Which Motherboard Has The Best Audio Chipsets? Best Options

A decent motherboard can help your audio production setup, but before you invest in one, you need to learn how each motherboard differs from the others. But do you know Which Motherboard Has The Best Audio Chipsets?

In this article, I briefly looked at some of the crucial factors to consider when selecting the best motherboard for audio production and the motherboards that have received excellent reviews in this regard.

Which Motherboard Has The Best Audio Chipsets?

Asus rog Strix z490-e and Asus prime z490-a are the greatest motherboards for audio performance. Nowadays, the majority of motherboards lack a discrete audio chip. The audio is merely a feature of a sizable multifunction processor that is more firmware than hardware.

Motherboard Has The Best Audio Chipsets

You will externally connect a high-end USB to an audio converter if you want truly high-quality audio because the onboard audio is generally regarded as being fairly good, considering that it can be routed through a tiny phone connector. High sample rates, greater internal supply voltages, and possibly balanced I/O connectors are characteristics of excellent external interfaces.

Motherboards With The Best Audio Functionality

GIGABYTE B550M AORUS PRO-P

Previously, we examined the cheapest Ryzen 9 3900X-compatible B550 MicroATX motherboards we could find. We discovered that most of these boards had no problems handling the then-leading Ryzen 9 3900X, even though some couldn’t manage to overclock.

What if you prefer the more recent Ryzen 9 5950X? The new CPU can generally be run at stock settings on these boards. However, PBO or overclocking are not supported.

ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR VIII

Only ATX form-factor models from the TUF, Strix, Prime, WS (Workstation), and ROG brands are available on the Asus X570 motherboard (currently). Micro-ATX boards are available from Asus, MSI, ASRock, and Gigabyte, while ITX boards are currently only available from Gigabyte or ASRock.

The Hero and WS lines follow the OG Crosshair VIII Formula in second and third place, respectively, with the Strix, Prime, and TUF lines filling out the rest of the product stack. Asus has 10 motherboards in its lineup, which is a sufficient number to accommodate the majority of designs.

Given its price, the Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero Wi-Fi falls into the upper mid-range of the X570 boards.

ASUS ROG X570

The X570 is still AMD’s top-tier consumer chipset, supporting the Ryzen 5000 and 3000 series processors and providing a ton of PCIe 4.0 compatibility thanks to its full-length PCIe ports and M.2 slots. The main advantage here for those considering B550 is chipset-based PCIe 4.0.

The ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming is one of the models that was introduced when the X570 was announced. Despite being a seasoned product, we wanted to test it because it has shown to be a popular choice. It represents the mid-range ROG Strix series and focuses on fusing contemporary design with high-end RGB, controller sets, and functionality.

The X570-E has futuristic graffiti across its heatsinks, RGB LEDs built in to the rear panel cover and processor heatsinks, and a similar design to most of its Strix-branded machines.

ASUS TUF X570-PRO

Although there were few notable outliers on either side of the average, the board did reasonably well in our testing suite, running somewhat slower than the other boards on average.

At the time of release, there are 15 different boards available in the full Asus X570 portfolio, including models from the Prime, TUF, Strix, WS (Workstation), and ROG lines. Asus now offers a Mini-ITX option, which was the sole form factor lacking when we last checked.

A wide range of motherboards with various sizes, feature sets, and pricing points make up today’s product stack. The X570 lineup from the corporation undoubtedly has options for everyone.

6GIGABYTE Z490 VISION

According to Gigabyte, their Vision series provides a platform without compromises that excels in performance, usability, and stability making it possible for creators to work more quickly and effectively. The Vision D is positioned higher in the product stack than Vision G and offers more features, such as integrated Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and RGB lighting.

On the other hand, the Vision G costs around $90 less and excludes the features listed in the preceding clause. Both motherboards provide customers with reliable power delivery, top-notch integrated audio, and more.

As we might anticipate, these two boards performed remarkably identically in our tests. Both utilize the same Intel boost behavior and have the same power delivery.

GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS ELITE

The Pro version is slightly more expensive, coming in at $180. They are essentially the same board, with the Pro including a few extra features like USB type-C on the I/O panel and two heat guards on both M.2 slots.

Per our internal testing, the VRM thermal performance on both boards is outstanding, outperforming $300+ models from Asus.

While the original GIGABYTE Z390 motherboard featured a superb VRM, this model is more cost-effective, so we aren’t anticipating the same quality VRM, but still a respectable one. Today, we look at our second GIGABYTE Z390 motherboard.

