Do you want to build a new gaming PC with Core i7 8700k and want to know which is the best motherboard for i7 8700k?
If your answer is yes then read this guide. Here I have reviewed and compared the best motherboard for i7 8700k which are available in the market.
In this guide, I have chosen boards from the top 3 most popular brands Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte. I have never bought and built my PC using Asrock motherboard that’s why Asrock motherboards are not in my list. I’m not sure but I heard that Asrock BIOS are not good and after sales service is also not great. But, If you like their boards then definitely you can go for Asrock.
According to my test and research, these boards are good for overclocking with great cooling features and all motherboards support Intel 8th and 9th generation processors.
In this post, I have reviewed the Z390 chipset based motherboard. I have updated this post on January 2022, previously I had reviewed Z370 chipset based boards. I don’t recommend you to buy Z370 chipset motherboard anymore. But, if you get a good deal and if it’s available then you can choose.
Contents
- List Of Best Motherboard for i7 8700k
- Comparison of Top 6 i7 8700k Motherboards
- Things You Should Check Before Buy
- Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 8700k
- 1. Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 (Wi-Fi) – Editor’s Pick
- 2. MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE – High-End Gaming Motherboard With Solid VRM
- 3. Asus Rog Strix Z390-E – Mid-Range i7 8700k Motherboard
- 4. MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon AC – Mid-range High-Performance i7 8700K board
- 5. Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra – Best mobo for i7 8700k by Gigabyte
- 6. ASUS Prime Z390-A – Best Selling Budget Board
- Conclusion
List Of Best Motherboard for i7 8700k
| Products Name | Chipset | Form Factor | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Asus Rog Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) | Z390 | ATX | |
| #2 MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE | Z390 | E-ATX | |
| #3 Asus ROG Strix Z390-E | Z390 | ATX | |
| #4 MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon AC | Z390 | ATX | |
| #5 GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra | Z390 | ATX | |
| #6 ASUS Prime Z390-A | Z390 | ATX |
Comparison of Top 6 i7 8700k Motherboards
Things You Should Check Before Buy
Now, Let me talk about what you need to know before buying a new motherboard for your new gaming PC. If you already know how to choose a good motherboard then you can ignore this and let’s jump to our motherboard list and reviews.
- CPU Compatibility: The first thing you need to make sure whether the motherboard is compatible with your CPU or not. In this post, I have listed only Intel Z390 chipset motherboards which are compatible with Intel 8th and 9th generation processors.
- Form Factor: The first thing you should decide is the form factor of the motherboard you are looking for. Form Factor, in other words, could be simply defined as the size of the product you are looking for. ATX and Micro ATX, and Extended ATX motherboards are the mostly used Form Factors. If you are unaware of the size you need, try comparing with the products available with the older one you would use to get a fair idea.
- RAM: The important specification you should look forward to is the RAM of the motherboard. Motherboards that can handle at least 16GB Ram are generally recommended for a minimum guarantee of smooth functioning.
- Socket: The next thing you should take care of is processor sockets. LGA, PGA, and BGA are the most available ones in the market so choose according to your needs and budget.
- PCI Slots: To connect expansion cards PCI slots should be there in your motherboard. According to your requirements, you should choose the motherboard with supported extension slots. If you are buying motherboard compatible for gaming purposes, you should buy one supporting a PCI slot with at least x16 slot.
- Features of the motherboard: Some motherboards come with onboard audio features. So, while buying one, it’s fine if the product has inbuilt features like that so you need not have to worry about it later. Also adding such features into your motherboard in prior may cause you expense but will reduce the need of PCI slots to an extent.
- SATA Ports: The SATA ports in a motherboards helps you to connect to external optical drives and storage drives such as SSD and HDD. So before buying a motherboard, make sure that it has all the SATA ports that help you to connect all the necessary drives.
Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 8700k
Now let me talk about the best z390 motherboard which are best for Intel Core i7 8700K processors.
1. Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 (Wi-Fi) – Editor’s Pick
When it comes to buying a motherboard for gaming Asus is my first priority. Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 is one of the best gaming motherboards for i7 8700k. This motherboard is designed for 8th & 9th generation Intel Core processors. I think Asus Rog Maximus XI Hero is the best mid-range high-performance board with wifi connectivity, Dual M.2 slot with the heatsink.
Key Features:
- As I said the motherboard has dual M.2 slots with heatsinks. The heat sink will keep your SSD cool. The board has a dedicated IC which helps to protect each fan header from over-current and over-temperature.
- The board has Asus AI Overclocking feature which is great. ASUS AI Overclocking makes automatic tuning faster and smarter than ever before. Available in Windows or directly through the UEFI, it profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration for each individual system.
- The Synchronized RGB lighting technology operates with a vast collection of Aura Sync-capable PC peripherals and incorporates provision for addressable light layers like Phillip Hue.
- The board supports multiple GPUs for SLI and Crossfire technology.
- Mature cooling system with dedicated header zones for water cooling.
