Top 10 Motherboards Rankings: What is The Best Motherboard and Manufacturer for Core i7/i5 Gaming

Motherboard Rankings #10 - Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R

The Gigabyte GAX58A-UD3R is one of the lowest priced socket 1366 Core i7/i5 motherboards on the market. It also features USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s, making it an affordable way to stay future proof. The two PCI Express 2.0 slots make ATI Crossfire and Nvidia SLI a snap, and the 24GB of max RAM should be enough expansion room for just about anyone. This board just may be the best bang for your buck on the market.

Motherboard Rankings #9 - EVGA E758-TR

The EVGA E758-TR is a mid-range priced motherboard with many features. Notably, it has three PCI Express 2.0 slots, capable of running Crossfire or SLI. This board also supports up to 24GB of 1600 DDR3 RAM memory without O.C. It even has an ESATA port, which many people will prefer over other connection types, but is limited to four rear USB ports. However, you could always add a USB hub to connect more devices.

Motherboard Rankings #8 - Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5

The Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 is one of Gigabyte’s top of the line motherboards. However, it’s only #8 on the list because it does not have as many expansion ports as some of the other similarly priced boards. All-in-all, the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 is a quality board, offering a solid base for anyone looking to build a high performance PC or gaming PC. Notably, this motherboard supports up to 24GB DDR3 max RAM, and it does support triple channel mode. The two PCI Express 2.0 slots make this an option for ATI Crossfire or Nvidia SLI as well.

Motherboard Rankings #7 - Asus Rampage II Extreme LGA 1366

The Asus Rampage II Extreme LGA is one hardcore motherboard. It also has a hardcore price, costing around $350 from Newegg. However, it does have the features to justify. Most notably, the Rampage II Extreme is made to be overclocked; so choosing not to overclock your CPU with this board would be a waste. It even comes with a specialized Asus O.C. tool, to make the process easier than ever. Like many other boards on this list, the Rampage II Extreme has three PCI Express 2.0 ports, and can be configured for SLI or Crossfire. Standard memory for this board is 24GB max DDR3 1333. However, higher RAM speeds can be used with some overclocking. The Asus Rampage motherboard lineup features some of the nicest looking boards on the market.

Motherboard Rankings #6 - ASRock X58 Extreme

What is an ASRock motherboard doing in the top 5? Well, the ASRock X58 Extreme edition motherboard was clearly designed for gamers. Having no limitations on graphics card setups, the X58 supports both ATI Crossfire and Nvidia SLI. The max memory capacity is 24GB RAM, and you can run speeds up to DDR3 2000. Aside from all of that, this board has a designated ESATA port, six SATA connectors, and six USB ports. You’d figure a board with all of these features would be expensive, but the ASRock X58 Extreme can be had for a bit over $150.00.

Motherboard Rankings #5 - Asus Rampage III Extreme

The Asus Rampage III Extreme is a remake of the Rampage II listed on page 1. This specific motherboard gets a new redesign, but keeps many of the key features that made the Rampage II a great motherboard. Notably, the Rampge III upgrades from USB 2.0 to USB 3.0, and upgrades from SATA 3GB/s to SATA 6GB/s.

Motherboard Rankings #4 - Asus P6T Deluxe V2

The Asus P6T Deluxe is actually priced a bit higher than the EVGA E758-A1. However, for PC builders and gamers who prefer the Asus brand, this board gets you great gaming performance and expandability options for under the $300 mark. As far as RAM capacity and speed, the P6T Deluxe supports up to 24GB of DDR3 1333 RAM memory, and is capable of running up to 1600, 1866, and even 2000 RAM if overclocked. It also has three PCI Express 2.0 expansion slots. Asus hypes the overclocking capabilities of this board, and claim that it is among the best boards on the market for simple and easy OC.

Motherboard Rankiings #3 - EVGA E758-A1

The EVGA E758-A1 truly is an A1 class motherboard. It’s priced decently for the feautres it provides, and makes for a solid foundation for a gaming PC. Like all EVGA boards, the E758-A1 is design cool, and has a nice layout. Notably, this board has 2 and 3-way SLI, 12 USB 2.0 ports, and 10 SATA II ports, with one ESATA specific port. Max RAM support is 24GB DDR3 1600, triple channel.

Motherboard Rankings #2 - Asus P6X58D

Many PC hardware enthusiasts may consider the Asus P6X58D to be the number one motherboard, even though it fell to the EVGA 170-BL-E762 listed above. It’s $100 cheaper and packs quite a punch. The P6X58D has three PCI Express slots, and supports up to 24GB of DDR3 1600 RAM memory. Notably, this board is also more future proof than the EVGA-170-BL-E762, as it features USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s. Many customers have reviewed this motherboard as being ’the most featured board on the market.'

Motherboard Rankings #1 - EVGA 170-BL-E762

As far as motherboard rankings, the EVGA 170-BL-E762 is well deserving of the top spot. Not only is this motherboard the sickest looking board out there, but it also has the power to back it up. Based off the Intel x58 platform, the 170-BL-E762 is everything that a gaming motherboard should be. Forget crossfire, because this motherboard 4-way SLI configurations. It also has seven distinct PCI Express card slots, and supports up to 24GB of DDR3 1600 RAM memory. Although there is no SATA 6GB/s and USB 3.0, this board is still the outperformer when it comes to graphics performance and video expandability. Plus, you can always use a USB 3.0 expansion card on one of the seven PCI Express slots, and most people that can afford to buy this $450 motherboard will also be looking for solid state drives.