In order to build a gaming rig that will last you for a long time, you must use only the best motherboard for overclocking.
With a high-quality build, gaming motherboards will last longer and look better as well. The most important benefit is that your hardware will perform at its peak. The best way to get maximum performance from your processor is by overclocking it.
Selecting a motherboard does not sound as sexy as choosing a graphics card or processor, and it is definitely more difficult than doing so.
The majority of gamers who build their own dedicated PCs require a quality motherboard. The Best Motherboard For Overclocking can be challenging to find. There are various aspects to take into consideration, including CPU power, graphics card, working ability, power handling, and so forth.
Having said that, a cheap motherboard shouldn’t be an excuse to cut corners.
We are here to help you figure out what is the best motherboard for overclocking, so you won’t have to worry about your unfamiliarity with it.
Table of Contents
Our Recommendations For Best Motherboards For Overclocking
1. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme
ASUS Maximus motherboards have consistently been ranked among the best gaming motherboards in the past few decades.
In light of this, it should come as no surprise that the ROG Maximus XII Extreme, one of its latest iterations, makes our list.
As one of the most exciting Intel Comet Lake motherboards out there, this Z490 board is not only powerful but also worth the price.
Additionally, ASUS added a screwdriver with interchangeable heads to all purchases, which is a pretty nice bonus, given all the circumstances.
Z490 motherboards were built to overclock with Core i-9 processors in the K-series. As a result of the Maximus XII Extreme, you will become the envy of everyone in your circle when it comes to your clock speeds and the performance of the 10900K gaming processor.
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High performance obviously comes with a price, as previously mentioned.
The price tag is even more expensive than the processor that it was designed to pair with, so this is not for everyone. Even so, if you can afford it, there is no reason not to purchase what is without a doubt one of the best Z490 motherboards for overclocking.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: Intel Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 128GB | Expansion slots: 2x PCIe 3.0 x16(or x8/x8), 1x PCIe 3.0 x4 | Video ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports on an extension card (DP1.4) | USB ports: 12x rear I/O, 10x internal | Storage: 2x M.2, 2x M.2 (DIMM.2 board), 8x SATA 6GBps | Network: 1x 10Gb Marvell ethernet, 1x Intel ethernet, Intel WiFi 6 wireless
- LED RGB LIGHTS
- The best bundle ever
- High-quality construction
- Overclocking is easy with AI suite
- Quite expensive
2. Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
Most of the time, a motherboard that is the most expensive is the best one, or at the very least right up there with it.
Therefore, the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra should be viewed as an exception.
In our list of the best Z390 motherboards for overclocking, the Z390 Aorus Ultra does well as one of the more reasonably priced models. There are several contributing factors to this.
The motherboard has all of the features of motherboards that cost nearly twice as much, as well as the capability of overclocking Intel’s last-generation processors.
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As well as Wi-Fi Wave2 and Ethernet, there are three M.2 slots on the motherboard which support NVMe SSDs. The heat sink is stacked with fins, so it has a greater surface area for cooling the motherboard than a standard 12-phase voltage regulator. There are many other features as well.
TLDR; this motherboard keeps old-generation Intel processors cool and running smoothly.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: Intel Z390 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 64GB | Expansion slots: PCIe x16, PCIe x16 (x8), PCIe x16 (x4), 3x PCIe x1 | Video ports: HDMI | USB ports: 10x rear I/O, 7x internal | Storage: 3x M.2, 6x SATA | Network: Ethernet, 1.73Gbps 802.11ac wireless
- Has a good overclocking ability
- It has everything you need
- A reasonable price
- A lot of lighting
- Overclocking of memory could be improved
3. ASRock X570 Phantom Gaming X
Taking a look at the X570 Phantom Gaming X’s specification sheet, it is easy to understand why it is a favorite among overclockers.
Along with numerous settings, this gaming motherboard helps users make the most of their AMD Ryzen processors thanks to its large heat sink, highly-effective X570 chipset fan, and numerous other features. Additionally, this motherboard’s BIOS stability has been greatly improved over the years, after numerous revisions.
In addition to Wi-Fi 6 and the ability to configure RGB lighting in the BIOS, the X570 Phantom Gaming X also offers support for AMD HyperTransport 2.0.
