Intel i5 9600K is the processor built by Intel to provide a best-in-class gaming experience at a low price. This processor comes under the category of mid-range gaming processors. It has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz, and the processor can overclock up to 4.6 GHz frequency.
Providing this much frequency after overclocking is sufficient for an elevated level of gaming. Compared to the previous processor, it has a higher clock speed and an improved design, making it faster and better.
Intel i5 9600K supports six cores and threads each, with a TDP of 95W. It has an in-built graphics card with a base frequency of 350 MHz to 1.15 GHz. Although it supports 4k, you need a compatible motherboard for this entry-level processor to help provide all the benchmarks promised by the processor.
We have provided a list of motherboards and discussed it in detail.
At a Glance:
Best High-end Motherboard for i5 9600K
Asus TUF Z390-Plus Gaming (WiFi)
- RGB system
- AI cooling support
- WiFi and LAN support
- Exceptional RAM storage
Best Overall Motherboard for i5 9600K
Gigabyte Z390 UD
- AMD CrossFire support
- 6 SATA III and 1 M.2 support
- 7.1 channel support for audio
- Overclocking frequency of 4266 MHz
- Audio support of Realtek ALC887
Best Budget Motherboard for i5 9600K
Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
- RGB support
- Budget-friendly
- 10+2 VRM support
- 64 GB DDR4 support
- Smart Fan 5 support
- Our Recommendations For Best Motherboard for Intel i5 9600K
- Asus TUF Z390-Plus Gaming (WiFi)
- Gigabyte Z390 UD
- Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
- Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro
- Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master
- MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk
- Gigabyte Z390M Gaming
- Asus Prime Z390-A
- ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Shopping Tips:
Form Factor: Most people overlook the form factor most of the time. There are several motherboards with various form factors to choose from. If your cabinet does not have the space to fit a full-sized motherboard, then a small motherboard can work best. We have provided the form factor of the motherboard while discussing them.
Overclocking is the most important aspect considered by PC enthusiasts while making custom PCs. Each motherboard reacts to the processor differently, so please look at the motherboards discussed in detail.
Chipset: Two companies manufacture processors, and both of them use different chipsets. Intel uses an LGA chipset, whereas AMD uses an AM4 chipset. This article will discuss only the Intel processors, so the chipset mentioned will be from the LGA series chipset.
Ports and Slots: It is a factor that changes continually in every motherboard. Some motherboards are provided with several ports but might have a lesser number of slots or vice-versa. Very few motherboards are available in the market that provides the proper number of ports and slots per the users’ requirements.
CPU socket: While choosing the motherboard for any processor, please confirm the CPU sockets. If you have an older socket present in the latest processor, it is a waste of money. If you are a beginner, there is a high possibility of purchasing the wrong motherboard.
Budget: If you want a budget-friendly motherboard with ample features, you need to engage in detailed research to choose the best motherboard. To compare motherboards, choose the branded ones, as they provide reliable products for the user.
RAM support: Most important aspect of buying a motherboard is the storage support provided. Most motherboards support 64 Gb. For some motherboards, the highest level of RAM offered is 32 Gb. This is an important factor that has to be looked into.
Connectivity: It is an important aspect that helps determine the connectivity compatibility with other devices. It consists of USB ports, LAN ports, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity, etc. As the number of connectivity options increases, so does its convenience.
VRM: VRM stands for Voltage Regulator Module, which helps us ensure that proper voltage supply is supplied across the motherboard. Having a good VRM is important as all the components are connected to the VRM to work.
Graphics Card: Before choosing a high-end motherboard for gaming and editing purposes, you must take care of the graphics unit as it must be compatible with the processor and the motherboard itself. If you buy a motherboard and look for a graphics card, it will turn into a total disaster.
