5 best budget gaming motherboards in 2021

A gaming motherboard might not seem too important for some people who skimp over its importance when building their PCs. But, it is called the “mother” board for reason.

A good, reliable motherboard is the foundation on which the rest of your rig is based, literally, and as such, makes it extremely important. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy a thousand-dollar top-of-the-line “gaming” motherboard.

A good “budget” motherboard from a well-known OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) with all the required bells and whistles is good enough to last you a small lifetime.

In this article, we will list some of the best gaming motherboards available for both AMD and Intel builds, all under just 265 USD, and what to consider when buying one.

Factors to consider when buying a ‘gaming’ motherboard

1) CPU Support/CPU socket – Which CPUs will your motherboard support (Whether Intel or AMD, which generation, among other details).

2) Memory Support – Amount (most motherboards support 32 or 64 GB), type (DDR4 or DDR3) and speed of RAM (2666 Mhz, 2933 Mhz, 3200 Mhz, 3600 Mhz, and so on) that your motherboard will support.

3) Form Factor – The physical size of your motherboard (ATX, E-ATX, micro-ATX, ITX, whether it will fit your “case”, pun intended).

4) PCIe Slots – The number and generation of PCIe slots available to fit the latest GPUs, high-end audio cards, as well as networking and storage solutions.

5) Other Features – Other features to look for, including the number of SATA and M.2 slots (for storage), availability of onboard WiFi, Bluetooth, and more.

Best budget gaming motherboards available right now

• ASRock B460M Steel Legend (Intel)
• MSI MAG B550M Mortar (AMD)
• ASUS TUF Gaming Z590 plus Wifi (Intel)
• MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon Wifi (AMD)
• MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon Wifi (Intel)

5) ASRock B460M Steel Legend (Intel)

ASRock B460M Steel Legend (image via Amazon)

CPU SupportIntel 10th GenMemory Support4x DIMM, 64 GB upto 2933 MhzExpansion Slots2x PCIe Gen 3 x16, 1x PCIe Gen 3 x1 Video Ports1 DP, 1 HDMIRear US4x USB 3.2, 1x Type C, 2 USB 2.0Storage2x M.2, 6x SATA 6 GbpsNetworkingRealtek 2.5Gb LANExtrasSize: ATX, Socket: LGA 1120

Get this motherboard here.

4) MSI MAG B550M Mortar (AMD)

MSI MAG B550M Mortar (AMD) (image via amazon)

CPU Support3rd & 4th Gen RyzenMemory Support4x DIMM, up to 128GB, up to DDR4-4400Expansion Slots1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x4Video Ports2x M.2, 6x SATA 6GbpsRear US2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2x USB 2.0Storage2x M.2, 6x SATA 6GbpsNetworkingRealtek 2.5Gb ethernetExtrasSize: Micro-ATX, Socket: AM4

Get this motherboard here.

3) ASUS TUF Gaming Z590 plus Wifi (Intel)

ASUS TUF Gaming Z590 plus Wifi (Intel) (image via amazon)

CPU SupportIntel 10th & 11th GenMemory Support4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-5133Expansion Slots1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4), 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1Video Ports1x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0Rear US1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 5x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 6x USB 2.0Storage3x M.2, 6x SATA 6GbpsNetworkingIntel Wi-Fi 6E, 1x Intel 2.5Gb ethernetExtrasSize: ATX, Socket: LGA 1200

Get this gaming motherboard here.

2) MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon Wifi (AMD)

MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon Wifi (AMD) (image via amazon)

CPU SupportAMD 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Gen RyzenMemory Support4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR4-4400Expansion Slots 1x PCIe x16, 1x PCIe x16 (x4), 2x PCIe x1Video PortsHDMIRear US4x USB 3.2 Gen2 (1x Type-C), 2x USB 3.2 Gen1, 2x USB 2.0Storage2x M.2, 6x SATANetworkingEthernet, 2.4Gbps 802.11acExtrasSize: ATX, Socket: AM4

Get this gaming motherboard here.

1) MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon Wifi (Intel)

MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon Wifi (Intel) (image via amazon)

CPU Support Intel 10th GenMemory Support4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4800 (OC)Expansion Slots3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1Video Ports1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMIRear US5x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0Storage2x M.2, 6x SATA 6GbpsNetworking1x 2.5Gb LAN, Intel Wi-Fi 6 wirelessExtrasSize: ATX, Socket: LGA 1200

Get this gaming motherboard here.

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Edited by Sandeep Banerjee