Best H470 Motherboard for Intel 10th Gen Processors [LGA 1200 Socket]

If you are on a budget and are looking to build a PC with an Intel 10th generation Coffee Lake-S processor then getting a Z490 motherboard is going to be an expensive matter. In such a situation, you can opt for an H470 motherboard which is a mid-range and more affordable option for LGA 1200 Socket 10th gen Intel processors. H470 chipset does not support overclocking and has some features absent but still, it offers great almost everything that you get from the flagship Z490 chipset. The H470 motherboards are ideal for building a budget gaming PC or work PC using a non-K Intel 10th generation processor that does not support overclocking e.g. Core i9 10900, Core i7 10700, Core i5 10600, Core i5 10500, Core i5 10400, Core i3 10300, etc. Below you can see the comparison between Z490 and H470 Chipsets.

  Z490 Chipset H470 Chipset
Overclocking Yes No
PCI 3.0 Lanes 24 20
SATA 6Gb/s Ports 6 6
RAID Support 0, 1, 5, 10 0, 1, 5, 10
USB 3.2 Gen1 Ports 10 8
USB 3.2 Gen2 Ports 6 4
USB 2.0 Ports 14 14
Intel Optane support Yes Yes
Integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6 Yes Yes

The other difference between H470 and Z490 chipsets besides overclocking is that H470 has four fewer PCIe 3.0 lanes and two fewer USB 3.0 Gen2 ports. However, at a price point of an entry-level Z490 motherboard, you can easily get a high-end H470 motherboard and can benefit from more features that are mostly absent in the cheapest Z490 motherboards. There are many H470 motherboard models available from various manufacturers based on the pricing, form factor, features, and performance. So, to help you choose the best H470 motherboard, here I am going to list the best H470 motherboards in each segment.

Best H470 Motherboards (ATX)

Below are the best H470 motherboards for Intel 10th Generation motherboards. These are ATX form factor motherboards and can support up to a high-end 10th Gen. Coffee Lake S processor.

GIGABYTE H470 AORUS PRO AX

[2.5G LAN, Direct 11+1 Phases Digital VRM, BIOS Flashback Button]

GIGABYTE H470 AORUS PRO AX can be considered as the pinnacle of H470 motherboards. It is probably the best H470 motherboard and comes with a lot of features that you would expect from a flagship motherboard. The motherboard comes with two PCIe x16 slots, where the top slot is armored and runs at x16 bandwidth. There are two M.2 slots for fast NVMe Gen3 x4 drives and both the M.2 slots come with heatsinks for cooling. The motherboard can support DDR4 2933 MHz RAM up to 128 GB capacity in dual channel. All the DDR4 DIMM slots on the motherboard are steel armored to provide extra rigidity.

GIGABYTE-H470-AORUS-PRO-AX

The motherboard uses Direct 11+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution and the VRMs are cooled by decent-sized heatsinks. The power delivery is pretty good and you can even run a high-end 10th Gen processor like Core i9 10900K without having to worry about anything. For network connectivity, the board comes with 2.5G LAN and Intel Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.1. For general connectivity, you will get USB 3.2 Gen2 ports including the Type-C connector. Other features of this board include 7.1 Channel Audio (Realtek ALC1220-VB codec), Smart Fan 5, Hybrid Fan Headers, AORUS Antenna, Pre-installed I/O Shield Armor, Q-Flash BIOS update button, RGB & ARGB headers (RGB Fusion 2.0 support). Display connectivity options include HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.4. Overall, an excellent H470 motherboard that has got it all and costs way less than its Z490 counterpart.