Our Recommendations For Best Motherboard for Intel i5 9600K
| Award | Design | Retailer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best High-end Motherboard for i5 9600K | Best Pick | Check Price | |
| Best Overall Motherboard for i5 9600K | Staff Pick | Check Price | |
| Best Budget Motherboard for i5 9600K | Budget Pick | Check Price | |
| Best Overclocking Motherboard for i5 9600K |  | Check Price | |
| Best performance Motherboard for i5 9600K |  | Check Price | |
| Best ATX Motherboard for i5 9600K |  | Check Price | |
| Best mATX Motherboard for i5 9600K |  | Check Price | |
| Best Mid-Tier Motherboard for i5 9600K |  | Check Price | |
| Best mITX motherboard for i5 9600K |  | Check Price |
Asus TUF Z390-Plus Gaming (WiFi)
Best Pick| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 1 |
| USB Ports: | 13 |
Asus TUF Z390-Plus Gaming (WiFi) is a high-end motherboard that supports robust power solutions, heatsinks covers for the slots, LAN connectivity, etc. All these features allow it to stay on top of the list. The product supports 8th and 9th Gen Intel Core processors with cooling and high-performance features.
Numerous heat sinks are designed to dissipate heat and cool down the motherboard. This motherboard can monitor temperatures using AI. The AI helps reduce the fan’s speed and vice-versa as per the motherboard’s requirement. It supports 128 GB of DDR4 RAM with 4 x DIMM slots supported by dual-channel memory architecture. It supports 2 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots along with PCIe 3.0 x4 slots.
This motherboard is one of the finest in existence for providing extraordinary performance. It supports RGB lighting all over the motherboard with additional RGB headers. It has Intel Turbo LAN with a feature of LANGuard technology etc. Inspect Asus TUF Z390-Plus Gaming (WiFi) on Amazon.
Pros
- RGB system
- AI cooling support
- 128 GB DDR4 support
- WiFi and LAN support
- Exceptional RAM storage
Cons
- Overpriced
Gigabyte Z390 UD
Staff Pick| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 1 |
| USB Ports: | 10 |
Gigabyte Z390 UD is the best motherboard that contains all the basic features present in the list. It has pretty good VRM support, which helps supply power to the motherboard and connected components. It has RAM support which can overclock up to 4266 MHz, while other motherboards clock up to a speed of 4000 MHz.
It supports an M.2 slot with a combination of 6 SATA III connectors slots. It supports PCIe x16 slots, which can work at both x16 speed and x4 speed. The audio support of the Realtek ALC887 codec has a 7.1 channel setup that delivers an amazing sound control preferred by gaming freaks.
This motherboard supports gigabit LAN, which helps it stay connected to the internet. The back of the panel contains the HDMI port that helps in future connections. Inspect Gigabyte Z390 UD on Amazon.
Pros
- AMD CrossFire support
- 6 SATA III and 1 M.2 support
- 7.1 channel support for audio
- Overclocking frequency of 4266 MHz
- Audio support of Realtek ALC887
Cons
- No WiFi support
- Only HDMI support
Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
Budget Pick| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 1 |
| USB Ports: | 12 |
Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X is a budget motherboard that is featured in this list. The motherboard comes equipped with all new features and is extremely budget-friendly.
It supports a 10+2 PWM design that delivers proper voltage supply to all the components present in the motherboard. It supports AMD Quad-GPU CF and 2-way AMD CF, which provide proper overclocking capabilities. It supports RGB lighting that is customized as per the user’s choice. It has RAM support of 64GB with 4 x DDR4 DIMM support with the help of dual-channel architecture.
This motherboard is best for overclocking purposes. It has one PCIe x16 slot and a SATA interface support. It supports an M.2 thermal guard so that the motherboard can be kept cool with the help of heat dissipation. Inspect Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X on Amazon.
Pros
- RGB support
- Budget-friendly
- 10+2 VRM support
- 64 GB DDR4 support
- Smart Fan 5 support
Cons
- No PCIe 4.0 slot
- Single USB 2.0 and 3.0 header
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro
| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 2 |
| USB Ports: | 17 |
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro is a product that provides for the best-in-class gaming experience. Apart from gaming-compliant features, it comes with several other handy features. It has a combination of black and orange PCB support coated with grey-aluminum-silver heatsinks. The heatsink also has the support of RGB and upgradable BIOS.
