The Intel i5 13600K offers excellent value for money as a mid-range gaming CPU. It comes with 6 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, 20 threads, a base clock speed of 3.5 GHz, and a max boost clock speed of 5.1 GHz. It also features Intel UHD 770 integrated graphics. The Intel 13600KF has the exact specifications but does not come with integrated graphics, making it a bit cheaper. Here are some of the best motherboards you can pair with the Intel 13600K and 13600KF.
Best Motherboards For Intel 13600K (KF) In 2023
The following are some of the best motherboards that we can recommend for the Intel i5-13600K and 13600KF CPUs:
- ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A – Best Motherboard For Overclocking
- Gigabyte B660 AORUS Master DDR4 – Best Value
- ASUS ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4 – Great For White Builds
- MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 – One Of The Most Popular Options
- Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX – Budget Z790 Motherboard
- MSI PRO B660M-A – Best Budget mATX Motherboard
- ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi – Best ITX Motherboard
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi D4 – Best Motherboard For Overclocking
Form Factor: ATX | RAM Type: DDR4 | Memory Speed: 5333MHz | Max RAM: 128 GB | M.2 Slots: 4 | Audio: Realtek ALC1220
The ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi D4 is one of the higher-end motherboards, but it does not go into the $400 price range. Since the Intel 13600K is a mid-range CPU, it makes sense not to go into high-end motherboard territory.
The ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi D4 has a 16+1 phase digital VRM design. It comes with hefty heatsinks for the VRMs, so keeping them cool is not a problem. The motherboard supports DDR4 memory up to 5333 MHz and a maximum of 128 GB.
A pair of 8-pin power connectors provide power to the CPU. The top PCIe slot is reinforced and is Gen5 x16. Furthermore, you get a pair of PCIe Gen4 x4 slots and an additional PCIe Gen3 x1 slot. The motherboard has an LED array that will help you troubleshoot problems if something goes wrong.
The motherboard has 4 M.2 slots. The top one is PCIe Gen5, while the remaining are PCIe Gen4. There are latches to hold the drives in place, and no screws are required. For I/O, you get DisplayPort, HDMI, Clear CMOS button, BIOS Flashback button, plenty of USB-A, USB-C, 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, 7.1 digital surround sound, a full array of audio jacks and an integrated I/O shield for easy installation.
Pros:
- Capable VRM and cooling
- Great internal connectivity
- 4 M.2 slots
- Solid I/O and storage potential
- Supports CPU overclocking
Cons:
- Premium price tag
Gigabyte B660 AORUS Master DDR4 – Best Value
Form Factor: ATX | RAM Type: DDR4 | Memory Speed: 5333MHz | Max RAM: 128 GB | M.2 Slots: 3 | Audio: Realtek ALC1220
Gigabyte B660 AORUS Master DDR4 is one of the best motherboards you can buy right now for the Intel 13600K and KF since it offers a lot of options for the price. It comes with three full-length PCIe slots and three M.2 slots. The top and button slots are PCIe Gen4, while the one in the middle is Gen3.
The Gigabyte B660 AORUS Master DDR4 features 16+1+1 power phases which is pretty impressive considering that this is a mid-range B660 motherboard. 8+4-pin power connectors deliver power to the CPU. The VRM cooling is also impressive, with large heatsinks that cover a large surface area.
In terms of I/O, you get the full range of 6 audio jacks. This is nice to see, considering that Gigabyte and ASUS chose to go with 3 on some higher-end models. You also get 2.5G Ethernet, USB-C, and 9 USB-A ports for your peripherals and other USB devices. Furthermore, the motherboard comes with HDMI and DisplayPort for integrated graphics.
The B660 AORUS Master also comes with Wi-Fi. There is even a DDR5 variant of the motherboard, but it costs more than the DDR5 memory. Since the Intel 13600K is a mid-range CPU, we recommend going with the DDR4 model to cut down on the cost of the motherboard and the overall build.
Pros:
- Fantastic value for the money
- Capable VRM and cooling
- Great internal connectivity
- Solid I/O and storage potential
Cons:
- Using the PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot disables the second x16 slot and vice versa.
- No CPU overclocking support
ASUS ROG Strix B660-A Gaming WiFi D4 – Great For White Builds
Form Factor: ATX | RAM Type: DDR4 | Memory Speed: 5333MHz | Max RAM: 128GB | M.2 Slots: 3 | Audio:
The ASUS ROG Strix B660-A is another excellent option if you want a decent motherboard that comes in white. The motherboard supports DDR4 memory, so you do not need to worry about upgrading to DDR5 memory.
The motherboard has a 12+1 phase VRM setup. The heatsink is large and takes up the whole I/O cover. Another giant heatsink is at the top of the board. There are 3 M.2 slots, and the one at the top supports PCIe Gen4 and is connected directly to the CPU socket. The two additional M.2 sockets are connected to the chipset but support PCIe Gen4.
The motherboard features WiFi-6 and Bluetooth. On board, you also get an array of LED lights that will help you troubleshoot problems if something goes wrong. A single PCIe Gen5 slot at the top is reinforced for better GPU support. This is the one you will use for your graphics card. At the bottom, you get another full-length PCIe Gen3 slot.
8+4-pin power connectors provide power to the CPU. In terms of I/O, you get a BIOS Flashback button and a BIOS USB port, USB-C, HDMI, DisplayPort, multiple USB 2.0 ports, 2.5G Ethernet, USB 3.2, and an audio interface that supports 5.1 audio.
