Choosing a motherboard: TOP 5 budget models for AMD

Editor's Choice

Motherboard MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WIFI (from RUB 16,320)

MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WIFI motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru A strong motherboard that is supported on several processors. The model has good build quality. In the kit you will also find two Wi-Fi antennas, which obviously will not be superfluous. All main elements have massive radiators. This board has great overclocking potential and all modern functions are available. The cooling system also inspires confidence.

High-quality build, a large number of ports and expansion slots
Weak audio system

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Motherboard ASUS PRIME Z490-A (from RUB 15,600)

ASUS PRIME Z490-A motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru This representative of our rating also has many advantages. The number of slots and connectors will definitely please users. There is a switchable backlight. Undoubted advantages from the z490 chipset. The motherboard has an interesting appearance - snow-white decorative elements and aluminum radiators on a black PCB. The board is based on the Intel LGA 1200 processor socket and supports the tenth generation Comet Lake-S CPU.

Number of slots, switchable backlight

Network module turns off after reboot

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Motherboard GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX (rev. 1.0) (from RUB 14,850)

GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX motherboard (rev. 1.0).
Photo: market.yandex.ru This motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, which is extremely important for modern components. It is made very reliably, this is ensured by a metal frame on the front and back sides. Among the advantages is also a built-in Wi-Fi module that supports the 802.11ax standard. Users note that the board has good performance. It is capable of unleashing the potential of such top processors as the 3rd generation AMD Ryzen™, and, apparently, the 4th.

Compatible with modern processors, good performance

Extra outputs for HDMI

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MSI board

This company has been creating good components for a long time. In 2009, it released the MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3. Motherboards with this processor socket have just begun to appear on the market. Therefore, this model became a novelty and immediately attracted the attention of the user.

The equipment is quite standard for this manufacturer. The box is painted fiery orange. The main specification and some supported technologies are listed on the front. There is nothing superfluous inside the box: a couple of instructions, two disks with drivers, a bracket for the rear panel, 2 adapters, 4 SATA cables, a couple of cables and a plug.

The power system is built on five phases, which use solid capacitors. In addition, this area is occupied by a group of transistors, next to which a massive radiator is placed.

The cooling system is generally good for the MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3. It's rare to see motherboards with such detailed detail. The radiator has a curved shape. One part of it starts at the south bridge, then the tube runs next to the video card slot and goes into a larger radiator. It cools not only the transistors, but also the north bridge.

The board received top-end characteristics. It has excellent overclocking potential and is also a pretty strong competitor to the Gigabyte 880GA-UD3H. We will consider this model further. But the main disadvantage of this board is that the user cannot unlock disabled cores of AMD Phenom II processors. Of course, for many this problem will be decisive in choosing a motherboard. But we must not forget that the MSI 790FX-GD70 is a model that allows you to overclock the processor to 4 GHz, so the choice of chip should be appropriate.

What other motherboards are worth paying attention to?

ASRock B550M-HDV motherboard (from RUB 6,030)

ASRock B550M-HDV motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru A model that will attract buyers with its cost - not the highest on the market. It has good overclocking, although you can’t count on it without VRM heatsinks. Among the advantages are the presence of two connectors for 4 usb, as well as sata connectors on the right, and not on the top. This is convenient for those who use large video cards.

Price, convenient location of connectors

Power

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Supermicro X9DRi-F motherboard (from RUB 40,872)

Supermicro X9DRi-F motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru Users admire the power of this motherboard. It is capable of providing almost maximum performance. The advantageous features of the model are two processors and available components. There are many memory slots, and its maximum capacity is 512 GB. However, there are some off-putting points: the device is one of the most expensive on the market.

Two processors, power

Price

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Motherboard Colorful C.A68M-BTC YV14 (from 4905 RUR)

Colorful C.A68M-BTC YV14 motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru An affordable motherboard with a set of necessary qualities. With it you can watch movies in good resolution and play games, although not very demanding ones. The compact dimensions of the model give you the opportunity to choose any case - a full-fledged computer or a miniature one designed for a microATX system.

Price quality

Inconvenient sata location

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Motherboard Biostar IH61MF-Q5 (from RUB 5,410)

Biostar IH61MF-Q5 motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru This option is also among the available ones. The specifications state that the motherboard supports a RAM clock speed of 1600 MHz, which is considered an advantage for many users. It is suitable for several processors - in particular, the Intel® core™ i3-3220 and i5-3570k, whose owners often abandon the model, doubting its compatibility.

