Intel’s 4th gen processors might seem dated for many people but it does have its own benefits and many people are still using it. If you are one of them and looking to find the Best Motherboard for i7 4790k, then I won’t disappoint you for landing on this page.
You see, finding a good motherboard for today’s 8th and 9th processors isn’t very hard because there are a lot of options out there. Even you can find a decent motherboard for 6th gen processors like i5 6500 is quite easy but that’s not the same case with 4th gen processors especially i7 4790k because most of them are out-of-stock. Even it is in stock, it is quite hard to find the right motherboard.
In this post, I’m going to talk about 7 good motherboards compatible with the i7 4790k processer in a detailed way. Even If you are a gamer, some of these motherboards would be suitable for you.
Let’s get started now.
Contents
- 1 Top 7 Motherboards for i7 4790K You Can Get
- 1.1 1. MSI Z97 Gaming 3- Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 4790k
- 1.2 2. Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 5- The Best Micro ATX Motherboard for i7-4790k
- 1.3 3. MSI Z97 Gaming 5
- 1.4 4. MSI Z87-G45 GAMING
- 1.5 5. Asus B85M-G- Best Affordable Mobo for i7 4790k
- 1.6 6. ASUS H81M-A- Best Looking Motherboard for i7-4790k
- 1.7 7. Asus Z97-C
- 2 Frequently Asked Questions About the Motherboard for i7 4790k:
- 2.1 1. What motherboards work with i7 4790K?
- 2.2 2. Is the i7 4790K still good?
- 2.3 3. Will an i7 4790K bottleneck a GTX 1080?
- 2.4 4. What socket is the i7 4790K?
- 2.5 5. Does the i7 4790K support DDR4?
- 2.6 6. Is i7 4790k still good for gaming?
- 2.7 7. Is i7 4790K good for streaming?
Top 7 Motherboards for i7 4790K You Can Get
1. MSI Z97 Gaming 3- Best Gaming Motherboard for i7 4790k
The MSI Z97 Gaming 3 is surely one of the best options for you as it is coming from a reputable brand. MSI dominates in the industry when it comes to Motherboard because they provide excellent value at a very reasonable price. This one is no exception at all.
The MSI Z97 Gaming 3 comes with 6 SATA ports for connecting hard disk drives, Solid State Drives (SSD), CD drives, and more. This is the SATA 3 port which means the read and write speed is going to be actually very good. This is going to save a lot of your crucial time while doing any important stuff.
Quick Question: Does Motherboard Come with SATA cables? or you have to buy them? (If you don’t know the answer, read our guide on this topic)
MSI has offered 3 PCI-E Gen 3.0 for gaming and 4 PCI-E x1 for installing WiFi connections etc. If you are a hardcore gamer, then I have good news for you. This Motherboard has a Scalable Link Interface (SLI) feature, which means you can install and connect 3 graphics cards on your computer which is surely going to help you a lot while playing some of the extreme games. If you are a video editor, filmmaker, etc, then it is also going to help a lot while editing your videos.
There are 4 DIMM slots available on this Motherboard and you can install up to 32GB of memory with dual-channel memory architecture. Keep in mind that you can install only DDR3 memory and not DDR4. Don’t get DDR4 even by mistake because you can’t install that one.
There 8 USB 2.0 and 6 USB 3.0 you can find on this Motherboard which is perfect for connecting a number of devices to your PC. Other features include 1 mSATA slot, VGA, DVI, HDMI, and Killer E2205 Gigabit LAN. That’s a pretty decent number of features I would say.
OC Genie is a feature provided by MSI for overclocking your processor. If you want to push your CPU a little more and then OC Genie is going to help you do it by 20%. Learn How to use OC Genie the right way.
Overall, this is one of the Best Motherboard for i7 4790k which provides solid stuff for its pricing.
Specs in a glance:
Name: MSI Z97 Gaming 3.
Form Factor: ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 32GB
Max. Memory Speed: 3000 MHz
No. of SATA Ports: 6
M.2 Slots: None.
PCIe Slots: 4
2. Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 5- The Best Micro ATX Motherboard for i7-4790k
Gigabyte is also as popular as MSI for providing Motherboard to their consumers and they are happily providing for more than two decades now.
The Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 5 is a mid-range motherboard that has been targeted for low to medium types of gamers. It has got a Red and Black theme combination which will surely give you the gaming feel. Let’s talk about that in detail below.
The GA-Z97X-GAMING 5 has got 4 DIMM Slots on which you can install up to 32GB of RAM with a speed of 3200 MHz. Considering its competition, it is fairly decent in my opinion. The motherboard has got an option for dual BIOS which is definitely going to help you in case the primary BIOS gets crashed or something else similar to that.
There are 6 SATA connectivity ports offered by Gigabyte on this Mobo and it might be very useful If you want to connect more devices to your PC. Also, there is an M.2 slot that has a transfer speed of 10 Gb/s. I would highly recommend you install the operating system on the M.2 SSD drive because it will boot fast and save you tons of time.
The thing which impressed me a lot on this Mobi is, it’s 3x PCI-Express 3.0. You can have a 3-way crossfire and 2-way SLI which is pretty amazing for a gamer. As you are going to install i7 4790k, then the SLI feature will surely give you excitement, right?
