Best Gaming Motherboard for Your PC and Suggestions for Intel Core i5-8600K and Intel Core i7-8700K

Last Updated on March 3, 2020 by Jake

When it comes to gaming, having the latest CPU and GPU is important for maintaining a high FPS during gaming sessions. As such, if you wish to upgrade your CPU, it is important to get the latest gen processors. This will ensure your machine keeps up with the ever-increasing video game requirements for as long as possible.

 

Intel’s Coffee Lake processors, which can only be used with 300 series chipsets, include both the i7-8700k and the i5-8600K CPUs. These are the benchmark processors when it comes to gaming in 2019, and you’ll want to be equipped with the best gaming motherboard available.

 

Since both the i7-8700K and the i5-8600K CPUs aren’t compatible with 100 series and 200 series chipsets, you need a 300 series chipset motherboard to house these powerful CPUs. Here we will be looking at the Z370 motherboards. These are part of the 300 series chipset motherboards and are the only officially supported mainstream motherboards for both the i7-8700K and the i5-8600K CPUs.

In a Rush?  Here’s Our Top Best Gaming Motherboard Picks:

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With Z370 motherboards, you can overclock your CPU and achieve processing speeds of up to 4.7 GHz for i7-8700K CPUs, and 4.3 GHz for i5-8600K CPUs.

 

You will see the term ‘LGA 1151’ (also known as Socket H4) appear in this post. This simply describes the socket in which the Intel’s Coffee Lake CPUs fits into – specifically the LGA 1151 second revision. Since different CPUs fit into different sockets, the socket needs to be compatible with the CPU type.

 

All the motherboards reviewed have an ATX (Advanced Technology eXtended) form factor. With this form factor, the memory cards installed will be aligned at a right angle to the expansion slots for your card adapters. This configuration allows for optimum airflow and cooling – which is why it’s very popular.

 

 

A Bit of Info on both Intel Core i5-8600K and Intel Core i7-8700K

 

The i5-8600K is designed for budget-minded gamers who want a high performance processor. It is slightly less powerful than the i7-8700K and has a max clock speed of 4.3 GHz and a base clock speed of 3.6 GHz. The i7-8700K, on the other hand, has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and a max clock speed of 4.7 GHz. With the following motherboards, your i7-8700K can reach clock speeds of 5.0 GHz or more.

 

In addition, when it comes to cores, the i5-8600K and the i7-8700K both have six cores. Both CPUs can hyperthread/multithread. This is what allows the CPU to boost its speed as it allows for concurrent execution of threads (smallest sequence of programmed instructions). If a computer program is a body, then threads are the molecules. While i5-8600K can execute 6 threads concurrently, i7-8700K can execute 12 threads concurrently.

 

The i7-8700K has a smart cache of 12 MB while the i5-8600K has a smart cache of 9 MB. Cache is the memory found on the CPU itself and is directly used for arithmetic and logic processing. Cache memory is extremely fast, static, and of course very efficient.

 

Next comes the RAM (random access memory). This is what we commonly refer to as memory. The RAM that works with the 300 series CPUs is the DDR4 SDRAM, which is the latest in RAM technology. Many Z370 motherboards can support up to 64 GB of RAM.

 

As you already know, both CPUs are overclockable (that’s what the K stands for).

 

 

Best Gaming Motherboard Reviews

 

The following are the best gaming motherboards on the market in 2019. These motherboards are perfect for housing components such as the CPU, GPU, RAM chips and adapter cards. They will also have all the ports you need in a modern gaming PC. Some even come with inbuilt WiFi cards.

 

ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero

 

 

If you’re a gamer without budget constraints, the ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero is an excellent choice. As required of all modern gaming motherboard, this board supports overclocking.

 

In addition, it has an RGB lighting system which is quite striking. As with the motherboards in this review, the ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero supports Intel’s Coffee Lake processors and won’t work with older generation processors. It also supports multiple GPUs using SLI or Crossfire technology. The M.2 heatsink on board cools the SSD and keeps performance up.

 

Form Factor – ATX

RAM Support – Up to 64 GB DDR4 using 4 DIMM at 4133 MHz clock speed

PCIe – 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (CPU), 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots (PCH), 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (PCH)

M.2– 1x 2242~2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4 + SATA), 1x 2242~2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4)

Display Output – DP and HDMI

Integrated WiFi – Yes (Intel 802.11ac Wireless)

Overclocking – Supported

Network Interface – Intel Gigabit LAN

USB – 4x USB 3.1 GEN 1, USB 3.1 GEN 2 Type C & Type A, 2x USB 2.0 Type-A

SATA – 6x SATA 6Gb/s

Extra Features – SLI/Crossfire support, Multi-GPU support, Aura Lighting, SupremeFX and Sonic Studio III

 

Pros

• It has an onboard integrated 802.11ac WiFi.
• Its RGB Aura lighting is colorfully delightful.
• Has a high fidelity gaming audio system.
• This motherboard has all the needed features a gamer could want.

Cons

• It doesn’t have many USB ports.
• It’s even costlier than the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 5

 

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GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 5

 

 

This is one of the best gaming motherboards on the market. However, the main reason, we love this motherboard is because of its looks. Yes, this motherboard supports Intel’s Coffee Lake CPUs. And yes, it has expansion slots that support Multi-GPU and SLI/Crossfire. It even has an inbuilt WiFi card. However, the RGB fusion LED lighting is refreshing, colorful and different. This solid motherboard has a marvelous layout which is surprisingly uncluttered.

