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Motherboards are the backbone of your PC build, especially when it comes to maximizing the potential of an Intel Core i7 13700KF. The “KF” variant lacks integrated graphics, but it’s a better value as you get the same performance with the “K” variant for a lower price. Thanks to the 16 cores and 5.4GHz boost clock, you get plenty of power for anything you want to throw at it. Of course, to unlock all that potential, you need a decent motherboard.
There are a lot of options out there, but I’ve narrowed it down to the 3 Best Motherboards for the i7 13700KF.
Starting with a budget-friendly option that offers great performance for its price, moving on to a premium choice that spares no expense for the ultimate features and performance, and finishing with my top pick, which strikes the perfect balance between performance and value.
So, let’s get started!
Number 3. MSI Pro B760-P Wi-Fi – Best Budget Motherboard For Intel Core i7 13700KF
There are a lot of expensive DDR5 motherboards with beefy VRM setups out there, but you don’t always need that for a good experience. If you have some older DDR4 sticks lying around or can find one for a good price, it’s a more practical choice to go with the older platform. This choice also opens the door to a ton of affordable motherboards, including the excellent MSI B760-P Wi-Fi.
Compared to its B660 predecessor, the B760-P has a more robust VRM setup and support for faster memory. The older version only had an 8-phase power delivery configuration, while the newer version features 12+1 phases. This makes it a more sensible choice for high-end Intel chips.
As for the design, this is a very understated motherboard that does not have a lot going on. For a lot of people, the neutral design might prove to be a good thing. It has an all-black PCB, black heatsinks, and some white accents here and there. It won’t stand out in any build, but it won’t look out of place either.
However, while the design is a bit boring, the performance certainly isn’t. This 13-phase power delivery configuration is incredibly strong as MSI is using a dual rail power system with high-quality capacitors. It can easily handle almost any chip on the market, and that’s saying a lot for a cheap B760 motherboard. With that said, it is important to consider that since it’s a B760 motherboard it does not support overclocking. That’s true for all B760 motherboards, but it’s still important to remember.
Of course, considering how hot some Intel chips can get, a motherboard that doesn’t allow you to overclock makes sense. You’d only be pushing the power and thermal requirements further, and you’d need a stronger cooler as a result.
Moving on to the ports and connectivity, this board features a Realtek 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port, Intel Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.2. In terms of USB ports, you get a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, two 10Gbps Type-A ports, and four additional USB 2.0 Type-A ports on the rear. You unfortunately only get two M.2 slots, and MSI could have easily added another considering this is a full-size ATX board.
There are cheaper B760 boards out there, especially in the micro-ATX category. For example, both the Gigabyte DS3H and ASUS Prime B760 boards cost considerably less. However, both boards lack Wi-Fi and have weaker VRMs than the MSI board.
It is also worth noting that you can also get the DDR5 version of this board. It’s not significantly more expensive, but a DDR5 kit will definitely cost more. Other than that, both boards are about the same. Whichever one you go for, you won’t be disappointed with its price-to-performance ratio.
To sum up, what I like is…
Excellent price-to-performance ratio
Robust VRM design
Stealthy design
Wi-Fi 6E
On the downside…
Only two M.2 slots
RATINGS:
VRM Design: 8.5/10
Connectivity: 8.5/10
Aesthetics: 8/10
Features: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Number 2. ASUS ROG Maximus Dark Hero – Best Premium Motherboard For Intel Core i7 13700KF
Budget motherboards are always great, but if you want extra ports, a beefy VRM setup, and support for the latest VRM standards, it’s going to cost you. The ROG Maximus Z790 is by no means an affordable motherboard, and it’s not trying to be either. It’s a motherboard that goes all out on almost every aspect, and it’s the one you should be buying if you want the ultimate experience with the 13700KF.
Its predecessor, the Z690 Hero, was already an over-the-top motherboard, but the Z790 version takes it even further. Somehow, it has an even beefier VRM setup and better wireless connectivity standards. However, it does retain everything great about the previous model such as the ludicrous design.
Speaking of which, this board is incredibly flashy, but every design element is well executed. For starters, you have the words “Maximus Dark Hero” printed boldly on the rear panel cover. To the right of that lettering, you get an LED display that showcases the ROG logo with some customizable RGB lighting. Right next to that, we have a gigantic all-black VRM heatsink that matches with the PCB.
Oh, and we’re barely getting started. The whopping five M.2 slots are all covered with a gigantic armored heatsink that houses the ROG eye logo. On the back, there is a metal backplate that protects all the circuitry and pins.
