Best Motherboards For i7-13700k (In-Depth Guide)

The i7s of yesteryears used to be the flagship processors that were launched by intel. However, the flagship spot has now been taken by the i9 lineup, relegating the i7 lineup to the 2nd flagship spot.

This does not mean that the i7s are a slouch. The 13th generation of intel core i7-13700k has 16 physical cores and 24 threads.

The base clock on these processors is 2.50Ghz which turbos to 5.40 GHz. These raw performance numbers make them a no-brainer for anyone who wants to build a new PC in 2023.

The CPU in a build might be a no-brainer, but buying a new mobo is undoubtedly not. Many motherboards are hitting the market, with different specs and features being released at various price points. This can confuse even the most knowledgeable of enthusiasts.

To alleviate some of that confusion, I am going to give you some of the best motherboards for i7-13700k. So, without further ado, let us get right into it.

Key Points:

• Here in this article, I will explore some of the best Motherboards available for the I7-13700k.
• I will also be discussing the thermal efficiency and overclocking potential of the various motherboards under consideration.
• I would also be telling you whether or not the Motherboard under consideration is value for money or not.

Best Motherboards For i7-13700k – Comparison Table

Here is a quick look at the best motherboards for i7 13700k:

1. ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E (NeoGamr’s Pick)
2. EVGA Z690 Classified (Editor’s Pick)
3. MSI MEG Z690 ACE (Best Value)
4. MSI MPG Z790 Edge (Steal Of A Deal)
5. ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F (Best Budget)
6. GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Master (Premium Pick)

Best Motherboards For i7 13700k

With the launch of the 13th generation of intel core processors, board partners like ASUS, EVGA, MSI, and many others have stepped up with their flavor of motherboards with the LGA 1700 platform.

I have gone through most of them which are available in the market right now and have compiled a list of the six best which are as follows.

#1- ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E

I will start this discussion with the best motherboards for the i7-13700K with the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E. This Motherboard comes from the ROG lineup, which is designed specifically for gamers.

This gamer-focused approach leads to a motherboard that is designed to maximize performance and efficiency.

What sets the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E is its aesthetics. There is a lot of RGB implemented into it with the ROG branding, which truly makes it one of a kind. This Motherboard is also chock full of features which I am going to discuss in the subsequent paragraphs.

Thermals and Overclocking

The ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E, being designed for gamers, always harkening for more performance, leads to a highly rated 18+1 phase VRM.

This VRM is enough to run your i7-13700K to its full potential and allows you to squeeze every last bit of performance out of it.

The 18+1 phase VRM is absolutely a beast, but this beast also gives out a ton of heat, which is why ASUS has given this Motherboard a large heat sink with adequate finning which dissipates the heat coming out of the VRM, keeping the thermals down.

Features and Ports

A ton of features are worth talking about in the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E. Looking at the rear IO, you will see that there are 12 USB slots that can be used to connect different peripherals to your PC.

This Motherboard also allows you to add nine more by connecting the case to the internal USB headers.

The Motherboard also supports 5 M.2 SSDs and 6 SATA hard drives or SSDs. A PCIe 5.0 slot for M.2 is also available on this Motherboard. You also get 4 DIMM slots that support up to 128 GB of DDR5 RAM running up to 7800 MHz.

The Motherboard has a standard 2.5 GbE ethernet port for wired internet connectivity. However, a WiFi 6E module is also installed on this Motherboard if you prefer to go wireless.

Finally, if you are someone that does not want to use a GPU or is waiting on one, you can use two monitors simultaneously on this Motherboard using the HDMI and Displayport.

#2- EVGA Z690 Classified

The next Motherboard on my list comes from EVGA, the Z690 Classified. To use this Motherboard on your Core i7-13700K, you will need a BIOS update to make it compatible with the 13th-generation processors.

One of the things that this Motherboard does very well is its aesthetics. You have an all-black design with the EVGA branding being illuminated by RGB. The VRM and the heat sink design also look good. So, kudos to them for this design.

Thermals and Overclocking

The EVGA Z690 Classified has a 19-phase VRM which supplies clean power to your i7-13700K. The VRM also has enough power to overclock this processor and squeeze every last bit of performance out of it.

The Motherboard also has a very large heat sink which takes all the heat that this bulky VRM produces and dissipates it into the atmosphere. This will keep the thermals on your PC down, maximizing efficiency.

Features and Ports

The EVGA Z690 Classified has a good amount of feature set, but there are a few places where it does not justify its price. For example, the rear IO has 9 USB slots.

