Best Motherboard For RTX 3060

ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS Micro-ATX

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: ASUS | CPU Socket: Socket AM4 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: AMD B550 | Memory speed: 4400 MHz

First of all, I am going to talk about the ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS. The B550M-Plus is a powerful and premium gaming motherboard with an excellent design and features for the RTX 2070.

In terms of chipset, this motherboard has the most advanced AMD B550, with support for multiple technologies such as PCIe 4.0, 2.5Gb LAN, BIOS Flashback, HDMI 2.1, USB 3.2 Gen2, not forget Aura Synch.

I am happy with the motherboard’s AMD DDR4 memory up to 4133 MHz, and you can overclock it up to 4400 MHz. And for cooling, it is equipped with two 120mm heat pipes and a fan controller.

The installation was simple, and I didn’t have to go through any hassle. Also, the BIOS was easy to update, and overclocking this one was not a problem for me, but I had trouble adjusting the GIIU. Also, I tried changing the fan curve using the BIOS, which was straightforward.

You can have the whole experience of overclocking on ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS and play any game smoothly. However, I won’t suggest doing so on your own because I think the GIU here is somewhat sloppy and can pose some possible threats.

Another reason why I would not suggest this one for overclocking because the B550M lacks a temperature sensor. So, you won’t be able to know what temperature your system has, and you might end up with a fried motherboard.

Additionally, the WIFI here is robust, and the built is solid. But I didn’t like that the price for a Micro ATX motherboard must not be this high. Also, the utility software was clumsy, but it didn’t bother me much.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

ASUS TUF Gaming B550M-PLUS is one of the best motherboards in the market at its price. This motherboard is fully equipped with enough features to satisfy most users. But here, the price shocked me as I will not pay this much for a micro ATX board. Also, the utility software might be off for some.

GIGABYTE X570 AORUS Master

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: GIGABYTE | CPU Socket: AM4 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: X570 | Memory speed: 4400 MHz

If you guys are into high-end components, I suggest you go for the Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master. GIGABYTE motherboard is known for its high-quality design and durability that can easily withstand the rigors of daily PC usage.

They are built with reliable components, such as fast DDR4 memory, a robust chipset, and various onboard audio. As such, this is what the advertisers have claimed, and I will put this all to the test of whether it is the best high-end motherboard for RTX 3060.

This motherboard has an all-new design, using a new high-end Intel X570 chipset. It has many unique technologies that will improve your experience on the computer.

The price might be premium, but that doesn’t mean it is hyped for nothing. Here the motherboard has Dual Ethernet with one 2.5 GbE. Next, the motherboard comes with Wi-Fi 6 built-in, which gives some of the best internet connections, and there were no connectivity issues altogether.

One thing that I liked the most here was the three long PCIe and M.2 slots. And the most exciting part here was that both ports are enabled simultaneously. Apart from this, the motherboard has triple PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots along with heatsinks; not going to regret my purchase any soon!

I had zero issues installing the motherboard into my case; the utility software was also straightforward. However, guys, the BIOS here was trash! After updating, it started to act as expected, but before that, they messed it up, and beginners would have difficulty adjusting to it.

Overclocking this one worked well for me because, guys, let’s be honest, there is no such thing that you cannot overclock a high-end motherboard. Even after overclocking, the system worked fine, and I had a food time. And the temperature during all this time was stable, so I had zero issues.

Now some of the things that I didn’t like were the steel back and the sky-high price. Additionally, only four SATA ports are available when the third M.2 is occupied, and I am paying this much to have such weird issues. That is not acceptable!

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

If you are looking for a gaming motherboard that can handle extreme performance, the GIGABYTE X570 AORUS Master is the right choice. It includes an innovative and powerful Intel X570 chipset that can handle all of your games with fantastic performance. But guys, honestly, I will not pay this much premium price until and unless I am a professional gamer or I want to future-proof my system!

ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WiFi 6E

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: ASUS | CPU Socket: LGA 1200 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: Intel Z590 | Memory speed: 5333 MHz

Now coming towards my favorite pick, that is the ASUS STRIX Z590-E. I love this one because it is a powerful motherboard for the RTX 3060 graphics cards. It combines high performance and quality design with exclusive features that help gamers get more from their hardware at a very reasonable price.

With features such as PCIe 4.0, 14+2 power stages, DDR4 5333+, Intel 2.5 Gb LAN, Thunderbolt 4, and 4xM.2/NVMe SSD, gamers will enjoy increased compatibility and flexibility. At the same time, overclocking enthusiasts can take full advantage of the onboard GPU Boost 2.0 with up to 4K@60Hz and variable fan control.

The installation was easy for me, and I had zero issues with that. However, the driver’s installation had some issues, like it crashed every time I updated it, but after several reboots, it went OK.

Overclocking here is fantabulous as I overclocked my system at 5.1 GHz, and guys, the experience was literally out of the world. And If you guys are wondering about the temperature at this overclocking frequency, then let me tell you all this time, the system was running stable at 40-50 degrees Celsius, as cold as ice!

