Advancements from its competitors reinvigorated Intel for its 13th Gen processors. They're power-hungry but can handle intense workloads, pushing back against the AMD Ryzen 7000 series. The i7-13700K is ideal for a gaming PC, outperforming even the 12th Gen i9-12900K from the previous line with a caveat of pulling over 200W at times.
Building a new rig around a processor with some of the best value for money means finding appropriate parts to match. We've rounded up the best motherboards for Intel Core i7-13700K with alternatives to fit your needs and budget.
Best Z790
Experience the full potential of a 13th Gen Intel CPU with the Prime Z790-A and onboard Wi-Fi. Its 16+1 power stages with extra-large heatsinks support intense overclocking alongside the latest DDR5 RAM clocking up to 7200MHz, plus PCIe 5.0 for modern GPUs and ThunderBolt for rapid USB4.
Z790 alternative
Stick with DDR4 RAM overclocked up to 5333MHz, and the MAG Z790 Tomahawk might save you a little cash. Still boasting 16+1+1 power delivery with extended heatsinks, MSI gives you PCIe 5.0 support and 4x M.2 sockets for high-speed SSD storage.
Best Z690
The Z690 chipset doesn't hold the MPG Z690 Carbon back since it still offers an 18+1+1 power delivery and reinforced PCIe 5.0 slots supporting some of the chunkiest GPUs. Your DDR5 RAM can overclock up to an ominous 6666MHz, and you even get the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard for speedy networking.
Z690 alternative
DDR4 offers some relief to your budget again with the Pro Z690-A offering from MSI. Its 8+4 power delivery supports modest overclocking without going overboard, pushing your previous-gen RAM up to 6400MHz if supported. Plus, you still enjoy PCIe 5.0 support for modern GPUs.
Budget B660
The B660 chipset also supports the 13th Gen Raptor Lake processors, and these motherboards are often more affordable. MSI drops the costs with a few sacrifices in connectivity, but you still have 2x M.2 sockets for SSDs, and 6x SATA ports for expansion capped at PCIe 4.0, great on a budget.
Premium pick
ASUS offers the ultimate Z790 base for overclockers with a 20+1 power delivery and one-click fan tuning, backed by AI-powered automatic controls in the EzMode UEFI interface. Clock DDR5 RAM up to 7800MHz and enjoy 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots alongside onboard RGB. Killer.
Choosing the best motherboard for Intel Core i7-13700K
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Our i7-13700K review proved it is the best CPU for PC gaming and primed for overclocking, whether all-out or sticking to a budget. Push for a modern chipset with the ASUS Prime Z790-A variant with onboard Wi-Fi and the best DDR5 RAM for the i7-13700K, and you'll keep things cool with its extended heatsinks. Alternatively, the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon Wi-Fi hits closer to winning an all-around option and still supports both 12th and 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs.
For the enthusiast builder, our ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero review barely scored any negative points outside its eyebrow-raising MSRP of $629. Still, it's one of the best motherboards if you can afford it, but the plucky MSI MAG B660M Mortar Wi-Fi DDR4 can handle this 13th Gen Raptor Lake processor if you're on a tight budget.
