Best motherboard for RTX 4080 in 2024, should I upgrade?

Wondering whether your motherboard is up to scratch? Will it be able to contain the power that is the RTX 4080?

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The release of the RTX 4080 excited gamers and content creators everywhere when it came out, and with recent price drops it’s potentially even more appealing, but you obviously need to make sure you have the correct tech before you go spending two months’ rent on a brand new RTX 4080. Today we answer the question “Should I upgrade my motherboard for the RTX 4080?” and What is the best motherboard for the RTX 4080?

Although it’s been superseded by the more powerful Super line (read our best motherboard for RTX 4080 Super guide if you’re curious about this one) the regular 4080 is still a very powerful GPU, so it makes sense that you’ll need a powerful PC supporting the GPU for it to work to its full potential. With the picks updated, you can be sure to find the right one for you, with the top selection being the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, ROG Crosshair X670E extreme, and ASUS ROG Strix X570-F.

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Best motherboard for the RTX 4080 in 2024

Here we will outline our best options for the RTX 4080. Since the CPUs we recommend span three different chipsets, we will be recommending the best of each motherboard within those chipsets.

ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO

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Best motherboard for 13900K

ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Form factor

ATX

Power stages

20+1 phase

Connectivity

2.5Gb LAN, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5, audio, USB4, USB-C, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4

PCIe Gen 5

GPU x16 and M.2

DDR5

Yes

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Pros

• Strong power stages
• PCIe Gen 5
• Heightened DDR5 speeds
• Lots of connectivity

Cons

• Very expensive

The ROG Maximus Z790 HERO is certainly deserving of the best motherboard for the RTX 4080 title. The ROG Z790 HERO motherboard stands tall within the Z790 platform, surpassing the ROG Extreme motherboard on AMD’s side, which faced issues with X3D CPUs overheating. Fortunately, the ROG Z790 HERO doesn’t grapple with such problems. It flaunts the latest motherboard technology and an array of connectivity features.

With the LGA 1700 socket, this motherboard is primed for 13th-gen Intel Core processors as well as 12th-gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors. While it’s unconventional to pair it with Pentium or Celeron processors, the flexibility is at your disposal. A prominent feature is the robust 20+1 power stage design, with each stage rated for 90A. Coupled with dual ProCool II power connectors, high-quality alloy chokes, and sturdy capacitors, it effortlessly accommodates multi-core processors.

In terms of storage, the Maximus Z790 HERO embraces state-of-the-art M.2 SSD technology. It incorporates a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot on the motherboard and comes bundled with the ROG Hyper M.2 card housing four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, all equipped with effective cooling solutions.

Connectivity options are comprehensive with the Z790 HERO. It boasts Dual Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C front-panel connector with Quick Charge 4+ support up to 60W, an additional half-dozen USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots, and HDMI 2.1 compatibility.

You’d certainly be amiss if you didn’t select the ROG Z790 Extreme as your motherboard of choice for the RTX 4080.

ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme

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Best AMD motherboard for RTX 4080

ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme

ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme

Form factor

EATX

Power stages

20 + 2

Connectivity

2x USB4 ports, 10GbE Ethernet, advanced audio system, and Wi-Fi 6E adapters.

PCIe Gen 5

M.2 & PCIe x16 slot

DDR5

Yes

How We Review

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Pros

• Sleek design
• Efficient power stages
• Tonnes of connectivity
• DDR5

Cons

• Expensive

The Crosshair X670E extreme is a goliath even by our standards, it’s probably the highest-end E-ATX AM5 motherboard you can own, next to GIGABYTE and MSI. 

The ASUS X670E ROG Crosshair Extreme features VRMs based on Infineon ASP2205 power management IC (PMIC) and Vishay SIC850 110A smart power stages. Also, the Crosshair Extreme will feature a 20 + 2-stage power delivery system. Making the power delivery some of the cleanest you can find on the AM5 platform.

The Crosshair obviously ships on the DDR5 RAM standard, with support up to 7400MHz. AMD finally ditched the outdated DDR4 memory standard and opted for ultra-fast DDR5. You can expect full PCIe Gen 5 support on its 16x slot and PCI Gen 5 support for compatible M.2 drives too. Making for ultra-fast access speeds across storage, and uber-fast communication and execution speeds for your RTX 4080. 

The Crosshair Extreme features some of the best future-proof connectivity, donning two USB4 ports, 10GbE Ethernet, a more advanced audio system, and Wi-Fi 6E adapters. All of these features make for one exciting ASUS ROG board for your 4080.  

ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F

03

Best AM4 motherboard for RTX 4080

ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F

ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F Gaming Motherboard

Form Factor

ATX

Overclocking Support

Yes

Socket

AM4

Chipset

X570

How We Review

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Pros

• Superb aesthetics
• Comes equipped with Auro Sync RGB
• Supports ASUS’s 5 way optimization tuning
• Great audio thanks to SupremeFX S1220A codec

Cons

• High-end price point

The ASUS ROG STRIX X570-F motherboard is regarded as one of the best boards you can buy with a plethora of features to be had at a relatively low price tag, thanks to the release of AM5. This motherboard is by no means a budget option as it comes with a high-quality 12+2 digital power phase design, which requires a large thermal heat sink. Ready to deliver power exactly where your AM4 CPU needs it.

The motherboard features Aura Sync RGB which can be optimized to your exact requirements within the ASUS software suite. And is also pretty aesthetically pleasing, as are most of ASUS’ products. The ROG Gaming X570-F includes a new heatsink design, M.2 expansion card, and Intel Gigabit ethernet connectivity. The board also features PCIe 4.0 support, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, and dual M.2 SSD slots, along with USB 3.2 Type-A and Type-C connectors. Plenty of connectivity, even by today’s standards.

Overall this is a superb motherboard and its onboard WIFI capability is fantastic. ASUS is not messing around with the X570-F.

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How does the PCIe version affect GPU performance?

When a GPU is connected to a motherboard, it exchanges data with the other components of the PC via the PCIe lanes. This is the PCI Express X16 slot, referring to the number of PCIe lanes it has (X16, more is better). Obviously, these PCIe lanes are governed by a maximum bandwidth.

Bandwidth determines how fast data can get from point A to point B, much like speed on the main road. the faster the speed limit, the faster you’ll get to your destination.

PCIe versions increase their bandwidth, usually 2X every generation. PCIe Gen 4 can manage 16 GT/s whereas PCIe Gen 3 can only manage 8 GT/s. So you want to get the motherboard with the appropriate PCIe version. A PCIe Gen 3 motherboard may just be cutting your PCIe Gen 4 RTX 4080 performance in half.

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Should I upgrade my CPU for the RTX 4080?

Another reason you may need to upgrade your motherboard is if your CPU is not up to RTX 4080 standard. You need to have a good CPU/GPU combo as the 4080 needs to be constantly fed data to process from the CPU, and if the CPU is not up to scratch, that’s another bottleneck.

You don’t want to be going below the Ryzen 5 5600X or the i5-12600K for your CPU of you’re planning on donning the RTX 4080. Any lower and it could result in less than optimal performance from the 4080.

Read More: Should I upgrade my CPU for the RTX 4080?

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Best CPU for RTX 4080 FAQs

What is a PC Bottleneck?

The hindrance through lack of quality supporting hardware has a much nicer name, a bottleneck. A bottleneck occurs when one part of a system is not pulling its weight. Much like the neck of a bottle, it slows down the flow of operation.

When we speak in terms of a motherboard bottleneck, there’s only really one way a motherboard can directly affect GPU performance, and that’s through the PCIe version on the X16 GPU slots.

How does the PCIe version affect GPU performance?

When a GPU is connected to a motherboard, it exchanges data with the other components of the PC via the PCIe lanes. This is the PCI Express X16 slot, referring to the number of PCIe lanes it has (X16, more is better). Obviously, these PCIe lanes are governed by a maximum bandwidth.

Bandwidth determines how fast data can get from point A to point B, much like speed on the main road. the faster the speed limit, the faster you’ll get to your destination.

PCIe versions increase their bandwidth, usually 2X every generation. PCIe Gen 4 can manage 16 GT/s whereas PCIe Gen 3 can only manage 8 GT/s. So you want to get the motherboard with the appropriate PCIe version. A PCIe Gen 3 motherboard may just be cutting your PCIe Gen 4 RTX 4080 performance in half.

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Should I upgrade my motherboard for the RTX 4080?

Yes, if you find yourself hitting either cause for upgrading your motherboard, then you absolutely should upgrade. If you have a less-than-optimal CPU, or you have a motherboard with a PCIe Gen 3 GPU slot then you need to upgrade, badly.

More than likely, you’ll fall into both categories simultaneously, most PCIe Gen 3 motherboards are old, much older than the release of either the 5000 series Ryzen CPUs or the release of the 12th gen from Intel.

If you don’t want to reduce the effectiveness of your brand new RTX 4080 then we suggest forking out just that little bit more to help future-proof you rebuild, and keep your RTX 4080 sitting pretty for the next 5 to 7 years.