We're refreshing our picks
Prices for motherboards in this category have moved above £100 since our last review. We track the market daily and will restore the under-£100 recommendations the moment products come back into bracket.
In the meantime, here are the nearest brackets with current picks:
Frequently Asked Questions
Honestly? The pickings are slim. Most micro-ATX boards worth buying sit between £120-£190. The market has shifted towards ATX boards in the budget segment, and true micro-ATX options under £100 are nearly extinct in 2026. You'll find better value slightly above this price point.
If you've already got AM4 CPUs, the B450 boards still work fine for basic builds. But for new systems, stretch your budget to £120-£130 for AM5 boards like the MSI B650 Gaming Plus. You get DDR5 support and a platform that'll last years longer.
Micro-ATX boards are smaller (244mm x 244mm vs 305mm x 244mm) with fewer expansion slots. You typically get 2-4 PCIe slots instead of 6-7. For most people, that's not a problem. You'll still get all the essential features, just in a more compact package that fits smaller cases.
Absolutely. The form factor doesn't limit gaming performance. What matters is the chipset, VRM quality, and features. A good micro-ATX board like the ASUS ROG Strix B850-G handles gaming just as well as full ATX boards. You're just working with less physical space.
You can always add Wi-Fi via PCIe card or USB adapter, but built-in Wi-Fi is tidier and often better quality. If you're near your router, save the money and go wired. If not, paying £10-£20 extra for integrated Wi-Fi 6E is usually worth it compared to buying adapters later.
