Best Gaming Motherboards South Africa: 2024 Unbiased Guide

Choosing a motherboard can feel like the most confusing part of a PC build. You've picked your CPU, your graphics card is sorted, but now you face a wall of acronyms and numbers. What's the difference between a B760 and a Z790? Is it worth spending extra for PCIe 5.0? This guide cuts through the noise to help you find the best gaming motherboards in South Africa for your budget and needs in 2024, ensuring your new rig has the perfect foundation. 🚀

MSI Pro B860-P WIFI Intel Motherboard / 12+1+1+1 Duet Rail Power / Supports Intel Core Ultra Processors / PCIe 5.0 and Gen 5 M.2 / Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7 / 911-7E41-001

R4799.00In Stock

ASRock B860 Pro RS WiFi Intel Motherboard / ATX Form Factor / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 CPU Socket / 4x DDR5 DIMM Supporting up to 256GB / 90-MXBRK0-A0UAYZ

R3899.00In Stock

ASRock B850 Steel Legend WIFI AMD Ryzen Motherboard / Supports AMD Socket AM5 Ryzen™ 9000, 8000 and 7000 Series Processors / AMD B850 Chipset / USB4 Type-C (10Gbps) Connectivity / 90-MXBQS0-A0UAYZ

R4699.00In Stock

ASRock Phantom Gaming Z890 Nova WiFi Intel Motherboard / ATX Form Factor / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 CPU Socket / 4x DDR5 DIMM Supporting up to 256GB / 90-MXBPS0-A0UAYZ

R8999.00In Stock

MSI PRO B760M-E DDR4 mATX Motherboard (Supports 12th/13th Gen Intel Processors, LGA 1700, DDR4, 4.0, M.2, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.2 Gen1, mATX) - 911-7D48-013

R2199.00In Stock

MSI MPG Z890 EDGE TI WI-FI Intel Motherboard / LGA 1851 / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / 4x DDR5 UDIMM Slots / ATX Form Factor / 911-7E19-002

R9999.00In Stock

Why Your Motherboard is Your PC's Unsung Hero

Think of your motherboard as the central nervous system of your PC. It’s not just a circuit board to plug things into; it dictates your computer’s capabilities, from connectivity and expansion options to overclocking potential. A great motherboard ensures all your expensive components can communicate effectively and run at their peak performance.

A poorly chosen one, however, can bottleneck your powerful new CPU or limit your future upgrade path. This is why a solid motherboard is one of the smartest investments you can make in your gaming setup. It’s the backbone that holds everything together.

The 2024 Chipset Showdown: Intel vs. AMD

Your choice between Team Blue and Team Red will be the first step in narrowing down your motherboard options. Each platform has its own ecosystem of chipsets designed for different users, from budget builders to high-end enthusiasts.

MSI PRO B760M-E DDR4 mATX Motherboard (Supports 12th/13th Gen Intel Processors, LGA 1700, DDR4, 4.0, M.2, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.2 Gen1, mATX) - 911-7D48-013

R2199.00In Stock

MSI Pro X870-P Wi-Fi AMD Motherboard / AM5 Socket / Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000/ 8000/ 7000 Series Desktop Processors / 4x DDR5 UDIMM / ATX Form Factor / 911-7E47-001

R5799.00In Stock

MSI Pro B650M-B AMD Ryzen Motherboard / AMD Socket AM5 / AMD B650 Chipset / 2 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR5-6800+MHz (OC) /1x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot / 911-7E28-005

R2149.00In Stock

ASRock X870E Taichi WIFI AMD Ryzen Motherboard / Supports AMD Socket AM5 Ryzen™ 9000, 8000 and 7000 Series Processors / AMD X870 Chipset / USB4 Type-C (40Gbps) Connectivity / 90-MXBP90-A0UAYZ

R10999.00In Stock

MSI A520M-A PRO AMD Ryzen M-ATX Motherboard / 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Desktop Processors / Supports AMD Ryzen 5000 Series, 5000 G-Series, 4000 G-Series, 3000 Series, 3000 G-Series, / Supports DDR4 Memory, up to 4600(OC) MHz / AMD Socket AM4 / AMD A520 Chipset / Studio Grade Sound Quality / A520M-A-PRO

