We were all beginners once. But it's easy for us to forget just how much we didn't know at the outset of our journey. Do you remember the first time you read through a list of specs and understood all of what you were looking at? What a magical moment, right? So, even as Tom's Hardware constantly publishes motherboard comparisons, it's easy to forget that many newcomers lack the knowledge to take advantage of the advice in our stories and your guidance on the forums.
What goes into choosing a motherboard? Certainly, support for a desired CPU is key. And Tom's Hardware is there again with everything from low-power mobile processors to 200+ watt overclocked monsters. But a motherboard is far more than just the device you drop your processor into.
A somewhat common worst-case scenario for first-time builders is spending hundreds of dollars on parts, only to find that some of them won’t fit together. Less common is when parts fit together, but aren't actually compatible. Unfortunately, it's far more frequent to see new builders pick components that aren't well-balanced, limiting performance artificially. We don't like to see any of that happen.
Choosing parts that fit and work well together requires consideration of motherboard size, processor interface, and chipset features. Getting the best performance involves intricacies like memory configuration and graphics support. Ultimate functionality necessitates that you think about on-board devices and/or additional card slots.
That seems like a lot of variable to mull over, and with over a dozen brands offering hundreds of options, nobody said this process was easy. But isn't that the beauty of a PC? You have options. You can customize. And, at the end of the day, you end up with exactly what you wanted. Fortunately, a little general knowledge and a few reviews can take the guesswork out of motherboard selection so you can narrow the market down to a small number of best-matched models.
Motherboard Diagram
A large circuit board allows motherboard manufacturers to pack on as many features as possible, yielding a bevy of associated components to consider:
The above motherboard was chosen for this discussion due to its easy-to-see connectors and typical high-end layout. Specific features and details depend on the board vendor's target market, price point, and a few underlying technologies.
Main power comes to the above example through a 24-pin extended ATX (EPS) power connector (12), with the processor interface driven separately by an eight-pin CPU power (EPS12V/ATX12V) connector (13). Many motherboards that support multiple PCI Express x16 graphics card slots (4) have an additional power connector near those slots (14), but it usually doesn't need to be connected.
Many motherboards support multiple graphics cards through additional PCI Express x16 slots, though some expose fewer lanes, allowing the card to communicate with the rest of the platform through a narrower pipeline capable of less bandwidth. Motherboards designed for the lowest energy use (or to hit the lowest price points) often have no graphics expansion slots at all, and output through graphics engines built onto the host processor's die.
Under the large heat sink on the right side of the motherboard, a six-phase voltage regulator is most easily identified by the distinct groups of components that work in parallel. Modern motherboards typically use a number of lower-amperage phases to provide smoother power under load, a design that also allows unneeded components to be disabled when they aren't needed. Differences in component capacity make it impossible to determine the quality of a motherboard based on its phase count alone, though. We’ve even seen a 12-phase product out-power its 35-phase competitor.
Motherboards with digital voltage regulators usually lack the distinct groups of components seen above, forcing builders to rely on reviews or manufacturer documentation to determine voltage regulator specifics.
With a better grasp of the components on our motherboard, we can take a closer look at how they affect layout, and how layout is affected by them. I'm using the same Biostar motherboard from the previous page, since its high-contrast color scheme makes connectors easy to see. Now it's sitting upright though, which is how it'd appear in a gamer's tower chassis.

Graphics card spacing is a primary layout consideration in gaming-oriented PCs. The above example spaces its first and second PCIe x16 slots with two single-lane connectors between them, since some of today’s fastest graphics cards have coolers that occupy more than two slot spaces. The same consideration isn’t given to the third PCIe x16 slot because there’s simply no room to put it.
There could have been, though. That top slot corresponds to an ATX case’s second slot opening. Biostar wanted to make extra room between the back of a long graphics card and the DIMM latches, making it easier to add or replace memory with a card already installed.
The board does still support three graphics cards, as long as the thermal solution monopolizes no more than a second slot’s space. Even then, you'll need a case with an eighth slot at the bottom, since a two-slot card would clearly overhang the motherboard. This layout has become so common that a large number of enthusiast-oriented cases now have the requisite extra slot hole.
