Motherboards. Comparative testing of motherboards on two-channel chipsets of the first generation Compare motherboards in terms of performance

When choosing a motherboard, users have to deal not only with an essential number of manufacturers, but also with a large range of products from each of them, which differ in the form factor, chipset and a set of functions. Manufacturers of motherboards are trying to present a new product for each market segment, which often confuses the final buyer.

The difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive motherboards can be as significant as the difference in sets of functions. The most experienced users will take the motherboard with the equipment under their needs, but beginners it is very difficult to determine what they actually need it, and without which functions they can do. So money is often spent on the functions that will never be used.

We decided to explore this problem, tested the cheapest motherboard, as well as the flagship model from a well-known manufacturer. In order for the comparison to be honest, we chose two Socket 775 motherboards from MSI: 915PL NEO-V and P4N Diamond. The first one can buy only $ 69, while the top model will have to lay out $ 219.

The following question arises. How wins the buyer, laying out three times more money for the top motherboard? Are additional features and opportunities justify their price? What is the difference between two motherboards when running everyday applications? Or, in other words, whether the buyer will notice any difference at all? Let's see.

Set of functions

If you compare modern motherboards with models that were on the market several years ago, you can find a number of differences. Let's start with the fact that users now have a clear choice between the Intel architecture (Celeron and Pentium line) and AMD offers (SEMPRON, Athlon 64). Although the AMD processors and platforms have been existing for several years, they did not always affect the competing solutions of Intel.

Yes, and the motherboard market itself has also changed. There were times when the choice of a suitable model of motherboard and chipset gave a difference in 10% or more. Today, to achieve such an increase, you have to overclock the system or processor, or upgrade CPU. In addition, if you are interested in 3D graphics, then the performance of the graphics card plays a much bigger role today than anything else.

If we talk about worked out technology, and not about the components that have entered the market two weeks ago, the differences between platforms are reduced to five percent or even less for tests that are not related to graphics. The situation is very similar to the modernization of processors, since the transition from Pentium 4 3.2 GHz by 3.4 GHz gives a greater difference in the imagination of the user than in real life.

Since the performance today is no longer a problem, manufacturers of motherboards to distinguish their products from competing solutions, focus on hardware and software functions. Additional interfaces, better components, overclocking functions and numerous details - all this is designed to conquer the heart of the consumer.

The P4N Diamond board uses four voltage stabilizers.

In the past, the motherboard had problems due to current capacitors and low-quality voltage stabilizers. Today, most companies are more accurately relate to the selection of components and use better quality capacitors (say, from Japanese suppliers), as well as multiphase voltage stabilizers. The more components work together, the less heat and electrical loads will be. Today four phases are considered sufficient, although manufacturers use solutions and with their large number.

If the NForce4 Intel Edition chipset supports four Serial ATA II drives, as well as four Ultraata / 133, then MSI has decided to add a Silicon Image controller that gives two more SATA ports.

It usually takes a lot of time before the manufacturer of chipset adds new standards of drives to their products. That is why manufacturers of motherboards use additional storage controllers in top models. For example, when the Serial ATA standard came out, the company like Highpoint, Promise and Silicon Image has already offered controller chips - long before Intel, SIS and VIA integrated SATA into their chipsets.

In addition, there is another reason for choosing additional storage controllers: some chipsets do not give a sufficient number of hereditary interfaces. The Intel 9xx line can be a good example: South ICH6 / ICH7 bridges support only one UltraAta / 100 port, which allows you to connect, maximum, two drives. Many users have two optical drives today, such as a high-speed DVD-ROM and a writer DVD drive, so they will have to forget about ultraata hard drives if they are used.

MSI has placed two Gigabit Ethernet Controller PCI Express on the P4N Diamond board.

Network controllers are traditionally installed in a PC using an extension card that was inserted into a free slot. The first cards worked with the 10Base2 or 10 Mbps standard and used the ISA interface, and the next generations were 100 Mbps and the PCI bus. The spread of broadband Internet access and the growth of home networks led to the fact that today network adapters have become a mandatory part of the computers. Approximately six years began the tendency to appear embedded network solutions on motherboards. Actually, it was an important step towards reducing the cost of a computer with a network interface.

The Ethernet protocol continued to evolve, and the PCI bus became a "bottleneck" by itself. Intel entered the CSA (Communication Streaming Architecture) interface with the release of 865 and 875 chipset, which allowed to connect a dedicated gigabit Ethernet controller directly to the North Bridge. In all previous solutions, the controller connected to the southern bridge, so network traffic passed through the channel between two bridges.

The implementation of PCI Express forced Intel to discard CSA, since the serial bus architecture provided sufficient bandwidth for a gigabit Ethernet. Today, most HIGH-EDD motherboards are supplied with two gigabit Ethernet ports. As a result, the computer can be used as a software router and firewall between two networks, that is, to connect two local networks, or connect the LAN to the Internet.

Here, instead of the Intel solution, a full-fledged Creative sound chip is used, although it supports High Definition Audio.

In recent years, audio chips have lost their importance for the average user. Back in the 90s, the computer was needed to install a sound card (SoundBlaster or compatible), however, the AC97 standard output allowed us to translate sound into the logic of chipsets. Today, all chipsets are able to produce multichannel sound with QD quality, and the top motherboards provide additional digital inputs and outputs.

Some high-end motherboards use selected chips, raising quality to unprecedented heights (96 kHz and 24 bits), and in a multichannel version. In addition, they are able to reduce the load on the CPU, moved all the necessary processing on the sound chip.

Additional interfaces

It is time to discuss the number of additional interfaces that can be used to connect multimedia and communication devices. Of course, today the most popular interface is USB 2.0. With it, you can connect keypads, mice, printers, webcams, storage devices, scanners and multiple peripherals. Most motherboards provide eight or ten USB 2.0 ports, but, as a rule, you can immediately use only four or six. Additional ports are displayed using "pigtails", connecting to the USB 2.0 interface on the motherboard.

The second most popular interface is IEEE-1394, also known as FireWire. Today there are two types of standard: IEEE 1394a at a speed of up to 400 Mbps, as well as FireWire 1394B, operating at a speed of up to 800 Mbps. Unlike USB 2.0, the FireWire protocol uses isochronous transmission, which is better suited for real-time data. This feature is especially interesting for streaming applications and digital video. FireWire devices can be born to a serial circuit, so one or two ports are quite enough.

