5 best Z790 motherboards for Intel 13th generation CPUs

Intel's 13th generation "Raptor Lake" processors are now available, and that means a bunch of new motherboards to go with them. While they aren't much of an upgrade over the Alder Lake line, these new processors have more cores and a larger L2 cache than before, further solidifying Intel's lead over AMD.

Intel 13th Gen CPUs use the same LGA1700 socket as previous 12th Gen CPUs, meaning the new 13th Gen processors will also work with Z690 motherboards. However, the new Z790 platform is the best way to get the most out of your 13th Gen Intel CPU.

Below are the best Z790 motherboards today.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

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ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero doesn't need much introduction. It may not be cheap, but it is definitely the best Z790 motherboard to build a Raptor-Lake based system. This board has everything you need to build the ultimate gaming PC, from a 20-phase, 90A VRM capable of pushing the new Intel Core i9-13900K to its limits to a full PCIe 5.0 design and support DDR5 memory.

ASUS motherboards are famous for their easy overclocking capabilities, and the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is no exception. It comes with a full-featured, easy-to-use BIOS, as well as a BIOS flashback button, integrated power button, and 7-segment LED for troubleshooting. And if you like RGB lighting, this board has built-in LEDs and multiple RGB headers.

Large radiators do the job well, but water cooling can achieve even lower temperatures. ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is one of the best Z790 motherboards that comes with custom water cooling, which can maintain peak performance and keep the CPU cool. At the rear, there are 12 USB ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps ports and WiFi 6E with a rich and future-proof feature set.

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX

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Those on a tight budget but still want to build a future-proof 13th Gen Intel Raptor Lake-based PC should consider the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX. This is one of the most affordable Z790 boards with DDR5 support, and just because it's a budget option doesn't mean it doesn't pack some of the latest technology, including PCIe 5.0 support and WiFi 6E.

The motherboard is black and the heatsinks are sturdy. It has 4 high-speed M.2 Gen 4 slots that are also equipped with heatsinks to avoid thermal bottlenecks. GIGABYTE makes building on this board super easy thanks to its quick-release design that allows the GPU or M.2 SSD to be easily removed without any tools required.

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS Elite AX has a good VRM that can handle the best Intel, stock or overclocked CPUs. In short, it offers plenty of ports, including a 20Gbps USB-C port and 2.5G Ethernet.

ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite

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If the only goal is gaming, whether as a hobby or for competition, the ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite is equipped with all the features PC gamers love, from storage to I/O and multiple USB ports.

The ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite doesn't just have one or two M.2 slots but up to five, one of which runs at Gen 5 speeds and the others run at Gen 4 speeds. And that's not even included 8 SATA ports. Why bother choosing one game over another when you can install them all?

Above all, the ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite is forward-thinking. For example, this socket supports 12th, 13th and 14th generation Intel CPUs, which can be overclocked. More importantly, PCIe x16 supports Gen 5 graphics cards and is backward compatible. You'll be ready when the new and best GPUs hit the market!

MSI MPG Z790I Edge WiFi

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The top ITX motherboards are mostly on the higher end of the price scale, but the MSI MPG Z790I Edge WiFi has a slight edge over competing boards from ASUS and ASRock. It packs some of the best features of the Z790 with minimal, sensible sacrifices, making it the best LGA 1700 Mini ITX motherboard for building a 13th Gen PC.

The powerful 105A MOSFET provides plenty of headroom for overclocking. It also supports PCIe 5.0 for graphics cards and overclocked DDR5 memory up to 8000 MHz, ensuring maximum utilization of the latest GPU and memory performance. One notable omission is PCIe 5.0 support for M.2 storage, but that likely won't be a deal-breaker since you can get excellent speeds from current PCIe 4.0 SSDs.

The motherboard comes in a stylish silver white color that looks good in most cases. It's equipped with heatsinks, including an actively cooled VRM heatsink to help keep PC components cool. The connectivity options are impressive for such a small board; it has three M.2 slots, four SATA ports for storage needs, and seven rear USB ports for peripherals.

ASUS Prime Z790M-Plus

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If you're considering a compact design but want more connectivity options, this micro ATX motherboard from ASUS is a great choice. It's more affordable than most Z790 motherboards and still supports DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. It also has more USB ports, RAM slots, and PCIe expansion slots than ITX boards, which is great if you want to upgrade your PC later.

ASUS Prime Z790M-Plus can handle a standard Core i5-13600K or Core i7-13700K without any problems, you can even overclock the memory up to 7200MHz to increase performance. The integrated heatsinks do a great job of keeping temperatures acceptable when combined with a good cooler, but it doesn't have any heatsinks for the M.2 slots. However, that's something you can easily fix by purchasing an M.2 SSD with a built-in heatsink.

Overall, the ASUS Prime Z790M-Plus is a great choice for those who want a Z790 motherboard at a reasonable price. The small size is ideal for those with small desks or limited space. Even though this motherboard is cheap, it has good enough specs to make a good PC for work or gaming.

Samuel Daniel

Update 11 May 2024