Budget LGA 1200 Motherboards – Intel Z490 for Core i5 10600K 10500K

In this post, we cover the budget LGA 1200 motherboards that should cater to the Core i5 and Cire i3 comet lake CPUs. If you are looking for some budget-centric recommendations, do check our article below.

The Intel 10th generation desktop CPUs have arrived, and one of the unique features is that the new processor comes with an LGA 1200 socket. The processors – labeled Z490 specifically come with the LGA1200 socket; thus, if you want to use the latest processor, you need to upgrade your motherboard. As you might already know, the LGA 1200 is a modified LGA 1151, with 49 more pins on it. It is expected to improve power delivery and extending support for future incremental I/O characteristics. The Pin 1 position remains the same as it was in preceding generation processors. Still, it has changed the socket keying to the left (previously it was right?), making the Comet Lake processors incompatible both electrically and mechanically with their predecessors.

Recommended Reading: Best LGA 1200 Socket Motherboards

The Z490 is the premium chipset targeted at the high-end enthusiast markets. It is designed to support Intel’s 10th generation Core i9 processors and all the way down till the 10th Gen Celerons. That would let you access an improved experience in terms of faster speed and optimum thermal levels. If you are looking to use the ultimate features of the new processor, such as overclocking, it would be essential to go with a dedicated motherboard that is compatible with the LGA1200 socket. Here is a quick look at the past and present premium chipsets in a side by side comparison table below –

If you are looking for a budget focussed build based on Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs, here are some suggestions that could fit your needs:

Budget LGA1200 Motherboards in 2020

Now, here we have the latest chipsets in a side-by-side comparison table that is expected to support Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs.

Well, now that we are aware of what an LGA 1200 socket motherboard can do and why you need to opt for a motherboard with an LGA1200 socket, we will check out the best options available for the purpose.

ASRock Z490 Extreme4

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ASRock Z490 Extreme4 is one of the excellent options from ASRock and provides you access to enhanced budget performance. It comes with support for 10th Gen and future generation Intel Core TM Processors along with the LGA 1200 socket. With support for up to 2.5X bandwidth, you can be assured of enhanced and faster speed. Whether you are looking at file transfers, gaming, or even backup requirements, you would find that it offers you an excellent and improved speed performance beating the traditional options.

The motherboard offers enough ports, viz two PCIe 3.0 x16, three PCIe 3.0 x1, and one M.2 (Key E) for WiFi. A massive full coverage heatsink should ideally make it one of the excellent options that you would find rather impressive.

ASRock Z490 Steel Legend

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The motherboard is one of the most low-end motherboards coming from the house of ASRock. It is essentially the same ASRock Z490 Extreme4 but offers you some compromises in terms of aesthetics. The motherboard should be an excellent option for Intel 10th Gen and other future options of upcoming processors from Intel. The motherboard does support the DDR4 4266MHz memory modules.

The number of ports available on the motherboard would include two 3.0 x16, three PCIe 3.0 x1, and one M.2(Key E) For WiFi. The onboard M.2 socket can support PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3 M.2 SSD. You also have access to a massive full coverage heat sink for an efficient thermal cooling efficacy. Up to 2.5X bandwidth in comparison to the traditional gigabit ethernet should further be an added advantage.

ASUS ROG Strix Z490-G Gaming

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There are not many micro-ATX motherboards released yet. The ASUS ROG Strix Z490-G Gaming is one of the rare microATX motherboards with the LGA 1200 socket. Like most of the Asus Strix Z490 models, the Z490 E Gaming also comes with a 12+2 power system. You would also get a WiFi 6 enabled motherboard with the above specification.

You may not get the M.2 Key E slot and the WiFi connectivity on the non-Wi-Fi version, while the WiFi version will come with the Intel WiFi 6 AX201 controller integrated into the motherboard. The motherboard features high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors that ensure a constant power level when you push the motherboard to its limits. The optimized thermal design should be yet another added advantage. Support for HDMI 1. 4 and DisplayPort 1. 4 output along with dual M. 2, front panel USB 3. 2 Gen 2 Type-C connectors should be yet another advanced option for improved gaming connectivity.

Asus TUF Gaming Z490-Plus (WiFi)

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This is yet another great option if you look for the best quality experience for the budget Z490 motherboard. Despite being a low-budget offering, the product does offer you a wide range of features and functions. M.2, 14 DrMOS power stages, Intel WiFi 6, HDMI, and DisplayPort, should be just a few of the perfect options you would find rather impressive in every aspect. You can also get access to Thunderbolt 3 support and Aura Sync RGB lighting functionality.

