Best Cheap Gaming Motherboards Under $100

Austin
| Last Updated: June 15, 2021

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Motherboards are easily one of the most important components of a gaming PC because they house both the CPU and the GPU, but they’re also one of the most confusing parts of a PC. Not only is it confusing for a beginner to try and figure out which motherboard will work with their CPU, it’s also hard to tell whether a motherboard is good or not.

What makes this even more critical is the fact that getting a bad motherboard can damage your other components, wasting hundreds of dollars. Rather than have you go through all that, we've put together a list of the best cheap gaming motherboards that will allow you to game on a budget.

Just so you know, all the motherboards on this list are under $100. If you’re trying to make a budget gaming PC build, then you really can’t go wrong with checking out our $350 cheap gaming PC build.

Some of you may not know, but depending on your CPU, you might need a certain type of motherboard, either an Intel or AMD. This list takes that into account by dividing it into two parts. 

Comparison of the Best Cheap Gaming Motherboards Under $100

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • 12 phase digital design
  • Versatile graphics support
  • Gaming LAN with bandwidth management
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  • Intel H110 chipset
  • Dual channel memory
  • Six different mounting options
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  • Premium grade hardware safeguards
  • Compatible with DDR4 memory
  • Fan Xpert 2+ built in fan control
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  • Versatile option for connectivity
  • x4 SATA 6GB/s connectors
  • Max resolutiion up to 1920x1200
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  • Built-in ATI Radeon HD 300 graphics capability
  • x1 Realtek Gbe LAN chip
  • Designed with hybrid EFI technology
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  • Real time bandwidth allocation control
  • Up to 170% in data transfer speed
  • Easy to access system
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Best Cheap Intel Gaming Motherboards

Important! Make sure your CPU and RAM are compatible with the motherboard before buying. We’ve included all the details you’ll need to help you in this. 

Gigabyte Z390 UD LGA1151

Intel motherboards are all pretty expensive, so if you go this route, be prepared to go with a Micro-ATX motherboard. In general, they are fine and can do most things a full motherboard can do, but they do limit upgrade options in the future. If you want to use dual graphics cards in the future, check out the AMD section.

Review of the Best Cheap Gaming Motherboards Under $100

1. Gigabyte Z390 UD LGA1151

  • Supports 9th and 8th Intel Core processors
  • Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs

CPU Socket Type: LGA1151
RAM: DDR4
Motherboard Type: ATX

If you’re looking for a motherboard that does it all for an affordable price, then the Gigabyte Z390 UD can’t be beaten. This motherboard supports up to 64 GBs of DDR4 RAM (more than enough for any game out there) with two slots available. You also get six SATA ports, which is something to think about. 

On top of all of those features, this CPU is also USB 3.0 compatible, which is ideal for anyone who uses their desktop, as a central hub for all their other devices. This will allow you to more efficiently use a USB 3.0 device and allow for a snappier experience. You end up getting six 3.0s and six 2.0s, allowing for more than enough USB Ports.

Even though we love this motherboard, we have a few issues with it. The first issue with this motherboard is the fact that it doesn’t support SLI (two Cards), but considering the price and the size of this motherboard, that’s something you’re going to have to accept. The other issue would be the fact that this motherboard has few options to help improve the experience when trying to overclock their CPU.

So if you’re looking for a motherboard for overclocking or SLI, then stay away from this, but for the rest of us, this motherboard will do just fine for gaming

Overall, there is little to complain about when it comes to the Z390 UD, as you are getting a very affordable motherboard that also brings with it features unseen with any other motherboard in its price range. If you’re looking for a gaming motherboard for around $50, this is the go-to pick.

2. MSI LGA 1151 Micro-ATX Motherboard H110M

  • LGA1151, supports 6th Generation Intel Core i7/ i5/ i3/ Pentium/ Celeron Processors
  • Chipset: Intel H110. SATA: 4x SATA3 Ports. Mounting features six mounting holes. PCI-e

CPU Socket Type: LGA1151
RAM: DDR4
Motherboard Type: Micro

If you’re looking for a motherboard made for gaming at a decent price, then this MSI motherboard is a good choice. If you don’t know, MSI makes some of the best computer components for gaming that you can get, and at this price range, this is the top pick for anyone who needs an LGA 1151 motherboard.

