The motherboard is the most crucial part of a PC. It comes in varying sizes and features. That’s why its cost varies. For instance, a motherboard with excessive PCIe lanes and expansion slots costs more than one with limited slots.
If I talk in numbers, here is a general idea of motherboards of different categories:
- Budget motherboards cost $70 to $100
- Mid-range boards cost $100 to $170
- High-end boards cost $200 to $300
- Premium boards cost above $400
So, the cost of a motherboard pretty much depends on the kind of components you wish to attach to it. And the recent shortage of chipsets also plays a big role in deciding the price of a motherboard.
Contents
Different Motherboard Offerings & Suitability
1. Budget Motherboards
Budget mboards are aimed at users who don’t need much tweaking to their default hardware setup. Keeping that purpose in mind these motherboards have less or no expansion slots, fewer voltage regulator modes (VRMs), fewer PCIe cable lanes, fewer PCIe cable slots, and USB ports that have slower data transfer speeds.
In addition to that, these motherboards also have fewer audio and video output ports on the back panel. The overclocking feature is also missing in most entry-level motherboards.
That feature, if available, is very conservative in some budget motherboards. Obviously, more overclocking features on a motherboard cost more. Intel’s range of entry-level motherboards is slightly more expensive than AMD’s.
This is because AMD uses older PCIe standards and slower USB ports compared to Intel which uses the latest ones for both. Here are some entry-level motherboards from both Intel and AMD along with their mounting types.
Brand | Name | Form Factor | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Intel | MSI H510M-A PRO | mATX | $79 |
Intel | Asus PRIME H510M-E | mATX | $95 |
Intel | ASRock H610M-HDV/M.2 | mATX | $100 |
AMD | MSI A520M-A PRO | mATX | $63 |
AMD | ASRock A520M Pro4 | mATX | $85 |
AMD | MSI MAG A520M VECTOR WIFI | mATX | $100 |
Entry-level motherboards suit the following usage type:
- Routine PC usage
- No upgrades required
- No gaming or high-end multitasking required
- No computing, data mining, or high-end programming required
2. Mid-Range Motherboards
Mid-range suits those who wish to have the latest hardware configuration. Upgrading existing hardware will still be difficult for mid-range motherboards.
These motherboards offer newer PCIe cable standards, more PCIe lanes, VRMs, support for graphics cards, and more USB ports as well. There are expansion slots available in some of them as well.
You get overclocking on some of them, but not as expansive as you would want. There are connectivity features like WiFi and Bluetooth available too. Gamers especially have a wider range to choose from in this category. This can be considered the basic category for a motherboard for a gaming PC.
While Intel is still not targeting gamers in this category of motherboards with their focus being on editors and designers, AMD’s B550 has a range starting from $80 going all the way to $360 which tells you about their aim on gamers. Here are some mid-range motherboards from both Intel and AMD along with their mounting types.
Brand | Name | Form Factor | Price |
Intel | MSI B560M-A PRO | mATX | $90 |
Intel | Asus PRIME B660M-A D4 | mATX | $140 |
Intel | Asus ROG STRIX B560-A GAMING WIFI | ATX | $180 |
AMD | Gigabyte B550M DS3H | mATX | $96 |
AMD | ASRock B550M/ac | mATX | $130 |
AMD | MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS | ATX | $160 |
Mid-range motherboards suit the following usage type:
- Routine usage with a little bit of leisure gaming
- Routine expansion or upgrade required
- No high-end multi-tasking required
- No computing, data mining or high-end programming required
3. High-End Motherboards
This range of motherboards is ideal for high-end gamers and those who like to multitask like streaming alongside gaming. You get decent number of expansion slots which are helpful for upgrades.
They have more thermal headroom and a larger form factor to accommodate custom cooling assemblies as well.
Apart from the size, they also feature the newest standards for connectivity like having the latest WiFi and Bluetooth hardware, USB ports with faster data transfer rates, and the latest PCIe standards.
The aesthetic appeal also kicks in at this price range. You can also have a variety of overclocking modes and VRMs.
Intel’s Z series (Z590, Z660) and AMD’s X series (X570) are very popular among this category of motherboards. They offer the highest number of PCIe lanes, support for PCIe 5.0, DDR5 support, best connectivity standards, and phase power design.
Here are some high-end motherboards from both Intel and AMD along with their mounting types.
Brand | Name | Form Factor | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Intel | ASRock Z590 Pro4 | ATX | $140 |
Intel | Gigabyte Z590 UD AC | ATX | $190 |
Intel | Asus PRIME Z690-P | ATX | $180 |
AMD | Asus PRIME X570-P | ATX | $145 |
AMD | Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) | ATX | $195 |
AMD | Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming | ATX | $255 |
High-end motherboards suit the following usage type:
- Intense gaming
- Regular expansions
- Multitasking like streaming the gaming sessions
- Graphics and video design as well as editing
4. Professional Motherboards
Professional motherboards accommodate the best components. Apart from having the latest cables and slots, they also have RGB lighting for aesthetic appeal.
