Our 6 Best Gaming Motherboards of 2020 Ft. AMD & Intel Picks
For anyone looking to build a new gaming PC, finding the best gaming motherboard is a crucial, often overlooked step. You could already have a gaming rig setup but want to take advantage of a new Gen CPU and need one of the latest motherboards to go with it.
Either way, finding the best motherboards out there can be incredibly difficult, and for some, the terminology and fear of getting compatibility issues can stop people in their tracks! We want to take this headache away here at WePC, and we do that by doing the research for you.
We have been busy researching motherboards for various chipsets and socket types, we have purchased, built with, and tested our selections, all to give you a helping hand.
Sit back and have a read through our article, and by the end, you'll be ordering the best motherboard for your needs. If you are still a little unsure as to what may be compatible with what, then you can check all of your components are compatible with each other if you need to.
Giving you everything you need for a high-end AMD based gaming system, you can’t go wrong when choosing this motherboard. The MSI MEG X570 Godlike is packed full of features which strike the perfect balance between performance and style.
Built-in Wi-Fi, Mystic Light RGB, and improved overclocking support are just some of the features you're going to find with this board.
If you have a blazing fast Intel CPU, you’re going to need a capable motherboard to go with it. Luckily, MSI has given us the Intel version of the Godlike, the MSI MEG Z390.
This board features fantastic RGB, a huge capacity for overclocking, and triple M.2 support are some of the features which make this our top Intel pick.
While this may appear a bit expensive for a runner up pick, the quality of the board pushed it firmly into the list.
The Asus ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero is an excellent board which can deliver like the higher-priced boards while saving you a few dollars. Not only does it have all the features you’d expect of a high-end board, but it’s also on AMD’s new chipset.
As far as runner ups go this was a close one. The Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Xtreme is almost "godlike" and is a perfect alternative but again at a cheaper price.
With its snazzy-looking heatsinks and RGB this motherboard looks unreal, and when you factor in the reinforced card slots and overclocking ability, you know you are in for a treat.
Need a great motherboard for your AMD build but don’t want to break the bank? Look no further than the MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX. This version is built to deliver the same levels of performance and eliminates the need to update your BIOS with the new Ryzen 3000 CPUs.
In the market for a budget motherboard for an Intel build? Check out the Gigabyte Z390 UD motherboard then!
Made for the gamer on a budget, this is a great entry-level motherboard and will by no means break the bank!
How We Choose
When we decide we want to showcase products to our audience, quality and performance are always our number one concerns. We are careful to ensure we provide nothing but the best advice to our readers.
- Staying up to date. No one wants to receive outdated information, so we do our due diligence to ensure we’re always on top of industry trends
- Research is key. Tech is complicated and can be multifaceted. So, we scour the internet to find the motherboards everyone is using, what components are working best with those boards, and several other key factors
- Narrowing down. Once we have a pool of candidates, we start narrowing down based on things such as features, reviews, personal experience, etc. The final candidates are the ones that made the biggest impact
Things to Consider
Now that you’re aware of the best options available to you, you’re going to have to choose a gaming motherboard that best suits you and your needs. If you’re asking yourself, ”What motherboard should I get?” we’d like to make sure you know what makes a good gaming motherboard, because there are a lot of factors to consider. Here at WePC, we believe an educated consumer is an empowered consumer!
Form Factor
The physical footprint may be something you need to consider when choosing your motherboard. If you’re tight on space, you may want to consider a smaller sized computer case. If you’ve got plenty of room and want to build an impressive system, then going for a larger form factor could be beneficial.
Whatever your case may be, there are several main types of form factors that motherboards come in:
| Form Factor | Size (in inches) |
|---|---|
| Mini-ITX | 6.7 x 6.7 |
| Mini-ATX | 5.9 x 5.9 |
| microATX | 9.6 x 9.6 |
| ATX | 12 x 9.6 |
| eATX | 12 x 13 |
Socket
Every motherboard is going to have a specific socket type. This is the physical slot on the motherboard that holds your CPU in place. You’re going to have to match up the socket type of your motherboard to your CPU making sure they are compatible.
