Gadget

The motherboard is what connects all the component parts of the computer. This review brings together the best Asus motherboards — fast, powerful and equipped with the latest technology.

What is the best Asus motherboard to buy

The board is bought last, so that each computer organ can reveal its capabilities 100%. They choose it, taking into account several criteria at once:

The chipset is the motherboard’s own processor. It is he who controls each of the connected devices, so the performance of the motherboard will depend on it.

Both processors and chipsets for all computer brands (including Asus) are produced by two companies — AMD and Intel. In order not to lose performance, both components must be from the same company.

Intel offers motherboards based on chipsets:

• B250/H270/H310 — for working PCs;
• Q270/B360/H370 — for multimedia;
• Z270 / Q370 — for gaming computers;
• X99/X299/Z370 — for professional PCs and servers.

AMD has similar markings, so be careful:

• A320 — office computers;
• B350 — home multimedia;
• X370 — gaming machines;
• X399/X470/X570 — professional sector.

Form factor is not only the size of the motherboard, but also the number of slots it offers. The most popular standards are:

• ATX (30.5 × 24.4 cm) — suitable for standard cases;
• Micro ATX (24×24 cm) — for compact;
• Mini ITX (17×17 cm) — for ultra-compact system units.

Socket — a socket in which the processor lies. This is probably the most important criterion by which you should choose a motherboard. Current sockets for Intel processors are marked 1150, 2011-3, 1151, 1151-v2, 2066. AMD requires sockets AM3+, FM2+, AM4 or TR4.

Expansion slots — connectors where RAM, sound card, modem, etc. will be inserted. Basically, these are PCI-e interfaces or their varieties. Here, the main thing is a sufficient number of them (it is possible with a margin — for a subsequent upgrade of the machine).

Integrated devices are additional modules soldered on the board that are not required, but can greatly simplify the assembly of the computer. These include: sound and network cards, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.

The presence of a cooling system. If the processor is going to work or multimedia, then you can close your eyes to the lack of a fan or radiator. But if you are going to a gaming PC or a server, a cooling system is a must.

Best Asus Motherboards for Work PCs

Asus B250M-C PRO/CSM/C/SI – for the toughest office work

This model is specially optimized for business, because it provides reliable and stable operation in harsh environments. It has a micro-ATX form factor, supports EFI and is equipped with BIOS with AMI.

Four slots for high-frequency DDR4 RAM (up to 64 GB) guarantee fast execution of any standard tasks.

Six SATA ports at 6Gb/s and one M.2 guarantee fast data flow. The board is equipped with four expansion slots (2xPCI-Ex16, 1xPCI-Ex1 and 1xPCI). But the most important thing is its software with a complex of protective technologies: 5X Protection III, Corporate Stable Model, Asus Control Center.

Pros:

• Fast and uninterrupted Internet connection, at a speed of 1000 Mbps.
• Selected components and moisture resistant coating.
• A set of smart programs on board.
• Easy to assemble thanks to color coding and Q-Slot and Q-DIMM technologies.
• As many as 4 expansion slots.
• Sophisticated power protection with DIGI+ voltage regulator.
• ESD Guards technology — protection against static electricity.
• Bios Business Kit.
• Efficient administration.

Minuses:

• Boards from expansion slots interfere with connecting one of the Satov channels.
• Difficulty setting up BIOS.

An incredibly powerful motherboard will instantly handle all office tasks, thanks to the support of a powerful processor and a huge amount of RAM.

Asus Prime H310I-Plus R2.0 — the perfect combination of price and quality

The ultra-compact motherboard (mini ITX) is specially designed for 8th generation Intel processors. It has a coded Bios and supports the EFI system, which allows it to correctly use the capabilities of the installed hardware.

The board has two slots for DDR4, and supports up to 32 GB of RAM in dual-channel mode.