Furthermore, as this is an enthusiast motherboard, it has a lot of extra bells and whistles you won’t find elsewhere. For example, it has a feature called the PCIe Slot Q-Release. This is essentially a button you can press to open the PCIe lock, preventing any sort of damage to the slot or the GPU itself. There’s a similar Q-latch on the M.2 slots, eliminating the need for those tiny M.2 screws.
On top of that, you also get a two-digit POST code debugging LED that displays a reference value for potential errors in your PC. If you ever need to flash the BIOS to fix those errors, the BIOS Flashback allows you to do that easily. Finally, there’s also a clear CMOS button on the rear.
Now, onto the star of the show. This board has an impressive 20 + 1 + 2 power delivery configuration, totaling a 23-phase VRM setup. That makes it completely overkill for almost any processor on the market, but it opens the door to some ridiculous overclocking so it will have no problem at all handling an overclocked i7 13700kf. Fortunately, the massive VRM heatsinks will help with keeping temperatures in check.
Finally, let’s talk about connectivity and ports. You get five M.2 slots, 4 SATA ports, Wi-Fi 7, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.3. On top of all that, you get your usual array of USB 3.0 and 3.2 ports. The real kicker is that you also get 2 Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, allowing for ultra-fast file transfers. There’s another USB 20Gbps Type-C connector that supports up to 60W fast charging.
As for the competition, there are similar motherboards of this caliber. For example, there’s the MSI MEG Z790 ACE Max, a board that has almost all the same features as the Maximus Dark Hero. However, it’s even more expensive, making the value proposition worse.
Considering all that, if you want one of the best motherboard possible for gaming and productivity, the Maximus Dark Hero is an incredible choice. It has an eye-watering price, but it’s worth it if you can put it to good use pairing it with a high end processor like the i7 13700kf.
To sum up, what I like is…
Phenomenal VRM setup
Sleek design and clever features
Customizable RGB display
Fast Thunderbolt 4 ports
On the downside…
Very expensive
RATINGS:
VRM Design: 9/10
Connectivity: 9/10
Aesthetics: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Value for Money: 7.5/10
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Number 1. ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 Pro Wi-Fi – Our Top Choice
Enthusiast motherboards are great, but not everybody needs all those features. On the flip side, budget motherboards often sacrifice features that you want. There’s a fine line between the two, and ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 Pro walks this line perfectly. It’s one of the most well-balanced Z790 boards out there, and it comes at a great price.
Its predecessor is the TUF Gaming Z690 Plus, and the main difference between the two is in the VRM setup. While the Z690 version had a 16-phase design, the Z790 version improves this further with its 16+1+1 phase setup. It also has the newer BIOS out of the box, making it a more sensible choice for the newer 13th and 14th Gen Intel CPUs.
Moving on to the design, ASUS’ TUF Gaming line usually consists of a more subtle appearance compared to their ROG Strix line, and that remains true here. This board has a black PCB, black heatsinks, and a rear panel cover with some white lettering as an accent. The chipset heatsink also has the TUF Gaming logo in white. There is some very subtle RGB lighting at the top-right edge, but it’s not very bright. Also I do have one complaint here, and that’s the lack of a POST code debugging display.
While the design might not be anything special, the VRM setup is much more interesting. The 18-phase setup is broken up into a 16 + 1 + 1 design that sits on the six-layer PCB. ASUS uses very high-quality components and MOSFETs here, making the power delivery stable and reliable. Of course, you can put all that stability to good use with some incredible overclocking.
Speaking of which, this board overclocks Intel processors quite well. As long as you have a strong CPU cooler, you should not run into any problems pushing your chip to the max. The huge heatsinks also do a great job of dissipating heat.
As for the port and slot selection, they did not skimp out here. You get three PCIe x16 slots, and the top one supports PCIe Gen 5 GPUs. It also features 4 M.2 slots and 4 SATA ports, meaning you can hook up all your drives with ease. Connectivity is also great since you get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 along with Intel 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. As a bonus, it also has a Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port.
With all of that said, there are some boards out there that give you more features. For example, the MSI MPG Z790 EDGE gives you one more M.2 slot and a much better-looking design, but it costs significantly more. Considering that TUF Gaming is the better value and has everything you need, it’s an easy choice between the two.
All things considered, this motherboard gets a lot of things right. Considering it’s relatively well priced for a Z790 board and has all the features you need, it’s a solid purchase regardless of what CPU you plan to pair it with.
To sum up, what I like is…
The highly competitive price
Impressive VRM setup
Thunderbolt 4
On the downside…
Design is somewhat boring
No debugging display
RATINGS:
VRM Design: 9/10
Connectivity: 9/10
Aesthetics: 8/10
Features: 8/10
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 i7 13700KF?
Tell us in the comments below.
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