best cpu for video gme design

Best Motherboards 2021 for Gaming, by Socket and Chipset

Included in this guide:

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware, Niels Broekhuijsen)

Page 1 of 2:

Best Intel Motherboards 2021: Z590 and X299

Note: For AMD's AM4 X570(S), B550, B450 and Threadripper motherboards, see page two or our Best AMD X570 Motherboards or Best AMD B550 Motherboards pages. This first page focuses on Intel, after laying out some basics.

Choosing the best gaming motherboard (or best motherboard for another type of build) is arguably the key step in your PC build, even though choosing the best CPU for gaming or the best graphics card often gets more attention. Every part of your PC plugs into your motherboard. Its form factor will decide the size of your computer and your case, and its chipset and socket limit what type of CPU you can install.

If you're not sure which chipset you're after when choosing the best gaming motherboard, or you have more basic questions for a different type of build, you can visit our motherboard basics and motherboard buying guide features to help narrow down your shopping options.

The picks below include the best gaming motherboards designed for Intel's 11th Gen "Rocket Lake" and older "Comet Lake" processors. Z690 motherboards are about to trickle out into the wild, but we won't know their full details or how they perform until Intel's Alder Lake 12th Gen CPUs land with them. As soon as we get the chance to fully test these new boards and the CPUs designed to run in them, we'll post reviews on our motherboard review page and add our favorites here.

Below are our mainstream picks for current and recent-generation boards. You'll find our recommendations for the best motherboards for Z590, as well as Intel's high-end desktop (HEDT) LGA-2066 socket and X299 chipset supporting the X-Series and Extreme line of processors.

The second page of this guide covers the best AMD motherboards, including X570 and B550 chipset models, as well as high-end Threadripper picks that compete with Intel's X-Series platform.

When choosing a motherboard, consider the following:

Get the right socket for your CPU: You can find great CPUs from either Intel or AMD. But whatever processor you choose, make sure that your board has the correct socket to support it. The latest mainstream AMD chips use AM4 CPU sockets while Intel's 10th Gen and 11th Gen Core CPUs require LGA 1200 sockets.

Smaller boards = fewer slots and features. Motherboards come in three main sizes--for more info see our diagram and explanation of motherboard parts. From largest to smallest, there's ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX. (Yes, Mini is smaller than Micro). You can use a smaller chassis with the micro or mini boards, but you'll have to settle for fewer card expansion slots, sometimes fewer RAM slots, and other connectors.

Pay for built-in Wi-Fi and high-end ports only if you need them. Don't spend extra for wireless if you are using Ethernet. You can future-proof your PC by getting USB 3.1 Gen 2 and / or Thunderbolt support. But Thunderbolt is very rare on AMD motherboards.

The Best Intel Gaming Motherboards: Z590, Z490 X299

1. Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero

Best ATX Z590 Motherboard

Specifications

Socket: LGA 1200

Chipset: Intel Z590

Form Factor: ATX

Voltage Regulator: 16 Phases

PCIe x16: (2) v4.0, (1) v3.0

USB Ports: (2) Thunderbolt 4, Type-C , (6) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, (2) USB 2.0

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

+High-quality 14-phase 90A VRM +10 USB ports, incl. 2x Thunderbolt 4 +Dual 2.5 GbE plus Wi-Fi 6E +Four M.2 sockets +Premium audio

Reasons to avoid

- Expensive

The Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero has the premium parts and attractive looks to stand out, despite its fairly high price. From its clean, high-end appearance to the robust power delivery, four M.2 sockets and a premium audio solution, the Hero is a well-rounded, feature-laden solution in the upper-midrange of the Z590 motherboard space. With more-than-capable 90A power phases and dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, plus the four PCIe 4.0 M.2 sockets and premium audio bits, the board justifies its $499 price.

Performance compared to the other Z590 models we've tested to this point was spot on, and often negligibly faster in many of our tests. Memory testing went without a hitch, with DDR4 3600 supported at 1:1 and easily handling the DDR4 4000 kit. And overclocking testing proceeded without any issue.

Read: Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero Z590 review

2. Asus ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial

Best ATX Z590 Motherboard for Custom Cooling

Specifications

Socket: LGA 1200

Chipset: Intel Z590

Form Factor: ATX

Voltage Regulator: 18 Phases

PCIe x16: (2) v4.0

USB Ports: (2) Thunderbolt 4, Type-C , (8) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

+Includes waterblock +High-quality 18-phase +100A VRM 10 USB ports, including Thunderbolt 4 +10 GbE plus Wi-Fi 6E +Five M.2 slots +Premium audio w/DAC

Reasons to avoid

-Very expensive

The Asus ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that include robust power delivery, premium audio with a DAC, five M.2 sockets, 10 GbE and integrated Wi-Fi 6E and includes a custom waterblock. While pricing is tough to take, the Extreme Glacial ($1499) represents what flagship-class motherboards should be.