As for internal interfaces, it has four SATA outputs, one M.2 slot and one PCI-Ex16 expansion. Of the external ports, there are 8 USB (4 of them belong to the 3.1 generation), S / PDIF, COM, D-Sub, DVI, HDMI, Ethernet, and a couple of outdated PS / 2 outputs.

Pros:

• Protection 5X Protection III.
• The presence of a temperature sensor for the graphics accelerator.
• High data processing speed.
• Reliable, fast and high-quality Internet connection.
• Coded Bios and smart EFI system.
• A large number of internal and external ports.
• Ability to install a Wi-Fi + Bluetooth module in the expansion slot.
• Powerful Xpert 2+ fan with flexible elements.

Minuses:

• The batteries may become very hot.
• Inconvenient connection of the acoustic system.

A cool, modern, and most importantly — inexpensive motherboard will allow you to assemble a powerful working PC.

Asus Prime A320M-K/CSM is a budget workhorse

A modern motherboard with a micro-ATX form factor is equipped with a processor interface for AMD AM4.

The motherboard received LED backlighting and modern interfaces: a reinforced PCI-Ex16 slot, two PCI-E x1, a dozen USB (including 3.1), plus S / PDIF outputs, 1xCOM, D-Sub, HDMI, Ethernet and 2 PS / 2 .

The board is charged with a complex of protective technologies 5X Protection III, and the LANGuard network interface and a well-thought-out power system will save the PC from power surges and power surges. The SATA 3.0 interface allows you to pass up to 6 GB of information per second.

Pros:

• Stylish design and backlight.
• Supports ECC / Non ECC RAM up to 32 GB.
• High data processing speed.
• High-quality sound with 7.1CH chip, HDA, based on Realtek ALC887.
• High speed secure Ethernet port.
• A large number of external outputs with plugs for extra ports.
• The presence of a passive cooling system.
• Protected power system.

Minuses:

• Only 2 slots for RAM.
• Problems with installing an additional cooling system.

A modern and productive motherboard is suitable for assembling a solid and inexpensive working computer. And a large number of external and internal interfaces will allow you to constantly connect a large number of additional components and peripherals.

The best Asus motherboards for multimedia PCs

Asus Prime H370-Plus — for multimedia processing

Economical and modern motherboard designed for 8th generation Intel processors. Its chipset is able to quickly process a huge amount of data, and the presence of EFI and CrossFire X systems make the board work flawlessly.

The «mother» has four slots for DDR4 (up to 64 GB) and six SATA 6Gb / s ports with RAID systems: 0, 1, 5, 10. Add to this 6 expansion slots with support for PCI Express 2.0 and 3.0.

But the main feature of the motherboard is Asus OptiMem technology, which gives increased overclocking potential and excellent stability of the RAM. Plus, there is an efficient and smart cooling system that will protect the board from overheating.

Pros:

• Smart cooling system (working with multiple sensors).
• Emergency copy function.
• Flexible configuration of memory subsystems.
• high speed interfaces.
• Support for virtual reality equipment.
• Quality audio subsystem.
• Powerful protective features.

Minuses:

• Inconveniently located Satovskie ports.
• There may be difficulties with setting the BIOS.

One of the best motherboards for multimedia machines supports a huge amount of RAM. You can install a powerful processor and an equally productive video card on it.

Asus Prime B360-Plus — good for watching movies

The main features of this board are Bios with the AMI system, support for EFI and Crossfire X. The motherboard has four channels for high-frequency DDR4 RAM, as well as six SATA 3 interfaces and a couple of M.2. Pleased with the presence of five expansion slots that support PCI Express 3.0.

External ports are also very fast — there are even USB 3.2. With Intel Optane Memory technology, data processing speeds up. But the coolest thing here is the sound.

The audio chip with Japanese capacitors clearly separates digital and analog streams and correctly separates the channels, ensuring maximum sound purity. Well, a flexible cooling system protects the PC from overheating.