Sounds good, right? But if you want to expand, you are only getting three front USBs in a world where competitors offer upwards of 7 to 11 front USBs.

Another place where it is lacking is the M.2 slots, of which it only has 3, whereas competitors include at least four. However, this Motherboard does shine in the number of SATA connectors, of which it has 8.

For the Video output, the Motherboard has an HDMI and a Displayport, which can connect two monitors to the PC simultaneously. For the Internet, you get the standard 2.5 Gigabit ethernet and WiFi 6E.

#3- MSI MEG Z690 ACE

The next Motherboard I will discuss is the MSI MEG Z690 ACE, which is the direct descendant of the Z590 ACE and retains its design language.

This Motherboard, despite being on the expensive side, does give a lot of value, especially with the 22-phase VRM and a myriad of other features, which will be discussed in later sections.

The MSI MEG Z690 has a very premium black and gold design. Despite being devoid of any RGB, it still retains its premium looks and stands out very well.

Thermals and Overclocking

The MSI MEG Z690 ACE has a 19+1+2 phase VRM which is extremely powerful for a motherboard. Not only will it give clean power to your Motherboard, but if you want to squeeze every last bit of performance out of your i7-13700K, you will be able to do so easily.

I might even say that I may even try some experimental overclocks on this once I am done with my analysis of this Motherboard.

The Motherboard is covered by thermal armor here. This thermal armor protects it from high temperatures by increasing the Motherboard’s surface area, which then takes out its heat. This makes it one of the best thermally protected motherboards on the market right now.

Features and Ports

The MSI MEG Z690 ACE has a plethora of features available to you. First and foremost, the back IO has 8 USB ports. Further USB ports can be added by connecting the case to the internal USB headers, of which there are ten.

For Display, you have a solitary type-C DisplayPort. Think of that what you will. Moving on, the networking is handled by the 2.5 GbE LAN and WiFi 6E.

The Motherboard also has 4 DIMM slots which support up to 128Gb of DDR5 RAM. The Motherboard gives you 5 M.2 slots and 6 SATA connector ports for storage.

#4- MSI MPG Z790 Edge

The next Motherboard on the list also comes from the folks over at MSI, which is the MSI MPG Z790 Edge.

This Motherboard has a white and black design, which makes it unique in the MSI lineup, but that does not take away from how good it looks and how well it stands out with a matching case.

This Motherboard truly is a solid choice for the i7-13700K. With its 18-phase VRM, which gives it a ton of power, and the myriad of features on offer, you will not be wrong with this Motherboard in your next build.

Thermals and Overclocking

You will get a 16+1+1 phase VRM which will power your i7-13700 with clean power every day with enough headroom left in it to squeeze more performance out of it by overclocking it.

With a good cooler, the overclocks may even go higher than you expect when such a robust VRM is powering it.

The Thermal performance of this Motherboard is also not to be scoffed at either. A large heat sink attached to this Motherboard takes care of all the heat coming out of this VRM and dissipates it to the atmosphere, resulting in lower thermals.

Features and Ports

The MSI MPG is no slouch when it comes to its feature sets. You are getting 5 M.2 slots for fast NvMe storage, and if you want to expand, you also get 7 SATA connectors for mechanical hard drives and SSDs. For RAM, you get 4 DIMM slots that support up to 128 GB DDR5 RAM.

The Display is handled by the HDMI port and Displayport, which will give you simultaneous operation for two monitors.

The rear IO has 10 USB ports, and the front has 7 USBs. The networking on this Motherboard is done using the 2.5 GbE LAN and WiFi 6E.

#5- ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F

The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) lineup of motherboards is some of the most revered motherboards available on the market.

They are specifically designed for gamers, who are the bulk of PC enthusiasts. Therefore, my next pick comes as the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F.

The first thing that catches one’s eye about this Motherboard is its black and white design with RGB sprinkled in the right quantities. You have the ROG eye, which, once illuminated by RGB, looks incredible sitting in a case.

I will get around to discussing more about it further down, but one thing you need to know is that this Motherboard will need a BIOS update before you plop your i7-13700K into it.

Thermals and Overclocking

The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F, designed just for gamers, gives you a 16+1 phase VRM that will power your i7-13700K like a champion.

There will be no issues whatsoever running this CPU. Also, if you are someone that wants to overclock this CPU, that can be done with this VRM as well.

