Best Motherboards For Intel Core I7-14700K

Intel’s Core i7-14700K is one of the company’s 14th-gen processors released in 2023. It’s a mighty chip and the successor to the 12th and 13th-gen Core i7 CPUs that support the same 600 and 700-series motherboards. Like with other 14th-gen Intel chips, you can save cash and use an older motherboard. If you happen to be building a new system from scratch or are moving from an older Intel or AMD processor, I’ve rounded up the best motherboards for the Intel Core i7-14700K.

My top picks for Intel Core i7-14700K motherboards

Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX ICE

Best overall

The perfect foundation for a Core i5 PC build

$260 $270 Save $10

TheGigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX ICE is a premium gaming motherboard based on the Z790 chipset.

Pros

• Good performance
• Solid connectivity

One of the best motherboards for the Intel Core i7-14700K is the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX ICE. This ATX motherboard has all the necessary features at a reasonable price, saving you hundreds compared to more premium Z790 chipset-touting motherboards. The 16+1+2 phase design for power delivery ensures there’s plenty of clean and reliable power for the processor to utilize. It’s not the most powerful setup available, but there’s room for some stable overclocking. This is backed by the support for up to DDR5-7600 RAM and a capacity of 192GB.

Although you’re likely to never require such speeds or capacity, it’s good to know this motherboard will be good to go with future memory upgrades. There’s speedy 2.5GbE networking, PCIe 5.0 support for the main x16 graphics card PCI slot, and four PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD slots are great for installing superfast storage. Gigabyte includes numerous headers for cooling, USB ports, audio, and more to connect just about anything. It’s a shame there’s no PCIe 5.0 SSD M.2 slot, but that’s usually reserved for more premium motherboards.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Best performance

For those who want more power

Asus’s ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is expensive, but right now it’s the most impressive motherboard for Intel CPUs if you’re an enthusiast chasing the very best. It’s also a great choice if you’re a keen overclocker.

Pros

• Excellent performance
• Good for overclocking

The Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero could be considered overkill for most Intel processors other than the Core i9-14900K, but it’s worth considering for the 14700K too if you plan to overclock, use superfast DDR5 RAM and have a beefy graphics card. There’s a 20+1 power phase setup for overclocking the CPU and other components. DDR5 RAM speeds can hit 7800MT/s, which is ridiculously fast. This board is a suitable foundation for running extreme benchmark tests for breaking records.

As well as the sleek gamer design and passive cooling elements throughout the PCB that make a difference, Asus offers PCIe 5.0 for the main x16 graphics card PCI slot and the first M.2 NVMe SSD slot. The remaining three M.2 slots are all PCIe 4.0, which is still more than fast enough for most. There’s 2.5GbE networking, plenty of USB connectivity, ROG SupremeFX 7.1 surround sound, and likely more fan headers than you’ll know what to do with. This motherboard should only be purchased if you’re serious about overclocking. Not doing so would be wasting this board’s potential.

MSI PRO Z790-S WIFI

Best budget

Save money without sacrificing performance

$170 $190 Save $20

The motherboard is based on the Z790 chipset, and features a 12+1+1 VRM design.

Pros

• Great value
• DDR5 RAM support

Cons

• Not great for overclocking

One of the most affordable Z790 motherboards is the MSI Pro Z790-S WiFi. The features and design won’t win any awards but the board gets all the essentials right, including full PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support. These are almost required for a Core i7 or Core i9 processor, allowing you to make the most of these more powerful chips. 192GB of DDR5 RAM can be installed with speeds of up to 6600MT/s and the primary x16 PCIe 5.0 slot is great for the best graphics cards.

The power delivery system isn’t something to write home about either, consisting of a 12+1+1 phase design. This is just better than what some Mini-ITX motherboards offer. It’s perfect for running the 14700K at stock settings, but don’t expect to win world records for running benchmarks at seriously high clock speeds. Running the chip with the latest and greatest GPUs won’t be an issue, making the Pro Z790-S WiFi a good motherboard for a gaming PC. There are some other positive points, including 2.5GbE networking, multiple fan headers, and some USB ports. It’s a good way to save money without sacrificing too much on system potential.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi

Best compact

Great motherboard for compact PC builds

When building your own compact PC, it’s important to choose the right motherboard for your needs. A Mini-ITX motherboard is inherently at a disadvantage compared to larger boards due to restricted connectivity. Asus tried to cram just about everything it could onto this PCB.

Pros

• Compact size
• DDR5 RAM support
• Excellent performance

Cons

• Limited connectivity
• Pricey

Building a compact PC usually requires the use of a MicroATX or ITX motherboard. These boards are considerably smaller than full-size ATX motherboards and the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is my go-to motherboard for smaller PC chassis. A drawback to an ITX motherboard such as this is a smaller form factor, which limits just how much can be crammed into the PCB. This results in fewer capabilities, weaker connectivity, and the inability to push processors and other components as hard as larger boards.