Six of this motherboard’s seven SATA ports face forward so that the cable ends fit under any heat sink and fan attached to extra-long graphics cards. Most ATX cases are now designed with space behind the lower drive cages for these cables to pass through. The seventh SATA port points straight out from the motherboard’s surface, which is acceptable since it’s located above the top graphics card.
Also notice that the blue USB 3.0 port on the bottom edge is located beneath the white slot's latch. Because USB 3.0 cables are stiff, they cannot be folded over and under a graphics card cooler in the same manner as most other front-panel cables. That means this connector can’t be used if you have a third double-slot graphics card installed. Most newer motherboards place this connector above the top PCIe x16 slot, roughly where this particular platform's outward-facing SATA port is found.
The top edge is preferred for the ATX12V/EPS12V connector because it allows the cable to be pulled up behind the motherboard tray in cases with a power supply mounted at the bottom. Most high-amperage power supplies are built with cables long enough to accommodate such a configuration. This specific board takes up to two eight-pin power connectors for hardcore overclockers who push equally extreme power levels into their CPUs (even though this motherboard’s power regulator doesn’t appear sufficient to overdraw the capacity of a single cable).
The larger 20- or 24-pin ATX/EPS power connector is placed at the motherboard’s front edge to allow easy access in cases with a power supply up top or down below, without blocking the CPU cooler or any expansion slots. Serial ATA cables beneath it are also raised slightly from the lower corner.
Front-panel audio connectors have been a contentious matter since Intel said they should be placed in the lower-rear corner in 1997. Many builders prefer to route this cable behind the motherboard tray. Unfortunately, the cables in many cases are too short to reach. In the image above, Biostar moved its connector forward by around an inch to alleviate an issue caused by Intel and aggravated by careless case companies.
A final layout consideration is fan connector quantity and placement. Biostar's Tpower X79 provides a perfect minimum configuration. It enables a CPU fan connector near the lower-right corner of the processor interface, an exhaust fan header near the supplemental graphics power connector, and an intake fan connector in the front-lower corner. Two intake and two exhaust fan headers are preferable, and connections for any side and top fans should also be considered. Adapters may be used to connect additional fans directly to the power supply, though this method removes the motherboard’s ability to control fan speed.
Admittedly, I am one of the most vocal critics of layout and positioning issues you'll find online, but my goal is to point out possible problems before they cause you trouble, not to eliminate any particular product from further consideration. If SATA port orientation or FP-Audio header placement appears problematic, our case reviews should be able to clear up any doubts.
While large manufacturers are free to build PCs in whatever shape they desire, ATX and its derivatives dominate the do-it-yourself market. Smaller variations of ATX limit the room you have for expansion and make you more reliant on integrated or external devices, while allowing compact system dimensions. Even as advancements in on-board audio and network controllers have improved those subsystems to the point where you don't need add-in cards with those capabilities, on-die graphics are still fairly anemic. Unless you're only performing productivity tasks and watching video on your PC, you'll probably want a discrete card for 3D tasks. While office systems and media players may serve a fixed role throughout their useful lives, it's a good idea to have at least some room for expansion cards when building a multipurpose configuration.
ATX Through Mini-ITX
ATX was designed to address three major shortcomings of the earlier AT form factor, and it offers a few minor improvements as well. First, a designated portion of the board for the CPU socket keeps it out of the way of long cards, where AT boards had the CPU mounted behind or in place of card slots. Second, the inclusion of an I/O panel on the motherboard itself negates the need for slot brackets to break out common connections like USB, Ethernet, and audio. Third, a cooling path from the lower-front to the upper-rear of the case vents heated air through the power supply and/or an exhaust fan. All three major advancements are centered on splitting the board between the expansion and CPU areas.
Most significant of the more minor improvements was the addition of a power switch on the motherboard, rather than the power supply. This allowed the system to turn itself off at shutdown, and made possible features like wake-on-ring (using a modem), wake-on-LAN (using a network adapter), timed power up/power down, and keyboard power-on hot-buttons.
