Do Motherboards Have Integrated Graphics?
Do motherboards have integrated graphics or do you need a integrated graphics chip or a dedicated GPU? This article will tell you all about it.
5 Best Motherboards for i7 8700k in 2023
Choosing a motherboard is no small decision as it’s the building block for your pc and it’s one of the most important decisions that you will make when building a custom pc. The motherboard is the deciding factor of how your processor will perform. If you also want a silent PC, we recommend to check this article about quiet PC cases.
Intel’s eighth-generation of processors also known as Coffee Lake makes its reputation due to its speedy performance and versatility. The i7 8700K is a 6 core 12 threads, which has base and boost clocks of 3.7 GHz and 4.7 GHz respectively, is a powerful processor no matter what you throw at it.
To utilize the i7 8700K processor to its max potential you need to pair it with the right motherboard otherwise it will underperform and you may run into problems that you won’t need to deal with such as instability and BSODs. There are many options out there that support the processor, but are all of them good for the processor? No! Fear not though I will guide you in this article on how you can get the best motherboard for i7 8700k processor. To make things easier I will be introducing you to a list of options as well so that your decision becomes easier on which is the best motherboard for i7 8700k (see here for the best RAM for i7 8700K).
Quick Motherboard Recommendations for i7 8700k
| Award | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall Motherboard for Intel 8th gen |
Asus ROG Strix Z390-E
|
Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
| Best High mid-ranger Motherboard for Intel 8th Gen |
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra
|
Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
| Best Durable Z390 Motherboard |
ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming Motherboard
|
Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
| Best Value for Money Motherboard |
ASUS Prime Z390-P ATX Motherboard
|
Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
| Best entry-level motherboard for 8th gen Intel processor |
MSI B360 Gaming Plus Intel Motherboard
|
Check Price Read Customer Reviews |
Factors to Consider
Before we go into the list, let’s look at the factors that you should consider when choosing a motherboard.
Budget
First things first your budget is the biggest deciding factor. Your budget will help you decide which motherboard to choose as nowadays motherboards come in all kinds of budget ranges. Having a budget in mind will help you make the smarter decision from a spending point of view.
RAM capacity
Generally more RAM capacity means better task execution as a large amount of data can be processed without the PC becoming overloaded. Also, motherboards with extra RAM slots should be preferred as they give you the option to upgrade in the future should the need arise.
When you plan on buying or upgrading your RAM, the brand of the RAM is also an important factor to consider.
Expansion slots
Expansion slots allow you to connect additional hardware on your motherboards such as capture cards and GPUs and even SSDs. The types of expansion slots that are present on the motherboard are an important deciding factor for buying a motherboard as they will help accommodate the hardware of your PC setup.
To know what are PCI-E slots are used for, read here.
Form Factor
The form factor is the design size of the motherboard. Make sure your motherboard’s form factor matches your gaming case (for open air PC case suggestions, read here). Usually, the motherboards are designed in the ATX form factor which has the necessary features such as a lesser number of PCIe slots and RAM slots and MicroATX which has even lesser features, so make sure you choose a motherboard that fits your case so you don’t have to choose a different case later on.
The Best Motherboard for i7 8700k
Asus has established itself for delivering the best quality products for gamers. Be it GPU variants, or motherboards, Asus will give you options that are the best in the market. Asus ROG Strix Z390-E motherboard is no different as it’s considered the best motherboard that you can pair with a high-end 8th gen Intel processor.
The motherboard features the 5-way optimization Overclocking module which lets you auto-tune the processor and overclock it without worrying about the thermals. The motherboard comes included with fan headers and an AIO pump header so that your temps stay as low as possible and you can draw out the maximum performance your processor is capable of.
To ensure that you get a great gaming experience Asus has included the S1220A codec SupremeFX audio module which lets you hear a neutral sound signature by delivering a flat frequency response. To further make your experience more immersive in the game environment the front panel comes included with dual op-amps.
The aesthetics of the motherboard are great as well as there is an integrated RGB control module along with an RGB LED strip that lights your motherboard in a way that it’s always a treat to look at when it’s fit inside the PC case and runs to perform your instructed tasks. The only drawback is that it’s one of the expensive options out there but it makes it up with the list of features offered with the motherboard.
Next up on the list is the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Ultra which is considered to be the best value for money motherboard as it’s one of the high mid-rangers.
The biggest plus point of this motherboard is that it will allow you to upgrade to the 9th gen as well so if you plan to upgrade you will be saving quite a lot of cash. Gigabyte always builds motherboards that are quite long and last for quite a long time and this motherboard is no different as it can handle all the workloads that you perform without heating too much. The PCIe slots have been lined with Dual armor and its 12+1 VRM power configuration will deliver the power efficiently to all the components that need it.
The motherboard has an Intel Wave 2 Wifi module as well along with a cFosSpeed Ethernet port, so the networking capabilities are pretty good. The motherboard comes with triple NVMe slots which will take care of your storage needs and RGB Fusion 2.0 will make sure that your motherboard looks good while your PC is running.
