How much does a motherboard cost?

There are many variables that affect a motherboard’s price. There is a wide variety of motherboard models, just like there are for other commercial goods. As a result, the answer to the question of how much a motherboard costs varies on the type of motherboard you are considering.

Although copper is widely used, it may still be fairly expensive, even reaching all-time high prices in 2021. In contrast, fiberglass is quite cheap. Although other components also go into the price of a motherboard, this serves as the starting point for our investigation into how much they cost.

A motherboard typically ranges in price from $50 to $1500. However, a motherboard in the lower price category typically costs between $70 and $130. A mid-range motherboard may cost between $150 and $180. The typical price range for well-known high-end motherboards is $200 to $250. Extreme builders and hobbyists should not purchase motherboards that cost more than $250.

The Motherboard Pricing Tiers

Consequently, there are a few distinct price groups in which motherboards often fall. Even though the motherboard chipset isn’t always expensive, these tiers will often correspond to its inclusion on the board. What CPUs are compatible with your board, whether you can overclock them, how many PCIe Lanes are available for expansion cards and drives, support for DDR5 RAM, and other motherboard features, such as RAM tweaking and overclocking, Thunderbolt support, or 10 Gigabit Ethernet, are all directly influenced by the motherboard chipset.

Higher-end chipsets are often reserved for more costly motherboards because of how essential the chipset is to the functionality of the board in question. Installing an overclocking-capable chipset on a cheap motherboard wouldn’t be very useful because it’s likely that the remainder of the board especially the motherboard VRMs wouldn’t be appropriate for CPU overclocking.

Also, Read: How to Clean Thermal Paste Off CPU

Cheap entry-level motherboards

• geared toward those looking to assemble a simple PC
• If there are any overclocking features, they are nonexistent or have very limited thermal headroom.
• No premium features or connection choices
• NVMe/high-speed PCIe lanes are scarce.

Motherboards in the mid-range

• Intended for use by professionals, gamers, and other regular customers.
• In this price range, there should be adequate thermal headroom for overclocking.
• For the majority of memory kits, XMP/EXPO memory overclocking profiles should be supported by RAM overclocking capabilities.
• Some boards in this price range will start to have some extra functionality, including Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
• Addition of NVMe/PCIe x16 slots.

Exceptional Motherboards

• Geared for experts, die-hard players, and enthusiasts.
• It is possible to overclock a CPU, often with decent to excellent thermal headroom (but occasionally there are exceptions).
• RAM overclocking is constantly possible.
• NVMe/PCIe x16 slot support ranges from good to excellent and some boards allow PCIe bifurcation (x8/x8) on the first two PCIe x16 slots.
• Most products now include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thunderbolt, 10Gbe, and other features.

Fascinated Motherboards

• Geared at heavy-duty professions, gamers, or performance-obsessed individuals.
• Best CPU and RAM overclocking capabilities, albeit sometimes not worth the price increase (particularly if you go pretty far up there).
• The best possible extensibility with regard to PCIe and M.2 slots.
• There should have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other accessories, and they should work effectively.
• Frequently include extras that won’t affect performance at all, such as particular aesthetics or RGB.
• Might benefit from elaborate heat pipes or water cooling to provide better cooling.

Let’s examine each tier in further detail:

Budget Tier Motherboards

Budget motherboards are often less expensive than their mid-range and high-end equivalents. They frequently have fewer ports and expansion slots than other boards, which makes them perfect for straightforward designs that don’t need many additional features or resources.

Mid-Range Tier Motherboards

Motherboards in the mid-range category are generally priced between $100 and $200. These boards are an excellent option for those that want a little bit more freedom in their designs since they include more ports and expandable slots than versions from the lower price range.

High-End Tier Motherboards

The best performance and features on the market right now are found on high-end tier motherboards. Although they are frequently significantly more costly than mid-range or budget boards, they provide better stability and durability in addition to cutting-edge overclocking capabilities and upgraded cooling systems for higher performance levels.

How do Motherboard Types Affect Prices?

ATX Motherboards

The preferred architecture for PC builders is ATX (Advanced Technology Extended). The majority of desktop PCs employ one of the first motherboard architectures still in use.

Mini-ITX Motherboards

Due to the fact that mini-ITX motherboards are smaller than ATX boards, they are ideal for tiny form factor projects like HTPCs or portable gaming rigs.

Mini-DTX Motherboards

Similar in size to Mini-ITX boards, Mini-DTX motherboards provide more functionality including additional expansion slots and I/O ports, which makes them ideal for building strong yet portable systems.

Additional Variables that Impact Motherboard Price

USB Ports and Stability

The price of a board is directly impacted by the number of USB ports it has; more ports equal a higher price. Continuity and dependability newer boards frequently contain features that are intended to improve stability and dependability, but these improvements also come with a hefty price tag.

RAM Slots and Chipset Type

In general, motherboards with more RAM slots will cost more than those with fewer slots. Boards equipped with Intel chipsets tend to be more expensive than those powered by AMD chipsets because Intel CPUs offer better performance.

Brand Name

Your motherboard’s price may be influenced by the brand name attached to it. As an illustration, premium brands like Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and ASRock often have higher asking costs.

INTEL H510 AND H610 CHIPSET AVERAGE PRICE OF BUDGET MOTHERBOARDS AND AMD A520 CHIPSETS

Intel H610 Motherboard Prices

AMD A520 Motherboard Prices

MID-RANGE MOTHERBOARD AVERAGE PRICE – AMD B550 CHIPSETS AND INTEL B560 AND B660 CHIPSETS

Intel B560 Motherboard Prices

Intel B660 Motherboard Prices

AMD B550 Motherboard Prices

HIGH-END MOTHERBOARD AVERAGE PRICE – INTEL Z590 AND Z690 CHIPSET AND AMD X570 CHIPSET

Intel Z560 Motherboard Prices

Intel Z660 Motherboard Prices

AMD X570 Motherboard Prices

FAQ’S

Conclusion

You could need to replace your current motherboard or you might be developing a new gaming system that requires a new motherboard. Popular low-end motherboards often cost $85, popular mid-range motherboards typically cost $150 and popular high-end motherboards typically cost $200 to $250. However, you may buy motherboards for as little as $50 and as much as $1500, depending on the features you want.