R1399.00In Stock

ASRock Z890 LiveMixer WiFi Intel Motherboard / ATX Form Factor / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 CPU Socket / 4x DDR5 DIMM Supporting up to 256GB / 90-MXBPE0-A0UAYZ

R5999.00In Stock

For the Intel Fans (Team Blue) 🔵

Intel's current LGA 1700 socket supports both 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen processors, offering a fantastic upgrade path. You generally have two main choices:

• Z790 Chipsets: These are the top-tier boards, offering full CPU and memory overclocking support, more PCIe lanes, and the most robust connectivity. They are ideal for enthusiasts pairing them with an unlocked "K-series" CPU.
• B760 Chipsets: The sweet spot for most gamers. These boards offer excellent performance and features like DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support but typically lock down CPU overclocking. They provide incredible value for money.

If you're building an Intel-powered rig, browsing a dedicated collection of Intel motherboards is the best way to compare features and find the right fit for your processor.

For the AMD Faithful (Team Red) 🔴

AMD is currently focused on its AM5 socket, which introduced support for DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 as standard. This makes it a very forward-looking platform.

• X670/X670E Chipsets: The premium choice for Ryzen 7000 and beyond. These boards are built for extreme overclocking and offer the maximum number of high-speed lanes for GPUs and NVMe drives.
• B650/B650E Chipsets: The people's champion. B650 boards deliver the core AM5 experience, including PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support, at a much more accessible price point. For most South African gamers, a quality B650 board is the perfect match for a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU.

Diving into the latest AMD motherboards will show you just how much performance and value you can get from the AM5 platform.

Asus Rog Strix TRX40-E Gaming AMD Ryzen Threadripper ATX Motherboard / 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen / 16 power stages / Wi-Fi 6 / 2.5 Gbps LAN / USB 3.2 Gen 2 / Three M.2 / Aura Sync RGB / AMD Socket sTRX4

R4999.00In Stock

MSI PRO Z890-S Wi-Fi Intel Motherboard / ATX Motherboard / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 Socket / 4x DDR5 UDIMM Up to 256GB / Intel® Wi-Fi 7 / 911-7E54-001

R5999.00In Stock

MSI MEG Z890 UNIFY-X Intel Motherboard / LGA 1851 Socket / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / 2x DDR5 UDIMM Slots / ATX Form Factor / 911-7E20-001

R16299.00In Stock

MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE AMD Motherboard / AM5 Socket / E-ATX Form Factor / 4x DDR5 DIMM Slots / Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000/ 8000/ 7000 Series Desktop Processors / 911-7E48-001

R33999.00In Stock

ASRock B850 Steel Legend WIFI AMD Ryzen Motherboard / Supports AMD Socket AM5 Ryzen™ 9000, 8000 and 7000 Series Processors / AMD B850 Chipset / USB4 Type-C (10Gbps) Connectivity / 90-MXBQS0-A0UAYZ

R4699.00In Stock

ASRock X870 Steel Legend WIFI AMD Ryzen Motherboard / Supports AMD Socket AM5 Ryzen™ 9000, 8000 and 7000 Series Processors / AMD X870 Chipset / USB4 Type-C (10Gbps) Connectivity / 90-MXBPJ0-A0UAYZ

R5999.00In Stock

Finding the Best Gaming Motherboard on a Budget

Let's be real, PC components in South Africa aren't cheap. The good news is you don't need to spend R10,000 on a motherboard to get a fantastic gaming experience. The key is to focus on the features you actually need. Do you plan to overclock? Do you need more than one or two M.2 SSD slots? Answering these questions can save you thousands.

