSDs, two supporting Gen 4 speeds, and one supporting SATA. The VRM configuration us respectable, a 14+2+1 power stage design.

The only major con of this AMD gaming motherboard is no native WiFi or Bluetooth, but there’s an M.2 Key-E port for a module that you can easily install. The price easily makes up for this though.

Buy from Amazon ($259.99)

The ROG Strix series makes this list yet again, with the ROG Strix B650E-E being one of the best B650 gaming motherboards for your Ryzen 7000 series CPU. It has these beautiful accents over the heatsink covers with ROG branding, and impressive RGB lighting effects on the ROG logo next to the back I/O. For installing DDR5 RAM, it has 4x DIMM slots with a maximum supported frequency of 6400MHz.

Speaking of the ports & connectivity, it has 7X USB 3.2 Gen 2 Ports, one being Type-C and all others being Type A. One Type-C internal header supporting Gen 2 speeds is also present. There’s a single USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20GB/s) Type-C Port on the board’s back I/O as well, but no such option for the front I/O. Additionally, there are 4x USB 2.0 ports. For networking it has WiFi 6E support with Bluetooth v5.2.

The board has 3x PCIe x16 slots, two running at PCIe 5.0 speeds and one at PCIe 4.0. For installing storage, it includes 4x M.2 slots, with two slots that support Gen 5 SSDs and the other two supporting Gen 4. The VRMs are running in 16+2 power stage configuration here.

Buy from Amazon ($349.99)

The GIGABYTE B650M Aorus Elite AX is one the most affordable B650 gaming motherboards on the market. It is highly regarded as a value for money option for users looking for a suitable AMD AM5 motherboard but can’t spend too much. It has a somewhat minimal design language, with no flashy RGB. It has black shields with subtle AORUS branding, covering the motherboard components. There’s 4x DIMM slots for DDR5 RAM with a max supported frequency of 6,666MHz.

For ports & connectivity, it does have a Type-C internal header which is Gen 2×2 (20Gb/s). The back I/O includes 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, 5x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and also a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port along with 4x USB 2.0 ports. For networking it has WiFi 6E & Bluetooth v5.2 support. The VRM configuration on this board is a 12+2+1 power stage design.

Being a micro ATX motherboard it has 2x PCIe x16 slots, both running at PCIe 4.0 speeds. Don’t worry too much about PCIe 5.0, as it does little for the GPU’s performance in games. GIGABYTE still includes PCIe 5.0 on one M.2 SSD slot, so it will support those SSDs, and there’s an option of adding a second Gen 4 NVMe too.

Buy from Amazon: ($199.99)

The MSI B650I Edge is one of the best value for money ITX motherboards for the AM5 socket that doesn’t cost too much. It is an incredibly stylish white motherboard with an accented MSI Dragon logo. It has support for 2x DDR5 RAM modules with a max frequency of 6600MHz.

In terms of ports and connectivity, it includes a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20Gb/s) Type-C port at the back I/O along with 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports. There’s another Type-C internal header that has Gen 2 (10Gb/s bandwidth) support for the front I/O. Networking options include WiFi 6E and Bluetooth v5.2.

The board has a PCIe x16 slot that runs at Gen 4 speeds. The storage options include 2x M.2 SSD slots, both only supporting Gen 4 speeds. So sadly, no PCIe 5.0 support is present on this board. But, this is still a good ITX board to consider for small form factor AMD gaming PCs . If you care about PCIe 5.0 support for the upcoming SSDs, you could get the higher-end ASUS ROG Strix B650E-I ITX motherboard instead, but it is more expensive and might not be worth it for gamers.

Buy from Amazon ($269.99)

The ASRock B550M-ITX/ac is an excellent board to consider for your AM4 socket-based small-form-factor gaming PC. It has nothing flashy about its looks, but it makes up for that with its value proposition. It supports 2x DDR4 RAM modules with a max frequency of 4600MHz.

The VRMs are good enough to handle the best AM4 gaming processor – Ryzen 7 5800X3D with ease. So, if you’re a gamer and looking to buy the best ITX motherboard for Ryzen 7 5800X 3D, you should get this low-costing motherboard and be quite satisfied with the end result.

Speaking of the connectivity & ports, it has 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, three of which are Type-A ports and one is Type-C. Additionally, there are 2x USB 2.0 ports. Networking options include Intel 802.11ac WiFi 5 & Bluetooth v4.2. The PCIe x16 slot runs at PCIe 4.0 speeds, and storage options include a single M.2 SSD port for Gen 4 SSDs and 4x SATA3 ports.

