The Intel 9700K is one of the top of the line CPUs that you can buy on the market right now, so be sure to get the best motherboard for i7 9700k for the best performance.
If you are getting this CPU, then we are going to assume that you are going to overclock it as well. That is why we have included motherboards that support CPU overclocking out of the box. Additionally, they all have support for 8th and 9th gen Intel core processors.
Best Overall
- Great Overclocking Support
- Lighting Looks Great
- 9th & 8th Gen Intel
Premium Pick
- Great for Overclocking
- Advanced Thermal Design
- 9th & 8th Gen Intel
The Best Motherboard for i7 9700K in 2020
1. MSI MPG Z390 – Best Motherboard for i7 9700k
MSI is a well-known name in the PC hardware industry and starts with the best motherboard for i7 9700K. Here we have the MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC, a high-end motherboard that is ideal for going with the Intel i7 9700K. The motherboard comes in Black and has plenty of armor on it. The White accents provide excellent contrast, and this motherboard should blend in very nicely with the rest of your build.
Two PCIe slots are reinforced for durability and should last the test of time even with beefy graphics cards installed. It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.
Our Pick
The MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC is a lovely motherboard that comes with all the bells and whistles you can want. If the shorter armor over the I/O does not trigger your OCD, then this is a motherboard that you should consider getting for your Intel i7 9700K CPU.
For storage, you have 2 M.2 slots for fast NVMe storage. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. The motherboard supports Intel Optane memory and comes with Mystic Lighting for RGB control. Audio Boost 4 provides immersive audio when gaming or consuming content.
Related: Best Motherboard for i5 8600k
The motherboard comes with Intel Wireless-AC 9462 and Bluetooth support. We recommend a wired internet connection for gaming, but the option is there if you need it. The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, HDMI, and Displayport.
Pros
- Sleek Black design
- Clean BIOS
- Lighting looks great
- Great overclocking support
Cons
- Armor on the top left does not cover audio and Wi-Fi ports
2. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra
The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra is a high-end motherboard, and the price reflects that. You do get the top of the line chipset that Intel has to offer right now, which means better features and power delivery for overclocking. The motherboard comes in Black and Silver and has armor all over it, which gives it a very aggressive look. There are lights all over the motherboard, and even the M.2 heatsinks match the motherboard’s theme.
It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.
For storage, you have 3 M.2 slots, and all of them come with heatsink covers as well. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. 2 of the PCIe slots are reinforced for better GPU support and durability. The motherboard has plenty of RGB zones that can be customized and synced with supporting parts and peripherals.
Premium Pick
The GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra costs a lot of money, but you do get a premium motherboard with all the bells and whistles. This motherboard not only works well but looks nice too.
The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, DVI, HDMI, and Displayport. You also get Intel CNVi 2×2 802.11ac wireless. We recommend using ethernet for gaming, but if you need to use wireless internet, then the option is there. The motherboard supports Intel Optane Memory, and there is a debug LED indicator for troubleshooting in case something goes wrong.
Pros
- Great for overclocking
- Armor all over
- 3 M.2 slots
- Plenty of fan headers
Cons
- BIOS could be better
- Expensive
3. ASUS Prime Z370-A II – Best Budget Motherboard for i7 9700K
Asus is known for making some of the most reliable motherboards on the market, so there is no surprise that we are starting this list with the ASUS Prime Z370-A-II. The motherboard supports the 8th and 9th generation of Intel CPUs and comes with all the features you need for gaming and content creation.
The motherboard has a Black and Silver look. It has plenty of armor, which gives it a clean look. If you are interested in building a Black and White PC, this motherboard will fit right in. It is an ATX motherboard, and it will fit into any ATX case.
It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.
Our Budget Pick
The ASUS Prime Z370-A-I is a great Z370 motherboard if you are not interested in spending too much money. It looks great and comes with all the features that you are going to need. It is ideal for overclocking your CPU and RAM.
The motherboard supports CPU overclocking as well, and with proper cooling, you can get the Intel i7 9700K to 5 GHz. For storage, you have 2 M.2 slots, and one of them comes with a heatsink cover as well. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. 2 of the PCIe slots are reinforced for better GPU support and durability.
