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One of the best Coffe Lake processors ever made by Intel is the Core i5-11600K. It is the best mid-range processor available at an affordable with all the necessary features required to build an ideal gaming PC. With 6 Cores and 12 Threads, the Intel i5-11600K has a base frequency of 3.9GHz which can be boosted up to 4.9GHz. It supports max memory of up to 128GB 3200MHz and comes with an integrated Intel UHD 750 graphics card.
That said, you can expect solid gaming performance and run heavy tasks with this processor. But in order to make sure you are extracting the full potential out of this processor, it is important to invest in a powerful gaming motherboard. As a PC builder myself, I know what importance a motherboard holds.
Hence, to make your work easier, I have made a list of the 5 best motherboards for i5-11600K to ensure you don’t get left behind at any stage of performance.
Best Motherboards For i5-11600K
| Best Motherboards for i5-11600K | Form Factor | Chipset | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Z590 Taichi | ATX | Z590 | |
| MSI MEG Z590 ACE | ATX | Z590 | |
| GIGABYTE Z490I AORUS Ultra | mini-ITX | Z490 | |
| ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | ATX | Z590 | |
| SUS ROG Strix Z590-E | ATX | Z590 |
| Best Motherboards for i5-11600K | Form Factor | Chipset | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASRock Z590 Taichi | ATX | Z590 | |
| MSI MEG Z590 ACE | ATX | Z590 | |
| GIGABYTE Z490I AORUS Ultra | mini-ITX | Z490 | |
| ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero | ATX | Z590 | |
| SUS ROG Strix Z590-E | ATX | Z590 |
One of the key things to look into in a motherboard is to check whether it has the necessary DIMM slots, PCIe support, M.2 slots for storage, enough USB ports, and a robust power delivery system to get your CPU the power it needs. As long as your motherboard is equipped with these features, you won’t face any shortage of performance delivery.
As not all motherboards can have the required number of features, it is important to invest in the right one. It doesn’t matter whether you have an i5-11600K or i9-12900K processor if your motherboard cannot push these chips to their full potential.
In this post, I have categorized each of these boards into — Top Pick, Runner-up, Mini-ITX, Value for Money, and Budget. Each one of them is equipped with impressive features and capable of pushing the i5-11600K to its peak.
Having said that, here are the 5 best motherboards for i5-11600K and my individual reviews for each one.
Top Pick: ASRock Z590 Taichi
The ASRock Z590 Taichi is the best motherboard for i5-11600K and is my top pick on this list. A well-balanced premium motherboard with robust power delivery, solid aesthetics, and a reasonable price. Any gaming enthusiast looking to spend on the best with no budget constraints can easily bet on this board.
Beginning with the specifications, the ASRock Z590 Taichi supports 10th-generation and 11th-generation Intel processors based on LGA 1200 sockets. It comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 128GB of memory with a max memory speed of 5000+ MHz for 11th gen processors and 4800+ MHz for 10th-generation processors. For display connectivity, it has one HDMI port and two Intel Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Talking about other important features, the board supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot, eight SATA III 6GB/s ports, three M.2 slots for storage, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.
Overall, the ASRock Z590 Taichi is a solid motherboard with lots of impressive features Thunderbolt 4 ports, high-speed memory support, three M.2 slots, and the latest Wi-Fi 6E. Currently available at a price of $350 on Amazon (as I write this), you can bet on this motherboard for i5-11600K.
Pros
- Solid design and aesthetics
- High-speed memory support
- Three M.2 slots
- Latest Wi-Fi version
- Solid power delivery
Cons
- Only eight rear USB ports
- No 5Gbit or 10Gbit Ethernet
Runner-up: MSI MEG Z590 ACE
The lower-priced MSI MEG Z590 ACE is the second-best motherboard for i5-11600K on this list. At a price of $269 on Amazon (as I write this), you can consider buying this motherboard if $350 sounds too much for you.
The MSI MEG Z590 ACE supports 10th generation, 11th generation, Pentium, and Celeron Intel processors based on LGA 1200 sockets. It comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 128GB of memory with a max memory speed of 5600MHz. For display connectivity, it has one HDMI 2.0b port that can support a max resolution of 4K@60Hz, two Intel Thunderbolt 4 ports, and two mini DisplayPort.
About other notable features, the board also supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot, six SATA III 6GB/s ports, four M.2 slots for storage, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and six USB 2.0 ports.
