15 Best Motherboards for Game Development in 2024

Affordable and high-quality motherboards for Game development

Modern users are not inclined to buy a ready-made computer case packed with all necessary hardware components. Thanks to lots of information on the net, an average person without tech knowledge can build a computer, particularly for his/her needs. First, you choose a suitable GPU and CPU, next, pick up a motherboard, and other elements.

However, it is not enough to get the latest and the most expensive components. First and foremost, you should think about how the chosen elements work together. Thus, if your professional activity is related to game creation, make sure to read this review to choose the best motherboard for game development.

CPU support: AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

This is one of the best motherboards that is compatible with all MSI gaming products whether they are gaming laptops notebooks or even the latest gaming PC in the market. It is equipped with a PCI Express slot, USB 2.0 ports, DVI port and a PCI slot so you can expand the size of the motherboard to match the graphics cards you want to use with your notebook. One of the best features of this motherboard is that it has four different slots for USB connectors.

There are also four different slots where you can connect the audio interface to your sound card or speakers and it has a PCI Express slot for further expansion. This motherboard has some of the features that you will find on the top gaming laptops so if you are looking for features that will make your gaming experience better then this is the motherboard for you.

CPU support: AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen | Form Factor: Micro-ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The MSI MAG B550M Mortar WiFi features a striking silver heatsinks and a grey and black patterned PCB. The board comes with two full-length PCIe slots, including a locked-down PCIe 3.0 x16 slot. It also includes two x16 slots for PCIe graphics cards. The B550 chipset routes all of these components. This is the result of rigorous testing and is meant to be a symbol of durability and sturdiness. The MAG series focuses on providing the best possible user experience, which is why it features a straightforward installation process and friendly user interface.

The MSI MAG B550M Mortar Wifi motherboard is a good choice for a builder who wants to focus on gaming components and not on the motherboard. It offers the utility of a larger board in a more compact form factor. The MAG B550M Mortar WiFi has a fan or liquid cooling system, wired and wireless gigabit connectivity, and RGB headers.

CPU support: AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The ASUS ROG Strix B550- E Gaming motherboard is a good option for gamers who want a high-performance motherboard with good audio capabilities. The motherboard supports multiple GPUs, including AMD Crossfire and NVIDIA SLI. It features three PCIe x16 Gen 4.0 slots for more powerful graphics cards. The ROG series is known for its excellent sound quality.

For a competitive price, the ASUS ROG Strix B550-E is the right choice for gaming. It offers enhanced performance and aesthetics. This motherboard has ASUS Aura technology, enabling full RGB lighting control. It also lets you sync your hardware with a growing portfolio of Aura-capable motherboards.

CPU support: AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen | Form Factor: Micro-ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The MSI MAG B550M Mortar is a mid-range motherboard that offers high performance and outstanding value for money. This series was designed after a thorough process of quality control and development, and has since become a symbol of durability and sturdiness. In addition to offering the best in quality, the MAG series has been developed with the user in mind. This means that installation is easy and the user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate.

The MSI MAG B550M Mortar is designed with gamers in mind. It features an aggressive VRM design, with 8 digital CPU power phases for improved efficiency. The innovative Core Boost technology allows the processor to operate at a higher speed and without any distorted current. The resulting performance translates to smoother gaming and professional-grade workflows.

CPU support: AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen | Form Factor: Micro-ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The Gigabyte A520M AORUSE ELITE gaming motherboard is a budget board for those who need a higher-end computer for gaming. It is priced a little higher than Intel's B460 but is compatible with next-generation Ryzen processors. In addition to its performance, the A520M AORUS ELITE offers the latest technology in M.2 memory and supports DDR4 memory. The slim design and M.2 technology make the A520M AORUS Elite motherboard a great choice for those looking to build a high-end system.

Its main selling point is its compatibility with AMD Ryzen AM4 processors. The motherboard also supports Radeon(tm) Graphics processors. This means that gamers can have realistic sound effects without having to worry about crashing. It also supports up to 128GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, up to 4733MHz. You can use four SATA III connectors or the M.2 expansion slot to install storage drives. The PCIe 3.0 x16 slot supports graphics cards and two PCIe x1 slots offer further expansion.