Software functions

The presence of certain software capabilities is another factor when choosing a motherboard. Here we understand not only the delivery programs, but also a set of BIOS functions, opportunities for overclocking and monitoring, etc.

To set up all the necessary technical parameters, you have to contact the BIOS. Top motherboards have many options for adjusting the clock frequencies and voltages, memory delays, tire parameters, etc. However, if you do not engage in fine tuning or acceleration, then they are unlikely to be needed.

MSI 915PL NEO-V is one of the most inexpensive motherboards for the Socket 775 Intel Pentium 4. It uses 915P chipset, which can be considered a completely appropriate solution for an inexpensive model. Memory interface supports DDR400 in two-channel mode, and only two slots are available. That is, the upgrade will require replacement of current DIMM.

The board is designed to install the PCI Express graphics card, but it has a similarity of the AGP slot. We have a truly physical AGP slot, but it works at PCI speed. So you will not receive full-fledged graphic performance with the AGP card, but at least you can use AGP card to upgrade.

The board is equipped with only two 32-bit PCI slots and one X1 PCIE slot. Too small amount for enthusiasts, but for ordinary users is quite sufficient. The Broadcom gigabit controller is responsible for the network connection, while the AC97 2.3 sound system takes on audio. On the board, you can detect four SATA-150 ports, as well as one UltraAta / 100 channel, providing connection to two devices. So when upgrading you can have problems. Especially if you want to save an optical drive and hard disk with Ultraata interfaces.

Three-phase voltage stabilizer is quite sufficient for all modern Pentium 4 processors up to Pentium 4 670. In our tests, we used Pentium 4 560 at a frequency of 3.6 GHz. However, the chipset does not support the Intel Pentium D dial processors. Therefore, if you aimed at modernization in the future, this motherboard will not be the most ideal option.

With retail price Total $ 69 This motherboard will provide all the basic functions necessary for the usual PC. You will have to do without digital audio inputs and outputs, and you will also get just eight USB 2.0 ports. But look at the test results. 915PL NEO-V works no worse than the P4N Diamond board, which costs $ 150 more expensive, and, of course, has a richer set of functions.

The board provides only four USB 2.0 ports, and it is impossible to increase their quantity. As for sound, only analog interfaces are available, but they will be enough for the usual user.

The Intel Ich6 South Bridge supports four Serial ATA port at 150 MB / s.

The MSI package includes only basic cables.

Now let me move to the top MSI product. The texture of the board is painted black, not red, and the number of components is much higher than 915PL NEO-V. MSI used NVIDIA NForce4 Intel Edition chipset, which can be called the best choice for gamers and enthusiasts. It allows you to install up to two x16 PCI Express graphics cards (each in X8 mode) and extend the Windows desktop for as many as four displays. Or, of course, speed up the 3D applications by the SLI mode.

For future expansion cards, X1 PCI Express slot is provided. In addition, two 32-bit PCI slots are available, and the orange slot has priority - it is intended for PCI-cards sensitive to delays.

Unlike 915PL Neo-V, the P4N Diamond board works with a two-channel DDR2 controller at speeds to DDR2-667. NVIDIA has already proven all the power of its memory controller. However, if you compare the basic system performance with 915PL NEO-V, it turns out that both systems give approximately the same speed.

MSI used two Marvell Gigabit Controller with PCI Express Interface, a full sound chip from Creative (24 bits and 96 kHz, PCI), FireWire 1394A chip from VIA and an additional Serial ATA II controller from Silicon Image connected via PCI Express. If you remove the southern bridge radiator, you can detect a copper core. The north bridge is equipped with active cooling, which is not very good. However, the last chipsets under Pentium 4 can no longer do without it.

The four-phase voltage stabilizer is able to cope with all Socket 775 processors. Including Pentium 4 to 3.8 GHz (Pentium 4 670), as well as Double Pentium D and Fashionable Pentium Extreme Edition. In addition, P4N Diamond supports FSB1066 frequency, which has no NEO-V in 915PL.

Thanks to the MSI Corecell chip, the motherboard supports all sorts of options for overclocking, including BIOS capabilities to adjust the frequencies and supply voltages of many components, including PCI Express and memory. It should be noted the MSI automatic overclocking system using military ranks.

CPU
Single-core CPU.	Intel Pentium 4 Processor 560 (3.6 GHz, L2 Cache 2 MB)
Memory
Intel (DDR400) platform	2x 512 MB - DDR400 (200 MHz) Corsair Pro Series CMX512-3200XL (XMS3208 V1.1) (CL2.0-2-2-5-1T @ 200 MHz)
Intel Platform (DDR2-667)	2x 512 MB - DDR2-667 (333 MHz) Corsair CM2X512A-5400UL (XMS5400 v1.2) (CL4-3-3-8-1T @ 333 MHz)
Motherboard
Intel Platform	MSI 915PL NEO-V REV. 1.0, BIOS 1.0) Intel 915P chipset MSI P4N Neo (Rev. 1.0, BIOS 1.2) NVIDIA NForce4 Intel Edition SLI chipset
System hardware
Graphic Map (PCIE)	nVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT (reference card) GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT (350 MHz) Memory: 256 MB of DDR SDRAM (500 MHz)
HDD	Hitachi Deskstar 7K250 250 GB, Cash 8 MB, 7200 rpm
Power Supply	Tagan TG480-U01, ATX 2.0, 480 W
Software
NVIDIA chipset drivers	nVIDIA FORCEWARE 7.13
Intel chipset drivers	Intel Infel 7.2.1.1003
Graphic driver	nVIDIA FORCEWARE 77.72
DirectX	Version: 9.0c (4.09.00 20.0904)
OS.	Windows XP Professional 5.10.2600, SERVICE PACK 2.

The MSI 915PL NEO-V board is very compact, while it supports two-channel DDR400 memory.

P4N Diamond is working with DDR2 memory.