Pros:

• Cool sound.
• Advanced Utilities.
• Supports up to 64 gigs of RAM.
• Pre-installed smart programs.
• Plenty of high-speed ports and 5 expansion slots.
• Support for VR hardware.
• Quality build.

Minuses:

• Slots and interfaces are a little inconveniently located.
• At the first boot, it can «stupid».

All in all, this is one of the best Asus multimedia motherboards. It can be called almost the only model, the price, quality and characteristics of which are perfectly balanced.

Asus Prime B360M-D is a great motherboard for music

The motherboard works with dual-channel DDR4 RAM with a frequency of 2133-2666 MHz and a total memory of up to 32 GB. The main feature of the board is support for outdated COM, PCI and D-Sub interfaces.

Internal connectors are represented by 6 SATA 3 ports and one M.2. The number of expansion slots is quite sufficient: PCI-Ex16, a couple of PCI-Ex1 and PCI.

The motherboard produces very high quality sound, thanks to the 7.1CH, HDA chip. The Ethernet port provides 1000Mbps of bandwidth, great for a stable connection and watching movies online.

Pros:

• Lots of expansion slots.
• Lots of external ports.
• Support for legacy interfaces.
• Excellent protective performance.
• Intel Optane memory technology.
• Quality sound.

Minuses:

• Inconvenient output of ports on the rear panel.
• One radiator is not enough for high-quality cooling.

An excellent motherboard of the budget series will perfectly cope with multimedia tasks, provide uninterrupted Internet connection and high-quality sound.

The best Asus motherboards for gaming PCs

Asus ROG Crosshair VI Hero (WI-FI ac) — with its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

One of the highest performing motherboards for AMD 7th generation and above processors, it features the latest socket and powerful chipset, making it more compatible with today’s PCs. And the presence of CrossFire X and EFI programs additionally stabilize and speed up the operation of the motherboard.

The board supports up to 128 GB of RAM, and five expansion slots allow you to add various components to it.

Seven-channel sound is a real opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the game. The board has a large number of external interfaces, including a stable, fast Ethernet port, as well as pre-installed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. But the coolest thing about it is a stylish and highly efficient radiator with a water cooling system.

Pros:

• Powerful cooling system powered by AI.
• Clear and rich sound from Sonic Studio.
• Gaming technology Sonic Radar (sound visualization).
• Support for a large number of RAM plus the possibility of overclocking.
• Fast and convenient setup.
• Digital power system.
• High performance.

Minuses:

• High cost (19,000 rubles).
• Compatible with new components only.

VI Hero has great overclocking and performance capabilities. It is compatible with the most powerful processors and video cards, which means it will handle all modern games.

Asus ROG Crosshair VI Extrem — a stylish board for transparent cases

The top motherboard is designed for AMD Ryzen series processors and higher. The aggressive and angular design immediately makes it clear that this board is a gaming board. But its characteristics are also on top: four slots for 64 gigs of RAM, eight SATA interfaces with a RAID system: 0, 1, 10, a couple of M.2 and three PCI-Ex16 and PCI-Ex1 each.

The motherboard has excellent HDA sound, built-in Wi-Fi, as many as seventeen USB ports, S / PDIF output, Ethernet.

In addition, VI Extrem has a complex of protective technologies and water cooling. And it sounds just perfect, thanks to the built-in SupremeFX audio system.

Pros:

• Incredibly clear and high quality sound.
• High build quality.
• Complex of protective technologies.
• High speed and stable internet.
• A large number of internal and external interfaces.
• Water cooling system.
• Excellent performance.
• Allows additional overclocking of the OP.

Minuses:

• The cost is 17 thousand.
• Slightly incorrect menu display in Biose.

Stylish and productive motherboard for gamers received a powerful chipset, a cool cooling system and a huge number of external ports. All this will allow you to drive the car to the maximum.

