Does Motherboard Brand Matter? (Finding The Best)
Brands are everywhere, and of every product and utility that you can name, you can name from memory. Clothes, cars, consoles, screens, and even motherboards are no different. No one has a complete monopoly over any product in this world.
Motherboards of a thousand variations are prepared by a plethora of companies, and no two of them serve you the same product. These variations or, let’s say, distinctions give these products their identities.
The differences make them stand out, and their innovations are what dub them. They can be better, or they can be worse depending on the way they are built.
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Which Is The Best Motherboard Brand?
Though the motherboards of different origins may manifest some similarities, the truth is that no two companies put out the same exact product.
When you put manufacturer against a manufacturer, the tip of the scale in which you weigh the flaws of one against the other decides everything.
But it’s dynamic, really, a company that was peerless a decade ago might not flaunt the same reputation today.
ASUS
Warranty And Value.
ASUS is a very well-known motherboard brand but not just the motherboards; they make about everything technology related.
The standard warranty on their products is a 3-year time, and the really cool thing is that this warranty still stands even after third-party repairs have been performed. However, damages arising from such repairs are not compensated.
BIOS Experience.
ASUS BIOS experience is often regarded as the best because many believe it to be comprehensive and yet, at the very same time to be extremely easy to understand.
It is also very well-known from an actual user experience that their UEFI/GUI menu is easy to navigate and not unnecessarily complex.
Performance and Technology.
ASUS is no stranger to innovation. The Taiwanese tech goliath is engaged in every field involving hardware and software, and their range is anything but limited. ASUS probably makes the best motherboards for gaming purposes.
The chipsets don’t overheat that much in comparison to many of their counterparts, and their durability is not easily lost.
Reputation And Reliability.
The reputation of a corporation like ASUS precedes itself. It is a continuously growing behemoth searching every day for new products to produce.
Usually, their products are known to be of quality and standard, but something that concerns the people is their scope.
Their scope continues to grow day by day, and such growing efforts mean a lack of undivided attention and devotion to a single field which can account for certain misses. But apart from that, they have a reputation that can be easily trusted.
MSI
Warranty And Value.
MSI has not been known to warrant any of their products for more than 12 months, motherboards included, and unlike ASUS, they don’t tolerate any third-party interactions.
MSI specializes in the production of high-end parts, which of course, are pricey. Even their ‘budget’ listings are not as ‘budget-compatible’ as one would like them to be.
BIOS Experience.
Nearly all of the modern MSI motherboards use UEFI (Unified extensible firmware interface) as a substitute for BIOS. UEFI provides users with an excellent interface that grants near-total control over the system.
As a result, the operating experience becomes significantly smoother, but this is not the case for MSI. They have yet to apply it in such a way that leaves little spots for mistakes and inefficiency.
Performance & Technology.
Many have said that the most important thing when it comes to a motherboard’s performance is the stability it offers. MSI masters in producing expensive high-end products that are stable, qualified, and performant.
Specialty their premium items, which seem to have little flaws besides their price tag. These motherboards are built for overclocking.
Reputation & Reliability.
MSI has garnered a reputation as a reliable tech giant over the last couple of years. The amounts written on their price tags have seldom gone unquestioned but rarely do their products ever fail to satisfy.
MSI produces solid motherboards that are as fit a match as any in their durability and performance.
ASRock
Warranty & Value.
ASRock provides a standard 2-year warranty service on all their products to their licensed distributors and direct customers.
They do not tolerate any modifications or third-party interactions with the warranted product, and as for value, ASRock motherboards are generally more affordable than most other brands, and if you are looking for more features for the same money, ASRock is the way to go.
BIOS Experience.
The efficiency and simplicity of its interface and, correspondingly, the user experience have been laudable. It is known to be easily navigable and very well sorted.
Performance & Technology.
Though ASRock may once have been an offshoot of ASUS, which now operates independently, it lacks the same broad scope.
ASRock is completely devoted to making motherboards that are fit for high-end coding of an industrial level and incompatible with most home-builds, but they do still make commercial motherboards; however, they are not as sought after as ASUS or other famous brands that we know of.
Reputation & Reliability.
ASRock may not have the same prestigious reputation as companies that own most of the market share, but their products speak for themselves.
The reliability of their industrial products is undoubtedly great as they are built to handle that load. In the commercial sector, you may find their premium products equally impressive, unlike their budget entries.
Gigabyte
Warranty & Value.
Though Gigabyte doesn’t offer a general warranty period, most of their motherboards and graphics cards are warranted for 3 years. However, regional differences may apply, and their policy requires scrutiny.
As for value, Gigabyte is one of the top producers, perhaps even overtaking ASUS, and they make you pay the gold price.
BIOS Experience.
Gigabyte, to the delight of everyone, is said to have one of the most friendly interfaces in the world of software, which even made BIOS updates easier. Gigabyte has the first windows BIOS live update utility ever.