For RAM, we’ve got two DIMM slots for a maximum of 64GB but these modules can be rated for up to DDR5-7600. Then there’s the full-size x16 PCIe 5.0 slot for GPUs and two M.2 NVMe SSD slots (one supporting PCIe 5.0). That’s already quite the setup for such a compact board and things continue to improve with the impressive 10+1+1 phase VRMs. You won’t be able to push the Core i5-14700K quite as hard as larger motherboards but the Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is more than capable of doing some lighter overclocking.

NZXT N7 Z790

Best design

A gorgeous motherboard for clean PC builds

NZXT’s N7 Z790 has support for 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen Intel processors, DDR5 RAM, PCIe 5.0, and more. It’s fully equipped with white metal shrouding covering the majority of the main PCB. This helps create a clean look for a PC build, and CAM integration is the icing on the cake.

Pros

• Stunning design with plenty of shrouds
• Good overclocking support
• Great connectivity

NZXT makes some excellent PC hardware with a minimalist design and the NZXT N7 Z790 is a motherboard designed by the company, partnering with ASRock for the parts, manufacturing process, and UEFI BIOS. If you’re already using NZXT hardware, this motherboard is also capable of connecting through the company’s CAM software, though this isn’t a requirement, which is great for those who’d prefer not to use manufacturer software but appreciate the design of the board.

The NZXT N7 Z790 has the cleanest motherboard design of this collection with metal shrouding covering most of the PCB. Available in white or black, these shrouds can be removed for personalization, should you need the motherboard to match a specific theme. As for the motherboard itself, it has a strong list of features, including a 16+1+2 DrMOS power phase design, more convenient fan header locations, support for up to DDR5-8000 RAM, 2.5GbE networking, and a full-size x16 PCIe 5.0 slot for the best graphics cards.

ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi

Best value

A great motherboard for the price

$229 $250 Save $21

The ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi motherboard features enhanced power, comprehensive cooling, ultra-fast gaming networking, and fastest connectivity for optimal performance, durability, and immersive gaming, with a sleek TUF Gaming design.

Pros

• Solid build and simple design
• Good overclocking support
• Great connectivity

Looking for the best motherboard in terms of value? I’d recommend the Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi. It still has the same flagship Z790 chipset from Intel, support for DDR5 RAM (something usually reserved for more expensive motherboards), a familiar 16+1 DrMos phase power delivery design, and 2.5GbE networking. It’s a motherboard that punches above its weight by offering more advanced features without packing the board full of technology you’ll likely have no use for. Not everyone needs fancy RGB lighting and the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi focuses on the important stuff.

The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi isn’t a perfect motherboard, as reflected in the price. There’s no PCIe 5.0-enabled M.2 SSD slots, for instance. Should you have a PCIe 5.0 drive and want to make the most of the available performance, this won’t be the motherboard for you and I’d recommend considering one of my other shortlisted Intel motherboards. Still, although this is a good-value option, it is possible to push the Core i5-14600K harder with the available VRAM setup. Overclocking the CPU and RAM is as easy as activating Asus’ overclocking AI feature and XMP for the memory. Just make sure you have a decent CPU cooler.

How to choose the best motherboard

The most important factor to consider with the motherboard is CPU socket. The Intel Core i7-14700K uses the LGA 1700 socket, so just about every 600 or 700-series Intel motherboard should work just fine. This is a newer processor, so some boards may require a BIOS flash to a more recent version before working with the chip, though. Choosing a motherboard with a Z790 chipset from Intel almost guarantees the board will be compatible with the Core i7-14700K. Any of my recommendations will make for a great foundation for a powerful PC or gaming rig with the right hardware.

If you don’t plan to overclock the Core i7-14700K, RAM, or other parts of the system, it may be worth buying a more budget-friendly motherboard. For pushing a PC harder, I’d recommend the Z790 chipset with advanced features (and a higher price tag). For most PC builds, I’d recommend the excellent Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX ICE. This Intel motherboard has DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 support, a clean board design, and solid connectivity. The 16+1+2 phase digital VRM solution ensures your PC will be running smoothly and the four M.2 NVMe slots will remove the need to use slower SATA HDDs and SSDs.

Then there’s the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, a considerably more pricey motherboard and one of the most expensive motherboards you can buy for the Intel Core i7-14700K. If you were to pick up such a motherboard, it’s important to consider manual overclocking of the processor to get as much as possible out of the available feature set. It has just about everything you could ask for to build an enthusiast Intel-powered PC with a beefy power delivery system, super-fast RAM support, plenty of connectivity points, and more fan headers than you’ll know what to do with.

Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX ICE

Best overall

$260 $270 Save $10

TheGigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX ICE is a premium gaming motherboard based on the Z790 chipset.