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If your experience with your PC is not the absolute best, the chances are that your motherboard is either flawed or just really pathetic, but does it really have to be that way?
Contrary to what people think, motherboards are not very expensive and with just some basic research, you can completely revolutionize not only your gaming experience but also your overall experience with your computer.
If you don’t know much about motherboards, here is all you need to know. Refer to our FAQ questions if you still have a question left by the end of the article.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Motherboard For I7 6700k
- OUR TOP PICK: ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: MSI Z170A Gaming M5
- ASRock Z270 EXTREME4
Comparison of the Best Motherboards For i7 6700k
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Are All Motherboards The Same?
Not all motherboards are the same, and not all of them fit the same case. To keep it simple, they are named this way, but there are some stark differences between all of them. Before moving on the types, you need first to understand what a motherboard is.
The motherboard is the main part of any PC system. It has almost all the main elements that are needed for the safe and easy running of your computer. Important factors like durability, functionality are largely affected by the type and model you choose.
Motherboards come in many shapes and sizes. There are 3 main types that you need to look out for. Each one will fit in a particular PC, and hence it is integral that you choose the right one for your PC.
ATX
This is one of the most popular motherboards in the market. They are also known as the de-facto standard model and hence are really desired among the masses. The best thing about these is that they have more space for slots and plugs.
Micro-ATX
As the name suggests, this is slightly shorter than the ATX motherboard. It is almost 2-4 inches shorter and hence comes with a relatively lesser room for the expansion slots.
Mini-ITX
The Mini-ITX is often the cheapest among all the different types and is desired for smaller PCs. If you get this type of motherboard, you will save on cost, but you will also have to compromise on space for a single card (like a graphics card). Not just that, you will also get fewer connections for RAM and storage.
How Do I Choose a New Motherboard?
Many people are completely oblivious when it comes to choosing new motherboards. This might have to do with their lack of understanding when it comes to PCs and technical knowledge. To make things simple, here are all the features that you need to look for if you want to choose the right one for yourself.
Right Socket For Your CPU
This is probably the most integral part that you need to consider before choosing the motherboard. Before choosing, make sure that it has a socket that supports the CPU that you have already. For example, the latest AMD chips use the AM4 sockets, whereas the Intel 9th generation Core requires a different socket.
Smaller Boards Mean Fewer Slots
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you are someone who doesn’t require many slots. There are three main sizes of motherboards, each with a specific number of slots. You can get a smaller motherboard at a relatively lesser price, but you will have to settle for fewer features too.
ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA
Cost
Contrary to what you might think, price isn’t always the deciding factor when it comes to good motherboards. You can often get extremely good ones for a price far less than $100. But if you want more ports and some additional features, then you will have to spend a couple of bucks more.
Pay For Built-in WiFi or Not
If you have to use a wired connection at home or office, then there is no use in spending an extra amount of money on your motherboard that comes with a wireless Wi-Fi connection.
Review of the Best Motherboards For I7 6700k
There are so many good products in the market right now that it is almost impossible just to pick one that’s right for you. The following section highlights the pros and cons and the top features of the best motherboards.
Best Overall:
ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers are amazed at the performance of this motherboard. They particularly like the overclocking and cooling system of the product. The technology is quite exclusive and optimizes most of the aspects of the system. It also ensures that all this is being done whilst keeping the real-time use in consideration.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It stands out to us because of its high-end cooling system that ensures the best possible performance for your PC. The large fans inserted in it ensure the maximum heat dissipation and hence allow for better connectivity. Moreover, the lowered flow resistance also leads to a much better streaming system.
Who Will Use This Most
The product is designed for people who enjoy a fast connection with better cooling systems. The motherboard will come in handy for complex tasks that involve a lot of processing and data complexity. Moreover, since the design of the product is sleek, it is also an ideal product for people who fancy elegance.
Bottom Line
The motherboard is considered to be the best overall and rightfully so too. It is designed with a perfect and hardcore water cooling system that can take your gaming experience to the absolute next level. Not just that, it ensures higher customization and has structural reinforcement, which further adds to its appeal.