Read: Asus ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial review

3. Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Tachyon

Best ATX Z590 Motherboard

Specifications

Socket: LGA 1200

Chipset: Intel Z590

Form Factor: E-ATX

Voltage Regulator: 11 Phases

PCIe x16: (1) v4.0 x16, (1) v4.0 x8, (1) v3.0 x4, (1) v3.0 x1

USB Ports: (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, Type-A and Type-C (20 Gbps)

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

+Costs less than competition +Capable power delivery +Feature-rich

Reasons to avoid

-Standard audio

The Z590 Tachyon is an attractive E-ATX-size board that, outside of the extra buttons, you'd never know was designed to be an extreme overclocker. And while it's certainly not cheap, it costs less than competing overclocking-focused models from ASRock and Asus. The Tachyon's 11-phase power delivery may not sound like the most robust option, but it delivers 1100 amps to the CPU. This means the VRMs shouldn't hold back your clock speeds back, whether you're taking on ambient or sub-ambient cooling with a flagship CPU. If you're after a board to deliver the best possible speed while looking good and not breaking your build budget, this is the best option we've tested.

Read: Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Tachyon review

4. ASRock Z490 Taichi

Best ATX Z490 Motherboard

Specifications

Socket: LGA 1200

Chipset: Intel Z490

Form Factor: ATX

Voltage Regulator: 15 Phases

PCIe x16: (3) v3.0

USB Ports: 5 USB 3.2 Gen1, 4 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, One USB-3.2 2x2 Type-C

Warranty: 1 year

Reasons to buy

+Solid 12-phase/50A VRM for Vcore +USB 3.2 Gen 2X2 Type-C port +Three M.2 and eight SATA ports

Reasons to avoid

-Expensive compared to Z390 Taichi -Annoying use of star screws on chipset shroud -Tough to press PCIe slot latch for removal

The ASRock Z490 Taichi is a great motherboard in the $350-$400 price bracket for building a Z490 system, comparing favorably to similarly priced competition.It includes eight SATA ports (while others have six), as well as a speedy USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port. It also has a premium appearance and runs cooler than competing boards in the power delivery department.

If you need three M.2 slots and eight SATA ports, this is the only board around this price point with that storage configuration. If your budget allows for an upper mid-range board, ASRock's Z490 Taichi should be at the top of the list.

Read: ASRock Z490 Taichi review

5. Gigabyte X299X Designare 10G

Best ATX X299 Motherboard

Specifications

Socket: LGA 2066

Chipset: Intel X299 PCH

Form Factor: EATX

Voltage Regulator: 12 phases

PCIe x16: (4) v3.0 (@48: x16/x8*/x16/x8), (CPU @44: x16/x4*/x16/x8), (CPU @28: x16/x4*/x8/x0)

USB Ports: 10Gbps: (2) Type-C via Thunderbolt 3

Warranty: 3 years

Reasons to buy

+Dual 10GbE, plus 2.4Gbps Wi-Fi 6 +Thunderbolt 3 with dual Type-C outputs and dual DisplayPort inputs +Price premium is lower than the value of its premium components

Reasons to avoid

-Expensive -Excessive PCIe, M.2 & SATA sharing -10.8-inch depth requires extra case considerations

Fully equipped for the 48 lanes of Intel's 10th generation Core Extreme processors, the X299X Designare 10G comes loaded to the brink with Intel X550 dual 10Gb/s Ethernet and a pair of Thunderbolt 3 headers with dual DisplayPort passthrough on Intel's 40Gb/s controller. A four-drive M.2 expander card and 2.4Gb/s Wi-Fi 6 finish a package of which the added component value far outweighs the price difference over its closest competitor.

Read: Gigabyte X299X Designare 10G Review

Savings on the Best Motherboards

Whether you're buying one of the best motherboards or a different model, you may find some savings by checking our list of coupon codes, especially our list of Newegg promo codes and Micro Center coupons.

MORE: How To Choose A Motherboard
MORE: All Motherboard Content
MORE: CPU Benchmarks

Matt began piling up computer experience as a child with his Mattel Aquarius. He built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He's spent the last decade covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper and Digital Trends. When not writing about tech, he's often walking—through the streets of New York, over the sheep-dotted hills of Scotland, or just at his treadmill desk at home in front of the 50-inch 4K HDR TV that serves as his PC monitor.