I liked the BIOS part, and there was no issue here, except after some time, It started to show bugs. But as soon as I upgraded the BIOS, everything worked fine, and I had no issue with it further.

The exclusive ASUS Aura Sync RGB lighting offers unlimited lighting customization options to perfectly complement your style and gaming setup. The Strix Z590 supports up to 128 GB of DDR4-5333 memory on all 4 DIMM sockets for a max of 128GB of ultra-fast, ultra-efficient, and mighty RAM.

Whether you play games or stream videos, the Strix Z590 can take on more, faster, and smoother than ever before. Now let’s talk about the things I liked the least on the Z590.

There were no hybrid fans, which made me worried about whether the cooling would be effective in the long run or not. Another shortcoming I came across was no single slot PCIe export, but then I am happy with the performance; anyways, what will I do with hundreds of slots?

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

The Z590-E is the best motherboard for the RTX 3060 series. It is the most accessible motherboard to install and the best for gaming. I am getting this one for personal use because plenty of valuable features aren’t available elsewhere at this price.

MSI MPG Z590M Gaming Edge WiFi Gaming Motherboard

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: MSI | CPU Socket: LGA 1200 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: Z590 | Memory speed: 5333 MHz

If you want to make the most out of your purchase, get the MSI MPG Z590M, as it is one of the best-value motherboards for RTX 3060. The latest Intel Z590 chipset and PCIe 4.0 architecture mean Z590 chipsets bring you up to speed and new features.

The Z590 chipset offers the most comprehensive networking solution and the best support for next-generation USB and Thunderbolt technologies. Plus, it’s fully compatible with the LGA 1200 socket, allowing for a wide range of compatibility options.

This motherboard is suitable for any Intel 4th Generation Core Processor CPUs with a maximum speed of up to 2.9 GHz. You will be able to install DDR4 modules of up to 5333MHz frequency, which will help you improve the performance of your computer.

This motherboard has four USB 3.2 ports, one PCI-E 4.0 slot, and four M.2 slots. It is designed to ensure that you are getting maximum performance from your PC, with MSI’s exclusive technologies and exclusive features, including an integrated dual-BIOS system and a full array of onboard connectivity to support multi-tasking on multiple devices.

The installation is so easy that even novice beginners can try their hands over it. I had no issue installing it, and I am sure you will have no problems during the installation process.

Overclocking here is just excellent and works well too. Even though this is the best budget motherboard for RTX 3060, the overclocking isn’t something you might dislike.

But I would not suggest overclocking this one because it would be simply overkilling. It has some decent cooling effect, but I will not have this for overclocking in the long run. Let me briefly review what I did to give you guys a rough estimate about the overclocking part.

So I tried overclocking the system, but it wasn’t going beyond 2800MHz. After many trials and errors, I could reach the full 3600MHz, but it failed to boost and lowered to 2800MHz again. In short, guys, this motherboard is a no-no for overclocking.

But guys, BIOS here was a big turnoff, I know it is a budget board, but seriously the BIOS had some messed up issues. I might say no to this board because of the BIOS because I don’t want some messed-up issues every time I open up the BIOS.

Some things that I didn’t like here were the glitch BIOS and its failure to not overclock beyond 2800MHz. But guys, it is a budget motherboard, and you expect it to have those shortcomings. I also realized that the fan headers were somehow limited and would be increased in the future.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

Overall I like the MSI Z590 Gaming edge; it might not be suitable for overclockers and running under heavy load, but it is still worth the performance. Remember that this motherboard has limited fan headers, and the BIOS is annoying too but is alright for your daily tasks.

MSI MPG X570 GAMING PLUS Motherboard

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: MSI | CPU Socket: AM4 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: AMD 570X | Memory speed: 2666 MHz

Getting a motherboard with a limited budget might not be an easy task. However, you don’t have to worry as I have brought a motherboard according to every user’s needs.

The X570 gaming motherboard is designed for gamers with high-end hardware requirements at an affordable price. It supports the latest processors and has multiple PCI Express lanes.

With tons of onboard features, including USB 3.2 Gen 2, HDMI, and SATA 6Gb/s, this board gives you everything you need for gaming, overclocking, and more. This motherboard supports up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM for smoother gaming and overclocking capability.

It also includes 6 SATA 6 Gbps ports for more storage space and a dual-channel RAID solution for faster data transfer rates and improved data security. It combines to provide an unbeatable platform for the best PC experience!

Installation was pretty simple, and thankfully the I/O shield came pre-installed, so I was delighted with the build and had no issue assembling it. But as usual, the BIOS here was trash because this is a budget motherboard, and you can expect it to perform this way.

Now for overclocking, I would not suggest heavy overclocking here; you can attempt to do it up to some minor extent but not high. The thing here was that the motherboard has an 8+2 VRM that might not be the proper setup for heavy overclocking.

