How Much Does Motherboard Cost? (Ultimate Guide)

Finding the right motherboard is important for a lot of people, but most of the time, people are often left wondering just how much does a motherboard costs, and honestly, this is going to vary for people.

You can your hands on some of the highest-end motherboards that are available in the market, and they should get the job done for you.

However, in this post, we are going to break it down for you about the price of a motherboard so you can have a better idea about how to deal with all of this.

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Average Price of Entry-level Motherboards:

We are going to start with the entry-level motherboards, and honestly, there are a number of options available in this range.

On top of that, this bracket happens to be a fan favorite among those who are looking to get their hands on something affordable.

The Intel B760 chipset is one thing that you can normally find in the entry-level segment, and the price normally starts around $100 and then goes up from there. For AMD, you are looking at B650, which is a great choice for those who want an AMD-based system.

Again, the average price of entry-level motherboards normally ranges from $100 to $150, but based on the board partner, you can actually look to spend more money in the process, which isn’t a bad thing, but it is still important to keep in mind.

Average Price of Mid-tier Motherboards:

We are then moving on to the price of mid-tier motherboards. These are when you can start looking for gaming motherboards, which come with some better aesthetics and some features that are best suited for gamers.

Again, we are not currently looking at the top tier of motherboards, so you can still find some options that might not be suitable. With that said, you are likely to find H770 from Intel in this bracket, along with B650E from AMD.

Sure, you can find some X670 or Z790 in this range, but they will have some compromises in terms of the features they bring. The price normally starts from around $150 to $250, and there are some great options here.

Average Price of Premium Motherboards:

Now that we are looking at the price of premium motherboards, this is going to vary, to be honest, drastically. There are a lot of motherboards available in the market that you can get your hands on in this price bracket, and the best part is that you will not have to look hard.

You are normally going to come across the Z790 or X670 motherboards for premium offerings. As far as the pricing is concerned, honestly, you can expect to spend anywhere from $250 to $1,000.

Yes, the disparity here is that big, and with the extra money you are spending, you will only be getting some quality-of-life improvements that may or may not improve the performance.

So, be sure what you are spending your money on.

Major Factors That Affect the Price of a Motherboard

Although one would assume that pricing a motherboard is super simple, that is not the case at all. There are a number of factors that affect the price of a motherboard, and you have to understand this properly, or else things just get out of hand.

image of b660 f gaming wifi motherboard — Credits: ASUS

So, we are going to take a look at just what exactly does affect the price, in the first place. So, people can have a better understanding of the situation.

The Brand

Perhaps one of the factors that affect the price of the motherboard the most is the brand you are looking for. Generally, in the market, Asus motherboards are normally the ones that come with a premium, but they are not the only ones because Gigabyte is not that far, and MSI is also a part of the trio.

These motherboards normally carry a premium when compared to some of the other options in the market, and in such cases, they have better features or even looks. So, if you want to know if the brand matters, well, this is your answer.

The Chipset

Moving further, the chipset is another thing that can affect the price of the motherboard. This is not at all difficult to understand.

Why? Well, a Z790 motherboard is going to cost you more than the H770 or B760 motherboard. Similarly, an X670 motherboard is going to cost you more than B650.

With higher-end chipsets, you are more than likely to spend more money and get some nice features in return, too. So, if you are wondering whether there is something to do in the process, then you have your answer.

CPU Socket

Nope, the CPU socket is one thing that does not affect the price of the motherboard. For instance, the Intel Z790, H770, and B760 are all based on the LGA 1700 socket, and they are priced drastically differently.

Sure, if you are going for an older socket, then the price might vary, but then again, that is an entirely different socket you are looking at.

Power Delivery and VRM

This is given, to be honest. When you are spending more money on a motherboard, the power delivery and VRM design is going to be better than what you would find on a more affordable motherboard.

This is not something that should surprise you, however. And always remember that VRM is best suited if you are looking to overclock and want added stability. If not, then something affordable can do the job.

Amount Of Expansion Slots

Moving further, we also have to look into expansion slots, but this is not something that is directly going to affect the price of the motherboard.

More expensive offerings are generally going to be equipped with more expansion slots, and that is given, to be honest.

Still, if you want, you can look into what the market has to offer and whether it goes according to requirements or not.

Overclocking Support

Overclocking support directly does not affect the price of the motherboard since it depends on the chipset more than anything else, with Z790 and X670 being the best chipsets for those who want to go ahead and overclock their PC.

Form Factor

If someone is telling you that form factor can affect the price of the motherboard, then that is not the case, to be honest.

You would be surprised just how much a high-end ITX motherboard can cost, and yes, it is, at times, more than what a more affordable motherboard costs.

So, if you have been wondering about this, then that is not the case, and always be mindful of this.

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Aesthetics And Design

While it doesn’t directly add to the price, the important thing to note here is that the aesthetic and design do get better with more money you spend, but we then have also seen some really high-end motherboards with muted designs, so that is another thing that you have to keep in mind.

What Are the Disadvantages of Having a Low-end Motherboard?

This is a question that often comes to us, and honestly, there is no clear answer to this question aside from the fact that if you do get your hands on a low-end motherboard, you will most likely end up having not enough features, but that should not be an issue for anyone, to be honest.

Now, the thing that you must know is that the smart thing to do in a situation like this would be to just pick up the right motherboard so you don’t end up getting your hands on something you don’t even need, and that is what we are trying to avoid.

Do Motherboards Have Integrated Graphics?

Integrated graphics are not found on the motherboard; they are part of the CPU you are getting. So, the next thing that you are looking at is a motherboard; just know that they are not going to come with integrated graphics.

So, How Much Does A Motherboard Cost?

When you are in the market looking for a motherboard, it is worth noting that it can cost you anywhere from $100 to $1,000.

I do understand that the discrepancy might not make sense to anyone, but this is how it works in the market. The motherboard market might not make sense to a lot of people, but that is how it is.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Are motherboards expensive?

Not entirely. With a motherboard, you are only supposed to spend the money you want to, and if you are looking for something that is more affordable, then there is nothing to worry about.