Intel's LGA 1700 socket is supported by Raptor Lake, Alder Lake, and Meteor Lake processors and offers the latest features such as DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 support. We'd recommend a 700-series motherboard for 12th and 13th-gen Intel chips. The very best motherboards you can buy right now support the latest Intel processors and we've narrowed down a shortlist of boards we'd recommend using.

These are the best Intel LGA 1700 motherboards

Asus announced a handful of new motherboards with an LGA 1700 socket to go along with the new processors, and the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is the best one out of the bunch. As such, it's our pick for the best LGA 1700 motherboard on the market right now. This isn't the most affordable Z790 chipset motherboard, but it packs all the necessary features that you'd expect a high-end premium Z790 motherboard to have for your new Intel-based PC. The main board has a black-colored PCB with a ton of heatsink/shroud covering the VRM, chipset, M.2 slots, and more. You can see the pixilated ROG eye logo on the chipset heatsink and some RGB bling on the I/O shroud. Besides that, the motherboard has a fairly simple design, without anything that's too obnoxious.

VRM-wise, the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard comes with a 20+1 phase-delivery system that offers an excess of power no Intel desktop CPU will ever utilize. The sophisticated heatsink ensures the thermal output of the VRM is maintained under acceptable limits at all times. You'll also see up to four DIMM slots next to the LGA 1700 socket. These slots are capable of accepting the best DDR5 RAM with memory speeds of up to DDR5-7800. For M.2 storage, you also get an M.2 expansion card in the box that you can plug into the bottom x16 slots. This particular expansion card bumps the total available M.2 ports to five, which is impressive. PCIe 5.0 also makes an appearance as a highlight feature of this motherboard in the form of two reinforced x16 slots.

It goes without saying that a high-end motherboard like this also comes with plenty of ports, headers for different peripherals, and more. The I/O shield is also pre-installed out of the box, which means that's one less step to worry about while building a PC. Overall, we think this is one of the best Z790 chipset motherboards you can buy right now. It also supports overclocking, so it's good to be paired with any 12th or 13th Gen Intel processor.

MSI's MPG lineup is particularly desirable for gamers looking to dish out a high-end gaming rig to get the best performance. We've added the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon WiFi motherboard to this collection as our pick for the second-best LGA 1700 motherboard. The new MSI MPG Z790 Carbon is very similar to its predecessor, but there are a few noteworthy improvements and changes. MSI ditched the carbon fiber aesthetic for this board and decided to keep it rather simple. We're looking at a black-colored PCB with gray accents and a few heatsinks. You'll see MSI's Dragon logo and the 'Carbon' branding on the board with lights, but that's about it. The MPG Z790 Carbon comes with a 19+1+1 phase delivery system for its VRM. You get two 8-pin EPS connectors to minimize the fluctuations.

The VRM also has a sophisticated heatsink to dissipate the heat away from the main component. You also get a decent selection of ports and slots with the MPG Z790 motherboard. There are as many as four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots and a single PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. There's no shortage of storage options here. Even while using all the M.2 slots, you still get three slots for expansion. Additionally, you also get a reinforced x16 PCIe 5.0 slot on the motherboard, which is great. The MPG Z690 Carbon also comes with DDR5 support. You get four DIMM slots that are capable of accommodating up to 128GB memory with speeds up to 7600MT/s. We also like how the I/O shield comes pre-installed out of the box, and it comes with plenty of ports.

It even includes an HDMI for those who're using this motherboard with an integrated GPU. At the back, you get plenty of USB 3.x ports, as well as the choice of either WiFi6 or 2.5GbE for networking and the audio stack comes with an optical S/PDIF out. Overall, the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon is a fantastic motherboard that offers a good mix of features and performance for your new Intel build. The best thing about this motherboard is that it's not nearly as expensive as some other options mentioned in this list, so be sure to consider this one for your next build.

Gigabyte's Aorus Master is considered to be one of the best motherboards for overclocking in the community, and its Z790 chipset variant for 12th or 13th Gen Intel processors is no different. It's arguably the best motherboard you can pair your new Intel CPU with for overclocking thanks to its potent VRM. Notably, it also comes with support for DDR5 memory and has PCIe 5.0 slots to make it a very desirable option for those looking at something that's a bit more future-proof too. Pair it with the best CPU cooler for LGA 1700 socket, and you'll be set to build a high-end gaming rig or a content-creation workstation.

The main selling point of the Gigabyte Aorus Master is its over-the-top VRM. It consists of a whopping 20+1+2 phases, 20 of which supply the CPU with 105A of power. That's a lot of power which we think will greatly benefit even the best CPUs out there. Even the new Core i9-13900K will only need a fraction of that power, so it's safe to say that it's an excellent option for overclocking. The VRM will also remain cool at all times thanks to the sophisticated heatsink that covers the power delivery system. You can see the reinforced PCIe slots which are new to the Z790 variant of this motherboard. In fact, the DIMM slots are also reinforced here, so that's too. The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master supports DDR5 RAM kits with memory speeds of up to 8000MT/s. There's no DDR4 support with this one, so make sure you're ready with new DDR5 memory kits.

