Top 5 Best Motherboards for i9 9900K to Buy in 2022

While the Intel Core i9 9900K may not be Intel’s latest processor at the moment, it is still one of the best processors. Since it’s a couple of generations old, you can buy this high-performance processor at a great price, and at the same time, you can expect to get excellent performance from this chip especially for gaming, thanks to its excellent overclocking capabilities. 

Fast forward to 2022 and the Core i9 9900K is still one of the most powerful gaming CPUs on the market, despite the release of subsequent CPU generations from Intel and AMD . Though yes, it’s not as important as it used to be, but considering the small performance differences between different high-end CPUs these days, it would be hard to find any noticeable difference when judging performance in real life.

Armed with 8 cores and 16 threads with a 5GHz Boost Clock, the Core i9 9900K is certainly not the easiest CPU to handle in terms of power requirements. It requires clean and stable power from the motherboard, especially during overclocking, to reliably reach maximum frequencies. For that reason, motherboard choice is crucial if you want to pair it with a temperamental CPU like the 9900K.

To help you, we have listed some of the best motherboards for the i9 9900K processor that you can buy.

Best Motherboards for i9 9900K

1. ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E

Best Overall

Asus also makes high-performance motherboards under its ROG Strix lineup that have mid-range prices, including its Z390 offerings made for Intel processors.

This Asus ROG Strix Z390 motherboard is the third product in this article and you get a high performance Z390 ATX motherboard with LGA1151 socket for 8th and 9th generation Intel CPUs. With this Z390 motherboard, you can expect to get excellent overclocking performance for both CPU and memory.

Speaking of memory, there are a total of 4 memory slots that support up to 128GB of RAM along with dual SSD slots and 6 SATA3 ports. Other connectivity options are USB Type C, Type A, Display Port, HDMI, Ethernet, and much more with this board. While it does include Wi-Fi with this board, its speeds are a bit limited as it is not Wi-Fi 6. Fortunately, you can easily add a separate network card using the 6 included PCIe slots.

2. ASUS TUF Z390

Of the various products offered by Asus, the Asus TUF line is known to offer affordable options like a Z390 motherboard made for the Intel Core i9 9900K.

Asus’ TUF Pro Z390 motherboard is the second product on this list, as it can be another viable option for buyers on a budget. Fortunately, like the Gigabyte board above, this is also an ATX form factor Z390 motherboard with the Intel LGA1151 socket. You also get pretty decent overclocking performance with this one.

In terms of connectivity options, you get 6 PCIe slots, 4 memory slots that support up to 128GB of RAM, dual M.2 slots, 6 SATA3 ports, multiple high-speed USB ports, HDMI and DisplayPort ports, and more with This motherboard made for Intel Core i9 9900K. However, you don’t get Wi-Fi connectivity with this motherboard, which may be necessary for some.

3. ASUS ROG Maximus XI Hero

If you have no budget constraints, then the Asus ROG Maximus line may be for you because you get excellent performance.

The Asus ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390 motherboard is the most powerful option indicated in this article. As well as offering high-performance numbers and a built-in water cooling block, you also get a standard ATX form factor with this Z390 motherboard along with the LGA1151 socket.

You can also easily connect multiple devices using the various ports, such as dual M.2 SSD slots, 6 SATA3 ports, 4 memory slots supporting max 128GB RAM, USB 3.2 Type-A ports, USB Type-C ports, 4 PCIe slots, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 5G LAN, and much more with this board. Being a premium option, you also get a 3-year warranty on this motherboard for i9 9900K.

4. GIGABYTE Z390 AORUS PRO

Gigabyte is a brand of computer components known for offering high-performance products without paying a premium price for them.

The Gigabyte Aorus Pro Z390 motherboard is the first product on this list and is one of the cheaper options listed here. Even at the given price, you get the standard ATX form factor with this Gigabyte Z390 motherboard made for the Intel Core i9 9900K as it includes the LGA1151 socket. Speaking of its expansion options, you get a total of 6 PCIe slots of various sizes with this motherboard.

While it may not be the best option for high-end overclocking, you do get several connectivity options. This includes things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, dual M.2 slots with heatsinks, 6 SATA 3 ports, USB Type-C, Type-A, 4 memory slots for up to 128GB of RAM, ethernet, HDMI, and much more.

Best Cheap Motherboard for i9 9900K under $200

5. MSI Z390-A Pro

Best Cheap Option

MSI’s budget offering, the MSI Z390-A Pro, also makes a decent contender to be paired with your i9 9900K. Even though it is certainly not the most high-end board available on the market for this CPU, it can certainly handle the 9900K at stock speeds and can even dabble with some light overclocking, provided you have an appreciation for its limitations.

The VRM design of the board is acceptable and inoffensive. There is nothing particularly remarkable about this power delivery system, but it should get the job done regardless. Even at this price point, MSI has included some decent, finned heatsinks for the VRM components which is definitely a nice touch. One should not expect this board to be stable under aggressive overclocks on the 9900K, but it should be perfectly fine if you do not push it too hard with manual tuning.