Tests and settings

Tests and settings
OpenGL
Doom III	Version: 1.0.1262. 1280x1024, 32 Bit Video Quality \u003d High Quality demo1 Graphics Detail \u003d High Quality
Wolfenstein. Enemy Territory.	Version: 2.56 (Patch v 1.02) 1280x1024, 32 Bit timedemo 1 / Demo Demo4 Geometric Detail \u003d High TEXTURE DETAIL \u003d HIGH
DirectX 8.
Unreal Tournament 2004.	Version: 3204. 1280x1024, 32 Bit, Audio \u003d OFF THG8-Assault-Single
3DMark2003.	Version 3.6.0. 1024x768, 32 Bit
DirectX 9.
Farcry.	Version 1.1 Build 1256 1280x1024 - 32 Bit Quality Options \u003d High
3DMark 2005.	Version 1.0. 1024x768, 32 Bit Graphics and CPU DEFAULT BENCHMARK
Video
Pinnacle Studio 9 Plus	Version: 9.4.1 from: 352x288 MPEG-2 41 MB to: 720x576 MPEG-2 95 MB Encoding and Transition Rendering to MPEG-2 / DVD no audio.
AUTO GORDIAN KNOT. DivX 5.2.1 XVID 1.0.3.	Version: 1.95 Audio \u003d AC3 6CH Custom Size \u003d 100 MB Resulution Settings \u003d Fixed Width Codec \u003d Xvid and DivX 5 Audio \u003d CBR mp3, kbps 192 182 MB VOB MPEG2-Source
Windows Media Encoder.	Version: 9.00.00.2980 720x480 dv to wmv 320x240 (29.97 FPS) 282 kbps streaming
Audio
LAME MP3	Version 3.97.1 Multi-Threaded Alpha Wave 17:14 Minutes (182 MB) to mp3 32 - 320 kbit VBR \u003d LEVEL 3
Applications
WinRar	Version 3.41 283 MB, 246 Files Compression \u003d Best. Dictionary \u003d 4096 KB
3DS MAX 7.	Characters "Dragon_charater_rig" 1600x1200. Rendering Single
Synthetic tests
PCMark 2005 Pro.	Version: 1.0.1 CPU and Memory Tests
Sisoftware Sandra Pro.	Version 2005, SR1 CPU Test \u003d Multimedia Benchmark Memory Test \u003d Bandwidth Benchmark
Sciencemark.	Version 2.0 All Tests.

• Cheap and expensive motherboards give the same performance if they are built on comparable components.
  Although P4N Diamond works with DDR2-667 memory, it was able to bypass the 915PL Neo-V on average by 0.25% (Pentium 4 Processor 560 processor). At the same time, for overclocking and fine tuning, the P4N Diamond board not only offers a better equipment, but also a larger set of functions.
• P4N Diamond has an excellent feature set, as a result of which this platform will suit almost any application.
  This includes basic work with sound, top games or professional 3D systems, as well as entry-level servers, thanks to the flexible drive subsystem.
• Wasting $ 150 more for the High-End motherboard worth only if you are really interested in one or more functions offered by P4N Diamond.

Test results are not just interesting: they shock. The results show that the top chipsets with high-speed memory are not able to circumvent the performance of an ordinary product with normal memory. Of course, in some scenarios, High-End "Iron" manifests itself, but the average user of the difference will not notice. Namely, we focused on the launch of this project.

In general, if you do not need support for dual-core processors or the possibility of upgrading to the SLI graphics subsystem, then there is no reason to change the 915 system to one of the fresh top products.

However, do not forget about the functions offered by the High-End motherboard. Repeat again: if you read the overview of both boards and consider additional opportunities justified, then you are probably a user-enthusiast, and the P4N Diamond fee will become a good choice. If you do not know why you need extra opportunities, it is unlikely that it makes sense to spend three times more money. Boldly take 915PL Neo-V.

Before you buy a motherboard for a PC or server, you need to decide which processor you will use in your new computer, and whether he will find out to your chosen card. Prices for motherboards depend on the chipset on the basis of which they are built, because it defines all the basic parameters of the motherboard: from the list of compatible processors and the type of memory up to the number of USB interfaces. Often motherboards are equipped with a video adapter built into the chipset or simply have video outputs to use the video recorder built into the processors, which is ideal for building an office machine, where the use of discrete graphics does not make sense. When choosing a fee, it is necessary to consider the size of the hull into which it will be installed. The XL-ATX or ATX board is suitable for the standard desktop computer, and it is advisable to buy a small Microatx or Mini-ITX motherboard to build a compact office computer or media center. Such fees are often supplied with a built-in processor, which significantly reduces power consumption.

Motherboards 1151V2 with support for DDR4 memory modules are suitable for Intel 8 and 9th generation processors with a kernel. They are created on the Intel Z390 and Intel Z370 chipset and support extreme acceleration, which will allow gamers and enthusiasts to collect a powerful configuration. Models on the Intel Q370 and B360 chipset are suitable for office computers, and available at the prices of Socket LGA 1151V2 motherboards on the Intel H370 and H310 chipset - for budgetary machines.

Motherboards 1151 support processors 6 and 7th generation with Kaby Lake and Skylake-S core. Manufacturers offer ATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX and Thin Mini-ITX format models, built on the Intel C236 and C232 chipset, which will become the best option for medium-level workstations. To build office computers, you can buy the Socket LGA1151 motherboards with the Intel B250 and B150 chipset, for an inexpensive computer - with the Intel H110 chipset, and it is necessary to select Intel Z270 or Z170 to overclock the DDR4 to the gaming machine.

AM4 motherboards belong to the top models of the average price segment. Manufacturers offer Socket AM4 motherboards with AMD X470 chipset, B450, X370, B350 and A320, compatible with modern AMD Ryzen 1 and 2nd generation processors, APU and Athlon with Bristol Ridge nuclei, Pinnacle Ridge, Raven Ridge and Summit Ridge.

Motherboards 2066 - Top motherboards for HEDT Intel processors applicable to build high-performance computers and workstations. Cards on the Intel X299 chipset with DDR4 memory support are compatible with Intel 7 and 9th generation processors with the Kaby Lake-X and Skylake-X core.

TR4 motherboards are supporting Ryzen Threadripper processors with Pinnacle Ridge and Summit Ridge cores. Buy Socket TR4 motherboards of a high segment on the AMD X399 chipset is suitable for building a server or a powerful gaming machine. They offer 8 slots for DDR4 and DDR4 ECC memory modules and support automatic acceleration.

Motherboards 3647 are still relevant, popular and mega productive motherboards on the Intel C621 chipset for Xeon processors with Skylake-SP cores. As a rule, they support up to two processors, up to 8 REGISTERED DDR4 or LRDIMM DDR4 memory modules and are used to build servers and workstations.

2011-3 motherboards on Intel C612 chipset have 16 slots under memory Registered DDR4 or LRDIMM DDR4 and support up to 2 Xeon E5 processors with Broadwell-EP or Haswell-EP kernels, which allows you to increase the server's computing power at any time.

Among the models intended for overclocking, the dominant positions took the ASRock and MSI system boards.

