Does Motherboard Matter for Gaming? [Complete 2024 Guide]

• The motherboard does not directly impact the gaming performance
• But the motherboard still matters as the connection speed it offers between hardware parts can significantly affect the performance
• A good motherboard will always offer a higher transfer speed and will lead to a better gaming experience and vice versa

Let’s get it out there: Good hardware is extremely important for smooth gameplay. But, does motherboard matter for gaming? 

The motherboard doesn’t directly affect the gaming performance. But a mediocre board can result in a low connection between hardware parts which could lead to glitches during gaming. So, the motherboard does matter for gaming overall. 

For further details, let’s dive in.

Does Motherboard Matter for Gaming?

One of the most terrible things you can do while finalizing the parts during PC build is sacrificing a good motherboard. 

See, if you want the maximum performance out of your gaming rig, ALL the hardware parts you put together must perform well.

When it comes to the motherboard, though it doesn’t directly affect your gaming performance, choosing a mediocre option can still lead to glitches during gaming.

Do you know what motherboard serves up for? It basically forms a connection between different hardware parts for the smooth operation of your computer. 

Now, there is the transfer of data across multiple hardware parts every second when you’re gaming. So, a low-end connection created by the motherboard will still result in a mediocre transfer rate as well as mediocre performance. 

Speaking of the connection, it’s basically between RAM, GPU, and CPU, all of which directly impact your gaming performance. Got the picture, right?

That said, let’s now discuss the topic in detail:

How Does Motherboard Affect Gaming? 

Now that you know motherboard matters for gaming one way or another, the question is, “HOW?”. 

Well, as stated, your motherboard will not directly impact the overall performance. No!

What it will do is either create a strong connection between different hardware components of your computer (GPU and CPU) or a weak one. As obvious, a stronger connection can lead to better gaming performance and vice versa.  

That said, here’s a little explanation of how motherboard impacts different hardware parts for better understanding:

CPU: Central Processing Unit

If you don’t already know (which I bet you do), the CPU is the central processing unit on your computer, also known as the processor and brain of the computer. 

As a brain, it manages the high-end calculations and algorithms for computer operation. The CPU also directly impacts your gaming performance. 

But, how does motherboard impact CPU?

Well, there are different types of motherboards. Some of them allow CPU overclocking while others don’t. Going for a mobo that does can definitely result in better gaming performance compared to the one that doesn’t.

Overclocking, by the way, is the method for increasing the clock rate of your processor for better overall performance. 

The process can be risky since the method of increasing the upcoming voltage is increased. However, it’s still a popular yet amazing way of boosting gaming performance, as long as your motherboard and processor support it.

GPU: Graphics Processing Unit

Compared to the other hardware parts, the most effective component for gaming is the GPU. It directly affects the gaming performance by offering great handling of graphics processes (or bad).

GPU is known as the graphics processing unit or graphics card and serves up for rendering the visuals including images, etc, and managing the complex graphics calculations. The faster a GPU is and the more VRAM it has, the better games will run on your computer.

Now, how does the motherboard impact GPU?

The motherboard impacts the GPU performance by either fast PCIe Express compatibility or a mediocre one. The one we recommend is the PCIe Express X16 compatibility as it results in a smooth FPS in games. 

Another way the motherboard affects the GPU is overclocking. If your motherboard does not support overclocking, you won’t be able to get the most out of your GPU. Got the picture, right?

RAM Speed

Although RAM may not seem to be a crucial hardware part for gaming, it actually is. Many of the gamers think that getting 8GB, 16GB, or 32GBs of RAM is all there is to it. But the case is different actually.

You could say that the case of RAMs is similar to overclocking of the CPU and GPU. The latest motherboards support the XMP feature which boosts up the memory level of the RAM for a supreme performance. 

On the other hand, the motherboards that do not support it will definitely not bring that much gaming smoothness. 

Does Motherboard Affect FPS?

Another frequently asked question relevant to “does motherboard matter for gaming” is does it affect FPS? That’s why I desperately wanted to answer this. 

However, as mentioned, the motherboard does not affect FPS directly. But can either bring higher FPS or lower indirectly. Let me elaborate.

The motherboard serves as a connection between the different hardware parts like CPU and GPU. These two components need to communicate every second while you’re gaming. The faster they can communicate, the more FPS you will get. 

So, in order for them to communicate and transfer data faster, it’s important to have a fast link: a fast motherboard. 

See it like this for your convenience: 

Fast motherboard > Fast connection between hardware parts > Fast data transfer > Fast speed

This way, the motherboard does affect the FPS.

For further information on how good motherboards are helpful, watch the video below:

Now that you know a great motherboard can result in better performance and FPS, here’s another frequency question I wanted to answer right away:

How Much Should You Spend on a Motherboard?

It all depends on your budget and the gaming rig you have. If you have a high-end gaming rig equipped with the latest processor paired up with a modern GPU, I would recommend spending gently on the motherboard. 

In simple words, go for one that offers the best features like the support for overclocking, SLI or crossfire, etc. You can get such a motherboard for under $150. 

But if you’re looking for an RGB motherboard that is visually appealing as well as top-tier in performance and support, it could cost you around $200 and even $300. 

However, I would not recommend that at all since there won’t be much performance difference. 

To sum it up, our review experts consider $100-150 as a wise amount to spend on a gaming motherboard.

If you’re willing to make the best use of your bucks, do watch the video below to gather helpful tips for purchasing a motherboard:

Do you need a good motherboard for gaming?

A motherboard is very important for gaming. Although the motherboard doesn’t directly affect the gaming performance, a good one brings better performance by allowing better communication of other hardware parts (CPU and GPU) and higher FPS. 

Can motherboard improve gaming graphics?

The motherboard itself cannot improve the gaming graphics. However, a good motherboard will offer the fastest graphics connectivity and will support overclocking that can promise an amazing gaming experience. 

Will a better motherboard increase FPS?

Motherboards do not impact the FPS directly. However, a good motherboard will form a blazing-fast connection between hardware parts which can boost up the overall FPS. So, a good motherboard does increase FPS one way or another.

Are gaming motherboards worth it?

If you’re a hardcore gamer or creative artist, a gaming motherboard is definitively worth it for you. Such a mobo will support overclocking and will help you boost the overall performance whenever you want. 

Does the motherboard matter for mining?

Pairing up your rig with the right motherboard is essential for an efficient mining experience. A good motherboard will offer high-speed connections between CPU, GPU, and RAM, which will result in smooth performance for mining.

Key Takeaways

To sum it all up, here are the pain points:

• The motherboard does not directly influence the gaming performance or FPS
• A good motherboard can increase FPS and gaming performance by offering support for overclocking and high-speed connection between hardware parts
• You can find a great gaming motherboard for between $100 and $150
• A gaming motherboard is worth it as it will improve the FPS and overall gaming performance

In this thorough guide, I tried my best at answering the question “does motherboard matter for gaming” in a comprehensive and helpful way. 

Further Reading

Does Motherboard Matter for FPS? — A detailed article on whether motherboard matters for FPS or not. 

Does Motherboard Affect GPU Performance? — Learn whether motherboard matters for GPU performance or not. 

How to Clean a Motherboard? — Learn effective ways to clean a motherboard which is important for dust removal.