While the competition between Intel and AMD set to bring about another era of strong competition in the coming months, there’s still plenty of superb performance to be had from Intel’s current 12th Gen Core series processors. Regardless of whether you’re planning to wait for the next generation of desktop processors or looking for a bargain, there are lots to like about Alder Lake and its associated motherboard chipsets such as Z690, B660, and H610. Summer isn’t the only hot thing around at the moment, with Intel’s top-tier Core i9-12900K and the even hotter 12900KS processors leading the performance-inspiring charge through the rest of the summer.

We’re taking a look at what’s currently hot on the market in terms of motherboards for Intel’s 12th Gen Core series processors ranging from ‘money no object’, all the way down to what represents good value for money. Whether or not you’re looking for a flagship model or aiming to get as much value as possible, we’re listing our best picks for our August 2022 Intel motherboard buyer’s guide.

Regardless of whether you’re looking to build a new system or upgrade an older one, AMD has a wide range of processors to cover all use cases. Its AM4 platform has been a highly successful one for AMD, giving us the likes of Ryzen 1000 (Zen), Ryzen 2000 (Zen+), and even Ryzen 3000 (Zen 2) and Ryzen 5000 (Zen 3). It’s no secret that AMD is soon to unleash its next generation of Ryzen 7000 (Zen 4) processors in the coming months, but right now, AMD still has a strong hand with its X570 and B550 motherboards to support its Ryzen 5000 series.

If you’re looking to build an AMD-based desktop system, there’s plenty of choice including the original X570 chipset, as well as the refreshed X570S models with passive chipset heatsinks, not forgetting the premium but affordable B550 range. In our latest buyers guide, we’re offering our recommendations on AM4 motherboards for users looking to capitalize on Ryzen 5000 now from a variety of different perspectives, including what’s good in terms of value, all the way to the best money can buy.