INTRODUCTION:
9900ks is a premium Coffee Lake eight-core processor. This little thing has eight cores, sixteen threads, and an all-core turbo bin with 5.0 GHz potential for all eight cores. It is designed for the most extreme performance in gaming and threaded applications. This is the processor to go for if you want to build a system of your dreams in 2021. It is the king of processors currently.
The motherboard is a crucial part of your computer system. Most parts of your system attach to it. The Z390 is the latest generation of the motherboard by Intel. They are compatible with the 9th generation range of Coffee Lake processors.
They were first released at the end of 2018. They are widely considered as the most powerful motherboards on the market today. These motherboards are equipped with some powerful upgrades such as USB 3.1 gen 2 support, CNVI link support, and more room for the amazing levels of overclocking potential.
The Z390 is the recommended chipset for the 9900K system. It provides the best feature proofing in case you want to upgrade your system in the future. It is more efficient and provides better performance than its predecessor. That being said, we’ll now dive into our top 10 recommendations. In this article, we have listed motherboards in different price ranges and other factors in order to make your life easier.
Our Top Picks
10. Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro Motherboard
Everything about this motherboard is excellent, be that design, aesthetics or performance. The heatsink at the top, rear IO cover, and the southbridge heatsink have dramatic angles and brushed metal. You’ll find more RGB LEDs on this board than any other of its rivals in the same price range.
It packs much more features than you’d expect it to. It has three PCI-E slots with different speeds. It supports both Nvidia and AMD. It offers steel strengthening on the PCI and memory slots. The DDR4 memory of this motherboard is 128 GB. It has two M.2 slots and six SATA ports. This will make sure that you have a sufficient electricity supply. It performs well too, in games and applications than its rivals.
When it comes to mainstream features, Gigabyte has got everything covered. You may think it costs a bit more but we assure you that it is definitely worth it.
Pros
- Its design is attractive.
- It has more RGB LEDs.
- It is versatile with more features.
- It is a good performer.
Cons
- There are some minor features missing.
Aurorus 360 Armor
This motherboard is layered with Ultra Durable protection layer. The parts that are coated for extra protection include I/O shield, memory and PCI-E. This is will help users make a durable gaming PC.
Smart Fan 5: The smart Fan 5 software makes sure that your PC stays cool no matter how long it’s in use. It also allows you to change thermal headers in order to reflect the different thermal sensors in different areas.
9. Asus ROG Maximus XI Gene Z390 Motherboard
If you are one of those who are on a strict budget, worry not, this motherboard will suit your budget and meet your requirements. It is small so those who have less space will appreciate its size. You may worry that it’d be missing important features but that’s hardly the case here. It is a full Z390. The only thing that we wish it had is an extra PCI-E slot. However, few of us use two GPU systems or have PCI-E card-ins, so you may be able to overlook this.
This allows you to be creative as you can choose whatever chassis you wish for it. We have got to say that this motherboard has the best VRM cooling and power delivery system. It has an impressive 5-phase VRM design. It doesn’t use any doublers and has amazing efficiency.
Pros
- It has an adapter card that is CPU connected.
- It also supports an X4 card.
- Its PCI-E slot is open-ended.
- It supports double capacity DRAM.
Cons
- It only has two DIMM slots.
Pre-mounted I/O shield
This motherboard comes with a pre-installed I/O shield. This makes things a lot easier for the user and also represents Asus’s attention to detailed and customer oriented attitude.
Armory crate: The motherboard itself offers you Armory Crate. You won’t need a CD or to go to the website to download it. This is a sign of great innovation from Asus.
8. ASRock Z390 Motherboard
This small motherboard by ASRock can effectively power and cool the 9900KS. It is packed with features and is also affordable. It has modest RGB LEDs on the underside. Only a few would complain about that. It has an oversized voltage regulator heatsink that supports real overclocking. It also has M.2 slots and a Thunderbolt 3 controller.
