Best Motherboard for i7 8700k – Reviews 2019

The new upgrade of Intel’s Coffee Lake CPU is in the market and taken has it by storm. The latest update of the product has become the attraction of many pro gamers.

Now it is obvious that the latest upgrade of the CPU will require the latest version of the motherboard. The motherboard is the brain of the CPU. For best gaming performance of the computer, you need the best motherboard that will work perfectly with the Intel core processors.

The i7 8700k has been the pick of the gamers. Here we have assimilated a list of the best motherboards for the flagship Intel core i7 8700k after trying and testing a lot available in the market.

For those users who are thinking to upgrade the CPU with the new Intel, Coffee Lake series must remember that this version only works with new 300 series chipset.

Best Motherboard for i7 8700k

1. ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E

This is the first motherboard we have picked to be in our list. The ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E is a stand out the motherboard from the Republic of gamers ASUS brand and specifically designed for intense gaming performance on Computers. The motherboard is manufactured for 8th gen intel core processors. The connectivity of the motherboard is enhanced with the Dual M.2, 802.11ac Wi-Fi MU-MIMO technology plus 2×2 dual band 2.4/5 GHz antennas and Gigabit LAN. The speed offered can be up to 867Mbps. So, gamers can rest assured to get lag free performance of their PCs in case of online gaming without any connectivity issue. The dual PCIe 3×4 M.2 slot allows the user to connect NVMe SSDs in Raid Configuration. The data transfer rate provided is 32 Gbps. The 4 RAM slots require DDR4 4000 (OC) RAM. But sometimes it is found that 4 slots may not work simultaneously. The problem is fixed through customer support.

The ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E has the trademark RGB lighting with full controls and the RGB LED strips are connected to the RGB headers. The built in RGB LEDs are fully personalized with the ASUS AURA Sync. There are two onboard RGB headers with 3D printing mounts. The two onboard 5050 RGB headers and the addressable header can be connected to the PC case, fans, coolers and lightning strips.

The motherboard offers Intel Optane Memory compatibility. There are 3.1 USB ports provided for speedy connectivity. The complex tuning of the system is made simple through 5 way optimization with ASUS auto tuning & FanXpert 4. One click overclocking and cooling of the system adds to the motherboard’s dynamic features.

The ASUS ROG SupremeFX 8 channel HD Audio CODEC and dual headphone amplifiers offer the gamer best audio output possible. Another additional feature is the presence of two patent pending Safeslots. The ASUS ROG Strix Z370 – E is provided with M.2 heatsink technology to reduce the heat of the M.2 SSD giving you consistent performance.

Altogether the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E is a great motherboard compatible with i7 8700K for gaming enthusiasts.

2. GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7

The next motherboard in our list is the GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS GAMING 7. This motherboard is exclusively designed according to the desire of gaming enthusiasts. GIGABYTE is a reliable brand which has made a good name in the world of gaming.

The device is loaded with features that will certainly set your gaming experience on fire. The design of AORUS gaming 7 is sever-class digital power design which gives précised delivery of power to the CPUs components for effective performance. The device supports 8th gen Intel core processors out of which i7 8700k is the best choice. OS supported is Windows 10 64bit. Memory support is 4 x DDR4 RAM up to 4133 MHz (OC). There are 2 x PCIe 3.0 x 16 (@ x 16 or x8/x8) along with 1 x PCIe 3.0 x 16 (@ x 4) slots. The triple PCIe is protected with the M.2 thermal guard which reduces the heat of the PCIe slots nullifying the chance of overheat issues. The data transfer rate of the mother board is 32 Gbps.

RGB Fusion lighting is provided with multi zone w/RGBW lights and digital LED headers which allows you to choose from 16 million colors to give your motherboard exclusive look. The front USB slots provided are 3.1 Type C USB. The connectivity is enhanced with Killer E2500 gaming network and Gigabit LAN. For precision in performance the GIGABYTE AORUS 7 motherboard is equipped with Smart Fan 5 system and 9 temperature sensors to detect and cool the system. Overclocking is made easy with the presence of tuning feature like Turbo B-clock. The efficiency of this motherboard is high when overclocked. The AORUS audio tech comes with the ESS SABRE DAC which gives powerful audio output throughout. The only drawback of the device is the absence of onboard Wi-Fi, which is strange for such an advanced brand.

3. ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero (WI-FI Ac)

This is another flagship motherboard from the house of ASUS. Just like the other motherboards it also supports the Intel 8th Gen processors. The best choice for gamers would be the intel i7 8700k. The ASUS MAXIMUS X Hero is another edition of the Republic of Gamers series. This device is equipped with the latest 802.11ac band Wi-Fi which gives data transfer rate up to 867 Mbps.

As it is a product of ASUS ROG series it is obvious that the Maximus X Hero will be equipped with RGB lighting giving your CPU a dynamic look. You can personalize the lighting with the ASUS AURA Sync. There are dual 5050 RGB headers and another addressable header that can be connected anywhere in your CPU, from fans, to PC cases, to the coolers. The RGB coloring offers you to choose from 16 million colors for illuminating your CPU. The PCIe slots are molded with two patent pending safe slots that with withhold the GPUs firmly in its place. The connectivity speed is enhanced with the front 3.1 USB Gen 2 Type C and rare Type A connectors.

The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X Hero provides high performance speed with the Intel Optane memory compatibility. The 4x DDR4 slots can give memory speed up to 4133 (OC) making it faster than ASUS ROG Strix. There might be a small issue of RAM slot, just check all the DIMM RAM slots by fixing RAM into every slot because on some motherboards one or two Ram slot was not working or reading the RAM. Before installing the device check that the delivered product is all okay otherwise you might end up with a faulty product. Just like the ROG Strix it also has Smart solution for the difficult tuning adjustment. The ASUS 5 way optimization and the overclocking and cooling can be controlled by one click. The overheating of the issue of the SSDs has been worked on. The M.2 heatsink tech spreads the heat away from the heating area reducing the chance of throttling and giving an efficient performance. The ASUS Maximus X Hero has been equipped with the Supreme Fx S1220 8- channel High Definition audio Codec for superior sound quality. The output of 113 dB signal to ratio line in connection is just exceptional for any CPU.

4. ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming Motherboard

The ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E is a more advanced version the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E. It is designed exclusively for the 9th gen and 8th gen Intel core processors. The ASUS optimum ll is added for overclocking stability in the CPU. The speed and connectivity is maximized with the 802.11 AC on board Wi-Fi, Dual M.2, 3.1 USB Type-C ports.

Gamers guardian features Safe slots, ESD guards and the DRAM overcurrent protection for the protection of GPUs and DRAM increasing the longevity of the CPU. The device uses 4 phase VRM which is not at all enough for 9700k/9900k, but works perfectly with 8700k. The new version of the AI- suite of revamped 5 way optimization overclocks the CPU in very little time based on the intelligent prediction and thermal telemetry. For cooling the device the FanXpert 4 system is provided. There are dedicated PMW/DC fan headers for cooling the CPU and other accessories making the ROG Strix Z390-E better than others.

The DIY friendly design is a desire for users who like to have a PC that goes for long. The internal accessories of the motherboard is protected by features like Safe slot, Q-DIMM clips etc for better handling and security. The ROG Strix is pre-mounted with the I/O shield and finished with matte black for better and easy installation in the computer.

Just like the other products from ASUS in our list this one is also equipped with an excellent quality audio tech. The SupremeFX audio with S1220A audio is bound to give clarity and precision of sound. The ROG device has RBG lighting to illuminate your PC’s Style quotient. The coloring of the RGB lights and LEDs are controlled by the ASUS AURA. You can have a personalized experience by lighting you PC case, fans and coolers.

5. MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON AC

The MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON AC supports the Intel 8th gen core processors. The motherboard is a hardcore gaming device that is liked by the gamers around the world for its fast loading of games and fast memory output. The MSI Z370 GAMING PRO CARBON AC motherboard is manufactured with latest technology to connect any kind of storage devices smoothly and quickly. Games are given priority while making the motherboard. The device supports 2 way NVIDIA SLI.

There are many features provided to give you upper hand in gaming. There is 1 x Lightning fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 port and 4 x 3.0 USB Gen 1 ports are given for speedy connection and fast data transfer. The dual band Wi-Fi card and Intel Gaming LAN makes your internet connection stable and precise. The golden audio jack is provided for better connectivity of audio outputs. A high resolution display port is also provided in the motherboard. The RAM slots given are 4 x DDR4 RAM. The PCIe slots are protected from bending with steel armour.

