9 Best Motherboards with M.2 Slots in 2022 [Rated by Experts]

Motherboards are the backbone of your PC or Laptop and so they end up being one of the most crucial components of the hardware. But as technology evolves, there are a few things that you need to ensure your device has so that you can future proof it too. One of these things is looking out if the products that you have shortlisted have the M.2 Slots or not.

These M.2 Slots will allow your Motherboard to communicate with the SATA 3.0 (Cable that connects to your storage devices), PCI Express 3.0 (Expansion devices such as Graphics Cards, etc.), and USB 3.0. It has been found that over time, M.2 Slots have the capability to transfer data from 60% to 600% faster rates.

With an M.2 Slot Motherboard, one of the most common upgrades that you can make down the line is to add SSD Storage to your computer. This will help make your PC faster as well as smoother overall.

We know how hard it can be buying tech-related stuff, especially with all the different terminology out there. And so in order to help you out, we have put together a list of the “9 Best Motherboards with M.2 Slots. In this article, you will even find a buying guide to help you out so that you can look for all the right things when buying hardware components with M.2 Slots.

If you do not have the time to go through the entire list, here is a quick summary:

Best Overall — ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490

“The Asus ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490 is the best blend of power, functionality and budget. Hence the best overall as it takes the stage overall.“

Our Recommendation — GigaByte X570 AORUS Ultra

“The GigaByte X570 AORUS Ultra is powerful hardware. There isn’t much that this motherboard can’t handle. Hence our recommendation.“

Best Budget — Gigabyte B450M DS3H

“If you are looking to buy a motherboard that will do most that you want it to and yet not break the bank, have a look at the Gigabyte B450 DS3H.“

9 Best Motherboards with M.2 Slots in 2022

Name	Form Factor	Built For	Number of Slots
1. GigaByte Z490 AORUS Master	ATX	10th & 11th Generation Intel Processors	4
2. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490	ATX	Intel 10th Generation Processors	4
3. MSI MPG X570	ATX	2nd & 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors	2
4. GigaByte X570 AORUS Ultra	ATX	2nd & 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors	4
5. ASUS ROG Strix B550-i	Mini ITX	2nd & 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors	4
6. ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO	ATX	Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Processors	4
7. ASROCK H470 Phantom	ATX	10th Generation Intel Processors (Socket 1200)	4
8. Asus Prime Z390-A	—	8th & 9th Generation Intel Processors	3
9. Gigabyte B450M DS3H	Micro ATX	1st Generation or 2nd Generation Ryzen or Ryzen with Radeon Graphics processor	4

1. GigaByte Z490 AORUS Master 

The GigaByte Z490 Aorus Master is one of the most powerful Motherboards that you will find on this list. And well, with all that power comes a pretty hefty price too. But if you can afford that, the Z490 Master can be the product for you.

Made for the Intel 10th & 11th Generation Intel Series of Processors, this device ends up being one of the recent batches of Motherboards with M.2 Slots too. Because of which this Motherboard comes with the new WiFi 6 Protocol as well as the WiFi Built-in. This would mean you wouldn’t have to sacrifice one of your PCI Express slots for a WiFi card.

You also get 3 M.3 Slots as well as 3 PCI Express slots that work in at 16x, 8x & 4x. The memory has also been soldered on which would give you a faster set-up.

In order to improve the Heating management, you also get Nano-Carbon Coated Heat Sinks as well as HeatPipe VRM Cooling. Both these factors help a lot in making this component cool and safe as this will push your Processor to its limits.

Keep in mind, the GigaByte Z490 is mainly for all the gamers out there as this much power won’t be needed by daily use. That also gets clear when you look at the Chipset that this device comes with, the Z490. This is one of the latest Chipsets out right now allowing you overclocking capabilities with ease.

So if you are not a Gamer, going for a less expensive option would do for you too.

As has been pointed out on Reddit, if you can get this motherboard, especially if on a deal, you are getting a bargain. As other than that, while the product is really good, it can be pricey.

Specs

Brand: GigaByte

Form Factor: ATX

Socket: LGA 1200

Chipset: Z490

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 5000 MHz

Built for: 10th & 11th Generation Intel Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 4

2. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490

The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490 is another Gaming Motherboard that comes with M.2 slots and power that you will have a hard time using all of. There is only one drawback that we could so far find with the ASUS ROG Hero which is that it is heavy on the pocket. Other than that, ASUS really has made this M.2 Slot Motherboard a really desirable one.

