With the Core i9-13900KS, I believe Intel has surprised the community by bringing a solid product that changed the game for AMD. The LGA1700-compatible Core i9-13900KS is considerably better than the Core i9-13900K in my testing, because of the superior silicon wafer, which allows the Core i9-13900KS to achieve better speeds of up to 6 GHz without even overclocking. So, for such a beast of a processor, my tests show that you will need the best motherboard for Core i9-13900KS, and I have rounded up all the motherboards worthy of being considered for this title.
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Here are our top i9-13900KS Motherboard picks summarized and compared to each other in a table:
Best Motherboards For i9-13900KS
These are my picks for the best motherboard for Core i9-13900KS, based on hands-on testing:
- Best Overall Motherboard For i9-13900KS: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX
- Best High-End Motherboard For i9-13900KS: MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI
- Best White Motherboard For i9-13900KS: ASRock Z790 Steel Legend WiFi
- Best Value Motherboard For i9-13900KS: ASRock Z790 PG Riptide
- Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For i9-13900KS: ASUS ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi
- Best Overclocking Motherboard For i9-13900KS: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 HERO
GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX
Best Overall Motherboard For i9-13900KS
Chipset: Intel Z790 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR5-7600+(OC) | Video Outputs: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB Ports: 9x USB 3.2, 8x USB 2.0 | Network: 1x Realtek 2.5GbE LAN, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211 | Storage: 4x M.2, 6x SATA
Pros
- 16+1+2 power phases
- Value for money
- PCIe 5.0 x16 slot
Cons
- No USB 4 Thunderbolt port
Design and Build Quality: The Z790 AORUS ELITE AX is covered in a splash of black with the AORUS branding on the I/O shield. Although its aesthetics are not unique, it looks splendid in my opinion. The Z790 AORUS Elite features a 2X Copper PCB, which has a high thermal conductivity, effectively lowering the components’ temperature.
Performance: My tests show that the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX features a top-tier VRM design and ensures the maximum overclocking performance of the Core i9-13900KS; it has a 16+1+2 Hybrid Digital VRM design with 70A Smart Power Stages. Also, the 7.5 W/mK thermal conductivity pads enhance thermal efficiency.
Features and Connectivity: The Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX delivers an up-to-date networking solution with WiFi 6E for wireless networking and 2.5G LAN. Additionally, AORUS Elite AX provides midrange USB connectivity; it includes 10x USB ports on the back panel and 7x USB ports through internal headers, which is a satisfactory layout for me.
Our motherboard specialist, Nauman Siddique, was also thoroughly impressed with the Z790 AORUS Elite AX:
“It is a feature-rich board with a nifty yet subtle outlook and powerful power phases”.
Buy It If:
Here are some photos we captured of the Z790 AORUS Elite AX:
You want a reliable VRM setup: My testing shows that the sturdy 16+1+2 power phases give you decent overclocking headroom and a plethora of cooling features to keep you relaxed while overclocking.
Don’t Buy It If:
You want PCIe 5.0 storage: The board could have used a PCIe 5.0 M.2 storage slot for ultra-fast NVMe SSDs.
Related: Best Z790 Motherboards
What Makes It The Best Overall Motherboard For i9-13900KS?
Given its outstanding features and competent power delivery system, the GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX is undoubtedly the Best Overall Motherboard For Core i9-13900KS. It is an excellent choice for any performance enthusiast who needs a great motherboard for the i9-13900KS processor at a reasonable price tag.
| VRM Performance: 8/10 | Value: 9/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 8/10 |
MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WiFi
Best High-End Motherboard For i9-13900KS
Chipset: Intel Z790 | Memory: 4x DIMM, 128GB, DDR5-7600+(OC) | Video Outputs: HDMI | USB Ports: 13x USB 3.2, 4x USB 2.0 | Network: 1x Intel 2.5Gbps LAN, 1x Intel Wi-Fi 6E | Storage: 5x M.2, 6x SATA
Pros
- 19+1+1 power phases
- PCIe 5.0 support for Expansion and M.2 slots
- 8-layer PCB
Cons
- No USB 4 Thunderbolt port
Design and Build Quality: The motherboard is covered in matte black with some minimalistic patterns here and there, giving it a decent vibe. Thanks to MSI’s Mystic Light, you can control all your RGB lighting from a single spot. Build quality is exceptional due to the 8-layer PCB and 2 oz Thickened Copper.
Performance: According to my tests, the MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WiFi delivers a solid punch with a completely digital direct 19+1+1 phases power design with 19 phases of VCPU power phases having smart power stages of 105A. The premium 7W/mK MOSFET thermal pads and extra choke thermal pads help maintain the thermals.
