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What is the purpose of a motherboard?
On top of allowing every component to communicate effectively for maximum performance, stability and reliability, your Intel motherboard is responsible for the all-important tasks of stable power distribution between components, booting your computer's operating system, and directly interfacing with your chosen processor and RAM.
Besides this, your Intel motherboard is also the component where your keyboard, mouse, and speakers attach to, allowing you to actually interact with your computer and make for a seamless gaming experience.
What should I look for when choosing an Intel motherboard?
If you're an avid gamer, you shouldn't let your motherboard hinder your performance, nor should you feel like it's holding you back if you're using intensive creative apps. So, in order to select the Intel motherboard that's right for you, there are three main things you need to be aware of. These are your motherboard's form-factor, it's CPU socket and chip set, and how varied its selection of peripheral slots is.
Let's touch on form-factor first. Form-factor refers to specific physical size and shaped of a motherboard. This should be the first thing you look at when picking your motherboard, especially if you're looking to upgrade rather than build a computer from scratch. Form-factors vary between each brand of motherboard, meaning that not every motherboard is designed to fit every computer case. Be sure to check whether your chosen computer case can house your selected motherboard.
Next, let's take a look at your motherboard's socket and chip set. A motherboard's CPU socket is exactly what it sounds like; it's the socket where your chosen processor sits and directly interfaces with your motherboard. Why is this important? Well, much like a motherboard's form-factor, not every processor is compatible with every motherboard. An AMD processor will not fit any Intel motherboards, nor will an Intel processor fit any AMD motherboards. You need to make sure your CPU and motherboard have the same compatible specifications for them to work together. And speaking of compatibility, be sure to look at your chosen motherboard's chip set so you can pick components that can properly interface with it.
Finally, it's always a good idea to know how many PCI slots and ports your list of potential Intel motherboards have. Besides the required ports for your mouse, keyboard, speakers, and monitor, you might want a few more slots for bonus peripherals so you can connect any headphones or extra HDDs and SSDs. Ensuring you have redundancy slot options is also a great idea, especially if you want to upgrade your rig in the future. Extra slots for RAM and M.2 SSDs will go a long way towards future-proofing your rig.
Which are the best Intel motherboards for gaming?
Intel has an ample range of impressive gaming-grade motherboards, especially its ATX motherboards. All Intel motherboards are designed and focused on ensuring your other important components, such as your CPU and GPU, can run as fast and efficiently as possible; even after hours of gameplay.
If you're after the most popular ATX motherboard, then look no further than the MSI MAG Intel B460 TOMAHAWK ATX Motherboard. The top-rated Intel mother board in the Ebuyer store, it comes packing a powerful LGA 1200 socket capable of supporting the 10th generation of intel CPUs. It also has DDR4 support so you can equip the fastest RAM possible.
For a cheaper ATX motherboard, then the Asus TUF Z390-PLUS GAMING (WI-FI) LGA 1151 DDR4 ATX Motherboard might perfect for your rig. Its LGA 1151 motherboard setup can still support Intel's 9th generation CPUs, and it's also capable of housing DDR4 RAM for maximum performance. And if it's adaptability you have in mind, then Intel's 'Z' boards (e.g. Z490) also come highly recommended. They support both processor and memory overclocking, letting you take their already impressive speeds and crank them up higher.
When it to comes to buying motherboards for gaming, always keep an eye out for Intel motherboards that house Intel's latest 10th and 11th generation CPUs so you can get every inch of power out of your PC.
There are plenty of other motherboards for gaming that still have a great performance rating, and they're all here at Ebuyer. Choose yours today and install it tomorrow with our express delivery service.
And, if you're picking up a powerful Intel motherboard, you'll need an equally powerful Intel processor. Why not take a look at what we have in stock. If you're interested, you can also read a more in depth guide to motherboards in our article what does a motherboard do? Or you can browse our blog for other informative pieces.