The thermals on the ROG Strix Z690-F also do not disappoint. There are two heat sinks on this Motherboard which takes the heat from the VRM and cleanly dispose of it into the atmosphere.

Features and Ports

There are a lot of features that are with mentioning on the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F. First and foremost, if you are someone that is waiting on their GPU, you can use the HDMI port available on it to run your monitor for the time being.

Next up, looking at the rear IO, you will find 10 USB ports that can connect various devices to the PC. However, seven more can be added on the front by connecting the case to the internal USB headers.

For storage, the Motherboard has 4 M.2 slots and 6 SATA connectors which can be used to connect NvME SSDs and SATA HDD/SSDs, respectively.

The Motherboard has 4 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of DDR5 RAM running at 6400 MHz. Finally, internet connectivity is handled by the 2.5 GbE LAN and WiFi 6E.

#6- GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Master

The next Motherboard is arguably one of my favorite motherboards from Gigabyte, which is the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Master. Despite being a little pricy, this Motherboard blows its competition out of the water thanks to its incredible feature set.

The aesthetics on this Motherboard are also on point. The VRM and heat sink are all chock full of RGB, which can light up an entire room. The metallic finish of this Motherboard also makes it a very lovely-looking motherboard.

This Motherboard has a ton of features, but if you are someone that is into overclocking their RAM, this Motherboard is going to be a good choice, as its DIMM slots are rated to run at 8000 MHz.

Thermals and Overclocking

The Gigabyte AORUS Z790 is genuinely an enthusiast’s Motherboard. Here you are getting an extremely powerful 20+1+2 phase VRM which will not only supply clean power to your i7-13700K but also give you the ability to overclock it as high as you can, squeezing every bit of performance out of it.

The Motherboard also performs well on the thermal performance indicators thanks to the thermal armor.

The heat from the VRM has dissipated thanks to the large surface area of this thermal armor, giving you some of the best thermal performance available in the market right now.

Features and Ports

There are a lot of things that classify the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Master as an enthusiast motherboard. One of these features includes the 10 GbE LAN, which other board manufacturers normally reserve for their more expensive motherboards.

However, if you cannot use wired Internet, you can use WiFi 6E for wireless internet connectivity. For storage options, the Motherboard gives you the ability to connect 5 NvMe SSDs thanks to the M.2 Slots.

If NvMe’s are not going to do it for you, then the option to add 4 SATA hard drives and Solid state drives is also available to you.

This Motherboard has 4 DIMM slots, which support 128 GB of DDR5 RAM at 8000 MHz, the fastest rated compatibility. The rear IO has 14 USB slots, while the front has 9 USBs. Finally, for Display, you have a DisplayPort.

Which Chipset is the Best for the I7-13700k?

If you are confused about which chipset you should get for the i7-13700K, as various chipsets support it, let me clarify that.

Many motherboards support the 13th-generation processors, all of which have the LGA 1700 platform on them. They include Z790, H770, B760, Z690, H670, B660, H610, W680, and Q670.

However, only the Z790 and Z690 chipsets are perfect for the i7-13700K as they allow for overclocking due to their higher phase VRMs.

Suggested guides:

• Best motherboard for intel i9 13900k in 2023
• Best motherboard for i9-13900kf (a thorough guide)
• Best motherboards for intel i7-13700kf in 2023

Socket Compatibility

One of the things that you need to consider while purchasing a motherboard for the i7-13700K is socket compatibility. This means you should only buy a motherboard compatible with the LGA 1700 socket.

If you do not keep socket compatibility in mind, you might end up with a motherboard that your processor does not support.

Thermal Dissipation and Performance

The thermal dissipation on your Motherboard should also be a concern for you while making your purchase considerations.

Heat is detrimental to all sorts of circuitry as it shortens the life span of your components. Therefore, a motherboard with a decent heat sink should always be considered.

The VRM phase rating for the Motherboard should also be a concern for you. If you are someone that wants to overclock their CPU, then getting a higher-rated VRM should be a priority for you.

DDR5 vs. DDR4: Decide Yours?

The latest intel core i7-13700K is from the 13th generation of intel core processors, which supports both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM to be used besides it.

Now, some of you might be confused about which one to get, so let me clarify that. DDR5 is faster overall than DDR4, which means better and faster computing. In terms of numbers, DDR4 supports a speed of 3200 MT/s, while DDR5 supports up to 4800 MT/s.

Both of these RAMs will be fine for gaming and other use cases, so the choice is yours to make.