MOTHERBOARDS
In the absence of a major new platform or socket release, 2023 was a relatively quiet year for new motherboard releases. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t any new models.
The highlight of 2023 was the release of a wave of refreshed Z790 motherboards. They accompanied Intel’s 14th Generation CPU range and they introduced a few new, and welcome features. They’ll end up being the best and last LGA 1700 motherboards to be released before Intel switches to the LGA 1851 socket in late 2023 or early 2024. The headline new feature was the introduction of support for Wi-Fi 7, the next generation networking standard. Of course, they have out of the box support for 14th Generation processors, along with generally beefed up power delivery systems, improved USB capabilities and support for much faster DDR5 memory. Some Z790 refresh boards even unofficially support DDR5-8000 and higher. Things were relatively quiet on the AMD front, with the entry level A620 chipset being the only new chipset to be released, and it was a quiet launch at that. A620 motherboards are best paired with AMD’s 65W-class processors and entry level builds. Most of the B650 and X670 motherboards on the market during 2023 were released in 2022. Not that they’re ‘old’. A good AM5 motherboard will remain relevant for years to come.
MOTHERBOARD MAKER ASROCK
Asrock doesn’t promote itself to the extent Gigabyte, MSI and particularly Asus do, but saving millions of dollars on marketing means it can offer high quality and feature rich motherboards at more affordable prices. What’s not to like about that?
FINALISTS: Asus, Asrock, MSI, Gigabyte Aorus.
PREMIUM MOTHERBOARD ASROCK Z790 TAICHI LITE
A bold release from Asrock that drops the premium aesthetic of the regular Z790 Taichi while retaining all of its features, saving a lot of money in the process. Hopefully it won’t be the last motherboard to adopt such an approach.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
FINALISTS: Asrock Z790 Taichi Lite, MSI Z790I Edge Wi-Fi Mini-ITX, Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X, Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, Asrock Z790 Nova Wi-Fi.
VALUE MOTHERBOARD MSI MAG B760M MORTAR MAX WIFI
A classy all round and feature rich motherboard that makes some more expensive boards look overpriced. Alongside its lovely looks and strong VRM, it’s one of very few motherboards that can overclock locked 12th Gen processors.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi
FINALISTS: Asus TUF Gaming B650 Plus WIFI, MSI MAG B760M Mortar Max WiFi, MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Max WiFi, Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi, Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi, Asrock B760M PG Sonic WiFi, Asus ROG Strix B760-F Gaming WiFi.