B460 Motherboards are ideal for pairing with locked Intel 10th generation CPUs such as the 10400. This is because these CPUs do not support overclocking and the B460 series motherboards do not support this feature. Instead of getting a more expensive Z470 motherboard, you can stick with B460 and save some money which you can spend on other parts of your build such as faster storage, more RAM, or a better graphics card. In this article, we are going to go over some of the best B460 motherboards that you can get right now for Intel 10th generation CPUs.
With that out of the way you must be thinking that the H470 chipset also does not support overclocking so why what is the difference between that and B460. The difference is that the B460 chipset features 16 PCIe lanes while the H470 chipset supports 20. Another difference is that H470 supports 4 USB 3.2 ports while the B460 does not natively support any at all.
Note that at first glance it might look like the B460 motherboard supports USB 3.2 but if you look closely you will notice that the official specifications mention “0 USB 3.2 Gen 2” which you can clearly see in the image below:
Note that this can get a bit confusing and even though the Intel specifications are a bit misleading, it comes down to your motherboard manufacturer and the specific model. There are certain models that do indeed have this feature in the form of USB Type-C. Also, note that this chipset does not support Nvidia SLI, there are some models that support AMD CrossFire. If that is the case then it will clearly be mentioned on the box. You can check out all the specification details that you need to know in the table below:
| Â | Z490 Chipset | H470 Chipset | B460 Chipset |
| Overclocking | Yes | No | No |
| PCI 3.0 Lanes | 24 | 20 | 16 |
| SATA 6Gb/s Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| RAID Support | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
| USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| USB 3.2 Gen2 Ports | 6 | 4 | 0 |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 14 | 14 | 12 |
| Intel Optane support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
So the difference is not all that major if you really think about it. It is not going to be worth the extra money to get additional PCIe lanes and USB 3.2 ports for the general consumer.
Best B460 Motherboards For Intel 10th Gen CPUs
The following are some of Best B460 Motherboards that you can buy right now:
ATX
The following are some of Best ATX B460 Motherboards that you can buy right now:
Gigabyte B460 AORUS PRO AC – Premium Option
The AORUS branding marks the premium Gigabyte products and here we have the Gigabyte B460 AORUS PRO AC. The motherboard has a relatively high price tag but it has all the features that you are going to need for your 10th generation CPU.
It comes with a Direct 8 Phases Digital VRM Solution and has 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. The motherboard has 3 PCIe slots and the top one is reinforced for better GPU support. The motherboard comes with 2 M.2 slots for fast SSDs and both have a heatsink.
There is plenty of armor around the chipset and around the socket for cooling and optimal thermals. The motherboard features Smart Fan 5 multiple temperature sensors and hybrid fan headers. These will help you monitor your thermals and customize the fan curves in order to have a balance between silence and cooling.
Out of the box, the motherboard supports Intel 802.11ac Wave2 2T2R WIFI and BT 5. These are great for wireless connectivity and wireless peripherals such as keyboards, mice and controllers. You have some RGB zones on the motherboard and some headers with which you can connect and sync your other RGB compatible parts.
All things considered, the Gigabyte B460 AORUS PRO AC is a bit expensive compared to all the other B460 motherboards out there but this is a premium product and it comes with all the bells and whistles that you could ask for.
ASUS ROG Strix B460-H Gaming – Impressive Alternative
Here we have the ASUS ROG Strix B460-H Gaming motherboard which is also on the higher-end side of things but it is cheaper than the AUROS one that we have looked into above. It is certainly on par with the Gigabyte board and offers similar features excluding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. We do not recommend a wireless connection for gaming so that is not a major dealbreaker for us but the lack of Bluetooth support could be a big deal for you, depending on what you are looking for in a motherboard.
As we mentioned above, some motherboards can support USB 3.2 Gen 2 and this motherboard does. Other than that, it also supports AMD CrossFire. So you can install a pair of AMD graphics cards and have them work together but that is not something that we recommend for gaming.
There is plenty of armor around the chipset and around the socket for cooling and optimal thermals. You have some RGB zones on the motherboard and some headers with which you can connect and sync your other RGB compatible parts.
It features 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. The motherboard has 2 PCIe slots and the top one is reinforced for better GPU support. The motherboard comes with 2 M.2 slots for fast SSDs but one of them has a heatsink. If you are interested in getting a heatsink for your SSD then you can check out some great options in our NVMe SSD heatsink guide.
There is an additional M.2 slot if you are interested in adding Wi-Fi, Bluetooth support or both down the line. So while it does not come with these wireless connectivity features out of the box the option to add them is there.
All things considered, the ASUS ROG Strix B460-H Gaming motherboard is a great option to consider if you are interested in a premium motherboard with the majority of the features as the high-end models but are not interested in spending too much money.
ASROCK B460 Steel Legend – Best Value
Next, we have the ASROCK B460 Steel Legend. This motherboard comes in Black and White and is great if what you are going for is a Black and White build. It features 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. The motherboard has 2 PCIe slots and the top one is reinforced for better GPU support.
The motherboard has 9 power phases and high-end capacitors with black caps. The motherboard comes with 2 M.2 slots for fast SSDs and both have a heatsink. There is an additional M.2 slot if you are interested in adding Wi-Fi, Bluetooth support or both down the line.
The motherboard supports CrossFire, so you can install 2 AMD graphics cards and have them work. The motherboard has some RGB lighting zones and even comes with 2 RGB and ARGB headers so that you can connect and sync other RGB parts in your build.
