Best Motherboards for i7 6700k
These days, when you’re building a PC, it’s all about the motherboard. Whether you’re a gamer or a graphics professional, build quality is essential. The problem is that there are so many gaming motherboards to choose from, and you can’t tell which one is the best for your needs. Before selecting any motherboard, though, you should be clear about your requirements. For instance, are you a gamer? Or maybe you’re looking to build a workstation. While you’re figuring that out, take a look at our list of best motherboards for i7 6700k based on some simple variables.
At A Glance:
BEST PICK
Best Motherboards for i7 6700k
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII Hero
- Great Design.
- Allows Overclocking.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- High Satisfaction Rate.
- Highly regarded as the top 1 consumer choice.
- Most features and extras when compared to all other options on this list
STAFF PICK
Best Overall Motherboard for i7 6700k
Asus Z170-A ATX
- Allows Overclocking.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- Great performance for the price it costs.
- BIOS is great for inexperienced people.
BUDGET PICK
Best Mid-Tier Budget Motherboard for i7 6700k
Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 3
- Great design, looks amazing.
- Incredible performance for the price it costs.
- Allows Overclocking.
- ATX Size.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
We know that not every motherboard out there has the same functions, specifications, and features that you need as overclockers or even a computer veteran. And that is why we created this list because choosing the best motherboard from the list of too many options can help you save time searching for one.
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z170
The Pros:
- Allows Overclocking.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- Great performance for the price it costs.
- BIOS is great for inexperienced people.
The Cons:
- Not as many features as the ROG MAXIMUS.
The Asus Z170-A is designed for gamers and comes with all the bells and whistles. The motherboard fits into a standard ATX case and does not require any auxiliary power cables. In addition, there is a solid heat sink on top of it that keeps it cool.
The board strikes a balance between affordability and quality; hence it’s a great option if you want something to simply build on or port over your old rig without shelling out too much cash.
I’m a big fan of ROG motherboards, and the ASUS Z170-A is an excellent choice for an Intel LGA1151 motherboard that will work for Skylake builds with the Intel Core I7 6700K CPU.
ROG stands for “Republic of Gamers,” which should give you a clue on what kind of motherboard this is: one made for people who game, work with 3D applications, are into overclocking, or heavy video editing/photography.
The Asus Z170-A ATX has a few extra features not found on other Motherboards. These features are called RAM Caching and Top Speed Protected Networking.
Both are good features, but we have not noticed any difference between this board and others that don’t have these extra features.
The Asus Z170-A ATX is a very cheap, reliable motherboard that has done us right so far. We have not experienced any problems with this mobo which makes it easy to recommend.
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If you plan to build a new PC and need a cheap but reliable motherboard, check out the Asus Z170-A ATX.
The Asus Z170-A is sharp and simplistic in its design. It’s a black-plated motherboard with an advanced layout and a neutral look.
The LGA1151 socket at the center of the board is flanked by 16x DDR4 memory slots that allow you to install up to 64GB of RAM.
Another user who used this motherboard for about one year mentioned that “the BIOS interface is straightforward to navigate” and that he “love[s] the fact you can change most if not all settings from within the BIOS.”
This person also said that he really “liked the new SATA modes as well as the overclocking software.”
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z170
The Pros:
- Great design, looks amazing.
- Incredible performance for the price it costs.
- Allows Overclocking.
- ATX Size.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
The Cons:
- Has the least features when compared to others in this list.
If you are looking for an upgrade to the Z170 series motherboards, this Gigabyte one might be a good option for you. It is similar to Asus Rog Strix’s appearance; however, this version has some noticeable features that make it an exciting motherboard worth your money.
While being an ATX sized board, the Z170 Gaming 3 still has many excellent features for its size. Like most motherboards in the Gaming 3 series, the Z170 still supports Smart Fan 5 so that each fan on your system can be controlled individually based on the temperature you have set.
The motherboard also supports six different temperature sensors located in crucial areas around the CPU and motherboard. There is also a BIOS Flashback+ feature that allows you to flash your BIOS without any issues or worries.
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What makes SLI so great? It is an outstanding feature to have and can prove very useful in the long run. It is designed to boost the gaming performance of several graphics cards together.
If you are using two, three, or even more video cards at a time, then you will get some extra understanding at no cost. This feature gives you a boost in FPS and allows you to play with multiple monitors without any difficulty.
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z170
The Pros:
- Allows Overclocking.
- Easy UEFI interface.
The Cons:
- PCIE speed for 3
When you want to have the best gaming experience, you need to make sure that your PC is up to the task. This includes more than just hardware. You also need a gaming board that is going to support all your current and future computer accessories.
The MSI Z170A Xpower Gaming Titanium Edition motherboard is made just for gamers like you looking for the ultimate gaming experience and durability and coolness.
