Best answer: As long as you have a full-sized PCIe 3.0 x16 slot available then your motherboard will be fine whether it's AMD or Intel. In both cases, ASUS has a great motherboard for your gaming PC.
- For Intel builds: ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming ($258)
- For Ryzen Builds: ROG Strix X470-F Gaming ($187)
- The GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti (Factory Refurb) ($838)
It doesn't really matter which motherboard you choose
The GTX 1080 Ti is one of the most powerful graphics cards on the market, but it doesn't require any magic hardware to run. Since the assumption is you're building a pretty high-end PC if you want a GTX 1080 Ti, basically any motherboard you pick will be fine.
The GTX 1080 Ti requires a single PCIe 3.0 slot at x8 or x16 depending on your system (the longer slots if you're wondering). There will be exceptions, such as super budget or very old motherboards, but even if you're running a pre-built gaming PC you should be OK. Likewise, even the tiny mATX motherboards will accept a GTX 1080 Ti.
Instead, pick the best motherboard for your build and your budget. Check the specs and features against other requirements you're looking for rather than the graphics card.
AMD or Intel is fine
It also doesn't matter whether you use an AMD or Intel motherboard when it comes to running a GTX 1080 Ti. If you were ever concerned about compatibility with AMD processors, don't be.
If you are using an AMD processor in your build, it's important to remember that unless you have the APU variant (with Radeon Vega integrated graphics), you'll always have to connect your monitor to the graphics card.
Check your power supply is big enough
With a powerful GPU comes a higher power requirement. The GTX 1080 Ti is also not as power hungry as you may expect, but nevertheless, the power supply still needs to be big enough and it's more of a concern that your choice of motherboard.
The GTX 1080 Ti has a 250W TDP and NVIDIA recommends a minimum 650W power supply in your system. Of course, you need to factor in whatever else you're using, but something like the EVGA Supernova 750 P2 would be your best bet.
The RTX 2080 is a better buy
Unfortunately, if you're considering a GTX 1080 Ti right now for a new PC build, it's hard to recommend. Initially, prices fell when NVIDIA debuted its new RTX GPUs, but that has since ended and now prices are a lot higher than anyone should be comfortable paying.
For less money in almost every case, you can get the newer, Turing-based RTX 2080 for over $150 less than even a refurbished GTX 1080 Ti. Motherboard compatibility is the same, and it has a lower TDP slightly than the GTX 1080 Ti at 215W. So it's more powerful and more efficient.
Our pick
ASUS Strix Z390-E Gaming
Great value and a solid base
The ASUS ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming by ASUS isn't the most expensive board out there, but it comes packing some killer features for system builders.
For AMD
ROG Strix X470-F Gaming
One of the best motherboards for Ryzen
ASUS has AMD system builders covered too with the most excellent X470-F gaming which is feature packed and very well priced.
If you must
Gigabyte GTX 1080 Ti (Factory Refurbished)
The GTX 1080 Ti was the king of NVIDIA's lineup in a pre-RTX world. For now, the best way to avoid ridiculous prices is to buy a factory refurb like this one, but you probably shouldn't.
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