Following to our all-time motherboard picks on Intel'southward Z370 and AMD's budget B350 platform, today we're checking out the all-time value Intel B360 motherboards. Our criteria for this one was simple: the boards must characteristic some form of VRM cooling to be considered, and of course, pricing. Spending over $100 on a B360 motherboard is ill-brash, nosotros strongly suggest you lot target nigh $lxxx unless at that place was a special requirement. In other words, Intel B360 motherboards are reserved for budget builds, for everything else go with Z370 instead.

Best Overall

Asrock B360M Pro4

The Asrock B360M Pro4 ticks more boxes than any other B360 lath in my opinion, and I reckon well-nigh will hold that this is 1 of the very best B360 motherboards available right now. As far as B360 pricing goes the Asrock board offers great value, though at $85 I had hoped these upkeep Intel Coffee Lake boards would be a footling more competitively priced.

In any instance what you lot get with the B360M Pro4 is a well laid out motherboard with all the features you lot could promise for at this price bespeak, information technology besides doesn't hurt that the board looks swell besides. The lath packs a solid VRM with premium 45 amp chokes on a high density drinking glass material PCB. Asrock advertises support for upward to 95-watt processors so it shouldn't have an issue getting the most out of the Core i7-8700 for example.

A real bonus here is the fact that the lath packs four DIMM slots, making future retention upgrades a lot more toll effective as you can just add more DDR4 modules. Y'all also get decent audio and networking forth with six SATA 6Gb/south ports and a pair of M.ii slots. Overall the Asrock B360M Pro4 is a great quality B360 motherboard that tin't be beat at this cost point.

Going Full Size ATX

If you're after a full-sized ATX lath then there're just ii cost effective options from the B360 range: the Asrock B360 Pro4 and MSI B360-A PRO. Both look proficient, though the Asrock model is slightly cheaper and slightly improve equipped, therefore it gets my option.

As you might accept expected it's basically the ATX version of the MicroATX model, then unless there's a need for the larger grade factor yous might as well go the MicroATX version. The stretched out model costs $10 more and apart from a scrap of extra PCB and a bigger chipset heatsink, yous don't become any other extras except for one more PCIe x1 slot.

As I run into it the only reason y'all'd buy this version over the B360M Pro4 is because y'all have a standard ATX case and yous want to make full it out. MicroATX boards tend to look a little giddy in mid-towers.

Just 2 DIMMs (Otherwise good)

Asus TUF B360M-East Gaming

The Asus TUF B360M-E Gaming is another quality MicroATX B360 motherboard though information technology does come upward brusque in a few areas when compared to the Asrock model higher up. Most notably of which is the lack of DIMM slots, just ii slots means upgrading from 8GB to 16GB of memory in the time to come will be far more costly.

The lath looks quite good, very gamer-ish and aggressive equally y'all'd expect from an Asus TUF lath but the layout leaves a lot to exist desired. I would have prefered Asus get out plenty room to better position the SATA ports than create that aggressive looking PCB cutout. Equally it is, the SATA ports are spread out all over the place which is a flake disappointing.

Yet, with few good, well-priced B360 boards to choose from the TUF B360M-E Gaming manages to make the list despite those shortcomings. Overall quality is adept, making information technology a worthy alternative to the Asrock B360M Pro4.

A Piddling Too Legacy

Gigabyte B360M D3H

Another alternative worth checking out if you can't get your hands on the Asrock board is the Gigabyte B360M D3H. Priced at $80 information technology'south a little cheaper than the two MicroATX boards we've already looked at.

Like the Asus B360M-Due east Gaming, this Gigabyte model looks very solid, just besides like the Asus board at that place are some interesting choices here too. Gigabyte has decided to include a number of legacy items such as a PCI slot, what a boom! I haven't seen one of those on a new motherboard for a long fourth dimension. Even more accident is the parallel port header, for those of you who notwithstanding accept your printer from the 90'due south this could come in very handy.

It's not just the classics that you'll find on this motherboard. Gigabyte has too included a USB iii.1 Gen two Type-A port, just 1 though, and an Thou.2 slot. It'due south a pretty basic lath merely it'south too the cheapest B360 board we've come across to feature VRM cooling, meaning it should be right to become the most out of a Core i7-8700 and information technology'll certainly be the perfect pairing for the Core i5-8400.

Best Mini-ITX

Asrock B360M-ITX/air conditioning

Those of you wanting to build a compact picayune PC will most likely go after a Mini-ITX motherboard and correct now that limits you to less than one-half a dozen options. It's worth nothing that Z370 Mini-ITX models start at $135, though almost cost $170 - $180. That being the case you tin write off the Asus ROG Strix B360-I Gaming, at $160 they're part of a bad dream.

Picking betwixt the Asrock B360M-ITX/ac and MSI B360I Gaming Pro Ac wasn't like shooting fish in a barrel and honestly I could have justified going with the MSI model, it looks like the better board and it clearly offers superior VRM cooling. But otherwise, they're more than or less the same but the Asrock is ~$20 cheaper, and it's hard to ignore that saving.

If y'all can snag the MSI model for $five - $x more then that'southward the way I'd go. For $95 the Asrock board offers a single PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, four SATA ports, four USB three.0 ports at the rear, Intel 802.11ac WiFi plus Bluetooth four.2 and yous as well go an Ultra M.two slot. I tin can imagine this within the Silverstone SG13 with a Core i5-8400... at present that'south a nice cost-effective mini PC combo.

Closing Thoughts

It seems crazy that so many B360 motherboards are priced over $100, with Z370 boards still bachelor for that price and many more on offer at around $120, you have to wonder why anyone would spend that kind of coin on an inferror B360 lath.

The MSI B360 Gaming Plus that we checked out on launch day costs $110, the Gigabyte B360 Aorus Gaming 3 and Asrock B360 Gaming K4 both toll $120, and unbelievably the Asus ROG Strix B360-F Gaming comes in at $135. Oh and there's a B360-H Gaming model for $155, if you lot're completely bonkers.

The most affordable models price $lxx and they get out a lot to be desired, then the $80 - $85 MicroATX models we recommend are as good as it gets. These upkeep oriented motherboards will get forth well with a locked Cadre i5 processor, meanwhile those of yous picking up the $300 Cadre i7-8700 should pony up an extra $20 or and then for a Z370 board.

As for H310 motherboards, they are best suited for locked Core i3 and lower parts. But with prices starting at $60, you may have to question why they even exist. We certainly hope that if you're after a good value B360 motherboard then we've helped to narrow your search.