[SOLVED] Is it worth it buying a "good" Mainboard for performance? (especially for Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR)

[Potheker]

So I just found out that AMD Smart Access Memory (Resizable BAR) is a thing on my components (RX 6800 and Ryzen 5 3600) but sadly I also found out that my decision to buy the cheapest possible Motherboard (Asrock A320M-HDV R4.0) made me miss out on it, as it doesn't support it.

So the question is would it be worth it buying a better Mainboard to support that feature? Is the performance boost high enough or would the money be better spent upgrading other Hardware? Also are there any other features a better Mainboard would have which would boost performance in games?

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I'd say yes, because you get more functions and features as you work your way up the chipset and motherboard tiers. One case in point is having a cream of the crop chipset means that you end up getting support earlier than all the other chipsets lower down the order, like X570 chipset boards getting support earlier than the B series motherboards. You also get better VRM design's and componentry soldered onto the board.

 

[Potheker]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

I'd say yes, because you get more functions and features as you work your way up the chipset and motherboard tiers. One case in point is having a cream of the crop chipset means that you end up getting support earlier than all the other chipsets lower down the order, like X570 chipset boards getting support earlier than the B series motherboards. You also get better VRM design's and componentry soldered onto the board.

But does it actually make any difference? Like the VRM designs and components, do they actually increase the gaming performance? And what are those "functions and features" you are talking about which would actually matter?

 

[Lutfij]

Better VRM design mean better power delivery, better thermals, sustained overclocks. The audio chip used on the board you have is nearly a decade old, so by features, I mean that board with concurrent tech will be priced higher. Better audio, better Ethernet, better fuses, better caps, better trace designs in PCB.

 

[Potheker]

Better VRM design mean better power delivery, better thermals, sustained overclocks. The audio chip used on the board you have is nearly a decade old, so by features, I mean that board with concurrent tech will be priced higher. Better audio, better Ethernet, better fuses, better caps, better trace designs in PCB.

So I'm not overclocking, my ethernet works fine for me and I have an external audio interface.

Will thermals significantly improve by buying a better motherboard? And does the other stuff you named actually impact performance? I mean we're talking about ~100€ for a better motherboard, that wouldn't be worth it if it just increased performance by under 5% ...