Intel is looking for a breakthrough that could end AMDs dominance in gaming performance. The Intel 10th-generation processors were the best in single-core performance, however the AMD Ryzen 5000 series won over Intel in the single-core war in every aspect. Intel’s 10th-generation processors did not have PCIe 4.0 and the latest graphics cards need PCIe 4.0 to maximize their performance.
Intel released the Intel 11th Gen Motherboard & CPUs back in March 2021, to address AMDs assistance for PCIe 4.0 and to take over multi-core and single-core performance. Many gamers have discovered their new favourite and we are convinced of realising the full potential that this chip has to offer. In order to do that, you’ll need the top motherboard for i7-11700k.
As you can observe, the 11th generation Intel CPUs are now able to support 20 lanes PCIe 4.0 and only the top motherboards for the i7 11700k are able to benefit from this feature. Z490 as well Z590 processors support PCIe 4.0 connectivity in the Intel 10th generation of CPUs since they anticipate Intel to introduce an PCIe 4.0 capable CPU shortly. It’s exciting to know that the 11th generation processor is LGA1200 which means that a significant part of the market motherboards are suitable for this CPU, and may require a BIOS update to the maximum.
We will be focusing on the Z490 or Z590 chipsets that are compatible with the i7-11700k motherboard because these are most pertinent for today’s gamers.
Top 6 Buys for Best Motherboard for i7-11700K Now
| Ranking | Motherboard for i7-11700K | Reviews |
| 1. | Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Xtreme | 5 out of 5 |
| 2. | Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero | 5 out of 5 |
| 3. | ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero | 4 out of 5 |
| 4. | MSI Z590-A PRO | 4 out of 5 |
| 5. | Gigabyte Z590I AORUS Ultra | 4 out of 5 |
| 6. | ASRock Z590 Taichi | 4 out of 5 |
Best Motherboard for i7-11700K | Detailed Review
1. Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Xtreme
Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Xtreme
2. Wireless Type 802.11ax
3. RAM Memory DDR4
Gigabyte always amazes us with their creative motherboards, particularly the Aorus series available in nearly every roundup, including the i7-6700k motherboard to the motherboard for the Intel Core i7-11700k. The Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Xtreme is a top-quality motherboard that has redefined the market and elevates CPU performance to a new level.
In the front, the Z590 Aorus Xtreme features a sleek and minimalist design that has matte black. The style of design used for this Z590 Aorus Xtreme is mainly an inspiration from its predecessor model, that of the Z490 Aorus Xtreme. The 20+1 power stage (spoiler alert) and the heatsinks as well as the Q-code-based displays are the main features of the design. At this price, RGB lighting is almost an essential feature, and the way Gigabyte implements RGB is always stylish.
There are RGB lights on the shrouds, the heatsink for the chipset, as well as on both sides. These can be controlled with the Gigabyte RGB Fusion software. It can be said that the looks of this model have a very premium-looking feel to the design. A price tag that is high calls for the top of the line VRM style from Gigabyte and Z590 Aorus Xtreme features. A huge 20+1 VRM with 100A DrMOS power stages can be built into this motherboard.
The impressive VRM comes with an impressive thermal design. The Aorus Xtreme comes with a Fins-Array II heatsink along with a NanoCarbon base plate as well as an 8mm Direct Touch II Heatpipe. It’s, in essence, a top-of-the-line heatsink system that is guaranteed to provide the best heat dissipation along with minimal temperatures. With these top-quality components, you can boost your 11700K up to the max while you can be sure that the Aorus Xtreme will have no issues whatsoever.
2. Asus ROG XIII Maximus Hero
Asus ROG XIII Maximus Hero
2. Memory Speed 5333 MHz
3. RAM Memory DDR4
We’re especially attracted by the deep gashes found in its VRM heat sinks because they improve the efficiency of thermal energy while also providing a unique RGB space. If that wasn’t enough, the heat sink of the chipset has a unique ROG eye, which glows similarly attractively. Contrary to their more modern AMD equivalents, Z90 boards don’t need chipset fans, & can control temperatures of the chipset by using heat sinks on their own.
ASUS adopted a lesson from the book of Gigabyte as far as shielding is involved, and designed the chipset heatsink to stretch across one of the 4 M.2 drives. The two drives on the bottom are located next to each other and share a long pad. There’s a PCIe 4.0 slot on its own heatsink, which is typical of the most powerful drive you have. This board’s VRM is fascinating because it’s linked. It means that all seven components provide power to two MOSFETs without having to double.
The output of 1,260A is just a hair short of the Pro Carbon’s output, but is nowhere close to the 11700K’s maximum. The VRM heatsinks are hefty and wide, covering everything except for the chokes. Be careful when connecting the two EPS connectors with 8 pins to the heatsink, since the edges are razor-sharp.