ATX derivatives are based on the same CPU section, so that smaller motherboards are able to fit into larger cases if desired. ATX standards include microATX and FlexATX. Most Shuttle-style PC cubes (often called SFF for Shuttle Form Factor or Small Form Factor) use a two-slot variation of the FlexATX form factor cut to approximately eight inches, and VIA further shortened its mini-ITX form factor to 6.75 inches by reducing the maximum slot count to one.
ATX size specifications are based on fractional inches, and rounding to the nearest millimeter is the most likely reason why the mounting holes of many motherboards are slightly misaligned with the mounting points of many cases. Even the originator of ATX, Intel, rounds the dimensions of recent specification updates when converting from original inch designations.

The image above compares the maximum size and maximum number of slots allowed on various ATX-based form factors, with dashed lines indicating how the mounting holes in smaller boards still align with those of larger cases. It also shows a long-forgotten solution to the problems of mini-ITX.
Before there were any high-performance products based on the mini-ITX form factor, AMD attempted to standardize Shuttle-style gaming cubes with a newer specification called DTX. Its single-slot derivative, mini-DTX, resembles mini-ITX except that it’s deeper, which makes room for four memory modules and a full-sized CPU voltage regulator. While most mini-ITX-optimized gaming cases are designed to hold a DTX motherboard, persistence of the mini-ITX moniker has prevented motherboard makers from taking advantage of the extra depth. As shown above, the same rule of “smaller motherboard fits larger case” applies.
Over The Top (Or Under The Bottom)
Oversized motherboards have existed for as long as any of the form factors mentioned above. One of the oldest is EATX, with its 13” depth (front to rear). Foxconn’s attempt to develop a 10-slot form factor succeeded only in introducing 10-slot cases to the market, and other manufacturers responded to the new cases by producing nine-slot-tall (13.6”) XL-ATX motherboards that can use the case’s tenth slot to hold a thick graphics card in the platform's bottom slot. The associated cases are specified as XL-ATX-compatible, and they'll still hold a full range of smaller boards down to mini-ITX.
Where once the interface for desktop CPUs was divided by age and price, AMD breaks out low-power platforms as a third class from which to choose. We’ll organize these by popularity.
Intel LGA 1150
Supporting Intel’s widest range of microprocessors, LGA 1150-based motherboards connect two channels of DDR3 memory and a maximum of 16 full-speed (8 GT/s) PCI Express 3.0 lanes, which can be split among up to three add-in devices. The CPU itself holds both the memory and PCIe 3.0 controllers, removing the need for a separate northbridge on the motherboard’s chipset. Instead, a single-component platform controller hub (or PCH) fills the role of a traditional southbridge. That piece of silicon hosts a secondary PCIe 2.0 controller to connect lower-bandwidth devices.

Because it has so few PCIe connections, LGA 1150 is generally best-suited to folks who require only a few expansion cards. The bandwidth benefit of PCIe 3.0 allows spectacular performance from multi-GPU rendering technologies like SLI and CrossFire, but adding a third card to the array can be problematic (Nvidia goes so far as to block SLI compatibility on four-lane slots). Moreover, all eight of the PCIe 2.0 pathways share a 2 GB/s CPU link with all of the chipset’s integrated devices, including all six of the PCH’s SATA 6Gb/s ports, all six of its USB 3.0 ports, and any GbE networking controllers.
AMD Socket AM3+
AMD’s three-year-old Socket AM3+ continues as its flagship solution, even as the company backs away from the high-end market and continues to improve its mainstream replacement parts. The top reasons for this being a top platform include the associated 990FX chipset, which provides 42 PCI Express 2.0 lanes through its northbridge and a couple more on its southbridge. The CPU-integrated memory controller supports dual-channel memory up to DDR3-1866 (plus a little more with overclocking). And speaking of overclocking, the CPU range extends from a 4.7 GHz liquid-cooled eight-core model pushed well beyond the original engineering specs of its architecture core, down to a $110 four-core model.

Due to the platform’s end-of-life status, we recommend it only to buyers who’ve weighed their other options carefully enough to make a fully informed commitment.