MSI ARSENAL

This board supports up to AMD Ryzen 2nd generation CPUs with up to eight cores and is based on the AMD B450 chipset. It is constructed with thermals and speed in mind, enabling you to fully utilize your top-tier components and cutting-edge hardware, including high-frequency RAMs, NVMe SSDs, and USB 3.1 Gen2 devices.

Additionally, it was constructed with high-grade components to guarantee unmatched quality and dependability even under the harshest conditions. Additionally, you have the option to build and configure stunning lighting effects that make your setup appear as amazing as it performs, thanks to the onboard LED lighting and the RGB LED header.

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII FORMULA

Let’s look at the Asus ROG Maximus XII Formula Z490 motherboard in today’s review, designed for the newest Intel 10th generation Core processors. A Maximus Formula motherboard is one of the high-end motherboards offered by the firm if you are familiar with its lineup.

Maximus Formulas are created with fans of water cooling in mind. Beginning with the launching of the Maximus V many years ago, it has always been that way. Continue reading to learn more about the Maximus XII Formula’s characteristics and capabilities if you’re in the market for such a motherboard.

Let’s examine the specifications and features of the Maximus XII Formula motherboard in this study. We’ll also check more closely to see what parts are concealed by that “armor.” Finally, let’s see how this motherboard compares to other Z490 motherboards in terms of performance.

ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E

The most costly Z490 ROG Strix motherboard in the series is the Asus ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming, which costs. With Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, 2.5 GbE LAN, front and rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, and a high-end audio codec, it offers the most recent connectivity for this price. Everything we would anticipate seeing at this price on this platform is present.

There are now 20 different Z490 boards from Asus, with the ROG Maximus boards positioned above the Z490 ROG Strix series in the stack. Additionally, Asus sells the TUF, Prime, Creator, and ProArt product lines, each of which has distinctive aesthetics, features, and pricing ranges. For every style of builder or setup, Asus has a suitable Z490 motherboard, from Mini-ITX to E-ATX, for overclockers or pros.

ASUS PRIME Z490-A

The PCB of the Prime Z490-A is black with white bars spanning it. The chipset heatsink and the rear I/O shield are white on this board. This dark component’s bright, contrasting hue stands out and draws your attention to these two spots on the board.

The board isn’t particularly decorative outside of that. The rear I/O panel and chipset heatsink are unattractive because of their sparse decoration. This changes when the system is powered on and the RGB LEDs built into these two components light up, but even then, the Z490-A is still one of the least flashy premium boards I’ve recently seen.

However, it’s not always a terrible thing. Some users don’t want any additional flare inside their PCs. Therefore I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more boards in the high-end market that are tastefully understated.

Does A Motherboard Audio Chipset Matter?

It depends. The audio chipset is important if you connect your headphones and microphone to the motherboard’s 3.5mm jacks because it controls the system. However, suppose you connect your headphones and microphone to a PCI or USB audio interface.

In that case, the motherboard’s audio chipset is not used, and sound is still produced, but it comes from the audio interface.

Suppose you are a music producer or someone who expects higher quality sound. In that case, you require an audio interface, which is just an “external audio chipset,” instead of the integrated audio chip on the motherboard.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude Which Motherboard Has The Best Audio Chipsets? The proper motherboard that works well with the rest of your system should be chosen if you want to design a custom PC for audio production.

The issue is that there are so many options, from budget-friendly motherboards to expensive versions. So, which do you pick? Your decision will likely be influenced by your financial situation, production volume, and experience level.

You can construct PCs at various levels. Do you want to create a workstation for your audio production that is mid-range, high-performance, or both? When selecting the ideal motherboard, all of these factors must be considered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do motherboards have an impact on the sound?

Yes, the sound card or motherboard audio quality might affect the sound output quality if everything is analog and connected via 3.5mm jacks. The motherboard or sound card only serves as filters for digital, USB, or wireless outputs, so they have little to no impact on the audio quality.

Does a motherboard’s audio matter?

Is the sound quality notably different (or worse) in different motherboards? Sound quality typically depends more on speakers or headphones unless the equipment has major faults (such as improperly insulated, loose connections, etc.).

What does the motherboard’s audio chip do?

A sound card’s circuitry is located in a specialized component called an audio chipset. The maker of the audio chipset is frequently the same as the maker of the full sound card in your computer, though this is not always the case. Audio chipsets may be permanently installed on the motherboard in some systems.

Is the audio chipset important?

Offloading audio to a separate chip is desirable because it can use some processor cycles. Nowadays, most motherboards come with a chip, but the ones found on specialized sound cards are often stronger.

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