# Which is the best motherboard manufacturer to buy?



## Wolvyreen (Mar 18, 2019)

Hello

I asked this same question about GPUS over in the Graphics Cards forum but I need the same question answered for motherboards.
Which manufacturer is best to buy for a Motherboard?  If I buy a certain manufacturers GPU, should I try and buy the same manufacturers motherboard or won't it really matter??

There are so many...

MSI
ASUS
Gigabyte
EVGA

etc etc etc

Which one is best with the best after sales support and warranties?


----------



## Bones (Mar 18, 2019)

Depends on the socket/chip you'll be running.
Right now for an Intel based setup ASRock and Asus are fine with MSI actually improving, Gigabyte slipping somewhat in the quality dept.

For an AMD it's largely the same except Asus isn't fairing as well, ASRock is good here too and MSI is almost even with Asus, Gigabyte again slipping in the same fashion.

Out of all I'd consider based on things ASRock would be the name I'd checkout first. Asus does have an excellent board for Threadripper, the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha X399 which is one I'm looking at personally right now as possibly being the one I go with for a build I'm planning, the MSI MEG Creation being right behind it in my case.

I'll be honest, none are really known for being "Great" for service after the sale.


----------



## EarthDog (Mar 18, 2019)

Called it... you were going to start a thread for each part for your new build... lol..


----------



## Bones (Mar 18, 2019)

Questions, questions..... But it's good to ask. 
That's what we're here for.


----------



## Vayra86 (Mar 18, 2019)

EarthDog said:


> Called it... you were going to start a thread for each part for your new build... lol..



If that is the case I would strongly recommend just asking for build advice, saves a lot of clicking between topics 

My vote > AsRock (overall, price/perf, good quality, fantastic high end), MSI (midrange, mostly, feature packed at great price), Asus (not the best price/perf, but better/more polished UEFI and additional software).

Gigabyte, as with GPUs, is readily avoided these days; does not impress in anything yet does offer a range of substandard quality VRM on cheaper boards; in fact only their best boards have decent VRM.

But above all, pick a board based on its featureset, get the best match for you, and then start comparing what each brand has on offer with those features, at what price. When you want to OC, consider VRM quality as well - phases are not everything here. AsRock wins the day in that sense at almost every price point up until the enthusiast (>250 dollar) range.


----------



## EarthDog (Mar 18, 2019)

Bones said:


> Questions, questions..... But it's good to ask.
> That's what we're here for.


No doubt! But build threads are best, for everyone, if it is one thread. This helps the OP have all the info in one spot AMD all the others helping using the same information so their efforts arent duplicated or wasted .


----------



## Wolvyreen (Mar 18, 2019)

yh, I wondered if I should open 1 thread or a thread in each section.  Being new here I am still finding my way around 



Vayra86 said:


> If that is the case I would strongly recommend just asking for build advice, saves a lot of clicking between topics
> 
> My vote > AsRock (overall, price/perf, good quality, fantastic high end), MSI (midrange, mostly, feature packed at great price), Asus (not the best price/perf, but better/more polished UEFI and additional software).
> 
> ...


Thanks for this reply   very helpful


----------



## EarthDog (Mar 18, 2019)

I've reported the posts and asked the staff to merge... not sure if they don't agree/care, or what... but you seem like you are full of questions so its best to ask them in an all encompassing build thread instead of a dozen others. Its so much easier for everyone involved, honestly.


----------



## Wolvyreen (Mar 18, 2019)

EarthDog said:


> I've reported the posts and asked the staff to merge... not sure if they don't agree/care, or what... but you seem like you are full of questions so its best to ask them in an all encompassing build thread instead of a dozen others. Its so much easier for everyone involved, honestly.


I completely agree   Thanks @EarthDogI should have started a thread in the System Builders Advice section.  Apologies


----------



## dirtyferret (Mar 18, 2019)

Wolvyreen said:


> Hello
> 
> I asked this same question about GPUS over in the Graphics Cards forum but I need the same question answered for motherboards.
> Which manufacturer is best to buy for a Motherboard?  If I buy a certain manufacturers GPU, should I try and buy the same manufacturers motherboard or won't it really matter??
> ...



1 - GPU and mobo manufacturer have nothing to do with one another, you can mix amd match to hearts content
2 - best mobo manufacturer is like asking who is the best car manufacturer, Subaru, Honda, Toyota, Ford.,etc., You need to know what you are looking for, sedan, truck, SUV, hatchback, etc.,  Then narrow it down even further to size, budget, gas mileage, etc., etc.,  



Wolvyreen said:


> Which one is best with the best after sales support and warranties?



There is this thing called the _internet _and on it companies have _web pages _that explain things like sales support and warranty...


----------



## Vayra86 (Mar 18, 2019)

dirtyferret said:


> There is this thing called the _internet _and on it companies have _web pages _that explain things like sales support and warranty...



Show me where the Gigabyte web page speaks of horrendous RMA and customer service processes, up to and including damaging GPUs and sending them back with a refusal.

For warranty the websites aren't even leading, it is legislation that determines what you're entitled to and it differs per country.