As with any motherboard, this one isn’t perfect. If you swap in and out a lot of internals, this motherboard is definitely not for you. It can be tricky to upgrade the storage in particular, in particular if you’re completely new to this.
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That being said, it is a bit exaggerated to claim that those issues are potentially deal breakers.
This X570 Phantom Gaming X is beautiful, easy to install, and offers some of the best cooling performance in its class, the one real problem we see with the X570 Phantom Gaming X is that it requires you to update the BIOS for optimal performance.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: AMD X570 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 128GB | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 4.0 (x16), 2x PCIe 4.0 (x1) | Video ports: HDMI 2.0 | USB ports: 4x rear I/O, 7x internal | Storage: 3x M.2, 8x SATA | Network: Ethernet, Intel® 802.11ax WiFi Module
- Installation is simple
- Exceptional cooling capabilities
- Stylish and sleek design
- The BIOS isn’t stable out of the box
4. ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi)
Motherboards from ASUS ROG usually empty bank accounts.
No, this one doesn’t.
The ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi) isn’t cheap, as you would expect. With this in mind, it is easy to comprehend why this high-end AM4 motherboard might be the best AM4 motherboard for overclocking at roughly half the cost of the majority of motherboards that claim to be the best.
In addition to excellent compatibility with DDR4 memory sticks and PCIe 4.0 SSDs, the X570 chipset also gives this motherboard excellent graphics card compatibility.
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This motherboard also has RGB lighting, which is an added bonus. Meanwhile, it doesn’t seem too flashy to be a distraction. There’s just enough flash and customization here to let you light up your gaming PC while you overclock your Ryzen processor to the utmost that it might be able to handle.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: AMD X570 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 128GB | Expansion slots: 2x PCIe 4.0 (x16), 1x PCIe 4.0 (x1), 1 x PCie 4.0 x1 | Video ports: HDMI 2.0 | USB ports: 8x rear I/O, 7x internal | Storage: 2x M.2, 8x SATA | Network: Ethernet, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
- An onboard power button and a reset button are available
- Displaying Q-Codes with LEDs is very useful
- Heatsinks come with M.2 slots
- Unusual design with chipset fan underneath graphics card
5. Asus ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming
A gaming PC built on an ITX platform requires compromises.
Although that’s true, it doesn’t mean that a smaller gaming build means you’ll be sacrificing a lot.
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming is a prime example of this.
The Z390-I motherboard from ASUS is an excellent option if you want the best Z390 motherboard for overclocking. Its key features include its support for 64GB of RAM, which is plenty for its size, and its use of ASUS’ “Twin phase” CPU VRM.
It translates to an impressive overclocking capability for this motherboard.
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Due to such a lack of compromise, this motherboard is one of the most expensive on the market. Other than the smallest and best product on the market today, what else would you expect?
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: Intel Z390 | Memory: 2x DIMM, up-to 64GB | Expansion slots: 1x PCIe 3.0 (x16) | Video ports: HDMI 2.0 | USB ports: 7x rear I/O, 5x internal | Storage: 2x PCIe M.2, 4x SATA | Network: Ethernet, Intel® Wireless-AC 9560
- Storage capacity that is large
- Outstanding overclocking performance
- There are tons of RGB lights
- Expensive
6. ASUS Prime B350 Plus
Do you want to play games and overclock without spending a lot of money?
With the ASUS Prime B350 Plus, you can make your Ryzen CPU perform better if you have a Ryzen chip.
The B350 Plus motherboard is compatible with Ryzen processors from both older and newer generations, so it can overclock to decent levels, but that’s not what you’d expect from a cheap board.
You can essentially push your Ryzen CPU hard for the same price as an aftermarket CPU cooler. Definitely not going to break any records with the B350 Plus anytime soon.
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With this motherboard, you’ll be able to achieve stable clocks without sacrificing performance, however.
The B350 Plus is just what you need for everyday use.
In other words, as long as you’re OK with a reliable motherboard, albeit one that isn’t overclockable.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: AMD B350 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 64GB | Expansion slots: 1x PCIe 3.0 (x16), 1 x PCIe 2.0 (x16) | Video ports: HDMI, DVI, RGB | USB ports: 8x rear I/O, 3x internal | Storage: 1x M.2, 6x SATA | Network: Ethernet
- Budget-friendly
- Exceptional overclocking potential
- Compatibility with AMD Crossfire
- Does not have premium features
7. MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
How do B450 motherboards perform best when overclocked? By using MSI motherboards.
