Motherboards cost: How Much does A PC Motherboard cost? [Motherboard Pricing Tiers explained]

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How Much does A PC Motherboard cost? [Motherboard Pricing Tiers explained]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

How much is a motherboard, and how much should you be spending on one for your PC build?

Let’s break down the answers to those questions and more motherboard cost-related topics in this article.

How Much Do Motherboards Cost To Manufacture?

While it’s difficult to find the exact cost of materials and manufacturing for a modern motherboard, taking a closer look at the materials in question can give us a better idea of how much it all stacks up.

In terms of raw materials, the two biggest components that go into a motherboard are fiberglass and copper.

Source: ASRock

Fiberglass is relatively inexpensive, but copper can be somewhat costly despite how common it is, even experiencing price surges and all-time highs in 2021.

Other materials contribute to a motherboard’s cost, too, but this is the baseline from which we can start building a better understanding of motherboard pricing.

For the most part, motherboards aren’t particularly expensive pieces of hardware, especially not when compared to CPUs or GPUs.

However, motherboards can still end up costing a pretty penny, especially high-end motherboards, so let’s start talking about how much these motherboards cost you, the end user.

How Much Is a Motherboard?

Well, the answer to this depends on the pricing tier of the motherboard in question.

Some motherboards are as cheap as $50-60, but high-end motherboards can easily reach and exceed $200, with particularly niche enthusiast boards going as high as $800 – $1000!

Most users shouldn’t be spending much more than $200 on their motherboard unless the extra features being touted by those multi-hundred dollar boards are actually needed for your workload.

To break down why this is my recommendation, I’ll also need to take a moment to talk about motherboard pricing tiers.

Understanding Motherboard Pricing Tiers

So, motherboards actually tend to fall into a few different pricing tiers. These tiers will usually correspond to the motherboard chipset being included on the board, even if the chipset itself isn’t necessarily high-cost.

The motherboard chipset is directly tied to what CPUs will be compatible with your board, whether or not you’ll be able to overclock them, how many PCIe-Lanes are available for expansion cards and drives, support for DDR5 RAM, and other motherboard features, like RAM tweaking and overclocking, Thunderbolt support, or 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

Because of how integral the chipset is to the board’s features in question, higher-end chipsets tend to be relegated to more expensive motherboards.

There wouldn’t be much point in slapping an overclocking-capable chipset onto a cheap motherboard because chances are the rest of the board (especially the motherboard VRMs) wouldn’t actually be suitable for CPU overclocking.

So, how much is a motherboard with the features you’re looking for? I’ll give you some expected price ranges and features to look out for now:

Side Note: Intel and AMD have two fairly different approaches to CPU overclocking that should be made clear before you proceed.

Intel boards relegate overclocking to their highest-end chipsets and specifically unlocked CPUs. AMD not only allows every CPU to be overclocked but tends to unlock the feature for mid-range and even some entry-level priced boards well before Intel does.

Entry-Level Motherboards: Under $100

Image Credit: Newegg

  • Aimed at people who want to build a basic PC
  • No overclocking features or very little thermal headroom, if any
  • Conservative RAM overclocking features, if available
  • Lack of any premium features and connectivity options
  • Limited NVMe/high-speed PCIe lanes

Mid-Range Motherboards: Under $200

Image Credit: Newegg

  • Aimed at professionals, gamers, and other general consumers
  • Overclocking sometimes available; should have decent thermal headroom in this price range
  • RAM overclocking features are present and should be able to handle your XMP/EXPO memory overclocking profiles for most memory kits
  • Some extra features, like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, will start to show up on some boards in this price tier
  • More NVMe/PCIe x16 slots

High-End Motherboards: Under $350

Image Credit: Newegg

  • Aimed at professionals, avid gamers, and enthusiasts
  • CPU overclocking is available, usually with good-to-great thermal headroom (of course, outliers do pop up now and then)
  • RAM overclocking is always available
  • Good-to-great NVMe/PCIe x16 slot support with some boards offering PCIe bifurcation (x8/x8) on the first two PCIe x16 slots
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thunderbolt, 10Gbe, and other extras start to show up in most offerings

