Best Motherboards for Intel Core i9-9900K in 2022
Eight cores need a great board.
Intel's Core i9-9900K is a serious processor for serious tasks like advanced gaming and editing. To get the most out of the CPU, you need one of the best motherboards capable of supporting the chip and packing many features you can rely on. Here are some options you should consider.
Top Pick
This isn't an affordable motherboard, but does come with many features that work well with the Core i9-9900K processor. You've got high-quality components, support for advanced overclocking, and a rock-solid BIOS. There's even built-in Wi-Fi, just in case you can't wire up your PC.
Budget-friendly
When you're on a tighter budget and simply cannot afford a motherboard with a Z390 chipset, you'll want to choose something like this Gigabyte DS3H option. It's not quite as advanced as our other picks and you won't be able to push the system to as high limits, but this board is a stable foundation for a quality PC build.
Premium Board
You probably don't need the ROG Maximus XI Hero from ASUS, but if your budget can stretch it, it's a worthwhile upgrade for premium PC builds with the Core i9 processor. This board rocks amazing quality components, speedy dual M.2 slots, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and other high-end features.
Small & Mighty
This is a mini-ITX board, allowing you to install the incredibly capable Core i9 processor inside a small compact chassis, but ASUS managed to work in the Z390 chipset, meaning you don't lose out too much on choosing a smaller board. This ROG board has high-quality components, dual M.2 slots, overclocking stability enhancements, and Wi-Fi.
Choosing the best Intel motherboard
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Our top pick goes to the excellent ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming. Not only is this a great value motherboard for all the features you get, but it's also a solid option for the Intel Core i9-9900K with high-quality components, stable overclocking enhancements, a great and easy BIOS, as well as some other handy benefits like dual M.2 slots.
If you're after a small, but mighty motherboard for a more compact build, you'll need a mini-ITX size motherboard. We found that the ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming offers a surprising amount of potential in such a small package. ASUS managed to work with some high-quality components and VRMs to even support some degree of overclocking.
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Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.