Best for the Money:
MSI Z170A Gaming M5
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The traditional memory design system of motherboards often distorts the small electromagnetic signals from certain components. This not only makes the system run slower but also makes the experience unpleasant. But thankfully, this is not something that recent buyers had to experience with this motherboard. The product comes with boost technology that elevates the experience of all its users.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The product stands out to us due to its MSI Gaming LAN manager system, which is one of the most unique elements of any motherboard. It not only prioritizes gaming above all applications automatically, but it also allows you to change the traffic priority for all your applications carefully. Moreover, it allows you to customize your bandwidth for each unique application.
Who Will Use This Most
The product is designed in a way that it suits almost anyone, regardless of how professional they are with the appliance. The motherboard comes with good optimization that is suitable for gamers and processors. Not just this, it also features the advanced stream direct 2.0 that ensures maximum networking for any performance.
Bottom Line
Our runner-up product comes with some of the best features that any motherboard can have. The audio boost allows for an immersive experience. This, coupled with higher optimizations, ensure that gamers get the best experience out of the appliance. People can also get a competitive edge in any competition whilst using this unit.
3. ASRock Z270 EXTREME4
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers couldn’t be happier with the performance of this motherboard. The higher ratings and positive reviews are definitely a testament to consumer satisfaction. When it comes to design and aesthetics, the product doesn’t disappoint at all. Its appealing color, coupled with its advanced technology, is enough to woo anyone.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The most important feature of the product that makes it stand out is its higher manageability. It has a unique chipset which ensures a lot of diversity and compatibility for the PCs. Not just this, the memory is more than 64 GB, that too with dual channels. All this, coupled with simple instructions, makes it an amazing product.
Who Will Use This Most
This motherboard is perfect for anyone looking for ideal features at a lesser cost. The graphics and the chipset are ideal for gamers, especially and for people who require a lot of memory in their tasks. Moreover, since it has a strong processor, it can handle and manage to multitask really well.
Bottom Line
The bottom line on this one is simple; get this motherboard if you are looking for good results at a lesser price. Unlike most units, this one is cheap and doesn’t compromise on the cost either. The immersive experience that it ensures via its greater audio boost and greater processing is something that you don’t see very often in motherboards.
Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 6700k:
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Recent buyers have had no complaints with this motherboard so far, and that’s a stellar victory for this product. The unit features 3 zones of RGB illumination. This can be further customized along with a wide array of RGB spectrum. It also enables you to select the available colors from more than 1.6 million colors. This higher customization is loved by all recent buyers.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The product stands out to us for more than one reason. It is created with cooperation from the perfect cooling masters of EK water blocks. The company is known for providing the perfect hybrid solution for liquid and air cooling. Moreover, the product comes with higher stability that ensures it lasts for a long time.
Who Will Use This Most
As the name suggests, this product is perfect for gamers, but that doesn’t mean that other people cannot enjoy its fast processing and amazing output quality. Its wired connections are able to employ a much higher throughput and a much lower CPU overhead. It also comes with packed software that prioritizes your gaming experience above all others.
Bottom Line
Anyone who is looking for faster storage and a steady design will fall in love with this motherboard. It comes with much higher storage than other alternatives. This not only enhances your gaming experience but also allows you to use your motherboard for other purposes. Moreover, the RGB lighting, coupled with strong audio boosting technology, makes it one of the best products available in the market.
Best ASUS Motherboard For i7 6700k:
ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming/AURA
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
The motherboard is a gamer’s heaven as it caters to almost all the needs of professional and amateur gamers. Recent buyers have particularly praised its better compatibility with all 6th generation core processors. They say that this particular feature allows them to replace these motherboards without much hassle.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The best part about this motherboard is its unique RGB lighting. Anyone who has experience in gaming or streaming understands the importance of gaming and visuals to experience, and this is exactly where this PC comes in handy. The audio experience is extremely flawless, and its immersive technology makes you get a similar experience to visual reality.
Who Will Use This Most
Since the motherboard comes with a 5-way optimization system, it is no wonder that it is suitable for almost any user. People who like fast processing and uninterrupted flow while tasks will enjoy working with this unit. Furthermore, higher visuals and advanced graphics will further enhance the experience of gamers.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a truly unparalleled gaming experience, then this motherboard is definitely the one for you. It is a breakthrough product that comes with higher optimization, better graphics, and amazing visuals. Not just this, its easy manageability also plays a part in making it one of the best motherboards in the market right now.
