Your motherboard has features you paid for but never bothered to use
Summary
As users increasingly prioritize motherboards in PC builds, many overpay for features they may never use, such as high-end chipsets and advanced LAN options. The publication highlights the importance of choosing the right motherboard without overspending.
Key Insights
What are some motherboard features that people often pay extra for but rarely use?
Common unused premium features include 10Gb Ethernet, which exceeds typical home internet speeds; premium audio chipsets, unnecessary for most users with external audio solutions; 7-segment debug displays for troubleshooting; all-white PCBs for aesthetics; high-end overclocking-ready VRMs; excessive M.2 slots or PCIe lanes; and cosmetic additions like RGB LEDs or BIOS screens.
Why might a motherboard advertise PCIe 5.0 but not support it fully?
Motherboards may support PCIe 5.0 only in the primary x16 slot for GPUs, while M.2 SSD slots remain at PCIe 4.0, requiring additional plug-in cards for full PCIe 5.0 storage support, leading users to overpay without utilizing the feature across all components.
Sources:
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