----------



## cucker tarlson (Mar 18, 2019)

Vayra86 said:


> If that is the case I would strongly recommend just asking for build advice, saves a lot of clicking between topics
> 
> My vote > AsRock (overall, price/perf, good quality, fantastic high end), MSI (midrange, mostly, feature packed at great price), Asus (not the best price/perf, but better/more polished UEFI and additional software).
> 
> ...


Not true,check the z390 vrm tier list,gigabyte's low end and mid range boards slam asrock and msi


----------



## Wolvyreen (Mar 18, 2019)

dirtyferret said:


> 1 - GPU and mobo manufacturer have nothing to do with one another, you can mix amd match to hearts content
> 2 - best mobo manufacturer is like asking who is the best car manufacturer, Subaru, Honda, Toyota, Ford.,etc., You need to know what you are looking for, sedan, truck, SUV, hatchback, etc.,  Then narrow it down even further to size, budget, gas mileage, etc., etc.,


While I found the above reply very helpful, I can't say the same for the sarcastic reply below... sigh...why people feel the need to break others down in their own little way is beyond me.


dirtyferret said:


> There is this thing called the _internet _and on it companies have _web pages _that explain things like sales support and warranty...


----------



## Vayra86 (Mar 18, 2019)

cucker tarlson said:


> Not true,check the z390 vrm tier list,gigabyte slams asrock and msi



Then they've learned from the responses to their Z370 line up, nice. Don't expect that to stay the same... Also Z390 is pretty much only for high TDP parts. Can't get away with crappy VRM anymore... Those tier lists are really a great source though @Wolvyreen . Take note.


----------



## cucker tarlson (Mar 18, 2019)

Vayra86 said:


> Then they've learned from the responses to their Z370 line up, nice. Don't expect that to stay the same... Also Z390 is pretty much only for high TDP parts. Can't get away with crappy VRM anymore...


Msi boards are pretty inadequate for overclocking a 9900k yet they cost more than gigabyte's 10 phase z390 Elite.you can get away with selling mid range boards at enthusiast prices if it has pretty rgb lights.
Z390 carbon is pretty much z390 sli with pretty lights.Now look at the price difference,more than +50%


----------



## Vayra86 (Mar 18, 2019)

cucker tarlson said:


> Msi boards are pretty inadequate for overclocking a 9900k yet they cost more than gigabyte's 10 phase z390 Elite.you can get away with selling mid range boards at enthusiast prices if it has pretty rgb lights



Sure but when did the subject become a 9900K as thé CPU choice? It is a grossly inefficient and out-of-the-ordinary CPU with a bad price/perf ratio. And TDP wise it doesn't compare to anything else in the Intel- or AMD lineup that consists mostly of 65-95W CPUs. No point having a board that can push 250W when you're only using half.


----------



## protain (Mar 18, 2019)

Wolvyreen said:


> Which one is best with the best after sales support and warranties?



Depends what country you are in... always check the RMA info, some may be local to you (in country or region) and others might require you to ship the faulty board to another region.

Hexus Forums (if I can mention them here) used to have a good sticky on RMA locations for most manufacturers and level of service, not sure how up to date it is as I've not visited it for some time! The post was geared towards UK users but it listed the RMA countries for the main manufacturers so it should still be valid and you might want to check that out too!


----------



## dirtyferret (Mar 18, 2019)

Vayra86 said:


> Show me where the Gigabyte web page speaks of horrendous RMA and customer service processes, up to and including damaging GPUs and sending them back with a refusal.
> 
> For warranty the websites aren't even leading, it is legislation that determines what you're entitled to and it differs per country.



gigabyte USA warranty page below, sorry you had a bad experience with gigabyte although there are countless forum threads across the internet complaining about xfx, corsair, seasonic, evga, asus, etc., etc., customer service.  In my experience corsair and evga put more resources towards customer service and that tends to help.  Otherwise you are probably dealing with an under staffed and over worked dept.

https://www.gigabyte.com/us/Support/Warranty


----------



## eidairaman1 (Mar 18, 2019)

@Wolvyreen https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/forum-guidelines.197329/


----------



## cucker tarlson (Mar 18, 2019)

Vayra86 said:


> Sure but when did the subject become a 9900K as thé CPU choice? It is a grossly inefficient and out-of-the-ordinary CPU with a bad price/perf ratio. And TDP wise it doesn't compare to anything else in the Intel- or AMD lineup that consists mostly of 65-95W CPUs. No point having a board that can push 250W when you're only using half.


doesn't matter what cpu you use,getting worse components and a fancier look for a higher price is the point.


----------



## Deleted member 24505 (Mar 18, 2019)

Asus for me, look at the fsb i had on the p5b-dlx/e6300 in my sig


----------



## EarthDog (Mar 18, 2019)

tigger said:


> Asus for me, look at the fsb i had on the p5b-dlx/e6300 in my sig


Maybe I need some caffeine, but what does an ancient board and CPU result have to do with helping the OP? How does your experience with that old hardware help when the OP is looking to buy new?