GIGABYTE H470 AORUS PRO AX Specifications
Socket Type LGA 1200
Form Factor ATX
Chipset H470
Processor Support 10th Generation Intel Core i9 processors/Intel Core i7 processors/Intel Core i5 processors/Intel Core i3 processors/Intel Pentium processors/Intel Celeron processors in the LGA1200 package
RAM Support DDR4 2933, up to 128GB, Dual Channel
Slots DIMM x 4, PCIe x16 x 2, PCIe x1 x 3, M.2 x 2
Ports SATA 6Gb/s x 6, USB Type-C x 1 (USB 3.2 Gen2), USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 1, USB 3.2 Gen1 x 6, USB 3.0 x 6
Features 2.5GbE LAN, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 +Bluetooth 5.1, 7.1 Channel Audio (Realtek ALC1220-VB codec), Direct 11+1 Phases Digital VRM Solution, PCIe Armor, DDR4 Memory Armor, Q-FLASH BIOS Update, RGB & ARGB Header with RGB Fusion 2.0 support, M.21 Thermal Guards, VRM Heatsinks with 5 W/mK LAIRD Thermal Pads, S/PDIF Out, Smart Fan 5, Hybrid Fan Headers, AORUS Antenna, Pre-installed I/O Shield Armor, 2-Way AMD CrossFire support
Display Output DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 1.4

Buy GIGABYTE H470 AORUS PRO AX

ASUS TUF GAMING H470-PRO (WI-FI)

[Thunderbolt Header, Tough and Durable]

Another very good H470 motherboard is the ASUS TUF GAMING H470-PRO (WI-FI). It does lack some features present in the GIGABYTE H470 AORUS PRO AX, but still, it has a lot to offer and is a reliable and durable motherboard. The main feature that this motherboard has and GIGABYTE H470 AORUS PRO AX does not is the Thunderbolt Header, which may come in very useful for some users for connecting high bandwidth devices or components. The motherboard comes with two PCIe x16 slots (with 2-way CrossFire support), one armored, and supports full x16 lanes. There are two M.2 slots and only one comes with a heatsink. The board can support DDR4 2933 MHz in dual channel mode, up to 128 GB capacity.

ASUS-TUF-GAMING-H470-PRO-WI-FI

The motherboard uses 10 power phases and the VRMs are cooled down by heatsinks. The power delivery is adequate and you can run a high-end 10th processor with almost no issues at all. The motherboard only supports Gigabit LAN but does support Intel Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.1. The RGB LED lighting can be seen around the PCH heatsink and the board also includes RGB and Addressable RGB headers with Aura Sync support. Other features include 7.1 Channel Audio (Realtek S1200A codec), S/PDIF Out, USB 3.2 Gen2 ports with Type-C connector, Pre-installed I/O shield. Display output includes HDMI 1.4b, and DisplayPort 1.4. Overall, a very nice H470 motherboard with a good number of features and is also quite affordable.

ASUS TUF GAMING H470-PRO (WI-FI) Specifications
Socket Type LGA 1200
Form Factor ATX
Chipset H470
Processor Support Intel Socket 1200 for 10th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold and Celeron Processors
RAM Support DDR4 2933, up to 128GB, Dual Channel
Slots DIMM x 4, PCIe x16 x 2, PCIe x1 x 3, M.2 x 2
Ports SATA 6Gb/s x 6, USB 3.2 Gen2 x 2(Type-C + Type A), USB 3.2 Gen 1 x 3, USB 2.0 x 4, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (Front Panel)
Features Thunderbolt Header, 10 power stages, VRM heatsink, PCH heatsink, M.2 heatsink, hybrid fan headers and FAN Xpert 4 utility, military-grade TUF components, and Digi+ VRM, RGB & ARGB Header with Aura Sync RGB support, 7.1 Channel Audio (Realtek S1200A codec), Gigabit LAN, Intel Wi-Fi 6 + BT 5.1, Asus SafeSlot, Supports AMD 2-Way CrossFireX Technology, SPDIF Out
Display Output HDMI 1.4b, DisplayPort 1.4

Buy ASUS TUF GAMING H470-PRO (WI-FI)

ASRock H470 Steel Legend

[PCIe 4.0 Hardware Support, Base Frequency Boost (BFB) Technology]

A very good H470 motherboard that offers something extra compared to other H470 motherboards. The motherboard comes with PCI-E 4.0 Clock Generator to support PCIe 4.0 standard through CPU PCIe 4.0 lanes. The board comes with two PCIe x16 slots, the primary one is steel reinforced and supports PCIe Gen4 interface. There are two M.2 slots for NVMe drives, with one supporting PCIe 4.0. Both the M.2 slots come with heatsinks pre-installed. The board supports DDR4 2933 MHz, up to 128 GB in Dual Channel mode.