Features and Connectivity: When it comes to high-speed storage options, the Z790 CARBON WiFi is equipped with a total of 5x M.2 slots, out of which the second M.2 slot supports PCIe 5.0 x4 while the rest of the 3x slots support up to PCIe 4.0 M.2 drives. It also sports WiFi 6E and 2.5Gpbs LAN for quick networking.
Buy It If:
Here are a few images of the MPG Z790 Carbon WiFi from our testing:
You want an exceptional feature set: I like that the MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WiFi has everything one could want, including 5x M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe 5.0, a rocking 19+1+1 VRM architecture, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the newest GPUs, 10 Gbps Super LAN, and a slew of exceptional cooling features.
Don’t Buy It If:
You want Thunderbolt connectivity: I would have been happy to see a USB 4 Thunderbolt port in this motherboard, it is somewhat disappointing that MSI didn’t include it, especially in this price range.
What Makes It The Best High-End Motherboard For i9-13900KS?
The MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WiFi features a great 19+1+1 phase VRM design, making it a dream come true for passionate overclockers. Combine that with an array of cool features and the latest technology you can get in a motherboard, and you have the Best High-End Motherboard For Core i9-13900KS.
| VRM Performance: 10/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 9/10 |
ASRock Z790 STEEL LEGEND WIFI
Best White Motherboard For i9-13900KS
Chipset: Intel Z790 | Memory: 4x DIMM 128GB, DDR5-7200+(OC) | Video Outputs: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB Ports:15x USB 3.2, 3x USB 2.0 | Network: Realtek 2.5 GLAN, WiFi 6E | Storage: 5x M.2, 8x SATA 3
Pros
- PCIe 5.0 x16 support
- Great aesthetics
- Bluetooth 5.3 support
Cons
- Fewer PCB layers
Design and Build Quality: The Z790 STEEL LEGEND comprises a base black PCB and white or steel-colored covers for heatsinks. At some points, I can also see white and grey camo designs on the motherboard. The Z790 STEEL LEGEND has 6 2oz Copper PCB layers for its PCB design, which showcases solid build quality.
The design was also appreciated by our resident motherboard expert, Nauman Siddique:
“ASRock Z790 Steel Legend WiFi is a beautiful board providing a combination of silver and white color accents with vivid and evenly done RGB lighting”.
Performance: The ASRock Z790 STEEL LEGEND has a 16+1+1 phase VRM design rated at 60A and comes with 2x 8-pin 12V power connectors. It also possesses DrMOS design which features the SPS technology that helps monitor each phase’s current and temperature and provides excellent overclocking results in my testing.
Features and Connectivity: The storage options consist of 8x SATA 3 ports and 5x M.2 slots, including 1x Blazing M.2 PCIe Gen5x4 and 4x Hyper M.2 PCIe Gen4x4 slots. Moving to the USB section, we get a total of 18x USB ports, and the network features include WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and Realtek 2.5GbE LAN support.
Buy It If:
Here are our captured pictures of the Z790 Steel Legend:
You want an attractive design: The motherboard’s aesthetics are quite attractive to me, as it has one of the best looks for motherboards and has some decent specs to handle Core i9-13900KS.
You want outstanding expansion: I think one of the most likable things about the ASRock Z790 STEEL LEGEND WIFI is its expansion slot support; the combination of PCIe 5.0, PCIe 4.0, and PCIe 3.0 x16 slots is commendable.
Don’t Buy It If:
There aren’t many things to dislike about the ASRock Z790 STEEL LEGEND WIFI, but one thing that seemed to disappoint us the most is the number of PCB layers in the motherboard, considering its usage with Core i9-13900KS. These fewer PCB layers can cause trouble when using it at max turbo speed or while overclocking the Core i9-13900KS.
What Makes It The Best White Motherboard For i9-13900KS?
Z790 STEEL LEGEND is a great-performing motherboard and has one of the best looks when it comes to motherboards. The overall specs 3x expansion slots, and PCIe 5.0 support are great additions, but the users will have to compensate for the fewer PCB layers. Not only the aesthetics but the motherboard is also well-performing, making it the Best White Motherboard For Core i9-13900KS.
| VRM Performance: 9/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 10/10 |
ASRock Z790 PG RIPTIDE
Best Value Motherboard For i9-13900KS
Chipset: Intel Z790 | Memory: 4x DIMM 128 GB, DDR5-7200+(OC) MHz | Video Outputs: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB Ports: 10x USB 3.2, 6x USB 2.0 | Network: Intel 2.5 GbE LAN | Storage: 5x M.2, 8x SATA
Pros
- PCIe 5.0 support
- 2x x16 slots alongside AMD Crossfire
- Low price
Cons
- No Bluetooth and WiFi support
- Weak power design for Core i9-13900KS
Design and Build Quality: ASRock Z790 PG RIPTIDE is minimal in looks; blue accents with grey and black colors, along with ASRock branding on the heatsinks, give it a pleasant look in my opinion. For the PCB design, the motherboard has a 6-layer PCB with 2oz copper thickness, capable of maintaining lower temperatures in my tests.