Best Motherboard For i7 6700k Skylake:
GIGABYTE AORUS GA-Z270X-Gaming 5
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
When it comes to products, the buyers’ opinions matter a lot. As reported by users, this model comes with some great features like a better cooling system and improved RGB lightings. These lightings can be fused to control the schematics of any PC better. This is further supported by the effortless visuals that come with the motherboard.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It stands out to us primarily because of its better cooling system. The motherboard contains a whopping amount of elements that each cater to better productivity via a better cooling system. It also comes with 5 fans that maintain the performance of the PC. Not just this, there are multiple temperature sensors that keep you updated regarding the performance.
Who Will Use This Most
The motherboard comes with higher compatibility with your PC, and that makes it an ideal pick for anyone looking for better performance. It also allows you to adjust and hence, set different lighting modes for your PC. This makes for better customization and hence, better productivity. It also caters to the ever-growing performance need for multitaskers.
Bottom Line
The motherboard has revolutionized the industry ever since it entered the market. It has some great features, but the part that makes it stand out amongst other products is its amazing cooling system. It comes with a range of fans both outside and inside. Not just this, it has a lot of temperature indicators that can detect even the smallest of the changes within your PC.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a New Motherboard
Investing in a new motherboard might be a difficult decision for you. The cost involved further adds to this dilemma and makes you wonder whether you actually need a new motherboard. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of investing in a new motherboard
Advantages
Let’s first look at all the benefits that a new, high-quality motherboard can provide:
Faster CPUs
When you shift to a new motherboard, you will experience a visible upgrade in your PC performance. That change will be more if you are using a core i7 processor. But make sure that your new motherboard is compatible with your PC. Moreover, ensure that you have saved your data before switching to a new one.
Faster RAM
Another advantage of getting a new motherboard is the faster RAM. If you buy a new unit that is compatible with your module, you will instantly notice a change in the way your PC works. The speed of the PC will increase and will allow you to finish your tasks quicker.
Improved Graphics
This factor will play a part, especially if you are a gamer and need better graphics to enhance your performance. It is one of the main reasons to upgrade your PC. When you switch on to a better motherboard, you will instantly face a change in your gaming experience.
Disadvantages
Like everything, a new motherboard has its set of limitations
Higher Cost
The upgrades of your motherboard often come at a great cost. Unless you are a gamer or a faster PC is your requirement, replacing your motherboard is not very often advised. Moreover, the costs that you intend to spend on the motherboard can be used to buy better Wi-Fi that will enhance your gaming experience to a greater degree.
Compatibility
When it comes to compatibility, motherboards often create a lot of problems. More often than not, people spend so much money on getting units that are not very compatible with their PC.
GIGABYTE AORUS GA-Z270X-Gaming 5
Conclusion
Motherboards are an essential component of your PC, and there is no denying that. They not only enhance your day-to-day experience with your PC but also allow you to have a truly immersive gaming experience at all times. Before investing in a new model, make sure to check the compatibility of your desired product with your PC for the best possible results.
People Also Ask
Since motherboards are an expensive investment, it is normal for people to be on the fence about which one to buy. To clear up some confusion, check out the frequently asked questions that buyers have.
What Chipset is the i7 6700k?
The core i7 6700, also known as the quad-core chipset, was introduced by the Intel company in 2015. It gives a high-end performance for your microprocessor. Moreover, the chipset is based on skylake microarchitecture and thus fabricated on the 14nm process. It also has a base frequency of around 4 GHz.
What Motherboards Are Compatible With i7 8700k?
When it comes to compatibility, the i7 8700k is a really desirable product. There are a lot of motherboards that are compatible with it. This includes the M MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk., and the GIGABYTE Z390 UD, among others. Moreover, other models, such as the ASUS ROG Strix are also high on compatibility with this model.
Is i7 7700k Compatible With Z370?
Contrary to what a lot of people think, the 7700 k is not at all compatible with the Z370 board. In order to make it run, you will have to invest in an 8000 series processor. This, when combined with the z370, will allow you to work with the chipset. Otherwise, you will have to invest in a completely different product.
Does i7 6700k Have Hyper Threading?
The special core i7 6700k is a uniquely built chip that comes with a four-core design. It also comes with hyper threading that runs for around 4.0 GHz. Not just this, it comes with a boost clock of more than 4.2 GHz. This is important to note because this is where the chip overclocks one or multiple cores on-demand or where possible.
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