How much is the MOTHERBOARD?

The cioncost of a motherboard depends on many factors. Just as with all commercial products, there is a wide range of models for motherboards.

Therefore, the question of how much a motherboard is depends on what category of motherboards you are looking for.

Basically, a motherboard can cost anywhere from $50 to $1,500. But the average motherboard in the budget range costs between $70 and $130. Mid-range motherboards can range from $150 to $180.

The average cost of a popular motherboard is around $200 to $250. Motherboards are more than $250 for extreme builders and enthusiasts.

Again, some motherboards are basic and only suitable for budget PCs. The basic motherboard provides the minimum specifications of the bear. The more expensive the motherboard, the more additional features it offers.

In the following text, I will talk in detail about the average cost of a motherboard in various categories, but also talk about the factors that affect the price of a motherboard.

So how much is a MOTHERBOARD?

In order to know the exact price of the motherboard, I will categorize it based on the chipset. Since the chipset mainly determines the prowess of the motherboard, the price is almost directly related to the chipset offered by the motherboard.

Average price of budget PCs – INTEL H510, H610 CHIPSET, AMD A520 CHIPSETS

H510 and H610 are both low-end chipsets for Intel motherboards. A motherboard featuring this chipset has minimal specs such as weaker and fewer VRMs, fewer PCIe lanes, fewer PCIe slots, and slower USB ports.

The H510 chipset is based on the Intel LGA 1200 socket for Intel 10th and 11th generation CPUs.

The H610 chipset is newer and is based on the Intel LGA1700 socket for Intel CPUs 12th and newer.

On the other hand, the A520 is an economical chipset for AMD devices that features an AM4 socket.

As of writing this article, below are the prices of some Intel H and AMD A series motherboards.

Prices for Intel H610 motherboards

Motherboard

Socket

Price

Form

Factor

ASRock H610M-HDV/M.2

LGA1700

$100

mATX

Asus PRIME H610M-A D4-CSM

LGA1700

$110

mATX

H610 is an economical motherboard chipset featuring LGA1700 socket for Intel 12th Gen CPUs.

The average cost of this motherboard is around $100.

Prices for Intel H510 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
MSI H510M-A PRO	LGA1200	$79	mATX
Asus PRIME H510M-E	LGA1200	$95	mATX
MSI H510I PRO WIFI	LGA1200	$128	Mini ITX

Motherboards with Intel H510 chipset are among the cheapest that feature the LGA1200 socket.

Depending on the features you need, prices for a motherboard with the H510 range from $79 to $128.

The MSI H510M-A Pro is cheaper because it offers fewer features such as fewer PCIe expansion slots and fewer video output ports on the rear panel.

While the MSI H510I Pro WiFi is among the more affordable models since it offers an integrated Small ITX form factor and also has built in WiFi.

Prices for AMD A520 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
MSI A520M-A PRO	AM4	$63	mATX
ASRock A520M Pro4	AM4	$85	mATX
MSI MAG A520M VECTOR WIFI	AM4	$100	mATX
ASRock A520M-ITX/ac	AM4	$165	Mini ITX

The AMD A520 is currently the cheapest motherboard chipset featuring an AM4 socket suitable for AMD Ryzen 1000 to 5000 series CPUs.

AMD A520 motherboards are generally cheaper than the Intel H510 and H610 chipsets because they comply with the older PCIe 3.0 standard and offer slower USB ports. The Intel H510 and H610 both have PCIe 4.0 compliant slots and also offer faster USB ports.

The average A520 motherboard costs around $85-$90.

The cheapest A520 motherboard is MSI A520M-A PRO with current market price of around $63. Whereas the ASRock A520M-ITX/ac is out with a hefty $165 price tag primarily because it offers a mini-ITX form factor and built-in WiFi. I do not recommend this motherboard despite this price.

TL; DR, the average price for a budget motherboard is around $85.

MID-RANGE MOTHERBOARDS PRICE – INTEL B560, B660 CHIPSET, AMD B550 CHIPSETS

The Intel B560, B660, and AMD B550 are mid-range chipsets that are often favored by budget designers and editors as well as by gamers.