It supports PCIe slots with a thermal shield to expand the graphics cards without any issue. It has Gigabyte high-end thermal design, which is supported using two heatsinks combined with a heat pipe and thermal padding, which helps to dissipate heat faster. It also supports Smart Fan 5 with interchangeable fan headers with internal and external temperature sensors to measure heat.
This motherboard supports 12+1 phase VRM, which provides smoother overclocking results. It has M.2 connectors that offer a speed up to 32 Gb/s, whereas 6 SATA connectors offer a speed of 6 Gb/s of transfer speed. The motherboard has 128 Gb RAM support for the system’s proper function. Inspect the Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Pro on Amazon.
Pros
- RGB support
- Overclocking potential
- Ample of Expansion slots
Cons
- Difficult BIOS settings
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master
| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 2 |
| USB Ports: | 17 |
Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master is a motherboard infused with several new features. Its design consists of a black PCB with aluminum armors and RGB support customized using the RGB fusion software. This motherboard runs on the 8th and 9th Gen Intel Processor with AMD and Nvidia graphics cards. It comes with the support of an armored backplate, providing it extra stability with the mounting.
It supports a 12+2 phase design with a conventional 24-pin connector, but it also has the support of a 2×8 power pin connector, which provides a clean power supply. It has several thermal guards over the motherboard, especially on the chipset and audio areas. It has seven fan headers that support water pump cooling simultaneously. It consists of both the typical RGB headers and the addressable RGB headers. All the slots in the motherboard have Gigabyte thermal guard technology to help faster heat dissipation.
This motherboard is a catch from a performance point of view. It has a fully integrated I/O shield plate with multiple connectors. It has in-built WiFi support and Bluetooth module support. The overclocking speed is 5 GHz at a voltage of 1.375. Inspect Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master on Amazon.
Pros
- 12+2 Power Phase Design
- AMD and Nvidia GPU support
- Fully-integrated I/O shield
Cons
- Costly
- Complicated BIOS
MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk
| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 3 |
| USB Ports: | 14 |
MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk is a cost-effective motherboard that has ample features needed by a gamer. It has a strong and full digital CPU power delivery and the coral boost technology, improving its performance. It comes with extended heat sinks and a thermal cooling bar to dissipate heat quickly.
It supports 128GB of RAM of DDR4, which can overclock up to 4400+ MHz. It has a pre-installed I/O shield and M.2 shield Frozr with multiple fan headers to cool down the motherboard faster. It has 2 M.2 slots with 32GB/s and 6 SATA connectors with 6 GB/s of transfer speed. It has PCIe gen three slots equipped with steel armor protection, which helps handle the graphics cards.
This motherboard supports RGB lighting, and the PCB has a military-inspired look with a stylish black finish and silver aluminum heat sinks. The RGB has 29 effects with over 16.8 million colors supported. Inspect MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk on Amazon.
Pros
- Best-in-class performance
- Dual LAN setup
- RGB support
Cons
- No Nvidia support
- No WiFi
Gigabyte Z390M Gaming
| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | Micro-ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 2 |
| USB Ports: | 12 |
Gigabyte Z390M Gaming is a budget-friendly micro-ATX motherboard that offers the lowest price along with a mini gaming PC setup. It has LGA 1151 socket support that can run i5 9600K processor. This motherboard supports 8th and 9th Gen Intel Core processors that provide best-in-class performance.
It supports 12 phases of digital power design with DrMOS, which provides plenty of voltage supply to the components to elevate gaming performance. It has dual M.2 connectors and 6 SATA connectors, which offer 32GB/s and 6GB/s, respectively. It has 128GB RAM of DDR4, which can overclock up to 5 GHz with the help of dual-channel architecture. It has an AIO cooling solution with the support of Aorus Smart fans which helps in delivering high-end performance.
