Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 8700k

What Is a Motherboard and Why Is It Important?

INTRODUCTION:

A motherboard is also called the main board as it is the Centre of the circuit that handles all the connections between various components and devices connected to the PC. It allows the main parts of the device like the Central Processing Unit (CPU), graphic cards, memory, and hard drive to collect the power given from the affixed power supply.

A motherboard decides where the individual components fit, and on top of that, it also controls the power supply. A motherboard has a few limited merged sections positioned on the board, such as BIOS chipset and CMOS. A motherboard additionally comprises several sockets and ports, including Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), memory or RAM slots, along with the Universal Serial Bus (USB).

A motherboard also controls external data movement via the ports such as the IDE besides the USB. The data is directed to the hard drives. Its most important function is to hold on to the microprocessor chip, e.g., Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium 4, and AMD Athlon. Furthermore, practically all the parts that assist in the computer are parts of the motherboard and are plugged into it. Selecting the right motherboard for your CPU is enormously critical; it will allow you to operate your robust CPU to its maximum capability. It will also assist overclocking to go beyond its limits. Not so complicated, is it?

Important Features You Need to Know:

1. Overclocking: Overclocking is to operate the computer process at a greater pace than the manufacturers expected it. This process will help your device run at a smoother and faster rate than the device initially was capable of. Overclocking will help you achieve more incredible speeds and offer a better overall experience with the device. Now, who does not want their laptop to run at high speeds?
2. M.2 Slot: M.2 Slot is an expansion card slot that can directly mount the motherboard. It will allow your PC’s interior to be tidier and will give you loads of much-needed storage space.
3. Price: We all would like to get the best device at a lower rate. Motherboards being an essential part of devices, are extremely expensive. They range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Not all of us are willing to spend such large sums on motherboards. We have compiled a list of motherboards which range from low to high prices. Read on to find more about the best gaming motherboards for i7 8700k:

Best Onboard WIFI Motherboard

5. Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI

Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI has a gorgeous board that is pleasing to the eyes. It offers excellent performance and a smooth run. It does not support auto overclock tuning, which is a let-down.

This product’s noteworthy aspect is that it has four slots dedicated to memory: granting DDR4 RAM of 128 GB. Speed-wise, Z390 AORUS Pro WIFI can sustain up to ‘DDR4-4266’ plus grants for both non-ECC and ECC unbuffered memory to be utilized.

It has standard storage for this high standard board with only two M.2 slots. Both M.2 slots comprise their heatsink. 

GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS Pro WIFI is not precisely the greatest energy-efficient motherboard in the market, but it is undoubtedly nothing to be apprehensive about. Overall, the performance of this product is positive.

Pros

• BIOS
• Numerous 16x PCIe Ports
• The product allows overclocking.
• Decent Price

Cons

• No auto-tuning while overclocking
• It does not have onboard Wi-Fi.

Temperature Control

Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI has the Smart Fan 5, which ensures that the gaming PC can sustain its performance while remaining cool. Smart Fan 5 allows the consumer to switch their fan headers to indicate unique thermal sensors at various positions on top of the motherboard. Additionally, Gigabyte Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI has added hybrid fan headers for both Voltage and PWM mode.

The fans are uniquely designed to make the motherboard friendly with liquid cooling. The fans also can be silenced and with Fan Stop. Any fan can be stopped entirely as soon as the temperatures fall below a specific level. With special consumer customizability, the specified fan will stop automatically once the temperatures drop to the precise temperature, all to the consumer’s liking.

Durability: Gigabyte has come up with a new design to make the motherboard durable. It developed a new stainless-steel shielding design which helps in reinforcing the PCIe connectors to enhance their production. It also provides them with some extra strength required to support all kinds of heavy graphic cards needed for gaming.

Best Overall Motherboard

4. MSI Z390 PRO

MSI Z390-A Pro has all the basics covered. The consumer gets a nice reliable motherboard at a very reasonable price. Starting with the processor, it supports the 8^th and 9^th generation Intel Core processors, which provides quite a lot of capacity. The SSDs are in the centre of the NVM model, which functions extraordinarily. SSD is coupled with the sturdy M.2 drives and the DDR4 memory, which operates at the highest frequency of 4400MHz. It also supports overclocking, which further enhances its speed and functionality.

The board has a controlling power system that produces power throughout the system. It passes sufficient energy/power to all the motherboard elements so that they can operate at high speed.

Pros

• Its BIOS is astounding.
• It has loads of 16x PCIe ports.
• It allows overclocking along with auto-tuning.

Cons

• Some consumers had trouble setting up the motherboard.

Connectivity

MSI Z390-A PRO supports Intel turbo USB 3.1 generation 2. It is also powered by an intel USB 3.1 generation 2 controller. Turbo Universal Serial Bus (USB) guarantees a constant connection and a stable connection combined with fast Universal Serial Bus (USB) rates. This motherboard uses the PCI-Express Generation 3 and 4, which helps produce speed as high as 32GBPs!

A Look at the Internal Processes

This motherboard is packed with various connectors starting with the ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) 8 pin, which supports 12 volts and a 12v power connector. It also has an advanced ATX main power connector which has SATA 6Gb/s connectors. These connectors help enhance the power of the motherboard and give it a wider range of connectivity.

To keep up with the trends, MSI also has RGB LED connectors and a Chassis Intrusion connector.

