Best Motherboard for i9 9900K (High End Gaming Performance)

As the most renowned name in the world of processors, it comes as no surprise that Intel has been producing some of the best, efficient, and reliable processors available on the market today.

The company finally launched their Core i9 9900K processor, a model that is designed to deliver exceptional clock speeds and comes with 8 cores, which has managed to crush all of its competition in the category. This has risen the need to find the best motherboard for i9 9900K.

While the previous version of Intel’s processor had only 6 cores and 12 threads, the new 9900K comes with 8 cores, as mentioned, and 16 threads, which is certainly a significant improvement. As a result, this is one sturdy and highly efficient processor from Intel, suitable for performing a variety of highly demanding tasks, including professional editing, gaming, etc.

Not to forget, this processor also has tremendous temperature controlling ability and great stability as well. So, if you are looking for the best motherboard for i9 9900K processor, you should take a look at the following list.

Top 7 Best Motherboard for i9 9900K

ASUS is a popular name when it comes to manufacturing high quality and reliable motherboards, and the ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 Gaming Motherboard from ASUS is one of the best models from the brand designed exclusively to support 9th generation Intel Core processors, including the i9 9900K.

The board is also suitable for 8th generation Intel Core processors, and it belongs to the mid-range category in terms of its price tag. With its specifications and features, this model is known to be highly suitable for gaming laptops as well as workstations.

Some of the highlighting features of the ROG Maximus XI Hero are the built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, dual M.2 connectors, and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 connector. Moving on to aesthetics, this is undeniably one of the better-looking i9 9900K motherboards available on the market today. Its dark metal finish gives it a classy look, and the RGB LED lights make for an attractive board, perfect to be used even in systems that have a window.

This motherboard will be the best choice for those users looking for overclocking capability in their board, which can be performed easily and efficiently using the 5-Way Optimization technology implemented by the company. Furthermore, the unit is able to deliver consistent speeds, perfect for gaming. Though the ROG Maximus XI Hero can be used to build workstations, it cannot really handle heavy computing tasks.

Following a black and white theme in terms of its color, the Z390 DESIGNARE i9 9900K motherboard from Gigabyte is yet another mid-range offering in the category. This particular motherboard, as you can see, supports 9th generation Intel Core processors as well as 8th generation ones, and it is intended to serve the purpose of content creators and professional designers.

This is mainly because of the inclusion of an Intel Thunderbolt 3 port that is available on the board. One other aspect that deserves a mention is the look of the motherboard; the black and white finish of the board is complemented by the metallic silver heatsinks, which together make this one fine looking i9 9900K motherboard.

The Gigabyte Z390 DESIGNARE is one of the powerful motherboards you can find for i9 9900K, thanks to the 12 + 1 phases of digital VRM that comes with DrMOS. The digital controller works solidly in bringing power to those components of the motherboard that drain power easily and quickly. As a result, you get to enjoy a superior performance from the i9 processor. And in addition to the Thunderbolt 3, you also get a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port on the board.

With so many renowned motherboard brands in the market, such as MSI, Gigabyte, etc., ASRock is a fairly new competitor that has managed to build quite a reputation among users, contributed by their amazing product quality, sturdy build, and useful set of features in their products.

The Taichi Ultimate Z390 motherboard from the brand happens to be their most efficient offering, and this motherboard manages to tick a lot of boxes on our checklist for the best motherboard for i9 9900K. This motherboard, again, supports both the 9th and 8th generation Intel processors and has a dual Intel Aquantia 10 Gigabit LAN. As a result, you can expect to enjoy super-fast networking speeds.

In terms of aesthetics, the board looks excellent in black and grey. This is one of the few i9 9900K motherboards where the ethernet works amazingly well, delivering excellent transfer speeds, thus making your device a perfect option for workstations and gaming PCs.

If you invest in a good graphics card, this motherboard will let you enjoy all of your favorite highly popular games. Using additional storage devices or other external devices on the motherboard is extremely easy because there are sufficient ports available for the same. However, the Taichi Ultimate motherboard doesn’t excel when it comes to overclocking.

Among the few Z390 motherboards for i9 9900K that are significantly better and popular than their predecessors is the ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming Motherboard from ASUS. This motherboard falls under the mini-ITX category when it comes to its form factor and comes with a mid-range price tag.

Despite its small form factor, this motherboard comes packed with features, including the support for 9th and 9th generation Intel Core processors, inclusive of the i9 9900K. The small form factor of this board makes it suitable for those of you looking to build a device with a minimal footprint.

The features offered in this ASUS motherboard are similar to what we saw in the previous ASUS model on our list. The 5-Way Optimization technology makes overclocking much more efficient. The cooling options in the ROG Strix Z390 series also happen to be highly comprehensive, making the board perfect for gaming.

As far as aesthetics goes, you get RGB LED lights as well as strips that make this unit stand out from the competition, and you also get a pre-mounted I/O shield that makes installation easier.

Priced under $150, the MSI Z390-A Pro motherboard is a great offering from the company as a model that supports the Intel Core i9 9900K processor. First of all, the motherboard has a really simple aesthetic, with a black finish complemented by silver patterns adorning the heatsinks and the board’s edges.

