ATX motherboards are generally recognized as the standard size and the most common motherboard form factor. This form factor is widely considered ideal for mid-tower andfull tower PC builds.Although compatibility varies greatly from case to case, these motherboards can also be utilized in a range of smaller builds with minor adjustments. This overall versatility makes ATX motherboards a popular solution for a variety of PC builders.
ATX motherboards also stand out for their overall functionality and a wide array of onboard features. Unlike their small-scale sibling,the mATX motherboard,ATX motherboards tend to boast greater voltage regulator module (VRM) phases, an abundance of internal ports and headers, and more slots for PCIe expansion.
MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi
MSI B550-A PRO ProSeries
Regardless of whether the preferred CPU socket is Intel or AMD, ATX motherboards are a great go-to choice for many. The availability of high-quality options on the market ensures that users can find the best ATX motherboard tailored to their specific PC requirements, whether it’s gaming, content creation, productivity and work, or any other needs.
Factors To Consider When Choosing an ATX Motherboard
Before purchasing an ATX Motherboard, users should consider several key factors to inform their final decision:
Game Rant’s Picks For The Best ATX Motherboards
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E WiFi
The ASUS ROG Strix X670E-E is a strikingly beautiful and powerful AM5 motherboard, featuring an RGB lighting zone over the I/O shroud. This board is well-reputed for its overclocking capabilities, sporting powerful VRMs, and AI Overclocking technology. The motherboard itself is loaded with a vast number of headers, ports, and onboard features to ease overall building and troubleshooting, such as debug lights and an LED display for boot codes. The LED display also functions to show the active CPU temperature whenever not in use during POSTing.
ASUSis one of the most well-known motherboard manufacturers, reputed for their outstanding quality and constant innovation. The same sentiment can be said when talking about the ROG STRIX X670E-E. This motherboard is well-equipped for compatibility and supports the latest and fastest components, such as AMD’s latest AM5 socket and DDR5 RAM. The amount of care and thoughtful design that has gone into this motherboard cannot be understated.
The ROG STRIX X670E-E is a visually appealing board, complete with ample cooling measures and a software-controlled RGB I/O Shroud. In terms of onboard features, this motherboard was built to be DIY and beginner-friendly. Users will find ample headers and PCIe slots to suit their needs, and if they encounter any issues during assembly, this motherboard has their back. Although debug lights are becoming more commonplace on modern motherboards, the ROG STRIX X670E-E takes it one step further with its Q-Code display, showing users diagnostic status and boot errors in an easy-to-understand format. This motherboard also has a convenient start button, CMOS clear, and BIOS flashback button to further aid in common troubleshooting measures.
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
The cutting-edge ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero is one of the latest boards released to support the launch of Intel 14th Gen processors. This motherboard features a bold and vibrant aesthetic, complete with a custom RGB I/O Shroud and several printed details. This motherboard promises extreme power and overclocking performance with it’s 20+1+2 power stages and AI Overclocking technology.
The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero is a vivid ATX motherboard that promises fantastic overclocking performance, stability, and cooling. This motherboard features heatsinks and thermal pads over the VRM and M.2 drives to keep the components cool. There is also a metal backplate on the underside of the board to promote stability, which is especially beneficial for large graphics cards and heavyCPU coolers.
Much like the X670E-E, this motherboard possesses ample onboard features and buttons to aid in ease during building and troubleshooting. These features include ASUS' PCIE Slot Q-Release to easily remove the GPU, Q-LEDs, and a Q-Code display for easy diagnosis, as well as a BIOS flashback and CMOS clear button on the I/O.
MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk WiFi Gaming
Built to support the latest AM5 processors, the MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboard presents a durable and attractive design that is priced fairly. Although lacking in some troubleshooting features, this motherboard still has debug lights and a BIOS Flashback button. The MAG X670E Tomahawk is reinforced with MSI’s “Steel Armor”, which means the connections on the back of the motherboard have been soldered to support the weight of heavy components.
TheMSIMAG X670E Tomahawk motherboard is a well-balanced option for those seeking an AM5 board that features quality design and a handful of onboard features, without breaking the bank. Designed to support the latest and greatest components, this motherboard stays cool thanks to its many heatsinks that also feature thermal pads.
The MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk also features a reinforced design that can sustain the weight of heavy GPUs,like the RTX 4090 or RTX 4080,reducing the chance of failure or damage. This reinforced design can be seen on the back of the motherboard, where additional soldering has been placed to protect fragile connections.
GIGABYTE Z790 UD AC Gaming Motherboard
The GIGABYTE Z790 UD AC Gaming Motherboard offers a well-balanced and affordable solution for PC enthusiasts. This motherboard comes equipped with a handful of well-placed heatsinks, as well as a considerable number of PCIe expansion slots and USB ports, allowing the user a fair amount of customization and versatility. Although the Z790 UD AC motherboard can be considered understated in its visuals, Gigabyte still presents an attractive and fairly priced option for Intel users.
Gigabyte’sIntel Z790 UD AC motherboard is considered a balanced and robust option for Intel users seeking to upgrade to the latest technology, without the need or desire to splurge on an overly expensive motherboard. Although somewhat understated in its visual prowess, the latest Intel processors, high-speed RAM, and high-end graphics cards will encounter no compatibility issues with the board’s LGA 1700 CPU socket, four DDR5 DIMM slots, and the PCIe 5.0 x16 lane.
Finally, this motherboard stands out from others on this list because of its comprehensive number of PCI expansion slots, allowing the user plenty of freedom to upgrade PCIe devices such as video capture cards, or even an additional GPU for an added performance boost while gaming or rendering.
For users looking for an affordable and budget ATX motherboard, the MSI B650 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi is an excellent minimalistic choice. This motherboard is ideal for overclocking budget CPUs due to it’s 12+2+1 power stages and VRM heatsinks. The MSI B650 is an ideal motherboard for mid-range GPUs and features reinforced PCIe Steel Armor, and a large PCIe latch to further ease GPU removal in the case of troubleshooting.
Finding a quality, next-gen motherboard that is also budget-friendly can be somewhat difficult. Luckily, with the MSI B650 Plus Wi-Fi, this doesn’t have to be an issue. This motherboard supports Ryzen 7000 series CPUs and DDR5 RAM. However, it should be noted that overclocking on this motherboard is best suited for mid-range to budget CPUs.
Troubleshooting with this motherboard may prove to be more of a slight nuisance than usual, due to its lack of user-friendly troubleshooting features. Users experiencing issues with booting may have to resort to shorting pins or removing the CMOS battery, among other traditional troubleshooting methods. That being said, there is a debug LED featured on the board, which is more than enough in most cases. Despite these considerations, the included performance and functionality associated with this motherboard far exceed its price point, making it a fantastic option for price-conscious users.
The MSI B550-A Pro is an ATX motherboard that is compatible with many last-generation technologies, supporting AM4 CPUs and DDR4 RAM. Although this motherboard is considered to be more on the budget side, it is still feature-packed and designed with quality in mind. The PCB has been thickened with copper to improve heat dissipation and performance while overclocking, and MSI’s Steel Armor is present on this board, allowing for a reinforced PCIe slot.
Understandably, not every user can easily jump to the next generation of components as soon as they hit the market. To those who are perfectly content with their DDR4 RAM and AM4 CPUs, worry not! The MSI B550-A Pro provides an excellent alternative that also happens to be lighter on the wallet. Although the B550 is the predecessor of the B650 chipset, it is not far behind its older sibling in terms of functionality.
The B550-A Pro incorporates several enhanced cooling features that allow for easier and more stable overclocking, such as VRM and M.2 heatsinks, and a copper-thickened PCB to aid in overall heat dissipation. Like other contenders on this list, this motherboard features several troubleshooting measures to make life much easier, such as debug lights and a BIOS flashback button. Although this motherboard does not come with Wi-Fi included, that can be easily remedied by utilizing one of the additional PCI slots.
In short, the B550-A Pro strikes a balance between affordability and design, making it a great choice for users who prefer to stick with their last-generation hardware for the time being.
FAQ
Q: What is the most reliable motherboard brand?
ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, and ASROCK are all reputable brands known for quality motherboards.
Q: Are expensive motherboards better?
Expensive motherboards usually offer more functionality, which aids in both a better experience and ease of troubleshooting. These motherboards also offer better support for the latest components.
Q: What’s better: Intel or AMD?
AMD and Intel are closely matched in processing power. However, with the latest Ryzen series processors, AMD offers better gaming performance than Intel.This Game Rant articlegoes into greater detail comparing the two.