It is a smart BIOS updating software that helps you download the latest BIOS from the internet and updates it on your system.
Performance & Technology.
Gigabyte has a particular focus on motherboards and augmenting it, also a devotion to gaming products. Their higher-end products reflect this but offer great compatibility with RAM and CPU options as well.
For example, they have motherboards that are compatible with both AMD and Intel, and they freely produce both variants.
Reputation & Reliability.
Gigabyte is a leading PC brand with a reputation to match. They ship over 10 million motherboards a year, which is also a statement in itself. Their narrow focus allows for higher-quality products with greater performance.
Their motherboards are solid, spacious, and stable, with good heat sinks. Not to mention their gorgeous designs. The world trusts Gigabyte, and for a good reason.
EVGA
Warranty & Value.
Different EVGA products are warranted differently. Generally speaking, they have products that are warranted for a period of time ranging from 90 days all the way to 3 years.
On top of that, they also offer a transferable limited warranty on second-hand purchases that can also range from 1 to 2 years.
As for value, they demand what they think is their products’ worth, which may explain why their popularity is concentrated in the Americas.
BIOS Experience.
EVGA is a company that hardly ever disappoints, and the case is not so different with their motherboard.
Though their interface may not be as friendly as Gigabytes or as perfect and comprehensive as the one we see associated with ASUS, it’s still branded as a very efficient software that can get the job done beautifully and grant you complete control of your device.
Performance & Technology.
EVGA takes its time releasing a new motherboard, but 9 times out of 10, it’s worth the wait. Their VRM design is massive (a rare win over ASUS), and their X299 boards are nothing short of a revolution, no matter which one of them you pick.
They are made for extreme overclocking; that is what you can expect from them.
Reputation and Reliability.
EVGA only has a modest, minimalist following outside of the American sphere of influence, and you can essentially say that they are a US-Canadian local brand.
80% of their profits are from GPUs, so motherboards aren’t exactly a main focus, but they still have to make a bad one. So far, they don’t seem to miss or unimpressive.
So, Does The Motherboard Brand Matter?
When the concern is a product, it’s the product itself that matters. Different brands offer different models, each with unique features that enable you to do something new and better or not if you’re unlucky.
A single brand can offer a multitude of products, and the important question that is more often than not buried but should be asked is, “does the brand’s product matter?”.
A product is bought, but the brand is simply a name to be advertised. You take home the said brand’s ‘product,’ and to blindly trust a corporation in all their efforts instead of the capability of their product is pure folly.
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– My Final Verdict:
All the aforementioned brands, ASUS, ASRock, MSI, Gigabyte, and EVGA all, are leading companies in the tech industry.
All of them utilize different construction methods and produce innovative variants of motherboards of half a hundred types.
Each has its flaws and promises, and some are suited for one task more than another. When the choice is in your hand, you must decide what suits you.
Is it the flashy and overclocking MSI and Gigabyte or the simple yet efficient ASUS and ASRock? But one thing to take note of is that in a matter of choice, it is always better to weigh product against product instead of the brand against the brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Does a Good motherboard brand make a difference?
A brand is only good if it manages to put out great equipment in the market. In that case, Yes, it can make a difference.
A good motherboard is the foundation of a greater PC, and high-quality motherboards rarely have compatibility issues. A genuinely great motherboard will never hinder your PC.
Question 2: Which motherboard brand is the most reliable?
It never pays off well to blindly trust a brand (even if it seems consistent) because they produce a multitude of models, not all of which are to be trusted but just for the sake of argument, I will answer with ASUS.
They are a leading brand, and its success is evident everywhere, especially in the market. ASUS owns nearly forty percent of the motherboard market share.
Question 3: Does an expensive motherboard matter?
If fairly priced, it is natural for better things to be expensive because a producer demands its product’s worth. As for the question ‘does it matter?’ it’s entirely up to you.
Industrial motherboards capable of high-end compiling and coding are expensive, but you will not be using them in a home build. Not all expensive things are compatible.
Question 4: Is ASUS a good motherboard brand?
Is ASUS a good motherboard brand? I would say so; in fact, many will say so. It tops lists almost everywhere with its quality products, especially motherboards, where it owns almost a third of the market share. It certainly has the numbers to show for it.
The Taiwanese giant is anything but not successful.
Question 5: Are ASUS motherboards better than MSI?
ASUS vs MSI is a debate that’s been going on for ages, but in the end, all that it comes down to is simply building compatibility and personal preference.
ASUS is more moderately priced, and a better option for gaming, but MSI boards are just the go-to thing for overclocking.
Question 6: Is ASUS better than Gigabyte?
ASUS vs Gigabyte is also a debate with no end. ASUS & Gigabyte are the top two titans in the industry.
ASUS has better pricing and is more commonly used in gaming builds but Gigabyte leaves ASUS behind in terms of overclocking, extra features, and power phases.
