Intel Budget Gaming PC Build: Motherboard
While all of the components we are selecting here today are what we would go with, and priced from vendors we trust, it is always a good idea to shop around as deals on these, or other good options, pop up from other reliable vendors all the time. With that said, let’s dive right into the next order of business.
Motherboard
ASRock B460 Pro4 $94.99
60 FPS
- Good Feature Set
- B460 Chipset
- Features ASRock’s Base Frequency Boost
- New 9 Phase VRM Design
- Sleek Looks Appeal To Some
30 FPS
- ASRock’s Base Frequency Boost Is Proprietary Work Around
- Some Will Still Question Quality Given The Amount Of Included Features
- Sleek Looks Will Detract For Some
Now that we have one half of our foundation for our build we need what is, essentially, its mate; a motherboard. For both our Core processors today, we select an ASRock product with the ASRock B460 Pro4 making a great choice. The B460 chipset that the B460 Pro4 features brings us the most up to date feature set that is appropriate for entry-level/budget type offerings from Intel and supports the new LGA1200 socket. When it comes to the additional components (like audio, LAN, etc) that ASRock packs into this board these features realistically probably outshine the chipset itself. Indeed, ASRock has even included a proprietary workaround to overclocking non-K series processors with the inclusion of their proprietary Base Frequency Boost (BFB) technology. That means users will get everything they are looking for in an Intel-based Budget Gaming PC Build in this product segment and then some thanks to ASRock (not Intel).
On the downside, some people may question the quality given the sheer amount of features and the low price point of this board. However, we have recently looked at the ASRock B550 Taichi and, while a more expensive board, that board did excellent when faced with the same ratio of features to price. So, ASRock should be able to pull it off here today as well. Plus, while B460 products come in at a number of price points, many are cost down in component selections more so than this one especially when you look at all the extras that ASRock bakes into this board. So, with that in mind, you can’t find a much better match for a budget build around our chip selections if you are looking for a return on your investment while maintaining the options like those found in addition to the B460 chipset in this board.