As a high-end motherboard, the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master comes with plenty of headers for fans/pumps, RGB lights, and more. You also get a very good selection of ports with this motherboard including Thunderbolt 4 and a couple of USB Type-C ports. The I/O shield is also pre-installed, so that's great. You get as many as 11 USB ports and a 10Gbps Ethernet port which we think goes well with the pair of Wi-Fi 6e antennas next to it for hybrid connectivity. You also get a DisplayPort with this motherboard in case you want to use an integrated GPU, but the chances of that happening are slim because we think most users buying this motherboard will indeed use a discrete GPU for the best performance.

If you're in the market for a Z790-based motherboard with support for DDR4 memory kits, then we think the Asus ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming Wi-Fi D4 is the one to go for. There's also a variant of this board that comes with DDR5 support. However, we've added the DDR4 variant of the motherboard to our list. Being able to carry your existing DDR4 memory kits means you'll be spending less money on your overall. Asus lists the supported memory speeds of up to 5333MT/s, which is pretty good. You can choose one from our collection of the best DDR4 memory kits if you have trouble finding the perfect match. The Asus ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming Wi-Fi D4, as you can see, is a striking motherboard with a black-colored PCB and white shrouds.

Asus doesn't go into much detail about the VRM, but we do know that it has a 16+1 power delivery system with good scope for overclocking. The cooling solution for the VRM also looks adequate, so it should have no heating issues too. This motherboard can be paired even with an Intel Core i9-13900K to get the best performance. The motherboard also offers four PCIe 4.0 connections for M.2 drives. It also comes with handy latches that you can twist to hold the disk in place. We hope more motherboards make it easy for users to seat these components without having to hunt for a screwdriver. We also love how Asus has given a good mix of PCIe slots. You get a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, as well as two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots and a single PCIe 3.0 x1 slot.

You also get space for 4 SATA drives that you can arrange in various RAID configurations. Overall, we think the Asus ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming Wi-Fi D4 is a fantastic motherboard for anybody who's looking to carry their existing DDR4 memory kits instead of opting for the new DDR5 standard.

The Gigabyte B660M DS3H is a brilliant choice for those who really want to build a 12th or 13th Gen Intel PC for less. It's among the most affordable motherboards that support the two generations of chips from Intel. It supports DDR4 RAM, is decent-looking, and will have everything you need to build a gaming rig. Gigabyte made sure this motherboard has a solid VRM capable of delivering enough power (6+2+1) needed for even a Core i9. One of the best things about this motherboard is that it lets carry your existing DDR4 memory kit. The Gigabyte B660M DS3H supports a maximum of 128GB of DDR4 RAM with memory speeds of up to 5133MT/s.

That's a commendable number considering how most kits top out at around 4000MT/s. On the PCIe front, you get one x16 and two x1 slots, with the first supporting PCIe 4.0 and access to all 16 pins. The latter is ideal for expansion or things like capture cards. You can also connect up to two M.2 drives, which we think is plenty for most users. You don't get any fancy expansion card for more storage in the box or support for Intel Optane memory. We're also not particularly happy about the port selection, although that's given considering this is a budget board with limited options. You only get six USB ports but luckily one of them is a USB-C and there are also two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. You'll also see a DisplayPort and an HDMI port, which is good for those who're leaning towards a budget build without a discrete GPU.

The Gigabyte B660M DS3H isn't particularly good for overclocking so we suggest you keep your expectations in check. Overall, the Gigabyte B660M DS3H is currently the only option if you don't want to spend a lot of money on your 12th or 13th Gen Intel build. That being said, you do get pretty much all the essential features with this motherboard, so there's nothing to worry about, really.

ASRock's 'Taichi' is a popular motherboard in the high-end PC market that offers a ton of great features. The ASRock Z790 Taichi is one of the high-end Z790-based motherboards you'll find on the market right now. It's packed with some great features and is capable of supporting even the most demanding PCs on the market. It also has a 24+1+2 power phase design for a reliable power delivery system. It's totally overkill for the average Joe, but will come in handy if you're going into enthusiast overclocking territory. The VRM is covered with a sophisticated cooling solution that's capable of keeping the VRM cool even under the most extreme overclocking conditions.

The I/O shroud extends all the way to the bottom of the board and covers the chipset too. One of the highlights of this motherboard is that it supports DDR5 memory kits with memory speeds of up to DDR5-7000MT/s. This means it also supports memory overclocking under favorable conditions. DDR5 modules are already quite powerful, but they also allow you to push the limits further provided you have a capable cooling solution. The ASRock Z790 Taichi also offers a good mix of PCIe expansion slots. You get two 2 PCIe 5.0 x16, a PCIe 4.0 x16, and a M.2 Socket (Key E). This Taichi board also comes with an HDMI port at the back for those learning towards a build involving an integrated GPU.