Talking about the motherboard drivers which is essential to bring the best of the hardware connected to it, you will find all of them in a drive that comes built with the board. How cool does that sound? Yes once you complete your build process, you will get all the drivers in a disc that is there in the motherboard itself.
For enthusiast PC builders who have been building with Gigabyte, MSI and other brands motherboards, if you want to buy a mobo from Asus then you go for this one. You will be more than pleased with the reliability and performance of this motherboard.
Asus Maximus series motherboards are the High-end boards by Asus. The Maximus series boards are Rog Maximus XI Hero (WI-FI), Rog Maximus XI Code, Rog Maximus XI Formula, Rog Maximus XI Extreme.
Asus ROG Maximus XI Formula and Rog Maximus XI Extreme is the flagship motherboard and it will cost you almost $430+ and Rog Maximus XI Code will cost you $350+ and Rog Maximus XI Hero (WI-FI) will cost you less than $300. Between these four motherboards, Rog Maximus XI Hero (WI-FI) is my favorite one because of its price. If you need better RGB, armor plate and better cooling then go for Rog Maximus XI Code or Rog Maximus XI Formula.
- Excellent design and great features
- Good For Overclocking
- Asus AI Overclocking
- SupremeFX audio technology
- Price is a little bit high
2. MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE – High-End Gaming Motherboard With Solid VRM
As the name suggests, the motherboard is surprisingly godlike. Starting from the appearance of the board to the performance it has in store is entirely flawless. Like all the other boards out there in this price point, it supports both the eighth and ninth generation of Intel Core processors with state of the art overclocking capability. If you are looking for the best motherboard for i7 8700k with great VRM, premium features, better-overclocking ability then MSI MEG Z390 Godlike will be perfect for you.
No matter you buy four ultra durable graphics card, the four PCI slots of the motherboard will surely accommodate them all providing the best in-game experience.
You can’t help but see the multicultural shroud/I/O cover on the left-hand side. Exercising RGB lighting to the infinite degree, it highlights what MSI claims it Mystic Light Infinity, allowing up to 29 impressions from the supervising software, and it looks extraordinarily immeasurable in the flesh.
To the advantage of the established DIMM slots resides the Effective Dashboard that has a normal two-digit debug display and an OLED layout which can be slated to deliver various bits of information. BIOS flash status, CPU Temperature, CPU Speed and failure messages are fed for, and you can use MSI’s software to program it further or upload your own lively gif. Clearly, you would need the chassis on your desk for it to be beneficial.
Not only that the board also has support for three M.2 drives which is surprisingly hard to find in this price segment. MSI has brand names their RGB technology and has leveled up a notch with the mystic light technology which is also there in the board.
Moreover, as the brand claims you will surely break into fabulous performance and ultimate control with this motherboard.
In conclusion, this board is overpriced, but the performance and features are awesome. So, if you love MSI board and don’t have any budget issue, then you can buy this board. You will get solid VRM 18 phases along with great features which are perfect for overclocking. If you don’t want to spend more than $500 don’t worry, I have great options for you which you will get on this list. If you want MSI board in budget range, then you can go for MSI MEG Z390 ACE with 13 VRM phases.
Note: MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE is E-ATX (Extended ATX) board and MSI MEG Z390 Ace is a ATX board.
- Integrated I/O shield
- Dedicated Switches for changing BIOS profiles
- Excellent and best in class overclocking
- Exclusive fit and finish
- Onboard audio is too good
- Native support to generation two of USB 3.1
- Overpriced
- No armor shield on the back
3. Asus Rog Strix Z390-E – Mid-Range i7 8700k Motherboard
Another board in the Asus line designed especially for the gamers is this one. The motherboard has the generic support to eight and ninth generation of Intel processor having an LGA1151 socket.
The motherboard has onboard Wi-Fi and comes with a software which provides five-way intelligent optimization needs every gamer requires.
Another exclusive feature of this specific motherboard is the Gamer’s guardian that will ensure product longevity and reliability at the same time.
The motherboard comes with heatsinks for the NVME drives this time, assuring that your SSDs are well in the desired temperature range.
ASUS has eluded major debate in this situation because customers seem to have lost enthusiasm in the topic as it has repeated so frequently. Now, the organization has opted out of exhibiting the VRM of this board, and comparable motherboards, as an 8 stage design.
It has been found online that ASUS was earlier marketing these motherboards as 8 phase products, before simply changing the stock pages, though there is no visible proof of this, so they remain to be just rumors.
Rest assured the board has all the vanilla essence you will need for your gaming requirements.
The solution to the same is if you are going with the: Asus ROG Strix Z390-H Gaming
The price of this board is less as compared to the Z390-E series. Also, you get almost the same set of features that are there in the E series board.
- Design and Premium Feel.
- Digital Power Controls
- Dedicated pair of DC/PWM fan headers for CPU coolers
- Improvements in Build Quality.
- A little too expensive.
4. MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon AC – Mid-range High-Performance i7 8700K board
If you are looking for a good motherboard for i7 8700k by MSI, then MPG Z390 gaming pro carbon Ac is for you. This motherboard is going to offer you the best inherent gaming action. Outperform and defeat any opponents in-game experience. The motherboard incorporates an assemblage of unique MSI tools that are best for gaming.
It also has intelligent hardware tweaks that bring out the best of the software you plan to run with this board.
This motherboard stuffs out the mid-high end of MSIs entrants with various impressive characteristics. After the successful standard styling of the Carbon lineup, the Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon is no different, with the black and white coloring scheme. The monster dragon also makes an impression on the Southbridge of the motherboard.
Not only does this motherboard employ Intel latest Z390 chipset, which offers harmony with SLI and CrossfireX support, and marvelous sound output.
This board is developed to keep you one step ahead of your competition and expand your gaming skills with flawless performance. This motherboard carries all the latest storage requirements along with the opportunity to connect any ultra-fast storage device, providing you in-game privileges. Faster load times of the games you plan to play, rendering tasks will get an added boost if your audio/video production is a part of your workload and so many other features come ready with this motherboard.
- Remarkable for overclocking your Processor.
- Good for voltage and temperature regulation.
- Amazing price to performance ratio.
- Mediocre memory overclocking
- Not impressively energy efficient.
5. Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra – Best mobo for i7 8700k by Gigabyte
The manufacturing of the motherboard took place while keeping the cooling solution and speed needed for gaming in mind.
The critically acclaimed Aorus series of Gigabyte has already taken the gaming experience up a notch with world-class technologies and customer support in mind.
The brand is committed to bringing the best out of gamers and is safe to say that they have somehow accomplished it within the gaming community.
Talking more about the motherboard, it has an advanced thermal design ideal for overclocking enthusiasts.
GIGABYTE has walked away from their numbering system and chose to use a more conspicuous gaming system, the former Z370 Aorus Gaming 5 which remained in the mid-range of GIGABYTEs Intel series has been renewed by the Z390 Aorus Ultra. In the outlook aspect, nothing much has altered as both models have combined RGB LED light at various positions across the motherboard including the potential delivery and chipset heatsinks and the Z390 does add a total of (insert) RGB headers to additionally increase the RGB abilities of the board. Similar to the Gaming 5, the Z390 Aorus Ultra has combined 802.11ac Wi-Fi on top of a maiden LAN port so users will get the best of both worlds when joining a network. GIGABYTE also displays a 13-phase VRM (12+1) so there should be a lot of headroom accessible for users looking to overclock the new 9th generation of Intel processors.
Smart fan five technology seen in this board allows a user to keep their gaming PC temperatures cool with adding a lot of external fans to their PC case.
Some of the unique features include triple thermal guard for the M.2 drives which ensures that the storage drives are also well in the pleasant temperature conditions. Let’s not talk about the RGB solutions found in this board, they are not only, a treat to your eyes but also is competent to uplift your overall mood.
GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Master and GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Xtreme are the other two boards by the manufacturer which has almost the same capabilities as the Z390 AORUS Ultra has in it, with more or less additional features you can look forward to.
- CPU overclocking is unmatchable.
- Comprehensive software suite.
- The rear I/O shield is built in.
- Futuristic look.
- Memory overclocking is not up to the mark.
- Not compatible with AIO Coolers.
- A little expensive.
6. ASUS Prime Z390-A – Best Selling Budget Board
Probably the cheapest board in the entire review. It is decent enough for the entry-level gamers with three PCI slots.
There are also various technological modifications, improvements and a collection of storage solutions available in this board.
It has two M.2 slots competent of operating ultra-fast NVMe-M.2 SSDs, resulting in a data transfer rate of nearly 4 GB/s. This gives the M.2 PCIe SSDs up to eight times quicker than SATA 6G SSD.
There are six SATA 6G connectors for two types of hard drives which is a 3.5″ and a 2.5″ one and -SSDs. Up to 64GB of RAM support will be available for four DIMM slots.
Additionally, the motherboard will host both the eight and ninth generation of Intel Core processors and to your surprise, it also; has the little overclocking features an entry-level gamer craves to find in his/her computer.
ASUS Prime Z390-P is another board you should look for in comparison to the A series.
- Premium quality aesthetics.
- RGB lights are customizable.
- SLI and Crossfire support.
- Efficiency is not up to the mark
- Lack of efficient power to performance.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned motherboards are one of the best motherboards for i7 8700K and come with a great set of specifications so as to meet user needs with maximum precision and a good performance result.
If you want triple M.2 slot and more VRM phases and also not any budget issues then I would suggest you go for MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE gaming motherboard. If you don’t want to spend much and looking for great performance board, then ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) is for you.
And those mentioned above are from reputed brands that ensure you maximum quality by their manufacturing and performance too. Still, as we have already mentioned before, do plan well before buying your motherboard keeping the constraints like RAM, Form Factors, Processor Sockets, SATA ports, etc.
I hope that going through this article has either made your motherboard buying guide easy or has left you in a state of confusion.
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