It has been a hectic year for motherboard manufacturers, driven by the introduction of new AM5 socket chipsets from AMD and a brand-new platform (LGA1851 and Z890) from Intel. In numerous instances, companies simply refined a past design for 2024, although some seized the chance to enhance various features such as the BIOS interface, as well as PCIe and M.2 slot latches.
With Intel’s Core Ultra 200S series of processors being somewhat lackluster in gaming performance, last-generation Raptor Lake chips remain highly sought after, but which motherboard should you select? The ASRock B760I Lighting should definitely be in your consideration, despite its compact size. It will support any 14th Gen Core processor and heavily overclocked RAM. However, it is slightly lacking in rear IO ports.
For AMD supporters, you might opt for a last-gen chipset or one featuring the latest X870. For the former, the Asus ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi is an outstanding motherboard, packed with USB ports and Gen5 slots for GPUs and SSDs. However, the price is quite high, which is where the newer MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi comes into play.
It is considerably more affordable than the Asus board and offers more USB ports than you might ever need. There are also numerous M.2 slots available, although the configurations can be rather complex.
Among everything we’ve evaluated this year, these are the models we’ve nominated for the best gaming motherboards of 2024. Now, you just have to wait until New Year’s Eve to find out which one will emerge as the champion!
Best gaming motherboard 2024: the nominees
The victor of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the finest gaming motherboard will be announced on New Year’s Eve. Three distinct boards, but only one can claim victory.