Intel’s last Core-branded CPUs were finally released in October of 2023, and in this article, we’re delving into the best motherboard for the Core i9 14900K. Intel’s 14th Generation of CPUs, dubbed Raptor Lake Refresh, brought with them a promise of heightened performance, mostly attributed to increased clock speeds. The right motherboard is crucial to unleashing the full potential of any powerful processor, and when you have a performer like the Intel Core i9 14900K, it’s essential to pair it with a motherboard that complements its capabilities.
Intel’s 14th Generation of CPUs, dubbed Raptor Lake Refresh chips, brought with them a promise of heightened performance, mostly attributed to increased clock speeds. Let’s unpack the best motherboard to pair alongside Intel’s latest high-end CPU.
- Best overall
ASUS PRIME Z790-A WIFI
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Chipset: Z790
- Form Factor : ATX
- PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
- Memory speed : DDR5 7200+(OC)
- Memory capacity : 192GB
- Best high-end
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 DARK HERO
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Chipset: Z790
- Form Factor : ATX
- PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 5 storage, Gen 5 GPU
- Memory speed : 8000+(OC)
- Memory capacity : 192GB, DDR5
- Best budget
MSI B760 Gaming Plus WiFi
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Chipset: B760
- Form Factor : mATX
- PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 storage, Gen 4 GPU
- Memory speed : 6800+(OC)
- Memory capacity : 256GB, DDR5
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Best overclockingASRock MB Z790 Taichi R
How we picked the best motherboard for Core i9 14900K
Our process of selecting the best motherboards for the Core i9 14900K is rooted in thorough research and an understanding of the evolving demands of the tech community. We begin by analyzing publicly available benchmarks and our very own review of the i9 14900K, ensuring that we consider real-world performance and not just manufacturer claims. Additionally, given that the architecture of this 14th Gen chip isn’t too dissimilar to its 13th Gen predecessor, we can also draw on the best motherboard for Core i9 13900K extra insight.
Furthermore, we factor in the board’s feature set, assessing its capabilities in terms of expansion, connectivity, and power delivery. Ultimately, the board needs to keep up with the i9-14900k’s 6GHz overclocked turbo boost speed and high specs. Understanding the needs of both gamers and professionals, we look for motherboards that strike the right balance between performance and features, ensuring that they can cater to a diverse range of requirements. Plus drawing from our motherboard reviews we have hands-on experience with what they are capable of and how they perform so they can be an appropriate solution.
Our top picks
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Chipset: Z790
- Form Factor : ATX
- PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
- Memory speed : DDR5 7200+(OC)
- Memory capacity : 192GB
- Inexpensive
- Offers a lot for the price
- Great design and aesthetics
- Other boards offer more features
- No pre-installed I/O shield
- Lacks extensive OC support
We reviewed the Prime Z790-P WiFi and found it to be a greatly competent option for an LGA 1700 processor and keep things simple doing so. With a white thermal playing and I/O shield it is a bit more in unison to offer something simple and easy to use especially if it means you don’t forget the shield install. But it does come in white, so as long as you go for a whole build or are not too bothered by the color of the inside it’s nothing too intense to worry about.
But then looking at the performance of the motherboard, we tested its capability in the review with an i5-14600K on board. Showing off its capability of providing plenty of power to the processor and doing so over sustained periods with a fairly decent efficiency. As the test showed its package power runs up to even 160W for the i5 CPU whilst it never breached 45°C across the motherboard, very important for keeping the power delivery on point.
The ASUS Prime Z790 is a no-thrills motherboard that can give you the best price to performance ratio of any Z790 on the market. It’ll allow your CPU to stretch it’s wings, and the design fits almost any build aesthetic.
Jack Howarth, PC Guide
There are also plenty of nice-to-haves on the motherboard, including the ports available to you. With a range of seven USB Type A hand one Type-C ports for any peripherals and plug-ins you want. Along with both DP and HDMI ports for any onboard graphics connection. But also a strong selection of audio jacks and even a PS/2 port. But then a surprisingly strong internet setup with both a WiFi 6 module and 2.5Gbps ethernet for a rather fast connection.
