Best i7, i5, i3 Motherboards 2011 - 2012

LGA 1155 socket motherboards have 6 different main types of chipsets that you'll come across. For Sandy Bridge these include H67, P67, and Z68. H67 and P67 were released in early 2011 while the new Z68 boards were released a few months later. Ivy Bridge Z77, Z75, and H77 motherboards were released in April of 2012.

P67 vs. H67 vs. Z68 Chipsets - What's the Difference?

H67 motherboards are designed for use in computers without a dedicated graphics card and do not support overclocking for your CPU or GPU. P67 motherboards; however, do not support integrated graphics and are made for use with a dedicated GPU. Z68 motherboards are basically the best of both worlds allowing for integrated graphics and overclocking for both the CPU and GPU. Z68 motherboards also include Intel's new smart response technology which allows you to dedicate a solid state drive with up to 64GB of "cache" in order to improve overall performance for your entire system.

The most popular motherboard of 2012 is the GEN3 ASUS P8Z68-V PRO which is a mid to high-end motherboard with all the features you need for your gaming, photo editing, or graphic design desktop computer.

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO Gen3 Motherboard

Amazon Price: Too Low to Display

If you're looking for a high-end Sandy Bridge motherboard, then the Asus P8Z77 Deluxe, is the bestselling of the Z77 chipsets so far. Consumers are excited about the new Asus T-Topology Memory which allows them to overclock 15% more than previous configurations. For a budget Z77 motherboard go with something like the ASUS P8Z77-V LX for a fraction of the cost. This is perfect for anyone planning to run their hardware at stock settings.

ASUS P8Z77-V LX Intel Z77 ATX DDR3 2400 LGA 1155 Motherboard

Amazon Price: $139.99

If you plan on sticking with a Sandy Bridge processor, then it may not be as important to spend quite as much on your motherboard. Here's a board I recently used in a Sandy Bridge gaming rig.

 

Gigabyte Intel Z68 ATX DDR3 2133 LGA 1155 Motherboards GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3
Amazon Price:$147.99

To find what socket type of motherboard you need simply look at the Intel CPU model you've chosen, here's one processor for example:

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-2600K 3.4GHz 8MB LGA1155 CPU BX80623I72600K

In this example pay attention to the number following LGA "land grid array". This signifies that this is a LGA 1155 socket Processor for use with any 1155 motherboard. Any i7, i5, or i3 processor with this number is compatible with an 1155 board. Another interesting thing to note is that GEN3 motherboards are forwards compatible with Intel's next release, Ivy Bridge, as well as PCI-e 3.0.

Ivy Bridge Processors

Intel's new third generation of "i" series processors, like Sandy Bridge, uses the 1155 socket, but are only compatible with GEN3 motherboards as well as Intel's new Z77, H77, and Z75 chipsets.

High-End 1155 Motherboard - Best for i7-2600k/ i7-2500k CPU Combos

Sabertooth P67 1155 Motherboard

The Sabertooth P67 is the first motherboard that is completely surrounded by a thermal armor that allows your components to be cooler than ever with advanced heat dissipation.  Includes support for USB 3.0, Sata 6Gb/s, and DDR3 at up to 1866 speed, and 32GB with dual channel support.  5 Year parts and Labor Warranty included with purchase.

Sabertooth P67 1155 Motherboard

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Amazon Price: $177.78

 

 

Mid-Range 1155 Motherboard

ASRock P67 Extreme4

The ASRock p67 extreme motherboard is a Tom's hardware recommended Buy for PC enthusiasts.  One of the main reasons for its popularity is its extreme performance for its low price tag.  The ASrock P67 is USB 3.0, Sata 6Gb/s, and DDR 3 compatible with up to 32GB of ram at up to 2133 speed.  It also gives you 3x PCI-Express 2.0 x16 Slots (Support ATI Quad/3-Way/CrossFireX and nVidia Quad SLI/SLI).


ASRock P67 Extreme4

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Amazon Price: $159.99



Budget 1155 Motherboard

GIGABYTE Socket 1155 Intel H67Micro ATX Motherboard GA-H67M-D2-B3

Our last 1155 pick is an outstanding micro ATX motherboard.  Although it's smaller than the other featured 1155 motherboards the GA-H67M-D2-B3 comes with Sata 6Gb/s, and dual channel DDR3 support with capacity of up to 16GB at 1333 speed.  It also comes with 8 USB ports in the back for all of your devices. 3 year parts and labor warranty included.


GIGABYTE Socket 1155 Intel H67Micro ATX Motherboard GA-H67M-D2-B3

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Amazon Price: $98.72

High-End 1156 Motherboard

EVGA LGA1156 ATX Motherboard 132-LF-E655-KR (P55)Our pick for high-end 1156 motherboard is the EVGA LGA 1156 132-LF-E655-KR.  This motherboard is part of EVGA's "No Fears for 10 years Plan" which allows you to upgrade the warranty on it to 10 years without paying a dime.  This motherboard offers dual SLI support for easy integration of multi-GPU setups.  It's also compatible with up to 16GB of DDR3 ram at 2600MHz+ (dual channel support) allowing plenty of room for overclocking. 


EVGA LGA1156/Intel P55/DDR3/2-Way SLI/ATX Motherboard 132-LF-E655-KR (P55)

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Amazon Price: $142.85




Mid-Range 1156 Motherboard

ASUS Socket 1156 Intel P55 SATA3 USB 3.0 ATX Motherboard P7P55D-E LX

This easy-to-install mid-range motherboard boasts all of the latest technology specifications in USB 3.0, SATA 3, and support for 16GB DDR3 at up to 2200MHz while overclocked.  It also comes with a 3 year parts and labor warranty.




ASUS Socket 1156 Intel P55 SATA3 USB 3.0 ATX Motherboard P7P55D-E LX

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Amazon Price: $114 after rebate

 

Budget 1156 Motherboard

ASRock LGA1156/Intel H55/DDR3/MATX Motherboard H55M-LE

This budget motherboard is a hardwaremx editor's choice and highly rated when looking across several sites.  If you purchase from Amazon's wholesalers you can get it a bit cheaper than other places we've looked.  It supports up to 8GB of ram and would make a perfect HTPC option.




ASRock LGA1156/Intel H55/DDR3/MATX Motherboard H55M-LE

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Amazon Price: As Low as $64.99

High-End Performance 1366 Motherboards

Because the audience for 1366 motherboards are performance users we'll be featuring the 2 best rated 1366 motherboards for 2011, The GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R and Sabertooth X58

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R

This motherboard was recently featured in a Xbitlabs.com article and given a recommended buy.  Part of the reason is that similar 1366 motherboards that support DDR3, USB 3.0, and Sata 6Gb/s usually start at a price range $20-30.  If you're looking for a performance motherboard that will allow you to upgrade to all the latest features, then this is the one you should choose.

Gigabyte LGA1366 SATA3 ATI CrossFireX ATX Motherboard GA-X58A-UD3R

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Amazon Price: $199.99

 

 

Asus Sabertooth X58 Motherboard

This customer choice winner  (NewEgg) has most of what you'd want in an extreme performance motherboard for under $200.  It supports up to 24GB of Ram at up to 1833MHz speed (triple channel support). 5 Year parts and labor warranty included.

Cons: It lacks USB 3.0 and Sata 6Gb/s support.

ASUS Socket 1366/Intel X58/Quad SLI & Quad CrossFireX/SATA3.0&USB3.0/A&GbE/ATX Motherboard s SABERTOOTH X58

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Amazon Price: $190.99