A88X

The A88X chipset is compatible only with FM2+ based A-Series processors, it comes in at the performance segment of the market and delivers features enthusiasts need. With support for configurable TDP, AMD Crossfire, up to 8 SATA-III inputs and the best overlocking support, this would be the chipset of choice for someone willing to pay for performance. Crossfire on this Chipset would be x8/x8 with the single card running x16. RAID support is 0,1,5,10.

A78

A78 is directed towards the same platform as the above (FM2+) and still supports overclocking somewhat, however its segment is media-class. Likely a sweet spot for those wanting a home server or media centre PC, its six SATA-III and four USB 3.0 ports is enough for a medium tier system. RAID support for this tier is 0,1,10.

A58

The entry level of the FM2+ A58 offers cheaper upfront cost for the sacrifice of some of the features the upper level chipsets have. Although overclocking is supported on this chipset, as it is entry level vendors may or may not choose to implement overclocking focused power delivery systems. Six SATA-II ports and USB 2.0 connectivity is this chipsets lot, favouring price over current gen options.

NOTE: All FM2 processors can be used in FM2+ boards, however FM2+ processors cannot be used in FM2 boards.

990FX

The 990FX is the flagship for the AM3+ platform, boasting impressive Crossfire and SLI support and offering many options in the way of performance oriented motherboards, with overlocking supported as standard. Although AMD market this currently as their high end desktop chipset, AM3+ as a whole is limited by PCIe 2.0 across the board, no native USB 3.0 support (vendors may add in USB3.0 on a separate controller) and the fact none of the 9-Series offer integrated graphics on the motherboard. It does however offer impressive multi card potential though with AMD Crossfire support at: x16/x16 or x8/x8/x8/x8 (Quad x8) and Nvidia SLI at: x16/x16 or x16/x8/x8 or x8/x8/x8/x8.

990X

990X is the middle of the road option when it comes to AM3+, generally these boards arent as flashy as the 990FX ones but they still retain most of the overclocking prowess. Support for SLI and Crossfire is the same with both offering x8/x8 on dual card setups. USB support is the same across the board on 900 series chipsets, with up to 14 USB2.0 ports supported.


970

The more value oriented option in the 900 Series lineup, frequently boards with this chipset dont support much in the way of overclocking due to weaker power delivery systems and SATA-III uptake by the vendor may be lower. Crossfire is supported x16/x4 on the 970 chipset, however due to Nvidia SLI requiring x8 or higher, SLI is not supported.

NOTE: AM3 processors will work in AM3+ motherboards, however AM3+ may not work in AM3 due to limitations regarding peak voltage supply from AM3 and the inability for rapid VCore switching.

Z87 & Z97

This is the top end chipset from Intel, and is the only one with official overlocking and multi-GPU support. Z87 came around at Haswells inception in 2013, and Z97 when Haswell Refresh CPUs appeared in 2014. Z97 has the added benefit of PCIe M.2 support which may be useful to those wanting to use M.2 SSDs built into their boards. Multiple card setups are supported on these chipsets in the following configurations: x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4. With six USB3.0 and SATA-III ports natively supported this is the most feature rich set, and boards using Z-Chipsets are usually marketed directly at power users and gamers who want a specific look and feel for their boards.

H87 & H97

The two H chipsets are striking similar to the Z chipsets, they keep the majority of features. The ones they dont however, is official overlocking support and the ability to divide up PCIe lanes so no multi-GPU setups. Things like Intel RST, SRT are still supported however, but because the margins between pricing of the H chipsets and the Z chipsets are so small vendors are likely to push you towards the more feature rich Z chipsets by limiting the amount of ports youll get even though they support the same amount. Again, H97 added native support to the chipset for M.2 drives.

B85

B85 was designed up with business computing in mind, however that doesnt mean it cant be used at home! Its the cheapest option where PCIe 3.0 and a decent amount of SATA-III ports are available. This chipset doesnt really offer much aside from the fact it works, because its a low tier business product you miss out on business features, and because it wasnt designed with home use in mind you dont get nice things like Intel Rapid Storage Tech. You do however get PCIe 3.0 and four USB3.0 and SATA-III ports.

H81

The budget option. It only has two SATA-III ports (with four SATA-II ones) and two USB3.0 ports, so its pretty slim pickings if youre considering one of these boards. This is really a bare bones chipset with basic functionality, no major features like overclocking, multi-GPU setups and RST are supported at allbut if you dont think youd miss PCIe 3.0 and you wont use many devices or drives then you could be savvy and grab a bargain functional board. Based on pricing in some places though you can get yourself a nice B85 board for similar money.

X79
Released in 2011 X79 is meant for high end desktop users who would value the increased core frequencies, quad channel memory and additional PCI lanes that LGA2011 offers. The chipset itself natively offers two SATA-III ports and four SATA-II ports due to its age, however vendors may choose to add more with third part controllers. USB2.0 is supported also up to 14 ports. This platform is still sold today even though replaced by X99 on the LGA2011-3 platform which are not interchangeable.

X99
X99 is the latest iteration of the 2011 platform dubbed 2011-3 or Haswell-E (Haswell Enthusiast). Its worth noting that the Haswell-E processors are not interchangeable with their predecessors. It benefits from the higher core counts of the Haswell-E processors and also the newer technology which X79 had less of. USB is dealt with by six USB3.0 ports and 14 USB2.0 ports, SATA-III is available too with six ports natively available.

X79 Supported Processors: i7-3820, i7-3930K, i7-3960X, i7-3970X, i7-4820K, i7-4930K, i7-4960X.
X99 Supported Processors: i7-5820K, i7-5930K, i7-5960X.

LGA2011 as a whole is a poweful platform for overclockers, gamers and content creators, however for most users needs, they won't find value for money here.