Power phases
The number of processor power phases provided on the motherboard.
Very simplistically, phases can be described as electronic blocks of a special design, through which power is supplied to the processor. The task of such blocks is to optimize this power, in particular, to minimize power surges when the load on the processor changes. In general, the more phases, the lower the load on each of them, the more stable the power supply and the more durable the electronics of the board. And the more powerful the CPU and the more cores it has, the more phases it needs; this number increases even more if the processor is planned to be overclocked. For example, for a conventional quad-core chip, only four phases are often enough, and for an overclocked one, at least eight may be needed. It is because of this that powerful processors can have problems when used on inexpensive low-phase motherboards.
Detailed recommendations on choosing the number of phases for specific CPU series and models can be found in special sources (including the documentation for CPU itself). Here we note that with numerous phases on the motherboard (more than 8), some of them can be virtual. To do this, real electronic blocks are supplemented with doublers or even triplers, which, formally, increases the number of phases: for example, 12 claimed phases can represent 6 physical blocks with doublers. However, virtual phases are much inferior to real ones in terms of capabilities — in fact, t...hey are just additions that slightly improve the characteristics of real phases. So, let's say, in our example, it is more correct to speak not about twelve, but only about six (though improved) phases. These nuances must be specified when choosing a motherboard.
LED lighting
The presence of its own LED
backlight on the motherboard. This feature does not affect the functionality of the "motherboard", but gives it an unusual appearance. Therefore, it hardly makes sense for an ordinary user to specifically look for such a model (a
motherboard without backlighting is enough for him), but for modding lovers, backlighting can be very useful.
LED backlighting can take the form of individual lights or LED strips, come in different colours (sometimes with a choice of colours) and support additional effects — flashing, flickering, synchronization with other components (see "Lightning synchronization"), etc. Specific features depend on the motherboard model.
Lighting sync
Synchronization technology provided in the board with LED backlight (see above).
Synchronization itself allows you to "match" the backlight of the motherboard with the backlight of other system components — cases, video cards, keyboards, mice, etc. Thanks to this matching, all components can change colour synchronously, turn on / off at the same time, etc. Specific features the operation of such backlighting depends on the synchronization technology used, and, usually, each manufacturer has its own (Mystic Light Sync for MSI, RGB Fusion for Gigabyte, etc.). The compatibility of the components also depends on this: they must all support the same technology. So the easiest way to achieve backlight compatibility is to collect components from the same manufacturer.
Max. clock frequency
The maximum RAM clock speed supported by the motherboard. The actual clock frequency of the installed RAM modules should not exceed this indicator — otherwise, malfunctions are possible, and the capabilities of the “RAM” cannot be used to the fullest.
For modern PCs, a RAM frequency of
1500 – 2000 MHz or
less is considered very low,
2000 – 2500 MHz is modest,
2500 – 3000 MHz is average,
3000 – 3500 MHz is above average, and the most advanced boards can support frequencies of
3500 – 4000 MHz and even
more than 4000 MHz.
Max. memory
The maximum amount of RAM that can be installed on the motherboard.
When choosing according to this parameter, it is important to take into account the planned use of the PC and the real needs of the user. So, volumes
up to 32 GB inclusive are quite enough to solve any basic problems and run games comfortably, but without a significant reserve for an upgrade.
64 GB is the optimal option for many professional use cases, and for the most resource-intensive tasks like 3D rendering,
96 GB or even
128 GB of memory will not be a limit. The most “capacious” motherboards are compatible with volumes of
192 GB or
more - they are mainly top-end solutions for servers and HEDT (see “In the direction”).
You can choose this parameter with a reserve – taking into account a potential RAM upgrade, because installing additional RAM sticks is the simplest way to increase system performance. Taking this factor into account, many relatively simple motherboards support very significant amounts of RAM.