It has a 5+2 VRM phase design. This allows consistent power delivery to the system. The thermals are driven down and kept cool thanks to the VRM, Nvme heatsinks. However, it only has a single Gigabit Ethernet port and a half-speed Thunderbolt 3 controller. Its WiFi kicks up to 1.73 GB per second. It has four SATA ports, one of which is shared with an M.2 SATA interface. It is fairly light.
All in all, if you want to overclock 9900K in mini ATX form then this motherboard is your best bet.
Pros
- It has improved 9900K efficiency.
- It allows good overclocking.
- It is backed by a 3-year warranty.
Cons
- Meager RGB LEDs.
M.2 Heatsink
It features a full size M.2 heatsink. It can dissipate heat to a great extent. It will make sure that your high speed M.2 SSD works to its full intensity.
Wireless Connection: This board comes with Intel wireless AC 9560 adapter. It supports integrated wireless 802.11ac solutions, which delivers you up to 1.73 GB/s.
7. MSI MPG Z390M Motherboard
This motherboard offers you the top quality chipset accompanied by a long list of features. There is not much to dislike about it. It has two M.2 PCI-E connections both of which offer X4 bandwidth to their Nvme-based drives. It offers a range of expansion slots that are metal reinforced. This would be enough to fulfill your current and future needs.
It offers 128 GB of space. It only has a few USB ports, a pair of USB 2.0, and four USB 3.1 ports. It also has a built-in Intel WiFi. You will also get 7.1 audio panels. The audio components are separated on the board. There is a reliable headphone amp as well for powering your headphones.
To be fair this motherboard has all the ingredients and a top-notch Intel chipset. It makes a pretty decent, reasonably priced board. Its strong feature set and unique design make it a winner in our opinion.
Pros
- It provides good overclocking of two DIMMs.
- Its overall performance is good.
- It offers an Intel 1.73 GB/s module.
Cons
- The voltage regulator doesn’t provide enough coolness for 9900KS
Audio
It has a high quality ALC1220 audio processor. Together with that the amplifier and the great audio capacitator will make sure that you enjoy your games more than before.
Twin Turbo M.2: The Twin Turbo M.2 will make your system blazing fast. Your applications will load faster and the data transfer will also be good.
6. ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard
This board is all about aesthetics, performance and features. The dual pin connector indicates strong VRM. It is a beast and is designed to get the job done. Its cogs and gear theme and layered heatsinks present a fresh image of motherboards in the market. It supports AQuatina’s 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN chip. You’ll find that underneath the heatsink, audio hardware and headers are lit with RGB LEDs.
It has a Hyper BCLK chip that allows you to change overclocking frequencies. Gamers would appreciate this. There are four memory slots on this board that support up to 64 GB DDR4 memory. The layout of this board looks a tad busy with 3 PCI-E X16 slots, 3 Ultra M.2 slots, and 2 PCI-E X1 slots all tightly sitting together and backed up against a cog shaped heatsink. Not just that though, you’ll also find the internal headers, SATA connectors, and audio hardware are here too.
Overall, this is a good motherboard with most of the things in its favor, save for the price. It has good RGB lighting, clean design, and champ like performance. We think it is worth your attention.
Pros
- It has an uncluttered design.
- It’s PCI-E X 16 slots are metal wrapped.
- It has 3 M.2 connectors.
- Its RGB lighting is adequate.
Cons
- It is pricier.
Ethernet
The Ethernet of this board is based on Aquatina’s Aqtion client controller. The 10 GB/s Ethernet is compatible with 5, 2.5 GB.s and GigaBit LAN. The data transfer rate will be faster than ever.
12 Power Phase Design: Due to this the power delivery to the CPU will be smooth and reliable. It will make sure that the overclocking capability of your system will be unmatched.
5. ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming Motherboard
Asus does not need any introduction. It is a prime manufacturer of quality computer components. This motherboard by Asus is another example of a perfect blend of features and affordability. It has a dark and industrial design with lots of grey and black. It is also excessively functional. This motherboard uses an LGA-1151 socket.