Intel LGA 2011-v3
Supporting Intel’s Haswell-E (5900 and 5800-series) Core i7 processors with up to eight physical cores, LGA 2011-v3 directs up to 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes directly from the CPU to expansion slots. The large CPU-based PCIe controller, in addition to four DDR4 memory channels, make it the best choice for users who need both top compute performance and added support for high-bandwidth expansion cards.

Unlike its earlier high-end socket, Intel also differentiates its top 5900-series models by disabling twelve of the integrated PCIe 3.0 pathways on its second-class 5800-series processors. That step removes 4-way SLI from the 5800-series CPU's capabilities, in an apparent effort to drive-away customers who might have otherwise paired a mid-priced CPU with an expensive graphics configuration. Depending on the motherboard chosen, the reduced lane count of 5800-series CPUs can also disable 3-way SLI.
An 8-lane PCIe 2.0 controller resides in the chipset and carries data over the same 2 GB/s DMI pathway as LGA 1150.
Intel LGA 2011
Supporting Intel’s Ivy Bridge-E (4900 and 4800-series) and Sandy Bridge-E (3900 and 3800-series) Core i7 processors with up to six physical cores, LGA 2011 directs 40 PCIe lanes directly from the CPU to several slots. Because this 40-lane controller was on the CPU, the newer Ivy Bridge processor was able to add PCIe 3.0 mode to a platform that had originally been PCIe 2.0-only.

Current LGA 2011 platforms should be considered “end of life” since Intel has released its "v3" replacement. Value-seeking buyers might select this product based on the 4800-series CPU's 40-lane controller, which is reduced to 28-lanes on the replacement-platform's 5800-series processor. Similarly, DDR3 is more widely-available and at a lower current price compared to DDR4. Buyers should keep the end-of-life status in mind when considering potential upgrades.
AMD Socket FM2+
AMD’s version of a mainstream platform resembles Intel’s, with sixteen PCIe 3.0 lanes feeding one or two high-bandwidth (typically graphics) expansion cards. Compared to Intel, AMD reduces the impact of a 2 GB/s chipset link by putting four of the platform’s eight PCIe 2.0 lanes on the CPU.

Unlike Intel’s solution, Nvidia doesn’t support SLI on AMD’s FM2+ chipset. It’s still CrossFire-compatible, and even supports a hybrid mode to purportedly boost the performance of a low-cost AMD graphics card by pairing it with integrated graphics. We've measured issues with this technology though, and aren't recommending it to our readers.
AMD Socket AM1
AMD’s Socket AM1 interface integrates the entire chipset onto the CPU to save both energy and cost. These low-performance processors support a single graphics card at PCIe 2.0 x4, four additional PCIe-based devices (on-board or by expansion slot), two USB 3.0 ports, and a pair of SATA 6Gb/s drives. It primarily competes with CPU-integrated motherboards, but the addition of a socket gives AMD a little more room to market additional CPU models.
The gateway between a processor and other components is a set of interface controllers generically called the chipset. Traditional chipsets include a northbridge with memory controller and graphics card interface, and a southbridge containing slower expansion card interfaces and various peripheral, storage, and communications controllers. The closest match to this traditional definition, AMD’s Socket AM3+ deviates mostly in that the memory controller is on the CPU.
AMD and Intel also integrate a graphics controller onto their mainstream and low-cost processors, using the system memory controller to boost performance. These solutions are typically adequate for anyone who doesn’t play 3D games on their PC, and both companies occasionally surprise us with playable 1080p game performance.
AMD AM3+ Chipsets (by northbridge)
AMD’s 800-series chipsets provide a multitude of options for both discrete (no graphics) and integrated graphics customers. Northbridge products include:
- 990FX: with 42 PCI Express 2.0 lanes, this is the best match for multiple graphics cards. Unchanged from the 890FX, AMD renamed its core logic when revising its AM3 socket to AM3+. 990FX supports AMD’s CrossFire with up to four cards, and Nvidia unblocked this chipset to allow three-way SLI support as well.
