Please Explain Expensive Motherboards To Me.

Discussion in 'General Hardware' started by Bogdanov989, Jan 31, 2015.

  1. Bogdanov989

    Bogdanov989 Geek Trainee

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    I know about sockets and chipsets on motherboards, also about stuff like USB 3.0 and SATA 3 and maximum RAM speed supported.
    However, as an amateur gamer, i am having a hard time understanding what exactly we get when we pay for an expensive motherboard.

    I compare a motherboard of a 130 euros to a motherboard of a 250 euros, and to a motherboard of 400 euros (all are gigabyte/asus with intel z97 with 1150 socket) - and i can barely find noticeable difference in the technical spec comparison.

    Yea the expensive motherboards look fancy, they have a better sound chip or network chip, and perhaps have more PCIe ports for multiple GPUs - but to me as an amateur gamer pretty much all of those features are borderline unnecessary.

    Am i missing something else, some hidden features worth paying almost quadruple the cost?
    What do we exactly get when we pick a 400+ euro motherboard instead of a 130 euro one (both from same company and chipset/socket)?
    Thank you for helping me out [​IMG]
     
  2. Big B

    Big B HWF Godfather

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    Some of it comes down to the components, the design, or BIOS options. Higher-cost motherboards may be designed for overclocking and usually offer options and features not found on more basic boards.
    Without seeing exactly what boards you're looking at, I can at best give general responses. The high-end of one company may not vary as much from their low-end options as much as another. Some high-end boards contain extra goodies with the board, like a 5.25" panel with USB ports, multiple SLI (2-, 3-, and 4-way) bridges, a full compliment of SLI cables. Sometimes, an option for watercooling the chipset and/or other areas may be available. There's a lot of features integrated with modern chipsets, so the hardware side may not see as much in additions to the board, but may offer higher quality components. The physical dimensions of the PCB also have an effect. An mATX board is going to run less in materials than an E-ATX would. May not be a ton, but it does add to the cost.
    There's also brand recognition. Asus, Gigabyte and MSI can command a higher premium over brands like ECS, Jetway, and Biostar. If you're just running stock, and the chipset's hardware features work for you, it's a good match. However, it's not the best option for everyone. Kinda like how a SMART car is a great option for some folks, but with a family, it's a no-go as it doesn't offer features I need (namely seating). The same is true for motherboards--one size does not fit all.

    If you don't need features, don't buy a board with them. I finally upgraded to the modern world, with an MSI Z97S SLI Plus (a mouthful for a board). I like to have expansion for down the road, but not pay an arm and a leg for it. This board offered that for me, and I've had good experiences with MSI in the past. I can run 3-way SLI/Crossfire and have 8 SATA ports, which is uncommon for boards in it's class. I probably won't be doing a major system upgrade for awhile, so this gives me some room. I'm not going to do insane overclocking, so it doesn't matter that it lacks a watercooling option for the chipset. The Z97 M-Power does, and it also has a SATA cable for practically all the ports, WiFi and 2 antennas, Bluetooth...there's more stuff in the package than what I got, and hence why it runs about $100 more than what I paid for mine.
     
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