Now is the best time to upgrade your old PC which has been eating dust for quite some time. It’s your turn to transform it into a brand-new system that can handle multitasking and run some AAA titles. While I know you guys have already picked up your favorite processor, the Intel i7 8700K, one important task left is getting a suitable motherboard that can deliver the speed and performance your processor wants.
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The i7 8700K is one of the mainstream processors of Intel with excellent overclocking capabilities. It is a 6 Cores and 12 Threads processor with one of the highest clock rates, going up to 4.7GHz through Turbo Boost. With that power, it’s better to take some time to do your part of the research and look for the right motherboard.
But don’t worry, I have got you covered. In this post, I have made a list of the 5 best motherboards for Intel i7 8700K with excellently-built power delivery systems and VRM components.
Best Motherboards for Intel i7 8700K
If you’re looking for a straight to the point answer, here are our top picks for the 5 best motherboards for Intel i7 8700K:
| Best Motherboards for Intel i7 8700K | Form Factor | Chipset | Memory Support | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Z390 EXTREME4 | ATX | Z390 | DDR4 4300+(OC) | |
| GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming | ATX | Z370 | DD4 2400+ | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming | Mini-ITX | Z390 | DDR4 4600+ | |
| ASUS TUF Z370-PRO | ATX | Z370 | DDR4 4000+ | |
| MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK | ATX | Z390 | DDR4 4400+ |
| Best Motherboards for Intel i7 8700K | Form Factor | Chipset | Memory Support | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Z390 EXTREME4 | ATX | Z390 | DDR4 4300+(OC) | |
| GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming | ATX | Z370 | DD4 2400+ | |
| ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming | Mini-ITX | Z390 | DDR4 4600+ | |
| ASUS TUF Z370-PRO | ATX | Z370 | DDR4 4000+ | |
| MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK | ATX | Z390 | DDR4 4400+ |
Before we hop on to our individual reviews of the 5 best motherboards for Intel i7 8700K, it is quite important to understand that picking the right board plays an important role in determining the overall performance of your PC. So if you are not careful with your selection, you might end up regretting it.
As the Intel i7 8700K is a powerful processor, it demands a motherboard with high-speed RAM support, well-built VRM components, and great overclocking capabilities. Keeping these factors in mind, you can narrow down your research and choose the board that suits your needs and makes it worth every penny.
But you don’t need to worry about all these things as I have picked only those boards that deliver excellent performance with i7 8700K. I have categorized each of these motherboards into — Top Pick, Runner-up, Mini-ITX, Value for Money, and Budget.
Having said that, here are the 5 best motherboards for Intel i7 8700K and some information about each one!
Top Pick: ASRock Z390 EXTREME4
The ASRock Z390 EXTREME4 is one of the best motherboards for 8th Gen processors and that’s why I have made it my top pick on this list. If you want to harness the power of your i7 8700K processor, then the motherboard can definitely help you with this.
The motherboard supports Intel 9th and 8th Generation processors and comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 128GB of memory and are overclockable up to 4300MHz. That makes it worth it for future use in case you decide to upgrade to a 9th Gen processor.
Luckily, you won’t have to change your motherboard. For display connectivity, it has one HDMI 1.4 port, one DisplayPort 1.2, and one D-Sub port.
Apart from these features, the ASRock Z390 EXTREME4 also includes three PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, dual M.2 connectors, six SATA 6GB/S ports, and four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports.
Pros
- Attractive design
- Supports 9th Generation processors
- Excellent overclocking performance
- High-speed memory
Cons
- Quite expensive
Runner-up: GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming
If you are looking for a perfect motherboard that can deliver excellent performance and isn’t overly priced, then the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming might impress you. Loaded with stunning RG lights surrounding RAM slots, PCB traces, heatsink, and PCI slots gives your PC an attractive and colorful appearance.
Based on Intel’s Z370 chipset, the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS is an ATX motherboard with support for 8th Generation i7 processors, i5 processors, and i3 processors. It comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 64GB of RAM memory and can be overclocked up to 4000MHz. For display connectivity, it has a single HDMI 1.4 port that supports up to 4K resolution.
