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Not sure which is the best motherboard for the Intel Core i5 12600KF?
The i5 12600KF is perhaps one of the best gaming CPUs for budget gamers. It has 6 P and 4 E cores that are fully unlocked for overclocking. On top of that, it is built on the 12th-gen Intel Alder Lake architecture which puts it in a completely different league of its own.
In this guide, I’ll break down my top three motherboard picks for the i5 12600KF. Each one is carefully selected to offer a great mix of features, performance, and value for money.
First, we’ll look at a budget-friendly option that provides solid performance at an affordable price. Then, I have a premium choice packed with top-tier features and exceptional performance. Finally, I’ll reveal my top pick that strikes the perfect balance between performance, features, and cost.
So let’s get started!
Number 3. ASROCK Z690 PRO RS – Best Budget Motherboard for Intel Core i5 12600KF
The ASRock PRO RS is a good-looking motherboard with a focus on performance at a low price. It lacks quite a bit in other areas such as I/O and PCIe expansion but that’s not a bad thing; in fact, it might just be a great thing.
ASRock decided to focus their efforts on the power delivery system of the PRO RS and carefully cut down on other areas. This is a great way to show that, sometimes, less can be better if done correctly. Basically, it is priced close to B660 and B760 motherboards but is a better option than getting those boards especially for unlocked Intel chips.
A Z690 board has better voltage and clock speed control even if you’re not going to overclock the CPU, so if you’re building a low-budget PC looking for the best possible price-to-performance, the i5 12600KF and the Z690 PRO RS is a killer combo.
The power delivery itself is quite unique; it has a rather uncommon 13-Phase VRM setup which is strong enough even for an i9 12900K with a mild overclock of about 5.4 or 5.5 GHz. Even at that speed, the VRM temperature maxes out at 77 degrees Celsius, which is just what we need since anything under 80 degrees Celsius is perfectly acceptable. It performs even better with the 12600KF and lets it run at its full potential with no thermal throttling.
RAM support is also quite decent with 4 DIMM slots that support a total of 128 GB of DDR4 RAM. DDR4 is still a great choice for budget gamers and professionals and this motherboard can support RAM speeds of 5333 MHz with an overclock. However it would be best to run the RAM at 3600 MHz with all 4 sticks as anything higher will result in system instability. You can easily snag a 32 GB kit for really cheap and be set for a very long time.
With performance out of the way, it is time to address my concerns with the Z690 PRO RS.
Starting with the port selection, I can say that it is just okay – there isn’t much to say but it is good enough for basic work. There are 2 USB 2.0 type-A ports that are certainly going to be dedicated to the Keyboard and Mouse. There are just 4 more USB type-A ports, two of which are running at 3.2 Gen2 speeds while the other two are running at 3.2 Gen1 speeds. There is also a 2.5 gigabit ethernet port on the back but sadly no bluetooth or Wifi here. If you want to add them, you’ll have to spend a few bucks to get an M.2 WiFi key. Other than that, you get HDMI, DisplayPort, PS/2 ports, a BIOS flash button, and a very basic audio jack setup.
The rear I/O is very elementary and could’ve been significantly improved by having even 1 USB type-C port and Wifi + bluetooth support out of the box. Basically, to overcome the motherboard’s shortcomings, you will need to invest a little more to add ports with the front panel headers.
As a side note, there are 3 PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for SSDs and a whopping 8 SATA 3 ports for installing as many drives as your heart desires.
There are also some pleasant surprises though. At the bottom of the board, there are headers to install a Thunderbolt 4 add-in card which is quite impressive to see in a budget motherboard. Other than that, the motherboard also comes with a GPU anti-sag bracket included which has become the need of the hour as graphics cards have become ridiculously large and this helps save a few extra bucks by not having to get one ourselves.
When it comes to the competition, there are very few motherboards in the Z690 lineup that are both affordable and have a great set of features. The closest rival is the MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4. It is a good motherboard with a slightly stronger VRM and marginally better rear I/O.
However, these minimal changes come at a significantly higher price tag so it doesn’t make the mark for budget Z-series motherboards. At that price range, you are almost entering the territory of premium Z690 motherboards which is why the ASRock Z690 PRO RS is in such a strong position due to its low price..
All in all, the ASRock Z690 PRO RS nails the most important and foundational aspects of a high-quality motherboard for running overclocked chips. Although it lacks good I/O options, it makes up for it with a powerful VRM and a sub-$150 price tag that makes it one tough motherboard to beat.
To sum up what I like is…
Powerful VRM configuration
Thunderbolt support
Attractive design
On the downside
Mediocre I/O ports selection
No WiFi or Bluetooth
RATINGS:
VRM Design: 8/10
Features: 6.5/10
Aesthetics: 7.5/10
Value for Money: 9.5/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Number 2. Asus ROG STRIX Z790-H GAMING WIFI – Best Premium Motherboard for Intel Core i5 12600KF
The ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-H Gaming WiFi is a powerful motherboard for those looking to build a no-compromises PC on a budget.
Starting with the power delivery, it has a 16-Phase 80 Amp VRM setup which is enough to power any Intel LGA 1700 CPU. The 12600KF can easily clock to 5.5 GHz with incredibly low VRM temperatures. The strong copper based heatsink can keep the VRMs under 55 degrees Celsius even in the harshest environments.