Performance: If we take a look at the power delivery features, there is a 14+1+1 Power Phase Design along with the DrMOS technology, which is a power stage solution to provides higher current for each phase, hence resulting in better performance compared to the traditional MOSFETs. My overclocking tests confirm solid performance in this regard.
Features and Connectivity: The ASRock Z790 PG RIPTIDE supports 16x USB ports, including 1x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 2x Type-A USB 3.2 Gen2, 1x Type-C USB 3.2 Gen1, and 6x USB 2.0 ports. The connectivity features include Intel 2.5 GbE LAN support; the motherboard doesn’t come with WiFi and Bluetooth support.
Buy It If:
Here are our captured pictures of the ASRock’s Z790 PG Riptide:
You want an affordable motherboard: I like that the board has a low price of around $250, which is another plus point as you can enjoy all the amazing features offered by the Z790 PG RIPTIDE at a reasonable price.
Don’t Buy It If:
You want WiFi networking: One of the things that ASRock could have improved in the Z790 PG RIPTIDE is the lack of built-in WiFi and Bluetooth support, and you will have to make arrangements for them separately.
What Makes It The Best Value Motherboard For i9-13900KS?
The ASRock Z790 PG RIPTIDE is a great motherboard and is the Best Value Motherboard For Core i9-13900KS since the overall specs of the Z790 PG RIPTIDE are quite good and are surely worth a check considering its low price. Users considering buying a mid-range motherboard for their Core i9-13900KS with all the necessary features should look forward to purchasing this product.
| VRM Performance: 8/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 8/10 | Design: 8/10 |
ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WiFi
Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For i9-13900KS
Chipset: Intel Z790 | Memory: 2x DIMM 64 GB, DDR5-7600+(OC) | Video Outputs: HDMI, DisplayPort | USB Ports: 8x USB 3.2, 5x USB 2.0 | Network: 1x 2.5 GbE LAN, WiFi 6E | Storage: 2x M.2, 4x SATA
Pros
- PCIe 5.0 support
- Thunderbolt 4 support
- 10-layer PCB
Cons
- Weak VRM design
- It might require aggressive cooling
Design and Build Quality: I think the overall looks of the motherboard are good, with a black base and a bit of gold plating on some points along with the golden STRIX logo, but there aren’t any built-in RGB features in the motherboard. There are 10 PCB layers which is an impressive addition as there won’t be any meltdown issues with the Core i9-13900KS.
Performance: The ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WiFi has a 10+1+1 VRM design, with each power stage rated at 105A; it could have worked better with a low-power demanding processor than the Core i9-13900KS. Nonetheless, I still got a decent performance from the Z790-I, which can be worth your money.
Features and Connectivity: For storage, the motherboard provides 2x M.2 slots, including 1x M.2 PCIe 5.0 x4 slot 1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and 2x SATA ports. There are also 2x Type-C ThunderBolt 4 ports featured on the Z790-I, which can deliver up to 40 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth and display up to two external 4k outputs.
Buy It If:
You want superb build quality: The 10 PCB layers are an impressive addition to providing a strong foundation for the board and preventing a meltdown.
You want Thunderbolt connectivity: Another thing I liked was the Thunderbolt 4 support, which works as a high-speed USB port and a 4k output display port.
Don’t Buy It If:
You want a better VRM layout: My testing showed that the VRM design is pretty good in general, but combining the Z790-I with the Core i9-13900KS may keep the processor from performing to its fullest in certain scenarios.
What Makes It The Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For i9-13900KS?
I would say that the ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WiFi is a fine choice for a Mini-ITX motherboard as it has all the necessary features that make it the Best Mini-ITX Motherboard For Core i9-13900KS. Its most highlighting features are the PCIe 5.0 and Thunderbolt 4 support.
| VRM Performance: 7/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Design: 9/10 |
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO
Best Overclocking Motherboard For i9-13900KS
Chipset: Intel Z790 | Memory: 4x DIMM 128GB, DDR5-7800+ (OC) | Video Outputs: HDMI port, Intel Thunderbolt port, VGA port | USB Ports: 15x USB 3.2 ports, 4x USB 2.0 ports | Network: WiFi 6E, Intel 2.5 GbE LAN | Storage: 5x M.2, 6x SATA
Pros
- 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots
- Dual channel DDR5 7800 MHz+
- Robust 20+1 VRM
Cons
- No PCIe 5.0 x4 slot
- Quite Expensive
Design and Build Quality: I liked that the motherboard comes with RGB lights known as Polymo Lighting that uses the Intel Double Connect technology; you can change the lighting of the logo in different styles. The black aesthetics of the motherboard also give this motherboard a satisfying vibe in my opinion.