You get this Motherboard that was built especially for the Intel 10th Generation Processors and so comes with one of the latest Chipsets, the Z490. This chip will give you the option for not only Overclocking but also WiFi 6 protocols.

ASUS also offers really cool features other than the basics such as AI Cooling which not only gives you lower temperatures but also a lower fan speed. And trust us, cooling fans become really annoying really quickly.

With increased cooling, you also get 3 M.2 Slots and they have been integrated with the latest NVMe SSDs which result in lightning-fast transfer speeds.

To make the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Motherboard look good, you also get Aura Sync RGB Lighting. You can control it with the ASUS Aura Sync Control panel too. And to make it durable as well as flashy, ASUS has used Japanese-made Black Metallic Capacitors so that in the long run, you do not get a headache because of your Motherboard.

With this product, as VeganJoe points out on Reddit,

“while you do go overkill, the build quality and the features offered by the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490 are really good.”

Specs

Brand: ASUS

Form Factor: ATX

Socket: LG 1200

Chipset: Z490

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 4800 MHz

Built-For: Intel 10th Generation Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 4

3. MSI MPG X570

If you are looking for Motherboards that come with M.2 Slots and are for the AMD Ryzen Processors, well MSI offers a great product just for you. The MSI MPG X570 is built for all the 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Processors and comes with the X570 Chipset.

This Chipset helps you keep your MSI MPG cool by being efficient even under heavy loads. This means Gaming is one thing you won’t have a problem with when it comes to the MSI MPG X570. And while being efficient, MSI’s Core Boost technology helps you give the power that you need, when you need it.

Also Read: Best Motherboards with Thunderbolt 3 

Other than the NVMe device keeping itself cooler, you also get Frozr Heatsinks with a Patented design. This means that you get Propeller Blade Technology and Double Ball Bearings. When combined with the product, it provides a good and hassle-free experience.

MSI also gives you the opportunity to customize your X570 in the way that you want to. And so you can choose between 16 million colors in order to make your hardware look flashy.

Though do look out for the fact that you only get 2 M.2 Slots, which comparatively is less than what the competitors offer at this price point. And so even though you do get Audio 4 Boost Technology with the Motherboard, it might not be worth it.

Specs

Brand: MSI

Form Factor: ATX

Socket: AM4

Chipset: X570

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 2666 MHz

Built-For: 2nd & 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 2

4. GigaByte X570 AORUS Ultra

GigaByte offers another powerful Motherboard that comes with M.2 Slots but this time they have made it for all the AMD Ryzen Processors out there. And at the same time, have not compromised on either the power or the money.

The GigaByte X570 AORUS Ultra offers users the X570 chipset but with a couple of things up its sleeve. Such as True 14 Phase Digital PowlRstage VRM. This means that the X570 AORUS uses an all IR Digital CPU Power Design. It helps with the hardware getting the power that it needs at the right places precisely. Additionally it improves power saving as well as overall power efficiency.

In order to save the SSDs from Overheating, GigaByte has added a Thermal Guard to 3 of the M.2 slots. This helps with bottlenecking and keeps the SSDs running as fast as they can at all times.

To help with the temperature of the device itself, you get the Smart Fan 5 technology. It comes with Hybrid fans and two different operating modes. One of them is the PWM Mode while the other is the PWM. Both helps make Liquid cooling if you have any, more efficient.

And lastly, you can use this product for a greater Audio experience as well as a Gaming one.

Specs

Brand: GigaByte

Form Factor: ATX

Socket: AM4

Chipset: X570

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 4400 MHz

Built-For: 2nd & 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 4

5. ASUS ROG Strix B550-i

The ASUS ROG Strix B550-i is a reliable product by ASUS and one that all the gamers amongst you will want. This Motherboard comes with 4 different M.2 Slots and is compatible with all the 2nd and 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors out right now.

The Motherboard comes in the Mini ITX form factor and the AMD B550 Chipset. And though it isn’t the most popular of chipsets out right now, you still get a lot of functionality with this package.

For starters, the cooling options by ASUS are tremendous. You will not need to worry one bit about your motherboard or other components overheating at all. In order to ensure this, you get the PCH and VRM Heatsinks with ASUS’s Stack Cool 3+ Design.

Other than that, as ASUS mainly had gamers in mind, you get the latest WiFi 6 Protocols and on the Motherboard also get an S210 Control chip that can automatically detect whether you have a Type C USB Connecter or a regular one, to provide you with the smoothest experience.

