OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
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Scored using Motherboards Methodology v3.0
Motherboards Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Motherboards Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Motherboards Methodology v3.0

GIGABYTE B860M E review: 109 specs compared

Avg. price:~£130CPU socket:LGA 1851Chipset:Intel B860Form factor:microATX

GIGABYTE B860M E Review: Compare 109 technical specifications to see how this product ranks in the Motherboards category and whether it is worth buying.

GIGABYTE B860M E
6.7/10

Overall score

Score
6.7/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists, owners and ratings from across the web.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 20%, List score 20%, Sentiment score 10%, User score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 62% of models
Score components

40%

5.2

Technical score

20%

?

Reviews scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.8, the mark of a weaker model in this category

20%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

Sentiment scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.0, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

User scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.9, the mark of a weaker model in this category

â–¼Worse than 62% of motherboards
7.6

Value for money

Value for money
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the motherboard's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a motherboard that offers a strong balance of features, performance, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Score components

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

â–¼Worse than 61%
5.2

Technical score

Technical score
5.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
Score components

19%

6.2

Memory

16%

8.6

Platform

16%

5.1

Storage

15%

2.9

Network

13%

1.9

Ports

8%

5.0

Expansion

8%

5.4

Power & Cooling

5%

7.3

Audio

â–¼Worse than 69%
?

Reviews score

Reviews score
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.8 for now.
Share: Reviews count 20% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Grades by review (0)
We have not found an independent test of this model yet. Until we do, its review part counts as 7.8.
Ratings from across the web count in the User score, not in this score.
No expert tests yet
?

User score

User score
7.9/ 10
✕
What it is
How happy buyers are with this model, based on ratings from across the web.
How we count it
Enough data: A model needs at least 1 rating from across the web. Without one, it counts as 7.9, the mark of a weaker rated model in this category.
Share: User score counts 10% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
No ratings from across the web yet, so it counts as 7.9, the mark of a weaker rated model in this category.
No ratings from across the web yet
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 20% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
  • gigabyte-b860m-e
gigabyte-b860m-e
Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of motherboard GIGABYTE B860M E

Technical score
Technical score
5.2/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 69% of models
Score components:

19%

6.2

Memory

16%

8.6

Platform

16%

5.1

Storage

15%

2.9

Network

13%

1.9

Ports

8%

5.0

Expansion

8%

5.4

Power & Cooling

5%

7.3

Audio

5.2
Reviews score
7.8
User score
?
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the motherboard's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a motherboard that offers a strong balance of features, performance, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 61% of models
Score components:

