The 10th generation Intel CPU line has arrived and the new i9 is a killer processor. The Intel i9-10900K is the premiere card of the latest generation and balances insane speeds with a huge core count and that dependability we love from Intel.
Rather than being used for just gaming, the I9 series balances Media production and content creation with the blazing-fast speeds you want while gaming.
You’d actually be remiss to not use all that extra power by just gaming, as gaming doesn’t take full advantage of the epic 10th gen i9. New Intel Processors usually mean one thing has to change, your motherboard.
Best Motherboard For Intel i9 10900K
- ASRock Z490 Taichi (Best Budget Motherboard For Intel i9 10900K)
- MSI Z490 GODLIKE
- Gigabyte Z490 Aorus Xtreme (Best High-End Motherboard For Intel i9 10900K)
The 10th generation brings with it the LGA1200 socket type. That means you shouldn’t buy one of these and expect to just drop it into your old mobo. It just won’t work. A new i9-10900K is going to require a motherboard upgrade and the Z490 chipset has you covered. Although it’s a bit pricier to buy a new CPU and Mobo, I guarantee you’ll be blown away by the power that the new i9 brings you.
So why upgrade to the Z490 chipset? Upgrading your motherboard isn’t just a socket type change, the newer Z490 is full of useful features to make your desktop setup epic. Most are similar to a high-end Z390 which itself was a large upgrade.
One of the most convenient changes is the integrated Intel Wi-fi 6 as well as the Z490 specific feature of being ready for the next future Intel gen. That means you’ll get features like PCIe 4.0, technology that hasn’t even arrived yet for mainstream gamers.
Best Motherboards For Intel i9-10900K Review Guide
It’s not just cutting edge motherboard technology that matters as well, if you’ve been using an aging system, you’ll see a lot of differences that just make building and running a gaming PC far better than ever before. This hardware roundup will introduce you to my top motherboards right now for use with your fancy new i9-10900K!
ASRock Z490 Taichi: Check Price On Amazon
Best Budget Motherboard For Intel i9 10900K
ASRock has a pretty odd name but makes some pretty affordable motherboards and some of the best high-end products around as well. The ASRock Z490 Taichi is just an overall solid mobo with all the features we’ve hoped Z490 would bring and a bit of stylish flair as well. One of the best features is the use of Intel Wi-Fi 802.11ax (Stellar speeds) and BT 5.1.
While Bluetooth wasn’t the most valuable feature in a desktop a couple of years ago, it’s absolutely critical for a wide range of today’s audio products. I recently upgraded and can’t get enough of sound-canceling headphones without some cord strangling me every time I turn my head.
There are also a staggering 9 USB 3.2 ports meaning you’ll kind of always have some way to plug stuff in. Realistically you’d have to try to run out of space. It also has 3 M.2 slots and 8 SATA spots meaning a Media professional can jampack this mobo with the fastest and largest data storage devices on the market. And did I mention it has RGB control?
That’s pretty neat considering a lot of modern mobo configurations have some RGB but don’t really allow it to change or be that different. We have to note that those who love to overclock won’t find many heatsinks or pre-installed cooling solutions.
Granted it’s got two nice ones but they can’t even compare to the AORUS XTREME. The ASRock can easily use liquid-cooling but those who love to overclock may want a board with more heatsinks.
While the other two motherboards on this list are superior in features, design, and much more, for those on a budget, this is the goto motherboard. The next-gen will always be pricey but this balances that cost and quality an i9-10900K setup demands.
Pros
- Z490 motherboards are future-proofed for upcoming Intel products and emerging technology
- 7.1 HD Audio for fantastic immersive sound
- Tons of RGB control
- Affordable while treating that i9 real nice
Cons
- Not very heat savvy
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MSI MEG Z490 Godlike: Check Price On Amazon
Godlike is a pretty audacious claim but good for MSI for living confident. This motherboard is no slouch either as it won the record for the i9 9900KS when it was overclocked to an outrageous 7478 MHz. In short, this board is incredible.
