Best Motherboards to Buy for the Intel Core i5 13600K

Introduction

Intel’s 13th-Gen CPUs have been a hit success since they landed back in October of 2022, with the likes of the i5 13600K and i9 13900K being a highlight inclusion. But just which motherboards are best for each of the Raptor Lake CPUs?

In this piece, we’ll be covering off the best budget, mid-range, and high-end motherboard designs for the mid-range i5 13600K – a CPU which punches well above its weight class in terms of performance.

We’ll also be covering off what all of the chipset numbers mean, and which chipsets are and aren’t compatible with the new 13th Gen Core i5 13600K.

Gigabyte’s B760 Gaming X is one of the best mid-range motherboards on the B760 chipset. Equipped with multiple PCI-E 4.0 slots ready for the Nvidia’s 4000 series cards, along with blazing-fast SSDs. On the networking front, you’ve got the choice between the onboard WiFi 6 or 2.5 Gigabit LAN for more stable connectivity. The rear IO also features plenty high speed USB ports providing exceptional transfer speeds, along with extra USB 2.0 options if you run out. First of all, the overall look of this motherboard is awesome! The gunmetal grey heatsinks with the cybernetic detailing will help to give the internals of your build a futuristic aesthetic that is perfect for gamers.

MSI’s MAG B660M Mortar is a board that we’ve reviewed in full a while ago, but it still holds up well alongside the i5 13600K. The Micro-ATX design means that you’re missing out on some extra PCI-E slots here and there and maybe some RGB, but MSI makes up for these losses with some excellent features. You’ve got Gen4 ready x16 and x4 slots for some of the latest GPUs and drives, giving you plenty of options to build a high performance system. Even though the B660M Mortar possesses a micro-ATX design, it is still packed with enough features to satisfy the demands of any mid-range gaming PC.

The main downside for a lot of consumers will be the smaller form-factor. Whilst the reduced size is a necessity for gamers building a compact micro-ATX system, most builds will be able to fit larger boards that have the space to support a wider range of features and connections. If you’re PC case can support a larger ATX motherboard, then it’s definitely worth picking a larger board up for the more expansive feature-set.

MSI’s MPG Z690 Force WiFi is an excellent DDR5 motherboard offering up plenty of features with an impressive amount of power phases perfect for overclocking Intel’s latest 13th-Gen CPUs. With a good overclock and a high performance kit of RAM, you’ll be in a good position to get a performance boost in a variety of games and applications. Much like the previous recommendation, the Z690 Force WiFi sports an alternative design aesthetic giving consumers an option to spice up their build with an all-white style. Another area where this design excels is connectivity, as it provides a range of ports and slots that will cater for most devices. The rear IO alone has a whopping 10 USB ports, half of which are high-speed USB 3.2 ports that are a great match for the fast DDR5 RAM.

We may sound like a broken record at this point, but a motherboard with a white design is not going to be to the liking of a lot of gamers, as it simply doesn’t match a lot of PC builds. There’s no doubt that an all-white gaming PC looks great, which is why these type of builds are gradually increasing in popularity, but this design will most likely look out of place in any other setting.

For our first Z790 board, we’ve recommended another entry from the the ASUS – the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4. This DDR4 board is absolutely loaded up with features, including an awesome set of high speed rear IO with no USB 2.0 ports in sight. All of the M.2 slots on this board are PCI-E Gen4 ready, with the main GPU slot offering Gen5 compliance enabling you to pick up the new generation of PCI-E 5.0 graphics cards. The industrial look to the board also offers a great aesthetic for those looking to build a darker themed PC, and is a bit of a fan-favourite within GeekaWhat HQ. But this design is not all about the looks, as it includes a lot of connectivity features, especially for a DDR4 design.

Though the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus is pretty versatile when it comes to connectivity, the networking options are hindered slightly by it possessing a WiFi 6 module instead of the more powerful WiFi 6E. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue for most users, but the improved speed and lower latency of WiFi 6E is a notable exclusion for gamers that are always online.

Another Z790 motherboard that will work well with the i5 13600K is Gigabyte’s AORUS Elite DDR5 AX model. This is one of the best priced DDR5 motherboards that we’ve had in the office, offering plenty of features and a great aesthetic. In terms of PCI-Express slots, you’ve got a number of Gen4 slots, which are well-equipped to handle speedy SSDs holding all of your games and applications. Rear IO is very bountiful giving you the option to plug a number of accessories and peripherals into high speed slots. I’m a big fan of the design of this board too. Gigabyte have kept the RGB to a minimum while showing off parts of the PCB with extended heatsinks here and there.

Design-wise, the Z790 AORUS Elite AX has a sophisticated look that is fitting of its ‘Elite’ namesake. Whilst it is valid to expect a motherboard with a Z790 chipset to have a premium look, the integration of decals and heatsinks on this specific board is full of details that will look great inside of a gaming PC.

Z690 vs B660 vs Z790

To give you a clearer idea of what’s on offer for 13th-Gen users, we’ve put together a comparison of the three main chipsets you can utilise. We’ve highlighted some of the key features that come with each chipset with a breakdown afterwards discussing the options you’ll have access to.

The Z-series chipsets will always rank more highly in features than the B chipsets, due to their higher cost, but the differences between Z690 and Z790 are, in truth, very minimal.

Is the i5 13600K good for gaming?

This CPU provides solid performance in 1080p and 1440p, and managed to outperform more powerful processors during our gaming benchmarks.

What motherboard chipset is best for the i5 13600K?

To get the best performance out of the i5 13600K, we suggest pairing it up with a Z790 motherboard. But if this is out of your price range, then we suggest a B760 or B660 motherboard.

How much money should I spend on a motherboard for the i5 13600K?

Depending on how far your budget can stretch, we would suggest spending around $150-350 on a motherboard for the i5 13600K.

Best Motherboard for Intel Core i5 13600K: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX

We believe that the best overall design to pair up with the Intel Core i5 13600K is the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS Elite AX, as this design offers great performance and upgradeability for a price that is fairly affordable compared to the rest of the motherboards featured in this roundup. But for those wanting a more budget-oriented design that will be able to fit into a smaller gaming PC, then the MSI B660M Mortar WiFi D4 is a suitable alternative that is a great choice for white-themed builds.