Price, assembly

Power

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Esonic H61FEL-U motherboard (from RUB 3,720)

Esonic H61FEL-U motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru Many computer owners consider this option as a replacement for a failed existing motherboard. There is nothing to be surprised about - it is relatively cheap, has a minimum set of necessary characteristics and is compatible with a large number of processors. Judging by user reviews, it works without any complaints - this is the most important thing.

Price, good compatibility

Small memory capacity

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Advantech AIMB-782QG2-00A1E motherboard (from RUB 27,205)

Advantech AIMB-782QG2-00A1E motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru Server motherboard with powerful characteristics. It supports work on processors - Intel 2nd, 3rd Core i7/i5/i3. Can work with several at once. The model is distinguished by its build quality and reliability of all materials. The package contents will also pleasantly surprise you; in addition to the board itself, you will find here - 2 SATA cables, 1 SATA power cable and a cover for the rear ports of the case.

Quality, availability of interfaces

Price

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Intel DP43BF motherboard (from RUB 3,130)

Intel DP43BF motherboard.
Photo: market.yandex.ru Our rating is completed by one of the most discussed motherboards on the Internet. It is available, there is support for the old socket. In addition, we should not forget about the manufacturer - Intel boards are characterized by stable operation. Despite the price, there are high-quality components and excellent sound. The cable reaches anywhere and at the same time does not interfere with the video card and other parts. Also here are all device drivers and any documentation.

Component quality, reliability

Outdated platform

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AM3+

Socket AM3+ (socket 942) is a modified version of AM3, which adds support for the Bulldozer and Piledriver architecture. It is compatible with the following processor series:

• Server Opteron 3200 and 3300 with a number of cores from 4 to 8.
• FX 43xx, 63xx, 83xx and 9xxx (Vishera) with 4/2, 6/3 and 8/4 cores/threads.
• FX 4xxx, 6xxx and 8xxx (Zambezi) with 4/2, 6/3 and 8/4 cores/threads.

And also with those designed for motherboards with AM3.

Externally, AM3 connectors differ from AM3+ in color. The former are made white, the latter – black.

Three best processors for AM3+ motherboards

• Powerful and hot 8-core AMD FX-9590 based on Vishera architecture. Its clock frequency is 4.7 GHz with the possibility of increasing to 5 GHz. The processor supports Turbo Core 3 automatic acceleration technology and has an unlocked multiplier (x23.5). There is no built-in video. Compatible with DDR3 800-1866 Mhz RAM up to 128 Gb. Supports M.2 SSD drives. Needs a high-performance cooling system, since its thermal package (TDP) is as much as 220 W.
• AMD FX-8370 (Vishera) is slightly inferior in performance to the previous model, but its thermal package is almost 40% lower and amounts to 125 W. This processor also has 8 cores, but a slightly lower frequency - 4.0 GHz with the possibility of increasing to 4.7 GHz when Turbo Core is enabled. It supports overclocking by a multiplier (x20) and, just like its “big brother,” it lacks a built-in video core. Can work with DDR3 800-1866 Mhz memory up to 128 Gb.
• AMD FX-8320 (Vishera) is the slowest of the top three. It has 8 cores, operates at a base frequency of 3.5 GHz with an increase in Turbo Core mode to 4.0 GHz. Has a free x17.5 multiplier. Supports DDR3 800-1866 Mhz memory with a capacity of up to 128 Gb. No built-in video. Its thermal power is 125 W.

Three best motherboards for AM3+

ASUS Crosshair V Formula is an ATX motherboard based on the AMD 990FX+ SB950 chipset for high-performance gaming. A top model of its time with excellent overclocking potential. It does not have a built-in video core, therefore it is intended for use only with discrete video cards, for which this board has 4 PCI-E x16 connectors.

The device is equipped with one PCI-E x1 slot, one PCI slot, seven SATA 6Gb/s and one eSATA connectors, 18 USB ports of which 6 are version 3.0, an S/PDIF output and a jack for a PS/2 keyboard and mouse. Supports 2-channel memory mode DDR3 1066-2133 Mhz up to 32 Gb. Connects to the network at a speed of 1000 Mbit/s. The Realtek ALC898 audio codec operates in 7.1 SupremeFX mode.