With the MSI H110 gaming motherboard, you’ll be getting a lot of features, but to save time, we'll just list the most important ones. You get four SATA 3 cables (amazing!) and also two RAM slots with a maximum of up to 32 Gbs (way overkill).  For a micro-ATX motherboard, you get fantastic features, especially when you consider the very affordable price, which alone would qualify it for this list, but that’s not even the main reason for including the H110.

One of the main reasons we love MSI motherboards is because of their BIOS. Unlike other BIOS which are very general, MSI specifically tailors their BIOS for gamers. This allows you to customize your gaming experience with ease and check on how hot your PC is running.

If you’re going to be doing any overclocking, then this motherboard is downright essential. With the amazing BIOS, you will be able to overclock with ease, turning a confusing process into something that can be done in a matter of seconds.

The only issue with the H110 is that there are no USB 3.0s, but considering all the other features and the excellent BIOS, it’s something most people can easily ignore. There’s also no SLI, but considering this is a micro motherboard, that’s to be expected.

So if you’re looking for an LGA 1151 motherboard specifically tailored to maximize your gaming experience, then the MSI H110 is an excellent choice.

3. ASUS H110M-A D3 DDR3 Micro Atx Motherboard

  • 5X Protection II - Advanced hardware safeguards for all-round protection
  • DDR4 memory compatibility

CPU Socket Type: LGA1151
RAM: DDR3/DDR3L
Motherboard Type: Micro

If you’re looking for an LGA1151 motherboard that won’t break the bank, but will get the job done, then the ASUS H110M-A is something you should check out. 

While the MSI Motherboard focuses on gaming features such as overclocking, the Asus H110M-A is a more well-rounded motherboard for general use.

One thing the ASUS H110M-A gets right is the amazing fan technology that allows for cooling and a silent gaming experience.

While the MSI’s BIOS is miles ahead of this ASUS motherboard, we still have to give them props for having a good BIOS that provides many options. Even if you do end up going with the H110M, you will still be getting solid software that’s more than worth the money.

One of the most surprising things the H110M brings to the table would have to be its incredible sound. This high-quality sound is due to its onboard sound card being vastly superior to its competition.

The only issue with this motherboard is that it’s just very small. Sure, it’s a Micro-ATX, but even among other micro motherboards, this thing is small and fitting a big GPU on it will make this CPU feel cramped. This motherboard also doesn’t allow SLI, but considering the price and type of motherboard, that’s to be expected.

When it comes down to it, the H110 is a very solid motherboard that is worth a good deal more than it’s currently selling for. If you are looking for a good motherboard with a lot of unique features for an affordable price, then it’s very easy to recommend the ASUS H110M-A.

Best Cheap AMD Gaming Motherboards

When it comes to AMD, in general, their motherboards are much more affordable than their Intel counterparts. Due to that, you’ll see a lot more Full-AMD ATX motherboards that support Crossfire (dual AMD graphics cards). So if you’re trying to stay on a budget, but would like to the ability to upgrade in the future, you should definitely consider going AMD.

4. Gigabyte AMD FM2+ GA-F2A68HM-H Motherboard

  • CPU socket: FM2+ Socket supports for AMD A series processors and AMD Athlon series processors
  • Memory DIMMs:2 x DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 64 GB of system memory Support for DDR3

CPU Socket Type: FM2+
RAM: DDR3
Motherboard Type: Micro

If you’re looking for an FM2+ motherboard, we suggest getting the Gigabyte GA-F2A68HM-H. Not only is it very affordable, it also comes with so many features at such a reasonable price that we had to recommend it. 

You get two RAM slots, which are more than enough for this type of motherboard. You also get four SATA 3 cables, which are a great value considering the incredible performance they offer, two USB 3.0s, and eight USB 2.0s! When you add all of this up, you get a lot for your money, making this a go-to just on specs alone.