As a high-end premium motherboard, you're looking at an exceptional ports selection. The ASRock Taichi comes with two Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and six USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 at the back. You also get Killer E3100 2.5G LAN along with Killer AX1675 802.11ax WiFi 6E and Bluetooth support. The I/O shield is also pre-installed out of the box, which means you don't have to deal with it while building your PC. ASRock also adds some thoughtful additions to the box including a graphics cardholder and a Wi-Fi antenna. All the M.2 slots are covered by the shroud with a thermal pad layer for keeping it cool at all times. The motherboard also packs a ton of headers for RGB lights, fans, USB and more, so you can connect all the peripherals you want without running out of space.

The Asus Z790 ProArt Creator Wi-Fi motherboard is arguably one of the best-looking Z790 motherboards we've seen so far. It's the only motherboard in this list that looks impressive without any RGB lights. If you've seen one of the older models of these motherboards, then you'll notice a lot of design changes. The I/O shroud, which is perhaps the most noticeable part of the board, is translucent. It overlaps the metal portion of the shroud to give a very subtle look. This particular translucent shroud is sitting on the VRM heatsink that's covering a 16+1 phase power delivery system. There's an acrylic plate at the bottom covering the chipset.

For connectivity, you're looking at two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two DisplayPort ports, an HDMI port, a 10GbE Marvell LAN as well as 2.5GbE Intel LAN, and more. The motherboard also comes with four M.2 slots and up to 8 SATA ports that allow you to connect all kinds of storage devices. Asus has addressed the lack of any RGB lights on the board by providing ample RGB and ARGB headers. You also get other headers for things like fans/pumps, and USBs. The ProArt Z690 motherboard also supports the new DDR5 memory modules. Asus says you can install modules with memory speeds of up to DDR5-7200.

Notably, there's support PCIe 5.0 as well via the two PCIe 5.0 slots. One of the four M.2 slots shares SATA bandwidth, but it can run in PCIe mode. Asus also sells m.2 PCIe cards that can house 2 PCIe m.2 derives, but that will add more to the cost as it's not included with the motherboard. The Asus ProArt isn't the only creator-centric motherboard on the market, but there are only a handful of these boards from other manufacturers. Even though it's targeted toward creators, we think it's perfectly serviceable for gamers too.

One thing that's common across all the Z790 motherboards is that they're all relatively expensive. The MSI Pro Z790-A is priced low, yet it offers almost all the necessary features you'd expect from a high-performance Z790 chipset-based motherboard. Despite the affordable price tag, the MSI Pro Z790-A offers full support for DDR5 memory modules. MSI says the motherboard can support memory speeds of up to DDR5-7200(OC), which is quite impressive. Notably, MSI hasn't skimped on the PCIe 5.0 support either, which means it's future-proof and you'll be able to use the new PCIe 5.0-based SSDs or other peripherals whenever they come out. You get four M.2 and three full-size x16 slots for your peripherals.

Understandably, MSI has cut some corners to keep the pricing low. As such you don't get a sophisticated VRM cooling system on this motherboard. Most of the black-colored PCB is exposed with very little heatsink for cooling. You can check out our essay on how to build a computer to learn more about the steps that are involved while building a new PC. It's also worth pointing out that the port selection is a little bleak on this motherboard. You only get a single USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, three USB-A Gen 2 port and two USB-A Gen 1 ports. And there's only a 2.5Gbps LAN port as opposed to the more powerful 10Gbps ports found on other premium Z790-based motherboards.

We do like the addition of a DisplayPort as well as an HDMI port though. We see a lot of people buying this motherboard for their budget Intel builds without a discrete GPU down the line, and it's a fantastic option for that. Overall, the MSI Pro Z790-A is a great motherboard for the price. Contrary to what we thought, MSI decided to deliver a lot of features despite the affordable price, making it one of the best Z790 motherboards you can grab right now.

How to choose the best LGA 1700 motherboard

Motherboards with an LGA 1700 socket are still relatively new to the market, supporting both 12th and 13th Intel processors. That's one of the main reasons why a lot of these boards are as expensive as they are. That being said, you're also looking at some premium features including DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0 support and more. We think the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is one of the best LGA 1700 motherboards you can buy right now. It's ideally suited for even more powerful systems with an Intel Core i9 processor.

We've also added some high-end options like the Asrock Z790 Taichi and the Asus ProArt Z690 Creator-A motherboard to the list for those of you who want something more sophisticated. As always, this is an ever-evolving list that will be updated over time with newer and better motherboards as they are released, so keep an eye on this collection. Also, don't forget to buy a new CPU cooler for LGA 1700 socket as you won't be able to carry your older ones for this build.