The Chipset: This motherboard has an Intel z390 chipset that supports serial Advanced Technology Attachments (ATA), a computer bus interface that connects the host adapters to the storage devices. It also supports Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) in the levels of RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10. The chipset also contains 2 USB with 3.1 generation 2 ports consisting of both types A port and Type B port in the back of the panel. It also has 6 USB 3.1 Generation 1 ports on the back of the panel. Surprisingly, it also has 6 USB 2.0, which are high-speed USBs.

Top micro-ATX Motherboard

3. ASRock B365M PRO4

ASRock B365M Pro4 is based on the chipset Intel B365. It has a brilliant thermal layout and it supports 8^th and 9^th Intel core processors. It even has a micro ATX form component. This motherboard is capable in all aspects and is almost like a powerhouse. It contains 4 DIMM slots and 2 AMD QUAD CrossFireX ready PCIe x16 slots, which greatly boost its performance. It also goes with the current trend of RGB LED lights, including RGB LED shots and a customizable RGB LED header aboard.

It has dual-channel memory with Non-ECC unbuffered memory capacity, which makes it a strong and dependable motherboard. All these features help create ASRock B365M Pro4, a robust base for your dream device system. It is cheaper, but it does a good job in terms of its market price.

Pros

• It has the Intel B365.
• It supports 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core Processors.
• It has 4 DDR4-2666 as well as 2133 DIMM Slots.
• Decent price range.

Cons

• Many customers received dead motherboards.
• Not as supportive as a gaming motherboard should be.
• It does not support overclocking.

The Electrical Works

ASRock has exceptional 50A power chokes as contrasted to the other companies. Its superior power chokes successfully get the water board current increased by three times. It is an improved feature, plus it delivers an augmented and improved Vcore voltage to the motherboard.

Triple Trouble

ASRockB365M Pro4 has such powerful motherboards that it can fully support up to 3 monitors at a time. A maximum amount of three display interfaces can be connected to the monitors. They can also be used at the same time without the necessity to insert another graphic card.

Stops the Spark: Motherboards are extremely sensitive as they contain many components and handles. It controls numerous processes; hence, they are susceptible to power surges. Power surges cause excessive currents that harm the system and can even make the system crash. ASRock wanted to make sure that that never happened to its loyal consumers; hence, they came up with ‘SPIKE’. The full Spike Protection makes sure that it prevents the motherboard and its mechanisms from being harmed by unforeseen voltage spikes.

Top B360 Motherboard

2. MSI B360 Gaming Plus

MSI series of performance gaming boasts the option of personalization. This board includes their DDR4 boost, which isolates the memory circuit, which is a great feature for gamers. This board is also very pleasant to look at with its captivating colour scheme.

It also has steel armour to protect the PCIe slot. PCIs slots are very important parts of the motherboard and are used to insert SSD cards and graphic cards. They are extremely delicate and often break apart. Hence, this added feature helps in securing the slots and giving extra protection. It does not support overclocking.

Pros

• Audio Boost With NAHIMIC
• In-Game Weapons
• Supports 9th / 8th, Gen Intel Core
• Mid-price range.

Cons

• It does not support overclocking.
• Includes structures that are not required, which ends with a rise in the cost needlessly.

Heatsink Design

For cooling functions, B360 Gaming Plus has two heatsinks across the CPU socket. They both are not excessively big, so they are wrapped in many protection cases; they also have a straightforward design. The heatsinks are made up of aluminium and have this rough black finish with red lines on top. The coolers are designed as diamonds, and because of their careful placements, they do not take up a lot of space on the motherboard. They are brilliantly located so that the coolers remain cool and ventilate themselves, making sure that they keep their temperatures down as well.

First Class UEFI: UEFI I stated to be “The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface” is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware”.Hence, it is an important feature. It helps in setting up the motherboard and shows all the options to the users. It has two modes: easy mode as well as an advanced mode for experienced users. The easy mode contains the temperature information of the CPU and the motherboard with their overclocking speeds. With just a single touch, the XMP memory speeds can be turned on, and the motherboard’s blueprint can be viewed on the screen of the laptop/PC. It allows the consumer to view their motherboards’ internal functioning and external processes.

Best Budget Motherboard

1. ASUS PRIME Z370-A

This board supports three x16 length slots and 2 M.2 drives which is a significant benefit for gamers as it gives them a load of space to insert Solid-State Drive (SSD) cards into their devices. Both the PCIe slots are connected to the CPU and have metal bracing for extra protection. The Prime Z370-A has no more than six total USB ports I/O panel together with USB 3.1 Gen2. The number of slots on the motherboard is upsetting a sit holds its performance back.

It is a let-down. Consumers get hold of DisplayPort, DVI-D, and an HDMI to link up with the onboard video controller of the CPU, an optical S/PDIF output, five analogue audio jacks one Gigabit Ethernet port.

Pros

• BIOS is good.
• It has loads of 16x PCIe Ports.
• Permits overclocking with the auto-tuning.
• Reasonable price.

Cons

• RAM is only up to 4000MHz.
• No onboard Wi-Fi.

Firm Hand on the Firmware

ASUS’ CPU’ Load-Line Calibration’ prevents the CPU’s core voltage from sagging when heavier software loads the CPU. Load-line Calibration with its setting 6 allows the CPU to sag by a little, but every per cent counts. A slight decrease of 5 in the frequency levels results in the temperature going down by 10 degrees.

Heat-Shielding: Ensures fast speeds and performances through its PCIe Gen 3 x4, supplying up to 32 Gb/s data transfer speed, and on top of that, the M.2 solution supports RAID modes like RAID0, RAID5 and RAID 10.  The lower M2 slot has a heat shield that sits under the heatsink for extra protection.