Other than the VRM, the Z790-H supports RAM speeds of 7800 MT/s (say megatransfers per second) and you can install a total of 4 DIMMS with up to 192 GB of total system memory.
Moving to the more impressive stuff, I must say, the rear I/O is simply stunning and you get pretty much everything you could hope for. There are 2 USB 2.0 ports that thankfully free up the rest of the ports from having to host the mouse and keyboard. There are also 2 USB type-C ports and 6 more USB type-A ports which are all running at USB 3.2 or faster speeds.
Then there are the BIOS flash and CMOS clear buttons for easy debugging along with a DisplayPort and HDMI port. For networking, the Z790-H has a 2.5 gigabit ethernet port, WiFi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3. , there is a complete array of audio jacks with optical S/PDIF that are connected to the Savitech SV3H712 AMP for top-quality hi-fi audio.
It also has four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots and four SATA 3 ports. I’m glad that the motherboard exclusively uses PCIe Gen 4 slots for SSDs. This way, if you install a PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD in the first slot and use the first PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a graphics card, there will be no PCI bifurcation. This smart move means that no matter where you install the SSD, you can be sure that it is performing at its best.
One cool perk of the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot is the Quick Release button. If you need to remove a GPU from the slot, simply push this button and the GPU will pop right off. This feature should become industry standard by now but I do understand that the motherboard makers need to add a lot more mechanisms to make it happen. Still it is cool and expensive boards should include this for standing out above the rest of the group of boards.
Moving on while I have nothing but praise for this motherboard, I have some concerns that need to be addressed. Firstly, the Z790-H is built on a 6-layer PCB which is adequate for any type of board for preventing electric signal isolation. However, since this is a powerful motherboard, it would’ve greatly benefitted with a thicker 8-layered PCB.
Another thing that I didn’t like at all is how this motherboard looks. Usually, looks don’t bother me that much, but I really wish ASUS toned down the branding all over the rather modest-looking Z790-H.
Looks aside, the Z790-H is a strong contender among many strong contenders. These are the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX, MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi, and the ASROCK Z790 Steel Legend. Ultimately, the Z790-H manages to edge out all of these by not skimping out on any port or button in the rear I/O. The Z790-H has what I would consider to be basically a perfect rear I/O like the MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi; however, it’s even more balanced since the Z790-H has USB 2.0 ports, and an ever-so-slightly stronger VRM.
In conclusion, ASUS has added a more budget friendly member to their ever-growing lineup of STRIX motherboards. Just like any of them, the ROG STRIX Z790-H is an incredibly powerful motherboard with a lot of sensible options made for it. Looking past the over-the-top design, this is a well-rounded board that suits almost anyone’s needs.
To sum up what I like is…
Top-of-the-line VRM configuration
Excellent rear I/O setup
Smart PCIe layout
On the downside…
Awful aesthetics
PCB lacks layers
RATINGS:
VRM Design: 9.5/10
Features: 8.5/10
Aesthetics: 6/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10
Overall Rating:8.5
Number 1. MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi Gaming – Our Top Choice
The Z790 TOMAHAWK is part of a series that is known for its reliability and robust power delivery. Thanks to the 16+1+1 phase VRM design, that trend carries on in the Z790 version of the TOMAHAWK. This power delivery setup is an excellent choice for the Core i5 12600kf, and can even handle the flagship 14900k CPU at overclocked settings.
One quick glance at the board also reveals that MSI has opted to install sizeable VRM heatsinks on this particular board to improve the VRM performance and longevity. The cooling solution for the VRM and the chipset is quite acceptable and does not present any problems, even when overclocking.
MSI is not the only player in this space, however. The Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX comes in at roughly the same price as the TOMAHAWK and can be another option to consider. However, I prefer the Z790 TOMAHAWK thanks to its superb power delivery system and versatile feature set at this price point.
When it comes to features, the Z790 TOMAHAWK does not leave a lot to be desired in this department. I have chosen the DDR4 variant of the board in this roundup since DDR4 is the more affordable memory type right now. This also helps lower the overall cost of the system, making it a better fit for the i5 12600KF.
The overall networking and connectivity features align with what we expect from a modern Z790 motherboard. MSI has gone the extra mile in the storage department, however, and included 4 M.2 slots with 7 SATA ports. This is ideal for someone who wants to connect a lot of storage drives to the motherboard, such as in a home server.
Aesthetically, the TOMAHAWK is a bit dull and uninspiring. There is no RGB lighting on the motherboard and the overall look of the board lacks a bit of personality. MSI has gone with a very stealthy look on this particular motherboard, and it may be a polarizing choice. Still, the all-black look is quite popular nowadays and it does not clash with any PC components, no matter the color or lighting.
Of course, the Z790 TOMAHAWK shines above the rest when it comes to the value proposition. You can also consider the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus at this price point, but the TOMAHAWK holds superiority over the former thanks to its amazing feature set and robust power delivery.
Overall this board is ideal for those who want a great value-oriented motherboard to pair with their i5 12600KF processor.
RATINGS:
VRM Design: 9/10
Features: 8/10
Aesthetics: 7.5/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
So what do you think? Which of these is the best motherboard for you?
Or do you think another motherboard is better for the i5 12600kf?
Tell us in the comments below.
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