It has plenty of RGB lighting, two M.2 slots with heatsinks, and a 1.73 GB/s WiFi adapter. It also has SupremeFX S1220A, which will let you enjoy premium audio quality. There are multiple USB 3.1 Gen2 10 GB/s ports. It has 3 PCI-E X 16 slots that operate at three different speeds.
It uses DrMOS power stage, which is pretty reliable. The CPU receives power by a single 8-pin 12-volt power input. It has a total of 6 SATA 6 GB/s ports. Playing games on this board will definitely be pleasurable. It has both good looks and performance. We think you should give this one serious thought.
Pros
- It looks stylish with the black and grey color scheme.
- It supports 4266 GHz memory.
- It allows you to enjoy tons of overclocking features.
- It has great efficiency.
Cons
- There is a slight feature and price disadvantage.
Dual GPU
It supports both Nvidia 2-way SLI and AMD 3-way CrossfireX technologies. If you use both GPUs with this board, your video game performance would be out of this world.
LAN: The LAN of this board is protected against surging thanks to the anti-surge LANguard.
4. MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Plus Motherboard
This is another gaming motherboard. It is appropriate for those who are on a budget but still want a motherboard with gaming performance and features. This ATX motherboard has a red and black color scheme going, which gives it a modern gaming look. That’s not it though, it has all the features that you’d expect from a gaming motherboard such as two PCI-E X16 slots that support AMD crossfire and four PCI-E X1 slots for expansion cards.
It also has Turbo M.2 slots for NVMe PCI-E Gen 3X4 SSDs and DDR4 RAM up to 4400. It supports the CNVi WiFi module. It features gaming heatsinks that keep the northbridge cool. It has no onboard RGB lighting but only red LEDs. This board uses a single dual-link DVI-D that has HDMI output. It also has a LAN port that uses an Intel 1219V Gigabit controller. There are also six audio jacks that are supported by Realtek ALC892 HD audio codec.
Pros
- Its installation is easy.
- It is specially built for gaming.
- The red and black colors look nice.
- Its overclocking functionality is impressive.
Cons
- It requires a BIOS update for smooth operation.
USB Options
The rear panel of this board has USB 3.1 Gen2 slots with Type-A and –C both present. There are also two USB 3.0 –A and two USB 2 ports. Your system will read and write files faster than ever.
Dragon Center: This software integrates all MSI software such as live update, game mode and voice boost.
3. GIGABYTE Z390 Gaming SLI Motherboard
This gaming motherboard will support your 9900KS PC even at full stock speed. It has fewer features but it doesn’t lack any of the important ones. This also means that the manufacturing cost would be less. In return, the price of this board is quite reasonable. Anyone on a budget would be happy with its cost.
This board has one SATA interface for the M.2 slots. But if the user decides to use NVMe drive then there wouldn’t be an issue. It has a big voltage regulator with two large heatsinks and a combination of eight-pin and four-pin power outputs to fully support your 9900KS.
It supports both AMD Crossfire and Nvidia SLI GPU systems, which is an impressive feat in this price. It has 3 PCIe X16 slots that support multi-GPU technologies. This gaming motherboard has two M.2 slots. They support PCI-E NVMe SSDs and DDR4 RAM up to 4400 MHz.
Pros
- It handles overclocking very well.
- Its aesthetics and design are not over the top and neutral.
- It is priced reasonably.
- It supports both AMD and Nvidia GPU systems.
Cons
- It makes a bit of noise when you overclock the processor to 5 GHz.
Multi-GPU system
It supports both AMD crossfire and Nvidia SLI GPU system, which is an impressive feat in this price. It has 3 PCIE X16 slots that support multi-GPU technologies.
Armor: Various components of this board are shielded by one piece stainless steel armor. This provides extra strength to your board and prevents it from twisting and bending.