While the B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC has three SATA ports and the X470 Pro Carbon features five phase VRM, the X470 Pro Carbon has just 4+2 phase VRM, the older brother of the B450 offers five phase VRM.
Due to the fact that you aren’t spending so much on your motherboard, we highly doubt you’ll miss the latter two.
We doubt the difference is worth the premium we pay for the X470 Gaming Pro Carbon, even with the 5+2 phase VRM.
A larger heatsink is also included on the B450 motherboard.
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There must be a reason for that.
In addition to the lack of voltage offsets in the BIOS, we find there is no issue with this motherboard, but then again, even more expensive motherboards lack them as well.
This is the best B450 motherboard if you are looking for overclocking.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: AMD B450 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 64GB | Expansion slots: 1x PCIe 3.0 (x16), 1 x PCIe 2.0 (x16), 3x PCIe 2.0 (x1) | Video ports: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB ports: 6x rear I/O, 6x internal | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA | Network: Ethernet, Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 9260
- Overclocking the X470 without the price
- An attractive layout
- Experience with UEFI that is commendable
- Exceptional cooling performance
- Memory overclocking could be improved
8. Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi
It is the best x470 motherboard for overclocking money can buy without putting a dent in your wallet. With the Gigabyte X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi, you can overclock in style while enjoying the fastest performance.
However, I am not saying this is a cheap motherboard, since it certainly isn’t.
It has to be one of the priciest motherboards among its competitors. While still affordable, it’s not outrageously priced either. It looks especially beautiful when all the RGB LEDs are lit, especially with those large heatsinks.
This high-performance motherboard is as beautiful as it is powerful.
Several features make overclocking easier, such as the fact that it comes with numerous features. The BIOS files can be switched, a POST display is included, and overclocking buttons are available.
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There are even wireless features, plenty of rear ports, high-quality audio codecs, and most importantly, it is significantly cheaper than its “faster” competition.
If you want to overclock your rig and build a high-end gaming rig, this is one of the best options for X470 boards.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: AMD X470 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 64GB | Expansion slots: 2x PCIe 3.0 (x16), 1 x PCIe 3.0 (x16) | Video ports: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB ports: 4x rear I/O, 9x internal | Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA | Network: Ethernet
- Provides numerous features geared toward overclocking
- Optimal cooling with large heatsinks
- Exceptional build quality
- Generously sized RGB lights
- A bit pricey
9. MSI MEG Z490 Godlike
When looking for a big gaming motherboard, MSI MEG Z490 Godlike is hard to beat.
Besides being able to overclock the newest Intel processors, Microsoft’s MEG Z490 Godlike motherboard offers many other features. Only one of this list’s motherboards is E-ATX.
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Moreover, it’s easy to overclock on this motherboard.
The MSI MEG Z490 Godlike is an excellent choice for those who can afford it, since it offers best-in-class thermal performance and solution, overclocking performance that is easy to beat, and a range of diagnostic tools to ease their lives.
SPECIFICATIONS
Chipset: Intel Z490 | Memory: 4x DIMM, up-to 128GB | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16) | Video ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C) | USB ports: 10x rear I/O, 9x internal | Storage: 3x M.2, 6x SATA | Network: Ethernet, Intel Wi-Fi 6
- Unsurpassed thermal solution
- Overclocking is simple
- Diagnoses that are useful
- Thunderbolt compatibility
- Expensive and large
- Connects to two 8-pin CPUs
Final Thoughts
The time has come to conclude our list of the top motherboards for overclocking today, but there are a couple of things we want to point out.
Make sure that your CPU is connected to the correct socket first. You cannot use AMD and Intel motherboards interchangeably. Keep this in mind.
At the same time, ATX motherboards help with overclocking better since they are larger and come with more features that help support overclocking. Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX, on the other hand, are smaller and, as a result, do not offer as many features, such as overclocking.
A high-end port or wireless connection may not always be worth the investment.
Many of the best overclocking motherboards offer high-quality features, but not all of them, and those features might not always be worth the price.
Our recommendations and everything we just said should stick in your mind.
Even if you did not buy the motherboard we recommended, at the very least, you will have a fuller understanding of what makes a good overclocking motherboard, and you will be able to make a much more informed purchase decision.
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