----------



## Komshija (Mar 18, 2019)

Most people will say Asus just because they have the highest price tag. More expensive doesn't always mean "the best".

According to my experience, I consider Asrock as the best combining very good quality and acceptable price, followed by Gigabyte and MSI. I had bad experience with Asus, but that doesn't mean that they are bad in general. Asus motherboards aren't really any better than Asrock, MSI or Gigabyte, despite always being more expensive.

Gigabyte top-end motherboards are usually cheaper than MSI and Asrock and definitely cheaper than overpriced Asus.

EVGA - I wouldn't buy theirs. One of the biggest stores over here has return rate statistics for product they sell and EVGA's had over 10%.


----------



## FCG (Mar 18, 2019)

Abit is (was?) my fave.
Am I right, fellas?
Who's with me out there?
Fun Fact: DFI entry into the OC market was initially made possible by Abit engineers whom defected.


----------



## dirtyferret (Mar 18, 2019)

EarthDog said:


> Maybe I need some caffeine, but what does an ancient board and CPU result have to do with helping the OP? How does your experience with that old hardware help when the OP is looking to buy new?


cause it justifies my purchase and proves I bought the right part for my pc..damn it!


----------



## Deleted member 24505 (Mar 18, 2019)

EarthDog said:


> Maybe I need some caffeine, but what does an ancient board and CPU result have to do with helping the OP? How does your experience with that old hardware help when the OP is looking to buy new?



He asked what is the best motherboard manufacturer, i gave an example of why i said Asus in my reply "Asus for me"


----------



## EarthDog (Mar 18, 2019)

Not sure why I was called a moron. I simply asked a (good) question... 

I guess I still do not find the association of an ancient mobo and your anecdote of it running a high FSB (which varies, even by the same board mind you) relevant to the OP... I'm glad that 10 year old board worked well for you though.


----------



## Deleted member 24505 (Mar 18, 2019)

EarthDog said:


> Not sure why I was called a moron. I simply asked a (good) question...
> 
> I guess I still do not find the association of an ancient mobo and your anecdote of it running a high FSB (which varies, even by the same board mind you) relevant to the OP... I'm glad that 10 year old board worked well for you though.



Maybe it's the way you asked it read it again. Him buying new had nothing to do with it. He asked what is the best motherboard manufacturer. If someone asked what is the car manufacturer and the reply was ford because i find them reliable and frugal on petrol that would be a relevant reply would it not? maybe you just do no understand referencing previous experience with products as to their reputation be it good or bad. Any question starting with maybe i need some caffeine is not a good one imo


----------



## infrared (Mar 18, 2019)

Opinions have been stated, lets move on now, no point in carrying on. 

Edit - another vote for Asus while I'm here, I've always had a good experience with asus boards. Z170 pro gaming, prime B350 plus and Crosshair vi hero, all served he really well. And many older boards, but I do see Earthdogs point, quality can vary over time, but imo asus is still up there with the best.


----------



## Wolvyreen (Mar 19, 2019)

I have opened a Build Thread now here: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/new-build-with-decent-budget.253836/


----------



## Ramo1203 (Mar 19, 2019)

I think there is no BEST motherboard manufacturer. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. The best motherboard manufacturer depends on what are your criterias for that.
I think the most important thing is to look beyond the brand and look at the product in detail. The VRM's are a crucial part of the motherboard for example.


----------



## NoJuan999 (Apr 5, 2019)

As previously stated, every MB manufacturer has it's strong and weak points. 
I recently bought an Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming mb because it fit my personal needs and taste and I got it for 90 USD. 
I am very satisfied with it and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good mid level Ryzen board. 
That being said, I also liked the MSI B450 boards and definitely considered the Tomahawk and Carbon Pro. 
Ultimately you need to determine what features you need and then read as many reviews of the various MB's that meet those needs.


----------



## Caring1 (Apr 5, 2019)

The way I read the title, he has buckets of money and wants to buy the company.


----------



## Midiamp (Apr 9, 2019)

A bit late to the party, but yeah, no one particular good motherboard maker. I changed from Asrock AB350 ITX to Asus B-450-i, with the same setup and memory kit (Corsair Vengeance RGB 3000Mhz). The Asus is just downright bad! Plenty of lock ups and general instability. Finally changed to MSI B450, no problem whatsoever. Forced me to change form factor, but at least I'm happy.

For Intel though, Asus motherboards are probably the best around.

Do your research well in this hobby and don't throw money around, most likely you'll find better value by digging around.


----------



## trickson (Apr 9, 2019)

It depends really. I have had great luck with a MSI 970 MB I found at Goodwill it is the one running my FX rig in sig. 
I have 2 msi MB's and 2 Gigabyte MB. I have used Asus but nothing recent. 
If you are asking for an opinion, Mine is with MSi then I go to Gigabyte then Asus. 
my opinion on the best mb? 
The MSI X470 Gaming Plus an absolute monster can't wait for this MB to get 3 way Crossfire set up it!


----------



## Mr.Scott (Apr 9, 2019)

FCG said:


> Abit is (was?) my fave.
> Am I right, fellas?
> Who's with me out there?
> Fun Fact: DFI entry into the OC market was initially made possible by Abit engineers whom defected.


