What motherboard does 12th GEN need?

What motherboard does 12th GEN need? Motherboards are often the most important components in a PC, so it’s important to choose one that fits the needs of your computer and your budget. The latest generation of Intel CPUs, known as 12th GEN, has just been released, along with the corresponding motherboards from major manufacturers like MSI and Asus. These boards offer plenty of exciting new features, but you should only buy one if you have one of these 12th GEN processors already or plan to get one soon after buying the motherboard.

Everything you should consider before picking a motherboard

The motherboard, or mobo, is one of (if not) THE most important components in your computer. There are many different features you should consider when selecting a motherboard—such as form factor and chipset—but these will depend on what you plan on using your computer for. If you just want a machine that can browse Reddit and edit spreadsheets, you may be happy with an i3 processor and integrated graphics; if you're playing games or editing 4K video, you'll want at least an i5 processor with a discrete graphics card. It's all about prioritizing what matters most to your use case. Luckily for PC builders, there are lots of great resources available to help with research!

12th GEN Motherboard: What You Need to Know

Things to look for in a microprocessor, memory, graphics card and other components

If you want to game on a laptop, be sure your graphics card has a decent amount of VRAM. A good minimum is 4GB, although 8GB or more would be ideal. A laptop with a powerful processor and graphics card will be able to handle gaming and other tasks easily, allowing you to play games on high settings while working at home or while traveling. Also look for storage with as much storage as possible (1TB/8GB SSD and 1TB HDD are ideal). If you need anything extra such as a display, consider getting an external one—you can connect most laptops using their HDMI port. See our best laptops for college students list for more info!

The 3 best motherboards for your new PC build

#1 is ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero - Supporting multiple GPUs, up to 32GB of RAM, up to 4 SATA ports, and more -- you'll be able to get more out of your build than ever before. #2 is Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Elite - The cheapest option on our list is just as impressive as ASUS' high-end model! It supports multiple graphics cards, can hold up to 8 hard drives (your media collection will never be clunky again), and it even comes with RGB support. #3 is MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Plus - While it doesn't come with a bunch of bells and whistles like ASUS or Gigabyte's offerings, it also costs significantly less money.

How to pick the best GPU, CPU or RAM upgrade

The most important thing you can do when picking a new piece of hardware is know exactly what you need it for. While your smartphone's CPU can't double as a graphics card, with a desktop, that's usually not an issue. You don't need a six-core CPU if you're just trying to make spreadsheets and stream Netflix in HD; instead, look for an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 chip. But even if gaming isn't your thing, having one less core could save you money. Likewise, if streaming is what you'll use your computer for mostly, opting for AMD Ryzen 3—which has four cores but doesn't come at as high of a price—isn't such a bad idea after all.

Common issues when building your own PC

Building your own PC can be a fulfilling and fun experience—but it's often not as simple as snapping together components. There are issues related to storage, memory, graphics cards, power supplies and other components that crop up from time to time.

Before you head out shopping for your next PC, make sure you know what parts need special consideration. Here are some common issues with PC building: 1. Too Much VRAM - Graphics cards in 2019 support 8GB of VRAM, but that doesn't mean you should automatically load up on memory when purchasing one for your new PC build—or even upgrade an older card's RAM if you're updating a recent purchase.