Best Intel motherboard in 2024: Reviews and buying guide

Taking a look at the best Intel motherboards in 2022

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Are you looking for the best Intel motherboard in 2024? Maybe even the best Intel motherboard for gaming? Well then, you came to the right place, We’ve done all the research into Intel’s finest chipsets to find the best motherboard for you. Motherboards play an integral role in today’s PCs, in every PC in fact. Motherboards are not just limited to gaming PCs and high-end workstations, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a PC that does not contain a motherboard.

Intel holds high performance above all else, Intel has often come out with the most expensive chips on the market, but there’s good reason for that. Intel maintains the best single-core performance on the market. However, with all that power we need something capable of harnessing and containing it.

The motherboard is the foundation of the computer and it’s the component in which the whole system is built, the motherboard or (mainboard) as it’s sometimes called serves as a bridge between the components in the PC ensuring all components operate in perfect synergy. And in this case, we’re looking at all the motherboards that support Intel processors.

Whilst this article focuses on 2023, there’s hardware here released earlier. This is because we have deemed this hardware as still relevant, as soon as it becomes irrelevant, we will update the article.

Whether you fancy taking a Z690 by the horns or saving some cash on a B550, we’ve done all the hard work for you. We have plenty of motherboards to choose from.

Are you looking for the best 12th gen Intel motherboard? We have an article for that.

---

Best Intel motherboard: our top picks

Here’s the first look at our top picks for best intel motherboard.

---

The Best Intel motherboard in 2024: Reviews

Here’s a more in-depth review of each motherboard we have selected today.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO 

High-end best Z790 motherboard

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO 

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Form factor

ATX

Power stages

20+1 phase

Connectivity

2.5Gb LAN, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5, audio, USB4, USB-C, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4

PCIe Gen 5

GPU x16 and M.2

DDR5

Yes

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• 24+1 phase VRM design
• 10 GbE LAN port
• 5 M.2 slots
• DDR5
• PCIe Gen 5

Cons

• Expensive

ASUS’ Maximus line of motherboards has long been a favorite among enthusiasts, and that tradition continues with the Z790 generation. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO is a top-tier motherboard that boasts exceptional features and a superb power delivery system.

Beneath its massive VRM heatsinks, we find a 24+1 phase VRM configuration with 105A power stages. In simpler terms, the Z790 HERO has a remarkably sturdy VRM design that can tackle even the most taxing 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake CPUs when overclocked.

Moreover, the Maximus Z790 HERO is loaded with premium features. ASUS has included a 10 GbE LAN port and WiFi 6E to satisfy your networking needs, while storage is taken care of by five M.2 slots and several SATA ports. The board also has two Thunderbolt 4 ports on its rear I/O, which is a nice addition.

In terms of aesthetics, the board is clearly intended for gamers as the characteristic ROG design language is quite evident. The pixelated ROG script on the I/O cover looks especially good when the board is mounted in a chassis.

All in all, the ROG Maximus Z790 HERO is an outstanding Z790 motherboard that has few, if any, weaknesses. The only major drawback of this board is its relatively high price tag compared to other options available on the market.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi

The Best Intel Motherboard

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi

Form Factor

ATX

Socket

LGA 1700

Chipset

Z690

DDR5?

Yes

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• Dual thunderbolt 4 USB-C
• PCIe slot Q-Release
• 20+1 power stages

Cons

• No 10Gb Ethernet
• Less power stages than more premium boards

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi is one of the best options on the market currently and it certainly is a fantastic option and more than makes up for what it lacks in Ethernet bandwidth and power stages.

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero’s design is much different from the Hero boards we’re used to seeing, sporting incredible personalization potential with the polymer lighting I/O cover and additional fully customizable RGB lighting. The Z690 Hero comes equipped with 20+1 power staging and intelligent control, which is ASUS’ Ai overclocking feature packed full of performance and almost unrivaled in today’s industry.