Enthusiast Motherboards: $350 and Higher

Image Credit: Newegg

  • Aimed at heavy-duty professionals, gaming enthusiasts, or performance junkies
  • The best overclocking capabilities for CPU and RAM, though not always worth the increase in price (especially once you get really high up there)
  • The absolute best extensibility experience wrt PCIe and M. 2 slots
  • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other extras should be present and perform well
  • Often come with goodies that won’t influence performance at all, such as specific aesthetics or RGB
  • Might have better cooling with elaborate heat pipes, or water-cooling support

A note on Motherboards and CPU Generations

While the above price tiers are somewhat valid for most Motherboards, there are CPU and Motherboard Generations that can be considerably more or less expensive throughout all SKUs.

This might have to do with expensive power delivery for a specific generation of CPUs, chipset cooling, incorporation of new technology like a RAM-gen bump or PCIe-gen bump, or a socket change from LGA to PGA, to name a few. In any case, high-end technology such as motherboards always depends on supply and demand, not just consumer demand but on raw material supply and availability as well, which can influence prices globally.

A good example is AMD’s lineup of X670E, X670, B650E, and B650 Motherboards, which are considerably more expensive than the previous generation. Finding a previous-gen B550 board below $100 is easy, but a current-gen B650 board below even $200 is nearly impossible.

So, motherboard pricing has significantly changed (for the worse) in the past couple of years.

How Motherboard Size Impacts Pricing

Motherboard size also impacts pricing, but not always in the way you would necessarily think.

Source: ASUS

For example, you may expect smaller motherboards to be less expensive due to using fewer raw materials, but that isn’t actually how it works.

Mini ITX motherboards— the smallest standard motherboard size— tend to be more expensive than their ATX and Micro ATX counterparts even if they offer the same features.

This applies especially to high-end Mini ITX boards. Despite using fewer raw materials, there is still a tangible cost in R&D of small board layouts and manufacturing of a high-end Mini ITX board that you’ll see reflected in a higher price than its ATX contemporaries.

Micro ATX is smaller than ATX, but not so small that they’re priced higher. In fact, many Micro ATX boards seem to cost about the same or even less than their full-sized ATX counterparts.

This…actually kind of makes sense, if only because Micro ATX boards aren’t nearly as tightly packed as a Mini ITX board is and they mostly just like cut-down versions of an ATX board. Because that’s basically what they are.

Finally, you can pretty much count on an Extended ATX board to be the most expensive option. This will usually be less about raw materials or R&D and more about the features that get stuffed into your typical Extended ATX boards.

EATX boards are generally expected to have 4-8 RAM slots, more full-size PCIe x16 slots, more NVMe slots, high-speed and/or dual LAN etc.

If there was ever a form factor aimed directly at “high-end” rather than just being big or small, it’s probably Extended ATX, though it’s also the biggest standard board size.

Do More Expensive Motherboards Improve Performance?

Yes!

…within reason.

If you’re concerned about the performance of your PC, there are going to be some important questions to ask yourself before buying a motherboard:

  • Are You Overclocking Your CPU?
  • Are You Using High-Speed RAM?
  • Are You Using or Planning To Use 2 or More NVMe Drives or PCIe x16 Expansion Cards?

For CPU overclocking concerns, you don’t just want to stop at getting an overclocking-supported chipset. You’ll also want to ensure your board has high-quality VRMs that enable a good to overclock, especially if you’re using a high-end CPU.

Source: ASUS

For RAM overclocking concerns, you’ll need to consult the specs of your motherboard before buying it. Your motherboard manufacturer will list all RAM speeds tested for your board on their QVL (usually on the support page of that motherboard). Make sure that this includes the advertised speed of your RAM kit of choice. Although manufacturers do list memory speeds on the technical specs page (shown below), the top values are generally optimistic at best and unrealistic at worst since they might be speeds achieved in ideal conditions with very low-density memory, etc.

