If you're about to build a new computer or simply upgrade the computer you already have, one of the most important components is your computer's memory, or RAM. The amount you have impacts how well your computer handles multitasking, the games you can play, and the frame rate of your computer.
Processors and graphics cards often consume the majority of building budgets, but your motherboard is an integral part of your computer. When each part of the computer is connected and installed, its size and form factor determine the size of the computer and its CPU socket determines the type of processor you can install.
Motherboards, especially high-end models, can be likened to a confusing piece of hardware full of features that can range in price from $60 for budget motherboards to over $500 for high-performance models. Here, we'll help you untangle the complexities and help you choose the right board for your needs, without blowing your purchasing budget.
1/ Important points
Get the right socket for your processor: You can find a processor from Intel or AMD for a lot, but whatever processor you buy, make sure your board has the right socket to support it. The latest AMD chips use socket AM4 while 8th and 9th generation Intel processors require LGA 1151v2 sockets.
Smaller boards = fewer ports and features. Motherboards come in three main sizes, from largest to smallest: the largest is ATX, followed by Micro-ATX and finally Mini-ITX (yes, Mini is smaller than Micro). You can use a smaller chassis (case) with smaller or smaller motherboards, but you'll have fewer PCIe slots, RAM banks and other connectors.
You can spend less than $100: You can find a good motherboard for less than $100, but if you want to overclock an Intel processor or multiple ports, you'll need to spend more, perhaps more than $150. And high-end devices with more powerful processors, such as the AMD Threadripper processor, need a motherboard that costs well over $200.
Pay for built-in Wi-Fi and more ports only if you need them. Don't spend more on wireless if you're using a wired connection. We also recommend securing future needs by getting support for USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3 ports on the board...
If you don't know which product list specifications to pay attention to, or if you just don't know how much you need for your use case, read on and we'll show you what you need to know.
This tutorial is intended for desktop systems, as they are easier to upgrade than laptops, but the advice works for laptops as well, as they are the same type of memory, but in a different format. Just make sure you can actually upgrade if you buy a laptop, as the RAM is soldered to the motherboard of many newer systems, making it impossible to upgrade.
If you just want the TL; DR version, buy 16GB of RAM and aim for 3200 MHz based on price. If you're a content creator, maybe double that to 32GB. Don't worry too much about the other specs, such as delays, they won't make much difference to most computer manufacturers.
For more tips, check out this book...