That said, the MSI MEG Z590 ACE is more or less similar to our top pick, ASRock Z590 Taichi, except for a few features. Hence, if you can’t afford to go beyond the $300 mark, then this motherboard can be your best bet.
Pros
- Attractive design
- High-speed memory support
- Four M.2 slots
- Latest Wi-Fi version
- Robust power delivery
Cons
- No 5Gbit or 10Gbit Ethernet
Mini-ITX: GIGABYTE Z490I AORUS Ultra
If you are looking for a compact motherboard rather than the larger ATX boards for your mini-ITX PC build, look no further than the GIGABYTE Z490I AORUS Ultra. It is the best mini-ITX motherboard with lots of impressive features and delivers great performance in spite of being small in size.
The GIGABYTE Z490I AORUS Ultra supports 10th generation i9, i7, i5, and i3 Intel processors based on LGA 1200 sockets. It comes with two DIMM slots that can hold up to 64GB of memory with a max memory speed of 5000MHz. For display connectivity, it has one HDMI 2.0 port and one DisplayPort 1.4. The board also supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, four SATA III 6GB/s ports, two M.2 slots for storage, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, six USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and six USB 2.0 ports.
Summing up, for PC builders looking for a mini-ITX PC build, the GIGABYTE Z490I AORUS Ultra can be the solid option with all the necessary features required to boost the i5-11600K performance.
Pros
- Solid aesthetics
- High-speed memory support
- Latest Wi-Fi version
- Powerful VRM design
Cons
- No 5Gbit or 10Gbit Ethernet
- No active VRM cooling
Value for Money: ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
The ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero is currently the best value-for-money motherboard on this list. Available at a price of just $200, this motherboard sports some of the best features you mostly see on expensive motherboards.
The ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero supports 10th-generation, 11th-generation, Pentium, and Celeron Intel processors based on LGA 1200 sockets. It comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 128GB of memory with a max memory speed of 5333MHz. For display connectivity, it has one HDMI port and two Intel Thunderbolt 4 ports.
The board supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, two PCIe 3.0 x4 slots, six SATA III 6GB/s ports, four M.2 slots for storage, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero is a well-balanced motherboard with great power delivery, four M.2 slots, premium audio, and integrated Wi-Fi 6E. So if you want something valuable at an affordable price, you can go for the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero.
Pros
- Looks attractive
- High-speed memory support
- Latest Wi-Fi version
- Four M.2 slots
- Powerful VRM design
- Value for money
Cons
- No 5Gbit or 10Gbit Ethernet
Budget: ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E
While all of the above motherboards deliver great performance with the i5-11600K, they also are priced differently, which can be a matter of concern for budget builders who don’t have enough to spend on a motherboard. And if you are one of those who can’t think of spending $200 on a motherboard, then a $160 motherboard can be your best bet.
Considering that, I have picked the ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E, a budget motherboard with all the features required to make sure you are extracting the full potential out of the i5-11600K.
The ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E supports 10th-generation and 11th-generation Intel processors based on LGA 1200 sockets. It comes with four DIMM slots that can hold up to 128GB of memory with a max memory speed of 5333MHz. For display connectivity, it has one HDMI 2.0 port and a DisplayPort 1.4.
Apart from that, the board supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2, two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, one PCIe 3.0 x16 slot, six SATA III 6GB/s ports, four M.2 slots for storage, five USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, five USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports.
That said, for budget PC builders, the ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E is one of the most affordable options currently available.
Pros
- High-speed memory support
- Latest Wi-Fi version
- Four M.2 slots
- Powerful VRM design
- Cheap price
Cons
- No 5Gbit or 10Gbit Ethernet
Conclusion
No matter whether you have the i5-11600K or i9-12900K, always make sure the motherboard is compatible with your processor before making your purchase. Building a high-end gaming motherboard requires a good motherboard with good features to support that.
Hence, you should do your homework before hopping on to the one. Though the above-mentioned motherboards are some of the best ones for i5-11600K and you can pick any one of them according to your budget.
If it was me doing a build right now, then I’ll go for the ASRock Z590 Taichi of course. However, if I was on a budget, I would go for the ASUS ROG Strix Z590-E.
With that said, it doesn’t mean that the others aren’t good options. These are just the ones I would pick based on what my needs are.
ALSO READ: Best Motherboards For Intel i5 12600K