This is interesting: How to assess the health of an SSD drive? Evaluation of my OCZ Vertex 4 after 3 months of operation

MSI 990 FXA- GD80 is an equally worthy model, “tailored” for use in conjunction with an overclocked AM3+ processor. Like its predecessor, it is built on the AMD 990FX+ SB950 chipset, allows you to install up to 4 PCI-E x16 video cards and up to 32 GB of DDR3 RAM with a frequency of 2133 MHz.

Inside, the board is equipped with 4 RAM slots, 4 PCI-E x16, 2 PCI-E x1 and one PCI slots. To connect storage devices, there are 6 SATA 6Gb/s slots installed here. Of the external interfaces, it has 14 USB ports, 4 of which are USB 3.0, 2 eSATA and FireWire connectors, an optical S/PDIF output and a hybrid PS/2. The Realtek ALC892 codec is responsible for 7.1 sound, the network operates at a speed of 1 Gbit/s.

GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 is another high-performance gaming motherboard with excellent overclocking potential based on the AMD 990FX+ SB950 chipset. Supports DDR3 RAM up to 2000 MHz and up to 32 Gb capacity. There is also no built-in video, but there are 4 PCI-E x16 slots for connecting discrete video cards.

On board this board there are also 4 RAM slots, 2 PCI-E x1 and 1 PCI. There are 6 SATA 6Gb/s ports for disks and laser drives, 18 USB sockets for peripherals, 4 of which are USB 3.0, an S/PDIF output, 2 eSATA and FireWire connectors, as well as PS/2. The network connection operates at a speed of 1 Gbit/s, the sound is provided by the Realtek ALC889 codec.

How to choose a motherboard

The motherboard is a very specific thing. You can't buy the first one you come across. Programmer Daniil Kosyagin told us how to choose the right component so important for a PC . He draws attention to the following features.

Compatibility

The motherboard will not work on a computer that it is not compatible with. Therefore, here, first of all, everything depends on the socket - it must be the same as that of the processor for installation to become possible. The socket is often updated, so for smooth operation it is better to take devices with the latest ones. There are two manufacturers of computer processors: AMD and Intel. There are the same number of sockets. The most modern ones from Intel are 1151, 1151-v2, 2066, from AMD - AM4, TR4. But you can’t keep track of time here; it’s better to check with the sellers - they can suggest newer options that suit you. And don’t forget to check the compatibility with the processor in its specifications before purchasing a board; such things are usually indicated.

GIGABYTE Z390UD

This is the minimum option for today, which we could recommend for overclocking the processor and installing fast memory, but only as a budget option.

Specifications GIGABYTE Z 390 UD

Here we will describe in detail the main characteristics and why we omitted some parameters so that you understand what is what and we will not return to this again, but will only note the differences between motherboards.

We do not indicate the memory size and frequency in the specifications, since all motherboards in this article support 64 GB of memory with a frequency of 4000 MHz or higher, in this regard they can be considered the same. We also do not indicate RAID support, because it is available everywhere.

The number of memory slots is 4 everywhere, we will also not indicate the number of PCI-E slots and SATA connectors; for most users this does not matter much. But, if you are planning to install any expansion cards (sound card, something else) or think that this may be needed in the future, then pay attention to full-size ATX boards like this one. For Micro-ATX motherboards, after installing a video card, at best, 2 PCI-E slots will remain available, at worst, only 1.

Modern motherboards are equipped with Realtek audio codecs, middle class (ALC892) or top-end (ALC1220). This motherboard uses a mid-class codec, plus there is shielding of the audio path (yellow strip without metal on the PCB) and Japanese audio capacitors (golden), although only 4 pieces. All this gives quite good sound with the absence of extraneous noise and interference, although not as powerful as in gaming motherboards with a top-end sound codec, which is especially noticeable in headphones (it’s difficult to notice the difference in speakers). However, this motherboard has only 3 3.5 mm audio jacks and no digital optical audio output, which will not allow you to connect high-quality speakers using an optical cable (this guarantees high-quality sound transmission without interference). However, you can connect 5.1 speakers to it, but there will be no free connectors left, headphones with a microphone can only be connected to the front panel of the case, and if noise occurs there will be nowhere to switch it. So in the case of multi-channel acoustics, it’s better to play it safe and take a motherboard with 5-6 audio connectors.

