If the CPU is the brain of the PC, then the motherboard is like the nervous system, connecting all the other components together, such as the GRAPHICS CARD, memory and drives, enabling them to communicate with one another.
Just like with any component you need to make sure that you choose a motherboard that is compatible with your CPU. In this guide, we will be focussing our attention on motherboards for INTEL PROCESSORS
There are three main factors to consider when choosing a new motherboard, the socket, the chipset and the size. You can see each of these three characteristics listed on the motherboard homepage on the Scan website and this guide will explain what you need to look out for.
The first thing to look out for is the socket, which is where the CPU physically connects to the motherboard. CPUs are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes, each with their own socket, so it’s critically important to make sure that the socket of the CPU and motherboard is the same. While Intel does change the socket design from time to time when designing new CPUs, most current Intel CPUs fall into four main sockets: Socket 1851, Socket 1700, Socket 3647 and Socket 4189, where the number refers to the quantity of electrical connecting pins in the socket.
After checking the socket type you also need to consider the chipset. The chipset determines a lot of the capabilities of the motherboard, such as the number of add-in cards, the number of memory slots and USB ports. Some CPUs are only served by one chipset while other times you have a choice of chipsets, so you can strike the right balance between features and budget.
The last thing you need to consider when choosing a new motherboard is the size. Size is important because you need to make sure that the motherboard you buy can fit in your CASE Larger motherboards are beneficial because they support more add-in cards and memory, but you can still build very capable and high performance systems with smaller motherboards. The computer industry uses codenames to refer to the size of the motherboard, but the good news is that those same codenames are used for the size of cases too. This diagram illustrates the dimensions of the most common motherboard sizes.
The diagram below illustrates the various sizes of Intel motherboards, ranging from the compact Mini-ITX to the larger E-ATX SSI-EEB. Understanding these sizes is crucial for ensuring compatibility with your PC case and for planning the expansion capabilities of your system.
| Mini-ITX | Micro-ATX | ATX | E-ATX SSI-EEB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170 x 170 mm | 244 x 244 mm | 305 x 244 mm | 305 x 330 mm |
Socket 1851 motherboards support the latest Intel 2nd series Core Ultra CPUs based on the Arrow Lake architecture.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | ARROW LAKE MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| 2nd Series, Arrow Lake | Z890 |
HIGH END
Z890 is the high-end motherboard chipset for Intel 2nd series Core Ultra CPUs, supporting the most PCIe lanes and USB ports.
Socket 1700 motherboards support Intel 14th gen Core CPUs based on the Raptor Lake Refresh architecture plus older Intel 13th gen and 12th CPUs based on the Raptor Lake and Alder Lake architectures respectively.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | RAPTOR LAKE REFRESH MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| 14th gen, Raptor Lake Refresh | Z790, Z690, H770, B760, H610 |
Socket 3647 motherboards support 1st and 2nd gen Xeon Scalable processors based on the Skylake SP and Cascade Lake SP architectures. These motherboards are commonly used in servers and ultra-high-end workstations. Most, but not all Socket 3647 motherboards support two CPUs working together in parallel for even greater performance.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | CASCADE LAKE SP MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| 2nd gen, Cascade Lake SP | C621, C622, C624, C625, C626, C627 and C628 |
Socket 4189 motherboards support 3rd gen Xeon Scalable processors based on the Ice Lake SP architecture. These motherboards are commonly used in servers and ultra-high-end workstations. Most, but not all Socket 4189 motherboards support two CPUs working together in parallel for even greater performance.
| LATEST SUPPORTED CPU ARCHITECTURE | ICE LAKE SP MOTHERBOARD CHIPSETS |
|---|---|
| 3rd gen, Ice Lake SP | C621A, C627A, C629A |
