Biostar is a long-established Taiwanese motherboard maker that concentrates on the budget end of the market. Its boards are far less common in the UK than those of ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte or ASRock, so expect a short list on our Biostar motherboard deals page and do a little more checking than usual before you buy.
Cheapest Biostar boards right now
All 1 Biostar motherboards, with price drops and price history
Who Biostar boards are for
Most Biostar boards sold here are basic micro-ATX models on entry-level and mainstream chipsets, such as A520, B450 and B550 on AM4, A620 and B650 on AM5, and H610 and B760 on LGA1700. They suit a low-cost office, family or light gaming PC with a modest processor and a single graphics card. If that is your build, the chipset rules are the same as for any other maker: a Biostar B650 board runs the same Ryzen processors as anyone else's B650 board.
What differs is the board-level detail. Budget boards of any brand economise on power delivery, the number of M.2 slots, fan headers, rear USB ports and audio. Those all vary by board, so read the specification and do not assume a feature is present because the chipset allows it.
The product lines
- Valkyrie: Biostar's top range, used on high-end chipsets. These are fully featured boards, but they are rarely stocked in the UK.
- Racing: the older gaming range, seen on AM4 and earlier Intel platforms with model codes such as B550GTA or X570GT8.
- Silver and other mid-range models: on recent Intel and AMD chipsets Biostar has sold boards with a silver-themed design that sit between Valkyrie and the basic boards.
- Basic boards: the bulk of the range, with plain code-style names such as B550MH, A520MH or H610MH. These are the ones you are most likely to see listed.
How to read a Biostar model name
Biostar names are codes rather than words. The chipset comes first, then a few letters. An M straight after the chipset, as in B550MH or A620MP, normally indicates a micro-ATX board. On Racing boards the letters after GT have indicated size, with GTA used for ATX and GTQ for micro-ATX. Beyond that the letters distinguish one variant from another and are not consistent enough to rely on.
The practical advice is to ignore the code and read the listing: form factor, memory type, number of memory slots, M.2 slots and video outputs. On LGA1700 in particular, confirm whether the board takes DDR4 or DDR5, because a board supports one or the other and never both. Our DDR4 vs DDR5 guide explains the difference.
BIOS updates without a CPU
The four larger makers each have a named button for updating the BIOS with no processor fitted. Do not assume a Biostar board has an equivalent. Unless the specification for the exact model describes such a feature, plan on needing a supported CPU installed to update the BIOS. That makes it more important to check the CPU support list before buying, especially for older stock paired with a newer processor. See BIOS updates and CPU compatibility.
Warranty and UK availability
Because few UK retailers stock Biostar, many listings come from marketplace sellers, sometimes shipping from abroad. Check who the seller is, where the board ships from and what warranty is stated on the listing. We are not confident of a single standard UK warranty term for Biostar, so treat the term shown by the seller as the one that applies and keep your proof of purchase.
The retailer is your first port of call for any fault. A board bought from Amazon Warehouse comes under Amazon's returns policy and does not necessarily carry a full manufacturer warranty, so read the offer terms and test the board promptly with our used motherboard checklist. We hold no reliability data for any brand and do not rank them.
What to look for when buying
- Confirm the board appears on Biostar's CPU support list for your processor, and which BIOS version it needs.
- Count the memory slots. Many basic boards have two, which limits later upgrades.
- Check M.2 slots, fan headers and rear USB ports against what your build needs.
- Compare with entry-level boards from the larger makers on the same chipset. With thin UK stock, a Biostar board is not automatically the cheaper option. Our guide to choosing a motherboard sets out what matters.
Any boards currently listed are on the Biostar deals page. If it is empty, browse by chipset instead.
Questions people ask
Are Biostar motherboards any good?
They follow the same AMD and Intel chipset specifications as every other maker, so a Biostar board will run the processors its chipset and BIOS support. Most are basic boards with fewer extras. We hold no reliability data for any brand, so judge the individual board on its specification and the seller’s terms.
Why are there so few Biostar boards on sale in the UK?
Biostar has much thinner UK distribution than the four larger makers. Listings are often from marketplace sellers, so check who is selling, where the board ships from and what warranty is offered.
Can I update a Biostar BIOS without a CPU?
Do not assume so. Unless the specification for the exact board describes a CPU-free update feature, you will need a supported processor installed. Check the CPU support list and required BIOS version before buying.