Source: ASUS

For multi-NVMe or multi-GPU users, you’ll need a motherboard that prioritizes bandwidth. Look for high-end boards with multiple full-speed NVMe or PCIe x16 slots to ensure the best performance for your machine.

Source: ASUS

FAQ

Are Used and Refurbished Motherboards Worth Buying?

If they’re from a reputable seller that you trust, yes!

Motherboards aren’t particularly likely to be the point of failure when a PC starts to age out. Most manufacturers offer up to 3 year warranties on their motherboards, which gives us a rough idea about the mean time to failure for this specific hardware part.  

This makes them generally fine to purchase secondhand, but only from a reseller, you trust who will refund you if the board doesn’t actually work.

How Should Premium Motherboard Features Be Prioritized?

Well, that part is really going to depend on you.

But I think some features like the number of NVMe slots, PCIe bifurcation (important if running multiple GPUs), LAN speed, Dual LAN availability, and Wi-Fi availability are worth keeping in mind when considering spending more on your motherboard. 

CPU overclocking is another facet you can consider as it lets you maximize the performance of the processor that you already paid for.

Other stuff, I would generally consider secondary unless you know the features are useful for you.

For example, if you want a desktop PC for a college dorm or shared living situation but won’t be able to wire it up, getting a motherboard with great built-in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth support makes sense!

Image Credit: Gigabyte

But if you don’t need those features, there’s no reason to spend extra money on a motherboard that just happens to have them, unless the other features of the board keep it competitive with other boards that don’t have wireless functionality.

Over to You

And that’s it!

How much is a motherboard and how much should you be spending on it?

With any luck, this article helped answer that question for you and explained the reasons why. But if you have any remaining questions, feel free to sound off in the comments below or visit the CGDirector team and community on our dedicated Forums.

Until then or until next time, happy PC building! And don’t forget: Micro ATX is a pretty good standard if you want a smaller PC without spending too much extra for the privilege.

CGDirector is Reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

How Much is a Motherboard?

The cost of a motherboard depends upon a lot of factors. Just as is the case with all commercial products, there is a vast range of models for motherboards. Therefore, the question of how much a motherboard is depends upon what category of motherboards you are looking at.

Essentially, a motherboard can cost anywhere between $50-$1500. But the average cost of a motherboard in the budget range is about $70-$130. Mid-range motherboards can range anywhere from $150-$180. Popular high-end motherboards have an average cost of about $200-$250. Motherboards more expensive than $250 are for extreme builders and enthusiasts.

Again, some motherboards are basic and only suitable for budget-oriented PC builds. Basic motherboards offer the bare minimum specs. The more expensive a motherboard gets, the more additional features it provides.

In the following text, I will talk in detail about how much is the average cost of a motherboard in various categories but also talk about factors that affect the price of a motherboard.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

So How Much is a Motherboard?

To determine the exact price of a motherboard, I will categorize them based on the chipsets. Since chipsets essentially define the prowess of a motherboard, the price is almost directly related to what chipset the motherboard offers.

Average Price of Budget Motherboards – Intel H510 and H610 Chipset and AMD A520 Chipsets

H510 and H610 are both low-end chipsets for Intel motherboards. Motherboards featuring these chipsets feature minimum specs such as weaker and fewer VRMs, fewer PCIe lanes, fewer PCIe slots, and slower USB ports.

The H510 chipset is based on the Intel LGA 1200 socket for Intel 10th and 11th Gen CPUs.

The H610 chipset is newer and is based on the Intel LGA1700 socket for Intel 12th gen and newer CPUs.

The A520, on the other hand, is a budget chipset for AMD builds featuring the AM4 socket.

As of writing this article, the following are the prices of some of the Intel H and AMD A series motherboards.

