Best PC Gaming Motherboards 2011 - 2012

The most popular motherboard chipset for the last part of 2011 was the Z68 released in Q2. In 2012 this chipset is starting to lose some popularity due to the new X79, Z77, Z75, and H77 chipsets from Intel.

The most popular gaming motherboards of the year so far are those which are Z68 and GEN3. GEN3 motherboards not only support PCI-e 3.0, they are Ivy Bridge compatible. This year the ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 is by far the most popular motherboard.

The Z68 chipset brings together the best of the P67 and H67 allowing you to overclock your GPU and your CPU together. The Z68 also comes with smart response technology which allows you to get near solid state drive performance out of your hard drive by combining it with a portion of your solid state drive (up to 64GB) used for "cache". Intel has also released the 310 SSD a 20GB solid state drive as an inexpensive option made for use in conjunction with the Z68 chipset and smart response technology. I recently purchased the Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 for my gaming rig and was able to use a 64GB Sata III OCZ SSD to improve my overall system performance which, for the price, was a better deal than Intel's new SSD.

If you're willing to sacrifice your boot time/ secondary drive for a drive that is really installed similarly to a RAID drive, then you'll see large improvements in your computer's overall performance. This is especially true for programs that you use regularly.

Gigabyte Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2133 LGA 1155 Motherboard GA-Z68A-D3H-B3

You can save yourself some cash and go with something like this if you're not planning on putting a lot of stress on your board. Specifications include up to 32GB of DDR3 2133/1866/1600/1333/1066 memory with dual channel support, and 4 x SATA 3Gb/s, 2 x SATA 6Gb/s (I used these for my HDD and SSD). Expansion slots include PCI Express 2.0 x16 3 (x16, x8, x4), and you even get a couple USB 3.0 ports on the back. I've hooked my monitor directly into my video card; however, the HDMI port is convenient for those looking to use integrated graphics. A 3 year parts and labor warranty is also included with the purchase.

Amazon Price: Too Low to Display

Here's a look at some more 1155 motherboard options on the bestseller list. If you're in to enthusiast boards also be sure to check out the new socket 2011 (X79 chipset) motherboards like the Rampage IV Extreme ASUS Digi+ II below. If you're going to spend $300+ on a motherboard, then I highly recommend you go with the i7-3630k or the i7-3820 as well for massive improvements in CPU performance.

ASUS LGA 1155 - Z68 - PCIe 3.0 P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3

Amazon Price: $194.99   

ASUS LGA 1155 - Z68 PCIe 3.0 Maximus IV Gene-Z/GEN3
 Amazon Price: Too Low to Display



ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 Z68 LGA 1155 Motherboard
Amazon Price: $104.99 

Originally released on April 8, 2012 the Z77 chipset uses the LGA 1155 socket and is compatible with Intel's latest third generation "i" series of Ivy Bridge Processors as well as backwards compatible with Sandy Bridge. Ivy Bridge motherboards, including the Z77, H77, and Z75, have native USB 3.0, PCIe 3.0, and DDR3L thanks to its power gated DDR3 interface. This allows performance users to use DDR3-2800 memory. These motherboards also more efficient power delivery which should make them somewhat less expensive to manufacture.

As with all chipsets manufacturers have certain features that are specific to their motherboards. While these generally mean very little Asus has included a new technology called T-Topology Memory which should allow higher-end power users a 15% increase in their memory overclock.

Although the Z77 chipset is still relatively new, the most popular motherboard for gaming so far is the Asus Z77 Deluxe. While I fully expect budget Z77 boards like the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H and the Asus P8Z77-V LX to take its place, it's still a winning board for power-users.

For those of you who plan to run your hardware at stock speeds, save yourself over $100 by going with a cheaper board. I've listed a few more of my favorite Z77 motherboards for gaming below.


ASUS Deluxe Intel Z77 LGA 1155 Motherboard P8Z77-V DELUXE
Amazon Price: Too Low to Display

For Intel and AMD CPU there are 4 main socket types still widely used for gaming; 1155 (sandy bridge), 1156, 1366, and AM3(+). AM3+ was released in Q2 of 2011 to be compatible with the the new Bulldozer series of CPU from AMD. Bulldozer CPU will be compatible with AM3+ socket motherboards alone, however; the AM3+ motherboards will be compatible with any CPU that was compatible with the AM3 motherboards.After some work shipping out revised chipsets the B3 1155 motherboards were re-released.

