[SOLVED] What to watch out for when buying a new motherboard?

Jul 30, 2021
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So I'm buying a new motherboard given my CPU is getting kind of old and I need a newer mobo (currently have an MSI Bazooka B150M) for the newer CPU gens. I'm trying to look for a reasonable gaming motherboard but not extremely pricey either (between 200-300USD max, but below is fine too as long as it works good for gaming).

I know to of course look for the form factor of my case, and mine supports ATX, EATX and mATX and of course the CPU socket, but since I'm upgrading my CPU alongside my motherboard, matching should be no issue. Other than that I do know my motherboard only supports a RAM speed of up to 2133mhz whilst my actual RAM can handle up to 3200mhz, but I also read that the speed doesn't determine that much (though correct me if I'm wrong on that).

My question more boils down to what else I should look for other than these mentioned points. Are there specific motherboards that for example are an absolute ''no-go'' for gaming. I also (might sound very cliché) do like RGB in my PC quite a fair bit, so if there is a good motherboard that also has some RGB I'd actually love that.

Thanks a lot in advance!!!
 
Solution
My CPU is an Intel i7-7700k, 7th gen and as far as I'm aware it's a bit uncertain with windows 11, as well as noticing performance issues with it as of late. As for the CPU I'm planning to upgrade to, the exacts are unsure for me. As long as it's just a newer gen of Intel. And I was planning to start looking based on what motherboards would fit my criteria depending on their sockets.
7700k is still a pretty good CPU in 2021, if you already have it. Windows 11 is not here yet and until it hits the market you should not make any decisions based on it. Even then thats a non criteria for an upgrade. Windows 10 would still be fully supported till 2025 and beyond. Also AFAIK, MS is still contemplating 6th/7th gen. for final release...
Jul 30, 2021
2
0
10
What CPU do you have right now and what CPU are you planning to upgrade to???
If you are upgrading both CPU and MOBO, it would be wiser to upgrade to a current platform.

My CPU is an Intel i7-7700k, 7th gen and as far as I'm aware it's a bit uncertain with windows 11, as well as noticing performance issues with it as of late. As for the CPU I'm planning to upgrade to, the exacts are unsure for me. As long as it's just a newer gen of Intel. And I was planning to start looking based on what motherboards would fit my criteria depending on their sockets.
 
My CPU is an Intel i7-7700k, 7th gen and as far as I'm aware it's a bit uncertain with windows 11, as well as noticing performance issues with it as of late. As for the CPU I'm planning to upgrade to, the exacts are unsure for me. As long as it's just a newer gen of Intel. And I was planning to start looking based on what motherboards would fit my criteria depending on their sockets.
7700k is still a pretty good CPU in 2021, if you already have it. Windows 11 is not here yet and until it hits the market you should not make any decisions based on it. Even then thats a non criteria for an upgrade. Windows 10 would still be fully supported till 2025 and beyond. Also AFAIK, MS is still contemplating 6th/7th gen. for final release. If you have performance issues, you need to troubleshoot the issue and fix it. You cannot just upgrade every time you have performance issues.
If you still wanna upgrade, then something like this should be pretty good...

PCPartPicker Part List

Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
CPU | Intel Core i5-11400F 2.6 GHz 6-Core Processor | $184.01 @ Adorama
Motherboard | ASRock B560M Steel Legend Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard | $134.99 @ Amazon
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts |
| Total | $319.00
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-07-31 06:55 EDT-0400 |

The board is value for money and around your budget...
https://www.anandtech.com/show/15896/best-intel-motherboards
 
Solution