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Best Motherboards For The Money: October 2014

Best Motherboards For The Money: October 2014
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A boon to experts and beginners alike, performance standardization allows most of us to choose a motherboard based solely upon its CPU interface, on-board features, and price tag. On the other hand, continuous additions to our motherboard collection leave many readers without the time to read everything. We understand, and are here to help with a shorter list of award-winning products that you'll probably want to investigate further. First, pick a CPU (we can help there, too). And now for the part that lets your host processor shine:

October 2014 Updates

The past month saw Intel replace LGA 2011 with LGA 2011-v3, upgrading eight of the platform's USB 2.0 ports to USB 3.0, upgrading four of its SATA 3Gb/s ports to SATA 6Gb/s, enabling the previously disabled SAS controller as additional SATA 6Gb/s, and replacing the processor's integrated DDR3 memory controller with DDR4. That last change also required a new pin-out, which explains why Intel changed the corresponding interface.

AMD continues to gradually de-emphasize its Socket AM3+-based processors, but the motherboards have become extremely cost-effective since our most recent review. These could still be a great choice for someone whose need for lots of PCI Express connectivity might otherwise exceed their budget.

Top AMD Motherboards: Updated October 2014

AMD 990FX

AMD A88X

AMD AM1

Top Intel Motherboards: Updated October 2014

Intel X99

Intel Z97



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  • 1 Hide
    srap , October 14, 2014 2:39 PM
    You guys just solved a lot of my problems with this new "Best X for the money" article :D 
  • 0 Hide
    hmp_goose , October 14, 2014 2:48 PM
    Soooo where's the Page 2, featuring Teh Chipset Guide for Derps?
  • 9 Hide
    Onus , October 14, 2014 2:55 PM
    Where are entry level (e.g. basic office) and mainstream boards (e.g. B85, H87)? This applies to only a small fraction of the market, most of whom do not need advanced features.
  • 0 Hide
    Memnarchon , October 14, 2014 3:34 PM
    WOW! Awesome idea. We wanted and need an article like this.

    Thanks for this new article of "Best X for the money: x month"!

    edit:
    Quote:
    Where are entry level (e.g. basic office) and mainstream boards (e.g. B85, H87)?

    +1 to what Onus said.
  • 0 Hide
    c kretzman , October 14, 2014 4:18 PM
    Nice list. Maybe I like it because I own a board on this list :p 

    Speaking of "Where is the...": Where is the "Best Server Board" list? ;) 
  • 4 Hide
    patrichpachich , October 14, 2014 4:30 PM
    hoping to see B85, H87 and H97
  • 3 Hide
    ta152h , October 14, 2014 4:32 PM
    Thomas,

    Two things. The Personal System/2 is abbreviated at PS/2, not P/S 2. That's where the port (and VGA) came from back in 1987. They were amazing machines, of which I still have several (some new) if you ever want pictures. It's a nitpick, but as a technical site should be accurate.

    Also, this isn't a nitpick, it's a fairly important omission. I recommend putting the socket type in your chart. It may seem obvious to you, but consider who would be reading this article to get information. It might not be to them, and it's important to know.
  • 0 Hide
    Cryio , October 14, 2014 5:06 PM
    I have a 970A chipset for my FX 6300. I desperately need a better mobo :D 
  • 6 Hide
    Sakkura , October 14, 2014 6:03 PM
    The only FM2+ boards you recommend are above $100. That's completely useless, they are way too expensive to make sense for an APU/Athlon build. Doesn't necessarily have to be as cheap as the AM1 boards, but there should AT LEAST be one model below $100.

    You also don't have a single Intel board under $150.

    Seriously, this article has nothing to do with "best for the money" when it's all high-end boards that are overkill for most people - including overclockers.
  • 0 Hide
    bygbyron3 , October 14, 2014 6:10 PM
    ASRock has really cornered the value motherboard market and I wasn't surprised to see their motherboards listed as the best for the money.
  • 1 Hide
    JackNaylorPE , October 14, 2014 7:26 PM
    I'm always crinkle my face when I see "for the money" articles. Basically says "It prolly isn't really what ya want, but it's a good buy for the money". Kinda like that PSU you bought with the chinese caps cause if ya got what ya wanted it was a budget buster.

    Not sure why two X99's were selected just $6 apart .... or why all the Z97's just $60 apart ? Nothing for the gal / guy w/ $130 to spend or > $225 to spend

    Would much rather see:

    $100 - $125
    $125 - $150
    ......
    $275 - $300

    And so on .... but not if the price categories move each month like on the GFX card reviews. When the categories move it reads as if the categories are picked to fit a pre-selected winner.
  • 0 Hide
    bak0n , October 14, 2014 8:15 PM
    Would be improved if it was separated into form factor categories as well.
  • 1 Hide
    Amdlova , October 14, 2014 8:34 PM
    maximum i will pay on motherboard is $150 more than that blow my pocket away
  • 5 Hide
    lunyone , October 14, 2014 10:16 PM
    I would like to see:
    Intel/AMD:
    * <$60 OC'ing/Office/HTPC Motherboard
    * $60-$99 OC'ing/Office/HTPC Motherboard and possibly entry level enthusiast/gaming
    * $100-150 same as above
    * >$150 Enthusiast/Gaming Motherboard

    I don't see any affordable Motherboards for budget builds on the recommendations, so this is why I suggested something like the list above. Obviously x99 is in a different price range, but most people know this going into that platform.
  • 0 Hide
    vampelle , October 14, 2014 10:32 PM
    this is great but can you also please provide the best budget board for series 8 and series 9. a compare of buying series 8 over 9 or vice versa.
    looking in intel. is it worth having hdmi in the board or gpu and which gpu is compatible with which board.
  • 0 Hide
    AndrewJacksonZA , October 15, 2014 12:18 AM
    Thanks for the article Crash. However I would like to see the best value-for-money board that can overclock a G3258 please.
  • 1 Hide
    Goldengoose , October 15, 2014 1:40 AM
    Teething problems with the article. I think the other posters are right, you need categories, example best AMD/Intel board for 0-50, 51-100 etc etc. Or maybe have a chart which sorts them by features. standard boards 0-100, OC boards 0-100 etc.
  • 3 Hide
    logainofhades , October 15, 2014 6:25 AM
    The 970a-ud3p belongs on this list for AM3+. Gigabyte H97-gaming 3 and the H97 pro4 should be too. There are absolutely no budget boards on this list at all. This list is fine for those looking to spend a good chunk of change on a system, but for many, it is offers no help at all, as these boards are out of reach for the budget builds. It is a good start, but needs more depth, like the CPU and GPU best of's have.
  • 1 Hide
    oxiide , October 15, 2014 7:02 AM
    All concerns about the layout aside, extending this article series to motherboards is an absolutely awesome idea. Thanks, Tom's.
  • 2 Hide
    Flying-Q , October 15, 2014 7:14 AM
    As the start of a new 'Best X for the money' series this is great. Please, for future iterations, include the requested modifications regarding price banding, sockets, compatible CPUs and target audience for each board. Also, have a separate section for SFF like mITX and uATX (most of my customers are asking for small cases nowadays)
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