ASRock-H470-Steel-Legend

The motherboard uses 11 Phase Dr.MOS Power Design and has got pretty chunky heatsinks on VRMs. It can run a high-end Intel 10th processor without any problems. One feature that is very unique to this motherboard is the Base Frequency Boost (BFB) Technology, which allows you to run a non-K series unlocked processor on higher frequencies compared to stock by increasing the power limit of the processor. Here the processor runs on higher TDP and it results in more heat generation, which means you will need a good CPU cooler to take full advantage of this feature. Technically, it is not overclocking but you will be able to get more performance from your locked 10th generation Intel processor.

For networking, it has got 2.5G LAN but misses out on onboard Intel Wi-Fi 6. Other features include 7.1 Channel HD Audio (Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec), Thunderbolt AIC Connector, RGB & Addressable RGB Headers with ASRock Polychrome SYNC support, Surge Protection, USB 3.2 Gen2 ports with Type-C connector, and more.  Display connectivity options include HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.4. A very different H470 board that offers a good number of features and is not expensive too.

ASRock H470 Steel Legend Specifications
Socket Type LGA 1200
Form Factor ATX
Chipset H470
Processor Support Supports 10th Gen Intel Core processors (Socket 1200)
RAM Support DDR4 2933 MHz, up to 128 GB, Dual Channel
Slots DIMM x 4, PCIe x16 x 2, M.2 x 2
Ports SATA 6Gb/s x 6, USB 3.2 Gen2 x 2 (Rear Type-A+C), USB 3.2 Gen1 x 7 (4 Front, 2 Rear, 1 Front Type-C)
Features PCIe Steel Slot, M.2 heatsink, Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX, Dragon 2.5 Gb/s LAN, 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec), Nahimic Audio, 11 Phase Dr.MOS Power Design, S/PDIF Out, RGB & ARGB Headers with ASRock Polychrome SYNC support, PCI Express 4.0 Hardware Ready, Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin), VRM Heatsinks
Display Output HDMI 1.4, DisplayPort 1.4

Buy ASRock H470 Steel Legend

Best Mini-ITX H470 Motherboard

Here we have the best Mini-ITX H470 motherboard for Mini-ITX and Small Form Factor builds.

ASUS ROG STRIX H470-I GAMING

[Good Performance & Features, Dual Gigabit LAN]

ASUS ROG STRIX H470-I GAMING is the best mini-ITX H470 motherboard that comes with a great number of features and offers good performance. However, this motherboard does come with a price and can cost you as much as a high-end H470 motherboard. It is a beautiful motherboard and features ROG design elements and RGB lighting. The motherboard comes with one PCIe x16 slot which is armored. For NVMe solid-state drives, it comes with two M.2 slots, out of which one is armored.

ASUS-ROG-STRIX-H470-I-GAMING

The motherboard comes with 6+2 power phases (Teamed power stages) and has good power delivery. The VRMs are cooled down by pretty large heatsinks, considering the size of the motherboard. It can support a mid-range to high-end Intel 10th generation Coffee Lake S processor quite comfortably. On the network connectivity front, it comes with Dual Gigabit LAN (Realtek + Intel) and Intel Wi-Fi 6. The audio quality on this motherboard is very good as it comes with ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC. Other features include Pre-mounted I/O Shield, RGB and ARGB headers with Asus Aura Sync support, audio USB Type-C port, USB 3.2 Gen2 port, hybrid fan headers. Display connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 1.4 ports.

