Why Are Motherboards So Expensive? Explained!

Why are motherboards so expensive? It is significant to know what motherboard you require before purchasing the computers because they can differ in cost from cheap to pricey depending on what you require.

Motherboards are pretty pricey because they need to serve a lot of diverse parts and features. If you also do not know the factors and logic behind high motherboard costs, then you’re at the right spot.

Because in this guide, we’ll be talking about every viewpoint of why motherboard costs are really high; and should you pick an expensive motherboard? The ultimate objective of this guide is to clear all the doubts regarding hefty motherboard costs etc.

Why Does The Cost Of Motherboards Rise?

Right now, what motherboard type to purchase has become an issue; if you already know which gen you desire to purchase, it’s simple to pick a processor, and then the choices will be limited to its compatible chipsets. 

For instance, if you pick an Intel platform, you know that the Intel H series is the basic, the B one is the middle-range, and the Z series is the highest. But with all and with that, what board should you purchase? Why’s there so much difference in cost?

• The Characteristics Of The Manufacturers:

The most recognized brands like Gigabyte or ASUS frequently have their own characteristics for differentiating themselves from their counterparts and for increasing the incentives for the purchase. 

For instance, your own software to overclock or monitor for which you also have to integrate sensors, RGB lighting in the logos, OLED/LED panels, or direct compatibility with the custom liquid cooling systems.

The improvement of all that also has a certain price that logically they try to amortize when they sell the different products, and clearly, it’s something that they slowly incorporate the greater the range of the board.

• More Quality And Better Materials In General:

The high-end board frequently has better material options, like the ten-layer PCB for having improved stability in terms of electrical connections or for integrating insulation for your audio chip, it has a better and more Voltage Regulator Module for the RAM and/or processor, and in this regard, there are companies that even say that they choose the parts by hand for ensuring they have the top quality.

It also influences the performance, as a board with better Voltage Regulator Modules can support a higher overclocking level in both memory and processor. For instance, it would not make much sense to purchase a higher-end board with amazing overclocking capabilities and make use of a processor that does not even support overclocking, right?

Similarly, the high-end boards frequently provide better heatsinks for chipsets and/or Voltage Regulator Modules, something that also influences the equipment performance and its longevity by maintaining better operating temps.

Logically, the usage of better materials also adds to the manufacturing price, both in terms of raw materials and in the plate construction itself, since it’ll have to make use of complete and more complex systems.

• More Expansion Choices And Richer Interface:

The board is like the computer’s nervous system: it’s where everything is attached and therefore what communicates all the parts with one another, so it’s a rather great significance in terms of the PC performance.

The number of interfaces you’ve got influences how much hardware can be attached to it directly, and we’re no longer discussing just the number of USB ports or the number of PCIe sockets you’ve got, but their speed and generation. 

It’s one of the most apparent disparities between the high-end motherboard and an entry-level one, for instance. PCIe slots are mainly utilized for connecting graphics cards, but also for the sound cards and, generally, all sorts of expansion cards, so they’re a point to contemplate relying on the use that you’re gonna give to your equipment. 

The same goes for the number of USB and SATA ports, but there’s another thing to contemplate here, and that’s the controller. Likewise, expansion and connectivity choices also influence, for instance, the amount of RAM and speed with which your board is compatible, whether or not it can support the new SSDs M.2 format, and if it can support that, they’re PCI Express NVMe or only SATA.

The generation and speed of all such ports will determine the performance, both in total value and in terms of bandwidth, for connecting as many devices as we require. In simple words, the higher-end boards have better and more connectivity, and it’s something that influences the cost of a motherboard.

Is A Pricey Motherboard Really Worth It? Which Features And Advantages Do You Get By Buying A More Expensive Board? 

It’s a question that a lot of individuals have asked. With the new launch of Coffee Lake processors by Intel, the answer to it becomes more difficult. Motherboards are the foundation of the computer. 

The pricier the board, the better they’ll perform overall with additional capacity for future upgrades, but you have to contemplate how much power you require and not only the cost that actually comes with it.

If you’re making a PC to work on projects, explore or create heavier programs such as 3D modeling, video editing, or building an ideal workstation, then you ought to buy a high-quality motherboard that will allow the PC to run efficiently, smoothly, and for years to come because of the capabilities or extensive ports.

But if you’re creating a custom PC for personal requirements like playing lower graphic games or browsing social media platforms, investing more on a pricey board might not be worth it because you just desire the features that will optimize the performance for what you require it for.

In fact, a low-end motherboard will mostly be enough for the personal PC’s requirements. Therefore limiting yourself by pointless high-end specifications would not do anything but take additional cash without giving any additional advantage.

Advantages And Features Of An Expensive Motherboard:

A motherboard is the backbone of the digital PC. It has a lot of very important functions, including giving power to the other parts, controlling how information is transmitted between parts, and offering a central connection point for all components of the PC.