This motherboard supports numerous heatsink designs that offer heat pipe technology with eye-catching aluminum heatsinks that contain thermal padding helping in heat dissipation. Inspect Gigabyte Z390M Gaming on Amazon.
Pros
- Affordable
- Dual M.2 slots
Cons
- No Nvidia support
- No Gen2 headers
Asus Prime Z390-A
| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | ATX |
| PCIe x16: | 3 |
| USB Ports: | 15 |
Asus Prime Z390-A motherboard is a decent motherboard that provides basic features at an affordable price. It contains all the salient features of a motherboard at a really low price.
It supports 64GB of DDR4 RAM, overclocked at 4266 Mhz. It is more than enough for a mid-range motherboard in the overclocking sense. It comes with USB C and USB 3.1 sockets for connectivity options. Since it is a mid-range motherboard, the cooling is higher than other motherboards. It supports dual M.2 slots that can transfer data at a speed of 32GB/s, helping with its storage.
It has a heating pad to cool down the motherboard quickly. The chipset and M.2 slots are equipped with heatsinks and heat shields for better cooling. Additionally, it has 7 Fan connectors. Inspect Asus Prime Z390-A on Amazon.
Pros
- Overclocking potential
- 64 GB RAM with 4266 MHz
- Dual M.2 slots
Cons
- No protective plate
- No RGB connectors
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming
| Socket: | LGA 1151 |
| Chipset: | Intel Z390 |
| Form Factor: | Mini-ITX |
| PCIe x16: | 1 |
| USB Ports: | 14 |
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming is the best-in-class product for the Mini-ITX Form Factor. It supports dual M.2 slots and has extraordinary overclocking performance. It has a diminished size without compromising on the features. It has the support of satisfactory RGB lighting with superb connectivity options. This product is recommended from a business viewpoint. The diagnostic operation operated on the product is enough to solve any issue.
It has a pre-mounted I/O shield and exceptional key components for increased endurance and unmatchable performance. It supports 5-way optimization, which comprises automatic system-wide tuning, including AI overclocking. It offers different cooling profiles to dissipate heat rapidly. The RGB is utilized with Aura Sync with addressable RGB strips, making it an eye-catching product that commands admiration.
The product price is relatively higher due to the number of features offered. It has some heating issues, as observed by the users. The major drawback is the heating issues. But those can be resolved quickly. Inspect ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming on Amazon.
Pros
- Dual M.2 supports
- Best overclocking
Cons
- Costly
- RGB software issue
Conclusion
Intel i5 9600K is a mid-range gaming processor with ample overclocking potential. We have chosen some of the best motherboards compatible with the processor.
We have also listed the motherboard that tends to provide a best-in-class gaming experience. We have categorized each motherboard for the user’s ease. We have provided numerous options to buy for a future system build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the finest motherboard for i5 9600K?
We have provided numerous options for different motherboards that can be selected as per the users’ requirements. All the motherboards provided excel in their respective categories and fit into Intel i5 9600K processors. The link is provided for every product.
Which motherboard is amicable with i5 9600K?
Motherboards that have the amicability of the LGA 1151 socket are compatible with the i5 9600K processor. Some of the 8th and 9th Intel Core processors will also work with the socket provided for the i5 9600K processor.
Is the Intel i5 9600K suited for gaming?
Yes, this processor is best for medium-setting gamers as it is a mid-range processor which provides a decent gaming experience. With a compatible motherboard, the user’s gaming experience can undoubtedly be increased. You can choose any motherboard provided in the list and enjoy gaming at its peak.
Which processor is superior when compared to i5 9400f and i5 9600K?
In terms of the base frequency, the i5 9600K has a higher frequency than the i5 9400f. Although the i5 9400f cannot be considered a better option, it lacks in providing the gaming experience provided by the i5 9600K processor.
