While the Intel 9th generation CPUs are the latest processors on the market, the older Intel i7 7700K is still a very popular CPU for gaming and content creation.
Here we are going to look into some of the best motherboards for i7 7700k that you can currently buy. The Intel i7 7700K has an unlocked multiplier which means that you can overclock it. You will need a motherboard that supports overclocking in order to take advantage of the feature.
That is why we are only going to look into Z270 motherboards because if you are not going to overclock the CPU, then the I7 7700K does not make sense in the first place.
Premium Pick
- Dual M.2 SSD support
- Plenty of RGB Headers
- Sleek Design with Armor
Now that we have got all that out of the way, let’s look into some of our recommended motherboards that you can get for the Intel i7 7700K.
Top Rated Motherboards for the Intel i7 7700k Processor
The following are all the different motherboards that we are going to look into here and some of their features that you might be interested in learning about at a glance.
Now that we have gone over some of the basic specifications of these motherboards, we can take an in-depth look at each one of these options. Here is what you need to know about these motherboards.
The Best Motherboard for i7 7700k in 2020
1. ASUS PRIME Z270-A – Best i7 7700k Motherboard
Asus is known for making some of the best motherboards in the world and here we have the Z270-A Prime. The motherboard comes in Black and White. The VRMs have a heatsink which is a nice feature to have if you are interested in overclocking your CPU. This is an older motherboard so there is no integrated I/O shield and you will need to install one manually at the back of the case.
The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. This is an Asus motherboard so you get exclusive features such as 5-Way Optimization, Auto-Tuning and FanXpert 4.
Our Pick
The Asus Z270-A Prime is a very good looking motherboard with plenty of cool features that you can take advantage of. If you are interested in getting a high-quality motherboard from a manufacturer that makes the best motherboards in the world then this is a great option to consider.
The motherboard features dual M.2 slots for fast storage and Intel Optane memory is supported as well. It has all the ports and connections that you will need including USB 3.1 Type A/Type C connections with Intel Thunderbolt 3 support. The top PCIe slots are integrated with metal to support your graphics card.
The motherboard also supports AURA Sync RGB lighting which means that you can connect different RGB parts and sync the lighting. The dedicated 3D mounts allow you to print different parts and customize the look of your motherboard. This is an Asus motherboard so you are getting proper performance and all the features that you would expect from the company. You can rest assured that you are spending money on a motherboard from a company that has been in the business for a very long time. Product quality is not going to be an issue here.
Pros
- Nice, clean design
- 7th gen support out of the box
- Impressive onboard audio
- M.2 SSD support
- Onboard power button
Cons
- RAM overclocking function could be better
2. ASUS ROG Maximus IX Apex – Premium Motherboard for i7 7700k
Here we have another motherboard from Asus. This one is an enthusiast motherboard that comes in the EATX form factor. This standard is larger than the regular ATX motherboard and you will need a larger case as well. This motherboard is not going to fit into an ATX case. That is something that you need to keep in mind if you are interested in buying this motherboard.
The Maximus series is the premium series from Asus and offers premium features and the price reflects that as well. If you are interested in gaming and content creation and want all the features that a motherboard has to offer then this is an option that you can look into.
Our Premium Pick
The Asus Maximus IX Apex is one of the top of the line motherboards that you can buy for the Intel i7 7700K. It comes with all the features of a regular motherboard and much more. If you are interested in getting the best that money can buy then this is an impressive option to consider.
The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. The motherboard supports RAM speeds up to 4266 MHz which is much higher than the other motherboards that we have here.
This is an Asus product so you get features such as 5-Way Optimization, Auto-Tuning and FanXpert 4. This is a top of the line motherboard so you get RGB out of the box as well which is pretty standard for motherboards in 2020.
The motherboard features dual M.2 slots for fast storage and Intel Optane memory is supported as well. The M.2 SSDs can be mounted vertically. It has all the ports and connections that you will need including USB 3.1 Type A/Type C connections with Intel Thunderbolt 3 support. Three of the PCIe slots are integrated with metal to support your graphics card.