CPU support: Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium Gold | Form Factor: E-ATX | Socket: LGA 1200 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

Powered by Intel 10th Gen Core processors, the MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE brings together cutting-edge technology, advanced features, and aggressive cooling into a divine motherboard born to break limits. Frozr Heatsink Design and Stacked Fin Array allow the power circuits to sustain heavy loads for demanding 10th Gen Intel Core processors.

Turbo M.2 slots, Thunderbolt ports, and built-in 10G Super LAN provide extreme transfer speeds for large downloads, intense online gaming, and 4K streaming video. Frozr Heatsink designed with active cooling, Double Ball Bearings, Zero Frozr Technology, and MOSFET Backplates for high-performance heat dissipation.

CPU support: Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium Gold | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA 1200 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi motherboard for laptop computer game development features a built-in diagnostic and video spy camera that can detect the different components in your system including the temperature, the software usage and the processor speed. You can check the details in the user manual that comes along with the product. It has a very unique functions that does not have any equivalent in other brands.

If you are using a high-end gaming system that works perfectly with Windows XP, then there would be no problem for you. The best feature of this product is that you can upgrade the audio and video cards as well, but if you want to upgrade the whole system, you should take your purchase to a local computer store.

CPU support: Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium | Form Factor: Micro-ATX | Socket: LGA 1200 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The MSI MAG B460M Mortar WiFi motherboard comes with all the basic features that you need to play the most demanding games. The MAG series was born after years of quality testing to represent durability and sturdiness. The focus of this series was also on user experience, which is why it offers a friendly and easy-to-use user interface. The MAG series is ideal for entry-level gamers.

The MAG B460M Mortar WiFi motherboard features low-latency Gigabit LAN and low-latency 2.5G connectivity. The MAG B460M Mortar is perfect for gamers who demand more. Its six SATA ports and two M2 slots make it easy to add additional graphics cards, while the LAN Manager feature prioritizes applications that require low latency. The LAN connector supports the latest standards, including PCI Express.

CPU support: 8th Generation Intel Core | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA1151 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus ULTRA motherboard is designed with precision and aggressiveness in mind. This motherboard features four totally remote dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 RAM slots. This type of RAM transfers information without error detection, which makes it faster and cheaper than ECC. It also has six SATA6 ports and supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory. Its dual-core chipset support provides high performance and low power consumption. It also has three PCIe x16 graphics cards with Steel Armor capabilities.

The motherboard's 8+4 solid pin power connector offers accuracy in power delivery and is ideal for energy-hungry or power-sensitive components. The Gigabyte Z390 AORUS ULTRA features a dual-layer copper PCB design that allows for heat removal from the critical CPU area. The motherboard features intelligent cooling that keeps the system cool and prevents it from overheating.

CPU support: 8th Generation Intel Core | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA 1151 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

In this review we are going to take a look at some of the features of the ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E that will allow you to determine if it's the right motherboard for your next gaming rig. This motherboard features everything that is necessary for game development, and even though there are other features on this motherboard that may help you with game development, we are only going to focus on some of the advantages this motherboard has to offer.

One of the biggest advantages to the motherboard is that it is equipped with the abilities to run dual monitors at the same time. It is also very energy efficient, allowing you to have two graphics cards in one card without any noticeable effect on the power usage.

CPU support: AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero is a motherboard that has several features to help you overclock. The board has many switches and buttons for easy access and customization. The ROG DARK HERO also has a MemOK! button for memory troubleshooting. The DARK HERO uses the same phase count as the non-Dark variant. In addition, the DARK HERO supports Per CCX overclocking.

The board features a few new features to enhance the user experience. For example, the ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero's UEFI BIOS comes with a display that shows your CPU, memory, and BIOS version. In addition, you can also overclock the memory with a new tool called Extreme Tweaker. This motherboard also features advanced cooling. Unlike traditional motherboards, it is quiet and reliable, thanks to its massive heatsinks. The board is easy to disassemble and replace the heatsink if needed. Besides, the ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero offers comprehensive customization tools.

CPU support: 8th Generation Intel Core | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA 1151 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The ASUS Prime Z390-A motherboard for game development was recently introduced by the popular peripheral computer manufacturer. It is well-built, stylish, and packed with features - making it a must-have for gamers. Its powerful quad-core processor and powerful 2.4 GHz processors will enable your laptop to perform better than ever. You can also look forward to an optimized and high performance operating system that makes it easier than ever before to optimize and conduct your games without any glitches.