Asus TUF H370-PRO Gaming — budget gaming motherboard

This durable motherboard is specially designed for building gaming PCs. It is equipped with a powerful and modern H370 chipset capable of processing a large amount of data in a matter of seconds.

A dozen eminent companies participated in the assembly of the board, so its quality is extremely high, and compatibility is maximum.

As for the interfaces, the motherboard has: four slots for RAM, six SATA 3 ports, two M.2 and six expansion slots. And a high-speed Ethernet port (1000 Mbps) provides a stable network connection.

Pros:

• Impeccable build quality.
• Powerful chipset.
• A large number of external and internal interfaces (20+14).
• Protected mounts for internal slots.
• Powerful cooling system.
• Spatial sound for gaming headsets.
• High speed wired network.
• Price — a little more than 7 thousand.

Minuses:

• Difficulties with reconfiguring BIOS.
• Some expansion slots make it difficult to access SATA interfaces.

Powerful, stylish, fast and modern motherboard compatible with almost any component. Thanks to this, it can be installed not only in a new assembly, but also used to upgrade an aging PC.

The best Asus pro-level motherboards

Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Formula — always stable internet

From the first days of the «eighth formula» life, it was clear that the board was intended exclusively for heavy assemblies.

Not surprising, because where else do you need a motherboard that supports 128 GB of RAM (in 4 channels), SLI, CrossFire X and RFI? At the same time, it has an ultra-modern AMD X570 chipset, which will work only with the best processors and video cards.

The board is equipped with a hybrid power cell cooler, a large number of internal and external ports, and AI-based security features. But the most interesting thing is the two Ethernet ports, which provide the highest speed and stability of Internet connections that you can imagine.

Pros:

• The most reliable system for connecting to the Internet.
• Stylish and modern design (suitable for transparent cases).
• High performance.
• Own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• High-quality sound audio subsystem.
• LiveDash OLED screen.
• Efficient cooling system.
• Detailed Bios.

Minuses:

• There are no video outputs.
• The cost is about 40 thousand.

«Formula 8» is the best motherboard for serious work on the Internet. High speed, stability and the passage of a huge amount of data — that’s what they take it for. Well, everything else is a big nice bonus, however, for a rather big price.

Asus ROG Rampage VI Extreme Omega — for professional audio work

One glance is enough to understand that we have a powerful motherboard for incredibly productive PCs.

It has as many as 8 slots for RAM, the presence of smart and corrective programs, a large number of internal and external interfaces (including a dual Ethernet port, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), and most importantly, an incredibly high-quality cooling system.

The highlight of Omega is the Realtek S1220 audio codec, which converts audio to analog-to-digital format. And considering that Japanese capacitors are on the chip, there is no doubt in perfect reproduction.

Pros:

• Quality build.
• Reinforced power system.
• Powerful cooling.
• Availability of absolutely all relevant interfaces.
• Maximum performance.
• Using AI at work.
• There are built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Minuses:

• It costs about 42 thousand.
• Bios update installs all firmware updates without your knowledge.

A high-performance motherboard with a lot of useful next-generation updates works with the help of AI, so there will be practically no errors on its part.

Asus ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha is the fastest motherboard

Motherboard with TR4 socket and AMD X399 chipset is designed for the most powerful processors of the same name with 32 cores. Such a board required a good cooling system, plus Zenith works in conjunction with AI, which controls the temperature of absolutely all components of the system unit.

The speed of a PC with such a motherboard is high and stable, and you can configure the board both manually and automatically. Zenith is equipped with a large number of internal and external interfaces, its own Wi-Fi and BT, has AMD firmware and smart software.

Pros:

• High-precision and modern software.
• Powerful cooling system.
• High performance.
• Use of AI.
• Fast data processing.
• A large number of interfaces.
• Simple and convenient optimization.

Minuses:

• The cost is 39,000 rubles.
• High energy consumption.

By working with the most powerful processors and strips OP Extreme Alpha provides maximum processing speed.