Pros
- Sleek design with armor
- BIOS setup is easy to use
- Integrated power and reset buttons
- Plenty of RGB headers
- Dual M.2 SSD support
- Superb quality
Cons
- BIOS needs updates out of the box
- CMOS might need a refresh
3. GIGABYTE GA-Z270P-D3 – Best Budget i7 7700k Motherboard
Gigabyte is known for making some impressive motherboards that are budget-friendly. Here we have the GA-Z270P-D3 that is a barebones motherboard that comes in Black. The motherboard does not come with armor but it has the essentials that you will need for overclocking including VRM heatsink.
The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. The motherboard supports RAM speeds up to 3866 MHz. You can overclock the memory even higher if you wanted to. It features dual M.2 slots for fast storage and Intel Optane memory is supported as well. The M.2 SSDs can be mounted vertically. It has all the ports and connections that you will need including USB 3.1 Type A/Type C connections.
Our Budget Pick
The GA-Z270P-D3 does not have fancy armor and does not really look like a gaming motherboard but it has all the features that you will need. If you are interested in making a sleeper build then this is the motherboard that you should get.
The motherboard supports 2-way Crossfire if you are interested in using a pair of AMD graphics cards. You also get features like Smart Fan 5 and dual BIOS. The motherboard comes with 4 fan headers and 6 temperature sensors to keep the thermals in check.
The GA-Z270P-D3 might not look like much but it has all the bells and whistles that you will need. This motherboard is great for a sleeper build.
Pros
- Lots of SATA ports
- 2 PCI-E x16 slots
- 7 USB 3.0 A-type
- USB 3.0 C-type
- Easy overclocking
- Actual UEFI BIOS
- Sleek design
- Great for sleeper builds
Cons
- RAM speed is set to 2133MHz by default
- BIOS needs updates out of the box
- CMOS might need a refresh
4. ASUS ROG STRIX Z270G – Good Z270 Motherboard
Here we have yet another motherboard from Asus but this one is of the mATX variety. You can pick this motherboard if you are interested in building a relatively smaller PC. Connectivity and features are a bit limited when compared to ATX motherboards but it still offers a lot of functionality and impressive performance.
The motherboard comes with onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is great but if you are going to be gaming then you are most likely going to use an ethernet cable. The option is still there is you need it. This is the only mATX motherboard on this list that comes with Wi-Fi out of the box.
The Asus ROG STRIX Z270G is a great motherboard for smaller builds. If you are interested in building a small PC but do not want to compromise on performance or connectivity then this is an option that you can go with.
The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. The RAM speed is 3866 MHz which is pretty standard comparing it to the other options that we have here. This is an Asus product so you get features such as 5-Way Optimization, Auto-Tuning and FanXpert 4. You get RGB lighting support out of the box as well which is pretty standard for motherboards in 2020.
Read also: Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 8700k
The motherboard features dual M.2 slots for fast storage and Intel Optane memory is supported as well. It has all the ports and connections that you will need including USB 3.1 Type A/Type C connections with Intel Thunderbolt 3 support. The PCIe slots are integrated with metal to support your graphics card. Other than that the motherboard features 8-channel HD audio with the ROG exclusive SupremeFX S1220A driven by Japanese capacitors.
Pros
- Great for smaller PC builds
- Impressive features
- RGB lighting
- Wi-Fi
Cons
- Wi-Fi antenna is not the best
5. MSI Z270 M7 Gaming
MSI is a major player in the PC parts market and here we have the MSI Z270 M7 Gaming motherboard. This is an ATX motherboard so you can use a standard ATX case with it. This is a premium motherboard that comes in Black and has hints of Red. The RAM slots and PCIe slots are armored, which is a very nice touch indeed.
The motherboard comes with dual M.2 slots and heatsinks for aesthetics and performance. It also comes with Audio Boost, which offers premium audio that increases the immersion when gaming and consuming content. Other than that the motherboard offers Mystic Light Sync for RGB lighting. You can sync the lighting with supported components and peripherals to personalize your gaming setup.
