Top Computer Motherboards

Asus Sabertooth X58 Motherboard (Intel Socket LGA 1366, X58, ATX, 24GB DDR3)

720 Reviews

Consumer Passion :

Popularity :

	Price: $194.99
	Price: $210.00
Compare Prices

Pros: Nice-looking, Clean layout, Lots of cooling features, Supports USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s, Backward compatible with USB 2.0
Cons: Inconvenient placement of PCI slots

Aside from the earthly color scheme, nice packaging and clean layout of the board, the Asus Sabertooth X58 is also made future-proof. Being backward compatible with USB 2.0 and boasting support for USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s at the same time, you can easily transition when you're ready to experience data transfer rates of up to 10X faster than USB 2.0 and twice the speed of SATA 3GB/s. In terms of heat dissipation, it is integrated with a lot of cooling features that enables a quiet, efficient and stable system, starting with ceramics-coating technology commonly known as CeraM!x, E.S.P. or Efficient Switching Power Design and lastly, Asus' Fan Xpert which allows you to freely adjust the fan speed of your CPU as well as your case. This motherboard belongs to Asus' The Ultimate Force (T.U.F.) series. It not only explains the color scheme but it also justifies its solid construction. The combination of olive green, beige and black are nicer compared to the usual bold colors found on most models. Furthermore, it is built around the Intel X58 Express Chipset and supports Intel Core i7 processors in LGA1366 package and DDR3 memory for high speed performance and higher bandwidth. You can also choose from Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX to suit your gaming needs. As with any model in the T.U.F. series, the Asus Sabertooth X58 is embedded with Asus' special features which include EZ Flash 2, Q-Connector, Q-Shield, Q-Design, Noise filter and MemOK!. No need to buy a sound card because it also has an 8 channel onboard audio. For both its performance and features, it is almost perfect, especially upon considering the fact that it is future-ready yet priced relatively low and aimed towards experienced and budget-minded system builders. It has impressive overclocking capabilities and possesses almost all the qualities you'd want for your next build. However, those who'd like to purchase this motherboard should know that the position of the PCI slots could be inconvenient as some video cards tend to cover the slots once installed.

Asus M4A87TD/USB3 Desktop Motherboard - AMD - Socket AM3 PGA-941 x Retail Pack (ATX - 1 x Processor Support - 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM Maximum RAM - Serial ATA/600, Ultra ATA/133 ATA-7 RAID Support Controller - 1 x PCIe x16 Slot - 2 x USB 3.0 Port)

197 Reviews

Consumer Passion :

Popularity :

	Price: $108.99
Compare Prices

Pros: Socket AM3-compatible motherboard, Overclock-friendly, Supports legacy connections
Cons: No onboard video, Memory timing issues

If you're looking for a workhorse fit for your next PC build, the ASUS M4A87TD ATX motherboard may be just the thing you are looking for. Built for the AM3 series of AMD processors (Phenom II, Athlon II and Sempron 100), this board maximizes your investment by having enough new technology to make it future-proof while still being compatible with current hardware. The ASUS 87TD supports up to 16 GB of dual channel DDR3 memory in four lanes, with 6 SATA Gb/s ports with a RAID controller allowing them to be configured into a RAID 0/1/5/10 system. It only has a single PCI Express 2.0 X16 slot along with 3 standard PCI slots, and an 8-channel onboard audio chipset. An onboard Gigabit LAN NIC provides Web connectivity to the M4A87TD, while two USB 3.0 ports join the 8 2.0 ports on this board. As mentioned, the ASUS M4A87TD provides support for legacy interfaces, so if you still have an IDE drive, or a keyboard and/or mouse with PS/2 connectors,you can still use them with this board. ASUS' innovations in the field of performance that have been successfully implemented on their other releases are likewise present in the M4A87TD motherboard. It has the Core Unlocker which maximizes the power of multi-core processors. The Turbo Key for Easy OC and TurboV technologies provide an easy way to overclock your components, and the CPU Level Up makes it easy to upgrade your CPU should the need arise. On the other hand, you can even underclock your CPU with this board, lowering the supplied power for casual use. This saves you money and lessens the impact on your components of running them at full power. The ASUS M4A87TD ATX motherboard costs a bit less than comparable models, but it may be because this board has no onboard video. While that may not be a problem unless your video card goes haywire, we would still have preferred some sort of backup. There are also some issues with memory timings, but that can be resolved with a simple tweak of the BIOS' settings. Generally speaking, this is a great board for a basic setup, even though it has its own share of quirks.

Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 motherboard

144 Reviews

Consumer Passion :

Popularity :

	Price: $117.99
	Price: $124.99
Compare Prices

Pros: Great board, Easy to set up, Supports CrossFireX and SLI, Low price
Cons: No power indicator light, No FireWire and eSATA

The Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 motherboard skimped on some basic features such as a power indicator light, FireWire and eSATA. All these missing features, though, may be the reason why the price of this particular board is not as high as the others. Advanced technologies like USB 3.0, SATA 6 Gbps and DDR3 as well as multi-display support and LucidLogix Virtu GPU Virtualization for one-of-a-kind gaming are supported. Another good thing about this board is that it enables you to take advantage of some of the visual features integrated into 2nd generation Intel Core processors such as Intel Quick Sync Video, Intel InTru 3D and Intel Insider. The GIGABYTE EZ Smart Response utility provides improved system performance while the patent pending GIGABYTE Touch BIOS makes modifying your BIOS settings as easy and uncomplicated as possible. These fool-proof solutions are designed for novices and non-techies. GIGABYTE's DualBIOS even ensures simple BIOS recovery. This Intel Z68 Express Chipset-based desktop board supports Intel Core i7, i5 and i3 series processors, Intel Pentium processors and Intel Celeron processors in the LGA1155 package. Like all the other offerings in Gigabyte's 2011 line-up, it also offers 108dB Signal-to-Noise ratio so that you can enjoy the pinnacle of audio quality. In terms of additional features, the Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 comes bundled with Norton Internet Security (OEM version). If you own a lot of USB devices, a total of 12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports, four in the rear and eight through the internal USB headers, are available for use. Thanks to its On/Off Charge Technology, no matter if your computer is turned on or off, you can still charge your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Other features include a 3x USB Power Boost, an HDMI Interface, DVI Support, Turbo XHD for setting up a RAID 0 configuration and Smart 6 and Cloud OC for maximum speed and easy overclocking.

eVGA X58 FTW3 Desktop Motherboard - Intel - Socket B LGA-1366 (ATX - 1 x Processor Support - 24 GB - SLI, CrossFireX Support - Serial ATA/300, Serial ATA/600 RAID Support Controller - 2 x PCIe x16 Slot - 2 x USB 3.0 Port)

120 Reviews

Consumer Passion :

Popularity :

	Price: $221.99
Compare Prices

Pros: Stable, Easy installation, Nice BIOS, 2-Way/3-Way SLI compatible
Cons: Expensive, Passive northbridge heatsink, Inconvenient position of Audio header

The eVGA X58 FTW3 enables easy overclocking while maintaining maximum stability in your system. Supporting PCI Express 2.0 or 1.1 and NVIDIA's SLI Technology, you can run new PCI-E 2.0 graphic cards as well as multiple graphic cards simultaneously without any problem. The Intel X58/ICH10R Chipset supports Intel Core i7 Processors and both dual-channel and triple-channel memory configurations for higher bandwidth. The board also employs an 8-Phase Power Design and solid capacitors that offer improved energy efficiency and enhanced durability. There are a lot of built-in buttons such as a Clear CMOS Button, Diagnostics LED Readout and a Power and Reset Button (both with Integrated Activity Lights) that permit greater productivity by allowing you to clear your bios, diagnose the problem and reboot or turn your system off or on immediately with a single press. Now for the cons, this motherboard is quite expensive and the position of the Audio header is inconvenient as it is too close to the PCI slot. Due to the Passive Northbridge heatsink, it also runs a little hot. Connectivity-wise, the eVGA X58 FTW3 has plenty of expansion slots and ports. There are two USB 3.0 and eight external USB 2.0 ports for easily hooking up your USB devices and an audio connector for connecting a mic, a headphone or speakers. It also has PCIe x8/x16 and PCI slots. In addition to being simple to install and totally compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP, its support for SATA 6GB/s and USB 3.0 allows you to easily step into modern technologies when you're ready to make the transition.

eVGA 131-GT-E767-TR Desktop Motherboard - Intel - Socket B LGA-1366 (ATX - 1 x Processor Support - 24 GB DDR3 SDRAM Maximum RAM - SLI, CrossFireX Support - Serial ATA/300, Serial ATA/600 RAID Support Controller - 1 x PCIe x16 Slot - 2 x USB 3.0 Port)

99 Reviews

Consumer Passion :

Popularity :

	Price: $199.99
	Price: $174.99
Compare Prices

Pros: Easy to install and overclock, High quality board, 6GB SATA and USB 3.0 support
Cons: 2-boot cycle, No IDE port, Inconvenient position of PCI slot and front panel audio port

Based on the Intel X58/ICH10R chipset and supports Intel Core i7 Processors, the eVGA 131-GT-E767-TR is a nice, inexpensive motherboard that allows you to boost your gaming performance while offering almost the same features found on higher-end boards such as 2-Way and 3-Way NVIDIA SLI as well as USB 3.0 and SATA 6B/s support. Installation is a breeze to do for those who have a fair amount of technical knowledge and it is likewise easy to overclock. It also manages to keep a low temperature even when overclocking and those who'll experience problems during installation should not be worried as eVGA is known for their great customer service. The board is compatible with Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP and embedded with a Diagnostics LED Readout and all the necessary buttons like a Power and Reset button and a Clear CMOS Button. Both the Power and Reset buttons have activity lights that provide a quick visual indication of your board's status. Like any other board, it does have its own share of minor annoyances. For starters, it lacks an IDE port and has a 2-boot cycle which can be time-consuming. The PCI slot and the front panel audio port are also placed too close to each other. Lastly, there are no internal headers for USB 3.0. You must route the front panel USB3 cables outside the case in order to plug in. On the other hand, it features Triple Channel DDR3 support, Integrated 8 Channel High Definition Audio, a 6-Phase Power Design and Solid Capacitors. You can hook up a PS2 Keyboard and it has abundant connection options including an Audio connector, 2 FireWire ports, 12 USB 2.0 ports (8 external and 4 internal headers), 2 external USB 3.0 ports and 1 x PCIe x16, 2 x PCIe x8, 2 x PCIe x1, 1 x PCI, 1 x 32-bit PCI and support for PCI 2.1. The build of the eVGA 131-GT-E767-TR is solid and it has a reasonable price tag. It continues on the tradition set by eVGA when it comes to quality and stability and the board is also covered with a 2-year limited warranty. Bottomline, if you're building a gaming rig and you want to keep your budget in check, this is definitely one to consider.