One of the most important things that you should know about this motherboard is that there are no major disadvantages when it comes to using it. One of the reasons why many people find it so useful is its support for all the major peripherals that come with a PC, including wireless cards and audio cards. It also comes with a PCI Express slot that will allow you to connect a wider range of devices.

CPU support: 8th Generation Intel Core | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: LGA 1151 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero WiFi is an excellent choice for those who want to upgrade their motherboard and enjoy the latest gaming features. Its red ROG eye and welcome message tell the user that this is a gaming-oriented motherboard. This model comes with a dedicated M.2 Key E slot and three additional NVME M2 slots. This board also has a generous amount of USB ports. This includes an internal 20Gbs type-C port, an external USB 3.0 port, an AMD Crossfire connector, and three USB 2.0 ports.

The Maximus XI Hero WiFi has four memory sockets, a mic, audio out, and optical S/PDIF. There are three USB 3.1 Type-C ports and six SATA 6Gbps slots. The CMOS sensor and the RGB LED extension cable are also included. The motherboard is designed with a small footprint for easy handling. The Maximus XI Hero has six DDR4 slots and supports up to 128GB of DDR4 memory.

CPU support: AMD Ryzen | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

The ASRock A520M-ITX/ AC motherboard offers excellent performance for the money. The DDR4 memory supports the latest Intel HD graphics. Its PCIe Gen3 x4 Ultra M.2 interface pushes data transfer speeds up to 32Gb/s. The combination of SATA3 6Gb/s M.2 and HDMI supports 4K resolution. The D-Sub + DVI-D and HDMI combo support 4K resolution. It also supports dual-channel audio.

The A520M-ITX/AC motherboard also offers plenty of connections. Its four SATA3 slots will accommodate up to a 3.5-inch hard drive. It supports USB 2.0 and Type-C. Its front panel switch terminals also feature RGB LED ports. The motherboard's heatsink is relatively small and is not ideal for liquid nitrogen overclocking. However, if you plan to overclock your CPU, a 65W PBO should not be an issue.

CPU support: 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen processors/ 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen processors/ 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics processors/ AMD Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics processors | Form Factor: ATX | Socket: Socket AM4 | Memory support: Dual Channel DDR4

This motherboard supports AMD Ryzen CPUs, which is highlight of this current release. It also has backward compatibility for PCIe 3.0 devices. There are three PCIe and three M.2 expansion slots. You'll also appreciate the additional anchor points and stainless steel armor. This means that you'll be able to add more storage to your system. You can't go wrong with the X570 AORUS MASTER.

It has four DDR4 memory slots. That means you can install up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM. It has two USB ports on its side. This motherboard supports up to eight PCIe 4-enabled M.2 drives. It also features a new Direct Touch Heatpipe for high-performance cooling. Its impressive connectivity, expandable graphics, and ultra-fast storage are ideal for heavy design workloads. And because it's designed for overclocking, you can expect your motherboard to last you for years. This series also delivers reliable, flexible computing performance.

Before considering motherboard models, you should decide what CPU you want ‒ Intel or AMD. It is an essential part of a computer setup since it controls all operations within your PC.

AMD and Intel are the most popular CPU manufacturers for now. If you need a budgetary processor of decent quality, AMD is exactly like this. However, they say things have changed recently. Anyway, the optimal variant is Ryzen 9.3950x with 16 cores and 32 threads.

When choosing the best motherboard for game development, you should decide on the form factor. The most popular options are ATX and micro ATX motherboards. The latter is smaller and has fewer expansions slots. In case you decide to replace your current motherboard with a new one, just measure your old board, and buy a fitting analog. Most users choose ATX motherboards because they have more expansion slots. For some people, it is a serious advantage.

When you are ready with the form factor, you can start picking a processor socket. Earlier, there were among dozens of options, but now there are only three types of sockets ‒ LGA, PGA, and BGA. Intel processors are equipped with LGA, while AMD CPUs ‒ with PGA. Speaking of BGA, they are not as popular as previous models since they are bonded to a motherboard. Consequently, they can’t be serviced or upgraded. First, you should buy a CPU. And only then get the motherboard with a compatible socket.