It comes with features like DDR4 Steel Armor so that you can get flawlessly smooth performance. There’s also the Turbo M.2, Mystic Light Sync, and Audio Boost 3 Pro, which give the motherboard an edge in terms of performance. It can also handle a 4.7 GHz
The MSI Z170A Xpower Gaming Titanium Edition With DDR4 is one of the best motherboards for any gaming enthusiast, and you can use it no matter what kind of games are there. It comes with dual-channel memory, and it doesn’t require high voltages.
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Furthermore, the motherboard is designed to go with a sophisticated PCB, which offers power stability at all times. In addition, the motherboard was made based on Military Class 5 standards, and this ensures that the components used are safe at all times.
There are 4 DIMM slots. The memory clock can go as high as 2000 MHz (OC). It also has a 3D drive guard protection. The storage is fast since it has an Xpander slot that will support 32 GB/s bandwidth.
There are 6 SATA slots, and with a Ryzen CPU, you’ll get to utilize it all. With x8/x8 mode, you can have a total of 16 GB/s throughputs if just one or both are in use.”
You have dual Realtek ALC1150 codecs, which means to say that you have gold-plated ports of RCA.
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z170
The Pros:
- Great Design.
- Allows Overclocking.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- High Satisfaction Rate.
- Highly regarded as the top 1 consumer choice.
- Most features and extras when compared to all other options on this list
The Cons:
- NOT BUDGET-FRIENDLY
WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, the ASUS Maximus VIII Hero is the perfect motherboard for anyone looking to push past the 4GHz barrier.
I have been pushing my i7 6700K on this board, and it has stayed rock solid even at 5.1GHz stable on liquid Nitrogen without the need for aggressive voltages and while still having room to go higher.
For its outstanding performance, the Asus ROG Maximus achieves a very high satisfaction rate. The sound card that comes with this motherboard is considered one of the best on the market.
It can satisfy all your needs no matter if you are a gamer or just someone who likes listening to some music.
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Sonic Sense Amp is a brand new technology that allows automatic configuration of your headphone’s hardware.
It recognizes the impedance of your headphones and optimizes the built-in AMP (called the Sonic Studio Amp) so that your headphones sound crystal clear.
It has all the features you need and expect from a top-quality motherboard. The heat sinks are great, too, although I haven’t installed them yet. The motherboard supports Bios update, and it so far has been relatively stable.
I also have to say that customer support is also great, they replied quickly to my questions, and their answers were detailed.
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z170
The Pros:
- Fantastic audio performance.
- Ample gaming features in software
- Wide-open BIOS ready for tweaking to the limit.
The Cons:
- Fan headers could be better.
- Limited automated clocking abilities.
The MSI Performance Gaming is a gaming motherboard for Intel processors. It’s built on the Intel Z170 chipset and designed to work with the i7 6700K CPU. This model doesn’t have gamer-centric or gaming-specific features like the AURA LED system we reviewed above.
Instead, it’s designed as an entry-level offering for people who want the most important features without paying extra for things they don’t need.
The SATA configuration of MSI performance gaming motherboard is complete with SATA Express and SATA 3.0 storage. The other thing that you will like on the board is a good amount of USB ports.
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You will find 2 USB 3.0 ports on the board, which is considered a good provision because you can connect your best devices. It has 2 USB 2.0 ports too, for all types of connections without thinking about anything else.
One of the primary selling points of this motherboard is its audio quality. If you’re an audiophile, this motherboard can deliver rich and clear audio, and the control panel has plenty of options for tweaking the sound to your liking.
However, if you’re into cable management, you may want to look for other motherboards that offer better placement for the SATA ports since the placement on this board can get quite messy.
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z270
The Pros:
- PEX8747 chip
- UEFI interface
- Dual M.2 and U.2
- Great performance
- Hybrid Water Block
The Cons:
- Power consumption
The Gigabyte GA-Z270X-Gaming 9 motherboard has many significant features that make this motherboard stand out from the other gaming motherboards. First of all, it supports both 6th generation and 7th generation core processors.
The second feature is the overclocking-friendly features that allow you to tweak your device if you want to overclock your CPU or GPU.
Finally, it also offers RGB LED lighting with intelligent functionality, so you can fully customize your gaming PC according to your needs and preferences.
It has an iTE 12K platinum power purifier and DrMOS on-chip protection, both technologies, makes the motherboard capable of handling the upgrade without problems.
In addition to this, the motherboard offers users access to 7.1 channel audio output and a high-speed Ethernet port. Furthermore, the Gigabyte GA-Z270X – Gaming 9 supports NVIDIA graphics cards, thanks to its NVIDIA SLI compatibility.