Trying to fit the wrong processor into the wrong socket type can cause fatal damage to your components, and no one wants that.
To make sure your CPU and motherboard are compatible, check the specs. Let's take a quick look at some examples:
| Motherboard | Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Xtreme | MSI MEG X570 Godlike |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i9-9900K | AMD Ryzen 3900X |
| Socket | LGA 1151 | AM4 |
Chipsets
A large factor when determining which motherboard is right for you and your needs is the chipset. Your chipset is a key factor in determining which features your motherboard comes with. This ranges from PCIe lanes to SATA ports, and even overclocking support. Even if your processor allows overclocking, if the motherboard’s chipset doesn’t support it, then you won’t be able to do it.
With AMD & Intel having non-compatible sockets and chipsets, it's always worth making sure that your latest hardware components are compatible. Especially when new RAM, motherboards and CPU's are being released on an all too regular basis.
Let’s take a look at some chipsets from both Intel and AMD:
Intel
| Chipset | PCI Express Lanes | SATA Ports | M.2 Ports | USB 3.1 Gen 1 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Overclocking Supported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H310 | 6 PCIe 2.0 | 4 | None | Up to 4 | None | No |
| B360 | 12 PCIe 3.0 | 6 | Up to 2 | Up to 6 | Up to 4 | No |
| H370 | 20 PCIe 3.0 | 6 | Up to 2 | Up to 8 | Up to 4 | No |
| Z370 | 24 PCIe 3.0 | 6 | Up to 3 | Up to 10 | None | Yes |
AMD
| Chipset | PCI Express Lanes | SATA Ports | M.2 Ports | USB 3.1 Gen 1 | USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Overclocking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supported | ||||||
| A320 | 1 PCIe 3.0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | No |
| 4 PCIe 2.0 | ||||||
| B350 | 1 PCIe 3.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Yes |
| 6 PCIe 2.0 | ||||||
| X470 | 2 PCIe 3.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 | Yes |
| 6 PCIe 2.0 |
Memory
When it comes to checking memory compatibility, you need to pay attention to four things: Max supported memory, memory speed, multi-channel support, and how many memory slots are on the board.
Check the specs against the motherboard, this will let you know precisely what the motherboard will support when it comes to speed and how many memory slots there are.
Memory Location
Also, some motherboards will have their memory slots a little closer to the CPU than others. Once in a while, this can cause an issue with the CPU heatsink. If you have a larger than normal heatsink for your CPU, you might want to make sure it won’t barge into your memory slot area.
PCI slots
Peripheral Component Interconnect, or PCI, is the physical slot in which you can expand the capabilities of your basic system.
This includes, but not limited to things like:
- Wi-Fi card
- Video card
- Extra USB ports
- NVMe expansion cards
There are two types of PCI slots: PCI and PCI Express (PCIe). The PCIe slot is a larger, faster version of the PCI slot.
Basic expansion cards such as a wifi adapter only require the much smaller PCI slot, while larger, more powerful cards such as your graphics card, require the larger and more powerful PCIe slot.
Making sure you have enough PCI slots for all of your components is important. If you’re running multiple GPUs and want to add in say a network and a sound card or an NVMe expansion card, you might have to check to make sure your motherboard has enough slots to accommodate.
The other thing to look for is plenty of spacing. If you’re planning on running multiple GPUs that are large, you may need PCIe slots that are further apart to allow for adequate space.
Fan Headers
The last thing you need to make sure is that you have enough fan headers for everything you plan on running. If you’re running a lot of fans, or maybe RGB controllers, you’re going to have to make sure you have enough headers on the motherboard to support this.
If you’re interested in learning more about motherboards, then you can read all about how motherboards are made, as well as what all of the main components do.