Other notable features on the board include the addition of VGA and DVI-D to the standard selection of DisplayPort for the onboard video options. This allows the consumer to connect a variety of displays to the board since older displays generally do not support the DP standard. There is a single M.2 slot, 6 SATA ports, and an unimpressive number of USB ports on the board, which can be somewhat understandable at this price. The looks of the board are also understated and stealthy, and there is no lighting to be found anywhere on the board itself. This should suit those builders perfectly who are looking to build a blackout-themed gaming PC focusing on the i9 9900K itself.

While the MSI Z390-A Pro is certainly not a premium offering from MSI, it does get the job done appreciably well. The highlight of this choice is definitely it’s pricing, which is as low as one-third when compared to some of the offerings on this list. Keeping that in mind, it makes perfect sense why some gamers would want to pair the 9900K with this motherboard.

Frequently Asked Questions when buying the Best Motherboard For i9 9900k

Is i9 9900K good for gaming?

Yes, the Intel Core i9 9900K is still one of the fastest processors for gaming one can buy. Sure, it may not be topping the charts in every title anymore due to the release of subsequent CPU generations, but it packs more than a punch even for high-end machines. Gamers can expect to pair the Core i9 9900K even with the latest GPUs such as the RTX 3000 series, and still get the maximum performance out of the GPU without a hint of bottlenecking.What motherboard is compatible with i9 9900K?

The Intel Core i9-9900K is compatible with the Z390 and Z370 chipsets on the high-end, which are the two chipsets that support the full range of overclocking. Furthermore, the 9900K is also supported on the mid-range Intel Q370, B365, B360, H370, and H310 chipsets, all of which are deemed to be budget-oriented options for motherboards. When buying a motherboard for the i9 9900K it is best to stick with the high-end Z series motherboards since this CPU is exceptionally good at overclocking which can only be performed on the fully unlocked Z-series motherboards.Should I buy 9900k or 3900X?

The Core i9 9900K and the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X are both fantastic CPUs but they have some differences that make them suitable for different types of buyers. On one hand, the Core i9 9900K is slightly faster when it comes to raw gaming performance, so it should be prioritized over the 3900X if you are building a PC strictly for gaming. On the other hand, the Ryzen 9 3900X has 12 colors, 24 threads and is much faster when it comes to productivity tasks such as editing and streaming. So, the choice between the two really depends on your specific workload.

Is i9 9900K still good in 2022?

Yes, the i9 9900K is still a perfectly viable option for high-end gaming PCs in 2022. The advantage that those CPUs hold over the 9900K in real life. Moreover, the 9900K is also a bit cheaper nowadays due to its age, so it can be a great deal if you are looking for a high-end gaming processor but do not quite have the budget for a flagship gaming CPU such as the 11900K from Intel or the 5900X from AMD. Should I buy B365 for i9 9900K?

Generally, the B series chipsets from Intel are targeted towards the mid-range or budget segments of the market, and for a premium CPU such as the i9-9900K, those do not make a lot of sense. You give up on a lot of features when choosing a B365 motherboard chipset for this enthusiast-class CPU, the most important of which is the lack of overclocking support. Furthermore, the B series motherboards are often constructed with cost-saving measures in mind, so they can use inferior quality VRM components which can really hurt your CPU’s performance in the long term. 

Factors to Consider While Buying

Before we proceed to our picks, however, we have to understand the certain factors that one needs to consider before buying the motherboard. Buying a motherboard for a modern gaming or creation-centric PC is not straightforward as one might expect, as there are several factors that can be complicated depending on how much value you want to squeeze out of your investment. However, you should also avoid spending a fortune on your motherboard just for the sake of it. Following are some of the factors to consider before buying the motherboard.

Compatibility

The very first decision in the buying process will be dictated by your choice of CPU, as the two big players in the game processor, AMD and Intel, both use different motherboards with different sockets and chipsets. AMD is currently on the AM4 platform in terms of the socket, while Intel is using the LGA 1200 socket as of the time of writing. Judging the compatibility factor beforehand is absolutely crucial in order to ensure that your CPU and motherboard supports each other out of the box.

VRM and Power Delivery

This one is a bit more focused towards advanced users, but it still is very important to consider before buying a motherboard specifically for an enthusiast-class CPU such as the i9-9900K. The motherboard’s VRM or power delivery system is tasked with taking the direct power that is coming from the wall and converting it into clean, stable, and usable power for the CPU itself. The VRM design is absolutely crucial in order to get the best overclocking performance from high-end CPUs, and it should definitely be considered in the purchasing process. Furthermore, the VRM thermal performance is another factor that dictates the performance of the VRM components.

While these are some of the most critical factors to consider when buying the motherboard, there are several others that are also crucial to the longevity and performance of your system.

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