The ASROCK B460 Steel Legend is a great option for 10th generation Intel CPUs that do not have an unlocked multiplayer. The motherboard looks good and is not priced as high as the other motherboards that we have looked into above. While it does not come with Wi-Fi and BT out of the box you can add those down the line.
Gigabyte B460 HD3 – Best Budget
This is our budget pick and while the Gigabyte B460 HD3 does not have armor or fancy RGB lighting it does offer all the functionality of the other motherboards that we have looked into above.
This might be a barebones entry-level motherboard but it comes with It features 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. The motherboard has 2 PCIe slots but none of them are reinforced. You also get 2 M.2 slots without the heatsinks.
The Gigabyte B460 HD3 is part of the Ultra Durable series so it is not going to give out on you and will do its job perfectly fine. It does feature 8118 Gaming LAN with bandwidth management and onboard ALC1200 audio.
Just like the higher-end Gigabyte AUROS motherboard it features Smart Fan 5 multiple temperature sensors and hybrid fan headers to monitor thermals of your hardware. This is a great budget motherboard that does not compromise on build quality and functionality.
The ASUS TUF Gaming B460-PRO WiFi is a mid-range motherboard and does not come with the integrated I/O shield like the more premium Asus models. It does have plenty of armor and chipset cooling along with RGB lighting zones and RGB headers for syncing your RGB lighting with other supporting parts.
The motherboard comes in Black and should blend in with the rest of your parts easily. It features 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. The motherboard has 2 PCIe slots and the top one is reinforced for better GPU support.
You also get 2 M.2 slots just like the other motherboards but only the one at the bottom has a heatsink. Out of the box you get Wi-Fi which is an added bonus if you need it. All things considered, this is a very decent mid-range motherboard that does not break the bank and provides all the features that you might need.
MATX
The MATX boards are a bit smaller than the ATX ones and that is why some of the expandability is limited. You will get fewer PCIe slots for example for your graphics cards. that is obviously not going to be an issue if you are going to stick with just one for gaming.
The following are some of the Best MATX B460 Motherboards that you can buy right now:
Gigabyte B460M DS3H – Best Budget Option
The Gigabyte B460M DS3H is part of the Ultra Durable series and while it is not a fancy motherboard, it does not cost a lot of money and has all the functionality of the higher end motherboards excluding Wi-Fi and BT.
It features 4 DIMM slots for your RAM but only has a single PCIe slot. There is also only a single M.2 slot for the fast storage which does not come with a heatsink.
All things considered, the Gigabyte B460M DS3H is a solid motherboard that does not have fancy RGB lighting or armor but it has all the essentials. if you are on a budget and do not want to build a full tower PC then this is an option that is worth looking into.
MSI MAG B460M Mortar – Best Premium Option
The MSI MAG B460M Mortar is the complete opposite of the Gigabyte model above. It is a relatively smaller yet premium motherboard that comes with plenty of armor and features and hence the higher cost of the motherboard.
It comes in Black with White accents and has 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. Unlike the Gigabyte model above, this MATX motherboard comes with 2 M.2 slots which is great and it even comes with an extra PCIe slot. Only the top one is reinforced and that is the one in which you should install your graphics card.
While there are two M.2 slots you should note that only the top one comes with a heatsink. It also comes with USB 3.2 Gen 2 out of the box which is another added bonus.
The MSI MAG B460M Mortar is a premium motherboard which is why it not only does its job well, it also looks great doing it. If you are interested in building a relatively smaller PC then this is a great motherboard to consider.
ASUS Prime B460M-A – Best Value
The ASUS Prime B460M-A is priced between the budget Gigabyte board and the premium MSI one. It is pretty much a bare-bones motherboard but it comes with a reinforced PCIe slot. There is only one because of the smaller footprint but unlike the Gigabyte budget model, this one comes with 2 M.2 slots even though the heatsinks are not included.
It comes in Black with White accents and has 4 DIMM slots for your RAM. While it might not look like much it is functional and very durable. So it is going to last you a long time provided that you do not abuse it. This is a great option to consider if you are willing to spend a but more for that additional M.2 slot and the Asus brand.
ITX
The following are some of Best ITX B460 Motherboards that you can buy right now:
ASUS ROG Strix B460-I Gaming (WiFi 6)
For small form factor gaming PCs that have a locked Intel 10th generation CPU, we recommend the ASUS ROG Strix B460-I Gaming motherboard. This particular model comes with Wi-Fi out of the box which makes sense as it is going to be a relatively portable PC and you will be able to take it with you. The wireless internet is going to allow you to connect to the internet without hassle.
The smaller footprint means that the features are fairly limited. You only have a single PCIe slot and 2 DIMM slots rather than 4 like the bigger boards. Even though this is a very small motherboard, you still get 2 M.2 slots. One is under the socket and comes with a rather cool heatsink. The other one is on the back and does not come with a heatsink.
Just like the other premium Asus motherboards, this little thing has plenty of armor and an integrated I/O shield for easy installation. It even supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 via USB Type-C. There is RGB lighting on the motherboard and it comes with headers so that you can sync the lighting with other RGB compatible parts.
All things considered, this is a great motherboard for small form factors PCs. it has 2 M.2 slots and not only is it functional, but it also looks very cool too.
These are some of the best B460 motherboards that you can buy for Intel 10th generation CPUs right now. If you are interested in more content like this then you can check out our article on Asus recommended CPU coolers for Intel 10th generation Comet Lake CPUs.