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ASRock Z170 Pro4s becomes the winner in the category "Best Budget Purchase to overclock Skylake". With a slight lag behind it, MSI Z170-A Pro is coming. The first fee is not bad physically prepared for a meeting with increased processor frequencies - ten phases of nutrition and the power supply circuit fully covered by radiators.

MSI in this question relaxed a little, paying the board less attention: six phases of food with cooling. Both fees feel comfortably in the lower price range for PCH Z170 (9,000-10 000 rubles). Of course, they will not please lovers of innovations and modern standards. However, for reasonable person, the proposal is considered to be the most profitable, if balanced by characteristics and capabilities.

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ATX Leaders for Equipment

This group consisted of solutions designed to work in a system with one or more video card. Such things are still found, but at the current year, the currency has become almost an exception to the rules.

And again, ASRock's motherboard was climbed on the pedestal with the best combination of prices / possibilities - Z170 Extreme4.

Following it there is ASUS Z170-A.

Both models are well prepared for the adoption from two to three video cards, connecting the periphery of USB 3.1, equipped with cooling systems and ten / twelve power phases. In general, the average score of equipment ranges between 93 and 90.

Effect of RAM on system performance

And now - a little practice. Compare data exchange rate for different Intel chipsets and its dependence on the standard of the RAM, frequency and timings used.

Chipset	Memory	Frequency	Timing	WinRar	Memtweakit. Score	Reading	Record	Copy	Delay	Cinebench	Java Micro. Benchmark.	3DMark 11 P.
B150.	DDR4.	2133	10-11-11-32 1T.	5950	55011	32074	32359	28139	55.6	595	2389	1710
B150.	DDR4.	2133	11-12-12-33 1T.	5814	53968	31871	32302	27689	59.3	597	2387	1703
B150.	DDR4.	2133	12-13-13-34 1T.	5670	52910	31716	32151	27144	59.6	592	2388	1701
B150.	DDR4.	2133	13-14-14-35 1T.	5535	51971	31530	32152	27159	61.2	593	2387	1696
B150.	DDR4.	2133	14-15-15-36 1T.	5410	50981	31292	31916	26953	63.6	592	2383	1687
B150.	DDR4.	2133	15-16-16-36 1T.	5286	50042	31143	31964	25372	65.6	589	2382	1684
B150.	DDR4.	2133	16-17-17-36 1T.	5109	49106	30829	31840	26376	70.7	579	2298	1674
B150.	DDR4.	2133	17-18-18-38 1T.	5028	48250	30562	31784	25891	72.5	567	2279	1670
H170.	DDR3	1866	8-9-9-28 1T.	5595	54687	28368	28583	27137	61.2	590	2381	1696
H170.	DDR3	1866	9-10-10-28 1T.	5491	53498	28230	28545	26991	65.0	590	2381	1696
H170.	DDR3	1866	10-11-11-28 1T.	5350	52344	28213	28538	26980	68.2	590	2380	1687
H170.	DDR3	1866	11-12-12-28 1T.	5195	51243	28119	28565	26488	68.7	588	2377	1683
H170.	DDR3	1866	12-13-13-28 1T.	5046	50098	27993	28534	25958	71.1	587	2370	1676
H170.	DDR3	1866	13-14-14-28 1T.	4979	48900	27918	28526	25586	73.5	586	2367	1670
H170.	DDR3	1333	9-9-9-28 1T.	4608	47617	20448	20470	19324	77.4	580	2377	1597
Z170	DDR3	1333	9-9-9-28 1T.	4612	48113	20614	20587	19428	76.9	579	2384	1594
Z170	DDR3	2400	10-12-12-31 1T.	6261	56477	35655	36932	34969	52.6	643	2590	1969
Z170	DDR3	2500	10-12-12-31 1T.	6416	56761	37077	38434	36213	51.7	646	2594	1976
Z170	DDR4.	2133	15-15-15-35-2T.	5075	48000	30605	31690	26066	68.8	571	2324	1648
Z170	DDR4.	3333	15-16-16-36-1T.	6900	58188	58188	46480	49640	45.6	652	2594	1989
Z170	DDR4.	3600	17-18-18-34-1T.	6887	66690	48508	53401	44992	46.3	654	2574	2011

For systems with initial chipsets, Intel provides memory usage with the following frequencies: for DDR3 base - 1333 MHz, maximum - 1866 MHz; For DDR4 - 2133 MHz (basic and maximum coincide).

Generalized conclusions suggest themselves - why buy expensive modules, when the difference in real applications is almost not visible? For the DDR3 standard, the frequency of 1333 MHz is too low to reveal the potential, but the bar with a frequency of 1866 MHz is already well distributed and not too expensive.

Note that a good set of G.skill memory with a frequency of 3600 MHz literally fails in tests due to too relaxed timings. And when comparing modes of 3333 MHz 15-16-16-36-1T and 3600 MHz 17-18-18-34-1T, the choice is obvious. Especially since reaching 3333 MHz is much easier even on weaker boards.

Conclusion

So, briefly list those models that distinguished themselves above. In the case of Micro-ATX form factor, ASRock H110M-HDV, ASRock B150M Pro4S / D3 and ASRock H110M Combo-G deserve attention to the ratio of price and possibilities. If you focus on the equipment, then here the top three will be ASUS Maximus VIII Gene, MSI Z170M Mortar and ASUS Z170M-PLUS.

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When planning a compact system based on the Micro-ITX motherboard, the best in this class becomes ASUS H110I-Plus D3, ASUS H170I-Plus D3 and ASUS Z170i Pro Gaming. If the ATX standard is yours all, then ASUS B150 Pro Gaming D3, ASUS B150-Pro and MSI B150 PC Mate at your service.

What should I do if you are accelerated? In this case, you can seek both accessible solutions - ASRock Z170 Pro4S and MSI Z170-A Pro and the more functional and expensive ASRock Z170 Extreme4 and ASUS Z170-A. And, perhaps, on this with Socket 1151 system boards, so far all.

Now about the intricacies. When planning a configuration without overclocking a graphics core and processor, it is more profitable to stay on the motherboard on Intel B150 with support for the DDR3 standard. In such a system, the operation of RAM at a frequency of 1866 MHz with delays is not higher than 10-11-11-28 1t / 11-12-12-28 1t. In principle, DDR4 modules are somewhat faster than analogs with DDR3, but in general, the benefits are hardly visible to the naked eye.

