[SOLVED] Motherboard choice for intel i3-12100f

[BallisticFPZ]

Hi, I am going to be building a system based on an intel i3-12100f and a gtx 2060. I already have the gpu and a micro atx case (coolermaster q300l).

I was planning on getting the ASROCK b660m pro rs motherboard ( https://ie.pcpartpicker.com/product...rs-micro-atx-lga1700-motherboard-b660m-pro-rs ) but I have heard that the MSI PRO b600m-a
( https://ie.pcpartpicker.com/product...icro-atx-lga1700-motherboard-pro-b660m-a-ddr4 ) is a better choice (upgradability wise).
When I put that motherboard into pcpartpicker I get an incompatibility warning about the bios version. However the reviews on amazon claim it works out of the box with the i3-12100f and some other sites have claimed that this board will always work with this cpu.

Should I buy the MSI board () - or is there a better ddr4 micro atx board that will support my needs. (my preferred retailer is Amazon UK or any site that ie.pcpartpicker.com recommends) I am hoping to stay under 180 euros for the motherboard which I know is a lot to ask.
Thanks in advance .

 

[Darkbreeze]

Ignore warnings about BIOS on motherboards unless you are buying from a local shop that may have had it sitting on the shelf for a long time, or a retailer that doesn't move much product like Amazon and Newegg do or a private party that may not have ever updated the BIOS. Those warnings are never updated from when the product first comes out, so they are rarely relevant after the first six months or so unless it's for a CPU model that only very recently been released.

And, since the B660M-A seems to be the ONLY board available in your region based on what's shown on PCPP, looks like that's your only option unless you have specific retailers you are able to purchase from that we can look at. Off the top of my head, the ASRock B6650M Steel legend is a better board than either of those you listed and is usually within about ten or fifteen bucks of the price of those boards, often less than the B6660m-A.

Also, assuming you are looking for DDR4 models, since the B660 boards have models for both DDR4 or DDR5, but not for both.

 

[Darkbreeze]

This would probably be my choice in that price range if Amazon.uk was where I needed to purchase from and it needed to be a microATX form factor.

PCPartPicker Part List

Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£136.41 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £136.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-14 03:20 GMT+0000

 

[BallisticFPZ]

Ignore warnings about BIOS on motherboards unless you are buying from a local shop that may have had it sitting on the shelf for a long time, or a retailer that doesn't move much product like Amazon and Newegg do or a private party that may not have ever updated the BIOS. Those warnings are never updated from when the product first comes out, so they are rarely relevant after the first six months or so unless it's for a CPU model that only very recently been released.

And, since the B660M-A seems to be the ONLY board available in your region based on what's shown on PCPP, looks like that's your only option unless you have specific retailers you are able to purchase from that we can look at. Off the top of my head, the ASRock B6650M Steel legend is a better board than either of those you listed and is usually within about ten or fifteen bucks of the price of those boards, often less than the B6660m-A.

Also, assuming you are looking for DDR4 models, since the B660 boards have models for both DDR4 or DDR5, but not for both.

Thanks for this advice

 

[BallisticFPZ]

This would probably be my choice in that price range if Amazon.uk was where I needed to purchase from and it needed to be a microATX form factor.

PCPartPicker Part List

Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M GAMING X DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£136.41 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £136.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-14 03:20 GMT+0000

I found this board for a decent price on an Irish site here (its now unavailable on amazon)( https://www.memoryc.ie/39412-gigabyte-b660m-gaming-x-intel-lga-1700-micro-atx-ddr4-motherboard.html ). Once again thanks for the advice

 

[Darkbreeze]

NP. Good luck man.