- 990X: a lower-cost 26-lane version of the 990FX that supports a single graphics card with sixteen lanes or two cards with eight lanes per card. CrossFire is supported across two cards, and Nvidia allows for two-way SLI as well.
- 890GX: an integrated-graphics version of the 990X/890X that supports discrete graphics, integrated DirectX 10.1 graphics, and combinations of AMD discrete cards with integrated graphics. Because this chipset was launched before Socket AM3+, buyers must verify that the motherboard they’re considering is AM3+-compliant.
- 880G: a lower-cost version of the 890GX that supports a single AMD graphics card and integrated graphics simultaneously for enhanced multi-monitor support. It can also switch between discrete graphics and integrated engines to save energy.
- 970: a version of the 880G that has no integrated graphics and supports a single graphics card in true x16 mode. An additional graphics card can be hosted at reduced bandwidth by using four of the chipset’s x1 pathways.
AMD FM2+ Chipsets
One of the most amazing things about AMD’s mid-market APUs is that all three chipset generations support the newest-generation processors. This could lead to some confusion over which A55 motherboard comes armed with Socket FM1, FM2, or FM2+, so buyers need to pay close attention to specifications.
- A88X supports four PCIe 2.0 lanes in addition to the 20 hosted on the APU (a CPU with certain graphics capabilities built-in), four USB 3.0, ten USB 2.0, and eight SATA 6Gb/s ports. Unlike its competitor’s product, AMD also supports legacy PCI (up to three slots) in addition to newer interfaces. Launched in conjunction with the FM2+ socket, it appears to be a new stepping of the A85X with added USB 3.0 debugging.
- A78 represents a reduced feature set of the A88X, with six SATA 6Gb/s ports and the CPU’s ability to split its integrated PCIe controller from x16-x4 to x8-x8-x4 disabled. Like the above rebrand, the A78 is a new stepping of the A75 that coincides with AMD’s switch from Socket FM2 to Socket FM2+, again adding USB 3.0 debugging.
- A58 represents a reduced feature set of the A78, with six slower SATA 3Gb/s ports and no USB 3.0. Rebranded from A55, this part is unique in that it was launched after manufacturers started production of A55-branded Socket FM2+ motherboards.
- A55 was the original version of the A58, and is still available. Though we’re accustomed to rebranding, a change in the engineering codename from Hudson D2 to Bolton D2 seems disingenuous.
Intel LGA 1150 Chipsets
Because all northbridge functions have been moved onto LGA 1150-based processors, compatible motherboards feature only a southbridge that Intel relabels the PCH, for platform controller hub.
- Z97 Express features eight PCIe 2.0 lanes, six USB 3.0 ports, and six SATA 6Gb/s ports. Physically unchanged from the previous Z87 Express, Intel renamed it for its Haswell refresh marketing blitz, and changed the base firmware just enough to call it a new product. The altered firmware may be required for future Broadwell CPU support.
- Z87 Express: Intel enables pathway splitting for the CPU’s PCIe 3.0 controller when paired with Z97/Z87 Express, so that any processor can support a single card with 16 lanes, two cards with eight lanes, or three cards at x8-x4-x4 (depending on motherboard layout). CrossFire is enabled across as many as three cards, while Nvidia's SLI technology only works with two cards. RAID modes 0, 1, 5, and 10 are also enabled.
- H97 Express replaces H87 in the same way that Z97 replaced Z87. Both units currently support the same processors and feature set, but the newer chipset’s altered base firmware may be required for future Broadwell CPU upgrades.
- H87 Express reduces features compared to Z97 by limiting the CPU’s integrated PCIe 3.0 controller to a single device (one slot), and officially blocks CPU overclocking. Unofficially, the H97/H87 Express chipset can be unlocked for overclocking. Additionally, Intel enables its Small Business Advantage software on H97 or H87 motherboards with compatible firmware.
- Q87 Express adds a few more business-oriented features (VT-d, TXT, vPro) to the feature set of the H87.
- Q85 Express removes two SATA ports from the feature set of H87 Express, along with RAID functionality. The total number of supported SATA 6Gb/s ports is four.