Other important features include built-in Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth v4.2, dual M.2 connectors, six SATA 6GB/s ports, and six USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports.
Overall, the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming is a powerful motherboard with impressive features, stunning RGB lights, excellent performance, and built-in Wi-Fi support.
Pros
- Attractive design
- Excellent performance
- High-speed memory
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Cons
- No M.2 coolers included
- No DisplayPort available
Mini-ITX: ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming
While ATX motherboards are mostly preferred for PC builds, one should not ignore mini-ITX boards which, because of their compact size, may come in handy if you are facing a space crunch on your PC. With mini-ITX boards, you can even house the bigger RTX boards without any issues.
So, if a small-sized mobo is your preference, take a look at the ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming board.
With support for 9th Gen and 8th Gen i3, i5, and i7 processors, it comes with two DIMM slots that can hold up to 64GB of memory and goes up to 4600MHz of speed. It has built-in Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth, dual M.2 connectors, one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, and one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port.
Lastly, considering the price and performance ratio, the ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming is a solid option for anyone looking to build a mini-ITX PC. It delivers outstanding performance and has great overclocking capabilities similar to a premium ATX motherboard.
Pros
- Compact Size
- Supports 9th Generation processors
- Outstanding performance
- High-speed memory
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Cons
- USB 2.0 header pins located above the PCIe x16 slot
Value for Money: ASUS TUF Z370-PRO
Comparing the price and performance of this motherboard, I found that it provides excellent value for money and offers all the necessary features required at this price. But let me tell you beforehand, if you are attracted to stylish motherboards, then you might not like it. Its dull yellow color and boring design might not be everyone’s cup of tea. So only if you are not bothered by these factors, then you should consider buying this motherboard.
The ASUS TUF Z370-PRO supports 8th Generation processors and comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 64GB of memory. It has a max memory support of 4000MHz. The board sports one HDMI 1.4b port and one DVI-D port for display.
Other notable features of the board include two PCI 3.0 x16 slots, dual M.2 connectors, six SATA 6GB/s ports, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, and eight USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports.
Overall, it’s a pretty great deal at an affordable price. If you don’t want to spend $400 or $500 on a motherboard, then this $250 board might be the right one for you.
Pros
- Great performance
- High-speed memory
- Durable build
- Great value for money
Cons
- Unattractive looks
- No RGB lights
Budget: MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK
One of the most affordable and cheapest motherboards you can buy for Intel i7 8700K is the MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK. Even though this motherboard supports 9th Generation processors, this motherboard performs far better with 8th Generation processors. Since it’s super cheap, it doesn’t hurt if you prefer this board solely for the 8700K.
Talking about its features, it supports Intel 8th and 9th Generation, processors. It comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 128GB of memory and a max memory support of 4400MHz. For display connectivity, you get one HDMI 1.4 port and one DisplayPort 1.2.
The board is also loaded with dual M.2 slots, six SATA 6GB/s ports, three PCI 3.0 x16 slots, four USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports., and six USB 2.0 ports.
Summing up, the MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK is a super cheap motherboard with great support for 8th Generation processors and an impressive price at this price. So, if you don’t have enough money to afford expensive motherboards, you can get your job done with this one.
Pros
- Decent performance
- High-speed memory
- Dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet
- Super cheap
Cons
- Poor voltage regulator cooling
- Not ideal for extreme 9th Generation processors
The Takeaway
This completes the list of the 5 best motherboards for Intel i7 8700K. Each one of these delivers excellent performance at their respective prices and extracts the full potential out of your processor.
Now it depends on your budget and needs to pick the right board. No doubt motherboards are the decisive factor of your PC and need a good portion of the investment for the best performance. However, you’ll also need to be sure they work within your defined budget.
Obviously, my top picks would be either the ASRock Z390 EXTREME4 or the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming. Mainly because of features and being the most future-proof.
If you’re working within a budget though, the best pick remains to be the MSI MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK!
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