 

The GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 5 is well designed, and top of the line. On the other hand, it is sure to take up a sizeable chunk of your budget for your PC build. Let’s look at all the specs and features of this motherboard.

 

Form Factor – ATX

RAM Support – Up to 64 GB DDR4 using 4 DIMM at 4133 MHz clock speed

PCIe – 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (@x16 or x8/x8), and 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (@x4)

M.2– 1x 2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4/x2), and 2x 22110 (PCIe 3.0 x4/x2 & SATA)

Display Output – HDMI and DP

Integrated WiFi – Yes (Intel 802.11ac Wireless)

Overclocking – Supported

Network Interface – Intel LAN Chipset

USB – 3x USB 3.1 Gen-2, 7x USB 3.1 Gen-1, 4x USB 2.0/1.1

SATA – 6x SATA 6Gb/s

Extra Features – SLI/Crossfire support, Multi-GPU support, RGB Fusion Lighting, AORUS AMP-UP Audio, and Smart Fan 5

 

Pros

• The Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming motherboard has a nice uncluttered layout.
• The RGB Fusion Lighting feature is eye-catching and colorful.
• It has all the features, ports, slots and specs a modern gamer will need in a motherboard.

Cons

• It is pricey.

 

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ASUS TUF Z370 Pro

 

 

When it comes to gaming, the brand ASUS is immensely popular. If you want an affordable, ASUS gaming motherboard, then the ASUS TUF Z370 Pro is one to consider. This delightful motherboard may not have all the features and power of the ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero but it’s a great entry level motherboard especially if you are budget conscious.

 

Form Factor – ATX

RAM Support – Up to 64 GB DDR4 using 4 DIMM

PCIe – 2 x PCIe X16 Slots, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 , 4x PCIe x1 slots

M.2 – Dual M.2 x4

Display Output – HDMI, DVI

Integrated WiFi – No

Overclocking – Supported

Network Interface – Intel Gigabit LAN

USB – 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2, 2 x USB 2.0

SATA – 6x SATA 6Gb/s

Extra Features – SLI/Crossfire support for 2 PCIe x16 slots, TUF protection, Aura sync

 

Pros

• It’s affordable.
• It has TUF protection which protects the motherboard from static electricity, overvoltage, and so on.
• It has 4 fans to ensure components don’t overheat.

Cons

• Doesn’t have a built-in WiFi adapter.

 

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MSI Z370-A PRO

 

 

The MSI Z370-A PRO is a well-built motherboard and one of the more affordable in this series. It is built to offer superb protection to your components such as GPUs, CPU, adapter cards, and RAMs.

 

As with other motherboards, it supports overclocking and will definitely push your CPU pass its clock speed. The dull coffee brown and black color scheme of this motherboard makes it less striking than the other motherboards reviewed. However, I am assuming this won’t be an issue for most gamers.

 

Form Factor – ATX

RAM Support – Up to 64 GB using four DDR4 RAMs

PCIe – one PCIe 3.0 x16 (CPU), one PCIe 3.0 x16 (PCH), four PCIe 3.0 x1 slots

M.2 – one M.2 slot

Display Output – DVI, and DP

Integrated WiFi – No

Overclocking – Supported

Network Interface – Realtek LAN

USB – four USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 on the back

SATA – 6x SATA 6Gb/s

Extra Features – Supports Crossfire and SLI, RGB Lighting

 

Pros

• It’s very affordable.
• It is well-built and solid.

Cons

• It doesn’t have an HDMI port.
• It doesn’t have as many slots and features as other motherboards in the review. (For the price, this is to be expected.)

 

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EVGA Z370 FTW

 

 

The last gaming motherboard we will be looking at is the EVGA Z370 FTW. This impressive motherboard has all that any gamer can ask for in a Z370 motherboard even if it lacks the aesthetics of the other motherboards on this list. Devoid of any lighting of any kind, this motherboard is aimed at users who simply want a motherboard that works. Simply put, it is well made, solid, and packed with features.

 

Features wise, the motherboard has many slots, USB connectors and many more, but it doesn’t have an inbuilt WiFi adapter. It features SLI and Crossfire technology which allows you to link two GPUs in unison. It is also much cheaper than many motherboards that have about the same specs and features. This motherboard is capable of overclocking an i7-8700K to 4.9 GHz.

 

Form Factor – ATX

RAM Support – 4 DIMM Dual-Channel up to 64GB at 4133 MHz clock speed

PCIe – 3x PCI-E 3.0 x16 (@ x16, @ x8. @ x4), 3x PCI-E 3.0 x1 @ x1

Display Output – HDMI, DP

Integrated WiFi – No

Overclocking – Supported

Network Interface – Intel Gigabit LAN

USB – 10x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C

SATA: 6x SATA 6Gb/s

Extra Features – Realtek ALC1220 for audio, switchable dual-BIOS chips, CrossFire/SLI support

 

Pros

• It has many USB ports.
• It is a good-looking minimalist design.
• The asking price is modest given the high performance.

Cons

• For the asking price, none.

 

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Best Gaming Motherboard – Wrap Up

 

There you have it! These are the five best gaming motherboards on the market in 2019. The type of motherboard you get depends on both your budget and wants.

 

With the motherboards reviewed in this article, you can overclock your i7-8700K and i5-8600K processors and reach clock speeds of over 5.0 GHz. This not only improves gameplay but it also ensures you get the most out of your PC for years to come.

 

Last update on 2020-10-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API