The Intel Core i7-14700K is Intel’s latest and one of its greatest CPUs that caters to both gamers and content creators looking for excellent performance alongside all of the bells and whistles they need for the complete machine. Whilst the 14700K vs the 13700K from last year may not bring a huge leap in performance, it still offers a bump up in core counts that may be more beneficial for the content creators out there.
Intel stuck with Z790 for the 14th Gen range, so the boards released last year will also work just fine with a BIOS update. However, there are still a new range of boards that have been launched alongside the new CPUs to make it more straightforward and to add a few extra features such as Wi-Fi 7.
MSI PRO Z790-A MAX WiFi ProSeries
Best budget Z790
The Pro Series from MSI is a highly rated offering for those on more of a budget, and it offers all of the core features you would need for a solid gaming system. A 16+1+1 power stages rated at 80A along with an extended heat sink. MOSFET thermal pads as well as for the choke. Support for DDR5 speeds of 7800 MHz. Three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for ample storage and Wi-Fi 7.
MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk MAX WiFi
Best midrange Z790
MSI’s Tomahawk range brings a solid offering to the lower end of the midrange, with the new MAX WiFi board bringing support for Intel 14th Gen and adding Wi-Fi 7 support. 16+1+1 power design with DDR5 support of 7800+(OC) MHz. One Gen 5 M.2 slot with a dedicated heat sink plus two Gen 4 M.2 slots for a total of three. This updated model also comes with yellow accents for a bit of added flair.
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II
Alternative all-rounder Z790
This motherboard is perfect for those looking to have a white themed PC build as well as having a lot of excellent features. A 16+1+2 power solution rated at 70A in conjunction with beefy heatsinks, high conductivity thermal pads and an L-shaped heat pipe. Wi-Fi 7, one Thunderbolt (USB4.0) header and a 20G Type-C front panel connector with 30W PD charging, five M.2 slots with ample I/O means this is also a great board for content creators. That futuristic looking polycarbonate display looks pretty cool too! Supports 14th Gen out of the box.
GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Master X
Best all-rounder
Aorus Master X brings support for Intel’s 14th Gen out of the box and looks absolutely stunning and has an excellent feature set for those eyeing up a 14700K. A 20+1+2 phase power solution paired with a cutting edge thermal design. Five M.2 slots with an insane amount of IO. Wi-Fi 7 and 10GbE LAN top off this excellent board.
Best premium Z790
The MEG offers a supreme 24+1+2 power delivery system. For cooling there’s a stacked fin array design, an aluminium backplate, direct touch cross heat-pipe and an enlarged PCH heatsink. For connectivity there’s dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, dual 2.5G LAN, Wi-Fi 7 and an ESS audio DAC make this the complete solution for those wanting a top tier motherboard. It’s worth noting that this is an E-ATX board. Look at it, though!
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Premium alternative Z790
ASUS offers the ultimate Z790 base for overclockers with a 20+1 power delivery and one-click fan tuning, backed by AI-powered automatic controls in the EzMode UEFI interface. Clock DDR5 RAM up to 7800MHz and enjoy 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots alongside onboard RGB. Killer. This will require a BIOS update to be compatible with 14th Gen Intel CPUs, but you’ll also save a few dollars in the process.
Choosing the best motherboard for the Intel Core i7-14700K
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The Intel Core i7-14700K is very much like last year’s Core i9-13900K in terms of performance and power draw, so does require a motherboard capable of dealing with it. Fortunately, most of the motherboards sold now can deal with this, but some are better optimized than others.
All of the motherboards above are designed to run the 14th Gen out of the box, barring the last one from ASUS, which will need a BIOS update. The hardware though, is perfectly capable of handling anything thrown at it.
There’s no need to spend a ton of cash on the higher end boards unless the specific features appeal to you, or you’re looking at doing intensive tasks or overclocking. Remember, these boards are obsolete once Intel’s 15th Gen arrives with a new socket and chipset. The 14700K however should be lasting you a few years at least anyway.
