If you have recently bought the Intel Core I7 6700K processor (or are thinking of buying one) and if you aren’t sure which motherboard you should buy with it then you are at the right place. In this article we let you know the best motherboard for I7 6700K Processor, all of the reviewed products are tested & ran through a benchmark process, and as such we know exactly which of them are worth their price based on several criteria that we will show you through this article. We also recommend you to take a quick look at our I5 6600K Board Review as it may provide you with some more insight since it’s also a solid choice. Either way, let’s start. Shall we?
More or less you need a Z170 or a ROG Maximus as they’re guaranteed to fulfil the needs of your CPU and allow you to overclock your CPU to its limits without any problems. And for that, we have three promising options.
Our Recommendations
Top 3 Gaming Motherboards
1. ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII – The Best Gaming Motherboard
The Asus ROG Maximus VIII is the most expensive motherboard of this list, however, don’t discard it yet, it deserves the fame it has.
The ASUS ROG Maximus VIII has been a top-performing motherboard not only for the Socket 1151 but also for the old generation of CPUs. It has gained its fame by providing high performance with a very minimal hardware dysfunction, from the 3 this one probably has the lowest reported hardware problems & refunds, this should surely set your mind at ease. If you’re looking for something that absolutely cannot fail or if you cannot afford to wait for another motherboard if yours has any dysfunction upon arrival.
Besides its high satisfaction rate, the ROG Maximus is also equipped with the “SUPREME FX” like the Z170 Pro Gaming from Asus which is part of this list as well; this is perfect for gamers and people who like to listen to music. It also has “Sonic Sense Amp” which is a feature that will automatically detect your headphone’s impedance and adjust its built-in amp so that you do not have to do any setting configuration to acquire crystal clear sound. It provides you with a significant bonus for those who don’t understand much about these settings or just don’t have the patience to tweak them.
As expected the reviews for the ROG Maximus just like the other ones, it’s also quite positive, I mean, if it weren’t we wouldn’t have included it here right? After all, we are only after the top performing boards.
- Great Design.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- Allows Overclocking.
- Highly regarded as the top 1 consumer choice.
- High Satisfaction Rate.
- Most features and extras when compared to all other options on this list.
- Most expensive on this list.
2. Asus Z170-A ATX DDR4 Motherboard
If you’re considering buying the best one for a low price – this is it. It is the most purchased Z170-A for the Intel Core I7 6700K processor; it is an excellent motherboard for the money it costs, however, the ROG MAXIMUS comes on top regarding features and in overall performance but don’t worry this one doesn’t get overshadowed. It comes with a PRO clock technology that comes quite useful if you are considering overclocking, it turns overclocking into an easy task even for people with little to no overclocking knowledge, it provides you with a very easy to understand interface.
Moreover, if you are a fan of music, this also has a SUPREME FX system that helps in providing flawless audio for your system this is especially important for people who just love to hear music or play games that require hearing footsteps. The number of USB ports is also quite generous, and the technology available is up to USB 3.1 which is one of the fastest available to date.
It still has a few bonus features such as RAM Caching and Top Speed Protected Networking. However, we have not noticed any difference between this one and the other mobo’s we’ve tested.
Most of the reviews of Asus Z170-A are quite positive. One user commented that he has been using this motherboard for over five months and that this “board is amazing.” He further added that since he is a new builder, he found the “BIOS/UEFI is easy to read and comprehend.”. This is good news for the new builders reading this article; the BIOS may be quite confusing for some people depending on your board of choice. However, this board doesn’t seem to have such a problem according to the reviews.
- BIOS is great for inexperienced people.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- Allows Overclocking.
- Great performance for the price it costs.
- Many of the listed features, we have noticed no difference.
- Not as many features as the ROG MAXIMUS.
3. Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 3 – Best Z170 Motherboard
Apart from Asus, Gigabyte Z170 is an excellent choice with almost all of the features available in the Asus version; however, if I had to choose between both regarding appearance then this one wins, this motherboard is gorgeous with a nice contrast between black, white and red. One thing to keep in mind is that this motherboard is also slightly smaller than the Asus board, if your computer case isn’t that big(micro ATX size or something similar) then this may be preferred as some motherboards may not fit.
One important thing to keep in mind is that the Z170 Gaming 3 also has a really nice feature, while being an ATX sized board it still supports 2 way Nvidia’s SLI Technology and 3 way AMD Crossfire. SLI and 3 Way AMD Crossfire is a great bonus for people who have several graphics cards, however, if your system only has a single graphic card then you will find not any benefit in this bonus feature.
The reviews for the Gigabyte are also highly positive, some of the best product reviews I’ve seen yet.
- Great design, looks amazing.
- USB 3.1 Ports.
- Allows Overclocking.
- Incredible performance for the price it costs.
- ATX Size.
- Has the least features when compared to others in this list.
What is the best motherboard for the I7 6700K?
The best motherboard for the I7 6700K is the ASUS ROG Maximus VIII, the I7 6700K featured the “K” Unlocked version which means that it allows you to overclock it, as such, a proper motherboard that supports it is a must.
Asus Z170-A vs Gigabyte Z170 Gaming 3 vs Asus ROG Maximus VIII
- Asus Z170 is cheaper than Gigabyte Z170 while the Asus ROG Maximus VIII is the most expensive out of all 3.
- Both Asus BIOS are much easier to use than Gigabytes. (This may be irrelevant to veteran builders)
- Both Asus mobos outperform the Gigabyte regarding sound quality. However, the ROG Maximus VIII beats the Asus Z170.
- The ROG Maximus and the Gigabyte look way better than the plain design of the Z170-A.
All in all, if you want a robust processor with your Intel Core I7 6700K, the Asus Z170 gaming PRO is the best Z170 motherboard. It’s a great choice if you don’t have the money for the ROG Maximus. Otherwise, we would recommend you to go for the Asus ROG Maximus VIII. It’s without a doubt the best regarding performance when compared to the other 2 options! However, if you want a different brand other than Asus, then the Gigabyte Z170 can also be an elegant option. Selection between the three depends on your circumstances and needs. However, make sure to check the reviews on the selling sites such as Amazon, and ask questions before purchasing if you aren’t sure of something.
If you have any questions or queries regarding this topic, write a comment below or use the contact us page, we also recommend you to check our review on the Intel Core I5 6600K performance comparison against the Intel Core I7 6700K as the I5 may be a better choice if you’re tight on money.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a tough question; the GTX 1080 is a top of the line GPU right now so in a sense, yes, the I7 6700K would be the bottleneck in this situation. However, the difference isn’t as massive as you may think, with this combo you will be able to play any game you want at maximum settings without a problem, thus, don’t worry too much about it bottlenecking the GTX 1080.
Yes, however, it’s not necessary unless you’re planning on upgrading your I7 6700K for a newer version down the line, which I wouldn’t suggest, to begin with since it isn’t worth changing CPU’s every year. Instead, you should change every 2nd-3rd year if money isn’t that much of an issue but still looking for some good improvements in performance, upgrading every single generation won’t provide you with the results you’re hoping to get.