It offers features such as a newer PCIe version, more PCIe lanes, newer USB and M.2 ports, a better number of VRM ports, more expansion slots, dual graphics card support, etc.

Prices for Intel B560 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
MSI B560M-A PRO	LGA1200	$90	mATX
Asus PRIME B560M-A	LGA1200	$110	mATX
MSI MAG B560 TORPEDO	LGA1200	$150	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B560-A GAMING WIFI	LGA1200	$180	ATX
MSI MPG B560I GAMING EDGE WIFI	LGA1200	$240	Mini ITX

The Intel B550 has the widest selection of motherboards ranging from the cheap $90 motherboards all the way up to the expensive $240 MSI MPG B560I Gaming Edge WiFi, the reason of course being the Mini ITX form factor.

But in general the most popular price range for B560 motherboards is around $150. Of course, depending on what bells and whistles you want, the more a motherboard will cost even with a mid-range chipset.

Prices for motherboards Intel B660

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
Asus PRIME B660M-A D4	LGA1700	$140	mATX
MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4	LGA1700	$190	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B660-I GAMING WIFI	LGA1700	$220	Mini ITX
Asus ROG STRIX B660-A GAMING WIFI D4	LGA1700	$240	ATX

The primary difference between the B560 and the B660 is that the latter features the LGA1700 socket for Intel 12th gen sockets.

Of course, B660 motherboards are more expensive on average compared to B560 motherboards.

Currently, the average price of an Intel B660 motherboard is around $190.

Prices for AMD B550 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
ASRock B550M-HDV	AM4	$80	mATX
Gigabyte B550M DS3H	AM4	$96	mATX
ASRock B550M/ac	AM4	$130	mATX
MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS	AM4	$160	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI)	AM4	$190	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING	AM4	$218	Mini-ITX
Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO	AM4	$279	mATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING	AM4	$360	Mini-ITX

AMD B550 is a very popular chipset for gamers and enthusiasts. Right now, this chipset has one of the widest variety of motherboards from the cheap $80 motherboards all the way up to the $360 ASUS ROG Strix B550-E Gaming motherboard.

While there are expensive budget and outliers here, the most popular price bracket for an AMD B550 motherboard is in the $130-$180 range with the most popular B550 motherboards in the $180 range.

TL; DR, the average price for a mid-range motherboard is around $150.

AVERAGE PRICE FOR HIGH-QUALITY MOTHERBOARD – INTEL Z590, Z690 CHIPSETS, AMD X570 CHIPSETS

The Intel Z590 for 10th and 11th Gen CPUs, Intel Z660 for 12th Gen CPUs and AMD X570 for Ryzen 1000-5000 series CPUs are high-end chipsets that sit on top of motherboards.

They offer the best features such as the largest number of PCIe lanes, the latest connectivity standards, the best VRM design and phase power, and of course, the most attractive appearance.

Prices for Intel Z560 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
ASRock B550M-HDV	AM4	$80	mATX
Gigabyte B550M DS3H	AM4	$96	mATX
ASRock B550M/ac	AM4	$130	mATX
MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS	AM4	$160	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI)	AM4	$190	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING	AM4	$218	Mini-ITX
Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO	AM4	$279	mATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING	AM4	$360	Mini-ITX

The cheapest Z590 motherboard is almost as expensive as the average Intel B560 motherboard. While the most expensive Z590 motherboards are a work of art and of course not intended for the average user.

Despite the large price range, the most popular Z590 motherboards average in the $200-$240 range.

Prices for Intel Z660 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
ASRock B550M-HDV	AM4	$80	mATX
Gigabyte B550M DS3H	AM4	$96	mATX
ASRock B550M/ac	AM4	$130	mATX
MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS	AM4	$160	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI)	AM4	$190	ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING	AM4	$218	Mini-ITX
Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO	AM4	$279	mATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING	AM4	$360	Mini-ITX

Z660 motherboards featuring an LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support are more expensive than their Z590 counterparts. The average Z590 motherboard price is in the $300 range, however, you can find popular options in the $240 range.