Intel H510 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
MSI H510M-A PRO LGA1200 $79 mATX
Asus PRIME H510M-E LGA1200 $95 mATX
MSI H510I PRO WIFI LGA1200 $128 Mini ITX

Motherboards with Intel H510 chipset are among the cheapest featuring the LGA1200 socket.

Depending on your desired features, a motherboard featuring H510 costs between $79 and $128.

The MSI H510M-A Pro is the cheapest as it offers fewer features, such as a lower number of PCIe expansion slots and fewer video output ports on the back panel.

The MSI H510I Pro Wi-Fi is among the more expensive models since it offers a compact mini ITX form factor and built-in Wi-Fi.

Intel H610 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
ASRock H610M-HDV/M.2 LGA1700 $100 mATX
Asus PRIME H610M-A D4-CSM LGA1700 $110 mATX

The H610 is the budget motherboard chipset featuring the LGA1700 socket for the Intel 12th Gen CPUs.

The average cost of these motherboards is about $100.

AMD A520 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
MSI A520M-A PRO AM4 $63 mATX
ASRock A520M Pro4 AM4 $85 mATX
MSI MAG A520M VECTOR WIFI AM4 $100 mATX
ASRock A520M-ITX/ac AM4 $165 Mini ITX

AMD A520 is currently the cheapest motherboard chipset with the AM4 socket suitable for AMD Ryzen CPUs from 1000 to 5000 series.

AMD A520 motherboards are generally cheaper than the Intel H510 and H610 chipsets primarily because they conform to the older PCIe 3.0 standard and offer slower USB ports. The Intel H510 and H610 have slots that conform to PCIe 4.0 and offer faster USB ports.

The average cost of an A520 motherboard is about $85-90 dollar.  

The cheapest A520 motherboard is the MSI A520M-A PRO, with a current market price of about $63. At the same time, the ASRock A520M-ITX/ac is an outlier with an expensive price tag of $165 primarily because it offers a mini-ITX form factor and built-in Wi-Fi. I wouldn’t recommend this motherboard, though, for this price.

TL;DR, the average price of a budget motherboard is about $85.

Also Read: How Much Should I Spend on a Motherboard?

Average Price of Mid-Range Motherboards – Intel B560 and B660 Chipset and AMD B550 Chipsets

Intel B560, B660, and AMD B550 are mid-range chipsets often preferred by design and editors on a budget and by gamers.

They offer features such as a newer PCIe version, more PCIe lanes, more unique and higher number of USB and M.2 ports, better VRMs, more expansion slots, support for dual graphics cards, etc.

Intel B560 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
MSI B560M-A PRO LGA1200 $90 mATX
Asus PRIME B560M-A LGA1200 $110 mATX
MSI MAG B560 TORPEDO LGA1200 $150 ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B560-A GAMING WIFI LGA1200 $180 ATX
MSI MPG B560I GAMING EDGE WIFI LGA1200 $240 Mini ITX

The Intel B550 has the broadest range of motherboards ranging from a cheap $90 motherboard to the astoundingly expensive MSI MPG B560I Gaming Edge Wi-Fi worth $240, the reason, of course, being the compact Mini ITX form factor.

But generally, the most common price range for B560 motherboards is about $150. Of course, depending on the bells and whistles you want, the more expensive the motherboard gets, even with the mid-range chipset.

Intel B660 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
Asus PRIME B660M-A D4 LGA1700 $140 mATX
MSI MAG B660 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 LGA1700 $190 ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B660-I GAMING WIFI LGA1700 $220 Mini ITX
Asus ROG STRIX B660-A GAMING WIFI D4 LGA1700 $240 ATX

The primary difference between the B560 and B660 is that the latter features the LGA1700 socket intended for the Intel 12th-gen sockets.

Naturally, the B660 motherboards are more expensive on average than the B560 motherboards.

The average price of an Intel B660 motherboard is about $190.