In order to increase the gaming experience further, you also get OptiMem II Technology already integrated with the system whose job it is to carefully map all the memory signal pathways, across PCB Layers, which helps in reducing vias. This has been paired up with the Daisy Chain layout which gives you more room to overclock your device.

Specs

Brand: ASUS

Form Factor: Mini ITX

Socket: AM4

Chipset: AMD B550

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 3200 MHz

Built-For: 2nd & 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 4

6. ASUS TUF Gaming X570-PRO

If you are confused as to why we have put so many different ASUS products on the list, do not worry as we are not being sponsored by ASUS. The reason is that ASUS is one of the few brands that you will be able to find anywhere.

They have a really vast network if you do run into some problem. And the other reason is that they offer really reliable and durable products. So you will not have any problems to begin with!

The TUF Gaming X570-Pro is built with 12+2 DrMOS Power Stages which means that ASUS has used high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors so that not only do you get a reliable source of power throughout but also so that everything stays safe.

Also with the TUF you get a Fanless VRM, Active Chipset Heatsink, and multiple Hybrid Fan Headers. You can change the speeds for these headers using the Fan Xpert 4 or the UEFI Q-Fan Control utility. This will help you keep the noise as loud or subtle as you want.

Finally, with the AMD AM4 Chipset, you not only get WiFi 6 and 2.5GB LAN but also the S1200A Codec with DTS Sound Unbound. When both these functions integrate with the AI Noise Cancellation by ASUS, your audio experience shoots up just like your overall gaming experience.

Specs

Brand: ASUS

Form Factor: ATX

Socket: Socket AM4

Chipset: AMD AM4

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: —

Built-For: Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 & 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 4

7. ASROCK H470 Phantom

The H470 Phantom by ASROCK is an underdog on the list. That is because when compared to the other companies on this list, ASROCK is not as popular. But still, ASROCK has figured out a way to outshine the competition.

The H470 Phantom comes with all the features and the power that you could want. For starters, while giving support for the Intel 10th Generation processors, you also get a 10 Power Phase Design. This keeps the power delivery consistent and smooth. With this, you also get a Premium 50A power choke, which according to ASROCK H470 Motherboard up to 3 times better than the competition.

ASROCK also offers the AMD Quad CrossFireX and CrossFireX support. You can connect up to 4 different GPUs to the same motherboard. This helps if you want to do some really heavy graphic intensive work.

Also Read: Best Motherboards for NAS

And just like the competition, you also get Nahimic Audio. It’s specially designed by ASROCK so that everyone can get the richest and most vibrant audio experience no matter what they choose to listen to. You also get the Sound Tracker through which you can visualize to see the sound from a spectrum of up to 360° to get the fully immersive gaming experience one can imagine.

With the ASROCK, you get a really great motherboard with specs that many other competitors offer at a higher price point. Though some users have noted that the VRM’s on this motherboard is lower, unless you are going to be overclocking the motherboard to the extreme, you do not have anything to worry about.

Specs

Brand: ASROCK

Form Factor: ATX

Socket: AM2+

Chipset: H470

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 2933 MHz

Built-For: 10th Generation Intel Processors (Socket 1200)

Number of Memory Slots: 4

8. Asus Prime Z390-A

The ASUS Prime Z390-A is one of the comparatively cheaper options out of this bunch of Motherboards with M.2 Slots. But with that cheaper price tag, what you do get is a product that is not compatible with the 10th or 11th generation of Intel processors out right now. So this means that if your PC has anything above than a 9th Generation Intel Processor, this Z390-A is not the one for you.

But if you are building your PC with an 8th or 9th Generation Intel Processor, you are in luck. As you do not have to pay as much to get a motherboard for your gaming needs.

One of the biggest benefits that you get with the Prime Z390-A is the fact that it comes with 5 Way Optimization. This means that the Overclocking module for the Z390A has been revamped. ASUS has added a revised backend that has the intelligence to overclock your device in the most efficient manner by looking at all the thermal data and making smart predictions.

With this and lightning fast data transfers, you also get Optimem II technology. The same is offered by ASUS in its ROG Strix B550-i. Which are another series of Motherboards that come with M.2 Slots by ASUS.

And lastly, with all the looks, you also get dynamic sensors on each header too. And so with this and the Fan Xpert 4, you can map out the temperature of your graphics card, given that it is supported by ASUS.