Cooling on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero is headed by the aluminium heatsink and large integrated aluminium I/O cover. M.2 cooling is covered by large thermal pads to increase contact surface area, three heatsinks and two backplates to dissipate all that heat generated by super fast storage.

There are a plethora of additional features that matter for everyone whether they are a gamer or not. Full PCIe gen 5 support, DDR5 support up to 6400Mhz, dual thunderbolt 4 ports, and a fully-fledged ROG hyper m.2 card, giving you connectivity where you need it the most.

GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master

Enthusiast Intel Motherboard

GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master

Form Factor

ATX

Socket

LGA 1700

Chipset

Z690

DDR5?

Yes

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• 20+1+2 Direct Digital VRM Design
• 10GB BASE-T LAN
• Thunderbolt 4

Cons

• Pricey

The GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master is certainly one to keep in mind when shopping for your next best intel motherboard, with price aside the Aorus Master is irrefutably one of the best choices on the market for the most avid PC enthusiast.

The design of the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master is much improved over the previous generation, bringing a dashing, aggressively beautiful I/O cover and matching heatsink. Featuring an incredible 20+1+2 Direct Digital VRM design making power delivery much cleaner and more efficient, it’s hard to see why you wouldn’t overclock on this board.

The thermal ‘reactive’ armor uses nano-carbon fins to vastly increase the cooling potential of the thermal armor aided by the direct touch heat pipe and a nano-carbon backplate.

The GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master supports the all new DDR5 RAM up to speeds of 6600Mhz, this motherboard allows for some serious speed.

ROG Maximus XIII Hero Z590

Best Z590 Motherboard

ROG Maximus XIII Hero Z590

Intended Build

High-end

Form Factor

ATX

Socket

LGA 1200

Chipset

Z590

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• Excellent Build quality
• Impressive Power delivery
• 5333+ MHz RAM support

Cons

• Very pricey

The Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero Z590 is a fantastic motherboard, packed full of quality features on the LGA 1200 socket type.

With the ROG Maximus XIII Hero, we see an incredibly spacious layout, plenty of thermal armor and an impressively stylish design visually. The robust power delivery solution consists of 14+2 power stages with larger VRM heatsinks to keep the power up and the temperature down.

The aesthetics of the ROG Maximus XIII Hero are stunning with its incredible PCIe armor and beautiful integrated aluminium I/O cover. It’s certain this motherboard is meant for the most serious of gamers or avid enthusiasts.

The features don’t stop there, the armor of the board combines beautifully with Asus’ signature ROG RGB lighting we’ve all come to love. Some more notable features of this motherboard are PCIe 4.0 Thunderbolt 4, and Wi-Fi 6E, delivering connectivity wherever you may need it.

Asus Z590 TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI

Best last gen enthusiast Intel motherboard

Asus Z590 TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI

Intended Build

Mid to high-end

Form Factor

ATX

Socket

LGA 1200

Chipset

Z590

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• Improved design
• Faster RAM support
• Reliable

Cons

• Aesthetically basic

The Asus Z590 TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI has upped its game recently with a new iteration of one of Asus’ favored motherboards. This latest design not only looks stable, rugged, and well built but it has that signature look and feel of a TUF board that screams industrial quality.

The Asus Z590 TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI now ships with a much-updated power delivery method and 16 DrMOS power stages kept cool by an enlarged aluminum heatsink enabling more intense power delivery without sacrificing thermal performance.

Now supporting DDR4 memory faster than ever before at 5133MHz you’ll blaze through anything thrown at your PC when it’s built upon the Asus Z590 TUF GAMING Z590-PLUS WIFI.

On top of all these amazing features we have PCIe 4.0, USB 3.2 gen 2, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity, Furthermore, this board comes with Wi-fi 6 and a 2.5 Gb ethernet port.

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi

Best Intel ITX motherboard

ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi

Form Factor

Mini-ITX

Socket

LGA 1700

Chipset

Z690

DDR5?

Yes

How We Review

Shop on Amazon Check Price

Pros

• 10+1 power stages
• 2x Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C

Cons

• Less power and features than ATX models prices similarly

The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi is definitely one of the best mini-ITX motherboards on the market, it’s well designed, reliable and, full of features.

