The Intel i9-13900K is one of the top-tier CPUs that you can buy right now. In order to make the most of the processor, you will need an equally capable and functional motherboard. Here are some of the best motherboards that we can recommend for the Intel i9-13900K and 13900KF.
Best Motherboards For 13900K (KF) In 2023
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero – Best Overall
- Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Master – Great ASUS ROG Maximus Alternative
- ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming Wi-Fi – Great Premium Option
- MSI MPG Z790 Carbon Wi-Fi – Great Strix Alternative
- MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 – Best DDR4 Option
- ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi – Best ITX Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero – Best Overall
Form Factor: ATX |Â RAM type:Â DDR5 |Â Memory Speed: 7800MHz |Â Max RAM: 128GBÂ | M.2 sockets: 5 |Â Audio: Realtek ALC4082
This is one of the premium Z790 motherboards that Asus has to offer right now, and it comes with all the bells and whistles, such as PCIe 5.0, DDR5, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 5.0 Hyper M.2 Card, and more. The motherboard has plenty of armor and cooling for the VRMs and chipset, and Asus has gone the extra mile and added a screen on the motherboard that you can customize.
The motherboard is ideal for enthusiasts that are looking to water-cool their builds. Not only does it come with triple M.2 slots, but it is bundled with the PCIe 5.0 Hyper M.2 Card, which allows you to add even more M.2 storage to the motherboard. It has a 20+1 power stage design with ample cooling for the VRMs. Other features include 2.5Gb LAN, Bluetooth V5.2, ROG Water-Cooling Zone, and Wi-Fi 6E.
Pros:
- Versatile internal & external port selection
- Excellent VRM and cooling ability
- Five M.2 storage slots thanks to add-in card
Cons:
- Expensive
Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Master – Great ASUS ROG Maximus Alternative
Form Factor: E-ATX |Â RAM type:Â DDR5 |Â Memory Speed: 8000MHz |Â Max RAM: 128GBÂ | M.2 sockets: 5 |Â Audio: Realtek ALC1220-VB
The Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Master is another great option. It is a great-looking motherboard that comes with plenty of armor and cooling for the VRMs. It has a 20+1+2 phase power design, and a pair of 8-pin power connectors provide power to the motherboard, which makes it ideal for overclocking.
Furthermore, the motherboard has 5 M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs. The RAM slots and PCIe slots are reinforced for better support and durability. It has a Clear CMOS button, Q-Flash button, three USB-C ports, plenty of USB-A ports, and Wi-FI 6E. It does not have a full array of audio jacks, but that seems to be the case on all recent Gigabyte motherboards.
Pros:
- Outstanding overclocking support
- Supports five M.2 SSDs, including PCIe 5.0
- I/O is overflowing with ports
Cons:
- Would benefit from USB4
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming Wi-Fi – Great Premium Option
Form Factor: ATX |Â RAM type:Â DDR5 |Â Memory Speed: 7800MHz |Â Max RAM: 128GBÂ | M.2 sockets: 5 |Â Audio: Realtek ALC4080
This is also a premium motherboard, but it is not priced as high as the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. The motherboard has a nice design with plenty of armor and even a display. It has 5 M.2 slots, and all of them have their heatsinks, so you do not have to buy one separately.
It has an 18+1 phase stage power design, and there is plenty of cooling for the VRM. The motherboard is covered in armor and cybertext, which is a design aesthetic that we have seen on the ASUS Strix motherboards. Other features include 2.5Gb LAN, Bluetooth V5.2, ROG Water-Cooling Zone, and Wi-Fi 6E.
Pros:
- Five M.2 drives without an add-in card
- Reasonable feature spread for the price
- Great SSD & VRM cooling
- Updated USB selection
Cons:
- No substantial changes over the Z690 model
MSI MPG Z790 Carbon Wi-Fi – Great Strix Alternative
Form Factor: ATX |Â RAM type:Â DDR5 |Â Memory Speed: 7600MHz |Â Max RAM: 128GBÂ | M.2 sockets: 4 |Â Audio: Realtek ALC4080
This is a premium motherboard that comes with plenty of armor and cooling for the chipset and VRMs. It only supports DDR5 memory, so you will need to get a new memory kit if you are interested in upgrading. It does support 7600+ memory. You will need a pair of 8-pin power connectors to power the CPU, and you should be able to get some decent overclocks.
The MSI MPG Z790 Carbon WiFi has 4 M.2 slots, and all of them come with heatsinks. They are also screwless, so you do not have to screw them in. It has a 19+1+1 phase power design. Other features include Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G Ethernet, and Audio Boost 5
Pros:
- Improved memory support
- Solid VRMs and beefy coolers
- Improvements to storage capacity & USB selection
Cons:
- Lacks competitors’ overclocking features
MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Wi-Fi DDR4 – Best DDR4 Option
Form Factor: ATX |Â RAM type:Â DDR4 |Â Memory Speed: 5333MHz |Â Max RAM: 128GBÂ | M.2 sockets: 4 |Â Audio: Realtek ALC4080
The Tomahawk motherboards have always been very popular amongst PC builders, and this one supports DDR4 memory so you can use your existing kit if you are not interested in upgrading to DDR5 yet. The all-black design is very stealthy and should blend in nicely with the rest of your build. It comes with plenty of armor and cooling for the VRMs and chipset.
The MSI Z790 Tomahawk motherboard comes with 4x M.2 slots for high-speed storage and a reinforced PCIe Gen5 slot. Other features include Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G Ethernet, USB 20G, and Audio Boost 5.
Pros:
- Supports DDR4
- Improved I/O and storage support
- Better VRM than the original
- Reasonable price
Cons:
- Not suitable for overclocking
- Lacks PCIe 5.0 SSD support
- Few changes from Z690
ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi – Best ITX Motherboard
Form Factor: Mini-ITX |Â RAM Type:Â DDR5 |Â Memory Speed: 6200MHz |Â Max RAM: 64GBÂ | M.2Â Slots: 2 |Â 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 that we can recommend for the Intel i9-13900K and 13900KF. Check out our recommended CPU coolers for the Intel i9-13900K and 13900KF.