Our choice for top 1155 (P67 chipset) motherboard of the year so far is the Sabertooth P67. The Sabertooth P67 is made with Asus "TUF" thermal armor which improves cool air circulation and dissipates heat away from the case allowing for cooler hardware and therefore increased performance.  The Sabertooth Tuf Thermal Radar also monitors various components in order to automatically increase or decrease fan speed in desired areas.

Specifications for this military grade motherboard are up to 32 GB of DDR3 1866/1800/1600/1333/1066, 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16, 4 x SATA 3Gb/s, 4 x Sata 6 Gb/s, 8 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, and a full 5 year parts and labor warranty.

ASUS SABERTOOTH P67 LGA 1155 SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 Supported Intel P67 DDR3 1800 ATX Motherboard
Amazon Price: Too Low to Display 

*If you already have a wealth of knowledge, then scroll down to our list of 1366 and AM3 motherboards.

USB 3.0

The completion of the USB 3.0 specification was finished in November 2008 effectively giving manufacturers the ability to add it to their existing hardware. The first consumer motherboards with this option appeared in early 2010. Although motherboards with the USB 2.0 designation are still available it's always a good idea to upgrade to the next available technology. Simply put, the biggest difference between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 is speed. USB 2.0 transfers data at a rate that is approximately 10 times slower (maximum rate of 480 Mbit/s) than that of USB 3.0 (super speed up to 5.0 Gbit/s max or 3.2Gbit/s to meet the specification). Other differences between USB 2.0 and 3.0 include 3.0's ability to better conserve energy while idling.
*Tip - Also consider the number of USB ports included on the motherboard to make sure you have room for all of your gadgets.

SATA Version 2.0 3Gb/s vs. Version 3.0 6Gb/s
Another specification that should be strongly considered is Sata version 3.0 rather than just the standard Version 2.0. While shopping this typically will be referred to as Sata 6Gb/s and 3Gb/s. Essentially Sata 6Gb/s is capable of delivering twice the bandwidth of version 2.0 (Sata 3Gb/s). Although SATA 6Gb/s is far from the standard for HDD at this point they are clearly capable of this transfer rate. If you want your computer to meet standards in years to come, then it's probably a good idea to stick with a motherboard that upfront will be SATA 6Gb/s Compatible.
*Tip - Consider the Seagate Barracuda XT for a Hard drive that is compatible with Sata 6Gb/s.

How much Ram do you need?
For now, the ram you need depends on the intensity of the game you are playing. For higher intensity games we recommend 8-12GB Ram; however, we recommend you get a motherboard that is compatible to up to at least 16GB Ram.

DDR3/SDRAM vs DDR2
For gaming, ram is essential. Improvements of DDR3 vs. DDR2 include less power consumption, faster bandwidth performance, and better latency. Here's a review of the best gaming ram for 2012.

SLI/Crossfire
Some motherboards include 2 PCI-Express 16x slots. This is for gamer's or high intensity users who want to use two linked graphics cards for extreme performance. SLI is for Nvidia technology and Crossfire is for ATI technology.

AMD has taken a lot of criticism lately for its Bulldozer CPU. I think by understanding the capabilities of AMD's products it would reduce a lot of that criticism. Yes, Intel's products may be better for single threaded performance and beat AMD for gaming benchmarks, but most people that purchase an AMD CPU aren't simply using it for gaming. If you know how to take advantage of them, then they can be great. For those of you sticking with AMD for gaming, then you should still strongly consider the Phenom II 1100T vs. purchasing a Zambezi processor.

Best Budget CPU Motherboard Combo
My pick for best Budget CPU motherboard combo of the year is the AMD Phenom II X6 with the ASUS M4A87TD EVO. You can get them both for under $300.

Want so see more combos? Be sure to check out this lens on the top rated motherboard CPU combos for 2012. Also, here's a list of AMD AM3+ motherboards sorted by manufacturer.

The X58 chipset was not designed with your basic office worker in mind. For this reasons you don't find too many low-end 1366 motherboards, and all of them are made (ideally) for use with an external video card.

I've featured the Asus Sabretooth X58 not only because it's the most popular 1366 motherboard between gamers, but also because of its raw power, options, and reasonable price at just under $200.

Beyond all of its options, buyers have mentioned that they are very satisfied with the camouflage look and fee as well.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this lens on gaming motherboards. If you have, then check out our other lens on the best gaming monitors, the best gaming cases, and the best processors of 2012. You can contribute to this lens by leaving a comment in our reader feedback section below.