Availability of VRM heatsink, PCH fanless heatsink, M.2 heatsink, hybrid fan headers, and Fan Xpert 4 utility further enhances the level of comprehensive cooling. Integrated Intel WiFi 6 AX201 module provides a great degree of WiFi connectivity option, making it one of the most preferred options ever. The Dual M.2 slots support data transfer speeds of up to 32 Gbps

ASUS Prime Z490-A LGA 1200 ATX Motherboard

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This is an excellent option for power users and content creation professionals. However, if you are looking for a gaming PC, it may not be the right one for your needs. One of the best Z490 motherboards that have been shipped so far comes with an Intel 2.5Gbps Ethernet controller and a 12+2 power system.

The motherboard does not have an integrated WiFi chip on it. However, you would get access to Thunderbolt 3 header support and a pair of M.2 slots. The boosted memory performance with an improved overclocking functionality should be something that would make it an excellent option to go with. The robust power design would further make it a great choice.

ASUS Prime Z490-P LGA 1200 ATX Motherboard

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The power system on this Z490 motherboard is one of the best options for the budget motherboards ever. However, you would find that the power system on the motherboard is a less powerful 10+1 power system. The motherboard features the Realtek ALC887 audio codec and a Realtek 8111H Gigabit NIC in place of the Intel ethernet controller.

You can get access to a truly perfect and efficient cooling with the VRM heatsink, PCH heatsink, hybrid fan headers, and Fan Xpert 4 utility. The ASUS OptiMem II proprietary trace layout comes with an efficiently boosted memory performance. Get access to faster connectivity with Dual M.2, 1 Gb Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and Thunderbolt 3 support. Thunderbolt 3 Support offers bidirectional support for the best possible transfer.

Asus Prime Z490M-Plus

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The power system is further cut down to an 8+1 configuration. Then the Thunderbolt 3 has also been removed from the product. ASUS OptiMem is yet another perfect option for improving the best possible memory overclocking. The motherboard comes with multiple connectivity options in Dual M.2, 1 Gb Ethernet, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, and Type-C support.

The Dual M.2 slots provide you with a better degree of access to high degree data transfer with 32 Gbps via x4 PCI Express 3.0 bandwidth. The SafeSlot Core+ should be yet another additional option that offers you a one-piece stainless-steel brace.

Budget LGA 1200 Motherboards – Asus

Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Elite AC

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You can be assured of an excellent option for a power-efficient motherboard with the direct 12 Phase Digital VRMs with 50A DrMOS Stages. You can also be assured of an improved and enhanced thermal efficiency with an Optimized Surface Heatsink. The screwed mounted heatsinks and thick thermal pads can be an excellent choice for enthusiasts, overclockers, and gamers.

Thanks to Intel Dual Band 802.11ac WIFI and Realtek 2.5 GbE LAN, you can be assured of unparalleled performance. The Shielded Memory Routing goes a long way in promoting noise and electrical interference. The ultimate MOSFET cooling performance is something we found incredibly perfect for most of your needs.

Gigabyte Z490 Vision G

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Vision G is one of the low-end models among the Z490 motherboards launched by Gigabyte. However, the slick yet wonderful slick industrial design should be something that should be what should make it one of the excellent options ever. The Aluminium M.2 heat spreaders further enhance your experience and perhaps makes the motherboard one of its unique options.

You can also get access to a Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4 memory option that further enhances your experience. The Smart Fan 5 Hybrid Fan Headers with smart fan functions are perfect for efficient cooling efficiency. The multi graphics card support and dual-mode M.2 design are a few other options that would make it one of the prime options ever. The Shielded Memory Routing would make it one of the great options for your needs in getting access to a wonderful faster memory profile.

Budget LGA 1200 Motherboards – Gigabyte Options

MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi

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Are you looking for the best WiFi experience ever? Well, MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi is the best possible WiFi 6 with the MU-MIMO technology. Get access to one of the excellent options for a high-definition audio processor ever. The high-quality audio boost would provide you access to a truly enhanced performance ever.

You can get access to a truly perfect experience in terms of an extremely high-quality build and an ideal cooling experience. The Power phase 12+1+1 Duet Rail Power System and DDR4 Boost are what would provide you with a truly enhanced experience ever. The Aluminium Cover with Extended Heatsink Design and M.2 Shield Frozr further adds more value to high temperature non-stop gaming efficiency.

MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk Gaming Motherboard

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With a clean-looking motherboard with the Z490 functionality, you would access black and grey color options. The motherboard comes with two PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots and supports CrossFire. You have access to two M.2 slots with thermal guards or heatsinks installed. The motherboard offers you access to a 12+1+1 VRM power phase power system. The motherboard also comes with a 2.5G LAN for fast ethernet connectivity along with other connectivity options that include USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, USB Type-C port, and an optical S/PDIF out port.