Along with the inclusion of a PCIe 5 GPU slot, it has a solution for next-gen graphics, even if the three NVMe slots are all only PCIe Gen 4. But overall it provides a great middle ground for what motherboards offer, without charging near the price of the CPU at the same time.
What users say
On Amazon, the motherboard has an average of 4.3 stars from 892 reviews. Primarily, it is praised for its organization, connectivity, ease of installation, value, and ease of use. But the quality and warranty can be a drawback, it seems primarily from the specific one they received due to damage on it specifically the pins inside. Also, the fact there’s no postcode or lights to help with diagnosing which should be there and not just on top-end options.
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Chipset: Z790
- Form Factor : ATX
- PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 5 storage, Gen 5 GPU
- Memory speed : 8000+(OC)
- Memory capacity : 192GB, DDR5
- High performance
- Great power delivery
- Superior build quality
- Expensive
- Heavy to pick up if you struggle with wrists
- ASUS Armoury crate is still bad
On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero is quite the high-end and expensive motherboard you may consider for the 14900k. It bulks up in thermal cooling with dark plates and LED screens all over, spiking up the price and quality. Certainly making it a lot heavier, and much harder to install and move around, but a lot easier to use and get more out of it thanks to the features on board.
As you can expect there’s plenty of power and performance on board you can take advantage of. The package power with two EPS power connectors to the 14600K (in our tests) is capable of supplying over 180W to it, letting it unleash its full potential as long as you have it all unlocked, just don’t go overboard burning out your processor. Even so, it has bulky cooling on its VRMS and power delivery as they reach even 50°C running all that power.
The Dark Hero is one motherboard that means business, it is built for enthusiasts who want to make the most out of their CPU with overclocking. The motherboard’s robust power delivery system facilitates this beautifully, and it’s packed with all the lastest high-end features and connectivity.
Jack Howarth, PC Guide
Thanks to its high-end specs and features, there are plenty of IO options to utilize and plug in all your accessories and peripherals. It offers a total of six 10Gbps USBs (5 Type A, 1 Type C), four 5Gbps Type-A USBs, and two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C USBs. Along with that, the connectivity is speedy and robust with both a 2.5Gbps ethernet port and WiFi 7 offering a top way of connecting up to your motherboard and doing tasks on the net and home network.
Furthermore, the inclusion of gold-plated audio jacks and S/PDIF out ports provides a premium offering for those who know what they want and what they are doing. But also the BIOS Flash and Clear CMOS button makes it so much easier to build with it and diagnose any issues, which the error codes inside help with.
The premium features also come with the onboard features. There are both a PCIe Gen 5 slot for your NVMe SSD and GPU, giving you the fastest option available even for years to come. So combined with the overclocking potential on the motherboard with its 20+1+2 power stage setup and cooling on those and all the fan connectivity lets you create quite a powerful and top-end machine.
What users say
The Maximus on Amazon has an average rating of 4.2 stars from the 569 reviews. In general, praising the appearance and ease of use of the motherboard. However, its value is rather low considering the high price it asks for. Along with some problems with the stability, which may be down to other components too. But it still is a powerful option in general.
- Socket: LGA 1700
- Chipset: B760
- Form Factor : mATX
- PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 storage, Gen 4 GPU
- Memory speed : 6800+(OC)
- Memory capacity : 256GB, DDR5
- Inexpensive
- Very good performance
- lightweight, small
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Not as many features as other motherboards in price range
- No protective backplate
- Gets hotter than some motherboards
- Only 2 M.2 slots
Whilst if you’re going for cheaper yet still good value, the MSI B760 Gaming Plus might be more down your street. Keeping things simple and nonfancy, it foregoes any extras on top, as it’s mostly barebone PCB in its design. However, ensuring the chipset and VRMs are still passively cooled at least with some substantial heatsinks on some of those. Although it does omit some nice-to-have features, including a preinstalled IO shield onto it.
