Introduction

Table of Contents

[TOC]

The problem this article solves

There are a huge number of motherboard out there, each with a very long list of features. To make matters worse, you will connect a lot of other components into the Motherboard, all of which have a long list of features themselves. And of course not all Motherboards are compatible with all parts. So if later you want to use a certain part and the motherboard you have picked does not support it, then you are buggered.

How this Article solves the problem

This Article is part of two community projects, all designed to simplify building DIY PCs

• V²Configurator: GitHub Project. The Configurator assists you when configuration your PC
• This Article Series: In depth Know How. In case you want to tune Ready Made Configurations of the V² Configurator

Is there an easier way

Yes! Learning how to choose components for a DIY computer is time consuming. This is why we created a shortcut for you. Go to the V²Configurator and open the Wizard. Pick your field of application, e.g. photography and then pick the main use and the configurator will custom build a complete computer for you, optimized for your use case and performance class.

How this Article works

Classes of Motherboards

    **Image Placeholder text**
    - Two images side by side, photos of motherboard
    -One is a average looking motherboard with a clock filled to 8 hours
    -Second is fancy motherboard with clock filled to 24 hours

This Article is providing choices of Motherboards for the two performance classes:

1. Entry Level: Total cost of Computer: $800+
2. High End: Total cost of Computer: $1300+

Side by side comparison

We have selected two Motherboards for you covering the range from everyday computing to extreme performance. We put them into one table for most convenient side by side comparison. All features are explained in another table.

Assign Motherboards to Use Cases

To make picking a Motherboard easier the V²Configurator simply asks you about your Use Case and your performance class and picks the right motherboard for you.

Motherboard Comparison

Comparison Table

    **Image Placeholder text**
    - Two images side by side, photos of motherboard. Horizontal stack
    -Image 1 is Asus B150I
    -Image two is MSI Z170I

• (1) High end board with unlocked BIOS, letting the user overclock components such as CPU and Memory
• (2) All current intel Desktop CPU use this socket from entry level to high end
• (3) Accelerate your HD with your SSD (very useful)
• (4) The mPCIe socket is occupied with included WLan module
• (5) 1080p = 1920 x 1080. UHD Is one form of 4K Display resolution of 3940x2160 pixels size. This is the common format of 4K displays. There is a slightly bigger one used in Cinema.

Motherboard Features explained

Advice

Entry Level Motherboard

The Asus B150I ITX motherboard is the perfect consumer level board for everyday users. With high end features included such as HDMI 1.4 (4k support), USB type C port, M.2 slot for PCIe NVME drives, built-in AC wifi, and fully customize able RGB lighting, it has everything you need. This motherboard does not support overclocking, so this would be ideal for someone who wants to leave their computer without tinkering. This will easily handle computer configurations with an i7 CPU (not unlocked) and graphics card, making this the most sense to purchase.

High End Motherboard

Choose this board if you are looking for ultimate performance. The MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC has all of the features you could ask for in a motherboard, not skimping out on anything. On top of the features our consumer level board has, this board supports overclocking for even greater performance, USB 3.1 ports, Intel AC wireless, dedicated USB audio port for less interference, and SATA express for incredibly fast data speeds. This option is recommended for those looking to utilize the most out of their ViPC, future-proofing your motherboard for many years to come.

Concluding thoughts

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    - Person sitting down in "thinking pose"

Motherboards are the nervous system of the computer; without them, none of the components could communicate or work together. It’s easy to save money in the early stages when buying a motherboard, but for many experienced builders, the motherboard is the last piece of hardware to upgrade. The boards we offer not only support new technologies, but are built to last the lifetime of your device.

References

• MSI MB Page
• ASUS MB Page