The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, DVI, HDMI, and Displayport. Like all Asus motherboards, the ASUS Prime Z370-A II gives you features like Auto-Tuning, Fan Expert 4, AURA Sync RGB lighting, and 8-channel HD audio.
Pros
- Breakneck NVMe speeds
- BIOS is easy to use
- 4 LEDs for boot sequence
- Great for overclocking
- Fan control is good
Cons
- Could use more USB ports
4. GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7
The GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 motherboard is an ideal motherboard to pair with the Intel i7 9700K. The chipset is not the top of the line version, but you are not missing out on much. The motherboard has a very aggressive design, and the M.2 shield matches the armor, which is a lovely touch.
The RAM slots and the PCIe slots are reinforced and feature RGB lighting just like the motherboard’s other parts. It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.
You have 2 M.2 slots for fast NVMe storage. Other than that, you have 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs. The motherboard also supports Intel Optane’s memory. The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, HDMI, and Displayport. Other than that, you also get a USB Type-C front header.
The GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 is a motherboard that looks really nice and offers plenty of customization options. This is a high-end motherboard, and overclocking support is ideal for the 9700K.
The motherboard supports multiple graphics cards, but we recommend a single powerful graphics card for gaming. The option is still there if you need to use more than one graphics card. All GIGABYTE motherboards give you features such as Smart Fan 5 Cooling and RGB Fusion Lighting.
The motherboard does not have onboard Wi-Fi, but that is not going to matter if you are gaming. We recommend using a wired internet connection, anyways.
Pros
- Impressive build quality
- Plenty of RGB lighting
- Easy overclocking
- A lot of armor
- 3 M.2 slots
- Immersive audio
Cons
- Could use more USB ports
- RGB software needs improvement
5. ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is a costly motherboard, but it has the top of the line Z390 chipset and all the bells and whistles that you could ever ask for in a motherboard in 2020. This is an ASUS product, so you are paying a premium. The motherboard has a charming design and plenty of RGB lighting on it.
The board comes with an integrated I/O shield for easy installation. The 2 PCIe slots are reinforced for GPU support and durability. You also get 2 M.2 slots with heatsinks that match the theme of the motherboard. Other than that, there are 6 SATA 3 ports for SSDs and HDDs.
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It comes with 4 RAM slots and supports up to 64 GB of RAM. The ram runs at 4400 MHz, but this is a high-end motherboard that supports RAM overclocking so you can push the RAM to the limit using this motherboard.
The ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is a premium motherboard that comes with all the bells and whistles. This is one of the most popular motherboards that you can buy for the Intel 9700K, but it does come at a very high price.
The motherboard comes with all the ports that you are going to need, including USB 3.1 Gen2, USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 support, DVI, HDMI, and Displayport. This is an Asus motherboard, so you get features like Auto-Tuning, Fan Expert 4, AURA Sync RGB lighting, and 8-channel HD audio.
It even comes with onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi if you need it. This is one of the most excellent motherboards that you can buy for the Intel i7 9700K.
Pros
- Clear CMOS button
- BIOS flashback button
- Designed for overclocking
- Very easy to install
- User-friendly BIOS
- Impressive VRM cooling
- Improved audio
Cons
- Very expensive
Z390 Vs Z370: What Is The Difference?
The Z390 and Z370 chipsets support the same CPUs and have similar features, but you must be wondering what the difference is. These are two different chipsets, after all. The Z390 chipset has a slight upper hand as it supports USB 3.1 (10Gbps). Motherboards with these chipsets have 6 of these ports while you get none with the Z370 motherboards.
Other than that, Z390 chipsets come with integrated Wi-Fi 802.11ac. Z390 motherboards can potentially support 128 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB, but that depends on the motherboard’s firmware. Z390 motherboards feature the newer version of Intel ME Firmware, but this will not impact most users.
Final Thoughts
“The best” can be different for different people, and if you look at the price and all the features that a motherboard has to offer, then the ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero is the most trustworthy motherboard that you can buy currently.
If you are not interested in spending all that money on a motherboard but still want to have most of the features, you should opt to go with the ASUS Prime Z370-A-II instead.
If you need need a more reasonably priced motherboard that also comes with integrated Wi-Fi then you should pick the GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Ultra.
These are all the motherboards than we can openly recommend for the Intel i7 9700K processor.
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