Choose the Right Motherboard for your PC

When you are building your individual PC, then one of the main factors is to buy a motherboard. However, it outlines the backbone where all the hardware components are easily connected, and it also determines that what kind of the features your PC would support.

You cannot even just go out and get any motherboard which looks very fancy since there are many numbers of compatibilities and specifics which you need to be known.

To make things easier for the users, we have explained some key attributes which are necessary for you before buying a motherboard. Here are the two most important points that you need to know in details before buying or planning to buy any motherboard.

CPU Support

Form Factor

CPU Support

For the best CPU Support, firstly you need to check what kind of processor you will be installing on your computer system. Though, every motherboard has its specific type of sockets. And this socket will determine the physical packaging of the processor might be AMD or Intel which can be easily installed on the motherboard. And the motherboard chipset will also define the specific model of the processor it can be supported.

For example, the newest 8th-generation of Intel processors is built on the LGA 1151 socket and its motherboards with the Z370 chipset. While comparing the 6th and 7th generation of Intel processors, it has used almost the same socket, but the sockets are not even supported by the Z370 chipset and require a Z270 or Z170 chipset based motherboard only.

To evade any compatibility issues or errors, it is best for you to get all information about the CPU before you buy, so that you can choose the best motherboard for your computer system.

Form Factor

Nowadays, Motherboards approaches with multiple ranges of form factors. As bigger the size, then you will get more features. Sometimes when you need to make a compact system, then you can also get some smaller options. And for these reasons, the motherboard manufacturers primarily make three sizes, to fulfill the needs of the users.

ATX: A full-size of the ATX board is available in 12 x 9.6-inches (305 × 244 mm)

Micro-ATX (mATX): A microATX motherboard is available in 9.6 × 9.6-inches (244 × 244 mm)

Mini-ITX: A mini-ITX is 6.7 × 6.7-inches (171 x 171 mm).

However, the size of the motherboard will also define actual kind of the cabinet/chassis that you will already be using, so be cautious.

Sometimes the sizes difference has also been impacting on the number of slots and ports which can be fitted easily on the motherboard. Normally a full-size ATX board always offers a total of five PCI-Express and PCI slots. And a mATX board has a total of three slots, and a mini-ITX board generally features a single PCI-Express x16 slot.

Alike, the highest memory slots on every board vary on ranging from 4-8 on ATX boards, 2-4 on mATX and two on mini-ITX.

Additionally, there is also an Extended ATX (E-ATX) board size which is larger than the ATX and also offers some extra ports and slots which is continuously going as much as almost four CPU sockets and also 24 memory slots.

Harry Williams is a self-professed security expert; he has been making the people aware of the security threats. His passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. He writes for Norton security products at norton.com/setup.

Source: norton-setup.org