2. ASUS TUF Z390M-Pro Gaming Motherboard
This board is specially designed to survive and thrive in conditions where others would fail. It is packed with features and supports your 9900KS. It has two 32 GB/s slots and supports Asus Aura. It is made with high quality and durable components. It will keep your system stable no matter how long you use it.
This motherboard due to its long list of features will allow you faster and smoother online gameplay and immersive audio. Its onboard RGB lighting syncs with the accessories very well. When you buy this board you can download and install all of the drives necessary with this board using the Asus Q-installer.
This micro ATX board comes with two PCI-E X16 slots, one PCI-E X1 slot, and two M.2 slots. You can use it to connect NVMe and SATA SSDs. It also features Asus SafeSLot, Asus ESD Guard, and Asus Overvoltage Protection. It also supports overclocking.
Pros
- Its Fan Xpert 4 software allows you to have control over the cooling system.
- It is made with durable components.
- Its overclocking ability is good.
- The RGB lighting looks nice.
Cons
- The SATA port position could be improved.
RGB Lighting
Asus offers its users full control over RGB lighting. There are also preset functions for all the RGB lights.
Cooling Controls: The Fan Xpert 4 software of this board lets you control the cooling system. It will make sure that your system stays cool and performs well.
1. EVGA Z390 Motherboard
This motherboard is for those who are looking for intense overclocking performance from their system. It is not flashy, you’ll be disappointed if you want RGB LEDs on your board. Instead, it is dedicated to overclocking hardware.
You’ll also find some white scribbles here and there along with gold accents. We have got to say its design is unique. It boasts a 17-phase power section. It will handle the power requirements of your 9900KS very well. To make up for the heat produced there are two big metal heatsinks and a unique VRM heat dissipation. It will keep your system cool.
We can’t put it all here but this motherboard has a lot to offer. However, those who find navigating BIOS difficult or are not comfortable with manual settings may have to rethink buying it. It is a great performer and exceptional at overclocking once everything is set nicely. It is expensive though.
Pros
- Its overclocking performance is very good.
- The cooling system is effective.
- There are plenty of USB connections.
- It has a clean and stylish design.
Cons
- Users who are not familiar with BIOs and manual settings would find it hard to set.
VRM
To make for the heat produced in the VRM there are two big metal, passive heatsinks and a unique VRM heat dissipation system, which keep it cool.
Power Connectors: This is the first motherboard that has both 24-pin and 8-pin CPU power connectors on the side of the board.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Z390 a good motherboard?
Yes, it is a good motherboard. It will provide both quality and performance. They may come at a price but if you can afford it, you should invest in a high-end Z390 motherboard. You’ll not regret your decision. Since it was launched not long ago, you can expect it to support many systems.
2. Are Z390 motherboards reliable?
If you buy one, we can assure you that it will last for at least 5 years without any slack in performance. It will keep its performance up. It offers a bunch of features such as overclocking, fan support, and multiple connectivity options for gamers. It is pretty reliable and worth checking out.
3. Who should buy it?
If you are fond of Intel products, Z390 is a good choice. There are other good gaming motherboards in the market but they will mainly fulfill your gaming requirements and many people may need it for more than that. This motherboard is great for personal and professional use. It is suitable for everyone.
4. Is 9900Ks good for gaming?
It is a very powerful processor. If you are a hardcore gamer then this processor is perfect for you. It will allow indulging in your gaming sessions like no other. It can handle both single and multi-threaded workloads.
5. How do I identify an Intel motherboard?
Go to the BIOS setup and find the board’s BIOS ID string in the main menu. The system identification screen would give you all the information about the board model, serial number, and AA number.
Conclusion
The motherboard is a vital part of the PC. You must make sure that you end up with the best one out there. Z390 motherboards are among the powerful ones. They are recommended for 9900KS processors. They let you overclock. Always make sure that the board that you buy has a good cooling facility. In this article, we have reviewed the top 10 best Z390 motherboards that are compatible with 9900KS. The one that we think is a winner is ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate. It offers plenty of features at a reasonable price. Its VRM thermal cooling is great too.