- B85 Express removes four USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports compared to Q85 Express. The total number of USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports is eight and four, respectively.
- H81 Express removes two additional SATA and two additional USB 3.0 ports compared to B85 Express. It also closes off two PCIe 2.0 lanes, leaving a total of six from the PCH-based controller. The least-expensive of Intel’s LGA 1150 products, it was proof-of-concept for our overclock-unlocking article.
Intel LGA 2011-v3
Recently replacing the X79 Express in LGA 2011 motherboards, X99 Express is the only desktop chipset for Intel’s DDR4-supporting LGA 2011-v3 (Haswell-E) processors. X99 capitalizes on the X79's "missing" features with ten SATA 6Gb/s ports, adds six USB 3.0, and retains its eight PCIe 2.0 pathways to support low-bandwidth devices. Relying upon Intel's 5900-series Core i7 processors (currently the Core i7-5960X and 5930K) to deliver up to 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes directly from the CPU to up to five slots, the platform drops to 28 PCIe lanes when paired with a 5800-series (Core i7-5820K) processor.
Though the most common configurations for this platform will use one or two high-bandwidth cards (Graphics, RAID or both), those who wish to build it with three or more cards and a Core i7-5820K should thoroughly read our reviews to understand its effect on each motherboards slot configuration. Certain models even lose 3-way SLI capability when using the Core i7-5820K.
Intel LGA 2011
Though end-of-life, value-seeking buyers who want a lot of PCIe connectivity may chose to pair Intel's earlier high-end platform with one of the firm's least-expensive LGA 2011 processors. The associated X79 Express chipset had only two SATA 6 Gb/s ports in addition to four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, though some motherboard manufacturers decided to expose the platform's four hidden SAS ports as SATA. This legacy product also lacked USB 3.0, though most motherboard manufacturers added a third-party USB 3.0 controller to one of the chipset's slow PCIe 2.0 pathways.
Memory technology support and configuration limits are normally thought to be tied to on-die controllers, but a motherboard's slot configuration can further limit your choices. For example, several microATX and smaller motherboards expose only two memory slots. Certainly, it's best to have at least four DIMM slots on a dual-channel motherboard or eight on a quad-channel platform, whenever the space for these slots exists.
All current motherboards support PCI Express 3.0 graphics cards (8 GT/s), though chipsets for AMD’s Socket AM3+ are limited to PCIe 2.0 transfer rates (5 GT/s). The transfer mode for platforms with CPU-based PCIe controllers is also limited by that component, so that putting a previous-generation Socket FM2 processor in a current-generation FM2+ motherboard will result in the slower transfer rate. Intel faced the same issue in its Sandy Bridge (PCIe 2.0) to Ivy Bridge (PCIe 3.0) transition two years ago, since both of those processors dropped intro the same interface.
PCIe x16, represented by the long slot in the image below, is primarily used for graphics cards. Thanks to standardization, it’s also compatible with non-graphics cards all the way down to PCIe x1. And it’s compatible with different generations, so that a PCIe 3.0 slot can host a PCIe 2.0 or 1.1 card without issue.

The two smaller slots in the above image correspond to PCI Express x8 and x4. They're suited for high-bandwidth devices like RAID controllers with eight or more drives and multi-connection GbE network cards. Notice also that they're open-ended. There's no plastic capping the back, which allows longer cards to fit in shorter slots if needed. Just remember that not all slots are open-ended. The feature is not well-documented, and you may need to look at photos of the actual product to determine if your longer card really fits into that shorter slot. And as long as you’re looking at pictures, you should also keep an eye out for other obstructions that could interfere with the use of an open end (such as the white heat sink pin, below).
The marketing force of CrossFire and SLI pushes motherboard manufacturers to put “graphics slots” in as many places as they can, even using physical x16 connectors wherever an enthusiast-class board has an electrical x4 or x8 link. As a result, x8-appearing connectors have become a rarity, even as x8 interfaces are incredibly common. The above motherboard also shows one example of a x8 slot that only appears to be x16; you can barely see the missing pins in the last slot.