Actually, it was one engineer, Oskar Wu,  and the progression was from Epox to Abit, and then to DFI.

Wow, Trickson, you're alive. lol


----------



## trickson (Apr 9, 2019)

Mr.Scott said:


> Actually, it was one engineer, Oskar Wu,  and the progression was from Epox to Abit, and then to DFI.
> 
> Wow, Trickson, you're alive. lol


Yep I am! 
OYG DFI I remember them! They were the best of the best back in the day now they are no longer. 

You ever going to post that R15 extreme score? LOL......


----------



## Mr.Scott (Apr 9, 2019)

trickson said:


> You ever going to post that R15 extreme score? LOL......


It's been up.
And you know it because you were logged in at 12:27 AM.


----------



## trickson (Apr 9, 2019)

Mr.Scott said:


> It's been up.
> And you know it because you were logged in at 12:27 AM.


Can't log in anymore lol. Yeah that was impressive but still Ryzen is far better or why would ANYONE need anthing other than that one?
So congrats on your small victory. Still doubt it is faster than the Ryzen chip in fact know it isn't.

One test make not a champion.

FYI even my FX8300 beats up on my Ryzen 3 1300X in some benchmarks.


----------



## EarthDog (Apr 9, 2019)

trickson said:


> Can't log in anymore lol


You should be able to... I'll PM you here as this is off topic.


----------



## Vario (Apr 9, 2019)

I prefer ASRock, had good experiences with them.


----------



## trickson (Apr 9, 2019)

Vario said:


> I prefer ASRock, had good experiences with them.


I don't know ASRock aways seemed so , you know so cheep and lame. I think it is the name more than any thing for me. Really I do, I must admit I have never had one. Because of the name. so yeah the name sucks.


----------



## John Naylor (Apr 9, 2019)

Most folks have preferences but they are rarely based upon actual facts / data.  Among the factors one might consider are:

Reliabilty - For the most part this is based upn statistically significant aecdotal evidence and forum posts about other user's aneccdotal experiences,  This is pretty much the proverbial "fool's errand"; we have been building PCs for over 25 years and all of ur experience combined does not constitute anything resembling statistically significant quantities.   Be Hardware was the one site that had the resources to supply this data and hey recently stopped doing so.   RMA rats have declined significantly over the years and if there's any facts that remain valid after watching them this long they are:

a)  The difference in RAM rates between brands is statistically insignificant
b)  Whomever is sitting at the top doesn't stay there very log.

Here's results from  2014

- Gigabyte 2,51%
- MSI 2,65%
- ASUS 2,86% 
- ASRock 2,99%

and 2017

Gigabyte 1,48%
ASRock 1,55%
ASUS 1,59%
MSI 1,63%
And while the differences between brands is statistically insignificant. it is worth looking at the distribution for notable "bad models" and also which platforms you might choose:

_5,71% ASUS Z170I-PRO Gaming_
_5,59% ASUS X99 Strix Gaming_
4,70% MSI B150M PRO-VDH D3
_4,17% ASUS B150I PRO GAMING/WIFI/AURA_
_3,81% ASRock FM2A58M-VG3+_

Performance / Build Quality - Over the years, various manufacturers gained deserved reputations for performance and build quality ... For a long Time Asus always seemed to be able to edge a percentage or two extra speed over it's competitors.  Asrock was well known for short warramtees, thin boards and bad caps; Gigabyte was well known or the robust power deliver systems.  These mindsets persisted long after those views ceased to be true.  Asus lost the performance crown with Z87 / Z97 and during that time MSI was winning the top performance crown; AsRock's quality got better and it's warranty got longer and Gigbyte's power delivery looked mush like everybody else's.   By Z270, everyone was pretty much on equal footing. with the only notable difference being Asus mid range offerings $100 - $150 "cheaped out" with low end audio and LAN subsystems.  While veryone else was using ALC 1150 for example, Asus only offered ALC 887 and 892 in this space.  Another thing that happened just before then is Asus farmed out much of its design, support and RMA pocessing Pegatron (Asrock's parent company).  They still make Asus laptops, but what else they are doing or Asus  has been kept pretty close to the vest.  All i can say or sure is that emails for tech support and RMAs stopped coming from pegatron.com

Today, I have no real issues in this respect from Asus, Gigabyte and MSI .... Im still a  bit shy of AsRock as we bar too many scars....albeit they go back a bit, latest experience was 2013.  We do see a significant difference in quality and performance which the chipset target user.    Looking at Intel for example, what you typically get on Z series board goes way beyond the noted difference between the Z versus the B and H series chipsets.    In short it goes way belong the ability to OC and SLI. There are exceptions obviously but generally:

-Z Series = OC ad SLI Ability, 100 page manual, MoBo Utilities for OC and fan control, LCD 2 digit display  and LED 's for troubleshooting, 5-6 fan headers, ALC 1220,
-B Series = No OC ad SLI Ability, 30 page manual, No MoBo Utilities, Beep codes for troubleshooting, 2-4 fan headers, ALC 1220, 

When ya find a B series with all that stuff, the price is similar to the Z

BIOS & Manuals - Asus rules here .... MSI has gotten close, Gigglebyte and ASrock are waaay behind.