AMD B550 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
ASRock B550M-HDV AM4 $80 mATX
Gigabyte B550M DS3H AM4 $96 mATX
ASRock B550M/ac AM4 $130 mATX
MSI MPG B550 GAMING PLUS AM4 $160 ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WI-FI) AM4 $190 ATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING AM4 $218 Mini-ITX
Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO AM4 $279 mATX
Asus ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING AM4 $360 Mini-ITX

AMD B550 is a very popular chipset for gamers and enthusiasts. This chipset currently has one of the widest varieties of motherboards ranging from cheap $80 motherboards to high-end $360 ASUS ROG Strix B550-E Gaming motherboards.

While there are budget and expensive outliers here, the most common price bracket for AMD B550 motherboards is between $130-$180, with the most popular B550 motherboards in the $180 range.

TL;DR, the average price of a mid-range motherboard is about $150.

Average Price of High-End Motherboards – Intel Z590 and Z690 Chipset and AMD X570 Chipsets

The Intel Z590 for the 10th and 11th gen CPUs, Intel Z660 for Intel 12th CPUs, and AMD X570 for Ryzen 1000-5000 series CPUs are high-end chipsets on top-of-the-line motherboards.

They offer the best features, such as the highest number of PCIe lanes, the newest connectivity standards, the best VRM and phase power design, and the most attractive looks.

Intel Z560 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
ASRock Z590 Pro4 LGA1200 $140 ATX
Gigabyte Z590 UD AC LGA1200 $190 ATX
Asus TUF Gaming Z590-PLUS WIFI LGA1200 $233 ATX
Gigabyte Z590 AORUS MASTER LGA1200 $336 ATX
Asus ROG Maximus XIII Apex LGA1200 $600 ATX
MSI MEG Z590 GODLIKE LGA1200 $850 E-ATX

The cheapest Z590 motherboard is almost as expensive as an average Intel B560 motherboard. At the same time, the most expensive Z590 motherboards are a work of art and are not intended for an average user.

Despite the large price range, the average price of the most popular Z590 motherboards is between $200 – $240. 

Intel Z660 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
Asus PRIME Z690-P LGA1700 $180 ATX
MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 LGA1700 $220 ATX
Gigabyte Z690 AORUS ELITE AX DDR4 LGA1700 $270 ATX
Asus ROG STRIX Z690-A GAMING WIFI D4 LGA1700 $360 ATX
Gigabyte Z690 AORUS XTREME LGA1700 $900 ATX

The Z660 motherboards featuring the LGA1700 socket with PCIe 5. 0 and DDR5 support are more expensive than their Z590 counterpart. The average price of a Z590 motherboard is in the range of $300. However, you can find popular options in the $240 range.

AMD X570 Motherboard Prices

Motherboard Socket Price Form Factor
Asus PRIME X570-P AM4 $145 ATX
Asus TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WI-FI) AM4 $195 ATX
Asus ROG Strix X570-I Gaming AM4 $255 Mini-ITX
Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WI-FI) AM4 $395 ATX
Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme AM4 $800 E-ATX

Like the Intel high-end motherboards, the X series can be found in a wide price range. The cheapest is about $150, whereas the most expensive can reach $800.

Like the Intel Z series, the most popular X570 motherboards are within the $200-$240 range.

TL;DR, the average price of a high-end motherboard is easily in the $300 and beyond range. However, since the price range is so vast, the average cost of the entire data set can be a bit misleading. The popular models are in the $200-$250 range.

Also Read: How Difficult is it to Build a PC? 

Factors That Affect the Price of a Motherboard

To determine a motherboard’s size, you must look at its features. There are a lot of factors that determine the price of the motherboard.

This includes:

  1. The Chipset




  2. PCIe Lanes




  3. PCIe Version




  4. CPU Socket




  5. Amount of Expansion Slots




  6. VRMs




  7. Overclocking Support




  8. Form Factor




  9. USB Ports, their Version, and Headers




  10. Looks and Design

Also Read: What Makes a Motherboard Good?