The motherboard also provides you access to pre-installed IO shielding. This would help you handle your motherboard slightly easier, faster, and safer. You also have access to a slight level of RGB lighting. In fact, it comes with almost all the critical features you have always been looking ahead to in high efficiency and expensive Z490 motherboards.

Budget LGA 1200 Motherboards – ASRock

ASRock Z490 Steel Legend	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Extreme4	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/2.5G	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ac	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Pro4	ATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490M Pro4	mATX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490M-ITX/ac	mITX	Newegg | Amazon
ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4SR	ATX	Newegg | Amazon

The desktop is back in vogue as the pandemic made work pushed back home. The people around have been looking forward to the desktop options rather than laptops, primarily because of the performance, workspace, spec sheet, and a wide range of other features. With the processor being one of the most powerful aspects of a desktop, it should be obvious to look for the best experience with the prominent and powerful processors. If you are looking to invest in Intel’s powerful 10^th Gen processors, using a motherboard with LGA 1200 should help you get access to an all-powerful performance.

Let us check out the best options among the LGA 1200 motherboards to provide you access to one of the best options ever.

Best Intel (LGA 1200) motherboards

Without many hassles, we will now look ahead to find the best Intel motherboards that would go well with the new generations of Intel Core processors.

ASUS Prime Z490-A LGA 1200 ATX Motherboard

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The ASUS Prime Z490-A LGA 1200 ATX Motherboard can be one of the prime options for providing you access to an enhanced and perfect degree of experience in terms of the best premium motherboard ever. The motherboard can not only work with the 10^th generation Intel CPUs, but it can also help you overclock them as per your preferences. The motherboard comes with 12+2 DrMOS power stages, which would further enhance the efficiency of the motherboard.

The highly durable capacitors and powerful alloy chokers are a few options that would make it one of the most reliable options ever. The Fan Xpert 4 utility will further improve your power supply requirements by several counts.

The Spec Sheet:

• Chipset: Intel Z490
• Form Factor: ATX
• Clock speed : 4600 MHz
• Max RAM size: 128 GB DDR4
• Expansion slots: 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16
• Storage Interface: 2 x M.2 22110 PCIe 3.0 x4 mode
• Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
• Warranty: 3 Years

GIGABYTE Z490 Vision G

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This is one of the high-end motherboards and should be something you would find quite in-demand options for practically all the needs in terms of an efficient LGA 1200 motherboard. Coming from Gigabyte, you can be assured of the performance that it offers you.

The advanced thermal solution on the motherboard can provide you with an enhanced performance standard if your computer suffers from overheating problems. The motherboard also provides you access to a micro block surface. The next-generation direct touch feature can prove to be one of the excellent options ever in combating the heating issue on your computers. The multi graphics support and dual-mode M.2 design should definitely be what would enhance your performance enhancement. The 12 phases of digital VRM should be yet another plus point that you would find rather impressive.

The Spec sheet:

• Chipset: Intel Z490
• Form Factor: ATX
• Clock Speed: 4400 MHz
• Max RAM size: 128 GB DDR4
• Expansion slots: 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16, 2 x PCI x1
• Storage Interface: 2 x M.2, SATA
• Ports: 4 x USB 3.1, 3 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
• Warranty: 3 Years

Gigabyte H410M S2H

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The Gigabyte motherboard can prove to be an excellent option for providing you with a huge degree of experience in improving your needs in the best LGA 1200 motherboards. The H series motherboard should be the best entry-level motherboard that you would want to go with.  This one is an excellent motherboard with the most cost-effective LGA 1200 motherboards ever.

It can also be one of the great options for almost all the expectations you may have in terms of the futureproof motherboards. Dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 RAM can be what would make it a great option. The prime options offered by the motherboard would include a fast M.2 drive slot. You would also provide access to an exclusive 8118 Gaming LAN port, which further provides you access to very effective bandwidth management. Of course, you would not have access to any overclocking capabilities on the motherboard.

The Spec sheet:

• Chipset: Intel H4120
• Form Factor: Micro ATX
• Clock Speed: 2933 MHz
• Max RAM size: 64 GB DDR4
• Expansion slots: PCIe Gen3 x2
• Storage Interface: Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 X2 & SATA
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 4 x USB 2.0 ports
• Warranty: 3 Years

MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard

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If you are looking for the best Z490 motherboard performance on an affordable budget range, the MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard can be your best bet. The well-known brand should what would provide you a great degree of performance excellence. It should be one of the excellent choices for your needs in the component for an intermediate system.

