Finest Intel Motherboards: August 2022

Right here is the newest replace to our record of beneficial Intel motherboards in our sequence of motherboards patrons guides. All numbers within the textual content are up to date to replicate pricing on the time of writing.

Finest Intel Motherboards: August 2022

Whereas the competitors between Intel and AMD set to result in one other period of robust competitors within the coming months, there’s nonetheless loads of excellent efficiency available from Intel’s present twelfth Gen Core sequence processors. No matter whether or not you are planning to attend for the following technology of desktop processors or in search of a cut price, there are heaps to love about Alder Lake and its related motherboard chipsets equivalent to Z690, B660, and H610. Summer season is not the one scorching factor round in the mean time, with Intel’s top-tier Core i9-12900K and the even hotter 12900KS processors main the performance-inspiring cost by means of the remainder of the summer time.

We’re having a look at what’s presently scorching available on the market by way of motherboards for Intel’s twelfth Gen Core sequence processors starting from ‘cash no object’, all the best way all the way down to what represents good worth for cash. Whether or not or not you are in search of a flagship mannequin or aiming to get as a lot worth as attainable, we’re itemizing our greatest picks for our August 2022 Intel motherboard purchaser’s information.

Listed below are our selections within the motherboard marketplace for Intel. For AMD suggestions, head on over to our AMD guide. That is up to date month-to-month similar to our Intel motherboard patrons information.

Our suggestions for motherboards are based mostly fully on private {and professional} opinions. There are notably many alternative motherboards throughout the Intel chipsets together with the newest Z690, B660, H660, and H610 chipsets for twelfth technology processors, with pre-existing 11/tenth gen choices together with Z590, B560, Z490, and the B460 chipsets. We have thought-about and factored all of those into our choice, and finally, a few of our selections and choices listed below are additionally restricted by what inventory is offered.

Finest Intel Motherboard For Gaming/Efficiency

MSI Professional Z690-A WIFI (DDR5) ($215 at Amazon/$215 at Newegg)

Whereas efficiency is subjective to the general {hardware} configuration of a system, the motherboard is undoubtedly the gateway to unlocking all the new options. There are lots of Z690 fashions to contemplate, however for November, one board that piques my curiosity is from MSI, the Professional Z690-A WIFI (DDR5) to be precise. Now whereas the aesthetic won’t be the everyday quintessential gaming-themed motherboard, it is acquired all the pieces wanted to get players off the bottom with a good characteristic set, and it has an equally enticing worth level.

Among the MSI Professional Z690-A WIFI’s most notable options embody Intel’s newest Wi-Fi 6E CNVi with an Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controller. Coupled with help for as much as three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2, one PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2, and 6 SATA ports, it has all the pieces a gamer may wish starting from super-fast NVMe and even typical onerous drives for recreation storage. One of many greatest developments of choosing Alder Lake is that it has loads of diverse PCIe help, together with one full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, two full-length PCIe 3.0 slots working at x4/x1, with an extra and smaller PCIe 3.0 x1 slot. Maybe crucial addition to Z690 is help for the newest DDR5 reminiscence, with the MSI Professional Z690-A WIFI supporting DDR5-6400 out of the field, with a mixed capability of as much as 128 GB throughout 4 reminiscence slots.

The MSI Professional Z690-A WIFI will be presently bought for $215 at Amazon, however Newegg has elevated the value to $227, so we suggest customers buy this mannequin at Amazon. A Z690 mannequin with DDR5 help, PCIe 5.0 help, three M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi 6E/2.5 GbE for $215, is a incredible worth. A lot of the Z690 boards are so over-engineered {that a} mannequin equivalent to this may nonetheless provide you with all of the efficiency advantages of the twelfth technology Intel chips, however with extra price range to spend on DDR5 reminiscence, storage, and maybe if you happen to’re fortunate a graphics card; inventory allowing in fact.

Avid gamers on a price range will recognize the characteristic set, whereas all of the efficiency advantages of Alder Lake will be unleashed with the MSI Professional Z690-A WIFI, and this makes it our decide for players. MSI additionally has a non-Wi-Fi enabled model of this mannequin that’s listed on Newegg and Amazon for $195, if gaming over wi-fi simply is not appropriate for you, however at $215, we’d wholly suggest getting the Wi-Fi 6E model.

