Entertainment has become much more than our ancestors could imagine and now it has reached stages of VR or Virtual Reality. It is a simulated experience that can be either similar or different from our world. Even though widely known to be used for the best motherboard for VR is also used for education or business purposes such as medical or flight training and virtual meetings.
This opens new limits to reach with the components behind it, for example, the audio, video card, RAM, PCIe, and the topic discussed today, motherboards. With VR some minimum PC requirements must be met to give the user the desired environment. Even though for each case the requirements are different today let us focus on what these 5 perfect motherboards for VR have to offer when it comes to VR.
Here Is The List of The Top 5 Best Motherboard for VR
If in any case, you are looking for a quick read on the five products, here is a summarized version of what the products have to offer.
- ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS Motherboard
- MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK Gaming Motherboard
- Asus Prime Z390-A Motherboard LGA1151
- GIGABYTE B365M DS3H A/DDR4/Motherboard)
- ASUS B250 MINING EXPERT LGA1151 ATX Motherboard
Now let us get into the full details on these five products!
General: As well as being one of the more recently released products in this list, the motherboard is on the more premium micro ATX products offered in the AM4 platform. With 8 + 2 DrMOS and Fan Xpert, this brings a lot to the table. This comes with excellent features and a bonus of RGB lighting. Find details on this below!
So, This Asus branded motherboard for AMD Socket AM4 is ofRyzen’s third generation. Being first available during June of 2020, this motherboard is one of the more premium micro ATX offered in the AM4 platform. Something to note with this product is that the user should make sure when installing a compatible Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 series CPU and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen CPU, to have their BIOS up to date.
Architecture: With power stages that are DrMOS, fine alloy chokes as well as long-life capacitors, the motherboard provides reliability and power like nothing else. The board also contains a no-fan VRM, in fact, it has more than just one hybrid fan header. Additionally, it comes with a Fan Xpert 4 to manage the fan speed and a chipset heatsink.
Features: There is 2.5 G LAN including ASUS LANGuard with support for HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.2 output, and dual M.2 slots, one with PCIe 4.0 connectivity. The SupremeFX A1220A codec audio from Sonic Studio III with DTS Sound unbound gives a gamer the best quality and crisp sound with excellent AI noise-canceling mic technology. This also has DDR4 RAM with 128 BG of storage capacity and 4400 MHz memory speed.
Additional Information: To those who think that this offers a great deal to the table, there is more. If you are looking for an aesthetic set up with a clear case this board has the ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting with Gen 2 addressable RGB header.
Pros:
- Games run smoothly with this CPU. We faced 0 difficulties while playing games on this CPU.
- Unlike older versions of CPUs, this CPU is compatible with VR technologies.
- This CPU runs 3D model games easily.
- You can do multitask with this CPU. Such as browsing videos and playing games, and listening to music while playing games.
Cons:
- Without a casing that has good airflow, the motherboard can get pretty hot. Make sure to invest in a casing that is built to keep everything cool.
General: Released in June of 2020, this MSI brand CPU Socket AM4 is of AMD 3rd Generation Ryzen. Something to know about this motherboard is that only Ryzen 300 series non-APU Desktop processors are supported, as well as the upcoming Zen 3 Ryzen 4000 series processors. This gives it forward compatibility.
Also released in 2020, this motherboard has a reliable and durable architecture with thick PCIe covers and aluminum material. It specializes in fast feedback with its shield Frozr and Lightning Gen2, both M.2. With its 16.8 million color options and 29 different effects, you can never have a setup color mismatch. More on this below!
Architecture: The motherboard comes with an onboard dual LAN of 2.5 G just like the product mentioned before and an extra Gigabit LAN. It features mystic RGB lighting with extendable pin headers. With an audio boost, the user can experience a studio-grade quality of sound for an immersive experience with editing, gaming, or simply for watching movies.
The motherboard also ensures durability with its aluminum cover and additional choke thermal pad that is rated 7 W/mk. It also comes with a PCB with 2 ounces thick cover.
Features: The motherboard has support for dual-channel DDR4 memory with up to 128 GB of memory and 4866 MHz of memory speed. The PCIe version 4.0, along with Lightning Gen 4 M.2 with M.2 Shield Frozr gives a gamer the fast feedback they desire. The product also comes with AMD Turbo USB 3.2 Gen 2.
Additional Information: The RGB light mentioned before has 16.8 million options of color and 29 effects, guaranteeing you will always find the color you have a mood for or that matched your scheme. The reviews on this continue to be quite positive and show customer satisfaction. It is known to be a great board with excellent quality at its pricing. For an upcoming VR gamer, this can be considered the best motherboard.
Pros:
- For a motherboard that is under $200, this deal is a steal of a dime.
- This motherboard can handle heavy games easily.