Performance: The VRM design on this motherboard is a solid 20+1 teamed power stage design that can handle a current of 90A per power stage; this VRM can provide stable power to a monstrous CPU like i9-13900KS in my testing. ASUS provides overclocking features like AI Overclocking technology for quick results.
Features and Connectivity: The motherboard comes with 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C USB ports that can deliver up to 40Gbps transfer speed. It also has 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports on the rear and 4x USB 2.0 ports on the back. As for the storage slots, it has 3x PCIe 4.0 onboard M.2 slots which is satisfying in my opinion.
Buy It If:
Here are our captured pictures of the ROG Maximus Z790 HERO:
You want exceptional overclocking performance: My tests show that the 20+1 phase VRM design, AI Overclocking, and AEMP II with XMP technology for memory overclocking make it a good choice for many enthusiast gamers.
Don’t Buy It If:
You want PCIe 5.0 storage: I found the lack of a PCIe 5.0 storage slot to be concerning. If they had added a PCIe 5.0 x4 slot instead of the PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, it would have more utility.
What Makes It The Best Overclocking Motherboard For i9-13900KS?
The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO is an exceptionally well-built motherboard that contains all the features required by a gamer for uninterrupted gaming. The motherboard’s overclocking features are second to none, thus titling this motherboard the Best Overclocking Motherboard For Core i9-13900KS.
| VRM Performance: 10/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 10/10 | Design: 9/10 |
How We Tested & Picked The Best Motherboards For i9-13900KS
- VRM: The Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) is a component in a computer’s motherboard responsible for regulating the voltage provided to the CPU by the power supply. It is a deciding factor, especially for gamers, because a strong VRM won’t overheat crazily, and when overclocking, it will provide power with maximum throughput alongside steadiness.
- Overclocking Potential: As Intel’s been the preference of gamers, this processor is specifically designed for gamers who push the limits of the processor, getting an extreme amount of performance out of it. I specifically selected motherboards that delivered excellent overclocking performance with the Core i9-13900KS.
- Heatsink – Cooling: Intel’s 13900KS is capable of overclocking and high processing, which also means that it might generate a lot of heat. Here, the heatsink comes into play, which helps dissipate the heat quickly, maintaining the temperature to output optimal performance.
- Features: Features are an important factor on which the motherboard’s price relies; one should choose a motherboard with various features, which can help if you consider upgrading your system in the future. Some of the mandatory features in the motherboard are extra expansion slots and M.2 NVMe SSD support, which can provide better data transfer speeds than SATA ports.
FAQs
The i9-13900KS and the i9-13900K both have the same amount of cores and threads, but due to silicon binning, the i9-13900KS can achieve higher frequencies than the 13900K, which can be up to 6 GHz without overclocking. There’s also a huge difference in prices as Intel’s 13900K costs around $600, whereas the 13900KS retails for around $1000. If you’re an avid overclocker with the budget to spend on an expensive cooling solution, i9-13900KS comes in your domain; you won’t need it otherwise, as i9-13900K already provides top-notch performance.
Yes, Intel’s newly launched 13th-generation processors support DDR4; users thinking of an upgrade won’t have to spend money on the RAM to upgrade it. However, you won’t be able to get that superior performance that you can achieve using DDR5 memory, as Raptor Lake CPUs support DDR5 RAM too.
The Core i9-13900KS has a TDP of 150W, 25W more than the i9-13900K, which implies that it’ll generate a lot of heat while processing. If you use it for overclocking, you certainly need liquid cooling or custom water loops for your processor to help dissipate heat and give you a quality output.
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- October 22, 2023: Few text changes to improve readability. Product galleries added. No products were changed.
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[Casings & Motherboards Expert]
Faizan Ahmed is a Computer Hardware Specialist and professional writer covering all the ranges of different PC Casings alongside the latest Motherboards. He is the man to read when you’re buying a casing for your PC, need a Motherboard for your specific processor, or are concerned about the socket or CPU Cooler.
Having a keen eye for the details, his research includes the latest updates and technologies implemented in the sector and the quick response to approaching them ASAP. Before working on Tech4Gamers, Faizan has written immensely on freelancing platforms under the Tech niche, ranging from PC Components to different smart devices, software, and even Game Reviews and Guides.
He’s also written on websites like WhatIfGaming and Mondestuff. Faizan is an early PC gamer, and this prolonged interaction with the PC and Games has made him the perfect candidate for expressing his ideas and concepts in words for others in the community.
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