The z690-I comes equipped with DDR5 RAM support and PCIe gen 5 but also with two fully-fledged Thunderbolt 4 ports. Power delivery is handled by an amazing 10+1 power stage on an ITX board, it could be better for this price point but again impressive it’s packed onto an ITX board. With that in mind, it’s still an incredible feature-rich motherboard. Thermal design has been improved drastically with an integrated I/O cover and enlarged VRM heatsinks that feature high-conductivity thermal pads to keep unwanted high temperatures at bay.

This motherboard also supports HDMI 2.1, in addition to high-fidelity audio. This small board means business.

---

Best Intel motherboard: Things to consider

It’s important that you ask yourself what exactly you need your motherboard to do, most motherboards are all assembled in slightly different configurations to allow themselves to cover all consumer bases. Think about what your needs are, are you going to be doing much video editing? Or are you going to be gaming? What devices are you going to have connected to your PC?

Once you ask yourself these questions and figure out a firm use case for your PC in general you can then select a motherboard you feel comfortable will suit all your needs. If you’re an avid gamer then maybe you want a board with some better more refined overclocking support, if you’re a content creator you might want a motherboard with more onboard USB slots.

We’ve made it a little easier to navigate these uncertain waters and give you an idea of what you’ll need to look out for when selecting a motherboard.

Motherboard chipsets

There are many chipsets to choose from when taking motherboards into consideration, and that’s especially true when referring to Intel boards.
All of these choices can be a little overwhelming when aiming to acquire a new motherboard, especially if you don’t know what a chipset is or what it does.

Chipsets can be complicated in operation but understanding what chipsets are can be quite simple when you know what to look for. Chipsets have a hierarchy in place, categorized by letters and numbers. Very simply put the higher the number the better the chipset, these numbers are also accompanied by a letter.

The intel chipset hierarchy is as follows.

• Z – Best, aimed at enthusiast PC builders.
• H (70) – Median, aimed at mainstream PC builders.
• B – Median, aimed at mainstream PC builders.
• H (10) – Worst, aimed at budget PC builders.

Intel recently introduced two levels of H board, the H board followed by a ‘70’ is the mainstream option. The H boards followed by the number ‘10’ are the lowest budget boards.

For example, the H570 is better than the H510 and the Z690 is better than the Z490. the first number represents the generation and the second two numbers represent the iteration of the board in that generation. The higher the second number the better the board is in that generation.

For example, in the 500 series of intel boards, there were 4 iterations.

• H510 – worst, least features.
• B560
• H570
• Z590 – best, most feature-rich.

Please note: When we say worst we do not mean bad, it’s just a comparative term. It is the worst of the set, supporting fewer features.

The main difference between all of these chipsets is outlined by how many features the chipset can support or how fast the buses are that support those features. The chipset contains a small controller that manages devices and the hardware in your PC, and the number of devices the chipset can support is limited by the chipset itself.
For example, a Z590 will be far more feature-rich than an H510 and will be considerably more expensive. The Z590 might have integrated VRM heatsinks, support 8 USB ports and have 3 PCIe 4.0 slots. The H510 might have no VRM heatsinks and only support 3 USB ports and only 1 PCIe 4.0 slot. Same generation but fewer features. This is an incredibly rudimentary example but it serves its purpose well as an example. The real logistics are far more complex and the exact same can be applied to AMD boards also.

Motherboard Form factor

The form factor of a motherboard is something you will need to consider as “form factor” refers to the literal size of the motherboard. Whichever way around you have purchased the components, you need to make sure that your motherboard fits in the case you have on hand ready to house your Intel based powerhouse.

There are a few different motherboard form factors that all have different dimensions, the list is as follows.

