John Chad, Bachelor Degree in Computer Science & Computer Engineering.
Russel Collins
Picking the right motherboard is just as important as picking a good CPU & GPU, it’s what provides power & ties together all the computer parts together so picking one that will provide you with long-term safety (to avoid short circuits or similar issues) and to make sure you draw out every little bit of power as possible from your GPU & CPU.
With all the different options available, we know it’s difficult to know which one you should be picking but that’s what we are here for, If you’re wondering what the best motherboard for I7 11700k is, wonder no more!
To make the choosing process a lot easier, we have listed some points that you should consider before choosing any type of board:
– Budget (If you’re on a tight budget, a B560 might be the best bet for you since Z590’s are usually more expensive. Just be aware that you will not be able to overclock without a Z590)
– Type Of Work/Purpose (Workstation or Gaming) (If you’re planning on gaming then you might want to get a Z590 since they will allow you to overclock thus get extra performance out of your system. If it’s just a workstation then a B560 will be just fine for you and will even allow you to save some extra money)
– Compatibility (socket of your CPU) (Since you’re going with the I7 11700K then the socket will be 1200)
– Overclock. Yes/No (If yes then gotta go with Z590 if not then the B560 will be perfect for you)
Why should you trust our reviews/opinions?
Here at TechReviewTeam, we test every single motherboard before writing a detailed review on them. Unlike other websites, we don’t simply write reviews on products we’ve never tested, while others write reviews based on “theoretical performance” that the product SELLER ADVERTISES, we actually take our time to test the product we talk about & share the knowledge with you.
Here are the top 6 picks from experts:
Top 6 Best Motherboard For I7 11700K
| Model | Chipset | LGA | Our Review | More Information | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ROG Maximus XIII Hero Z590 | Z590 | 1200 | Best Choice although Expensive |  |
 | ROG Strix Z590-A Gaming | Z590 | 1200 | Good middleground between quality and price | |
 | ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490 | Z490 | 1200 | Best choice for the Z490's | |
 | MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE | Z490 | 1200 | Cheapest motherboard that still allows overclocking. | |
 | GIGABYTE B560 AORUS PRO AX | B560 | 1200 | Best option out of all the B560's | |
 | Asrock B560 Steel Legend | B560 | 1200 | Tight Budget Motherboard. | |
Below will be some extra motherboards that we also recommend!
The GIGABYTE Z590 Aorus is one of the best motherboards for the I7 11700k, and it looks the part too. The motherboard has an attractive shroud that can be illuminated with lighting strips (two rows of RGB headers).
There are 16 USB 3.0 ports scattered around the motherboard and supported by three USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports as well as two M.2 slots. The additional M.2 slot can be used for either WIFI or storage devices, which is a welcome addition to this motherboard as most motherboards do not have that option at this time.
The Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Master is the ultimate ATX gaming motherboard for hardcore gamers and overclockers to support Intel’s newest 11th and 10th Gen Core processors.
It features a massive 18+1 phase system with high-quality Tantalum polymer capacitors, VRM design using Redundant Array of Independently Controlled Oscillators (RAIC), Dual Channel Unbuffered DDR4 Memory Technology, 1 Creative Sound Blaster AUDIO 365 DAC in ATX format that delivers studio-grade sound quality, 4 DIMM slots supporting up to 64GB of DDR4 2666 MHz RAM, 5 PCI-e3.0 x16 slots providing NVMe SSD Support for larger capacity drives.
Best B560 Motherboards
The GIGABYTE B560 AORUS is another great motherboard that looks the part. It has a white heat sheet joint with the I/O cover and highlighted in blue by an ASUS Aura Sync-enabled PCB. The motherboard has 16 USB 3.1 Gen 2 headers, three front panel LEDs (display in the BIOS and from another state), two 4-pin heat sink fan headers, one 8-pin CPU power connector, and four 3.5mm audio jacks for either front or internal audio.
The best thing about the GIGABYTE B560 AORUS is the M.2 slot for both Wifi and hard drives, which is an extremely rare feature at this price point.
This motherboard, like the others on this list, is from ASUS’ ROG Strix line of products. It has 16 USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, a total of five 4-pin fan headers (two CPUs, two systems, and one for AIO coolers), and two 8-pin CPU power connectors. Like the other motherboards in the Strix series, it has an Aura Sync compatible PCB that can be integrated with RGB cooling solutions as well as other RGB accessories. The motherboard also has an M.2 slot for both WiFi and storage devices in addition to a small amount of DDR4 RAM slots.
Best Z490 Motherboards
The Z490-F has RGB headers, M.2 slots for both WiFi and storage devices, and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port. The motherboard supports 4-pin CPU power connectors as well as all the other standard features you’d expect from a high-end motherboard. The only real drawback is that there are no front panel headers, which would’ve been particularly useful with a liquid cooling setup if it could be used to supply fans or lights.
When to pick a B560 or a Z490 or Z590, What’s the difference?
Essentially, if you want to overclock your CPU you have to go with a Z590, if you do not want to overclock then you can go with a B560 to save some money. If you already have a Z490 from the last CPU gen then it might work with the new 11th gen CPUs by doing a BIOS update.
The B560 is the successor to a board that was lauded for its performance and value. It’s still an excellent pick if you’re looking for something with plenty of features at a reasonable cost, but it won’t be as high-performance as some other boards in this same price range since it can’t overclock. You’ll find 18 PCIe lanes on it which are capable of handling just about anything you throw at them including multiple GPUs and Intel Optane memory. Other notable features include built-in WiFi capability (802.11AC) and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports – well suited to gamers who want greater connectivity or anyone else needing more than one network port.
While the Z590 are improved versions of the B560 in the sense that they allow you to overclock your CPU’s which means you’ll be able to get more performance out of your setup.
Since you’re going with an I7 11700K, we definitely recommend getting a Z590 & overclocking since it would be a waste not to considering you have an unlocked CPU.
Which Brand Should You Choose?
We usually recommend the Asus, Gigabyte, or MSI as they are known to provide the best quality motherboards in the market, especially high-end ones made for overclocking and high performance.
Asrock is also a very safe choice with decent quality products and has been in this market for a very long time, for Asrock we prefer their lower-end motherboards such as B560’s and motherboards not meant to overclock as we feel like they excel in those.
SUMMARY
All of these motherboards are great picks because they’re high quality and offer adequate features for their costs. They all look good as well from behind a PC case or on a desktop with Windows 10 enabled and lighting effects such as blue LEDs installed.
But the GIGABYTE B560 AORUS PRO is our personal favorite and the best motherboard for the I7 11700k if you don’t need to overclock. It is also much more affordable than the Z590 AORUS MASTER, but still has an M.2 slot for both WiFi and hard drives, which is an extremely rare feature at this price point. So if you’re looking to save money or want to get into a smaller form factor PC then this might be the motherboard to get.
If you want to overclock though, definitely get a Z590.