AsRock Motherboards

[AGTDenton]

I think that is what made it harder than it was. Everything is the same, there is no real variation between any model anymore. Apart from different colours and styling thats about it.

It's sad times when you find yourself deliberating over 6 or 8 USB3 slots or quantifying will I use 2 NVME or 1, WiFi or SATA 5&6...

I loved it when boards would come out with a feature that the chip manufacturer said couldn't be done. Like dual socket boards for desktop CPUs or an overclocked component. Now if a board manufacturer tried to deviate the chip manufcaturer would just shut them down with law suits.

It sadly means there is only 1 way of thinking, no company is open to allowing others to push their boundaries.

The fact nVidia have control right down to the box art is pretty diabolical.

[Jonj1611]

Ironically I only need 3 usb ports and 2 nvme which is pretty standard on any board now. How they justify those £1000 motherboards I will never know

[Saracen999]

Ironically I only need 3 usb ports and 2 nvme which is pretty standard on any board now. How they justify those £1000 motherboards I will never know

Probably about the same way those fancy watch brands justify stratospheric prices.

I mean, if you're after world record overclocking or something similar, then you may justify quite a few individual components that are a smidge better here, a hint faster there, and utterly pointless to the vast bulk of users. But .... therein lies the issue - if you are going to have to manufacture and stock a specialist product line to get those components, which might add about $50 (or whatever) to the BoM, you're making a very small number of units for a very specific niche user, but the entire extra cost of manufacturing, stocking, etc that extra product line has to be borne by that very small number of users. And we end up with the £1000 board. Then of course is the old adage, what the market will bear. Presumably, to those that will pay it, it's worth it to them or they wouldn't pay it.

While the same kind of logic applies to the £400-£500 board, they're the ones I have a harder time justifying, which is why I'm balking at paying it. I see it rather like "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me", and if despite thinking what I do about those prices I end up paying it anyway, then I'm part of the problem, buying something because I'm part of the market that will bear it.

I really need to have a pointed word with myself and decide if while I want some of those extra specs (ports or whatever), do I actually need them? Realistically, not really. Just 'want'.

[MrJim]

Asrock went through a period of selling motherboards with such terrible VRMs that they couldn't support processors at their stated minimum clock speeds. A case in point:



I think things have improved a bit with their latest motherboards, but then prices have shot up even for their lower end boards accordingly.

[Jonj1611]

I don't think "hardware unboxed" likes anyone really, in 2018 they were saying the same thing about Asus and Gigabyte

[MrJim]

I don't think "hardware unboxed" likes anyone really, in 2018 they were saying the same thing about Asus and Gigabyte

I think every motherboard manufacturer has made duff boards at some time or other. At least HWUB call out manufacturers when they do!

[Jonj1611]

Ironically I never had any issues with PC Chips

[AGTDenton]

Ironically I never had any issues with PC Chips

ooo thats a blast from the past!

[Jonj1611]

The good old days of computing where each week seemed a new development

[Saracen999]

I don't think "hardware unboxed" likes anyone really, in 2018 they were saying the same thing about Asus and Gigabyte

With my reviewers hat on, they shouldn't really like or disike manufacturers. Each product should get the review that product deserves, on the merits or problems of that product.

MrJim pretty much nailed it, with :-

I think every motherboard manufacturer has made duff boards at some time or other. At least HWUB call out manufacturers when they do!

That makes them a site worth paying attention to. My problem is that I used to have my finger on the pulse of who was doing what, but that ended some years back, and for components, even before that. All I do now really, is watch a few videos, read a few reviews, pay my money, cross my fingers and hope.

[[GSV]Trig]

PC Chips, bloody hell....

[Millennium]

I still buy MSI after working for them. Sure, they don't ALL work, but they are dedicated and reliable as a Tier One manufacturer and OEM. They used to make most of the Dell boards and of course for others but I didn't ever get details. Impressive people back in head office.