1.

The Chipset

The chipset is the heart of a motherboard. It defines your PC build. The chipset defines the CPU socket your PC will support, the number of PCIe lanes and their version, the number of expansion slots, etc.

As mentioned, Intel and AMD have several series of chipsets ranging from budget to high-end.

2. PCIe Lanes

The amount of PCIe lanes the motherboard offers directly relates to how expensive it would be. The amount of PCIe lanes a motherboard can offer depends upon its chipset.

High-end chipsets such as the Z690 can offer 28 PCIe lanes, whereas budget chipsets such as the Intel H510 offer 4.

Manufacturer Chipset PCIe Lanes Category
Intel Z690 28
– 12 x v4.0
– 16 x v3.0		 High Performance
H670 24
– 12 x v4.0
– 12 x v3.0		 High Performance
(Minus overclocking Support)
B660 14
– 6 x v4. 0
– 8 x v3.0		 Mid Range
H610 12
– 12 x v3.0		 Budget
Z590 24 High Performance
Z490 24 High Performance
B460 16 Mid Range /
Mainstream
B560 12 Mid Range /
Mainstream
X299 24 Workstation
H510 4 Budget
AMD X570 16 High Performance
B550 10 Mid Range
A520 6 Budget
TRX40 16 Workstation

Also Read: How to Check How Many PCIe Lanes I Have?

3.

PCIe version

The PCIe version of the lanes and the slots also affect the price of the motherboard.

Motherboards featuring the newer PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 are more expensive than the older motherboards.

A newer PCIe version can drastically improve the performance of the connected devices. With every new PCIe version, the per-lane transfer rate of the slots doubles.

This means installing newer and more demanding devices in the PCIe slots.

Version x1
(GB/s)		 x2
(GB/s) 		x4
(GB/s)		 x8
(GB/s)		 x16
(GB/s)
1.0 0.250 0.500 1.000 2.000 4.000
2.0 0.500 1.000 2.000 4.000 8.000
3.0 0.985 1.969 3.938 7.877 15.754
4.0 1.969 3.938 7.877 15.754 31.508
5. 0 3.938 7.877 15.754 31.508 63.015
6.0 7.877 15.754 31.508 63.015 126.031

Also Read: What are PCIe Lanes?

4. CPU Socket

Motherboards featuring CPU sockets for newer-generation CPUs are often expensive.

For instance, the motherboards featuring the LGA1700 socket for 12th gen Intel CPUs are generally more expensive than those featuring the LGA1200 socket for the 10th and 11th gen CPUs.

Also Read: How to Check What CPU is Compatible With My Motherboard?

5. Amount of Expansion Slots

The amount of PCIe and M.2 slots your motherboard has affects its price. It should be noted that M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs also utilize PCIe lanes.


The more expansion slots a motherboard has, the more expensive a motherboard generally is.

6. VRMs – Phase Power Design


Motherboard VRMs labeled. 6+2 Phase Power Design.

Also, Read in Detail: What is Motherboard Power Phases and VRMs?

VRMs or Voltage Regulator Modules may look trivial initially, but they are among the most critical factors for determining the motherboard’s quality.

The quality, size, and amount of VRMs on your motherboard significantly influence its price. VRMs have the purpose of delivering steady power to the CPU and the RAM.

The better the quality, the more stable and clean power the CPU will get delivered.

VRMs are an essential component for overclockers since the more and higher quality VRMs your motherboard has, the more you will be able to overclock while maintaining stable operations.

When we talk about how a $50 and a $300 motherboard differ, the VRMs play a massive role.

7. Overclocking support

Not all motherboards are capable of overclocking. Only the Z series motherboards offer overclocking support with Intel, whereas the B and X motherboards offer overclocking support with AMD.