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

9.8

Price

7.6
CPU socket
LGA 1851
This motherboard uses LGA 1851, which is more up-to-date than 77.5% of Motherboards and the same as 8% of Motherboards.
CPU platform
Intel
Chipset
Intel B860
This motherboard uses Intel B860, which is more capable than 85.2% of Motherboards and as capable as 3.4% of Motherboards.
Form factor
microATX
Integrated graphics support
yes
This motherboard supports integrated graphics. 10.2% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
DDR memory version
DDR5
This motherboard uses DDR5, which is more modern than 63.8% of Motherboards and the same as 36.2% of Motherboards.
Memory slots
2
Market range: <2 – >4
This motherboard has 2 Memory slots, which is fewer than 78.1% of motherboards and equal to 21.8% of motherboards.
Maximum memory capacity
128 GB
Market range: <32 GB – >256 GB
This motherboard supports up to 128 GB of memory, which is more than 40.1% of motherboards and equal to 31.9% of motherboards.
Memory channels
2
Maximum RAM speed
8,800 MT/s
Market range: <2.1k MT/s – >8k MT/s
This motherboard supports memory speeds up to 8,800 MT/s, which is higher than that of 95% of motherboards and equal to that of 0.9% of motherboards.
Show more
N. of M.2 sockets
2
Market range: <0 – >4
This motherboard has 2 M.2 sockets, which is more than 30.5% of motherboards and equal to 34.5% of motherboards.
M.2 slot interface per slot
2x PCIe 4.0 x4
This motherboard offers M.2 slots: 2x PCIe 4.0x4, which is faster than 55.7% of Motherboards and the same as 5.5% of Motherboards.
N. of SATA 3 connectors
4
Market range: <4 – >8
This motherboard has 4 SATA 3 connectors, which is more than 6.1% of motherboards and equal to 46.8% of motherboards.
Supported RAID levels
0/1/5/10
This motherboard RAID support: 0/1/5/10, which is more flexible than 32.5% of Motherboards and the same as 67.5% of Motherboards.
NVMe RAID support
no
This motherboard does not support NVMe RAID. 59.9% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
N. of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots
1
Market range: <0 – >1
This motherboard has 1 PCIe 5.0x16 slots, which is more than 68.4% of motherboards and equal to 26.6% of motherboards.
N. of PCIe 4.0 x16 slots
1
Market range: <0 – >1
This motherboard has 1 PCIe 4.0x16 slots, which is more than 55.2% of motherboards and equal to 35.7% of motherboards.
N. of PCIe 3.0 x16 slots
0
Market range: <0 – >3
This motherboard has 0 PCIe 3.0x16 slots, which is fewer than 59.6% of motherboards and equal to 40.4% of motherboards.
PCIe slot electrical configuration
x16/x1
This motherboard splits its PCIe lanes as x16/x1, which is less generous than 66.3% of Motherboards and the same as 4.9% of Motherboards.
PCIe bifurcation support
no
This motherboard does not support PCIe bifurcation. 59.8% of motherboards support this feature.
Show more
Total USB ports (rear I/O)
6
Market range: <6 – >10
This motherboard has 6 USB ports (rear I/O), which is fewer than 63.8% of motherboards and equal to 32.8% of motherboards.
Total USB ports (including headers)
12
Market range: <11 – >19
This motherboard has 12 USB ports (including headers), which is fewer than 72.4% of motherboards and equal to 16.2% of motherboards.
Total USB-C ports (rear I/O)
0
Market range: <0 – >2
This motherboard has 0 USB-C ports (rear I/O), which is fewer than 64.2% of motherboards and equal to 35.8% of motherboards.
Total USB-C ports (including headers)
0
Market range: <0 – >3
This motherboard has 0 USB-C ports (including headers), which is fewer than 69.5% of motherboards and equal to 30.5% of motherboards.
N. of USB 3.2 Gen2x2 ports (USB-C)
0
Market range: <0 – >1
This motherboard has 0 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 ports (USB-C), which is fewer than 18% of motherboards and equal to 82% of motherboards.
Show more
LAN speed
1 Gbps
Market range: <1 Gbps – >2.5 Gbps
This motherboard supports LAN speeds up to 1 Gbps, which is lower than that of 51.1% of motherboards and equal to that of 48.9% of motherboards.
LAN controller
Killer + Intel + Realtek
This motherboard has a Killer + Intel + Realtek LAN controller, which is slower than 64.6% of Motherboards and equal to 28.7% of Motherboards.
N. of RJ45 ports
1
Market range: <1 – >2
This motherboard has 1 RJ45 ports, which is fewer than 14.4% of motherboards and equal to 85.6% of motherboards.
Wi-Fi connectivity
no
This motherboard does not support Wi-Fi connectivity. 50.1% of motherboards support this feature.
Wi-Fi version
N/A
Show more
Audio codec
Realtek ALC897
This motherboard uses Realtek ALC897, which is higher-end than 20.2% of Motherboards and the same as 29.9% of Motherboards.
Audio channels
7.1
This motherboard offers 7.1 audio channels, which is more than 4.7% of motherboards and equal to 95.3% of motherboards.
Audio SNR
?
Headphone amp support
no
This motherboard does not support a headphone amp. 58.8% of motherboards support this feature.
N. of 3.5mm audio jacks
3
Market range: <2 – >6
This motherboard has 3 3.5mm audio jacks, which is more than 11.3% of motherboards and equal to 39.3% of motherboards.
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VRM phases
4+1+2
This motherboard has 4+1+2 VRM phases, which is fewer than 82.5% of motherboards and equal to 0.3% of motherboards.
N. of CPU power connectors
1
Market range: <1 – >2
This motherboard has 1 CPU power connectors, which is fewer than 45.2% of motherboards and equal to 54.9% of motherboards.
N. of fan headers
3
Market range: <3 – >8
This motherboard has 3 fan headers, which is fewer than 77.1% of motherboards and equal to 14.8% of motherboards.
Pump header
yes
This motherboard has a pump header. 22.1% of motherboards include this feature.
Pump header max current
2 A
Market range: <0 A – >3 A
This motherboard supports up to 2 A on the pump header, which is higher than that of 45.1% of motherboards and equal to that of 32.6% of motherboards.
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GIGABYTE B860M E vs the average motherboard

