A motherboard is a piece of hardware that supports all the components of your computer, including the CPU, RAM, and hard drive(s). If you’re building a new computer and need to pick out your parts, the question of which motherboard to buy may cross your mind more than once. With Intel's 12th Generation series of processors launching in late 2017, you may be wondering what motherboard will best suit your needs. Luckily, with so many options available, there’s no shortage of high-quality motherboards on the market.
Best overall: ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero
The $240 Maximus XI Hero packs top-tier audio and great performance into a tiny package. It boasts a full slate of ROG-exclusive features and one of our favorite layouts. If you want to load up on RGB LEDs, you can do that too—in fact, we think it has the best selection of lighting effects on any motherboard we’ve tested. This is easily one of our favorite Z390 motherboards around, offering an attractive feature set at a reasonable price point. You'll pay more to get something better than ASUS' Maximus XI Hero, but there aren't many reasons to do so. Check out PCMag's review here.
Asus also offers two boards in its Prime series: the Prime Z390-A ($170) and Prime Z390M-Plus ($140). These are more affordable options if you don't need some of their higher-end perks. Check out PCMag's reviews here. We also like MSI's MEG Z390 ACE ($230), which adds loads of storage options and speedy Wi-Fi connectivity over its competition from Asus. The EVGA Z370 Classified K ($200) also impressed us with solid overall performance, overclocking chops, ample expansion ports, and a very good power delivery system that keeps things running smoothly even under heavy loads.
Best budget board: Gigabyte Z370P D3
This one has dual M.2 slots and 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots; It’s excellent if you want a balanced board that can work with multiple GPUs or supports multi-GPU configurations. It’s also well suited to overclocking, though it doesn’t have an isolated audio solution like some of its competitors. This one is a bit cheaper than some of its competition at $100, but it does come with an included I/O shield so that helps make up for it. If you're looking for something cheap and simple, check out Gigabyte's Z370P D3. Best high-end board: Asus ROG Maximus X Code: The Asus ROG Maximus X Code is another good option for those who are trying to build on a budget but still need top performance. It’s got all of the features you might expect from a high-end motherboard—multiple M.2 slots, onboard WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports—but it comes in at just under $200 which makes it competitively priced compared to other boards in its class.
Best mini-ITX motherboard: ASRock Z370M Pro4
If you're looking to put together a mini-ITX build using a 12th-generation processor, you might be tempted to go with an H370 or B360 motherboard. Don't. While those boards will certainly fit in smaller cases, they also lack support for newer technologies like Intel Optane Memory and built-in Wi-Fi. Instead, opt for something like ASRock's Z370M Pro4 or Gigabyte's Z370N WiFi—both of which support those features, despite their smaller size. Just make sure to pick up an H370 chipset board if you want integrated Wi-Fi and an M.2 slot supporting Optane memory on your mini ITX board—otherwise, look towards boards supporting Coffee Lake S processors. The only real downside? They tend to cost more than other options, but it's worth it if you can afford them. You'll have one less thing to worry about down the line.
Best overclocking motherboard: MSI Z370 GODLIKE GAMING
This extreme motherboard comes with lots of features that enthusiasts may appreciate. It can easily handle up to four graphics cards (with support for three-way SLI or CrossFireX) and there are multiple cooling options available as well, including a water cooling solution with a built-in reservoir. If you’re really looking to squeeze every ounce of performance out of your CPU, then opting for an overclocking motherboard like MSI’s Z370 GODLIKE GAMING is probably in your best interest. The only thing you might have to compromise on is storage—the GODLIKE features a total of 10 USB ports, but only two SATA ports, so space could become an issue depending on how much you game or what peripherals you want to plug in. That said, it does feature dual M.2 slots that support RAID 0/1/5/10 arrays if you're interested in speeding up your hard drive access times. All things considered, though, it’s a solid choice for overclockers who want to push their chips to their limits without worrying about having enough power connectors at their disposal.
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