Tech Support - Again, can only go by my own experience here but no one is gonna make you happy.   Whether it's a RMA or just a tech question, nobody get's an A.   Asus used to rule here, and I don't know what they did after we were getting emails responses from pegatron.... but there dysunction is worse than politicians in DC.  Most contact is ignored, when you get an answer it's nonresposive to the questions asked.   MSI is good at responding, responses are useful most of the time.  In my experience Gigabyte is very attentive, but always feel I could get closer to an answer than most of the techs.

I short, Id forget about what brand makes a better board cause there's no answer there.  Every vendor has some great boards, every vendor has some clunkers.  Every data source has some minefields.  Looking at newegg user reviews for example, you have to laugh when the rants obviously points to user lack of knowledge.   But there's no evidence that stupid people are attracted to only one brand.    When I look at these, if I see less than 50+% of a model's users 5 eggs or > 20% throwing a 1 eggs rating, I'll cross that one off the list .

Here's the 390 boards we have have on our recommended list for gaming builds in the $175 - $200 space ... and we'll see how what we liked resonated with others by looking at those ratings

1.  MSI 390 MPG Gaming Pro Carbon (71% 5 eggs / 7% 1 egg) ... Love / hate factor is little over 10:1
2.  Gigabyte Z390 Aurus Ultra  (58% 5 eggs / 12% 1 egg) ... Love / hate factor is just inder 5:1
3.  Asus Z390-A Prime   (49% 5 eggs / 15% 1 egg)... Love / hate factor is just over 3:1

I don't have any AsRock boards on the list .... again, pain from previous scars I guess is more my bias than  a current evaluation / reviews but if i can manage to set that aside the As Rock Tai Chi would have the best chance of making the list   (67% 5 eggs / 14% 1 egg)... Love / hate factor is just inder 5:1.  One thing you have to be conscious of is that the more users spend, the more they bitch.   So at $100, I dude might say "I plugged it in, it worked ... 5 eggs !"   I guy spending $500 might get less than the Memory OC he expected and throw a 3 egg rating ... so expect numbers to drop at the high end.

Be aware that getting that RoG doorknob hanger will cost ya about $50 as anything with the RoG moniker is usally that much higher than the comparably equipped board from competition.     On gaming oriented boards, we use a lot of Giganyte and Asus TUF series .... Gaming builds have mostly been going MSI with about 25% Gigabyte, mostly the Auros line.  Favorite board in recent years = MSI  XPower Titanium Series.


----------



## trickson (Apr 10, 2019)

John Naylor said:


> Most folks have preferences but they are rarely based upon actual facts / data.  Among the factors one might consider are:
> 
> Reliabilty - For the most part this is based upn statistically significant aecdotal evidence and forum posts about other user's aneccdotal experiences,  This is pretty much the proverbial "fool's errand"; we have been building PCs for over 25 years and all of ur experience combined does not constitute anything resembling statistically significant quantities.   Be Hardware was the one site that had the resources to supply this data and hey recently stopped doing so.   RMA rats have declined significantly over the years and if there's any facts that remain valid after watching them this long they are:
> 
> ...


WOW thanks for the dissertation!


----------



## Vario (Apr 10, 2019)

trickson said:


> I don't know ASRock aways seemed so , you know so cheep and lame. I think it is the name more than any thing for me. Really I do, I must admit I have never had one. Because of the name. so yeah the name sucks.


They were a value manufacturer years ago, but not any longer. For Z370, they some of the best power delivery design.  Z370 Extreme4, Z370 K6 Fatal1ty, Z370 Taichi, Fatal1ty Pro Gaming i7.  These all had the same VRM design as the Taichi.  Other board manufacturers only had a few good boards, ASRock had an entire lineup from budget midrange up that could run the 8700K easily and probably 9700K and 9900K.

I've also found they have very good memory support.
Their customer service is fantastic, I have emailed requesting clarification of bios settings and they have a machine on their end with the same motherboard version, bios version, cpu, and ram to duplicate my issue.  They respond pretty quickly.
AsRock and Nick Shih have also released bios versions for running 8th gen Coffee Lake in the Z170 OC Formula which is really cool.


----------



## freeagent (Apr 10, 2019)

This is just my opinion, just based on my experiences.. and prejudices.

Asus is my brand for motherboards. Ive had the best luck with them, and their premium line of boards are the business, while their midrange boards are just that.

Gigabyte would maybe be a runner up, but even though it had a premium feel but it just didn't deliver, compared to Asus.

MSI, Assrock.. back in the day they were bottom feeders, right up there with chaintech and others.. not surprised to see the complaints in this thread that I have seen so far. Mediocre.

I would maybe consider higher end Asrock now, just because Asus owned them for a bit and built them up a little. I did own one EVGA mobo, and it sucked.. but that's going way back. Abit was awesome. I miss them.

This post is based on my limited experience.


----------



## John Naylor (Apr 11, 2019)

A good analogy is what is your favorite / best sports team ?  The answers rarely include the sports team that wins / won the title.   And the best team doesn't always win the championship game.   What is te best sports team ?  The one with the best numbers (won - lost records) .   The largest % answer you get will be the "home team" which is expected but when it's not, we can really see how this plays out.   When I 1st became disillusioned with pro Football for example, began to get interested in college football.  Among my social group we all chose our team in the early to mid 70s.  All of us are still fans of the teams we picked back then.  Some of thm wenthalf their games, some went to the title game.  If you look at pickup truck owners.... their loyalties are never based upon repair rates, cost to own or any real data ... it's cause their grandaddy had a [insert Ford, Chevy, Dodge here interchangeably] , Dad had a [insert Ford, Chevy, Dodge here interchangeably] and their 1st truck as a hand me down of the same [insert Ford, Chevy, Dodge here interchangeably] model.  we knew it was the best cause Dad said so.

When we all 1st got into PCs, we asked these questions, we were at the time awed by the dude with 10,000 posts and he said [insert brand name here], we bought one it worked, it became our favorite brand.   We are all better served if we ignore subjective statements that are not based in fact.   For example, when ya see a poster with the RoG logo as their avatar, you should be inclined to consider than the fanboi might be biased.    One comment I remember "Asus is better, MSI has poor QC" ... OMG, on what basis can anyone support that statement ?  Are there RMA rates higher ?  (Didn't look).  Are forum complaints higher (Didn't look) .  Are newegg ratings lower (didn't look).     This is obvious bias.  If you can't support it, it ain't real.

We were strictly an Asus shop for 10 years.  Not out of loyalty but because when ya read the reviews they came out on top, year after year.   I remember the Sabertooth, reviewers went gaga over it and it had greatr numbers.  Then, like with sports teams, one dynasty ends and someone else rises to the top.  In the Z87 .... Z170 era things changed.  One web site overclockers-something had a table of all the Z97 boards and the top 3 performance wise were MSI boards.  The $400 Asus board I had in my box was 2nd forom last.      Sites like Anandtech was talking about new MSI MoBo features, performance and value and writing  headlines saying " the MSI Z170A SLI Plus redefining the baseleine at $130" ... The Titanium line was not only getting great reviews but board owners were throwing 5 egg ratings at it on newegg to the tune of 90+%

https://www.anandtech.com/show/10236/the-msi-z170a-sli-plus-review/9

"It’s a new standard, and any motherboard up to $180 should easily be worried about what extra is being offered. "   Quite a statement for a $130 board.   On the GFX card front, Asus was topping the charts all the way up thru the 600 series but since then, MSI has been dominant.... Performance Rankings TPU test results (by fps) :

2080 Ti
MSI Lightning Z 236.7 fps
MSI Gaming X Trio 226.6
EVGA FTW 225.2
Asus Strix OC 225.0
Zotac Amp 221.5
MSI Duke 220.5
EVGA X Ultra 218.0
Founder's 216.5

2080
MSI Gaming X Trio 180.2 fps
Asus Strix OC 175.0
Zotac AMP Extreme 177.7
Gigabyte Gaming OC 172.2
Palit Gaming Pro OC 172.7
Palit Super Jet Stream 171.7
Nvidia FE 169.0

Sure, the differences aren't large but they have been consistent ... looking at the 2080 Ti, and not wanting to pay the price premium for the Lightning, the MSI, EVGA and Asus are closely grouped and after looking at those 3,  sound and cooling become secondary considerations.  looking at RMA rates... no complaint:

Zotac 1,13%
EVGA 1,19%
Gigabyte 1,19%
MSI 1,29%
ASUS 1,30%
Nobody stands out there ....and every reporting period there's a new ranking.

Let me emphasize that I am not saying that MSI has the best MoBo ... we have different manufacturers at the top in each price niche.   With GFX cards, most of the selections for this generation's upper end are MSI .... for lower priced cards, not so much.  These will have no bearing on next gen rankings.   In summary,  what I feel confident saying is that:

- MSI supplanted Asus as the MoBo performance winner for a while after Z87, especially w/ Z97.  Since Z170 - Z270, there's no significant  difference in performance between any manufacturer based upon published test data.
-  In the GFX card upper end space, MSI is winning the "top dog" status more often than anyone else of late .... the margin is small but a win is still a win.  The passive cooling and sound levels are big in decision factor.  At the lower to mid range, other manufacturers have taken top dog status.
- I have yet to see any broad based claim about MoBo brand name superiority supported by any documentation.  All data points otherwise.  The differences in RMA rates between MoBo manufacturers is statistically insignificant.
-  Pay more attention to models than brands... for every vendor, there's some great models, there's some clunkers.  Each price category should be considered individually.
- We don't make any recommendations till a new board or product is out 3 months ... While performance and quality generally remains consistent generation to generation, last year's 
champion model ABC 1000 might be next year's dud.
- No ones (certainly not mine) anecdotal experience is relevant in and of itself.   When ya got 50 or so people with experience with a particular board, the data begins to get statistically significant.   "I have this board and it had these problems" is valid comment.  "I never had this board but I wouldn't buy it cause they are ow quality" is not.

When Z390 broke, after reading the reviews the 3 boards we listed as "likely candidates" for our recommended products list ($175 - $200)  were

1.  MSI 390 MPG Gaming Pro Carbon
2.  Asus Z390-A Prime
3.  Gigabyte Z390 Aurus Ultra

Looking at user reviews on newegg, by the time we start doing 390 based builds in May, that ranking will likely change.  Looking at just that info, w/ 71% 5 eggs / 7% 1 egg ratings and a love / hate factor of about10:1, it would seem there's reason enough to leave Gaming Pro Carbon at the top. Gigabyte Z390 Aurus Ultra  (58% 5 eggs / 12% 1 egg and love / hate factor of 5:1 seems worthy of the No. 2 spot.  The Asus Z390-A Prime and AsRock are running tight for Spot No. 3.  But before the list gets made, we'll sit down, discuss latest reviewes, user comments and other data will be evaluated to finalize the list.


----------



## Vario (Apr 11, 2019)

NewEgg reviews are a poor way to assess board quality.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Apr 11, 2019)

Ramo1203 said:


> I think there is no BEST motherboard manufacturer. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. The best motherboard manufacturer depends on what are your criterias for that.


This. What you also want to consider is your purpose and primary use for the system. Different usages will change what your needs are. Find a board that meets your needs.


----------



## Deleted member 24505 (Apr 11, 2019)

Now just find the one with the best RGB lights on it.


----------



## JalleR (Apr 11, 2019)

+1 for Asus, in my life i have had one Asus MB that died on me, but it was not the Asus part that died   (Asus P4S333)
-1 for MSI, within the last 10 years i have had 2 msi motherboards that died after 2.5 ish years.)

But for my Next GFX/MB i am thinking about buying a EVGA


----------



## Jetster (Apr 11, 2019)

Board are so close nowadays. They even look the same. Once you get use to a bios you tend to stay with the brand. It's just convenient.


----------



## bonehead123 (Apr 11, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> This. What you also want to consider is your purpose and primary use for the system. Different usages will change what your needs are. Find a board that meets your needs.



^^what he said^^

I've used almost every brand & variety of mobo discussed herein, and what works well for some people/uses may or may NOT work as well for others... therefore:

research & compare
   moar research & compare
      research & compare again

this is *THE* key to success in this adventure !

My last 4 Intel builds have been with Gigabyte & MSI boards, from Z97 to Z390, all are still goin strong to this day.....neveranottaproblemo 

But I can say similar things relative to GPU's, Ram, PSU's etc etc..... this is just MY experiences....


----------



## videobruce (Apr 14, 2019)

dirtyferret said:


> There is this thing called the _internet _and on it companies have _web pages _that explain things like sales support and warranty...


 I guess he doesn't know the difference between manufactures "hype" and basic BS and actual facts with results.


----------



## Athlonite (Apr 14, 2019)

if you not planning on over clocking go with what you can afford although recently I have been looking very hard at Asrock to replace my Asus Crosshair V formula Asrock seem to getting better and better at making good mobo's with a good range of components now if I could just save money faster I'd be more happy


----------



## Vario (Apr 15, 2019)

There is also a big debate over how Asus uses a "fat" 50 amp 4 phase with no doubler VRM design on their Z390 ROG XI Hero which seems a bit low spec for a flagship Z390 platform, one that presumably should run a 9900K.  A good reason to look at more than just the brand reputation.  Now that we have processors in the consumer space that have 8 cores and 16 threads you have to pay attention to what reviewers say about the circuit design.


----------



## blobster21 (Apr 15, 2019)

That's what POLLS are made for, especially with such a subjective question.

P O L L S !


----------



## EarthDog (Apr 15, 2019)

blobster21 said:


> That's what POLLS are made for, especially with such a subjective question.
> 
> P O L L S !


Wha? To get every dick, tom, and jane's uneducated two cents? No thanks. I'd rather hear details from each user specifically because use cases vary as well as what is important to the OP. It's also easy to tell who has a clue and who does not.

THat said, OP already has a build thread, right? Why are we continuing on here? 
https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/new-build-with-decent-budget.253836/


----------



## videobruce (Apr 15, 2019)

I look thru the one & two star reviews on Amazon, passing over the five star to get a good idea on what to expect for a product, adder up those percentages to use that when comparing other models.

I then read thru, disregarding the bogus negitive reviews that have to do with the seller and/ or delivery. I also take with a grain of salt the 'less than a review' consisting of a few words. When the sane or similar problem/complaint keeps coming up that automatically flags the product.

Combined 1 & 2 star counts under 10% is very rare. Percentages over 30% will make me look elsewhere.


----------



## EarthDog (Apr 15, 2019)

Amazon and newegg reviews are done by potatos. Their worth is only in doa experiences. I'd trust what TPU members think before I'd trust newegg and Amazon reviews. All three being generally poor resources, honestly.


