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Getting the right motherboard is essential for building the computer that works best for you. Whether you are looking into it for gaming or for a workstation, you need it to be compatible with your needs. But how do you know which is the right one for you?
The FM2+ socket is used by AMD’s Kaveria and Godavari APUs to connect to the motherboard, but the FM2+ sockets are also backwards compatible with FM2 APUs like Richmond and Trinity. They have a variety of compatible AMD chipsets, the most frequent being the A68H, A88X and the A78.
Most of the motherboards in this list tend to have a Micro ATX form factor, and DDR3 RAM. However, when you are going through this list, it is worth thinking about a few different factors. These include what sort of size you can have, and how much memory you need, as well as how many memory slots would be appropriate for you.
Plus you should consider how many connectors you need, so how many SATA or PCI slots will be enough, how many USB ports you need, as well as what sort of video output you need.
Trying to work out which motherboard is right for you can be a difficult process, and it can be hard work trying to figure out which are the best options. Luckily we’ve done all the hard work for you. So you can just take a look through this list and find out which motherboard is the one that will work best for your needs.
If you are looking for an affordable FM2+ motherboard to get you started then you can’t do much better than this one by ASRock. With 3 x PCI slots, 4 x SATA ports and 3 x USB ports, it should be able to cater for all your needs, at least while you’re not a complete pro.
It’s also got a Lighting & Surge Protection featur7e, which is really useful if you’re going to have changing power supplies. One reviewer said it even survived a lightning strike in their home when no other electronics did.
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This motherboard comes with MSI’s “Military Class 4” stamp, which allows the super ferrite chokes to run at a much lower temperature, with a higher current capacity, which should help you with better overclocking power. As well as a super fast boot, it also comes with the MSI Click BIOS 4, which has optimisations for Windows 8. Again it is a very affordable option.
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ASUS is the world’s biggest motherboard manufacturer, which means that they know what users are looking for when it comes to buying a new motherboard, and they make sure they’re reliable. This motherboard is a more budget-friendly option than a lot of their more high-tech mobos, which means that it only has one PCI slot, but it should still work as a good entry-level motherboard.
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If you’re looking for a motherboard with a Micro ATX form factor, but you don’t want to have to compromise on memory or connections, then this is a great motherboard choice. It has 3 x PCI Express slots, as well as 1 x PCI slot, 1 x M.2 and 12 x USB ports, plus three different video out ports and 2 CPU fan headers.
It is a great choice if you want to use a lot of connections for the best gaming experience, although it will set you back a little more than some of the other options.
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If you’re looking for a mid-price mobo with an FM2+ socket then this is a great option for you. Not only does it have three PCI Express slots, and one PCI slot, but it’s also got six SATA slots, two USB ports and three display ports.
So if you’re into gaming then this motherboard should be able to provide everything you need. Plus, an MSI motherboard, it’s again got the “Military Class 4” stamp.
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This motherboard is an excellent choice for anyone who is looking to run their computer at a high speed as well as doing some pretty good games. In fact, it’s got separate overclocking switches for the RAM, which should help you enjoy your games better.
Add to that the 4 memory slots, 6 SATA ports and the UEFI BIOS and there is a lot to enjoy here. Plus, the layout is really well thought out, so you can make the most of all the connections.
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Here we have another mid-priced motherboard which is excellent for entry level gaming or htpc builds. It has two memory slots and 32GB max RAM, so there are other motherboards out there that are better, but this is a great option for a motherboard with a mini ITX form factor and in this price range.
It’s a really reliable choice and easy to set up. The only problem is that the I/O shield is made of a shiny stamped metal. This means that it’s not that clear to read, and shining a light on it actually makes it harder to see it.
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U.S. based MSI has another affordable motherboard here, which for its price, provides you with more than enough memory at 32GB and 2 memory slots.
Added to that the four USB ports, four SATA slots, two PCI Express slots and a further PCI slot, and you should be able to add all the connectors that you would need for a motherboard that would cater for you beyond just entry-level gaming.
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For the penultimate motherboard on our list, we have the ASUS A68HM-K. It has USB 3.0 Boost, which gives it 170% faster transfer speeds than traditional USB 3.0 ports, plus it has PCI and SATA slots. This is a motherboard for someone working on a reasonably low budget, but it is more than adequate for basic gaming.
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Okay, so we’ve taken a look at a lot of motherboards so far, but none can compare with what the Gigabyte G.1 Sniper A88X has to offer. Not only has it got 64GB max RAM and 4 memory slots, but it also has 8 SATA3 ports, 5 PCI Express slots, 2 PCI slots and 5 USB ports.
Whatever your needs are from a motherboard, whether it’s for gaming or as a workstation, there is no doubt that this motherboard will be able to take on the connectors you need.
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So there you have our list of the top ten motherboards with an FM2+ socket. Before you buy one, you need to consider the form factor, chipset, and memory size that you are after.
Plus you need to think about what your priorities are if you’re on a budget. But whatever your needs, you should be able to find the best one for you now that you’ve been through our list.
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