Again, the degree to which you can overclock your CPU while maintaining good overall stability is determined by the quality and the amount of VRMs your motherboard has.

8. Form Factor

These three typical form factors for motherboards:

  • Full ATX – 12 x 9.6 inches (305 x 244 mm)




  • Micro ATX – 9.6 x 9.6 inches (244 x 244 mm)




  • Mini ITX – 6.7 x 6.7 inches (170 x 170 mm)

Mini ITX motherboards, being the smallest, are rare and generally intended for specialized portable builds. They are often quite expensive compared to ATX and Micro ATX if you compare the same specs.

ATX, aka Full or Standard ATX, is generally the golden standard for gamers, enthusiasts, and professionals. They offer the most expandability.

Micro ATX motherboards are intended for budget PCs.

9. USB and Video Ports, their Version, and Headers

The number of USB ports your motherboard has and their version also significantly impact the price.

A good motherboard offers not only the newer USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports with a 20 Gbps transfer rate but will also provide USB headers so that you can connect the front USB ports of your PC case.

A Thunderbolt port or a header can also add further cost to the motherboard.


USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 Header as found on ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme. 
USB 2.0 headers

The USB nomenclature and the version are quite difficult to understand. The following table clarifies this:

USB Version Release
Year		 Transfer Speed
(Gbps)		 Interface
Options		 Remarks Transfer Mode
USB 2.0 2000 0.48 Type A – Introduced 0.48 Gbps Speeds High Speed
USB 3.0 2008 5.0 Type A – Introduced 5. 0 Gbps speeds SuperSpeed
USB 3.1
Gen 1		 2013 5.0 Type A
Type C		 – Same as USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
USB 3.1
Gen 2		 2013 10.0 Type A
Type C		 – Introduced 10.0 Gbps speeds SuperSpeed+
USB 3.2
Gen 1×1		 2017 5.0 Type A
Type C		 – Same as USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
USB 3.2
Gen 1×2		 2017 10.0 Type C – Dual Channel SuperSpeed
USB 3.2
Gen 2×1		 2017 10.0 Type A
Type C		 -Same as USB 3.1 Gen 2 SuperSpeed+
USB 3.2
Gen 2×2		 2017 20.0 Type C – Dual Channel
– Introduced 20.0 Gbps speeds		 SuperSpeed++

Also Read: What are USB Headers?

In addition, the video output ports and their version also determine the quality and, in turn, the price of the motherboard.

10. Looks and Design

And finally, the looks of a motherboard, the amount of customization it offers in the shape of RGB headers, fan headers, and AIO cooler support affect the price of a motherboard.


A $1500 Z590 gorgeous beast. Motherboard with E-ATX form factor, PCIe 4.0 support, 18+2 phase power design, integrated water block, 5 x M.2 ports, 2 x Thunderbolt 4 ports, 10 G ethernet.

Final Words

So how much is a motherboard? Well, TL:DR:

  • Popular budget motherboards have an average cost of $85




  • Popular mid-range motherboards have an average price of $150




  • Popular high-end motherboards have an average price of $200-$250.

However, depending on the features you are looking for, you can find motherboards as cheap as $50 and as expensive as $1500.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What are the factors that affect the cost of a motherboard?

The cost of a motherboard can be affected by several factors such as the brand, model, chipset, form factor, features, and warranty. Motherboards from popular brands with high-end chipsets, advanced features, and longer warranty periods are generally more expensive than those from lesser-known brands with basic features.

2. Are there any specific features that make a motherboard more expensive than others?

Yes, there are several features that can make a motherboard more expensive than others. Some of these features include a high-end chipset, multiple expansion slots, support for overclocking, built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, advanced audio or video capabilities, and a larger form factor. The more advanced and unique features a motherboard has, the higher its price is likely to be.

3. Is it better to buy a branded motherboard or can I go for a generic one?

It is generally recommended to buy a branded motherboard as they are more reliable and offer better customer support and warranty. Branded motherboards are manufactured by companies that have a good reputation in the market, so you can be assured of their quality and performance.