Prices for AMD X570 motherboards

Motherboard	Socket	Price	Form Factor
Asus PRIME X570-P	AM4	$145	ATX
Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI)	AM4	$195	ATX
Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming	AM4	$255	Mini-ITX
Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WI-FI)	AM4	$395	ATX
Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme	AM4	$800	E-ATX

Similar to Intel’s high-end motherboards, X-series motherboards can be found in a wide price range. The cheapest are around $150, while the most expensive can go for $800.

Similar to the Intel Z series, the most popular X570 motherboards are found in the $200-$240 range.

TL; DR, the average price for a high-end motherboard is easily in the $300 range and beyond, however, because the price range is so wide, the average price for the entire dataset can be a bit misleading. Popular models can be found in the $200-$250 range.

Factors affecting the price of the board

To determine how much a motherboard costs, you need to look at its features. There are a lot of factors that determine the price of a motherboard.

This includes:

chips

PCIe lanes

PCIe version

CPU socket

The amount of expansion slots

VRMs

Overclocking support

form factor

USB ports, version and headers

Appearance and design

Chipset

The chipset is the heart of the motherboard. It basically defines the architecture of your computer. The chipset determines what CPU socket the computer will support, the amount and version of PCIe lanes, the amount of expansion slots, etc.

As mentioned earlier, both Intel and AMD have several chipsets ranging from budget chips to high-end chipsets.

PCIe lanes

The amount of PCIe lanes a motherboard offers is directly related to how expensive it is. The amount of PCIe lanes a motherboard can offer depends on its chipset.

High-end chipsets like the Z690 can offer 28 PCIe lanes, while budget chipsets like the Intel H510 can offer 4 PCIe lanes.

PCIe version

The PCIe version of the lanes and slots also affects the price of the motherboard.

A motherboard with the latest PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 is more expensive than older motherboards.

Having a newer version of PCIe can greatly improve the performance of connected devices. With each new version of PCIe, the throughput per lane of the slots doubles.

This means that you can install newer, more demanding devices in PCIe slots.

CPU socket

Motherboards with CPU sockets for the new generation of CPU are often very expensive.

For example, motherboards that feature an LGA1700 socket for 12th Gen Intel CPUs are generally more expensive than a motherboard that features an LGA1200 socket for 10th and 11th Gen CPUs.

The size of the expansion slots

The amount of PCIe and M.2 slots affects the price of the motherboard. It should be noted that the M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs also use PCIe lanes.

VRMs – Phase Power Design

VRMs or VRMs may seem trivial at first, but they are among the most important factors for determining the quality of a motherboard.

The quality, size, and amount of VRMs on a motherboard have a huge impact on its price. VRMs aim to provide constant power to the CPU and RAM.

The better the quality, the more clean and more stable CPU power.

VRMs are a very important component for overclocking because the higher and higher quality VRMs you have in your motherboard, the more you can overclock while maintaining stable operations.

When we talk about how a $50 and $300 motherboard differs, VRM plays a huge role in that difference.

Overclocking support

Not all motherboards are capable of overclocking. With Intel, only Z series motherboards offer overclocking support, while with AMD, B and X series motherboards offer overclocking support.

Again, the degree to which you can overclock your CPU while maintaining good overall stability is determined by the quality and amount of VRMs your motherboard has.

Form factor

There are three typical factors for motherboards:

Mini ITX motherboards, being smaller in size, are rare and generally designed for specialized mobile devices. They are often quite expensive compared to ATX and Micro ATX if you compare the same specs.

ATX, also known as full or standard ATX, is generally the gold standard for gamers, enthusiasts, and professionals. They provide the greatest expandability.

Micro ATX motherboards are for budget PCs.

USB and video ports, version and headers

The number and version of USB ports a motherboard has has a significant impact on the price.

Not only will a good motherboard offer the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 ports with a transfer rate of 20Gbps, but it will also provide USB connectors so that you can plug into the front USB ports on your computer case.

A Thunderbolt port or header can also add extra charge to the motherboard.

The USB label and version are hard to understand. The following table shows this:

In addition, the video output ports and their version also determine the quality and, accordingly, the price of the motherboard.

Appearance and design

Finally, the appearance of the motherboard, and the amount of customization it provides in the form of RGB headers, fan headers, and AIO cooler support affect the price of the motherboard.