Finest Intel Motherboard: The Worth Choice

ASRock B660 Professional RS (DDR4) ($N/A at Amazon/$110 at Newegg)

The time period worth is a subjective one, and might usually be seen in many alternative methods. For my part in the case of choosing a motherboard, it comes down to at least one main goal, the price versus the options provided. It is no secret that motherboards have risen considerably in worth during the last couple of years, with high fashions again within the days of Intel’s LGA1155 for Sandy Bridge costing $200, whereas as we speak’s premium tier Z690 LGA1700 fashions usually begin there. That is why we’re pivoting to certainly one of Intel’s extra budget-friendly chipsets, B660, and the ASRock B660 Professional RS (DDR4) is our choice to get some worth out of the present Intel twelfth technology processors.

Among the important options of the ASRock B660 Professional RS embody help for the extra inexpensive DDR4 reminiscence, with speeds of as much as DDR4-4800, in addition to help for all of Intel’s Alder Lake-S desktop processors such because the Core i5-12600K and Core i3-12300. Regardless of Intel’s B660 chipset not coming with help for overclocking, that is to not its detriment because it focuses extra on providing worth with a price range Intel I219-V Gigabit Ethernet controller, with an equally cost-effective Realtek ALC897 HD audio codec.

Different options embody one full-length PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, one full-length PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. For storage, ASRock contains two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, with one PCIe 3.0 x2/SATA M.2 slot, in addition to 4 SATA ports. For a price range mannequin, there are 4 USB 3.2 G1 Sort-A and two USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, however ASRock does embody one USB 3.2 G1 Sort-C entrance panel header (one port), two USB 3.2 G1 Sort-A headers (4 ports), and one USB 2.0 header (two ports) for customers requiring extra connectivity.

The ASRock B660 Professional RS is presently that can be purchased at Newegg for $110, which is an efficient worth for all the pieces that it provides. Amazon does inventory this mannequin, however availability is sporadic and adjustments on a weekly foundation, so we suggest customers purchase this at Newegg. For customers in search of an analogous motherboard from the Z690 chipset, there may be the ASRock Z690 Phantom Gaming 4 (DDR4) which prices $180 at Newegg and retains a lot of the identical characteristic set, though the Z690 mannequin does profit from PCIe 5.0. In the price range area, DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 aren’t usually a priority or viable for customers to learn from, and the ASRock B660 Professional RS is what it’s, an excellent worth and smart choice for customers on a price range.

Finest Intel Motherboard: The Finest Mini-ITX Motherboard

ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi (DDR5) ($200 at Amazon/$200 at Newegg)

On the launch of each chipset, whether or not it is Intel or AMD, there are numerous ATX-sized and micro-ATX sized, however there is not a lot alternative in relation to small type issue fashions equivalent to mini-ITX. Regardless of the extra premium Z690 fashions within the mini-ITX type issue coming with extremely excessive worth tags such because the MSI MEG Z690I Unify ($400) and the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WIFI ($440), we have opted for a extra inexpensive answer for small type issue customers with a B660 choice, the ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming Wi-Fi.

So why have I opted for the B660 model over the Z690 model? Effectively, the general variations between the 2 aren’t as large as the additional $220 value may counsel. Firstly, the ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming WIFI nonetheless advantages from one full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, with help for 2 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 slots and 4 SATA ports. The primary distinction is available in networking, with the B660 mannequin choosing an Intel Wi-Fi 6 and Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controller, whereas the Z690 mannequin makes use of a greater spec Intel Wi-Fi 6E CNVi. 

Wanting on the finer specs, the ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming WIFI is utilizing a premium SupremeFX S1220A HD audio codec that powers 5 3.5 mm audio jacks and single S/PDIF optical output, whereas rear panel connectivity for the value and measurement is superb. This contains one USB 3.2 G2x2 Sort-C, one USB 3.2 G1 Sort-C, three USB 3.2 G1 Sort-A, and three USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel. The board additionally advantages from help for the newest DDR5 reminiscence, with supported speeds of as much as DDR5-6200, and a most capability of as much as 64 GB throughout two slots.