For many builders, looking at the previous generation or focusing on the B-series chipsets offers the best bang for your buck. You can often find great value motherboards that deliver 95% of the performance of their high-end siblings for a fraction of the price. ✨

Key Features to Prioritise in 2024

When looking for the best gaming motherboard in South Africa this year, keep an eye on these features:

MSI PRO Z890-A Wi-Fi Intel Motherboard / ATX Motherboard / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 Socket / 4x DDR5 UDIMM Up to 256GB / Intel® Wi-Fi 7 / 911-7E32-004

R7899.00In Stock

MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE, E-ATX - Supports Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2), LGA 1851 - Dynamic Dashboard III, EZ Slide M.2, DDR5 (9200+ MT/s OC), M.2 & PCIe 5.0, Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7, 10G LAN / 911-7E21-002

R29999.00In Stock

MSI PRO B850M-A WIFI PZ AMD Motherboard / Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series / Dual Channel DDR5-8200+ (OC) / Direct 8+2+1 Power System (60A SPS) / Lightning Gen 5 x4 M.2 / 5G LAN & Wi-Fi 7 / 911-7E78-001

R4999.00In Stock

MSI PRO B850-P WIFI Motherboard, ATX - Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000 / 7000 Processors, AM5 - DDR5 Memory Boost (8200+ MT/s OC), PCIe 5.0 x16 & 4.0 x16, M.2 Gen5, Wi-Fi 7, 5G LAN / 911-7E56-002

R4599.00In Stock

MSI MPG X870E Edge TI WiFi Motherboard, ATX - Supports AMD Ryzen 9000/8000 / 7000 Processors, AM5-80A SPS VRM, DDR5 Memory Boost 8400+MT/s (OC), PCIe 5.0 x16, M.2 Gen5, Wi-Fi 7, 5G LAN / 911-7E59-001

R8999.00In Stock

ASRock X870 LiveMixer WiFi AMD Motherboard / Supports AMD Socket AM5 Ryzen™ 9000, 8000 and 7000 Series Processors / AMD X870 Chipset / PCIe Gen5 (Graphics, M.2) / Dual Channel DDR5 / 5G LAN & Wi-Fi 7 / 90-MXBTA0-A0UAYZ

R5599.00In Stock

Connectivity & I/O

Check the rear Input/Output panel. Ensure it has enough USB ports for your peripherals, including at least one high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) or Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) port for fast external drives. Onboard Wi-Fi 6E is also a massive plus for low-latency wireless gaming.

M.2 Slots

With game sizes ballooning, fast storage is essential. Look for a motherboard with at least two M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs. A board that includes heatsinks for these slots is even better, as it prevents your drives from thermal throttling during intense gaming sessions.

MSI B860 GAMING PLUS WIFI Motherboard, ATX - Supports Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2), LGA 1851 - DDR5 Memory Boost 8600+ MT/s (OC), PCIe 5.0 x16 x16, M.2 Gen5, Intel Killer 5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7 / 911-7E41-003

R5299.00In Stock

MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi Intel Motherboard / ATX Form Factor / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 CPU Socket / 4x DDR5 UDIMM Supporting up to 256GB / 911-7E32-003

R7999.00In Stock

MSI MEG Z890 ACE Intel Motherboard / LGA 1851 Socket / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / 4x DDR5 UDIMM Slots / ATX Form Factor / 911-7E22-001

R14199.00In Stock

MSI MEG Z890 UNIFY-X Intel Motherboard / LGA 1851 Socket / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / 2x DDR5 UDIMM Slots / ATX Form Factor / 911-7E20-001

R16299.00In Stock

ASRock Phantom Gaming Z890 Riptide Intel Motherboard / ATX Form Factor / Supports Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) / LGA 1851 CPU Socket / 4x DDR5 DIMM Supporting up to 256GB / 90-MXBPB0-A0UAYZ

R7699.00In Stock

MSI Pro B650M-B AMD Ryzen Motherboard / AMD Socket AM5 / AMD B650 Chipset / 2 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR5-6800+MHz (OC) /1x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot / 911-7E28-005

R2149.00In Stock

Memory Support (DDR5 vs. DDR4)

While AMD's AM5 platform is exclusively DDR5, Intel's LGA 1700 platform gives you a choice. DDR5 is faster and more future-proof, but DDR4 is cheaper and still offers excellent gaming performance. If you're on a tight budget, a DDR4 motherboard can be a smart way to save money without a significant real-world performance hit.