However, if you are on a tight budget and don’t require advanced features, you can consider buying a generic motherboard, but you should do your research to ensure that it is of good quality.

4. Can I upgrade my existing motherboard or should I replace it entirely?

It depends on your specific requirements and the compatibility of your existing motherboard with the newer components. If you want to upgrade your computer’s performance, you can try upgrading the RAM, storage, or graphics card first.

If you find that your motherboard is not compatible with the newer components or is limiting their performance, you may need to replace it entirely. It is recommended to consult with a professional before making any major upgrades to your computer.

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Here you can return electronic circuit boards and any used equipment at the highest prices.

We offer the best prices for electronic scrap thanks to constant market analysis and well-defined business processes, from the cleaner to the director. Call and our employees will suggest the best options for mutual cooperation.

*Attention! Prices are for boards cleared of blockage – batteries, batteries, metal parts, plastic fasteners, radiators, wires, cables, plastic and metal cases. In the presence of these removable elements, the percentage of clogging is set.

Form of payment cash and non-cash, with the execution of all necessary documents.
Below are wholesale prices for material from 500 kg per month. Retail prices are slightly lower, you can find them by calling 8(929)995-2707

Group 1 – Boards
Category Price rub/kg
Motherboards up to Pentium 4 generation and for notebooks, except socket 426, 423 and 465. 350
High socket and chipset motherboards 450
Motherboards from the Pentium 4 generation and boards with socket 426, 423 and 465. 200
Control boards for office equipment, devices, boards from CD-ROM, DVD-ROM 120
Boards from telecommunications, measuring, medical equipment 240
Boards from military and industrial devices manufactured in the USSR 330
Boards from Soviet household devices 120
Power and Monitor Boards 40
Mobile phone boards, push-buttons 1100
Tablet boards 650
Smartphone boards 670
Boards from GSM cellular stations 670
Payments from cellular GSM stations golden 780
Payments from POS-terminals (cash equipment) 480
Boards from hard drives HDD 970
Group 2 – Processors
Category Price rub/kg
Ceramic Processors 286/386/486/goldcap 6700
Pentium 1, AMD, PVC black 2000
Processors socket 370 850
Processors socket: 423, mPGA 478, 775, 1155, 1156, 1366, 462, 939, 754, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, etc. 200
Processors socket 370 Tualantine 400
Processor cards 400
Group 3 – Memory and expansion cards
Category Price RUB/kg
RAM modules for PCs, servers and laptops with silver contacts 600
RAM modules for PCs, servers and laptops with gold contacts 1200
Video cards, sound cards, network cards, hard drive cards 400
Group 4 – Body material
Category Price rub/kg
Hard Disk Drive 30
Drives (CD-rom, DVD-rom, Floopy disk) 7
Power supplies and adapters 10
Mobile phones, smartphones 200
Group 5 – Detachable body material
Category Price rub/kg
Complete system units 12
Rack servers, tower servers 10
Uninterruptible power supplies 5
Other office equipment 1. 5
Group 6 – MIX
Category Price rub/kg
Mix-1 (motherboards, computer peripherals) Negotiated
Mix-2 (USSR boards, power supplies, monitor boards, control boards, telecom) Negotiated
Mix-3 (radio components) Negotiated
Mix-4 (assorted boards of any category) Negotiated
Group 7 – Cable
Category Price rub/kg
Computer wires, from office equipment, electronic equipment 27
IDE ribbon cables and connectors 30
Group 10 – Connectors
Category Price rub/kg
Connectors VGA, RJ45, DVI, from printers, etc. 35
IDE and Floppy loop connectors 45
Connectors from Soviet devices Negotiated
Didn’t find prices for the category you need or have questions? Call +7(929)995-2707 and we will definitely help you!

Repair of Gigabyte motherboards in “GIGABYTE SERVICE”