Supporting LGA 1200 and running up to 128GB of DDR4 Memory as speeds such as 5000MHz, they should have named this the MSI Overkill. The MEG Godlike will scratch any itch you have for the next several years and perhaps longer.
I love it when motherboards offer loads of M.2 sockets. They’re useful for an array of things but specifically those quick as lightning NVMe ports that allow long-term storage solutions to just be blistering fast. The transfer speeds feel almost unheard of at 32 GB/s.
As a producer of Media content myself, I know the frustration of using a 4K workflow on an old processor but also the need for data to get to the processor faster. I upgraded to NVMe about six months ago and wouldn’t go back.
That being said, I used high-end NVMe (Cheaper Intel ones will just feel sloppy compared to true NVMe drives). If you are streaming and recording and cutting content, that i9 will do most of the heavy lifting but a motherboard like this helps you get the right flow with your footage load.
While sort of a misnomer, this is considered an E-ATX board meaning it is HUGE. That’s not a problem for those who are building a battle station with a huge case but be prepared for a larger footprint than usual.
This is a hell of a mobo but I’d be lying if I didn’t say the AORUS XTREME can give you chills with it’s fantastic heat destroying design. That being said, you bought an i9-10900K and should treat it nice so no judgment here getting a motherboard of this extraordinary caliber.
Pros
- Multiple Thunderbolt ports
- Tons of SSD and NVMe device options
- Fantastic for content creators and streamers
Cons
- E-ATX is huge and a bit of a misnomer
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Gigabyte Z490 AORUS XTREME: Check Price On Amazon
Best High-End Motherbaord For Intel i9 10900K
Oh Gigabyte. You have the audacity to be more expensive than MSI and yet the humbleness to only call yourself XTREME instead of godlike. The Gigabyte Z490 AORUS XTREME is the ultimate motherboard. Granted it should be once you hit a certain price point.
Additionally, it just looks so freaking cool! The breadboard is covered by some really artsy impressive-looking metal pieces that are actually heatsinks. These are real bonafide heatsinks making this motherboard run as cool as a cucumber.
This is particularly nice for those who really push equipment to the limit. As modern 4K gaming becomes the norm and 60 FPS is attempted as the standard, boards like the AORUS XTREME help push modern-day equipment like it comes from the future.
This board can handle overclocking and with that i9-10900K you might as well attempt to break a few records. While the Godlike might hold the world record for the i9 9900KS, perhaps you can hit the record with the i9-10900K.
Overall this motherboard is just a beautiful piece of technology offering all the features you could ever want from a mobo. Intel 6 Wi-FI. PCIe 4.0 future-proofing. And a bit of a beefy E-ATX build (So be aware it’s huge). There are also onboard RGB options and with such a sick looking motherboard it’s natural to want to show-off a little bit.
So what’s not to like? The price.
This is easily a premium product. No complaint on what you are getting but there is some reasonable thought that the money is better spent on other parts of your rig if you aren’t into content creation. I would recommend this though if you want the best of the best!
Pros
- Heatsinks like you’ve never seen before
- Really professional and sleek design
- Tons of room for SSD and NVMe
- Perfect for those who want to push the gear they own to the absolute limit
Cons
- Price makes one think they should start panning for gold
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Conclusion
Upgrading your CPU can be a headache. You have to change the socket and often older parts have compatibility issues. One of the nice things about the recent switch to LGA1200 is that you are getting in on the ground floor of the next generation.
These motherboards are not just for today’s products. They’re for tomorrow as well. It’s one of the best times to buy because you get a bit of natural future-proofing as you know you’ll probably still be using this 5 years from now and able to upgrade once more.
If you picked up a 10th gen Intel Processor, you’ll need to upgrade, so you might as pick up one of these stellar motherboards and ride that high-quality design into the future. It’s amazing what’s coming out and these motherboards are just another example of the awesome future of PC gaming.
You can’t go wrong with any of these options. As always, thanks for joining us as we roundup hardware and show you the best of the best in PC Gaming.