The ASUS ROG Strix B660-I Gaming WIFI (DDR5) is presently that can be purchased at Newegg, in addition to over at Amazon for $200. It is value noting pricing has been constant during the last couple of months, and it stays a preferred mini-ITX motherboard for customers wanting to make use of Alder Lake in small type gaming programs. Compared to its elder sibling, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WIFI which prices $240, the B660 model prices half the value presently, and for the cash, it makes far more sense, not simply from a worth perspective, however the total variations between the 2 by way of options is not wherever sufficient to justify the additional prices related.

The one profit the Z690 mannequin provides is overclocking help, so if customers assume it is value it, regardless of Intel’s twelfth technology providing spectacular efficiency with its ‘turbo’ clock speeds, then have at it. Personally, the B660 mannequin makes extra sense as the additional $200 could possibly be spent on extra areas equivalent to storage, sooner reminiscence, and even on higher graphics.

Finest Intel Motherboard: Cash Is No Object

GIGABYTE Z690 Aorus Xtreme ($900 at Amazon/$900 at Newegg)

When not having to fret about price range and choosing what is taken into account the perfect cash can purchase, there are loads of strong contenders. We’ve seen some top-tier premium flagship fashions during the last couple of years on Z590, Z490, and even Z390, however the newest Z690 chipset has taken issues to the following degree. Our decide for November could possibly be classed as ‘Xtreme”, with GIGABYTE’s Z690 Aorus Xtreme taking our high spot this month.

The GIGABYTE Z690 Aorus Xtreme is all the pieces a flagship could possibly be after which some, with a premium aesthetic, decked out head to toe in armor and coverings, even all the way down to the two-digit LED debugger receding into the armor within the high right-hand nook. Every part has been detailed to look as spectacular because the characteristic set it boasts. GIGABYTE even contains an OLED display screen into the reminiscence slot cowl, with an marketed 23-phase (20+1+2) direct energy supply with the newest 105 An influence phases.

Wanting on the main characteristic set of the GIGABYTE Z690 Aorus Xtreme, it has three full-length PCIe slots, two with help for PCIe 5.0 working at both x16 or x8/x8, with the third slot electronically locked do PCIe 3.0 x4. There’s loads of storage help with 4 PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, however simply 4 SATA ports. It appears as if GIGABYTE has gone for a much less is extra method, though none of the present Z690 flagship fashions characteristic greater than six, regardless that the chipset really helps as much as eight. When it comes to reminiscence, the Xtreme helps the newest DDR5 reminiscence, with speeds of as much as DDR5-6400 out of the field, and a mixed capability of as much as 128 GB throughout 4 slots. 

With regards to networking, GIGABYTE has decked the Z690 Xtreme out with two Ethernet ports, certainly one of which is fed by a Marvel AQtion AQC113C 10 GbE controller, with the opposite port working from an Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controller. GIGABYTE can also be taking advantage of the inclusion of native Wi-Fi 6E help by means of the chipset, with Intel’s AX210 Wi-Fi 6E CNVi including each wi-fi and BT 5.2 help.

Pertaining to connectivity, the Z690 Aorus Xtreme has twin Thunderbolt 4 Sort-C ports on the rear panel, with a formidable ten USB 3.2 G2 Sort-A ports on the rear panel; customers needn’t fear about working out of ports to plug USB gadgets into with this board. Onboard audio help is barely totally different from a standard mannequin, with the Z690 Aorus Xtreme opting to make use of an ESS Sabe ES9280AC DAC chip, with two supplementary ES9080 chips performing as the primary driving drive behind the 2 3.5 mm connectors.

The GIGABYTE Z690 Aorus Xtreme has an MSRP of $900, and as such is presently that can be purchased at each Amazon and Newegg for a similar worth. The time period worth is not one thing you’ll be able to ever affiliate with a flagship mannequin, since you usually get the perfect of all the pieces. This contains networking, storage, and options, and the Z690 Aorus Xtreme delivers on just about all the pieces. Some customers could argue that 4 SATA is not acceptable for a board costing $900, however I imagine it is a truthful trade-off to make contemplating all the pieces else is premium. 

Intel Alder Lake and Z690

For these in search of all of the Z690 motherboards, we have compiled particulars on over 50 DDR5 supported fashions, and over 30 DDR4 supported fashions. All of our present and key Intel Alder Lake content material will be discovered under: