Best Motherboard 2017

With the entire industry launching new products to support both mainstream and HEDT platforms from both Intel and AMD this year, we've been flooded with products of all types in all segments, but perhaps the most important part of any PC and what dictates how your build goes can be none other than the motherboard. It's this bit of PCB that ties everything together and brings in things like I/O connectivity and CPU and memory support. With so many platforms launched this year, there are a huge number of highly capable products on store shelves waiting to be bought by you. Some of these motherboards have stood out from the crowd even though all motherboards basically offer the exact same things with maybe a different color. We've got the Z370, X299, X370 and X399 chipsets out there now, and every brand has boards for each of these. BIOS designs have been crucial throughout this year, with AMD's memory problems waiting for AGESA updates at the beginning, although those have long since been released; they helped with compatibility, but did not increase AMD's memory overclocking that much. Intel has gone and updated HEDT desktops with CPUs that feature no less than 38 threads of processing power, while also launching 12-thread CPUs for the mainstream Z370 platform. Once you have chosen your platform, choosing the right board isn't easy, and it almost seems to make sense to choose a board for each platform, yet there are a couple of board products we've played with that really stood out from all the others.

Winner: ASRock X370 TAICHI

ASRock really went above and beyond this year with AMD's X370 mainstream platform, bringing out the ASRock X370 TAICHI, a highly capable board that was working amazingly well even before the platform officially launched, making other brands' offerings pale in comparison. The ASRock Taichi is the only motherboard we've given a perfect 10/10 score as there could be no denying how great this board really is (although the comments section for our review of this product does have a competitor try). Offering the full suite of features AMD's X370 chipset has to offer, the ASRock TAICHI is ready for all types of PC users; gamers, content creators, professionals, and those who like a bit of overclocking will all find something for them specifically with this board. At launch, this board was clocking memory up high when other boards were having major issues, so even the base circuit design stands out as the upper-crust of X370 motherboards. As it looks today, only few boards can overclock this platform better, but they aren't as affordable as the ASRock X370 TAICHI.

Read our review

Runner-up: MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON

MSI is that brand that really has some great products, but I feel many enthusiasts are missing what's going on at MSI. Our runner-up board for the best board of 2017 is the perfect example of why; with a huge set of features that include Wi-Fi, all for less than any other board with similar options, the MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON is almost the perfect pick for most users, although some overclockers will be put off by the lack of BCLK OC options. The MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON really does have it all for 24/7 use, as well as some decent overclocking abilities for those who buy Intel's overly popular "K"-SKU CPUs. When it comes time to consider that value for your dollar, this sub-$200 motherboard does everything boards from other brands do and a bit more - for less cost. If you haven't been paying attention to what MSI's been doing, definitely give them a chance.

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Looking forward to 2018

We recently started getting some X299 refresh boards into our motherboard testing lab, with most of those sporting dual 8-pin EPS power connectors. As time progresses, we'd really like to see simpler box designs and more money spent on optimizing software packages. The overall circuit design for motherboards is pretty tight these days, with little room for improvement left in most instances, yet there are still those outliers that need A LOT of work. Be that as it may, the one weak point is going to be the software, and we'd love to see that improve more.