Overclocking the Hero is easy even for beginners due to the superb BIOS implementation. There is an overclocking guide within the program and both Ez and advanced modes provide numerous adjustments.
3. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero
2. Memory Speed 4800 MHz
3. RAM Memory DDR4
The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero belongs to the highest-performance motherboards of the ASUS ROG range. Maximus XII is last year’s flagship model, and it has the X490 chipset that is compatible with 10-th Gen processors. However, after a simple BIOS update, it can be upgraded to support 11th Gen Rocket Lake processors. Its performance is top-quality using the 11th Gen Processors as well as being the top motherboard for the i7 11700k.
It comes with a robust fourteen+2-stage power distribution module that delivers 60A for each stage of the CPU, and provides an impressive experience when it comes to overclocking. Three massive heat sinks are encased in the VRM, allowing them to cool effectively, and the three M.2 slots are surrounded by heat sinks to provide excellent thermal performance. The VRM heatsink also features a Power Cool II connector for an additional fan.
It’s built with all ASUS top features, including AI cooling and overclocking, AI overclocking and Aura Sync for optimised cooling and overclocking, as well as RGB customisation. It has a 10 bit DAC which outputs an additional 2.0 stereo audio channel. It also has 7.1 stereo audio channels, along with several audio streams on the front panel.
4. MSI Z590-A PRO
The MSI Z590-A PRO is the most affordable motherboard for the i7-11700k processor. Although it doesn’t have the top features of older motherboards, it has overclocking options for the processor & the memory. Contrary to the previous motherboard, it’s an entry-level motherboard that is built around the Z590 chip. MSI Z590-A PRO retails for less than half what MSI MPG Z590 Gaming WIFI is priced at, and it’s a popular choice for consumers who are on a budget.
The appearance on this model is surprisingly impressive, especially considering how less expensive it is than predecessors. MSI uses a black PCB to make the motherboard and has white vertical stripes across the motherboard. The motherboard has the I/O cover, however it’s smaller than the predecessor motherboard. The heatsink in the chipset is significantly shorter than GAMING models.
There’s no RGB illumination for the I/O cover or on the chipset heatsink; however, it looks attractive due to the stark contrast of white and black. This motherboard doesn’t have extra features, however that is precisely why it is priced at less than 200 bucks.
The motherboard has four slots for memory, and three PCI-E slots. Of these, two are X16 slots, while the third slot is an X1. The storage option on the motherboard is just identical to the one before it, since it has three M.2 slots as well as the capacity of six SATA III slots, but two of the M.2 slots are not protected with any type of heatsink.
The motherboard utilises 12 + 2 phase power delivery, which is a unique system. This allows you to take care of the power needs of the Core I7-11700K efficiently and also be able to boost the processor to about 5 GHz across all cores. The motherboard’s I/O includes 6 3.5mm audio ports, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A port as well as 4 ports, including a USB 2.0 port and 1 PS/2 port and an RJ45 port and the DP port & one HDMI port.
We Believe you are a Gaming Enthusiast, You Might like Best Motherboards for i5 10600K
5. Gigabyte Z590I AORUS Ultra
Gigabyte Z590I AORUS Ultra
2. Graphics Interface PCI-E
3. RAM Memory DDR4
ASUS PRIME X570-PRO has set amazing standards for its customers by using one of the most affordable x570 motherboards. What is more interesting is that it can be easily paired with Ryzen 3700x. The motherboard impresses its users with its superior hardware and terrific UEFI. We consider this factor extremely important because it helps you save money and continually improves their computer system’s value.
The most appealing thing about this best motherboard for 5950x is that it has an appealing and neutral design language for anyone searching for a great motherboard. If the design is important to you, you’ll get it all on this board. The Prime X570-A motherboard comes with a 600 A VRM and every gamer knows it’s among the best when we are talking about overclocking.
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks. First of all, if you want the top features similar to Strix or ROG series, then you might not find them on this motherboard, and there are a few limitations on CPU overclocking, too. But if you are someone who loves appealing design and attractive PC build then the Asus Prime X570-Pro is an excellent option.
6. ASRock Z590 Taichi
The Taichi series of motherboards have the most innovative design language in the market. As the flagship Tachi motherboard and the Z590, Tachi is definitely the most popular of the line. It has carbon-fiber-themed heat sinks that are set on a black PCB. One of the most distinctive features in this motherboard are the rotational gears that are on the I/O cover, a highly distinctive design component.
The board is also full of RGB. It’s located on the heatsink of the chipset, close to the I/O cover and on the right-hand edge of the card. Lighting can be managed with the Polychrome software. Thanks to ASRock for their amazing display of RGB. Under the cover is the Taichi has a robust 14-phase VRM that has smart power stages that can handle 90A. The 12-phase configuration of the CPU provides a robust power supply and offers incredible overclocking headroom.
