Helpful Tips for Choosing the Best Gaming Motherboard
The motherboard is the heart of the entire computer system. It is the part that connects all the other parts and makes sure they work smoothly. As such, choosing the best gaming motherboard is the most important task to do when building a gaming PC. This article will teach you how to choose the best gaming motherboard.
Decide what type of CPU to use
This may seem irrelevant to choosing a motherboard. In fact, this is the most important thing to do before selecting a motherboard. The reason is that the type of CPU will determine the type of motherboard you need. For example, if you choose an Intel CPU, you must get the socket 775 motherboard or else the CPU will not fit on the motherboard. Deciding on the type of CPU will help you make a better decision when choosing the best gaming motherboard.
Determine if the motherboard is compatible with the type of CPU you have chosen
As mentioned above, if you are using an Intel CPU, you should get a socket 775 motherboard, while an AMD CPU requires a socket AM2 motherboard. Also, some of the older socket 775 motherboards do not support dual core processors (although they use the same socket) or even quad core processors. Check the manufacturer’s website for confirmation before purchasing the motherboard.
overclocking function
If you’re overclocking your CPU, you should get a motherboard that allows you to change the FSB speed and CPU voltage in small increments.
Support RAM and not memory slot
Your motherboard must support DDR2 RAM, for the simple reason that DDR2 is currently the fastest RAM on the market. Another thing to keep in mind is the maximum speed of RAM that the motherboard supports. Some motherboards can only support up to DDR2 667 MHz RAM while the latest ones can support up to DDR2 1066 MHz.
Also, you may want to upgrade your RAM in the future, so your current motherboard should have at least 4 memory slots and can support up to 8 GB of RAM so that you have the option to upgrade in the future.
SLI/Crossfire Ready
The SLI/Crossfire-ready motherboard means you can use two identical high-performance graphics cards to render graphics, thus achieving faster and more realistic video effects. Not all motherboards support this feature. As video effects become more and more advanced, soon SLI or Crossfire technology will become the standard for video display. Therefore, even if you are not using this technology now, it is still advisable to get a gaming motherboard with SLI or Crossfire function.
SATA2 controller
SATA2 can transfer data at twice the speed of SATA 1. When it comes to gaming, every speed counts and that increase in speed can be the deciding factor in your game. A SATA 2 port is backward compatible with SATA 1 devices, but not the other way around. You’d better get a motherboard that supports SATA 2 devices. Also, if you’re using RAID, you should get a motherboard that has four SATA 2 ports.
Additional characteristics
You may want to consider additional features such as additional USB 2.0 ports, firewire, integrated LAN, and front panel LEDs when choosing a gaming motherboard. Some of the motherboards contain more features than others and you have to compare them to see the differences.
Features like onboard sound and video aren’t as important on the best gaming motherboard as they wouldn’t contribute well to a good gaming session. For a gaming computer, you need to get a separate graphics card and sound card to play the latest game on the market.
Conclution
When getting the best gaming motherboard, it pays to do some market research and compare it against various motherboards. Since it is the most important part of the entire computer system, never skimp on it.