246810TotalPlatformMemoryStorageExpansionPortsNetworkAudioPower & Cooling
  • More up-to-date socket
    This motherboard uses a more up-to-date socket than the average motherboard (LGA 1851 vs LGA 1151).
    LGA 1,851 vs LGA 1,151
  • More modern memory type
    This motherboard uses a more modern memory type than the average motherboard (DDR5 vs DDR4).
    DDR5 vs DDR4
  • 1 more PCIe 5.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 5.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0). The average motherboard has 0 PCIe 5.0x16 slot/s.
    1 vs 0
  • 87.3% higher maximum RAM speed
    This motherboard has a higher maximum RAM speed than the average motherboard (8,800 MT/s vs 4,699.5 MT/s). The average motherboard supports RAM speed of 4,699.5 MT/s.
    8,800 MT/s vs 4,699.5 MT/s
  • 1 more PCIe 4.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 4.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0). The average motherboard has 0 PCIe 4.0x16 slot/s.
    1 vs 0
  • 76% higher overclocked RAM speed
    This motherboard has a higher overclocked RAM speed than the average motherboard (8,800 MT/s vs 5,000 MT/s). The average motherboard supports overclocked RAM speed of 5,000 MT/s.
    8,800 MT/s vs 5,000 MT/s
  • More up-to-date socket
    This motherboard uses a more up-to-date socket than the average motherboard (LGA 1851 vs LGA 1151).
    LGA 1,851 vs LGA 1,151
  • More modern memory type
    This motherboard uses a more modern memory type than the average motherboard (DDR5 vs DDR4).
    DDR5 vs DDR4
  • 87.3% higher maximum RAM speed
    This motherboard has a higher maximum RAM speed than the average motherboard (8,800 MT/s vs 4,699.5 MT/s). The average motherboard supports RAM speed of 4,699.5 MT/s.
    8,800 MT/s vs 4,699.5 MT/s
  • 76% higher overclocked RAM speed
    This motherboard has a higher overclocked RAM speed than the average motherboard (8,800 MT/s vs 5,000 MT/s). The average motherboard supports overclocked RAM speed of 5,000 MT/s.
    8,800 MT/s vs 5,000 MT/s
  • 1 more PCIe 5.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 5.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0). The average motherboard has 0 PCIe 5.0x16 slot/s.
    1 vs 0
  • 1 more PCIe 4.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has more PCIe 4.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (1 vs 0). The average motherboard has 0 PCIe 4.0x16 slot/s.
    1 vs 0
  • 60% lower LAN speed
    This motherboard has a lower LAN speed than the average motherboard (1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps). The average motherboard offers LAN speed of 2.5 Gbps.
    1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps
  • 2 fewer memory slots
    This motherboard has fewer memory slots than the average motherboard (2 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 memory slot/s.
    2 vs 4
  • No NVMe RAID support
    This motherboard does not support NVMe RAID, while the average motherboard does. 59.9% of motherboards support NVMe RAID.
  • 2 fewer rear USB ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB ports than the average motherboard (6 vs 8). The average motherboard has 8 rear USB port/s.
    6 vs 8
  • No Wi-Fi connectivity
    This motherboard does not support Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average motherboard does. 50.1% of motherboards support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • 1 fewer rear USB-C ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB-C ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 rear USB-C port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • No Wi-Fi antenna included
    This motherboard does not include a Wi-Fi antenna, while the average motherboard does. 51.1% of motherboards include a Wi-Fi antenna.
  • Slower NVMe storage slots
    This motherboard has slower M.2 slots than the average motherboard (2x PCIe 4x4 vs 1x PCIe 5x4, 2x PCIe 4x4).
    2x PCIe 4.0x4 vs 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4
  • 2 fewer memory slots
    This motherboard has fewer memory slots than the average motherboard (2 vs 4). The average motherboard has 4 memory slot/s.
    2 vs 4
  • No NVMe RAID support
    This motherboard does not support NVMe RAID, while the average motherboard does. 59.9% of motherboards support NVMe RAID.
  • Slower NVMe storage slots
    This motherboard has slower M.2 slots than the average motherboard (2x PCIe 4x4 vs 1x PCIe 5x4, 2x PCIe 4x4).
    2x PCIe 4.0x4 vs 1x PCIe 5.0x4, 2x PCIe 4.0x4
  • No PCIe bifurcation support
    This motherboard does not support PCIe bifurcation, while the average motherboard does. 59.7% of motherboards support PCIe bifurcation.
  • No multi-GPU support
    This motherboard does not support multi-GPU, while the average motherboard does. 53.9% of motherboards support multi-GPU.
  • Less generous lane split
    This motherboard splits its PCIe lanes less generously than the average motherboard (x16/x1 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4).
    x16/x1 vs x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4
  • 1 fewer PCIe 3.0x16 slots
    This motherboard has fewer PCIe 3.0x16 slots than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 PCIe 3.0x16 slot/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 2 fewer rear USB ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB ports than the average motherboard (6 vs 8). The average motherboard has 8 rear USB port/s.
    6 vs 8
  • 1 fewer rear USB-C ports
    This motherboard has fewer rear USB-C ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 rear USB-C port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 3 fewer total USB connections
    This motherboard has fewer total USB connections than the average motherboard (12 vs 15). The average motherboard has 15 total USB connections.
    12 vs 15
  • 1 fewer USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
    This motherboard has fewer USB 3.2 Gen2 ports than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 USB 3.2 Gen2 port/s.
    0 vs 1
  • 1 fewer total USB-C connections
    This motherboard has fewer total USB-C connections than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 total USB-C connections.
    0 vs 1
  • 60% lower LAN speed
    This motherboard has a lower LAN speed than the average motherboard (1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps). The average motherboard offers LAN speed of 2.5 Gbps.
    1 Gbps vs 2.5 Gbps
  • No Wi-Fi connectivity
    This motherboard does not support Wi-Fi connectivity, while the average motherboard does. 50.1% of motherboards support Wi-Fi connectivity.
  • No Wi-Fi antenna included
    This motherboard does not include a Wi-Fi antenna, while the average motherboard does. 51.1% of motherboards include a Wi-Fi antenna.
  • No headphone amp support
    This motherboard does not support a headphone amp, while the average motherboard does. 58.8% of motherboards support a headphone amp.
  • No optical S/PDIF out
    This motherboard does not have optical S/PDIF out, while the average motherboard does. 55.4% of motherboards include optical S/PDIF out.
  • Fewer VRM phases
    This motherboard has fewer VRM phases than the average motherboard (4+1+2 vs 10). The average motherboard has 10 VRM phase/s.
    4+1+2 vs 10
  • 2.5 fewer fan headers
    This motherboard has fewer fan headers than the average motherboard (3 vs 5.5). The average motherboard has 5.5 fan header/s.
    3 vs 5.5
  • 1 fewer RGB headers
    This motherboard has fewer RGB headers than the average motherboard (0 vs 1). The average motherboard has 1 RGB header/s.
    0 vs 1