The Gigabyte GA-Z270X-Gaming 9 motherboard is a high-specification board that is based on Intel Z270 chipset8. However, the most valuable feature of this motherboard is its onboard RAM support of up to 64GB at 2,666MHz.
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In addition, its PCIe storage array consists of four SATA 3 slots and three M.2 slots for expansion cards.
This motherboard supports a triple monitor and 4K or 6K resolutions with AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA 3-way SLI technology. It does support 16 different types of display from VGA, HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort outputs.
Mainly, it is the Z270X-Gaming 9 motherboard that comes with many different features. The motherboard has a feature that can boost your PC to its highest performance.
Other than that, the motherboard also comes with a multi-debug LED that makes it easier for you to diagnose and troubleshoot problems. This should make you enjoy an easier time handling and playing games on your computer.
Socket: LGA 1151
Chipset: Intel Z170
The Pros:
- UEFI interface, performance, overclocking, power consumption.
- Allows Overclocking.
- Intel GigE network controller performance.
The Cons:
- Lack of M.2 port.
- Intel® Z170.
The ASUS Maximus VIII Impact is the best gaming motherboard for i7 6700k. It has the best hardware design compared to many other models of motherboards available on the market today.
You can be sure that this will be the best one to choose if you assemble a high-speed PC. Even though it is a little on the pricey side, you would find it a good investment since it can provide you with more than what you have bargained.
One of the most common things that can go wrong with a PC is booting problems. It often happens because of malware or insufficient power supply.
However, the ASUS Maximus VIII Impact motherboard will ensure you never experience any of these problems again.
This is why the product should be your top consideration for gaming motherboards in the market.
The Asus Maximus VIII Impact has many features that make it the right choice for a gamer. Starting with the memory, Asus takes full advantage of the latest Intel Z170 chipset by allowing you to upgrade to DDR4 2133 MHz as maximum frequency.
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The Maximus VIII Impact comes with an onboard graphics card, but you can compare it with an AMD R9 270 graphics card even at that level. The 4K resolution is easily supported by this motherboard as well.
The SupremeFX Impact III is an excellent example of how superior quality audio can elevate your gaming experience. It comes with the Sonic Radar Pro for smooth in-game response and improved accuracy.
In addition, the CLUTTER FREE AUDIO gives you clear and precise audio without any interference or clutter from other sounds.
The USB 3.1 Type C port also comes in handy if you frequently connect and disconnect devices.
FAQ
Which motherboard is very suitable from the best motherboards for the i7 6700k?
ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA Z270 is one of the best motherboards that can be used on your computer. It is really powerful and offers you the best technological support.
The main features of this board are the application of a black metallic Coat for better heat dissipation, tailored anti-dust capacitors, and LANGuard networking technology that can help improve network security.
It comes with eight USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, one USB Type-C port, and one SD card slot that will surely be useful to you. You can install up to six graphics cards on this board as well as slots for mSATA and SSDs.
It also has HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI ports that let you connect your display to an extended screen without using a resort to expensive cables.
Will i7 6700K perform well for gaming?
Yes, the i7 6700K processor is ideal for top gaming performance. The chip has four cores, running at 3.6GHz, unlocked, and with a Turbo Boost rating of 4.0GHz.
That means you can equal or even beat some of the most expensive gaming computers out there right now for similar game titles without having to spend any extra cash on a processor.
The i7 6700K is also 100% compatible with Nvidia’s latest and greatest, including the GTX 1080 Ti and RTX 2070, so you can forget about playing titles at 1080p on high settings without hitting the graphics card’s integrated clock speeds.
Is i7 6700K compatible with Z370?
Yes, you read that right. The Skylake-SP chipset has officially been identified by Intel as incompatible with the Z370 chipset on current motherboards.
Does i7 6700k Have Hyper-Threading?
Just as the previous i5 and i7 chips were built with hyper-threading support in mind, the i7 6700k is also packed with the same feature. This means that aside from having four physical cores, this chip can also overclock itself.
What chipset is i7 6700K?
It uses the Intel Skylake Z170 Chipset.
Is the i7 6700K good for gaming
Forget everything you know about processor speed. The i7 6700k is faster than you might expect. It’s unlocked, meaning you can choose the settings that best suit your needs.
Is i7-6700k still good 2021
The i7–6700K is a superb processor in the modern era of PCs. Compared to the earlier i5-4690K, it offers a boost in performance – especially in multi-threaded applications.
Can I use 6700k on Z270?
The i7-6700K will only work on Z170 or Z270 motherboards because of a chipset limitation.
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Steve is MoboNinja’s Editor in chief. He was raised with a quest for the gaming craze. That’s why he describes himself as a dedicated programmer and gamer.
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