Now the silicon drought is more or less over (for the time being) being a DIY PC gamer is back on the menu. Yes, we no longer have to rely on pre-built systems for our gaming PC jollies, we can actually go back to the good old days of poring over the specs sheets of a million different components so we can pick the perfect parts of our bespoke PC.
Gamifying PC building is what it’s all about, min-maxing your new system and making absolutely sure that the bang for buck ratios are very much in your favour.
It’s a mission and many of us will spend hours figuring out exactly what will go in our new rigs. But what’s the most important part of that? Sure, the GPU is the component that will have the most say over your actual on-screen frame rate, but your motherboard has the most impact on every other facet of your build.
For one, how big it is. That’s almost entirely down to your motherboard, as is how speedy the memory you can jam, how pacey an SSD, and what level of processor—whether Intel or AMD—you can fit inside it. It will also decide how future-proof a rig you are building.
This year we’ve bridged multiple CPU generations and chipsets, but surprisingly it’s AMD which has started off on one socket and ended the year with another. Intel’s LGA 1700 has stood through Alder Lake and now Raptor Lake. So, which boards get our votes?
The best motherboard of 2022: the nominees
The winner of the PC Gamer Hardware Award for the best motherboard will be announced on New Year’s Eve. All three of these motherboards are in with a shot of taking home the big prize, so tune in to find out which one it’ll be.