Best Motherboard Brand
Before we start looking at the best motherboard brands, here are some important tips for selecting the best computer motherboard. The first thing you need to do is, check if the motherboard you are going to buy is compatible with the processor you have. This is the most important criteria. On the processor box you can check to see what motherboard brands your processor is compatible with. Advanced Graphics Port or AGP is a feature which is required for gaming and graphic designing. If you are interested in any of these, then make sure that the motherboard has higher AGP performance.
Also, check the number of PCI slots present in a motherboard. Because, plenty of PCI slots allow attachment of sound cards, modems or Ethernet cards for future upgrades and expansion. Also, the more PCI slots in the motherboard, the more USB ports you can have, which you can use to connect to other external devices, like mouse, keyboard, webcams, printers, scanners, etc. Another thing to bear in mind is, to check the compatibility of motherboard with a high performing RAM. Lastly, find a reputed manufacturer of motherboard, so that you get a good warranty, and product quality. Ensure, they also give you tech support, so that you can avail it whenever, in future, you need it for motherboard repair.
Best Motherboard Brand 2010
Given above, were the different features you need to look for, when you choose a motherboard and compatibility of motherboard with different parts. So, no matter which best motherboard brand you choose, make sure it meets all the requirements. Here are top 5 motherboard brands, out of which you can consider one for your CPU.
ASUS
ASUS is considered as the world's largest manufacturer, when it comes to motherboard, and one of the best motherboard brand for gaming. Asustek, apart from making motherboard, also makes many other PC consumer electronics, which are sold world wide. ASUS has had a relationship with Intel which can be traced back to the days of release of 486 CPU. Hence, ASUS recieves advance samples of Intel CPUs, before any other manufacturers. ASUS is reputed to be one of the best motherboard brand.
Gigabyte
Gigabyte motherboards have always received good appreciation from different computer supply sites. Overall customer satisfaction for Gigabyte motherboards is positive, and they have a solid customer satisfaction rate. Also, they are considered top notch, when it comes to keeping up with new technologies.
MSI
This company was founded in 1986, and it has emerged as one of the best motherboard 2010 brand. Many new models of MSI motherboards are well designed products, which can be compared to brands like ASUS and Gigabyte, however MSI motherboards cost less. The boards also have been shipping with a good suite of software. This brand is not very well know, but seems to be a reliable one, and a good value for money.
EVGA
This brand is a computer parts manufacturer which mainly focuses on making graphics card and motherboards. Similar to ASUS and Gigabyte, EVGA is one of the best motherboard brand according to consumer reviews. However, EVGA doesn't have a wide range of boards which the above brands do, but still they make some of the best motherboards.
Intel
Everybody knows Intel makes one of the best computer processor, but many people don't know that they also make world class motherboards. When it comes to manufacturing motherboard, Intel has a distinct benefit, as it has inside knowledge of processor and chipset specifications, which helps to make stable and high performance motherboards. However, the disadvantage of Intel motherboards is, they are only compatible with Intel processors.
These were the five best motherboard brands. If you don't want to go wrong, then ASUS and Gigabyte are the best choice, however if you are looking for a little lower priced motherboard then you can consider MSI.
Computer Hardware Solutions: How to Choose a Motherboard
The computer motherboard is the heart of your desktop computer. These days, motherboards are available in all sorts of combinations and numerous specifications. When you want to choose a computer motherboard, it is necessary to first decide the type of computer system you want. The motherboard you choose, must be compatible to the computer system. The motherboards should also be chosen after taking the purpose and the nature of the computer usage into consideration. Firstly, decide whether you want the desktop computer for playing games or for office use or just as an entertainment medium for watching movies.
CPU Socket
The computer motherboard is housed in the central processing unit (CPU). There are three types of CPUs available in the market viz. Socket 478, socket 370 and socket A. Selecting the socket, means that you are selecting your processor. The type of processor chosen, decides the socket type of the CPU. It is important to remember that all processors are not compatible with all the available motherboards. The processors are available in different speeds and the cost of the processors increase with the increase in the speed they provide.
Chipset
The next most important feature while choosing a computer motherboard is the type of chipset. Many people ignore this, but it is the nitty-gritty of the computer motherboard. The chipset is a set of two chips called the Northbridge and the Southbridge. The main function of the chipset is to connect the CPU to the input-output (IO) system of the computer. The Northbridge is closer to the CPU as compared to the Southbridge and deals with the connection of the CPU and the memory (RAM). The second function of the Northbridge is to handle the connection between the CPU and the graphics card connected to it. The Southbridge takes care of the other input-output systems in the computer, like the audio and the drives connected to the system. It also deals with the ports and expansion slots and generally, the Southbridge has a slower speed of operation than that of the Northbridge. Improvements and changes are always seen in the chipset, so it is advisable to opt for the newest chipset available.
Memory
Memory of the computer is another essential part of the computer motherboard. The memory (RAM) decides the speed of your computer system. There are three types of memories available that should be chosen depending on their compatibility with different processors used. They are as follows:
- RD RAM: This type of RAM is quite an efficient RAM available and is used with the Pentium IV processor.
- SD RAM: This type of memory is the most common type because all the Pentium III processors use this memory.
- DDR SDRAM: This type is generally used with the Athlon motherboards that require the CPU with the socket type 'A'. This is the fastest type of RAM and nowadays, is also supported by some of the socket 478 CPUs (Pentium IV).
Choosing or upgrading a graphics card is dependent upon the type of the motherboard you have chosen. The PCIexpress slots are nowadays available, which also have a facility that gives you the benefit of using two video (graphics) cards at the same time.
The type of on-board video should also be decided when you choose a computer motherboard. The standard VGA is always found in the computer motherboards but recently the DVI and HDMI connections offer higher resolutions and are rapidly replacing the VGA connections.It is necessary to take into consideration, the compatibility of the monitors of your computer with these standards.
BIOS Menu
When you choose a motherboard, you need to decide whether you want the overclocking option. The overclock is used to increase the clock rate of the computer so as to give better performance. In overclocking, the voltages required and the bus speeds are changed. Usually, people who want to play computer games, overclock the computer system. The BIOS menu takes care of this overclocking option.
Connectors
The front panel and the rear panel connectors also matter when you choose a computer motherboard. The connectors that must be considered, include the USB ports, the serial and parallel communication ports, SPDIF (digital input and output port), infrared port, firewire (generally used for high speed transfers) and eSATA (connector).
These were some of the issues you must take care of, when choosing a computer motherboard. Remember choosing your computer motherboard can be an easy task and not as difficult as it is usually thought to be!