1x PCI-E slots
Number of PCI-E (PCI-Express) 1x slots installed on the motherboard. There are
motherboards for 1 PCI-E 1x slot,
2 PCI-E 1x slots,
3 PCI-E 1x ports and even more.
The PCI Express bus is used to connect various expansion cards — network and sound cards, video adapters, TV tuners and even SSD drives. The number in the name indicates the number of PCI-E lines (data transfer channels) supported by this slot; the more lines, the higher the throughput. Accordingly, PCI-E 1x is the basic, slowest version of this interface. The data transfer rate for such slots depends on the PCI-E version (see "PCI Express Support"): in particular, it is slightly less than 1 GB / s for version 3.0 and slightly less than 2 GB / s for 4.0.
Separately, we note that the general rule for PCI-E is as follows: the board must be connected to a slot with the same or more lines. Thus, only single-lane boards will be guaranteed to be compatible with PCI-E 1x.
PCI-E 16x slots
Number of PCI-E (PCI-Express) 16x slots installed on the motherboard.
The PCI Express bus is used to connect various expansion cards — network and sound cards, video adapters, TV tuners and even SSD drives. The number in the name indicates the number of PCI-E lines (data transfer channels) supported by this slot; the more lines, the higher the throughput. 16 lanes is the largest number found in modern PCI Express slots and cards (more is technically possible, but the connectors would be too bulky). Accordingly, these slots are the fastest: they have a data transfer rate of 16 GB / s for PCI-E 3.0 and 32 GB / s for version 4.0 (for more information about the versions, see "PCI Express Support").
Separately, we note that it is PCI-E 16x that is considered the optimal connector for connecting video cards. However, when choosing a motherboard with several such slots, it is worth considering the PCI-E modes supported by it (see below). In addition, we recall that the PCI Express interface allows you to connect boards with a smaller number of lines to connectors with numerous lines. Thus, PCI-E 16x will fit any PCI Express card.
It is also worth mentioning that in the design of modern "motherboards" there are slots of increased sizes — in particular, PCI-E 4x, corresponding in size to PCI-E 16x. However, the type of PCI-E slots in our catalog is indicated by the actual throughput; so only connectors that support 16x speed are considered as PCI-E 16x.
PCI Modes
Operating modes of PCI-E 16x slots supported by the motherboard.
For more information about this interface, see above, and information about the modes is indicated if there are several PCI-E 16x slots on the board. This data specifies at what speed these slots can operate when expansion cards are connected to them at the same time, how many lines each of them can use. The fact is that the total number of PCI-Express lanes on any motherboard is limited, and they are usually not enough for the simultaneous operation of all 16-channel slots at full capacity. Accordingly, when working simultaneously, the speed inevitably has to be limited: for example, recording 16x / 4x / 4x means that the motherboard has three 16-channel slots, but if three video cards are connected to them at once, then the second and third slots will be able to give speed only to PCI-E 4x level. Accordingly, for a different number of slots and the number of digits will be appropriate. There are also boards with several modes — for example, 16x/0x/4 and 8x/8x/4x (0x means that the slot becomes inoperable altogether).
You have to pay attention to this parameter mainly when installing several video cards at the same time: in some cases (for example, when using SLI technology), for correct operation of video adapters, they must be connected to slots at the same speed.
USB C 3.2 gen2
The number
of USB-C 3.2 gen2 connectors provided in the motherboard.
USB-C connectors (all versions) are used to connect to the "motherboard" USB-C ports located on the outside of the case (usually on the front panel, less often on the top or side). With a special cable, such a port is connected to the connector, while one connector, usually, works with only one port. In other words, the number of connectors on the motherboard corresponds to the maximum number of USB-C chassis connectors that can be used with it.
Recall that USB-C is a relatively new type of USB connector, it is distinguished by its small size and double-sided design; such connectors have their own technical features, so separate connectors must be provided for them. Specifically, the USB 3.2 gen2 version (formerly known as USB 3.1 gen2 and USB 3.1) operates at speeds up to 10 Gbps and allows you to implement USB Power Delivery technology, thanks to which the power supply of USB peripherals can reach 100 W per port. However, the presence of Power Delivery in specific motherboards (and even in specific connectors on the same board) should be specified separately.