- Easy overclocking is a gamer’s best dream. With this motherboard that is possible.
- With the extensive RAM QVL list, this motherboard comes with major positivity for Ryzen computer builds.
- VR games run smoothly with this motherboard.
Cons:
- Without decent airflow, the motherboard can get very hot. We suggest buying a casing that has a good airflow mechanism.
General: This is one of the more previously released products on this list. However, you can rest assured that this will be compatible with your Intel 8th and 9th generation processors, whether that is core i3, i5, or i7. With its hardware-level safeguards, this thing gives you durability like nothing else. The features on it provide the end-user with DRAM overclocking stability. Find more details below.
Released in October of 2018, this ASUS motherboard is of socket LGA 1151 and compatible with both the 9thgeneration and 8th generation of Intel Core i7, i5, and i3 processors.
Architecture: Its M.2, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and ASUS Optimum II altogether provide fast connectivity and high-class DRAM overclocking stability. The product has grade three protection safeguards that are built hardware level, with Safe Slot Core and LAN Guard which gives it a longevity factor. With a feature such as over-voltage protection, the user can rest assured that there will be fewer chances of a fire hazard.
The Fan Xpert 4 provides advanced fan control so that the motherboard can stay cool with dynamic system cooling. It also has Safe Slot Core guarded PCIe slots so that any potential damage from heavyweight GPUs can be prevented.
Features: The PCIe graphics card interface gives the user a comfortable visual experience. It has 4 memory slots available with 2400 MHz of memory speed and 802.11ac wireless type. The motherboard has HD gaming audio with 8 channels which give a surrounding sound effect and feature HD audio with Realtek ALC887 which gives the gamer a realistic sound experience.
Additional Information: The product has features that make it a good solution for a gaming or video editing studio. This board also supports the ASUS 5 way optimization, with smart prediction and thermal telemetry it can automatically create an overclock that otherwise takes the average person-days to produce.
Pros:
- This motherboard is compatible with the FPS games this generation is obsessed with.
- It is very easy to assemble the motherboard.
- This motherboard can handle GPUs very well.
- Also, if you are a multitasker, the motherboard is capable of keeping everything under load while you do so.
- Overclocking won’t be an issue with this motherboard.
- VR games run smoothly with this motherboard.
Cons:
- Just like every motherboard you need a casing that has decent airflow.
General: Great value for the buck. This 2019 motherboard is built with hybrid digital PWM architecture so that critical features are automatically tweaked for the best performance. A remarkable feature of it is smart prediction and thermal telemetry, this does all the overclocking work so that the user can rest. Great purchase for a beginner or even someone who is looking for efficiency. For more details read below.
Released in September of 2019 this Gigabyte motherboard is liked by many for how much it provides at a low price point. It is of socket type LGA 1151 and has support for 8th and 9th generations of Intel core processors.
Architecture: The chipset type is Intel B365 and has a memory speed of 2666 MHz. This B365M DS3h series motherboard has a memory storage capacity of 64 GB and a maximum RAM size of 64 GB. Having dual-channel non-ECC buffered DDR4, this is capable of handling a large number of chips on the board.
It is uniquely designed with a new hybrid digital PWM architecture so that crucial parameters such as frequency, output voltage, and loop gain can be switched accordingly at a fast pace. The ultra-fast M.2 with PCIe Gen 3 and its 4 SATA interfaces ensures fast feedback with ease of use.
Features: The motherboard sports high-quality audio capacitors to make sure the user is greeted with smoothed-out peaks in the music from the amplifier without producing a flat sound. It also has an audio noise guard to isolate noise pollution. There is LED trace path lighting to give the consumer options when it comes to the looks and visual appeal of their setup.
Additional Information: The reviews on this are pretty much 50-50, with some consumers overly excited to use it and even finding it exceeding their expectations while some believing this does not execute what they desire.
Pros:
- Another praiseworthy motherboard for gaming. From many gamers, we got many good features of this motherboard.
- Used by many professional gamers
- Overclocking is very easy due to available tools.
- Compatible with new GPUs
- Handles games like no big deal.
- VR games run smoothly with this motherboard.
Cons:
- Have someone to assist you. For new PC builders, it might be tough to assemble this motherboard.
General: The most eye-catching feature of this product is its 19 PCIe slots that label it in the market as a money saver since this product alone does the job for 4 to 5 motherboards containing fewer slots. The built-in software also adds the bonus of being able to see the working lanes.
This ASUS branded motherboard with socket LGA 1151 was released in September of 2019. It is known in the market for the number of graphics card slots.
Architecture: With a chipset type of Intel B250, this motherboard belongs to the B250 Mining Expert series. It has a 24 pin main power connector with 1024 MB of memory storage capacity and 2133 MHz memory speed. To decrease connectivity delay, it has USB 3.1 of Gen 1. The DDR4 RAM runs up to 32 GB and the product comes with Intel Gigabit LAN.
