Total {{kit.components.memory.specs.capacity * kit.components.memory.qty}}GB - ({{kit.components.memory.qty}} x {{kit.components.memory.name}}) {{kit.components.memory.promo.text_a}}
CLX's workshop for crafting the elite, superior details defining the legendary CLX gaming systems. Refined customizations with bleeding-edge technology
CLX Quench: CPU Liquid Cooler Solutions: 120, 240, 360
CLX Forge: Professional CPU and GPU Overclocking Service
CLX Fluxx: Market Best Thermal Compound Application
CLX Temper: Custom Liquid Cooling Loops, soft and hardline
Starting at {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(calFinancing(clxKitBriefContent.price))[0]}}/mo or 0% APR with Affirm.
Customize
Learn More
Get {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(50)[0]}}off Gaming PCs over {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(1499)[0]}} with discount code SPOOKY24Expires in00:00:00
Get {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(100)[0]}}off Gaming PCs over {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(1999)[0]}} with discount code SPOOKY24Expires in00:00:00
Get {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(200)[0]}}off Gaming PCs over {{displayCurrency()}}{{displayNicePrice(2999)[0]}} with discount code SPOOKY24Expires in00:00:00
{"meta":{"keywords":"motherboard matter, speed and fps","description":"The Motherboard is the main hub of your PC and its components; however, we find that when most people are shopping for a gaming PC their focus is of course speed and FPS."},"active":true,"show_in_home":true,"show_as_recent":false,"show_as_popular":false,"_id":"62b5db0d35a82d37f2663087","aid":"does-the-motherboard-really-matter","big_image_path":"does-the-motherboard-really-matter-big.jpg","date":"06/22/2022","elements":[{"id":"p0","sort_index":0,"type":"paragraph","content":"<p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><p>When designing or customizing your own gaming PC, you usually want the fastest processor paired with the most powerful GPU that fits your budget. What tends to happen is most of the other components fall to the wayside, but is this genuinely the best way to design your system? Well, the problem is that buying the wrong motherboard can have a devastating ripple effect in the future, even if you go with the “expensive” option.</p><p><br></p><p>Choosing the right Motherboard</p><p>The first thing when choosing your motherboard is to make sure its socket type aligns with your CPU. Intel and AMD both design and manufacture a wide variety of chipsets that suit different needs, but don’t fit in every motherboard. Doing research before you decide on your CPU is extremely important, and we will be delving into chip architecture and benchmarking in future blogs. For now, we will try to keep things simple, but you can always contact our expert builders and support team if you have any questions.</p><p>So, after choosing your CPU, you can now choose a motherboard with the correct socket for it. A word of caution, not all motherboards work with all the chips of their intended brand. For example, even if a board says it is Ryzen compatible, you might find that it does not support the latest generation of AMD chips. Fortunately for our users, our custom gaming PC builder lets them know if their Motherboard and CPU are compatible.</p><p><br></p><p>Do Motherboards improve performance?</p><p>Yes, but not in a manner that’s as easy to understand as a better GPU, RAM, etc. Contrary to how things were back in the day, modern motherboards do not directly affect aspects like frames per second. However, choosing the right motherboard helps facilitate better performance by allowing the other components in your PC to operate at their optimal potential.</p><p>Motherboards are set to work with certain processors, and usually just meet the minimum requirements to accept said processors. That’s perfectly fine for a plug-and-play setup and are OK at running your components at their base level. For users going with this approach, the easiest way to get more performance is to buy a better processor and GPU.</p><p>However, if you want to get your full money’s worth from each component, then upgrading the motherboard is a smart way to approach your goals. For example, tweaking factors like removing the power draw limits, and increasing the cycles of your CPU by overclocking requires something beefier than your stock motherboard.</p><p><br></p><p>Is it worth getting a better Motherboard?</p><p>Realistically speaking it comes down to your needs and budget. A basic Asus Prime board would be okay if you want to run an i9-11900k but want to stay on budget. They provide everything you need to have a great experience., and the price allows you to start gaming without breaking the bank.</p><p>However, if you’re a serious customer, you might want to upgrade to their Tuf Gaming series which provides better cooling, more efficient VRMs, and a wealth of ports to connect peripherals and streaming or capture cards.</p><p>Now, if you want to go even bigger, then you can go with their Republic of Gamer boards which come with powerful heatsinks, supports powerful memory, and a massive number of ports to connect anything you can think of. This level of motherboard also allows you to tweak your performance to incredibly granular levels via the BIOS so you can unleash your processor’s full potential with reduced risks.</p><p>Having said this, our recommended approach is to first figure out what features you need and what you see yourself doing with your PC in the near future. If you plan to stick to your favourite video games, then pick a CPU that meets your recommended requirements and match it with a compatible motherboard. This approach lets you invest in something that can directly impact performance, like a better GPU.</p><p>But if you know you’re going to be streaming or creating content, you might want to go with a motherboard that scales to matching your needs. These types of activities place a lot more indirect load on your motherboard requiring capture cards, extra storage, expansive RAM, and ports for cameras, tablets, lighting, etc.</p><p><br></p><h2>Are bigger Motherboards better?</h2><p>Motherboards come in various sizes. The standard ATX size is the most common format, and they fit mid-size and full tower chassis. They usually offer more PCIe and RAM slots so you can install extra or larger GPUs, network cards, or even sound cards if you need one. They are wide enough to allow more control for airflow, and they now come packed with features and RGB lights, which are a must if you’re getting a glass case.</p><p>Micro ATX boards are smaller, and this is achieved by stripping down some of those PCIe ports and sacrificing other ports such as USB. They are typically a bit cheaper and can fit in small form factor cases. However, they continue to provide a lot of power and benefits, so don’t be fooled by their price or dimensions.</p><p>Mini-ITX boards are the smallest of all. They usually only have a single PCIe slot for your GPU and two RAM slots. These are a feat of engineering as they’re capable of incredible performance but give you the ability to build a truly portable gaming PC.</p><p>In short, bigger motherboards give the user more options for expansion or peripherals, while Mini-ITX boards are perfect for self-contained systems build for performance.</p><p><br></p><p>Final words</p><p>Some features tend to be overlooked by most customers when choosing a motherboard. For example, buying a chassis with a USB Type-C header but forgetting to get a motherboard that supports it, or picking a board without WIFI capabilities and then being forced to buy a network card that effectively neutralizes a PCIe port and adds internal clutter.</p><p>These might sound like trivial issues, but they are incredibly frustrating if you only discover them after your gaming PC is delivered. That’s why we care so much about providing our users with an intuitive yet transparent custom gaming PC builder and direct communication with our staff, so they never have a problem when you build your own CLX gaming PC.</p><p>You can test this out by heading over to our <a href='https://www.clxgaming.com/gaming-desktops' data-mce-href='https://www.clxgaming.com/gaming-desktops'><span style='color: rgb(224, 62, 45);' data-mce-style='color: #e03e2d;'> desktops</span></a>, selecting a system and customizing one yourself.</p><br><br>"}],"id":"_7btv1khwp","mid_image_path":"does-the-motherboard-really-matter-mid.jpg","sid":"pc-parts-benchmark","small_image_path":"does-the-motherboard-really-matter-small.jpg","sub_title":"The Motherboard is the main hub of your PC and its components; however, we find that when most people are shopping for a gaming PC their focus is of course speed and FPS.","title":"Does the Motherboard really matter?"}