With video connectors, everything is also quite sad here, there is only one HDMI connector, and if you suddenly do not plan to install a video card, you can only connect one monitor with a similar connector; you cannot connect a second monitor or TV here. If you immediately have a video card, then in principle this is not a problem, but it is still good if the motherboard has a connector to which you can connect your monitor. This will be very useful if your video card is out of warranty for several months, in which case you will be able to use the computer without a video card.

But everything is fine with USB connectors; there are 6 full-size USB 3.1 Type-A, which should be enough in most cases. We will not pay attention to the presence of a USB Type-C connector as long as it is not used practically anywhere.

Also, almost all modern motherboards have an M.2 slot, into which you can install a compact SSD of a similar format with a SATA interface or a faster PCI-E (if you need this for some reason, since a comparison of SSD SATA and PCI-E does not show the real difference). In principle, it would be possible to do without the M.2 slot, since its only advantage is that no wires are required to connect the SSD; it is simply installed on the motherboard as RAM.

One of the most important points is the processor power system - the number of phases, the presence and size of radiators on mosfets (transistors next to the processor socket). In this article, we decided not to indicate the number of phases, since manufacturers often do not provide such information, and this can only be determined through a professional analysis of the power system. In the previous collection, we collected this information bit by bit from reviews, in this one we will move away from this practice and will indicate the number of chokes (cubes next to the processor socket). Using them, you can indirectly compare motherboards in terms of power system power - the more chokes, the more powerful the power system. This motherboard has 12 chokes, which is an average figure, as well as medium-sized radiators. Based on this and (which we carefully study) we can recommend this motherboard for Core i5 and i7 processors up to older 8-9 generation models, which can work stably for a long time under high load with medium overclocking, without overheating the motherboard’s power system, resulting in reduced stability and service life.

In general, this motherboard is more suitable for budget-conscious users who want good processor overclocking capabilities, fast memory, do not plan to connect multi-channel speakers, and have a monitor with an HDMI connector. GIGABYTE Z390 UD motherboard

MSI Z390-A PRO

This motherboard differs from the previous one in a weaker power supply system with one heatsink, but in a better configuration of audio and video connectors.

Specifications MSI Z 390- A PRO

The audio codec, its shielding and wiring are similar here, but there are 6 audio connectors, which is preferable for multi-channel acoustics. There are also various video connectors, including the outdated VGA (D-SUB), which makes this motherboard an almost uncontested choice for monitor owners who only have this connector. Of course, this solution is not suitable for games, but for work, including projects of medium complexity, it is suitable.

It is worth noting the presence of 2 M.2 slots, which is true not everyone needs, and one of the slots allows you to install only short modules, which are mainly Wi-Fi adapters. However, there are no mounts for antennas on the motherboard; this will require a special plug in the PCI slot.

Due to the weaker power system, we can recommend this motherboard only for Core i3 and i5 processors with a small overclocking of the older, most powerful models, without the prospect of installing something much more powerful in the future (unless you change the 4-core i3 to a 6-core i5).

The main advantage of this model is the convenient connection of multi-channel acoustics (5.1 or 7.1), almost any monitor (or several) and a TV without the need to install a video card. MSI Z390-A PRO motherboard

MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK

A very high-quality and beautiful motherboard, like previous models from MSI from the TOMAHAWK series, which have proven themselves to be excellent.

Specifications MSI MAG Z 390 TOMAHAWK

The codec here is really not top-end, but everything is fine with the harness, so it will be difficult to notice the real difference, plus there are optics. Of the video connectors, there are only the most modern HDMI and DisplayPort. The most distinctive feature is the presence of two network cards with corresponding RJ45 connectors if you need it.

There are three M.2 slots, one has a heatsink and one is short with Wi-Fi support. The power system here is weaker, so we would not recommend this motherboard for overclocking Core i9. But it can handle Core i5 and i7 with good, non-extreme overclocking without any problems. MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK motherboard

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI

This motherboard is similar to the previous one, but differs in the presence of an optical output, a DVI port and fewer USB ports.

ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI Specifications

This is the first motherboard from our selection with optics, which sets it apart from previous models if you want to purchase high-quality speakers. After all, optical sound comes in digital without distortion, and it doesn’t matter what audio codec it is, the speakers will sound as their manufacturer intended.

Otherwise, everything is similar here - there is a heatsink for an M.2 SSD drive, and a medium-power power system with small heatsinks allows you to operate Core i5 and i7 processors with sufficient overclocking for most users. ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming SLI Motherboard