The biggest advantage that comes with this motherboard is the efficiency and cost-saving it provides with 19 PCIe slots. For the average mining computer it would require multiple motherboards but this product, single-handedly, gets the job done. Its triple ATX with 12-volt power delivery isolates the 19 PCIe slots within groups of 3, where each of those groups has a devoted 24 pin that ensures power and performance.
Features: With a large number of PCIe slots when one is damaged, how do you detect it manually? Test them one by one? The answer is no. With PCIe Slot State Detection the motherboard gives you a real-time indication of the status is of each GPU in the rig. Makes life a lot easier.
The board also comes with a safe Slot Core and has 5 times the Protection-III safeguards (hardware level) to give the user a long-lasting and reliable product. Its LAN Guard and overvoltage protection ensure the user’s safety and product durability. The voltage stabilization capacitors provide a safety net with steady voltage from the power supply units to the GPUs.
Additional Information: A large number of PCIe slots and the built-in software to show the working lanes give this a huge popularity boost in the market. As well as being a great mining motherboard these features make this product the best ASUS motherboard for VR or the best motherboard for VR PC.
Pros:
- Compatible for new generation GPUs
- The best motherboard for mining is here for you with this purchase
- Performs well when it comes to playing heavier games.
- Easy to assemble. You won’t spend much time assembling this motherboard.
- VR games run smoothly with this motherboard.
Cons:
- Just like every motherboard, invest in a good casing that has a good airflow system.
Ways to Maintain Your Motherboard
After you buy a motherboard you could be asking yourself, how do I keep my motherboard clean? Or, how do I maintain it for longer use? Well, here are the answers.
Protect from power surges: To keep your motherboard protected from electrical spikes, you can get a good quality surge protector so that the effects are neutralized. In most cases the motherboard tweaks its voltage to prepare for small power surges, a big one, however, can damage not just the motherboard but all other components it is connected to.
Clean occasionally: It is good practice and recommended by professionals that you open up your computer and clean the parts, including the motherboard every three to six months. To clean the motherboard properly, first, the cover should be removed. Then you can get the dust off with a can of compressed air.
If this still does not the rid of the caked-on dust, get a brush to clean it and then hit it again with the compressed air. For a deeper clean you can get a cotton swap with rubbing alcohol and gently go over it. Make sure that you air dry the motherboard completely before putting your components back together and powering it up.
What to Look For:
The Best Motherboard For VR Gaming Buyer’s Guide: We know that choosing and buying a product, which in this case is a motherboard, can be hard sometimes. So here are a few tips you can read before getting a motherboard.
Research and know the terms: Read around and see what you can find about different motherboards in the market and what they have to offer. Know the terms so that when you go to the shops or read the description under the product online, you will know what they are talking about and not get confused.
Take notes: While researching write down what you would like to have on your motherboard. Could be the smallest of details such as RGB lighting, or even the biggest such as the number of PCIe slots, it does not matter. These are your opinions that count.
When going to ask professionals or tech employees show them the options you would like to have. Tell them even if you want the best x370 motherboard for VR that they have, and you will find it! With such a vast market you are bound to find something that fits your needs like a glove.
Read your VR requirements: Whether you are getting a new VR or already own one, read the requirements. For most VR developers, especially headsets, companies such as Oculus, Valve, HTC, etc. provide the recommended specifications. Although very much similar, they still have key differences that you might want to read before buying a motherboard. That way they will fit and function together perfectly.
Ask: Most of the time people behind the shop counters are more than happy to help you out with whatever you need. So ask away! Ask for recommendations on the pair-up of VR’s and motherboards. Let them know what your main priorities are and let them advise you. They have been in this department for long enough to know about a lot that you may not. Their experiences with customer feedback and satisfaction will help you massively.
FAQs
Will these motherboards come with cables?
Most are supposed to, yes. However, just to be sure you can go to the websites by clicking on “Click here to buy” under each of these products and look at what the shipment will include.
If the motherboard is compatible with DDR4, will it also support DDR3?
No, they will not. Motherboards that support DDR4, are not compatible with DDR3.
What is most likely to damage the motherboard?
The common causes behind motherboard damage are electrical jolts, extreme heat, and physical damage. You can find a way to protect your motherboard above.
How often should I clean the motherboard?
It is ideal to clean it every three to six months. Details on how to clean it are mentioned above.
Final Verdict
For an average person, the best VR motherboard can last them a long time before they change or damage it. An important purchase as such that will be a staple in your setup can be as exciting as nerve-racking.
So we understand when you are taking your time before going to a shop and finalizing a deal on one specific product. Hopefully, this written piece will help you out during your experience, give you the product that fits your needs, and some tips on how to maintain it.