There aren't any major cons, considering that this is an FM2+ motherboard so you really shouldn’t be expecting Crossfire or anything like that.

When making a cheap gaming PC build, this FM2+ motherboard is an excellent addition. It provides many features for a very affordable price. Honestly, this is the only FM2+ you’ll ever need, and if that doesn’t make you want to pick up this motherboard, then we don’t know what will.

If you’re planning on getting an FM2+ motherboard, but don’t know what APU you are going with just yet, check out our best AMD APU for gaming. It will help you find a good APU to make use of this great FM2+ motherboard.

5. Gigabyte AM3+ AMD GA-78LMT-S2 Motherboard

  • Supports AMD AM3+ FX/AM3 Phenom II, Athlon II series Processors
  • GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 4 Classic Technology

CPU Socket Type: AM3+
RAM: DDR3
Motherboard Type: Micro

If you’re looking for a cheap but good micro-AMD AM3+ motherboard you really can’t go wrong with the Gigabyte GA-78LMT. At first glance, this motherboard might not seem like the best buy considering it’s a Micro-ATX AMD motherboard, but there are a good amount of things this motherboard does right.

One of the major pros of this Gigabyte motherboard would have to be its six SATA cables. This is as much as most full-sized motherboards, which will allow you to have a vast amount of space that most other micro MOBO’s can only dream of.

You also get two RAM slots going up to 16 GBs in total. This might seem like it’s not enough, but 16 GBs is overkill for anything that’s out right now and appears to be more than sufficient for anything that is going to come out in the future for years to come.

The only major con is the fact that this Gigabyte motherboard does not have any USB 3.0s. While this might be minor to some, it can also be a deal breaker for others.

While there’s nothing spectacular about this motherboard, it does everything pretty well, and unless you’re expecting Crossfire USB 3.0s, you’ll be just fine with it.

6. ASUS M5A97 AMD ATX Motherboard

  • ASUS Exclusive Design consists of the EPU (Energy Processing Unit) and the TPU (TurboV...
  • Network iControl Gives user real-time bandwidth allocation control to insure efficient...

CPU Socket Type: AMD AM3+
RAM: DDR3
Motherboard Type: Full ATX Motherboard

If you’re looking for an AMD Full-ATX Motherboard for around $70 (This is a steal!), then we recommend the ASUS M5A97.

Another boon for a full motherboard is the fact that instead of just having two RAM slots, you can have four. This will give you much more freedom and can allow you to have more RAM sticks, which in turn, means more efficient performance.

You also get two USB 3.0s, which is not bad considering all the other things that come with this motherboard. Even though the number of USB 3.0s is small, they boot insanely fast to 150% due to better transmissions. The thing that makes up for the low USB 3.0 count is the fact that this motherboard offers six SATA cables! This will allow you to plug in hard drives all the way to SSDs. That’s another reason this motherboard is perfect for someone who plans on upgrading in the future.

One neat feature about this motherboard is the bandwidth tools it has. If you’re on a budget, a tool like this can be invaluable and help you manage how much data you’re using.

The only con of this motherboard would be the fact that it only has two USB 3.0 ports, but you will still get six 2.0 ports. For most people, this isn’t that big of a deal, but it could be a con for others.

The biggest pro of this motherboard is the fact that it’s a full motherboard that will grant you a much better upgrade path than going with a smaller more compact micro motherboard. If you plan on using two graphics cards or want to have more RAM space and SATA ports, this is worth the asking price.

Conclusion

If you do have any questions about these motherboards and whether or not they’re compatible with your other PC components, read the reviews and double check compatibility. 

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Austin

When the tech company I worked for restructured and I ended up jobless, I decided to put the wealth of knowledge and management skills to use somewhere new. I’d checked out a few buyer’s guides on the site in the past and reached out to the previous owner. A few months later, here we are. Now, I get to be behind the scenes, helping people find the best tech.