Pros:
- Capable VRM and cooling
- Ideal for white builds
- Great internal connectivity
- Solid I/O and storage potential
- PCIe Gen5 slot
Cons:
- Premium price tag
- No CPU overclocking support
MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 – One Of The Most Popular Options
Form Factor: ATX | RAM Type: DDR4 | Memory Speed: 5333MHz | Max RAM: 128GB | M.2 Slots: 4 | Audio: Realtek ALC4080
The MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 is not the cheapest Z790 motherboard you can buy right now, but it comes with all the features you will need. It has a 16+1+1 phase design similar to what you get on the cheaper motherboard options.
A pair of 8-pin connectors provide power to the CPU. This is a Z-series motherboard, so it supports CPU overclocking. It does come with 4x PCIe Gen4 M.2 slots for high-speed SSDs.
The PCIe slot on the top is reinforced and supports PCIe Gen4, and while there is an additional full-size PCIe slot, it is x4 rather than x16. In terms of I/O, the motherboard has 8x USB-A ports, all USB Gen3 or faster. Furthermore, it has USB-C, 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, HDMI, DisplayPort, and a full array of audio jacks.
The only downside is the pricing. The price tag is a bit high, considering that you can get similar features on cheaper motherboards.
Pros:
- Supports DDR4
- Improved I/O and storage support
- Better VRM than the original
Cons:
- Not the best for overclocking
- Lack of PCIe 5.0 SSD support
- Few changes from Z690
- Same features can be had for less
Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX – Budget Z790 Motherboard
Form Factor: ATX | RAM Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 7600MHz | Max RAM: 128GB | M.2 Slots: 4 | Audio: Realtek
The Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX is one of the cheaper models you can buy. It has a very stealthy design and color scheme, so it should blend well with the rest of your parts. It has a twin 16+1+2 hybrid digital VRM design and a beefy heatsink integrated with the I/O cover.
The motherboard has a PCIe Gen5 x16 slot, a PCIe Gen4 x4 slot, and a PCIe Gen3 x4 slot. There are 4 M.2 slots, all of which are PCIe Gen4. It does come with spring-loaded clips, so you do not need any screws to install the M.2 drives.
Regarding I/O, the motherboard has 9 USB-A ports and a USB-C port along with 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi6, HDMI, DisplayPort, and headphones and microphones. It does not have the full array of audio jacks. This issue seems to prevail across the motherboard lineup from Gigabyte.
Pros:
- Good price
- 4x PCIe 4.0 SSD support
- Improvements to back and internal USB connections
Cons:
- Few I/O changes
- No WiFi 6E
- Does not have a full array of audio jacks
MSI PRO B660M-A – Best Budget mATX Motherboard
Form Factor: mATX | RAM Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 4800 MHz | Max RAM: 128GB | M.2 Slots: 2 | Audio: Realtek ALC897
The MSI PRO B660M-A is one of the best mATX motherboards that you can buy for the price. Regarding functionality, the PRO B660M-A is similar to the Bazooka variant. The motherboard has a 12-phase VRM design and is covered in heatsinks. While there is not a lot of armor on the motherboard, you can rest assured that VRM cooling will not be an issue, even during sustained workloads.
8+4-pin power connectors provide power to the CPU. While 4800 MHz RAM is supported, sticking with 3200 MHz would be a reasonable option. There are two M.2 slots, and both support PCIe Gen4. The one at the top is directly connected to the CPU, while the bottom is connected via the chipset. For additional storage, the motherboard comes with 4 SATA ports.
The top PCIe slot is reinforced and is PCIe Gen4 x16, while the one at the bottom is PCIe Gen3 x4. The motherboard has 4 diagnostic LED lights that will help you troubleshoot problems if they arise. While there are a couple of fans and RGB headers on the motherboard, you will need a splitter or controller if you are interested in installing more than 4 fans in your case. There is no RGB lighting on the motherboard itself.
Regarding I/O, there are 6 USB ports, 2 of which are high-speed 10 Gbps, 2 are 5 Gbps, and the 2 remaining are standard USB 2.0 ports. The motherboard has a 2.5G Ethernet port and 3 standard audio input and output jacks. Interestingly the motherboard comes with a pair of HDMI ports and a pair of DisplayPorts for integrated graphics.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- Reasonable range storage slots
- Lots of legacy connections
Cons:
- I/O and audio ports could be better
- No integrated I/O shield
- No CPU overclocking support
ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi – Best ITX Motherboard
Form Factor: Mini-ITX | RAM Type: DDR5 | Memory Speed: 6200MHz | Max RAM: 64GB | M.2 Slots: 2 | Audio: S1220A
The ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi is the motherboard we recommend if you are interested in building a small form factor mid-range PC build. It is as close to a perfect ITX motherboard as you can get.
The motherboard has a direct 8+1 phase direct digital layout. There is a massive heatsink that covers the I/O cover for heat dissipation. This is a smaller motherboard, so there are two DIMM slots for the RAM. A maximum of 64 GB is supported.
There is a single PCIe Gen5 slot that is reinforced. On top of that, there is a PCIe Gen4 M.2 slot and another one at the back of the motherboard. The M.2 slot on the back does not come with a heatsink, so you will need to get one separately if you are interested in installing and second drive. You do get 4 SATA ports for additional storage.
For I/O, you get DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 2.0, USB 3.2, USB-C, 2.5G Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and audio jacks. There is no optical output. The I/O shield is integrated for easy installation.
Pros:
- Premium feature set for its size
- Two USB-C ports on back I/O
- Two Gen 4 M.2 slots
- Ideal for small PC builds
Cons:
- Only three fan headers
- No CPU overclocking support
These are some of the best motherboards you can buy for the Intel 13600K and 13600KF CPUs. You can also check out our recommended CPU coolers for the Intel 13600K and KF.