Buy from Amazon ($121.99)

The MSI B550 Tomahawk Max is an excellent AM4 AMD motherboard to use if you’re looking to build an AMD Gaming PC with excellent gaming CPUs like the Ryzen 5600X/ 5800X/ 5800X3D. It has these understated looks being a black motherboard with white accents, and subtle RGB lighting on top of the B550 chipset heatsink. It has 4 DIMM slots for DDR4 RAM with a max frequency of 4866MHz.

This is a quality B550 motherboard with excellent VRMs running in a 10+2+1 power stage configuration. The ports & connectivity options include 3x USB 3.2 Ports at the back I/O: one being a Gen 2 Type-C port, two Type-A ports in which one runs at Gen 1 bandwidth and the other at Gen 2. An internal Type-C header is present too but it is only Gen 1.

For storage, there are 2x M.2 slots for SSDs, one supporting Gen 4 speeds and the other being limited to Gen 3. There are 2x PCIe x16 slots, one that supports PCIe 4.0 and the other being PCIe 3.0. And for networking, this board features WiFi 6E and Bluetooth v5.2, which is not common on a lot of AM4 boards.

Buy from Amazon ($179.99)

The ASRock B450M Pro 4 motherboard will surprise you with its capabilities. It has these basic looks, but its VRM quality is superior to many B550 options available, so you should definitely consider this kickass, inexpensive motherboard if you’re looking to build an AM4 socket based system today. This is the most affordable, and therefore one of the best motherboard for Ryzen 7 5600X, if the user is on a strict budget but would prefer to use this AMD CPU and the AM4 platform for its gaming prowess.

Even if you are looking for the best A520/A320 motherboard, you should spend some more money and get this one, as it’s literally one of the cheapest B450 boards on the market anyway. The ports & connectivity options include 2x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, one being Type-C and the other being Type- A. There’s 4x additional USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports at the back I/O.

It supports 4x DDR4 RAM modules with a max frequency of 3200MHz mentioned, but users on Reddit are reportedly using 3600MHz kits too. There are 2x PCIe x16 slots, one ruining at Gen 3 and the other at Gen 2 speeds. For storage users can install a 2x M.2 SSDs, one being a Gen 3 drive and the other being a SATA one.

Buy from Amazon: ($119.99)

Frequently Asked Questions

The most high-end motherboards from AMD come with the X670E chipset, and the best motherboards from Intel come with the Z790 chipset.

Every motherboard brand has its strengths & weaknesses, making the best one different for every user. Compare the features, amount of M.2 slots, VRM quality, and other aspects to choose the best motherboard overall.

The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the best gaming CPU. The Intel Core i9-13900K is also very strong, but more expensive. In the mid-range market, Intel’s Core i5-13600K and AMD’s Ryzen 5 7600X CPUs are brilliant picks for a budget gaming PC.

16GB of RAM is the current minimum standard to have, for playing games optimally. Moving forward, for DDR5, it makes more sense to get a total of 32GB instead as the price difference is minimal.

The best motherboards to buy for gaming are the ones in the mid-range category, with lesser features whilst including the ones important to gamers, such as VRM quality.

In most cases, the motherboard does not determine your FPS. The performance is dependent on the CPU and GPU. However, if your CPU is underperforming due to incapable VRMs on your board, then yes, the motherboard can impact your FPS.

Motherboards can last longer than a decade, if maintained well and ran in a stable manner. You might need to replace some thermal interface material (TIM) under the VRMs and the chipset so that the cooling efficiency of these key motherboard components is maintained.

Your Comment

Your Name

Your Email *

Δ

Venba has managed to turn a lot of heads since its first announcement at Nintendo Direct in late 2022. After all, you don’t get frequently games where you need to prepare South Indian cuisine throughout the experience. I gravitated toward […]

The much-anticipated Nothing Phone (2) is finally here, and it created a lot of buzz in the smartphone market. While the Nothing Phone (2) looks similar to its predecessor, it is still a wake-up call for the smartphone industry. One […]

Earlier this year, MSI updated their Titan, Vector, Stealth, Raider, and several other gaming laptop lineups. We have already reviewed the colossal MSI Titan GT77 HX 13V, and recently, we got our hands on the MSI Stealth 14 Studio A13V. […]