Similar to the other motherboards on our list, this one also supports 8th generation processors as well for the LGA 1151 socket. The extended heatsink design in this board, where the heatsinks reach the top of the VRM help get rid of excessive heat in an efficient manner, thereby making your device suitable for computing-intensive tasks.

The Turbo M.2 slot on the motherboard is capable of delivering speeds up to 32 Gbps for NVMe SSDs, thereby delivering high performance in terms of bootup, data transfer, and application loading times. With this board, you get four PCIe 3.0 x 1 slot, six SATA 6 Gbps slots, dual M.2 32 Gbps slots, and also an HDMI port.

The Z390 AORUS Xtreme belongs to the top tier motherboards lineup released by Gigabyte, and yes, it comes with some amazing features that are likely to attract many users. First and foremost, as expected, this motherboard supports both 9th and 8th generation Intel Core processors.

Similar to some of the other products on our list, this i9 9900K motherboard also has quite a large voltage regulator module (VRM) – 16 phases IR digital VRM with power stage, which will give you the additional performance that you always wanted from your device. In addition, you will also benefit from stable power output and more efficient overclocks.

In terms of connectivity, the highlight here would definitely be the Intel Thunderbolt 3, and you also get a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C header and triple ultra-fast M.2 with PCIe Gen 3 x 4 interface with triple thermal guards. The board, overall, looks really clean as well.

The Asus Prime Z390-A Motherboard offers an LGA1151 socket in the ATX form factor. With a high-definition Z390 chipset, it houses almost all the ultra-modern Intel 8th and 9th Gen CPUs. No wonder, this mobo has made its way to our list of best motherboard choices for i9 9900K CPU compatibility.

The four DIMM slots can connect up to 64GB of DDR4 system RAM. ASUS Optimum II technology with Revamped 5 Way Optimization smartly predicts DRAM overclocking requirements for better stability to outrun above 4266MHz speed even for 8-core processors. However, the AI overclocking system has yet to walk a long path before showing stability.

An RGB 4-pin header is connected to the Aura Sync RGB lighting in this sturdy-built illuminated mobo. The Safe Slot Core technology on the PCIe slots provides five times more protection on the hardware components. And LANGuard does the same for the Gigabit LAN connection.

Enjoy three PCIe x16 channels to implement MultiGPU connectivity with 2-way SLI or 3-way CrossFireX support. Two contemporary M.2 NVMe slots breeze more power in connection compatibility while one of them also supports the SATA interface.

Coming to the I/O section, we have got USB 3.1 Gen2 and Gen1 ports, USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, and DisplayPort to serve all your peripheral requirements. Realtek ALC887 audio codec empowered 8 channel audio system with DTS Headphone output compatibility could have been a well-praised design if it was managed with better audio equipment.

i9 9900K Motherboard Buyer’s Guide

When you know that the i9 9900K processor has so much to offer and you decide to invest in the same, you would obviously want the other components on your machine to support it as well, especially your motherboard. This is what starts your quest for the best motherboard for i9 9900K, and as always, there are some factors you need to consider before choosing one particular model.

Chipset

Whether you are a professional content creator, or typically any type of computer user looking to invest in the best motherboard for i9 9900K processor, one wise choice you would make pertinent to the chipset is to opt for at least Z390. This is mainly because of the memory and CPU overclocking capabilities you receive with these motherboards, which is something almost all users are looking for these days for one purpose or the other.

In addition, Z390 and higher version chipsets come with features such as 24 PCI-E 3.0 lanes, Intel’s Rapid Storage Technology, up to 14 USB ports, up to 6 USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, and integrated Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity as well. Some of these features are exclusive for these motherboards and cannot be found in the previous versions.

Pricing

Of course, pricing plays a vital role in the selection of the best motherboard for the i9 9900K processor. If you have an open budget, this factor isn’t something you would be concerned about; however, not everyone has that liberty. Fortunately, similar to any other electronic product, i9 9900K motherboards are also available in different price ranges, varying mainly depending on their manufacturer, features set, and specs. On average, you can expect to spend around $200 for a quality motherboard for i9 9900K, one that comes equipped with almost all the features you are looking for to build your machine.

I/O Ports

One of the important aspects to consider when buying a motherboard for i9 9900K is the number and types of I/O ports you get with the unit. Investing in a quality motherboard and later realizing that there are not enough ports for your connectivity needs can be quite frustrating. Therefore, check to make sure that the board model you choose has all the ports you need, some of which can include: USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB Type-C, USB 2, Thunderbolt 3, audio ports, and HDMI slots.

Aesthetics

Yes, the aesthetics of an i9 9900K motherboard also matters, at least for some users if not all. Mainly, if your system’s shell comes with a window through which the board will be visible, you may want to think about buying a motherboard that is aesthetically pleasing, even with LED lights. Of not, you don’t necessarily have to find a model that comes with flashy lights, heatsinks, covers, or other physically appealing features.

That being said, if you are someone who doesn’t like a mess and want your system to look really clean, go for a model that comes with proper provision for the same or designed efficiently to address this need.

Conclusion

As you would be probably aware, the i9 9900K is perhaps the most powerful Intel processor currently available for consumer use. Therefore, it goes without saying that you need one proper and equally powerful and feature-rich motherboard to deliver the optimum performance you expect from your device. The motherboards on our list are all capable of delivering the same.