6 Best Gaming Motherboards of 2020
| Product | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 | MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
| Check Current Price | |
 | MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE
| Check Current Price | |
 | ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero
| Check Current Price | |
 | Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Xtreme
| Check Current Price | |
 | MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX
| Check Current Price | |
 | GIGABYTE Z390 UD
| Check Current Price |
MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
TECH SPECS
- Intended BuildAMD - High-end
- Form FactorE-ATX
- Overclocking SupportYes
- SocketAM4
- ChipsetX570
PROS
- One of the nicest looking boards available
- Built-in heat sink Fan
- Great overclocking potential
CONS
- Very expensive
Specs
- Memory slots: 4 X DDR4
- Max memory: 128GB Dual Channel
- Max memory frequency: 4,600+ MHz
- 4 x PCIe x 16 slots
- SATA ports: 6
- M.2 Ports: 3
The MSI x570 Godlike is regarded as one of the best boards you can buy with a huge amount of features to go along with its rather large price tag. This motherboard is by no means a budget option as it comes with a high quality 14+4+1 digital power phase design, which requires the large thermal heat sink.
Design-wise it's hard to beat the MSI Godlike. The motherboard features Mystic Light RGB with an "infinity" RGB window in the corner. The board also has a small OLED display that will show you any debug codes when things go wrong or it can display temps for hardware monitoring.
Other more functional features include the Frozr heatsink design, M.2 expansion card, and 10g ethernet card. To the back of the board, we see a clear-CMOS button which is very handy for the overclocker. This Clear-CMOS function will allow you to push your RAM to the limits without having to go into your system and try to get the CMOS battery out. Next to the SMOS button sits a BIOS flash button so you can update your BIOS without breaking a sweat.
Overall this is a superb motherboard and its onboard WIFI capability is fantastic. MSI is not messing around with the Godlike, as you can probably tell from the Gigabit jack, 2.5 Gigabit jack, and the 10g ethernet card. This board can only enhance your build!
MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE
TECH SPECS
- Intended BuildIntel - High-end
- Form FactorE-ATX
- Overclocking SupportYes
- SocketLGA1151
- ChipsetZ390
PROS
- Very aesthetically pleasing motherboard
- Built-in heat sink Fan
- Comes with a capture card
- Great for overclocking
CONS
- Very expensive
Specs
- Memory slots: 4 X DDR4
- Max memory: 128GB Dual Channel
- Max memory frequency: 4,600+ MHz
- 4 x PCIe x 16 slots
- SATA ports: 6
- M.2 Ports: 3
Here we have the MSI MEG Godlike Z390 which is the Intel version of the X570. As you can imagine, being an Intel motherboard it is more expensive, but this time the Intel version isn't technically the best.
Design-wise it is pretty much an identical E-ATX motherboard with the same Mystic Light RGB, Infinity mirror, and OLED display. The display will show debug codes and hardware temperatures of your pleasing so you can look inside your case rather than loading software.
For LAN you get two Killer E2500 ports which are award-winning and not to be sniffed at! Just like the AMD version, you get the same BIOS flashback and CMOS buttons. You also get an M.2 expansion card, but instead of a 10g ethernet, we see MSI's "Streaming Boost" which is basically a capture card. The capture card has been designed with mobile gamers in mind, but it will work with console and other PCs without any issues.
The Z390 Godlike is a serious feat of motherboard design and should be considered. This flagship motherboard is incredible, and if you think you can make use of all the little extra features, then this is certainly the motherboard for you. MSI has delivered with the MEG Z390 Godlike.
ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero
TECH SPECS
- Intended BuildAMD - High-end
- Form FactorATX
- Overclocking SupportYes
- SocketAM4
- ChipsetX570
PROS
- 5-way optimization
- High performance networking
- Solid overclocking potential
CONS
- Can get quite hot
Specs
- Memory slots: 4 X DDR4
- Max memory: 128GB Dual Channel
- Max memory frequency: 4,800 MHz
- 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Processors
2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)
2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Processors
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)
2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics Processors
1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8 mode)
AMD X570 chipset
1 x PCIe 4.0 x16
1 x PCIe 4.0 x1 - SATA ports: 8
- M.2 Ports: 3
The Asus ROG Crosshairseries has been quite popular over the years, and this X570 chipset is likely to follow suit. This board comes after the anticipated release of the new Ryzen chips with provision for PCI-e 4.0 and lightning-quick storage. The Hero overall is an excellent board with little weaknesses to differentiate it from the rest.
