A very good board for a mid- to high-end system. It will consume a conservative amount of power while running at full speed.

This board is a great option for existing Intel users wishing to upgrade, as it still uses DDR2 and it can handle all the latest CPUs. Its value-added features — Splashtop and an energy conservation utility — are also good reasons to choose this model.

Gigabyte's latest motherboard is small, but it packs plenty of punch. It includes modern connectivity options and even allows you to run two monitors off its integrated graphics. If you're on a budget and want to build a small, yet potent PC, this board is a worthy choice.

Ultra-keen gamers and developers will appreciate the Skulltrail's ability to run either SLI or CrossFire configurations on the same platform, while users who run multithreaded software will love the 8-core CPU support.

For well under $200, this board is well worth considering. Its ability to run 45nm-based CPUs, as well as either DDR2 or DDR3 RAM modules, makes it versatile and, dare we say it, future-proof. It ships with a utility that aims to bring power consumption to the forefront of users' minds, but the major selling point is still the memory support.

This is a worthwhile base for any new system. It was fast in our tests and its ability to run DDR3 and DDR2 memory modules, as well as the latest 45nm-based Core 2 CPUs, give it good versatility for future upgrades.

This board is an inexpensive base for a slimline PC for the home or office. However, its inability to properly render a 1920x1080 resolution via HDMI means it's not the best solution for a home-theatre PC.

This is very much a board for enthusiasts. It produced very good performance at its default settings and it is fairly easy to overclock, but it didn't overclock as high as some other recent boards we've tried. All up though, it's well built, has good features and runs quietly.

Feature-packed and with 'Spider' capability (you can run up to four graphics cards in CrossFire X mode), this board will suit hardcore enthusiasts, but may be a little too much for conservative users. Either way, it performed reliably in our tests and has an exceptional build quality.

This board's size, connectivity options and performance make it an ideal choice for anyone who wants to build a small, yet potent PC. It's ideal for a home-theatre PC, yet it's also suitable for a typical PC.

If you're considering making the switch to AMD's Phenom, this motherboard will be a solid platform for it. It was reliable in our tests and it has enough features to please even the most demanding of users.

For a comprehensive feature set and a speedy system you can't go wrong with the ASUS P5E3 Deluxe Wi-Fi. It showed good stability in our tests and has room for beginners and enthusiasts to play around.