Do motherboards even matter anymore?

Been on these forums and I'm not one with the deepest knowledge of computers. Mobo seems like the only thing I never see people discussing or comparing. Is this because we've just gotten to a level where all mobos pretty work the same and to the same level if given the same components? Are there superior mobos? Or it is just a question of finding one tht supports the components you want...

 

Motherboard = glue (that holds everything together)

Other components = Sparkly, glittery stuff.

Now...if you were 3 years old....which would you be interested in? The glue, or the sparkles? And assume that the glue isn't delicious (sacrilege, I know!).

My answer? Sparkles!

Mr. Mysterious

p.s. No more sugar for me.

 

This is a notebook forum. We don't usually discuss motherboards since you don't really get to pick what motherboard you get. You pick a laptop and its motherboard is usually unique to the chassis/model.

 

So safe to assume that different mobos offer no performance comparision besides the parts that you get to stick in em?

 

No, on the desktop, where we do have a choice which M/B we use, it does matter what you choose. I have seen anywhere from 5% to 30% differences depending on what M/B and chipset it runs.

Asus M/B are my choice for the last few desktop purchases (for the last decade or so).

 

http://coresmark.com/worldrank.aspx

there's a reason why Rampage III Extreme keeps showing up at the top, so yes motherboards matter, just that you don't get a choice with notebooks

 

Motherboards in laptops don't matter at all. The chip set's and video cards on those motherboards do.

 

Actually, not even the chipsets and/or video cards by themselves matter either... its the drivers the notebook manufacturers allow you to run on 'their' hardware.

For example, my WEI score went from 5.7 to 6.1 with a driver update (nVidia 258 WHQL)! Not that I care about WEI scores, but I had noticed a nice bump in the snappiness department and then saw the WEI needed to be 'updated/refreshed'.

That was on my Asus notebook - on my VAIO, I'm still stuck with 2 year old drivers for the nVidia video card it has (and it shows).

 

What would you rather have, a laptop with an Nvidia 9800 GTX w/ year old driver or a laptop with the latest Intel graphics and latest driver?

 

Intel of course... The battery life will be so much better

You got em though...


For the OP as others have said, motherboards do still make a difference in the Desktop world.
Even when comparing the same chipsets some motherboards still offer additional features, enhancements, configurations (memory slots, etc), better components for overclocking, voltage stabilization, and cooling. For the C2D chips you could choice between a few chipset like Nvidia or Intel. Intel blocked Nvidia from making the newer core i series chipsets, but they will open the gates after the recent antitrust investigation and pending EU case.

 

You missed my point.

I'm not comparing different components. I'm merely pointing out that a manufacturer that allows you to use newer drivers (ASUS) is better than a manufacturer (SONY) that locks newer drivers (with enhanced performance, as I showed) out.

 

don't forget the third type.. hp gives driver support for its products for a year and then phases the support out and ur stuck with old drivers.. not as bad as sony but certainly worse than Asus.