----------



## videobruce (Apr 15, 2019)

I may *partly* agree with Amazon (on many products), but not necessarily Newegg, which I should of included in my previous post. 
PC motherboards are *not* 'joe six pack' items. They aren't setting up a outdoor grill.


----------



## lexluthermiester (Apr 15, 2019)

EarthDog said:


> Amazon and newegg reviews are done by potatos. Their worth is only in doa experiences. I'd trust what TPU members think before I'd trust newegg and Amazon reviews. All three being generally poor resources, honestly.


While this is true, you can weed out the fakes from the real ones. It's not difficult. Might take a bit of time though.


----------



## king of swag187 (Apr 15, 2019)

Depends on socket, Gigabyte/Asrock are the best afaik for Z390, with MSI with their MEG GODLIKE for the top tier, as for the lesser AM4, Asrock and MSI are some of the top players.


----------



## videobruce (Apr 15, 2019)

For the heck of it, I tried looking thru the MB reviews here, *but;*
1. There is no selection for AMD vs Wintel, if there actually have AMD MB's listed,
2. The description in the heading doesn't help either unless you are looking for a specific model.

As to #1, Amazon is even worse, they haven't discovered the AM4 platform since that isn't a choice of sockets.


----------



## Splinterdog (Apr 15, 2019)

I can only go by experience and building systems since the early Pentium 4 days.
The brands I've had the most trouble with have been ECS, Biostar and PC Chips (cough).
My two main PCs have had Asus and Gigabyte boards, while my wife and the lad both have Biostar mobos which, touch wood, have not given me any problems. Asrock are pretty solid too.
I've also built some machines with early Intel boards in the last ten years and they are still running, so I gather from my customers anyway. But Intel boards down here are way too pricey nowadays.
If I had to recommend, it would be Asus and Gigabyte, mainly through experience.
Or, as they used to make us write out 500 times at school, "Experience is a hard school, but fools will learn no other."


----------



## cucker tarlson (Apr 15, 2019)

best advice is to scrutinze every purchase,not ever go with brand (this brought to you by "why are people buying 1050ti's over 570s" thread)


----------



## videobruce (Apr 15, 2019)

You really can't go by past experience. That goes for *ANY* consumer product. *Every* company has cut back and it clearly shows.

In the past 20 years, I've been fairly lucky. IIRC, I had a bad video card when received for sure and possibly one other. Also a MB that was bad from the start, returned for repair, but I'm cloudy on what happened with that. The only other problems were two HDD, one in a DVR, the other just went bad from age & use.

All of these 'horror' stories I have been reading make me want to spend $15US for a optional warranty from SquareTrade which basically would amount to the return shipping cost in the US.


----------



## GoldenX (Apr 15, 2019)

DFI, too bad they are dead.


----------



## Splinterdog (Apr 15, 2019)

videobruce said:


> You really can't go by past experience. That goes for *ANY* consumer product. *Every* company has cut back and it clearly shows.



I beg to differ, because past experience has shown me to be correct in my choices of motherboards, except where I've simply used what's been available to me second hand. And I build a lot of PCs from used components, for people who can't afford new machines.
As for consumer products, I've made similar choices, with LG and Samsung never having let me down. I've had brand new hard drives and GPUs fail, but not that often. Perhaps less than five in the last fifteen years.
I touch wood a fair bit though.


----------



## Final_Fighter (Apr 15, 2019)

if you are looking to buy up a manufacturer than go for foxconn. they make about any component anybody would need to build a pc and with some clever marketing you could really take them to the next level.


----------



## qu4k3r (Apr 16, 2019)

I don't have a favorite manufacturer, I have had motherboards from various manufacturers (2 Intel, 2 MSI, 1 Asus, 1 Gigabyte, 2 Asrock), I allways try to get the best bang for buck in every purchase, and I never did RMA.



bonehead123 said:


> ...
> 
> research & compare
> moar research & compare
> ...


Exactly!

When I want to buy a mobo: First I set the price, then compare all features that I'm looking for.

Maybe you may think this is a bit extreme but I never had bought any mobo without downloading and reading the user manual to know every feature the mobo has and which are its bios options.


----------



## Vlada011 (Apr 16, 2019)

Best is ASUS, if we talk about high end motherboards and mid segment.
But EVGA could serve you great, it's easy for OC special CPU, it's not so complicate and advance as ASUS Extreme but to be honest I would rather pay 400-450 euro for highest class EVGA than ASUS to sell me 300 euro class for 450 euro because they increase price of Rampage Extreme on over 600 euro.
Example I can't afford Rampage VI Omega, and now if time come to upgrade motherboard what can I buy for 400-450 euro, Strix, Apex, Deluxe?
Rampage VI Apex is fine for me, I would be happy, I don't need better, but I don't want lower class than Apex and she not worth price of Rampage V Extreme. 
I don't want to give almost 450 euro for Apex, That's 330-350 price range.


----------



## 95Viper (Apr 16, 2019)

OP has a Build thread... use that.


Wolvyreen said:


> I have opened a Build Thread now here: https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/new-build-with-decent-budget.253836/


This thread has worn out and is closed.


----------