The mystic coloring it offers is another feather to the crown. The mystic light RGB and LED can be customized with just a click with the MSI Mystic light app. There are 16.8 million colors to choose from and 17 LED effects to customize the outlook and style of your CPU. The heatsink technology is not too good but works fine. The presence of M.2 shield for M.2 devices is a nice addition to the tally.

The Chemi-Con golden audio capacitors are known for the best sound output in the market. By equipping the motherboard with Chemi-Con audio capacitors the brand has proved that they are dedicated not only towards CPU performance but towards the sound output also. The Nachimic sound technology allows you to get an upper hand on your opponents while gaming. The trouble is that the software control is not so easy on this device.

6. ASUS PRIME Z370-A

There is not much difference between the ASUS motherboards. The ASUS PRIME Z370-A is a motherboard designed to work with the 8th Gen Intel core processors. The performance of this motherboard is exceptional with its performance. The motherboard is equipped with 802.11 ac band Wi-Fi and Intel Gigabit LAN. The connectivity is further enhanced with dual M.2, USB 3.1 ports and Intel Thunderbolt 3 support. There are 2 USB 2.0 ports also. The RAM capacity is 4 x DIMM max DDR4 slots with limit of 64 GB. The speed can range up to 4133 MHz. The installation is not very easy and may cause difficulties setting up. But once set up it is good to go for long.

The complex tuning process is made simple with the ASUS 5 way optimization. By single click you can control complex tuning like the overclocking, other important aspects and cooling of the rig. The cooling of the motherboard is made easy with the fan holder. Now you can just mount the bracket where you require and put on the 40/50 mm fan to increase the flow of air reducing the heat from the desired area. The M.2 heatsink is also provided to keep the SSD cool and enhance the performance of the CPU and elongate the life of components present inside the CPU. Two patent-pending safe slots are provided to protect the GPUs or PCIe or the DRAM.

Just like other ASUS products this motherboard is also equipped with RGB lighting to give your CPU a dynamic customizable style and look. With the ASUS AURA sync you can choose from many color combinations the lighting you like to illuminate your PC case, cooler, LED strip headers etc. The 8 channel High definition audio with the Realtek S1220A codec produces crystal clear sound output.

7. ASRock Motherboard Motherboards Z370 EXTREME4

ASRock Motherboard Motherboards Z370 EXTREME4 is a flagship motherboard that can take out any other motherboard on a given day. It is just a raw display of powerful features within a low price range. The features offered are everything a gamer would want. The device is compatible with 8th Gen Intel core processors.

There are 4 x DIMM DDR4 slots provided but in some motherboards the ram slots are causing serious issues like system freezing. 3.1 Gen2 Gen1 slots or fast data transfer rate. Powerful audio drivers are provided for enhanced sound output. The device has been made to endure rough usage, that’s why all the ports are protected with ASrock full spike. The PCIe ports are steel plated to firmly hold the heavy GPU without bending or breaking.

Altogether it is a precise device that ensures powerful performance throughout the games. You won’t regret buying this product.

8. GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming Wi-Fi

It is another flagship motherboard from the house of Gigabyte. The Z370 series motherboard supports 8th Gen Intel core processors. The memory slots provided are 4 x DIMM DDR4 RAM. The motherboard is designed exclusively for gaming; the digital CPU design power delivers powerful performance throughout with precision. The overclocking is made easy with the ASrock Turbo-B tech.

The Triple PCIe Gen3 x 4 M.2 provided enhances the potential of the motherboard. The thermal guard prevents the system to overheat and cause throttling and bottlenecks. There are 9 sensors that sense heat and the Smart Fan 5 cooling system does the rest. The RGB Fusion lighting adds to the aesthetic design of the motherboard. The colors can be customized from the 16 million colors and LEDs.

The Front USB 3.1 Type C port allows faster data transfer and is helpful in charging mobile devices. The body of the motherboard is made durable with body armor. The motherboard can be a powerful sound system as the ESS SABRE DAC audio codec promises high quality audio. The only drawback is the absence of Wi-Fi Card which can be very useful for gamers. Apart from this there is no other issue observed by us.

Conclusion

All the mentioned motherboards are unique and quite powerful in performance with Intel i7 8700k. You need to choose according to your requirements and preferences. Buying a motherboard is not same as buying a gaming headset or gaming mouse. Go through the specs of the motherboard and tally with your present configuration. A motherboard is the brain of the CPU, so you need to be very precise and accurate with your choice to get the best motherboard out of the lot.