The design appears to be similar to the Formula motherboard as the base without the display and excessive VRM water block. The motherboard is incredibly aesthetically pleasing as you would expect from the ROG department. The large heatsink features an RGB ROG logo, as does the I/O shroud, making the motherboard pop visually.
It is worth noting that this particular board only supports 2nd and 3rd Gen Ryzen CPUs. Despite being an AM4 socket, it doesn't work with the 1st Gen Ryzens, and if you plan on taking advantage of the PCIe 4.0 functionality, then you are going to need to pair this with a 3rd Gen Ryzen chip.
We see 2.5G LAN support along with Intels WIFI 6. You also get a Type-C USB port, a BIOS flashback button, and a clear CMOS button to take away some of the overclocking headaches RAM can bring.
Overall the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero is packed with features and performs as well as some of the best. This board and its plethora of USB ports is an excellent board and a fantastic alternative to the Godlike for performance and financial reasons. The layout of This motherboard is great, the RGB is catchy, and it's better than its predecessor!
Gigabyte Z390 AORUS Xtreme
TECH SPECS
- Intended BuildIntel - High-end
- Form FactorE-ATX
- Overclocking SupportYes
- SocketLGA1151
- ChipsetZ390
PROS
- Excellent design with vibrant RGB
- Thunderbolt 3 controller with dual Type-C ports
- Good overclocking performance
CONS
- Pricey
Specs
- Memory slots: 4 X DDR4
- Max memory: 128GB Dual Channel
- Max memory frequency: 4,400 MHz
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16 (PCIEX16)
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x8 (PCIEX8)
- 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x4 (PCIEX4)
- 2 x PCI Express x1 slots
- SATA ports: 6
- M.2 Ports: 3
Gigabyte has designed one nice looking board, and it was clearly made to challenge the best motherboards out there. The Z390 Aorus Xtreme is a fantastic flagship motherboard, and it is built to go fast! The Aorus Extreme just narrowly misses out to the Godlike.
The design on this motherboard is up there with the best, and it is easily one of the nicest looking boards currently available (as long as you like RGB that is). The M.2 heat sinks are dotted with camouflage and the overall silver, and black design to the board really accents the RGB lighting well.
This board is bursting with features much more impressive than carefully designed RGB lighting. This E-ATX motherboard supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel CPUs as you would expect and features a cutting edge thermal design. You get 10GbE BASE-T LAN, and Intel Gigabit LAN with cFosSpeed and the onboard WIFI brings Aorus' new antenna along. We see Thunderbolt 3 onboard and Intel Optane compatibility.
As mentioned, the overclocking performance from this board is great, and Gigabyte include their Xtreme Overclocking touch panel. This OC panel features a set of controls for controlling the BIOS, allowing you to tweak your components clocks without needing to reboot your system. Another impressive add-on from Gigabyte is the Aorus RGB Fan Commander. This bundled fan controller allows you to control the lighting effects, fan speeds, and more for up to 8 fans/ RGB strips.
Yes, this is an expensive motherboard, I mean you could build an entire PC for this amount of money. That being said, the build quality, included features and aesthetics are something to be marveled at, and this board is definitely worth your hard-earned cash.
MSI B450 Gaming Plus MAX
TECH SPECS
- Intended buildBudget build
- Form factorATX
- Overclocking supportYes
- SocketAM4
- ChipsetB450
PROS
- Excellent build quality
- Overclocking capabilities
- Good value
CONS
- Only 802.11 AC WiFi
- one NVME
- Socket: AM4
- Chipset: B450
- Memory Slots: 4 X 288pin
- Max Memory: 64GB Dual Channel
- Max memory frequency: 3,466 (OC) MHz
- PCIe slots:
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot
- 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slot
- 3 x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots
- SATA ports: 6
- M.2 Ports: 1
- USB Ports:
- 1 x USB C
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen2
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen1
- 6 x USB 2.0
The Arsenal Gaming B450 Tomahawk from MSI is officially the cheapest budget range board on our list, however, don't be totally fooled with the price tag. MSI has had to make some compromises to achieve the low price range but they have kept the core features gamers are most concerned about.