In our review, we see the power and temps jump up high but still surprisingly a lot. Considering it has one and a half EPS ports for the processor, you can still supply a lot of the power requirement. But without overheating much as the cooling is clearly substantial enough for the power solution it uses.
This motherboard is a fantastic pick for those looking for performance on a budget, it doesn’t offer a lot in terms of features but it makes up for that in terms of power. The cost is low and the potential is high, what’s not to love?
Jack Howarth, PC Guide
As for the connectivity it doesn’t cut as much as we’d expect. It has six rear USB A ports ranging from 2.0 to 10Gbps, which does lack any USB C but still has a good amount of speed options. But it also offers a WiFi 6E module on board and 2.5Gbps ethernet port making it a speed solution for the small motherboard. Along with a couple of HDMI 2.1 and DP 1.4 for onboard graphics.
As for the PCIe lanes, being a cheaper option, it lacks any PCIe 5 support. Instead offering just X4 for both graphics and storage options. Not only does this save costs but also space considering the micro motherboard does save some space. So altogether that does limit its features and capabilities.
What users say
Looking at the Amazon reviews, it is a well-liked motherboard solution. With a 4.5 star rating from over 1,000 reviews, it clearly is a strong choice to go for. With high praise coming for everything that you might need from it including the quality, value, features, and performance. With most of the bottom scores coming from just not working it’s mostly a positive in score to opt for.
- Top-tier 24+1+2 phase VRM
- Advanced VRM cooling with a dedicated fan
- Good connectivity
- Premium price point
- The design may not appeal to all
Touted as a formidable candidate for those with a penchant for overclocking, the ASRock Z790 Taichi does not disappoint in its promise. With a 24+1+2 phase VRM design and an impressive 105A power stage, this motherboard is designed to extract the utmost performance from powerhouses like the Core i9-14900K.
While its overclocking prowess is undeniably its highlight, the Z790 Taichi offers an ensemble of top-tier features that stand out. From the dual Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, ensuring rapid data transfers and versatile connectivity, to its expansive storage options, it caters to a myriad of user requirements.
Yet, for all its strengths, the board comes with a hefty price tag that might be daunting for budget-conscious builders. Its design, while unique, might not resonate with everyone and can be polarizing. Nevertheless, for those chasing the zenith of performance and looking to exploit the Core i9-14900K’s full potential, the ASRock Z790 Taichi is a compelling choice.
What users say
There are not too many reviews for this particular motherboard on Amazon but it still manages a 4.4 average. With the top user commenting “replaced my strix z790 e with this a far more stable board.bios is a little to simplified but
the board itself is flawless will definitely consider ASRock as a top contender in my next build
ps..love the gears !!!” That shows it’s still a strong pick to go for.
Features and considerations
When searching for the perfect motherboard for the Core i9 14900K, there are several features and considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, chipset compatibility is of utmost importance. Ensure that the board you select is compatible with the Raptor Lake Refresh series, offering seamless integration and optimization for the 14th-generation Intel CPUs. It’s worth noting that this board has kept the same socket as its previous generation, the LGA 1700. It may require a BIOS update so it might be worth finding out how to do so on each one.
Another essential aspect to take into account is the expansion and connectivity options offered by the motherboard. With advancing technology, the demand for faster storage solutions like NVMe SSDs, and higher bandwidth connections like PCIe 4.0, have become standard necessities. Additionally, considering the board’s power delivery system is a must, especially if you’re considering overclocking or just want to make sure your 14900K gets everything it needs.
The range of ports available on the motherboard may also be worth considering. If you have lots of peripherals and additions you want to be sure you have the right amount. Along with the right connectivity for the internet and such, matching what your home network is capable of and what you want to achieve in it.