As for the Intel Z170 base systems, on the basis of the results obtained, the approximate parity occurs when using the DDR3 memory at a frequency of 2400 MHz during timings 10-12-12-31 1t or DDR4 3333 MHz during timings 15-16-16-36-1T . Obviously, at the moment it makes no sense to chase over the absolute speed of RAM.

Rasamaha (Dmitry Vladimirovich)

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Thank you for help in preparing material for publication: donnerjack.

Motherboard, motherboard or in common "board" - a complex and main base component when assembling a computer that serves to accommodate all items to start the system. The main execution materials are the textolite and getinax, created using special printed technologies. Motherboards are available in several major form factors:

• Micro-ATX
• Mini-ATX.

MINI-ATX is used to assemble entry-level systems or mini-assemblies to save space and budget. Their main disadvantage is the absence of enough space for the upgrade and setting powerful components. Micro-ATX is installed in mid-level systems and allow you to place both low-budget and some top components. ATX are used when assembling top systems that require not only a lot of space for the component base (for example, a video card or cooling system), but also high-quality materials for the board itself to withstand heavy loads.

We picked up the top 15 best motherboards for assembling game computers on the most popular and current outdoor sockets in 2019.

Best motherboards for am4

AM4 is designed to replace the morally outdated platform on AM3 +, having deprived it of its flaws and at the same time to move with now popular LGA1151. Its main innovations include:

• Support for the new DDR4 RAM format and a frequency of up to 3200 MHz;
• Stable work with multithreading Ryzen processors with integrated graphics and without it;
• Reduced heat dissipation, on average 65 W;
• Support USB1 and 3.0 Gen 2 at a speed of 5 and 10 Gb / s.

The main disadvantage was the partial incompatibility of boards with previous sockets - only single models have support.

4 ASRock B450M Pro4

The best cheap market fee for am4
Country: China
The average price: 6237 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.9

The board has 3 reinforced phases and 3 ordinary, albeit in the bottom shoulder and containing a pair of mosfets. Both VRM zones are covered with modest radiators, but due to propuls have an enlarged dispersion area for a better heat sink. 6 nuclei in acceleration will keep the iron, but it will not be able to drive around the bus, since there are no such "boards" of such functions on a 450 chipset.

Traditionally, the board has a curve for ASRock BIOS. Buyers in their feedback prases many ports. Delated there are 5 slots of coolers or water cooling system. To once again not steam and do not burn the system, it is recommended to have a well-blurred body or to be purchased by additional turntables. Considering the price, an excellent product was released, with the exception of random with MMFETs, changing from delivery to delivery.

3 MSI B450 Tomahawk

The coldest motherboard
Country: China
The average price: 9000 rubles.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The power supply system is holding the acceleration of any hexader and is quite capable of pulling the Ryzen 2700 per 4 GHz without any linings. This is the coldest of B450 boards on the market due to a strong hood and horse-sized radiator.

The only hot place is the controller. There is no offset here, but there is the possibility of an autonomous firmware of bios. Tomahawk has 4 slots for high-frequency RAM with a maximum indicator of 3466 MHz. Supports the Ryzen processors of the first and second generation. MSI strongly tried and if it was still possible to get to the B350 chipset, Tomahawk will endure any criticism and give big odds to competitors, despite not the best sound and network, which is justified by the manufacturer's desire to naughty.

2 MSI X470 Gaming Plus

Excellent equipment VRM.
Country: China
The average price: 11800 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The board has 4 + 2 reinforced phases, each of which got a double set of components. In the last generation, MSI surrendered to the squall of critics and stopped being purchased by second-rate elements, by the quality of ASUS. For your money, there is a better equipment of VRM, even taking into account less than the number of phases than the famous Asus Prime. In general, heats up also, but it is cheaper.

Of the disadvantages there is the impossibility of overclocking over the tire and traditionally good overclocking memory potential. No clock generator and offset voltage. Also cut the ability to overclock the built-in APU graphics. Thus, the fee has become an example of how you can save on secondary things in favor of more important things. The mediocre sound and the network are compensated for by a high efficiency with a high efficiency, which is also not deprived of heating under load.

Motherboards for office or study

Motherboards for workers' targets are significantly cheaper than playing analogs. They have a weak component base, they may have no protection against voltage drops, and there will be few power circuits in general. They can also be limited to frequencies of supported RAM, its volume. BIOS is strongly limited to functionality.

Motherboards for games

Here is the complete opposite. For a good gaming board, you need 4 slots for RAM with a volume of 16 GB. It is recommended to use the RAM with frequencies from 1866 MHz and above. An excellent option will be a model with powerful cooling radiators and at least 5 power circuits so that in the case of overclocking "board" is not burned. It is worth noting that there are games fees on sale and without acceleration, but they need to be used extremely careful. The BIOS of a good fee will be interface to overclock the tire and other PC components.

1 MSI X470 Gaming Pro Carbon

The best combination of characteristics
Country: China
Average price: 16106 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The Gaming Pro option has 1 phase of nutrition more, which has positively affected the temperatures and behavior of the board as a whole. As a result, MSI engineers managed to make a top foot among the predaintal motherboards. It is characterized by excellent memory acceleration, simple and understandable BIOS-Ohm with quick navigation. Conveniently located reset button on the I / O panel will also please the owner who decided to play with the settings.

This fee opened a new era of MSI, having ceased to drop the voltage during acceleration. This feature does not best affect the temperature and energy consumption in simple, but oddly enough fully complies with AMD specifications. Not suitable for overclocking APU due to missing settings in BIOS. The maximum amount of supported RAM is 64 GB with a frequency of up to 3466 MHz.

Best motherboards under the intel LGA1150 socket

The LGA 1150 socket came to shift LGA 1155 and is designed for most of the modern processors. If you do not care about overclocking, take cards from MSI or GIGYBITE. Want to save on an external sound card? Then pay attention to the "boards" with a built-in not lower Realtek 1150. The set of all the above will give you a high-quality base for assembling an inexpensive computer for both work and games.

4 ESONIC H81-BTC-KING

Choosing buyers and miners
Country: China
The average price: 3430 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.1

Among the famous competitors was lost from ESONIC. This is a rather modest "board", created exclusively for office goals and drive into simple browser toys without any hint of serious games or pumping.

2 slots DDR3 RAM, total 4 phases and abundance of USB slots indicate that the place of this board only in the office is to print documents or simply view movies. Of the advantages - there are Japanese capacitors. There are 4 SATA extensions, which will allow Mainers to boot 6 video cards at once.

