Best Gaming Motherboard 2016

When gamers think about gaming computers they think about a fast CPU, a powerful graphics card and plenty of fast RAM. The truth however is that the motherboard is the most important part for gaming. Without a good gaming motherboard you cannot get the most from the other PC parts. In best gaming motherboard 2016 I will review ASUS's powerful new Rampage III motherboard.

ASUS is popular and well known amongst hardcore gamers who want to squeeze every last bit of speed and performance out of their hardware, by overclocking their motherboards. After the somewhat disappointing Rampage II, ASUS's new offering is a dramatic improvement which will please its loyal brand followers in the overclocking fraternity. The Rampage III Extreme takes high-end gaming to the next level.

The Rampage III is based around Intel's ICH10R and X58 chipsets and is compatible with the new LGA1366 Core i7 processes which will allow you to push the boundaries of performance. The Intel Core i7 processor family is widely seen as energy efficient, immensely powerful and aimed at serious computer enthusiasts. This motherboard is designed for those gamers who are looking for a genuine powerhouse that can handle anything and everything.

Though its basic specifications highlight huge capabilities, even more performance can be tweaked from this motherboard by installing up to 24GB of DDR3 RAM utilising its triple channel mode and six DIMMs, with integrated memory controller. The advanced memory bus allows transfers of 2200, 2133, 2000, 1800, 1600, 1333 and 1066MHz. If you take your overclocking seriously, pushing this up to memory 2200MHz will give you that extra bit of power you want.

Support for the popular Nvidia 3 way SLI or ATI CrossFireX is provided through one of the four PCI-Express 2.0 x16 cards, which will give excellent graphics capabilities. No longer will gamers have to struggle to decide between the SLI or CrossFire as you can have both, if you really wanted. Whichever you choose, you are guaranteed stunning results. The Rampage III will however split opinion when it comes to audio provision as this is provided on board although is still of high quality. The on-board SupremeFX X-Fi 2 gives eight channels of high definition surround sound which will immerse you in game play and satisfy all but the most extreme gamers. The only limits in this area is the way in which you fill the Express x16 slots as they are paired; the first slot will run at x16 only as long as the second is free. However, fill both the first and the second slot and they will run at x8 each. To get the most out of the board, you will need to fill the slots out of sync. So if you have two graphics cards, you should place them in slots one and three.

Storage is vitally important for modern gamers and the Rampage III does not disappoint; up to nine drives can be connected – seven SATA II and two SATA III for ultra high speed. Numerous RAID configurations can be used at any one time, as well. These top storage specifications are complimented by superb high speed connectivity through the integrated Intel Gigabit Ethernet LAN which provides stability when connecting the the internet, for online gaming. Add to this the provision for six USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0 connections allow any range of configurations you can think of. USB 3.0 is the latest in plug and play technology and is ten times faster than USB 2.0 – no longer will you constantly have to swap peripherals as they can all be connected at the same time.

ASUS cleverly have further developed their Republic of Gamers features on the Rampage III which are all designed to push your system to the farthest of limits. Their Loadline calibration and ROG Connect features make overclocking simple and fast to do, with limited in depth prior knowledge, as well as allowing you to monitor the system over USB. The Extreme Engine Digi+ will give you the soundest of stability and reliability and Bluetooth connectivity means you can alter BIOS configurations through your smartphone. GameFirst will allow you to monitor in real time your internet usage and allow you to tweak the flow to reduce the common lag problems often experienced when using inferior products. All of these features allow gamers to overclock at a hardware level, meaning you no longer have to rely on software capabilities, or lack of.

If you are looking for the highest quality motherboard with amazing features, the Rampage III Extreme is for you and worth every penny.

Hopefully you enjoyed best gaming motherboard 2016. You can check out more of my gaming articles at best gaming headset 2016 and best gaming monitor 2016.