How Much Should I Spend On A Motherboard?

Evan Ruiz
Owner at - Techi Show

I am a professional laptop and computer troubleshooter, tech editor who loves to talk about technology and software. My passion is electronics devices. Follow me...Read more

If you’re building a PC for yourself, you have to carefully think out how much you should spend on each component. And, this also applies to choosing a motherboard as well.

So, before you pick a particular model of motherboard, you need to ask yourself,” how much should I spend on a motherboard?”

Why?

Since the motherboard is the component that connects all other PC parts, selecting a particular motherboard or deciding how much you should spend on it can be a bit of a challenge. However, to give you a rough estimate, it should be about $200 to $250.

However, luckily for you, we have provided a complete guide here to assist you in this process. If you read this discussion till the end, you will have a sound idea of exactly how much money you should spend on buying a motherboard. So, don’t forget to read till the end!!

Why Is Spending On A Motherboard So Important?

The first and foremost reason why you need to be decisive on spending money on a motherboard is that it is the core component of your CPU.

Why Is Spending On A Motherboard So Important

Meaning, even if you are able to change other components of your PC, you cannot practically change your motherboard whenever you want to (in most cases).

Why is that?

Well, when you buy a particular processor, you also have to choose a motherboard that has full compatibility with that particular processor’s socket type.

Now, if you want to replace your motherboard after using your PC for 1 or 2 years, all of your PC components such as the processor, RAM, and power supply are most probably not going to be fully compatible with the new motherboard.

That is why you should be very decisive to choose a motherboard in the first place. As a result, you will not have to replace it very soon. Consequently, you won’t have to spend a huge chunk of money to buy a new motherboard when you upgrade your PC in the future.

Future-Proofing Your PC

As indicated above, if you carefully spend enough money on a motherboard, you can easily future-proof your PC. That means if you go for a high-end motherboard when building your PC, it will have full compatibility with hardware released in the future.

For instance, if you pick the ASUS Prime B560M-A LGA 1200 (Intel 11th/10th Gen) micro ATX motherboard (which costs about 110 USD), you’ll be able to install only the 11th and 10th generation of Intel processors on your PC.

However, if you are clever enough to choose a more recently released motherboard, such as the ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 LGA1700(Intel 12th Gen) ATX gaming motherboard (which costs about 290 USD), you can upgrade your PC by opting for an Intel 12th generation processor in the future.

As you can see, spending a bit extra can future-proof the PC for the upcoming years. And, this is the exact reason why being decisive in choosing a motherboard model pays off.

Ensuring Compatibility

Another thing you need to understand here is that those motherboards that support Intel processors do not support Ryzen processors. Therefore, if you pick an Intel-supported motherboard for your PC, you won’t be able to install Ryzen processors in the future (even if you want to). And, vice versa.

Therefore, in order to ensure that your future hardware preferences are fully compatible with your existing motherboard, you need to carefully choose the motherboard you should buy in the first place (Intel or AMD compatible ones).

You should learn how long a motherboard last. Also, you need to know what CPU is compatible with your motherboard.

For instance, if you want to opt for a newer generation of Ryzen processors in the future, you should go for a motherboard model such as the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK Gaming Motherboard. It is compatible with all the upcoming models of Ryzen processors up until 2024.

On the other hand, in case you are willing to use a later generation of Intel processors in your PC in the upcoming days, you should opt for the MSI MPG Z690 Edge WiFi DDR4 Gaming Motherboard. It will support all the 12th gen Intel processor variants.

How Much Money Exactly Should You Spend On A Motherboard?

First off, we would like to start discussing this topic by reminding you that the motherboard is a component that is very difficult to replace. Why is that? It’s because, if you change the motherboard of your PC, you will likely have to change other components of your PC as well.

How Much Should I Spend On A Motherboard

To be more specific, changing the motherboard might make you change the processor and RAM of your PC as well. For example, if your current motherboard supports 2400 megahertz RAMs, buying a new motherboard in the future might make you have to change your RAMs to 3200mhz ones.

Therefore, it is clear that it is the best option to opt for a higher-end motherboard. So, we recommend that you spend a good amount of money on your motherboard when you build your PC in the first place. More specifically, you should buy a motherboard between the $190 to $300 price segment.

This way, you’ll have more options for yourself in the future (if you want to upgrade a component of your PC). Not only that, spending a good amount of money on buying a motherboard will make sure that your PC stays future-proof for the upcoming 3 to 4 years.

However, if you are constricted on a budget and don’t have enough money to future-proof your PC, we recommend choosing a motherboard model that supports the latest hardware of the current day. In that case, you would have to spend between $150 to $250 dollars.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I spend more on RAM or a motherboard?

If you have to choose one option between RAM and motherboard to spend on, we would recommend spending more on a motherboard. It’s because if you choose less amount of RAM today, you still have the option to upgrade your RAM in the future.

However, if you pick a low-end motherboard when building a PC, you would not likely have the option to upgrade your motherboard in the future.

Does motherboards have any impact on game performance?

No, motherboards don’t have any direct impact on gaming performance. Only GPUs and processors play major roles in determining the gaming performance of a PC.

What are the aspects that need attention when choosing a motherboard model?

When choosing a particular motherboard model, you should give ample thought on its form factor, processor, socket, RAM, PCIe slots, etc.

Conclusion

At last, we would like to conclude by saying that the most important aspect that you should pay attention to is future-proofing your PC. If you buy a high-end motherboard and future-proof your PC, you can enjoy better hardware in the future (by upgrading components).

And, if you don’t have a capable motherboard that is compatible with the future hardware, you have fewer options to upgrade your PC in the coming days. Therefore, the bottom line is that you should spend as much as you can on your motherboard. Best of luck with your next PC buildup project!

I am a professional laptop and computer troubleshooter, tech editor who loves to talk about technology and software. My passion is electronics devices. Follow me on social media.

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