Due to the limited number of pathways found on mid-priced platforms, many enthusiast-class motherboards can’t enable all of their slots simultaneously. This is a bad habit we try to call out whenever we see it. After all, it could be a huge hindrance to anyone with expansion plans for their whole board. It's most often a problem for the bottom faux-x16 slots of ATX-sized LGA 1150- and Socket AM2+-based motherboards, as well as earlier versions of those processor interfaces. These slots are usually wired to four lanes at most, sharing up to three lanes with x1 slots and/or on-board devices. Unless the manufacturer adds an expensive switch, slots or devices have to be disabled to make others operational. Because this is such a large problem for a few buyers, we list slot sharing in the Page 1 motherboard features table of our reviews. Motherboard manufacturers also list these limitations within the technical specifications sheet of each motherboard’s product page.
Added-in Controllers
Adding to the vast array of features controlled by the southbridge are third-party devices like secondary network, SATA/eSATA, USB 3.0 and/or IEEE 1394/FireWire controllers. Several factors have pushed these out of the mainstream and into smaller high-end markets, such as improved SATA features, an increased number of chipset-integrated USB 3.0 ports, and decreased popularity of FireWire devices. Add-in controllers usually employ PCIe x1 connections, using a logical "slot" where no room exists on the motherboard for a physical slot.
It may seem counter-intuitive to disable any device that increases motherboard cost, but doing so can reduce boot time. For example, the separate BIOS of unused add-in SATA controllers will often flash a "no drives found" error message just before the OS splash screen appears.
Firmware is a simplified software layer that tells an operating system how to use hardware. Previous 16-bit versions called BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) have given way to newer UEFI structures that virtually eliminate hardware configuration times experienced when loading the OS. Yet, many users are afraid to enter the UEFI interface the first time due to their lack of experience.
How does one get experience without…the experience? Two ways to preview this information are to read reviews or download the manual, but learning how to use these requires a more careful reading of both reviews and how-to articles, such as our BIOS for Beginners. Even though UEFI has allowed companies to greatly expand their GUIs, most of the same settings remain.
Performance-oriented motherboards usually have far more adjustments available than lower-market boards, with more detailed memory settings and on-board feature controls in addition to overclocking options. For certain components, this is an either/or proposition. Memory can often be configured with either enhanced latencies or higher frequencies. CPU overclocking is an option for those who desire the greatest performance. Underclocking is another option for users who seek the quietest possible air cooling and/or lower energy consumption.
Besides performance tuning and commonly used settings, such as boot device order, the BIOS also allows the disabling of undesired on-board features like audio controllers, modem and network interfaces, and unused ATA/SATA controllers. Once disabled, these devices no longer consume resources and no longer need to be configured by Windows. There is no excuse for PC enthusiasts to claim that they don't want certain on-board features because of a performance penalty; they're easy to disable, after all.
Final Thoughts
Buying a motherboard shouldn't be difficult. Simply choose a processor, a chipset, your preferred form factor, and expansion devices. Then, pick the motherboard that most closely matches those needs. But even experts can stumble when a specific build requirement puts these decisions out of order, creating issues like "who makes a microATX board with the chipset I want?" In the end, buyers of all experience levels are often forced to modify their selection criteria.
If you've pre-selected anything other than a full-sized ATX case, be prepared to make compromises. The smaller boards that fit in smaller cases often have fully-integrated mainstream chipsets rather than top performance parts. Be prepared to accept on-board devices you won't use since they can be disabled, and try not to be upset about paying for unwanted features, since a motherboard custom-produced to match your specific needs would be far more expensive than one designed for everyone's needs somewhat similar to yours.
Luckily, beginners have access to all the resources that professionals use to determine their needs, through review sites like ours and support communities like our Community Forums.
Author's Opinion
Too often have the latest trends come between the first-time builder and his or her perfect system. Watching as hundreds of readers flock to our Forums to find out how to put full-sized components into pint-sized systems, my first instinct is to tell anyone to "go big". Choosing a full-sized motherboard, power supply, and case offers a lot of assurance when it comes time for the next upgrade, but most users looking for full-sized features in a smaller chassis can find suitable alternatives—with enough effort.