There are a lot of diverse types of motherboards accessible out there. The priciest boards are frequently created with top-quality materials and come with more features than low-priced motherboards. Such features can range from types of memory support to expansion slots to monitor output choices.

The costly boards can be extremely helpful for gamers because they offer additional space for the expansion cards, which allows you to connect things such as several sound cards and graphics cards for improving the gaming experience.

The pricey boards also frequently have top-quality audio outputs that provide you with better sound quality when watching movies or playing games. A few more advantages of costly motherboards are:

• Drive bays for secondary memory such as HDD and SSD increased
• Top-quality capacitors, and chokes on the Voltage Regulator Module section of the board
• Have several slots for the main memory
• Overclocking limit has been improved
• Additional SATA Express and M.2 SSD slots
• Wi-Fi support on your motherboard
• Most recent standard and type of USB and Ethernet
• Support for CrossFire or SLI
• A new performance standard has been added
• More and faster USB 3.1 ports
• Better construction quality averts PC overheating 
• More connection slots for power supply units
• Four Pins connector for the CPU fans

Where Should I Invest The Most Cash On When Creating A Computer, Motherboard, Or Some Other Component?

Diverse individuals will have diverse opinions on it, but according to professionals, the one thing you ought to invest the most cash on when creating a computer is your motherboard. A good motherboard is frequently pricey and offers vital functionality for the PC. 

It’s the motherboard that connects all the different parts of your PC, and it’s what the CPU will be plugged into and where the RAM will be located. In brief, the motherboard is essential for the stability and performance of your computer.

• Why Are The Intel Boards More Costly Than AMD?

The Intel boards are more costly than AMD because they offer a much better experience in terms of gaming as they come with a lower latency, high frame rate, and provide you with smoother Gameplay compared with the AMD motherboards, which gets users obsessed.

The board design tends to be more expensive because of the usage of the quality materials like glass-filled polymers. The Intel chipset is also extremely complex and needs a specialized procedure, resulting in higher building charges to guarantee reliability.

In fact, the Intel processors provide you with better performance in a somewhat higher cost range, while the AMD processors provide you with better performance in a rather low-cost range. That’s why Intel boards are much more expensive than any model made by their competitors.

• Why Are Mini ITX Boards Really Costly?

The miniITX boards are more costly than the full-sized regular motherboards that fit in micro and mini cabinet types. That’s because they are packed out with small parts which make up the bigger circuit board in the standard ATX Space.

One reason for this high cost is that the materials needed for building the miniITX boards are, certainly, more costly. Also, such materials also need more engineering to be made because of the small size, which denotes there are further charges incurred at each level throughout the development of the miniITX models.

All of such things have contributed to making these motherboards considerably more costly than the others, so they have to sell for a lot more cash for balancing out all of such expenses throughout production.

How Much To Pay For A Motherboard?

The average price of a board lies between 120 dollars and 300 dollars. Typically, the cost relies on the manufacturer and product features. Boards can be low-priced if they are manufactured with a low-quality processor.

A cheap processor can still complete the low-tech requirements, for example, the regular PC usage for writing or office work. If your requirements are rather high, you ought to spend money on a pricey model. For instance, you can expect to disburse an average price of 133 dollars when purchasing an ASRock motherboard.

MSI boards charge around 175 dollars, while Gigabyte products are about 221 dollars. ASUS is the most reliable and costly motherboard manufacturer, and you’ll end up disbursing an average cost of 255 dollars for such boards.

You might expect to find other models that have a high price too. The making procedure and features play an important role in the cost of a board; that is why ASUS’s models are quite pricey. Keep in mind that a few models can also go up to 500 dollars if they’re full of high-quality features. Be certain to check specs for understanding whether a board is worth your cash or not.

Should I Get A Cheap Motherboard?

The main aspect of buying anything new is knowing your requirements. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of getting a cheap component vs. a pricey one when purchasing a board. Comparing the features will assist you in picking the model that will offer you the top value for your cash.

A cheap board is typically created for fulfilling the requirements of a basic PC. Unluckily, it denotes you might not get maximum advantages when making use of your device for gaming or work.

Besides, cheap boards also lack useful features that improve the user experience. For example, overclocking support is common in a pricey motherboard only. It’s a feature that allows you to operate a processor at a higher frequency than the offered rating.

Typically, you ought to evade overclocking to stop damage to the device. It’s simple to evade overclocking with costly motherboards because they come with high support for tackling the problem. Meanwhile, the low-priced tools lack this feature and are more susceptible. That’s why they fail more frequently than the costly ones. Be certain to contemplate such factors when deciding.

Conclusion:

Motherboards are quite pricey for different reasons. This important PC component is expensive because it allows the device to switch on and has a complex design. Building a motherboard needs more labor and materials than the other PC components.

Also, unforeseen things like excessive demand, pandemics, chip shortage and other items can also add to the high price of boards. If you are planning to purchase a board, keep all such things in mind before buying.