Specs

Brand: ASUS

Form Factor:

Socket: LGA 1151

Chipset: Intel Z390A

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 4133 MHz

Built-For: 8th & 9th Generation Intel Processors

Number of Memory Slots: 3

9. Gigabyte B450M DS3H

Though if you are looking for Motherboards that come with M.2 Slots and are on a budget, then the GigaByte B450M DS3H is the product for you. With this, you would have to make sure that the Processor that you are using is either a 1^st Generation or 2^nd Generation Ryzen or Ryzen with a Radeon Graphics processor. While you do save a couple of hundred bucks off of this device, this is the one drawback that you have to look out for.

But that is where the compromises stop. You get a hardware component that is good to look at and one that comes fused with RGB lights with 7 different options! Meaning you can go for the mood and look you want.

With this device, you also won’t have to worry about if it would fit or not as Gigabyte has made sure it goes perfectly with the AMD Ryzen 2000 series. With the 2000 Series, you also get AMD’s StoreMI technology which helps in accelerating storage devices. It helps reduce the boot times and make your experience smoother.

You can fit it around compact builds easily with the Micro ATX form factor. But no functionality is compromised as you still do get 6 USB 3.1 ports and 8 USB 2.0 ports.

And finally, with the Gigabyte B450M DS3H, the best thing you get is its durability. This is going to be facilitated by GigaByte’s Smart Fan 5 technology. And so your Motherboard and all its components will operate and work at the optimum temperature possible.

Mescal_ on Reddit has pointed out though that with this product, you do get minor annoyances such as,

“The PCI x1 being under the GPU and the x8 not working with a WiFi card.”

Specs

Brand: GigaByte

Form Factor: Micro ATX

Socket: AM4

Chipset: B450M

Memory Support: DDR4

Memory Speed: 3600MHz

Built-For: 1st Generation or 2nd Generation Ryzen or Ryzen with Radeon Graphics processor

Number of Memory Slots: 4

In-Depth Buying Guide for Motherboards

Processor Support

The first thing that you need to look out for is whether the Motherboards with M.2 Slots that you are looking for are made for the manufacturer of your processor. As there are two main competitors out right now, Intel and AMD, products are usually only made for one company and its processors.

Furthermore, you also need to make sure that if the device does support the company, does it support the generation of processors that you have. If it does not, you need to keep looking. This is one of the most important things as this will tell you if your motherboard is compatible with the rest of your hardware or not.

GPU Support

Once you have made sure your processor and the Motherboard are compatible. The next step is to see if the device you are looking for supports the kind of GPUs that you would want. GPUs are the part of your computer that display the images on the monitor.

Some processors come with these GPUs built-in and are relatively very low-powered.

But if you are looking to play games or do any Graphics heavy intensive work, make sure that the hardware that you are looking for not only comes with M.2 Slots but also supports your GPU.

This support can be in terms of if it can handle the temperature levels, and if the PCIe slots are available or not.

Form Factor

The second thing that you need to look out for is the Form Factor of the Motherboards with M.2 slots that you are looking at. There are 3 main Form Factors for Motherboards. ATX, Micro ATX, and then Mini ITX.

The Form Factor that you go for depends on what kinds of PC Build you are going for and how much space you have. As you might have guessed, the ATX Form Factor is the biggest of the 3 and so we would recommend going for this if you are building around a Full-Size Tower Case.

The next in line is the Micro ATX, and then lastly Mini ITX.

Socket

The socket is the part of the Motherboard that holds the processor in its place. So you can see why it is really important to look out for the socket. There are a few different options for sockets on the Market but mostly AMD uses the AM4 socket while the Intel one’s use LGA.

RAM

RAM stands for the Random Access Memory for a device. The RAM typically goes onto the Motherboard so you will need to make sure before buying how much RAM your device can handle.

This is necessary as if you buy a product that only supports, let’s say, 4GBs of RAM. Then you will not be able to upgrade in the future if those 4GBs are already placed.

So in order to ensure that your Motherboard lasts you a long while, go for hardware that can handle at least up to 16GBs of RAM. It’s the minimum amount of RAM that you will need if you plan to play games or do any editing.

PCI Slots

The PCI slots are connectors for your Cards to your Motherboard. These can be Audio, WiFi, and Graphics. If you plan on playing games, you would need at least 1 full-speed 16x PCI express slot. And if you plan on joining more than one Graphics card, you will be needing more than 1 16x PCI express slot.