The MSI Z270 M7 Gaming is a premium motherboard for enthusiasts which comes with all the bells and whistles that you can hope to get in a motherboard in 2020. If you are interested in getting the best motherboard that money can buy then this is another great option for you to look into.
The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. The RAM speed is 4133MHz but you can overclock the memory even further. It has all the ports and connections that you will need including USB 3.1 Type A/Type C connections with Intel Thunderbolt 3 support.
The MSI Z270 is an enthusiast motherboard with all the bells and whistles that you could ask for in a motherboard. Not only does it function well but it looks good too.
Pros
- Stable overclocking potential
- Great layout
- Aesthetically pleasing color scheme
- MSI Utility Software works wonders
- RGB Lighting
Cons
- RGB lighting limited
- Certain portions of the included manual are very vague
6. ASRock Z270 EXTREME4
The ASRock Z270 Extreme 4 motherboard has a very nice Black and White color scheme which is a classic and should blend into pretty much any build. The Extreme series from ASRock has always been the sweet spot between value for money and features and the Extreme 4 is no exception.
The ASRock Z270 Extreme 4 has three areas with RGB LED lighting which can be controlled in the software. The colors are vibrant and there are plenty of cool effects to choose from. It has all the ports and connections that you will need including USB 3.1 Type A/Type C connections with Intel Thunderbolt 3 support.
The ASRock Z270 Extreme 4 is great value for money when you compare the features that you get for the price. This is a motherboard that we can recommend to anyone that needs a solid motherboard for long gaming sessions.
The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. The memory can be overclocked to 3777MHz which is not as high as some of the other motherboards that we have on this list but this one does not cost that much either.
The motherboard comes with dual M.2 slots and the PCIe slots are armored for better durability. The HD audio is very clean and the volume can get pretty loud. There is no clear CMOS button which is a bummer but most people are not going to use that anyway so it is not a major issue. The motherboard also features built-in Wi-Fi if you are interested in using that.
The motherboard looks impressive and has plenty of features. This is a motherboard that can we openly recommend to people that need to use their Intel i7 7700K CPU. This is a solid motherboard for you to check out.
Read also: Best Motherboard for Ryzen 7 2700x
Pros
- Wi-Fi built in
- Plenty of SATA III ports
- Dr. Debug code screen
- RAM overclock feature is easy to use
Cons
- Larger graphics cards can block the lighting
- No clear CMOS button
7. ASRock Z270 Gaming K4
The ASRock Z270 Gaming K4 comes in Black in Red, which is a classic gamer theme. It should go well with the rest of your gaming setup. The motherboard has all the features that you expect in a mid-range board for around $150.
The motherboard comes with armor which looks really nice and gives it a very gamery feel. The motherboard has different RGB zones which you can control and customize and you can sync it with other supported peripherals and components as well.
Wi-Fi is not built in but there is an M.2 slot in which you can add a Wi-Fi card. The option is there if you need it. If you are going to use this system for gaming then chances are that you are most likely going to use an ethernet cable so you can make do without this option as well. Other than that, you have a pair of additional M.2 slots for storage.
The ASRock Z270 Gaming K4 is a functional motherboard that looks great and is fairly priced. If you can make do with only 2 PCIe slots then this is a great option for you to consider.
One of the PCIe slots is armored and this is the x16 one which you will use for graphics card installation. The armor should protect the slot and provide better support for your graphics card. It does support crossfire so you can use a pair of AMD graphics cards if that is something that you are interested in doing.
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The motherboard has 4 RAM slots and can support up to 64 GB of RAM which is more than what you are going to need for gaming. The RAM can run at 3866 MHz which is pretty standard for this price range.
All things considered, this is a solid motherboard that looks great and has plenty of features. You get all the bells and whistles that you can expect for the price.
Pros
- Easy overclocking
- Aggressive gamer design
- Optional Wi-Fi support
- Plenty of SATA III ports
Cons
- Only 2 PCIe slots
Which Motherboard Should You Pick for the Intel I7 7700K?
All the motherboards that we have looked into here are great options. They all work with the i7 7700K so you could get any of them. The best one for the price is the ASRock Z270 Extreme 4.
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