3 ASUS B85M-G

Best price. One of the best-selling motherboards under socket 1150
Country: China
The average price: 4940 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.6

The third place rightfully got a motherboard ASUS B85M-G. It can be attributed to the best-selling models that are equipped with an Intel LGA1150 socket. The cost of the device is low enough, so it is very popular. The ideal option for those who wish to save, and at the same time collect a good multimedia system for a home or office computer.

All external interfaces have reliable protection, the panel is made of steel, which is not subject to corrosion. The model is especially relevant for the office, since the manufacturer equipped the COM and LTP ports. In the motherboard presented, the cooling system is based on high-quality solid type capacitors, which guarantee durability even with critical temperature modes (up to 105 degrees).

The operation of USB 3.0 interfaces is accelerated to 170% when interacting with any compatible peripheral devices, as they have support for the UASP protocol. As for the management and settings, even the newcomer will understand. Al Suite 3 software is simplicity and wide functional.

2 ASRock H81 Pro BTC R2.0

To overclock the initial level
Country: China
Average price: 5879 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

With fresh versions of BIOS, the fee is capable of issuing up to 1.35 volts processor, although it is not a maximum that is needed. However, these indicators are enough for most users who want to have 4.6-4.7 GHz in acceleration.

Externally, it seems fairly simple and has only 2 external USB ports 3.0, but plus two ordinary - laughter, and only. The built-in sound card is also not allocated. However, the abundance of PCIE slots is bribed. There are only 2 slots for RAM to a total volume of no more than 16 GB and a frequency of 1866 MHz. Buyers in their feedback notes that this model can be safely used for mining, it has excellent compatibility with GTX1080 Ti video cards and is characterized by a good cooling system. Please note that there is another port over the video card slot, which makes it possible to install any overall cooler to provide vertical blowing.

Despite the unconditional leadership of ASUS in the platinum market, their products under a socket of 1150 - clean water overpay. They are not highlighted by textolite, not the possibilities for overclocking, not in the components, but the manufacturer asks for its creations on average more than the rest. Even very controversial cards from MSI looks at a solid asus with a buzzing.

1 Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H-A (Rev 1.0)

Without restrictions on acceleration
Country: China
Average price: 5925 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The fee has no restrictions on overclocking, for which it has become one of the most popular and relatively inexpensive options. It supports many processors, the list of which is as follows:

• Intel Core i7;
• Core i5;
• Core i3;
• Pentium;
• Celeron.

BIOS has built-in protection and emergency recovery system during overheating or critical errors. The maximum amount of supported RAM is 32 GB of DDR3 format with a frequency of not more than 1600 MHz. There is support for the CrossFire system.

Best motherboards under the Socket Intel LGA1151

The LGA 1150 socket came to shift LGA 1155 and is designed for most of the modern processors. If you do not care about overclocking, take cards from MSI or GIGYBITE. Want to save on an external sound card? Then pay attention to the "boards" with a built-in not lower than Realtek 1150 and not worse. The totality of all of the above will give you a high-quality base for assembling an inexpensive computer for both work and games.

4 MSI H110M PRO-VD

Best price
Country: China
The average price: 3400 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.7

This model, unlike ASUS Maximus VIII Hero, allows you to deploy a full-fledged game system with relatively modest attachments. The main goat H110M Pro-VD is a large number of connectors: For devices with support for USB 3.1, they are provided here 8, and for SATA - as many as 6 (the throughput of each - up to 6 Gb / s). It is possible to install the RAM standard DDR4 with a frequency of 2133 to 3600 MHz. There is 4 slots for this, which makes it possible to equip your PC to 64 GB of high-speed and energy efficient RAM.

You can put the built-in sound chip from Realtek to the list of advantages - many manufacturers of expensive motherboards do not consider it necessary to add it to their decisions. In general, the H110M Pro-VD is not much inferior in the hardware features of ASUS Maximus Viii Hero, giving the last 30 percentage in price. The reason for this is passive cooling: at maximum PC loads based on ASUS Maximus VIII Hero, the drop in performance will be more tangible.

3 ASRock Z370 Pro4

Excellent ATX Format Selection
Country: China
Average price: 7949 rub.
Rating (2019): 4.9

Not everyone likes that the radiators here are only on the left side and the standard external USB usb only 6. But in this case, given the fact that the case will be under ATX and extension slots 7, then you can output the memory plank with external USB ports. The market has a variant of the Z370M Pro4 - the same, only Micro ATX and the same problems. Although, there is no difference in games, there are radiators around the socket or not - the frequency of 5 GHz will hold stable.

The maximum supported amount of RAM is 64 GB, 4 slots are available with DDR4 support to high-frequency 4266 MHz. Buyers in their feedback prases comfortable BIOS, good opportunities for overclocking and the absence of ready-made profiles under acceleration. Both advice: do not buy identical models on the chipset - they are more expensive and there are no radiators on the socket. Be careful when buying - many manufacturers indicate SLI support, but this feature is available only on single versions.

2 MSI Z370 Krait Gaming

Steep way with great opportunities
Country: China
The average price: 12690 rubles.
Rating (2019): 5.0

Powerful radiators, a cool sound card, the ability to print additional accessories on a 3D printer is just a small part of all the opportunities that can provide you with Z370 Krait Gaming. For lovers of a pleasant appearance, highlighting is available. There are SLI, but the memory is officially supported only by 4000 MHz. Therefore, the feeling may arise that everything is cool, but what is missing. Enjoying high-quality sound will help Audio Boost 4 with NaHimic 2+ technology. It will help to give your headset note of studio quality without noise and interference.

In case of problems, the built-in EZ Debug debugging system will help, well, and of course handy click BIOS 5. 2 slots under M.2 will help you easily install a pair of additional modules for expanding the functionality. The only snag is a small overpayment for a strange design, without which you can safely do.

1 ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger

For overclocking up to 4.9 GHz on the bus
Country: China
The average price: 6740 rubles.
Rating (2019): 5.0

The board is perfect for those who want to assemble a computer with high processor frequencies. With it you can overclock the I7-6700 processor to 4.9 GHz over the bus or up to 5 GHz on the factor in the case of i7-7700K. 4 slots for RAM with a frequency of 3400 MHz and a volume of up to 64 GB is a great indicator for its category. That pleases, this is simultaneous support for SLI and CrossFirex technologies.

The fee is made in simple and spectacular design without excesses, the cooling of the phase phases is simply at the height. On the site approximately every 1-2 months, fresh drivers come out. CPU Installation Tool is better not to use, but to put the processor across the old manner in order to break anything. BIOS has many settings and ordinary user will have to read the manual and see guides to get used to the control.