They have more expansion slots, have larger form factors, and are aimed at those who perform intensive computing like programming, testing, and data mining.
These motherboards have the best capabilities of overclocking both CPU and RAM. At this price range, you also get ports like M.2 and all the latest wrt PCIe configurations. They support water cooling and some of them may also come with dedicated pipes.
Intel’s Z series of motherboards with 12th gen features like Z690 or Z790 feature in this list. Similarly, AMD’s X series that include X670 also have all the ports, expansion slots, and top-end features.
The prime focus for the form factor of these motherboards is future-proofing. Here are some professional motherboards from both Intel and AMD along with their mounting types.
Brand | Name | Form Factor | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Intel | MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 | ATX | $220 |
Intel | Gigabyte Z690 AORUS ELITE AX DDR4 | ATX | $270 |
Intel | MSI MPG Z790 Edge WiFi | ATX | $330 |
AMD | MSI PRO X670-P WiFi | ATX | $263 |
AMD | ASUS Prime X670-P | ATX | $270 |
AMD | ASUS TUF Gaming X670E-PLUS WiFi | ATX | $326 |
High-end motherboards suit the following usage type:
- Professional gaming and streaming
- Frequent expansions
- AR/VR and 3D rendering
- Computing like coding, testing, or data mining
Factors That Affect Motherboard’s Cost
1. Chipset & Its Shortage
The chipset single-handedly dictates most factors like the type of CPU socket, number of PCIe lanes, connectivity standards, expansion slots, etc. In that regard, the chipset acts like the heart of the motherboard. The current shortage of chipsets and their supply chain impacts the prices very heavily.
2. Form Factor
The form factor in simpler terms is the size. It decides the number of ports and future expansion slots your motherboard accommodates. The size also affects the space for cable lanes and cooling rooms.
Motherboards with larger form factors have all of the above in abundance and hence cost more. Similarly, the opposite applies to the smaller ones (Micro & Mini ATX).
3. PCIe Lane & Version
PCIe types of cables attach to critical components like graphics cards, storage devices, and network interface cards. The versions (4.0 and 5.0) also decide the price as the latest ones have faster data rates and consume less energy. Wider lanes can accommodate future upgrades or expansions and hence cost more.
4. VRMs
VRM on a motherboard do the job of providing a steady power supply to your CPU and the RAM. Better quality VRMs provide a steadier power supply.
VRMs play a huge role in overclocking. With better VRMs, you can overclock better with steady performances.
5. CPU Socket
CPU sockets define how the CPU slots into the surface of the motherboard. New age LGA1700 (Land Grid Array) is more expensive than the previous generation of LGA1200. Pin Grid Array (PGA) sockets are also cheaper compared to the latest LGA ones. Learn more differences.
6. Stability
With all these fancy components and provisions for the future, the form factor and its ability to mount onto the PC case becomes a key factor in selecting a motherboard.
With coolers and blowers of both CPU and GPU making all the vibrations and with your needs leading you to frequent upgrades, it’s important to know how stable the mounting of a motherboard is.
7. Expandability
One of the most popular factors that define the cost of the new motherboard is its future-proofing. Brands these days tend to offer multiple expansion slots for GPU and RAM for users to upgrade in the future.
This flexibility allows them to drastically enhance the performances of their PCs within the same setup. More slots cost more material and result in a larger form factor hence costing more.
Can More Expensive Motherboards Improve Performance?
Although performance is subjective, expensive motherboards have all the latest features, the best standard of connectivity ports, and room for expansion or upgrade.
These factors lead to better performances. But again, if you want better multi-tasking and great video output then minor upgrades will do the job for you instead of buying an expensive motherboard altogether.
How Much Should You Spend on a Motherboard?
That entirely depends on what profile of the user you are. Based on usage type, here is a comprehensive table with budget suggestions for motherboards.
Type of usage | Use cases | Budget |
---|---|---|
Routine | Documentation, leisure, browsing | $70-$120 |
High | Gaming, streaming, multitasking | $100-$250 |
Intense | High-end gaming, computing, rendering | $250+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
The high-end motherboards really have no upper ceiling so it’s difficult to determine motherboard’s average price but the $200 mark can be considered an average price for a motherboard.
That is because motherboards decide which type of components will be accommodated on your PC. Motherboards also carry all the connectivity ports and all the essential components that run your PC. Moreover, motherboards also decide if your PC can be upgraded in the future.
If you are out of expansion slots and the performance of your PC is unmanageably slow then it is definitely worth upgrading your motherboard. That paves the way for an overhaul. Its expandability secures the future of your PC.
For routine usage, it is in fact recommended not to have high-end motherboards and to opt for budget ones. If your usage includes gaming or other practices that require high performance then it is definitely not advised to opt for a cheap motherboard.
Conclusion
It is always helpful to chalk out your needs and the kind of usage you are going to have before selecting a motherboard. Among all the factors that you need to consider before making a choice, expandability ranks right at the top.
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