• Mini – ITX | 6.7 x 6.7 Inches
• Mini – ATX | 5.9 x 5.9 Inches
• Micro – ATX | 9.6 x 9.6 Inches
• ATX | 12 x 9.6 Inches
• eATX | 12 x 13 Inches

Fun fact – Intel released the first-ever ATX board way back in 1995. Since then it has been considered the ‘Standard’ motherboard form factor. Some motherboard form factors such as an ITX may have fewer features, but that’s a compromise that you will have to make if you are looking to build a small system. The smaller something is the less room you have to populate with features.

Socket

“What actually is a socket?” we hear you say. A socket refers to the CPU socket situated on every motherboard. The CPU socket is the component on the motherboard that houses the CPU, for this guide we’re only going to be concerning ourselves with what is considered ‘intel’ sockets, (LGA1200, LGA1700)

A CPU socket is like a shape that only a CPU matched to a corresponding socket will fit into. An i9-12900k belongs to the socket LGA1700 and will only fit into a motherboard attributed with the same socket LGA1700.
A really easy way to check what socket your Intel CPU is is just to google it, but below will be a short list of the most recent Intel CPUs and the socket they belong to.

Memory

Ensuring you have selected a motherboard that supports or will support your RAM of choice is imperative, as you don’t want incompatibilities affecting performance or wasting your hard-earned cash.

You need to take into consideration the motherboard’s rated memory speed sometimes called “Memory support” and you need to make sure you obtain memory that falls within the limit stated on the motherboard. If you obtain RAM outside of the motherboard’s RAM compatibility speed then your RAM will default to the highest speed it can possibly perform on the board it’s connected to. This will force the RAM to perform at a slower rated speed, diminishing its value.

RAM speed isn’t the only factor when choosing a motherboard, you also have to consider the motherboard’s RAM capacity.

Certain motherboards, especially those of smaller form factors sometimes trim down the number of RAM slots to save on space, this means that a great number of ITX motherboards only support 64GB of RAM.
Because of this, it’s especially important when opting for a smaller build that you ensure your motherboard will support not only the number of RAM DIMMs you have but the density of each DIMM too.

Double-check your motherboard supports the amount of ram you wish to install to your PC even if its a full ATX board, some of them cap out at 128GB while others exceed this.

PCI/PCIe slots

There are two types of expansion slots on a motherboard, PCI and PCIe. (PCI Express) the PCIe slot is a larger and faster version of the small PCI slot. All motherboards ship with a number of these expansion slots and they serve a very important role.
These expansion slots are where you will seat your precious GPU, however, GPUs arent the only occupants of expansion slots, there’s a plethora of expansion cards that can accommodate a PCI or PCI-e slot.

Some examples of additional expansion cards are:

• WiFi card
• Capture cards
• USB expansion cards
• High-end sound cards
• NVMe expansion card

For average use case and gaming, two PCIe slots should suffice, it’s incredibly rare you’ll ever need more than two as SLI isn’t making a comeback anytime soon. Unless, however, you’re looking to add more storage or functionality to your gaming rig with a fancy expansion card.

Most motherboards ship with integrated sound chips that negate the once-necessary sound card installation, however, if you’re in the music profession you may still want to consider this option, if you’re a gamer or streamer then maybe you want to leave a PCI slot open for a capture card. It’s important to put some forethought into your components and pick up a motherboard that’s going to enable you to work in your industry/niche.

This mentality applies to all expansion cards, we’re certainly not saying you head out and pick yourself up a WRX80-SE-SAGE that comes equipped with a massive 7 PCIe slots, we’re just saying you need to put some thought into your components and more importantly the motherboard that’s going to be supporting them.

There are a few more advanced issues you may run into when selecting a motherboard such as bandwidth and saturation, be mindful when you use cards like expansion cards not to overload the bus you’re connecting them to. For example, if you have four M.2 MVMe SSDs in an M.2 expansion card then you may run into some speed issues should you try and access more than one of those cards at once.

With all that hardware installed onto your motherboard, it’s important that you keep things cool for fear of turning your computer into the words fastest space heater.