The Aorus 360 Armor has also been included which means that you will get an I/O shield that will let you build your pc without any hassle as well. The thermal solution on the motherboard is also quite useful due to the M.2 Thermal guard and heatsinks being preset which will let you transfer data at a high rate and a higher heat dissipation factor, making it an effective choice for your 8th gen PC.
The ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming Motherboard has been designed with military-grade components to enhance the durability of the board. The board features the newer TUF capacitors which help with keeping the temperature down and increase the lifespan of a 5x factor.
Asus has even made the motherboard static and lightning strike proof due to the integration of the TUF LANguard module which operates on advanced signal-coupling technology and to further add to the GPU durability the motherboard comes with SafeSlot protection that will keep the GPU from sagging and give it extra protection.
The Motherboard has got 4 DIMM slots that can host up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM which can be clocked at 4266 MHz. There are dual PCIe slots that are operating on the 16 lane configuration and an M.2 slot which has a heatsink as well for fast heat dissipation. The audio capacitors are of the Premium Japanese quality and the Realtek S1200A codec is also present which is capable of giving you an immersive audio experience. AMD Crossfire technology is supported as well.
The thermal solutions on the motherboard offer great overclocking headroom as it has features like Fan Xpert 4 software along with multiple hardware sensors perform in sync to keep the temperature as cool as possible and you can continue to work as you please.
Asus and other PC manufacturers have formed a TUF Gaming Alliances which ensures cross-compatibility between Asus’s designed hardware and other components such as RAMS, PSU, and coolers etc.
Next up on the list is the ASUS Prime Z390-P ATX Motherboard which is another great board to hook up with an eighth-gen Intel Processor. The board gives quite a lot of features considering its price point and that is its biggest selling point.
The board gives you the option to upgrade to the 9th gen should you choose to make that decision in the future. There are 4 PCIe slots lined with the SafeSlot armor which support a data transfer rate of up to 32 Gbps with multiple connectivity ports such as a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A giving you plenty of data transferring flexibility options.
This board has been designed to give you an immersive audio experience and it does just that with the presence of Realtek® ALC887 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC, while the proprietary Fan Xpert 4 technology keeps the thermals cool no matter how intensive your workload gets, so there are no hardware interruptions while those instructions get executed. This is made possible due to the ASUS DIGI+VRM solution which helps regulate the voltages and give better power efficiency. The heatsinks are fanless adding to the visual aesthetics along with a MOS heatsink thrown into the mix as well.
4 DIMM slots are present which are capable of hosting 128GB of DDR4 RAM which can be clocked at 4266 MHz which is more than enough for your day to day task and heavy loads as well. There are dual M.2 slots as well along with 4x SATA ports which will take care of your data storage needs and the Rapid Storage technology coupled with the Optane Memory Ready tech makes sure that your data transfer happens as fast as possible.
The motherboard doesn’t lag in Overclocking as well as the T-topology gives you time-aligned signaling which gives you the headroom that you need for overclocking your hardware. Moreover, the overclocking process has been simplified and it’s quite easy to tune the BIOS, fan control and memory due to the inclusion of memory trace layout by ASUS, giving you lots of room to tweak and experiment with your hardware.
If you’re on a budget and just getting into pc building or new to the pc building scene then the MSI B360 GAMING PLUS will serve you just fine. It has the 9th gen upgradability option and it’s very easy to use too making it a great option for beginners.
The maximum supported memory is DDR4 64 GB which can be clocked up to 2666 MHz which would serve well for whatever workload you want to run on it. The Gaming LAN Ethernet port powered by Intel will serve well for your networking needs and the Turbo M.2 will help speed up your data transfer rates. Two PCIe Gen3 x16 lane configuration ports are present on the board that will help you connect multiple AMD GPUs since the motherboard offers CrossFire support.
Moreover, these PCIe slots come with an extra protected layer of Steel Armor that is designed to stop the GPU sag or slot damage. The AudioBoost with NAHIMIC will help you experience a more immersive level of gaming and the motherboard has been Gaming Certified as it has been extensively tested by eSports Players.
Even though it’s an entry-level motherboard it isn’t lacking in the aesthetics department, MSI has given it a red and black color scheme and has given the Mystic Light and Sync tech which lets you personalize the outlook of the motherboard to your liking. To top things off the Click BIOS 5 has been made the default bios which makes setting and tuning very easy.
Conclusion
I hope now things are clearer for you as I have tried to include the best options from every budget range. I have also included a ‘things to consider’ guide through which you can choose a motherboard for your 8th gen processor and these were the factors on which these motherboards were chosen as well.
To sum it up and make your decision easier then here are some final food for thought; If money isn’t a problem then you should go for the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming Motherboard as it’s the best motherboard with the best features to give you the ultimate experience and performance that your hardware is capable of.
If you want to get a motherboard that offers the best value for money then I am recommending the ASUS TUF Z390-Plus Gaming Motherboard as it gives you great value for money and extreme durability due to its military-grade modules that come included with it.
If you want a total entry-level then go for the MSI B360 Gaming Plus and it won’t disappoint you either and it won’t blow a hole in your pockets as well.
If you want to know what CPU is compatible with your Motherboard and what is a safe motherboard temperature, we have all those articles and many more here on our site.
When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.