Tips for Choosing the Best ITX Motherboard

motherboard

The motherboard is one of the essential components of a computer. There are different types of motherboards that you can choose for your computer. The system chosen should meet all your computing needs. You should choose a mini itx am4 motherboard that is compatible with your processor. The following are the important things that determine whether a motherboard is compatible with a processor.

Both the Motherboard and CPU Must be Compatible

Intel motherboard

You can either use the Intel or AMD motherboards. Intel and AMD are the only manufacturing companies that produce processors. ADM’s and Intel processors are well-designed to work in specific motherboards as specified by the manufacturer. AMD CPUs have motherboards that are meant for AMD processors. The same applies to Intel processors. This means that you cannot use an AMD processor on an Intel motherboard and vice-versa.

The Motherboard chosen Should Easily Fit Inside the Computer’s Case

This is another compatibility issue that arises when the motherboard fails to fit inside the case chosen. These systems come in different sizes including mini-ITX, Micro-ATX and standard ATX. These cases have different dimensions. Choosing the right size for your system is an easy process.

It should Have Enough Slots/ Ports for Your Needs

The number of ports affects the number of devices connected to the system. You can plug in more components in your system if it has many ports. A system that is connected to many devices will give you more options than the one connected to a few devices. The following are the important ports that every system should have:

sata cable

  • PCIe lanes
  • SATA ports
  • DIM slots
  • Display Interface ports

Top-Rated ITX Motherboards

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-I

This is the best system for gaming computers. You can use this motherboard to overclock the processor. It features USB 3.1, dual M.2 ports, and ASUS’s Aura RGB lighting. Its clock rate potential is very high- it can go up to 43333 MHz after overclocking. It also includes other advanced features and settings such as FanXpert 4 and 5-Way Optimization. The Z370-I comes with a Wi-Fi antenna extension that improves its connectivity.

ASUS ROG Strix X470-I

This is one of the ultra high-end systems available in the market today. It has the same heatsink and dual M.2 slots. It also comes with a Wi-Fi antenna, RGB headers, and ASUS’a Aura Sync RGB lighting. It also features FanXpert-4 overclocking settings, 5-Way optimization, and auto-tuning. Its pre-installed I/O shield can be installed easily.