---

How to choose an Intel motherboard that’s right for you

Choosing the right Intel motherboard can be a daunting task, as there are many different options available on the market. However, there are a few key factors that you should consider to ensure that you choose a motherboard that meets your needs. Here are some steps you can follow to help you make an informed decision:

• Determine your CPU compatibility: The first thing you need to do is to determine the type of Intel processor you plan to use. Different processors require different sockets and chipsets. Make sure you choose a motherboard that is compatible with your processor.
  
• Determine your usage needs: Consider what you will be using your computer for. If you plan to use it for gaming or other high-performance tasks, you may want a motherboard that has more advanced features such as multiple graphics card slots, high-speed RAM support, and overclocking capabilities. If you just need a basic computer for web browsing, email, and office tasks, a simpler motherboard may suffice.
  
• Consider the form factor: Motherboards come in different sizes, known as form factors. The most common sizes are ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX. Choose a motherboard that fits your computer case and meets your usage needs.
  
• Check the expansion slots: Expansion slots are used to add additional components to your computer, such as graphics cards, sound cards, and network cards. Make sure the motherboard you choose has enough expansion slots to meet your needs.
  
• Consider the number and types of ports: Look at the number and types of ports on the motherboard. Consider the number of USB ports, audio ports, and other ports that you will need to connect all of your devices. Especially on the inside if you can accommodate the case like any type c USB that might get missed or you have to use an adapter if you want it working.
  
• Compare power supply connectors: Depending on how many power connectors are on your motherboard, you have to make sure your power supply has enough to match it, as it might have an extra CPU or PCIe heard on the mobo you need to fill in depending on the port type.
  
• Check for additional features: Some motherboards come with additional features such as built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and RAID support. Consider if these features are important to you and if you are willing to pay extra for them.
  
• BIOS & setup: Depending on the manufacturer they have different BIOS setups and how easy it is to use them, so it might be a consideration when you have to build in it.
  
• Look at reviews and ratings: Finally, read reviews and ratings from other users to get an idea of the motherboard’s reliability, performance, and overall quality.

By considering these factors, you can choose an Intel motherboard that is right for you and meets your needs.

---

Does motherboard choice have an effect on PC performance when gaming?

The choice of a motherboard can have an impact on the overall performance of a PC in games. While the CPU and graphics card are the primary components that affect gaming performance, the motherboard plays a crucial role in supporting these components and ensuring smooth and stable operation.

A motherboard with a compatible socket for the chosen CPU can allow for better utilization of the processor’s capabilities, leading to improved gaming performance. Additionally, the memory support of the motherboard can affect the amount and speed of system RAM, which can impact the loading times and overall performance of games.

Expansion options are also important for gaming performance. A motherboard with multiple expansion slots can allow for the addition of multiple graphics cards, which can improve performance in demanding games.

Storage options, such as the type and number of storage interfaces, can impact the performance of connected storage devices, such as solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). Having fast storage can lead to faster game load times, as well as improved performance in games that require quick access to a lot of data.

Finally, the quality of the voltage regulation and power delivery systems on a motherboard can impact the stability and performance of the system, especially when overclocking, which can lead to improved gaming performance.

---

Final Word

Shopping for a motherboard the best Intel motherboard and the best Intel motherboard for gaming in 2024 can be an often somewhat stressful task, brewing dread in the heart of any novice PC builder, but fear not. Armed with the knowledge of this article you now know how to properly select a motherboard to suit your needs and integrate it perfectly into your rig in terms of size, features, and functionality.

Motherboards are an essential component of any PC, they’re the very foundation of PCs as we know them. So it’s imperative you choose the right one for you. Select the correct form factor to suit a specific size, select the correct chipset for your shiny new central processing unit, and even the correct amount of PCI/PCIe expansion slots to suit your industry/niche. All results of you first asking yourself “What do I need from my motherboard?”

Hopefully now after perusing our top five picks for the best Intel motherboard 2022, you found a motherboard that suits your style, needs and use case. Hopefully, as we come to the end of the article we managed to cover all of your bases and answer all the questions you quietly ponder. Happy building.