The VRM heatsinks are linked to a heatpipe for effective heat dissipation. Additionally, there is also a mini fan that comes with the box and can be mounted on the heatsink to keep your computer cool. The Z590 Taichi comes with a dual-memory design that consists of 4 DIMM slots, each with 128GB of memory with a more than 5000 milliseconds.
ASRock is all in on the features available on the board. There are three M.2 slots that support PCIe 4.0 4 speeds, while the rest are set at PCIe 3.0 4×4, along with 8 SATA3 6GB/s ports. ASRock has carried the feature-packed trend to the I/O panel on the rear too. It has eight USB ports and two are extremely quick Thunderbolt 4.0 Type-C ports. We have 2 USB 3.2 Gen2 ports as well as the four USB 3.2 Gen1 ports.
Factors to Keep in Mind Before Buying Best Motherboard for i7-11700K
1. CPU
There are two main competitors in the world of CPUs. Your choice of motherboard is contingent on the choice of CPU, as they are not compatible with each other. Both provide high-performance CPUs, Intel being more focused on single-core performance and clock speed and AMD focused on multi-core performance. The 11th-gen 11700K comes with an IPC that is higher than the previous 10700K model and it comes with PCIe4.0 support it’s the most powerful high-end processor.
2. Chipset
The choice of the right processor is crucial. The older chipsets are able to use the i7 11700K processor, however it may hinder the ability of the component to run. The bottlenecking could cause high-performance hardware to operate slower, such as M.2 drive and the GPU. The motherboard’s chipset has the ability to recognize, comprehend and exchange signals between components of the hardware. An older chip may not be up to date with most modern hardware technology in simple terms.
3. Overclocking
Overclocking features are available in the Core i7-11700k. It allows you to boost the efficiency of the processor by altering the frequency of your processor. The default frequency will be 3.6GHz on this CPU however, with the right motherboard, you are able to increase the processor’s speed to 5.0GHz. Motherboards come with VRM which lowers the voltage supplied to the PSU & the CPU-rated voltages. The higher the number of VRM stages, the more stable the performance.
4. Memory & Slots
RAM is where the data is stored while the CPU processes it. High-performance builds require a large amount of RAM slots to allow for the installation of more RAM and performance, which means better speed and performance, as well as future-proofing. A variety of PCIe 4.0 & PCIe 3.0 are also advantageous since you can include multiple GPUs to run SLI/Crossfire and several high-speed M.2 Slots to get even more speeds and efficiency.
5. PCIe Version
Intel has entered the PCIe 4.0 world with the introduction of its processor. As this is the first Generation of PCIe 4.0 processors designed for Intel, choosing a motherboard with care is essential because older motherboards will support the processor, but will not support PCIe 4.0. The 11th-generation Intel processors are intended to run the latest technology of GPUs and M.2 drives. We have made sure that the motherboards on our list are compatible with all PCIe 4.0 versions to ensure that buyers aren’t worried about bottlenecks.
6. Form Factor
Form factor could not affect the base clock speed of your processor; however it has significant impact on the capacity to host expansion cards, and even overclocking in certain instances. We’ve included all form factors to provide you with an array of motherboards. Be aware that the ATX model can hold more than seven additional expansion cards.
FAQs
Is Intel i7 11700k a good gaming processor?
Intel is mostly known for superior single-core performance over AMD Ryzen series, which is the primary factor in gaming performance. But, since the launch of the AMD Ryzen 5000 series it has changed the game with AMD dominating over Intel. The 11700k remains a great choice for gaming, and some gamers prefer Intel processors because of the claims of issues with thermals in the Ryzen that is not true. And also, for the Gaming purposes you should also look into 5 Best Motherboards For i9 9900k to get the best in terms of Performance.
Is the Z490 compatible with the 11th generation?
Yes, it is true that the Z490 is officially compatible with 11th generation processors. The cherry on top comes in it’s PCIe Gen4 support. Yes, you read it right. Installing 11th gen processors in the Z490 platform allows PCIe 4.0 for the main slot. Therefore, if you have a build of the 10th generation using a Z490 motherboard it is possible to swap the CPU to get the 11th gen, with no loss of PCIe 4.0 support.
Can you suggest a motherboard compatible with an i7-11700k?
The entire guide will give you what you need to know. If you’re looking for an easy answer, here’s the answer. It is recommended to purchase the motherboard that is within your budget and meets every requirement, be it the I/O port, aesthetics or even the form factor. We’ve put together the list of motherboards that are available that cover all segments, ranging all the way from a high-end one to a budget one. You should be able to choose the ideal match for you.