ASUS ROG STRIX H470-I GAMING Specifications
Socket Type LGA 1200
Form Factor Mini-ITX
Chipset H470
Processor Support Intel Socket 1200 for 10th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold and Celeron Processors
RAM Support DDR4 2933, up to 64 GB, Dual Channel
Slots DIMM x 2, PCIe x16 x 1, M.2 x 2
Ports SATA 6Gb/s x 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 6, USB Type-C (USB 2.0), USB 2.0 x 2
Features Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Dual Gigabit LAN, Asus SafeSlot, VRM Heatsinks, M.2 heatsink, 6+2 power stages, Audio USB Type-C port, S/PDIF Out, Pre-mounted I/O Shield, ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC, RGB and ARGB headers with Asus Aura Sync,
Display Output DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 1.4

Buy ASUS ROG STRIX H470-I GAMING

Other Mini-ITX H470 Motherboards

Best Micro-ATX H470 Motherboard

Below is the best Micro-ATX H470 motherboard for building a budget to lower mid-range PC.      

ASRock H470M Pro4

[Base Frequency Boost (BFB) Technology]

If you are looking for an mATX H470 motherboard then ASRock H470M Pro4 is one of the best options out there. It is a good motherboard that offers pretty good performance and comes with a decent number of features or I would say all the essential features. The motherboard comes with two PCIe x16 slots (the top one is armored) with AMD Quad CrossFireX support. It has two M.2 slots and only one comes with a heatsink and runs at PCIe 3.0 x4. The board can support DDR4 2933 MHz memory up to 128 GB in dual channel mode.

ASRock-H470M-Pro4

ASRock H470M Pro4 uses 9 Power Phase design and the VRMs have heatsinks for cooling. The power delivery is decent and you can run a mid-range to even a high-end 10th gen processor on it. The Base Frequency Boost (BFB) Technology on this motherboard allows you to run a non-K locked Intel 10th processor at higher speeds than stock by running the processor at higher TDP than default by increasing the power limit. It generates more heat and you must have a good CPU cooler if you want to take full advantage of this feature. Other features of this motherboard include 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec), Polychrome SYNC RGB, Intel Gigabit LAN, USB 3.2 Gen2 ports including a Type-C connector. Display connectivity options include DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 1.4, and D-Sub.

ASRock H470M Pro4 Specifications
Socket Type LGA 1200
Form Factor Micro-ATX
Chipset H470
Processor Support Supports 10th Gen Intel Core Processors (Socket 1200)
RAM Support DDR4 2933, up to 128GB, Dual Channel
Slots DIMM x 4, PCIe x16 x 2, M.2 x1
Ports SATA 6Gb/s x 6, USB 3.2 Gen2 x 2 (Rear Type A+C), USB 3.2 Gen1 x 6 (4 Front, 2 Rear)
Features 9 Power Phase design, 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1200 Audio Codec), Polychrome SYNC RGB, Intel Gigabit LAN, Supports AMD Quad CrossFireX, Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin), VRM Heatsinks, M.2 heatsink,
Display Output DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 1.4, D-Sub (VGA)

Buy ASRock H470M Pro4

Entry Level H470 Motherboards

There are some entry-level H470 motherboards available too but they are not worth getting because of the lack of features and insufficient power delivery, especially for high-end Intel 10th generation processors. They are best suited for users who are on a really tight budget and want to build a budget PC with Intel Core i3 10th generation processors. Below are some entry-level H470 motherboards that are quite decent and are worth checking out.

See also:

Final Words

If you are getting a locked Intel 10th processor then pairing it with a good H470 makes more sense. It will be cost-effective and you will get almost all the features of a Z490 motherboard. If you have any doubts or still can’t decide which H470 motherboard to choose then you can ask me your queries in the comment section below.

(*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!)

12 Comments

  1. Siddharth August 9, 2020
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