Third-party reviews

What customers like about GIGABYTE B860M E

  • Competitive pricing for the B860 chipset, offering good value for mainstream builds.
  • Support for modern Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2) and high-speed DDR5 memory.
  • DIY-friendly features like the EZ-Latch for quick PCIe x16 slot release.
  • Multiple M.2 slots (typically two PCIe 4.0) for fast NVMe storage expansion.
  • Intuitive BIOS interface (UC BIOS) with quick access to key settings.
  • Support for varied RAID configurations (0, 1, 5, 10) on SATA storage.

What customers don't like about GIGABYTE B860M E

  • Lacks integrated Wi-Fi on the base 'E' model, requiring a separate card or choosing higher-tier versions.
  • Limited to two DIMM slots on the base model, restricting maximum RAM and future upgrade paths compared to 4-slot versions.
  • Ethernet speed is often limited to 1GbE on basic models, whereas competitors or higher versions offer 2.5GbE.
  • No Gen 5 PCIe support on the standard 'E' version, which may limit future-proofing for next-gen GPUs.
  • Basic audio solution (Realtek) and fewer high-speed USB ports compared to enthusiast-grade boards.

Verdict

The Gigabyte B860M E is a micro-ATX motherboard built on the Intel B860 chipset, specifically designed to support the LGA 1851 socket for Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2). Key specifications include two DDR5 DIMM slots supporting up to 128GB of unbuffered memory with overclocking speeds reaching 8800 MT/s, alongside a hybrid 4+1+2 phase VRM solution for stable power delivery. For connectivity and storage, the board features one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, GbE LAN, and multiple video outputs including HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1. Main pros include its DIY-friendly features like the EZ-Latch PCIe quick release, AI Perfdrive for automated BIOS tuning, and high-speed DDR5 support. Notable cons include its limited expansion capability with only two RAM slots, the lack of PCIe 5.0 support found on higher-tier 'Gen5' or Aorus models, and the use of basic 1Gbps Ethernet instead of the 2.5GbE standard common in newer mid-range boards.

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