Building a PC? How to Choose the Best Motherboards for Skylake
Choosing the best motherboard for Skylake delivers a more fast-paced, immersive experience whether you are playing solo or online. With its powerful performance and extensive overclocking abilities, Skylake is the envy of gaming enthusiasts. The PC build world is large, but we have done the heavy lifting for you: Here is a complete guide to making your Skylake-compatible motherboard today.
Tips to make your Skylake compatible motherboard
1. Platform
Having settled for Skylake as the brains of your PC build, the first step in making a motherboard purchase is to identify the boards that are compatible with your CPU choice. For efficiency purposes, a motherboard is created to support specific chips. In the case of gaming PCs, a Skylake compatible motherboard is what you need to unleash the ultra-powered beast to rip through demanding tasks.
2. Form Factor
Not every board is made equal. They come in different sizes and deliver a degree of flexibility in building a PC in any environment. Whether you have plenty of room or are cramped with space, there is a Skylake motherboard for you. A full-size tower board is perfect if you have the space for it, while a small case is still worth it.
3. Expansion Options
Besides the Skylake chip, a board can connect to a variety of components, including GPU, RAM, and more. Your choice of the best motherboard for Skylake should serve you best with ample parking space for a host of components. That comes in the form of PCIe ports, which connect most of the latest PC components.
4. GPU Support
You need to ensure your choice of motherboard supports the kind of GPU you will need for the intended use. With some CPUs nowadays integrating GPU functions, a dedicated GPU is always advised for flexibility purposes. Keep in mind which kind of GPU you will add to the Skylake processor to connect to your motherboard as you shop.
5. RAM
While you might intend to hook as many RAMs as you can to your PC, keep in mind that every motherboard has a capacity limit on the number of slots you can attach. To stay within a safe recommendation, shortlist boards that have support for a capacity of 16GB and more as a good bet, with 32GB as the best bet.
6. Storage
Today, PC storage comes down to HDD and SSD. While HDD is affordable, SSD is not, but delivers extra speed and is great for holding the operating system and apps. There are common connections for storage, such as Serial ATA, which provides up to 600MB/s in reading and write speeds compared to 150MB/s in HDD. Ensure your choice in motherboards your storage needs now and in the future.
Final Words
Ultimately, your choice is the best motherboard for Skylake will depend on your budget. Before making a purchase, make sure the motherboard offers a balance between affordability and specifications that align with your unique needs. It is important to balance affordability with the rest of your system’s performance and components.
