Intel's Core i5-14600K remains a mid-range champ despite the release of newer Core Ultra chips, and recent discounts have made it more appealing than ever in 2025.
While it's a bit hungrier for power than its predecessor, the i5-13600K, it's more than manageable when paired with one of the great motherboards I've listed here.
I'm focusing on B760 and Z790 motherboards from a wide price range to help you land exactly what you need for your Core i5-14600K. My top pick remains the MSI Pro Z790-A MAX Wi-Fi at about $216, but I've included five worthwhile alternatives.
August 28, 2025: I've updated this list with two new options following the retirement of older boards. The GIGABYTE Z790 Aorus Pro X takes over for the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A as an upgrade pick, while the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon MAX WiFi II is my new top option for anyone with deep pockets. — Cale Hunt
Best overall
Usually available for around $216, the MSI PRO Z790-A Max WiFi delivers the right specs for the right price for most PC builders. It has a sleek and mature design with ample cooling, tons of ports (including USB-C 20Gbps), Wi-Fi 7, and DDR5 RAM support. The 16+1+1 power design is more than enough, even if you're overclocking, and there are four M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots for storage.
Upgrade pick
An 18+1+2 power solution comes with thick, stylized heatsinks, joined by VRM Armor and M.2 thermal guards for maximum cooling. Wi-Fi 7 support is a nice addition, plus you get one Thunderbolt card connector and a 20G Type-C port, five M.2 slots, and three full-length PCIe slots. It's usually available for about $300.
Budget choice
This affordable microATX board usually costs about $120, but it punches way above its price. It has a 14+1+1 power design and 8+4-pin connectors, as well as heatsinks to keep everything cool. Wi-Fi 6E is on board, it has two M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots for storage, and it supports DDR5 RAM up to 7,200MHz (OC).
Best microATX
The MSI MAG B760M Mortar is a great mATX board for those wanting to build something more compact without overspending. It brings 12+1 power stages and an ample thermal solution with support for DDR5 memory beyond 7800MHz (OC). Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G LAN, and three PCIe 4.0 M.2 connectors round out a complete package usually available for about $242.
Best value
GIGABYTE's Z790 Eagle AX is immensely popular among builders who need lots of connectivity. It boasts three M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots for storage, a PCIe 5.0x16 slot (with two more PCIe x16 slots and two PCIe x1 slots), and native USB-C support. It has cooling for its VRMs, and the twin 12+1+1 power design can easily feed the Core i5 CPU. It even has Wi-Fi 6E built right in. It's usually available for about $160.
Premium choice
If money is no obstacle, I recommend the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon MAX WiFi II. It features a stellar 19+1+1 phase power design to easily handle overclocking, and it's covered in stylized heatsinks. Featuring 5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7, and support for PCIe 5.0 storage, it's a killer option usually found for about $470.
I love helping PC gamers and builders find the perfect hardware for their next design, and two decades of experience tinkering with PCs (first as a hobby and then professionally) allows me to provide proper recommendations for motherboards, CPUs, GPUs, memory, SSDs, and more.
Choosing the best motherboard for your Intel Core i5-14600K in 2025
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You will have no issues running the i5-14600K on any of these boards, and they all have Intel's XMP support for easy memory overclocking. Which one you choose ultimately depends on your budget and what features you need from your board.
There are differences in I/O which you might want more of if you're a content creator. For gaming, you may just want to keep the cost down as much as possible to spend that money elsewhere, maybe on a high-end GPU. And if you're looking at a compact build, an mATX board is best.
My top pick overall with all these points considered is the MSI PRO Z790-A Max WiFi. It brings a great mix of power delivery, connectivity, and a mature design without a high price; you can usually get it for around $216.
If you don't mind spending a bit more, the GIGABYTE Z790 Aorus Pro X will go great in an all-white build and doesn't skimp on high-end specs. It's usually found for about $300.
The ASRock B760M PG Riptide WiFi is my top budget pick thanks to a tidy $120 price, boasting a respectable 14+1+1 power design, Wi-Fi 6E support, two M.2 PCIe 4.0 storage slots, and DDR5 RAM coverage up to 7,200MHz. GIGABYTE'S Z790 Eagle AX is a longtime favorite at around $160, bringing more PCIe and M.2 slots for not much more money.
And if money is no obstacle, the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon MAX WiFi II motherboard should be seriously considered despite its $470 price tag.
What's the difference between Core i5-14600K and 14600KF?
Intel offers both Core i5-14600K and 14600KF variants, which can be confusing when you're piecing together a build to buy. The standard "K" version means that the CPU is unlocked for overclocking, which carries over to the "KF" version. However, the extra "F" means the chip lacks onboard integrated graphics.
Due to the lack of integrated graphics, Intel's KF chips are usually more affordable than their K counterparts. Integrated graphics aren't necessary in desktop builds with a separate discrete GPU. You plug your monitor straight into the GPU, and motherboard video outputs usually go unused.
However, video encoding is usually a lot faster when the CPU has integrated graphics, and it can be handy for times when you're troubleshooting your PC and can't get a video output from your discrete GPU.
If you're specifically building a gaming PC the need for integrated graphics drops. Considering there's almost no price difference between the two chips about a year after launch, I nevertheless recommend you go with the K version containing integrated graphics. You never know when they'll come in handy.
Is this the latest generation of Intel's desktop CPUs?
Intel's 14th Gen desktop CPUs are no longer the latest generation from Team Blue. Intel launched its Core Ultra 200S desktop AI CPUs in October 2024, with five initial SKUs ranging from Core Ultra 5 up to Core Ultra 9.
The new CPUs have a built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for dedicated AI acceleration, and they've changed over to a new LGA1851 socket. That puts it on a motherboard of its own after Intel kept the LGA1700 socket unchanged for 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen processors.
Considering most gamers don't need an NPU and raw gaming performance hasn't changed much, Intel's 14th Gen chips are still top options for PC building.