Best motherboards for am3 +

Socket AM2 + has become AMD response to the creation of Intel LGA1150. These solutions combine two features: the versatility and price availability of motherboards on their base. AMD AM1 module has become a bonus for buyers, providing compatibility with subsequent generations of processors. The next step in AMD has become more productive AM3 +, created specifically for the FX processor line and calculated on the acceleration of the top systems. Its characteristic features is the lack of embedded graphics, the "hot" northern bridge and a good potential for overclocking. At the same time, little case is not limited to the setting of the multiplier - "chant" is needed over the bus, for the forgetting about the voltage and the RAM, the frequency of which should not be less than 1866 MHz for efficient operation.

After an unexpected disclosure, as the technobloggers "dance" said AM3 +, AMD significantly fastened Intel, achieved a competitor to a line of budget "stones" series A4-A10 series.

3 ASUS M5A78L-M LE / USB3

Optimal choice for office systems and game PCs without acceleration
Country: China
The average price: 4173 rubles.
Rating (2019): 4.7

Before you, the initial level board, not intended for overclocking due to the 760G chipset, relatively weak cooling system and a small amount of power circuits. It is able to "start" the RAM with frequencies up to 1866 MHz, but the slots are total 2 and one two-channel mode. The maximum amount of RAM is just 16 GB and it is no longer able to see.

Turn the processor above 4.1 GHz is simply not recommended, otherwise you will see reboots and blue death screens. Solid-state capacitors do not swell under loads and are fully solid. From the factory often comes with the last or penultimate version of the BIOS, but he himself is already morally outdated. It is not recommended to install processors with TPD above 95 watts, otherwise the power circuit is warmed up and the schemes themselves are melted. Sometimes defective versions come across with a phoned sound system with more than 50% percent volume.

2 Gygabite GA970-DS3P (Rev 2.x)

Perfect choice for mid-level assemblies
Country: China
The average price: 5074 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

Meet a nationwide favorite, a choice for which most buyers fell from. Using this plans is comparable to the game on the violin Paganini - it is very difficult, but if you delve into the nuances, it is able to give the brightest sensations from the gameplay. Optimal frequencies for FX are indicators from 4.0 to 4.2 GHz, which increases heat dissipation up to 125 watts, respectively, the northern bridge and power circuit ceases to cope with such a load and require the placement of additional coolers with a diameter of 40 mm, otherwise overheating will occur in 10-15 minutes.

The new BIOS is well shown well, customizable now not only with the keyboard but also mouse. The board has a slot for connecting USB 3.0, as well as 8 ports on the rear panel, 6 of which USB 2.0. Realtek 7.1 is responsible for the sound, and the maximum supported frequency of RAM reaches 2000 MHz with a volume of up to 32 GB. Users in their reviews are recommended not to get involved with overclocking without additional blowing, otherwise the system unit can be safely warm.

1 ASUS M5A99FX Pro R.2.0

The best charge for acceleration under AM3 +
Country: China
Average price: 10770 rub.
Rating (2019): 5.0

This is the best and most affordable motherboard for FX, Phenom processors, Athlon 2, SEMPRON 100. And at the same time the most expensive. It does not stand out by the number of slots for RAM - they are here in classics 4 pieces. But the main viscos is an increased frequency of OP - up to 2133 MHz. The maximum amount is 32 GB, which is enough for all possible operations. According to the periphery of the case, powerful bridge radiators are installed for passive cooling with thermal tubes.

An important element is a set of 4-PIN connectors for connecting fans, as it is often necessary for additional turntables to improve air circulation. I am glad and the presence of an 8 phase phases immediately, because of which you can not worry about protecting the fees from "combustion". With a full and right upgrade, the fee can keep 5.1 GHz processor FX8300 without any problems. The main design material is a strong organity for increased loads and heavy "tower" cooling systems.

How to choose a motherboard?

When choosing motherboards, reubeble to the following aspects:

1. Compatibility is an important parameter when choosing a "motherboard". Any element and external device must be compatible physically and software with a board. Excellent option will be the fee, implying the transition to another processor in case of improvement.
2. The required number for ports, slots and socket (socket is connector or "pocket" to connect the processor). It is integrated into all fees, but as for USB ports and other elements, they can be varied depending on the modifications. This is especially important when building an upgrade to the upgrade in the future.
3. The presence of cooling systems (cooling radiators) on the chipset. Chipset is a set of chips mounted on the motherboard. Most often, all logic is tied to the north and southern bridges. There are fees on which there are no bridges, but there is another logic organization scheme.
4. Other components: Built-in sound controller (connecting columns), video adapter (analogue of an external video card), a network controller (Internet connection), the presence of a CMOS battery, a Russified BIOS (optional), built-in software for recovery.

Updated 01/16/2018. Information is relevant for the entire 2018 year.
This article is devoted to choosing a motherboard for your home computer. In it, we will tell you what parameters of the board are the most important things to pay attention to first of all, and what can not even think about. After reading, you can easily determine which socket is suitable for your processor, how many RAM slots will be required and so on. At the end of the article, current information about modern motherboards for Intel and AMD is given.

Starting always stands from the processor. Yes, even in the article we are talking about the motherboard, but the main criterion we will have exactly the processor. To choose the correct motherboard, first it is worth deciding between Intel or AMD. For each firm, a variety of boards have been created that vary chipsets and sockets. We will talk about this in more detail in the relevant paragraphs. Next, if the case touches Intel processors, then immediately decide for yourself, will you study overclocking? The answer to this question will immediately reduce the search area.
Separately, I would like to note that everything should be balanced in the computer assembly. No need to buy an expensive motherboard on 2 video cards, if there is only one card at all, that is, a graphical processor core is used, for example. Equally, how not to save on the board, if you take an expensive processor for acceleration. All items need to carefully choose and look at their compatibility with each other.

Form factor

This parameter characterizes the size of the motherboard. The standard is ATX with dimensions of 305 × 244 in millimeters. This is quite a bottle board and earlier they had little alternatives. But today they are:

• mINIATX (284 × 208),
• microatx (244 × 244),
• miniitx (170 × 170),
• nanoitx (120 × 120),
• picoitx (100 × 72).