It can host the fastest storage drives for practically all the expectations you may need to check out. The core boost technology incorporated within the motherboard can definitely prove to be an efficient option for overclocking. The motherboard provides you a balanced and stable current to the CPU to maintain its high-performance levels. The connectivity offered on the device would include a 2.5 G LAN port paired with a Gigabit LAN port. The wireless connectivity with WiFi6 should be yet another plus point that you would want o focus on.

The Spec sheet:

• Chipset: Intel Z490
• Form Factor: ATX
• Clock Speed: 4800 MHz
• Max RAM size: 128 GB DDR4
• Expansion slots: 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16
• Storage Interface: 2 x M.2 22110 PCIe 3.0 x4 mode, 6x SATA III
• Ports: 2 x USB 3.2 Type C, 6 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2
• Warranty: 2 Years

ASROCK B460M PRO4 Motherboard

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ASRock is yet another premium brand that should be an excellent option for an enhanced degree of experience in providing you access to an immense degree of performance increase as the best LGA 1200 motherboards. It can be an excellent choice for almost all the needs you may have in the next generation gaming platform.

The affordable price factor and high-end features onboard the motherboard should enhance and improve your experience by several counts. The 9 power phase design makes it a prominent option for the 10^th gen Intel processor. Even when the motherboard is designed for the Intel processors,  it can work with the AMD processors, thanks to the availability of AMD Quad CrossFireX technology. The connectivity options available on the motherboard would include 7 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports and 7.1 CH HD Audio I/O ports.

The Spec sheet:

• Chipset: Intel B460
• Form Factor: Micro ATX
• Clock Speed: 2933 MHz
• Max RAM size: 128 GB DDR4
• Expansion slots: 2 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x1
• Storage Interface: 6 SATA3, 1 Ultra M.2
• Ports: 7xUSB 3.2 Gen1
• Warranty: 3 Years

GIGABYTE Z590 AORUS Elite AX

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The motherboard does provide you access to highly advanced functionality with support for 11th and 10th Gen Intel Core Series Processors. The dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 RAM can further make it one of the thoughtful options you would want to go with on the motherboard. The memory shielding coupled with better memory overclocking can prove to be one of the excellent options.

The PCIe 4.0 M.2 connectors can be one of the excellent options that would provide you a far higher degree of performance. The 12+1 phase digital power design is what would further enhance and improve your experience by several counts. It can provide you access to a huge degree of performance enhancement with enhanced power delivery for the power-hungry and energy-sensitive experience. The fully covered MOSFET heatsink should further improve your experience.

The Spec sheet:

• Chipset: Intel Z590
• Form Factor: ATX
• Clock Speed: 2933 MHz
• Max RAM size: 128 GB DDR4
• Expansion slots: 1 x PCI Express 4.0 x16, 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16
• Storage Interface: 6 SATA3, 1 Ultra M.2
• Ports: 10xUSB 3.2 Gen1
• Warranty: 3 Years

The Buying factors for the best LGA 1200 Motherboards

If you are looking for the best possible experience in terms of an enhanced degree of experience for achieving a huge degree of performance, the powerful performance offered by the LGA 1200 motherboards should definitely provide you access to a great experience.

Some of the prime buying factors would include the following:

Form Factor

Of course, the form factor will not affect the performance, but checking it out should be one of the prime options you would want to go with based on the exact PC you plan to build. Pick the right form factor based on the type and size of the PC you plan to build.

The Chipset

The chipset you would want to use is another prime factor that you would seriously consider. Confirm which CPU you are planning to go with, and select the right motherboard based on the individual preferences that you may have.

USB Connectivity

The USB connectivity offered by the motherboard should be yet another prime factor you would want to focus on when picking the best choice for your needs. The high-speed USB ports would ideally be what would make it one of the excellent options ever. The ability for hi-speed 10 Gbps interconnects can prove to be one of the excellent options ever.

Application

The applications you are using the PC for would help you achieve better standards for enhanced and improved performance. Based on the individual applications, you can check out the needs for your heavy workstation requirements.

To Summerize

The socket LGA 1200 motherboards would definitely be one of the excellent options for the newest range of processors. You will find the list of the best options outlined here that should help you access an enhanced degree of performance in every respect.

In addition to the best motherboards available at your disposal, it would also be a great option to ensure that you are buying the right choices as per the exact requirements. The buying guide outlined here should definitely be one of the excellent choices for almost all the needs that you may have.

The Closing Thoughts

Well, that was all we have had concerning the best budget motherboards with LGA 1200 socket. We are sticking to the budget Z490 motherboards under the price of $200, and that should precisely explain why this list includes only budget options.

Do check out the best options outlined in this compilation and pick the ones that are best meant for you.