However, I tried at 3.1 GHz, but I wasn’t happy. Also, the temperature with and without overclocking wasn’t high and remained idle. But I didn’t overclock it to the high potential, so I can’t claim much!

I didn’t find anything odd here; everything was fine except that the BIOS didn’t work for me. Like it was zero, and that means that I wasn’t able to overclock the system as well.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

The MSI MPG X570 is a good one if you are on a strict budget and want a Dual M.2 Gaming motherboard. But guys one thing, if you are thinking about getting it overclocked then this might not be the right deal for you because the BIOS actually gave me a headache.

Asus PRIME B560-PLUS

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: ASUS | CPU Socket: LGA 1200 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: B560 | Memory speed: 4600 MHz

I have another option for those who don’t want to splurge into more than $120. Here is the Asus Prime B560 Plus, which I found to be a value-priced motherboard with an AMD Socket AM1+ processor socket and DDR4-4600 support.

There is a mid-tier motherboard that would not have fancy features like the one with the high-end motherboards, but it does have many decent features that I believe would get along with the RTX 3060.

Before I dig into the tests and results, I would like to share some of the quicks specs of the B560 Plus. Here the B560 has PCIe 4.0, 2xM.2 slots, 8 Power stages, 1 Gb LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and thunderbolt four support.

Another thing that I liked the most here was the VRM heatsink. Not only this, but it also has a flexible M.2 heatsink, and hybrid fan headers that I am sure will help in quick heat dissipation. But I will leave that part to the results.

The installation part sucked; also, there was no installation guide, so it would be tricky for beginners to install it. BIOS was somehow stable, and if you guys ever have any issue with that, you can update it to have it run smoothly.

Guys, this is not the motherboard for overclocking. It is a decent motherboard with all the features one would be looking forward to, but it is clearly not suitable for overclocking.

The reason for not getting overclocked is that it comes with a B560 chipset; if you want to overclock it, go for the Z590 chipset. However, despite being unable to overclock, I found this one good at gaming without glitches or bugs.

I couldn’t understand the temperature because the software it came with lacked VRM temperature. Or there are chances that the board lacks temperature sensors. But as far as I am not overclocking it, I guess the temperature would be acceptable.

However, under load, I noticed that the motherboard started to rise in temperature. I had to take help from my Noctua CPU cooler here, but still, at this price point, I can expect this problem.

Now coming towards one drawback that I am not a fan of. So, the PCIe 4.0 only works with the 11th Gen Intel processors. It was a massive disappointment, but it did the work for me.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

The Asus PRIME B560 Plus can be your best choice for the best budget gaming performance. It supports all of the latest processors with full-speed support. The Gigabit LAN port is excellent for a LAN gaming connection. But guys, it does have some shortcomings, like it is not for overclocking, and the PCIe would have some issues on the Intel 10^th Gen processor. So be mindful beforehand of purchasing the B5560 Plus.

Gigabyte Z690 UD DDR4

SPECIFICATIONS

Brand: GIGABYTE | CPU Socket: LGA 1700 | RAM memory technology: DDR4 | Chipset type: Intel Z690 | Memory speed: 5333 MHz

Gigabyte has developed the new Intel Z690 UD DDR4 motherboard with the latest Intel chipset and a powerful CPU, allowing for an incredible performance boost for your gaming PC.

It is one of the best DDR4 motherboards for the RTX 3060 and is based on the 4th generation of the Intel chipset family and supports the latest 6th Generation Intel Core processors with Z690 Chipset.

The new Z690 UD DDR4 motherboards provide better performance and energy efficiency, enhanced sound quality, and aesthetics. They are designed for high-performance computing, graphics, data center applications, multimedia, and enthusiast use cases.

However, if I compare it to the DDR5 version of this motherboard, I would say it works much better. Also, you have to pay the same amount for the DDR4 version, so why not go for the newer version and have better performance?

In terms of the installation part, it was easy to understand, and I had a good time at it. Overclocking was in decent form, and the MOSFET cooling performance provided efficient cooling effects.

The Z690 offers excellent overclocking headroom and is perfect for high-end builds with multiple storage devices, a large processor, and a cooling fan. Each features advanced onboard technologies like XMP 2.0, C-States, and PCIe Gen 3 for unmatched compatibility and speed.

One thing that bothered me was the audio solution over this motherboard. It was the most annoying feature of this board, and I hope the manufacturers will take care of it in the future.

Also, the BIOS worked well, but one thing that I didn’t understand was the incompatibility with various memory sticks. The motherboard doesn’t have any XMP profile, but I wasn’t expecting this massive bummer at this price. The Wi-Fi board was also missing, and the number of headers wasn’t OK here either.

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THIS MOTHERBOARD?

The GIGABYTE Z690 series motherboards are engineered to provide professional-level performance in various environments, from gaming to high-performance computing. Everything is excellent, but at this price tag, the absence of a Wi-Fi board was somehow annoying, and I also expected to have more fan headers here.