Here is a visual illustration that will help submit the relative sizes of boards with different form factors. It can be seen that Picoitx is almost 3 times less than standard ATX:

If we are talking about the assembly of an ordinary home computer for games and work, but most likely you will fit microatx. They contain most of the necessary connectors, for example, USB 3.0, SATA 6GB / S, PCI-E x16 v3.0 and PCI-E X1-X4 for extension cards, for example, network or sound. When assembling a working station for work and modern games (on ultra settings), a full-fledged ATX board is required or even 4 PCI-E x16 slots for video cards, 4-8 DDR3 slots (or even DDR4) with support to 64 or 128 GB of operational Memory, as well as a powerful processor power system, chipset for overclocking (usually this is a series Z for Intel) and so on. It all depends on your needs and availability.

It is clear that the greater the board, the easier it is to place a large number of useful slots and connectors, as well as dilute them away from each other to avoid overheating of nodes and bridges. However, if the system is an average or low performance, for example, for home theater (HTPC) or a simple rocking chair of torrents (part-time home server - file storage), then you will probably want to make them small and quiet (with passive cooling). Here you will use small-sized form-fabrots of motherboards, such as miniitx or even Picoitx.

Chipset

There are several of them, and separately for Intel and AMD. The chipset is called a set of chips and a scheme of their company. These chips are responsible for normal joint (!) Working processor, RAM, video card and all other equipment. The chipset includes the northern bridge responsible for the interaction of the graphics core, RAM and the central processor. By tires (front, memory, graphics controller), they communicate with each other, transmit information for processing. And the South Bridge, which provides interaction with I / O devices (hard drives, flash drives, sound and network cards, and so on).

But, for a simple user, the chipset will primarily mean reliability, the ability to overclock the processor and a set of connectors, the presence of certain ports.
Intel processor chipsets should include the Z, H, B and Q series of processors. At the same time, only the Z series supports processor and memory overclocking. In the title after the letter there is a number, for example, Z97, H97, B85 and the like. What opportunities there is a particular model of the motherboard, you need to look at the official website or, in the extreme case, on Yandex Market.
For AMD, the chipset usually begins on the letter A, or does not contain letters at all. Examples can serve as A68, A88, AMD 970, and so on.

Socket

One of the fundamental factors in which you need to figure it out before choosing a motherboard. Socket is a processor connector. Intel and AMD have several different sketches, but modern is always considered one or two. For example, Intel today is 1150, and AMD AM3 + and FM2 +. If the socket of the processor and the motherboard does not coincide, then install it will not work. That is why, during the upgrade, the system usually needs to be changed immediately, both, and possibly a video card with RAM, too, because their connectors, though rarely, but also change.


Another interesting fact. Intel digit characterizes socket denotes the number of contacts between the processor and the motherboard. Previously, for example, there were 476, 775, 1155 and 1156, now 1150. Also these contacts had different forms. First, the processor was legs, and in the motherboard holes, but it caused some inconvenience - the legs could bother. Then the engineers took into account this fact and made ordinary convex contacts and on the processor and on the board, they simply press up to each other with a special latch.

Slots of RAM

Differences in this point are concluded in the connector itself and in their quantity. They can be from one (although they are usually at least two) to 8 or even more. The most popular and affordable type for today - DIMM DDR3, but DDR4 appeared. In the latter there are advantages, but in the mass he was completely and did not come out. Basically because everyone is waiting for a socket update at Intel and, accordingly, a new generation of processors themselves.

The next important parameter here is to name the frequency and volume of memory. The frequency of at least 1600 MHz must be maintained, and the total volume of 32 GB, although senior models are supported by 2400 MHz with a volume of up to 128 GB. But, in ordinary home computers it would be superfluous, the numbers will come here and more comprehend. If you collect the system on the basis of processors with integrated graphics and do not plan to buy a video card (for example, if the budget does not allow), then all textures and other information that are needed for graphics will be stored in RAM. In this case, it is recommended to take an operational pate with a frequency higher, for example, 2133 MHz and a volume of at least 8GB. Consequently, the motherboard must maintain such a frequency.

Connectors for video cards

They may not be altogether, for example, on some Picoitx maternity board, which is commonly used with embedded graphics and a built-in processor. And maybe 2 or even 4 connector. Modern are considered PCI-E X16 version 3.0. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the use of one video card more preferably than two. Therefore, for a home computer, you can safely choose a motherboard with one slot for the video card. If you are sure that you will gather a game station and one video card you will not be enough, then buy a full-size ATX board with 2 PCI-E X16, and the full X16 can afford only the top mother of the Maximus or Sabertooth type, for which you lay out a round sum, but It is worth it if you are an avid gamer or professional designer (photographer). The remaining boards usually underestimate the second slot to x4 or x8.

Other internal and external connectors, slots and outputs

These include all USB, SATA, PCI, PCI-E X1-X8, Ethernet, Audio and other slots (connectors, outputs). Depending on your needs, you can choose a motherboard with one or another set of connectors. But not everything is so smooth. For example, you want to connect your old audio or network card to the computer, it is likely that they are connected to the IDE, but there may be problems. In the new chipsets there is no place to outdated IDE, now all extension boards are produced for PCI-E X1-X4 so, perhaps with old sound and network cards will have to say goodbye. The same applies to old hard drives and CD-DVD drives. If they are on the IDE, you will have to throw away. You can, of course, try to purchase a PCI-E X1 controller with IDE outputs, but is it worth it - a big question.


Also pay attention to the presence of modern ports, for example, USB 3.0 or even 3.1. For quick operation of hard drives - SATA 6 GB / S, for the PCI-E x16 video card, it is version 3.0, and not 2.0. Built-in sound cards are also different. This may be a decent model with outputs 7.1 or 5.1, and there may be an entry-level board with outputs for 3.1 systems. Network cards are usually installed 1 GB / s, but sometimes 100 MB / s are falling across, it also deserves attention. Maybe you will want a motherboard with two Ethernet ports, and it can be with the built-in WiFi module, not in all models there is its support.

How and where to learn all the characteristics of the board

This can be done first of all on official sites. Oddly enough, many people ignore official sites, even when they are looking for some kind of program, they do not enter the official sites and very in vain. Always go there and only if you won't find the necessary information from the manufacturer (developer) - look on on other resources.

For example, you chose a motherboard from ASUS and want to learn about it in more detail. Immediately visit the ASUS website and in their internal search are looking for a board on the model. Yes, this is a simple advice, but for some reason the vast majority of users do not. The same applies to support. All the most recent drivers are on official sites. There are no viruses there. Support is always free!

As for the characteristics, the second source after official sites can be called Yandex Market. There is also everything you need and even links to the manufacturer. You can safely use.