New processors do not always lead to an influx of new motherboards, but there tends to be a correlation between the two to take full advantage of the new technology on offer. New CPUs may change the pinout of the socket, in which case a large number of new boards are needed. Alternatively, a new CPU family may plug into an existing board, as seen with AMD's Ryzen 5000 chip.

Returning to Intel for a moment, the new Z490 chipset is responsible for the top end of the stack and is found on more elaborate motherboards, while the B460 and H470 chipsets are found in more affordable mainstream products. There are some important differences between these chipsets, with overclocking being the obvious separator, but memory performance and connectivity options are also factors. Basically, the more you spend, the more you have access to. Weighing features versus price is what separates a good motherboard from a great one. [The recently released Zen 5000 family is a good choice because it plugs straight into existing motherboards. In fact, AMD has stuck with the AM4 socket since the release of the first Ryzen chips. However, there have been several new releases this year, with the "budget" B550 and A520 chipsets making their way onto motherboards this summer. If you are looking for full functionality, you will want to concentrate on the enthusiast-class X570 chipset, but even these more affordable options can provide adequate performance. In addition, new motherboards with the X570 have appeared from time to time.

This means that many new motherboards with new chipsets have been released this year. Three of the motherboards that caught our eye are listed below:

We will be announcing this year's motherboards on New Year's Eve, so if you want to know which motherboards were the most impressive, please come back then. They are all impressive in their own way and highlight how healthy the motherboard market is right now. More new CPUs are scheduled to be introduced next year, so it will be interesting to see how the market develops at different prices and form factors.