With 64GB of 3,466MHz RAM to play with, this board is perfect for an APU build. Having said that, you can still make use of the excellent features to pair this board with any of the Ryzen 3rd gen CPUs. You won't even have to update the BIOS either. MAX means this board is already updated to the latest BIOS so you can simply pop your new chip into this motherboard without the fear of a none boot.
Unfortunately, the Tomahawk only comes with 1 M.2 slot meaning future expansion is going to be fairly difficult if you're looking at using multiple M.2's. It's easy to let the tomahawk off though seeing as though it comes to shelves just over the $100 mark.
One of our favourite boards here at WePC that's great for anyone looking to build a decent first time gaming rig.
GIGABYTE Z390 UD
TECH SPECS
- Intended BuildIntel Low-Mid Range Builds
- Form FactorATX
- Overclocking SupportYes
- SocketLGA1151 (8th and 9th-gen only)
- ChipsetZ390
PROS
- Very Cheap
- 4 x DIMM sockets (up to 64GB)
- AMD 4-way CrossFire
CONS
- No Built In WIFI
- Doesn't Have RGB
- Only 1 M.2 Slot
Specs
- Memory Slots: 4 X DDR4
- Max Memory: 128GB Dual Channel
- Max memory frequency: 4,266 MHz
- 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16
- 2 x PCIe 3.0 x4
- 3 x PCIe 2.0 x1
- SATA ports: 6
- M.2 Ports: 1
Rounding out our list is the Gigabyte Z390 UD. When it comes to budget boards for Intel, you won’t find better than this.
Not only will this cheap gaming motherboard not break the bank, but when it comes to storage, there’s room a-plenty! With six SATA ports and an M.2 port, you’ll have room to expand as much as you’d like, and then some.
With support for up to 4,266 Mhz RAM, the Z390 UD is one of the highest on our list when it comes to RAM speeds, only boosting its value further.
This motherboard does have two PCIe 3.0 slots, but one of them only runs at x4 speeds, so if you’re running dual video cards, you’re going to lose some bandwidth on the second card. AMD CrossFire is supported.
Related Motherboard Pages
If you are still unsure about which motherboard you want to choose, then check out some of our related guides for more thorough advice.
- AM4 Motherboards
- X570 Motherboards
- X470 & B450 Motherboards
- Z370 Motherboards
- Z390 Motherboards
- TR4 Motherboards
- Motherboards for mining
You can also check out a few of our guides on the latest updates and upgrades in the motherboard space.
Which Gaming Motherboard Is Best For You?
So, you know the motherboards available to you, but which one is the best fit for you? Let’s take a moment to talk about that.
High-end
A high-end motherboard would be for someone who is either looking to push their gaming performance to the next level or needs something to help with their content creation.
The benefits of a high-end build include:
- More PCIe lane bandwidth, allowing for faster gaming and processing
- More expansion ports
- Better quality components to handle the increased usage
Mid-range
Buying a mid-range motherboard would be a good investment for anyone who doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of a high-end board, but still wants solid performance out of their machine.
The benefits of a mid-range build include:
- Better price point
- Good quality components for longevity
- Enough bandwidth for performance
Budget
Those that are interested in budget motherboards are probably looking for something that will get them up and running without breaking the bank.
Ultimately, budget boards make compromises to accommodate such low prices. However, that's not always a bad thing. The two budget boards we've recommended are from reliable providers, and have plenty of room for add-ons, making them very versatile and good value for money.
Conclusion
So which motherboard will you choose? The X570 and Z390 Godlike are easily the best motherboards you can get for the respective AMD and Intel chipsets. The top four boards on this list would make any build go to the next level and give you plenty of opportunity for overclocking.
Personally, my needs are more suited to hardcore gaming and hardcore gaming alone so something like the budget MSI B450 would suit me perfectly.
Let us know which motherboard you chose and why we’d love to hear from you.