Moving on, you’ll be getting 4 USB 2.0 as well as 4 USB 3.0 which is good enough to connect multiple devices on your computer. This Motherboard is also capable of overclocking but you must be a little careful about that.
If you want to know more about this Motherboard, I’d suggest you watch the below video by Digital Storm.
Specs in a glance:
Name: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 5.
Form Factor: ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 32GB
Max. Memory Speed: 3200 MHz
No. of SATA Ports: 6
M.2 Slots: 1.
PCIe Slots: 3
3. MSI Z97 Gaming 5
The MSI Z97 Gaming 5 is yet another gaming Motherboard for core i7 4790k by MSI which has pretty decent features which a gamer would need in his/ her PC.
This Motherboard too has 4 DIMM slots in which you can install up to 32GB DDR3 RAM with a speed of up to 3300MHz which is good enough for multi-tasking, gaming, and more. There are 6 SATA ports available on this Mobo for storage and an M.2 slot for SSD which is pretty cool.
For Gaming, there are 3 PCI-E X16- 3 slots which do support both SLI and Crossfire. There are also 4 PCI-E X1 slots for installing WiFi cards, Sound, etc. MSI hasn’t left any room to complain about the gaming experience on this Mobo. Other ports on the Mobo include 6 USB 3.0, 8 USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, and a DVI.
This is a very Good Motherboard for i7 4790k but the high pricing of the product seems to be a concern. If you are an MSI fan, you should go for it, or else you should take a look at any other motherboard from this list.
Specs in a glance:
Name: MSI Z97 Gaming 5.
Form Factor: ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 32GB
Max. Memory Speed: 3300 MHz
No. of SATA Ports: 6
M.2 Slots: 1.
PCIe Slots: 3
4. MSI Z87-G45 GAMING
I know you may have got bored a little as this is the third MSI Motherboard on this list but I can promise you that this will be the final one.
The MSI Z87-G45 GAMING looks more modern, stylish, bold, and attractive than the above MSI Z97 Gaming 5. If you didn’t like the look of the above motherboard, then you are going to love this one.
When it comes to features of Z87-G45 GAMING, you’ll find 4 DIMM slots just like every other Mobo on this list and the maximum RAM capacity is 32GB. For connecting storage and other devices, there are 6 SATA ports and 1 mSATA port. There is no M.2 port which is a bit of a shame considering its price tag.
MSI has offered 3x PCI-Express 3.0 to install graphics cards and of course, it supports SLI and Crossfire. Other features of the Mobo include 4x PCI-Express 2.0 x1 port, 6 x USB 3.0 ports, 8 x USB 2.0 ports, VGA, DVI, HDMI, Killer E2205 LAN.
You can overlock your i7 4790k processor in this MSI Z87-G45 GAMING Motherboard up to 4.4 GHz and you can squeeze every inch out of it for more fast performance.
At last, I just want to tell you this is one of the Top Motherboards for i7 4790k for doing some serious work.
Specs in a glance:
Name: MSI Z87-G45 GAMING.
Form Factor: ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 32GB
Max. Memory Speed: 3000 MHz
No. of SATA Ports: 6
M.2 Slots: None.
PCIe Slots: 3
5. Asus B85M-G- Best Affordable Mobo for i7 4790k
The Asus B85M-G is an affordable Mobo from Asus which gives great value for money and is decent for non-gamers. Let’s talk about that in little detail.
As usual, there are four RAM slots in this motherboard too which gives you the freedom to add up to 32GB DDR3 RAM. You can easily do multitasking with this kind of RAM without having to face any trouble. There are 4 SATA ports offered on this Mobo which is not bad in my opinion. There is no M.2 slot though but it is understandable considering its price point.
Fan Xpert is the software by Asus to control your processor i.e i7 4790k and case. It is going to be really handy and you can easily use it without any hassle.
This Mobo might not be suitable for gamers still, you can find 1 x PCIe 3.0 and 2 x PCIe 2.0. There are a total of 8 xUSB 2.0 ports available on this Motherboard and 4 xUSB 3.1 Gen 1 port for fast transfer. Asus has offered good ports on this Mobo and I have to appreciate them for that.
You can overclock your processor on this Mobo but there are some limitations for that. Don’t expect to push too hard your processor.
Note: If you ever have doubt whether your motherboard is good or dead, then read our post How to test a Motherboard. It’ll surely clear your doubts.
Specs in a glance:
Name: Asus B85M-G.
Form Factor: Micro ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 32GB
No. of SATA Ports: 4
M.2 Slots: None.
PCIe Slots: 1
6. ASUS H81M-A- Best Looking Motherboard for i7-4790k
The ASUS H81M-A is a mid-range Micro ATX Motherboard meant for medium types of users. If you are looking for a decent motherboard at an affordable price, then you should definitely take a look at this one.
The ASUS H81M-A comes with 4 DIMM slots but the maximum RAM you can install on this one is just limited to 16GB. It is a shame that Asus has decided to offer only 16GB and not 32GB. If you are okay with 16GB memory for multi-tasking, then you can read more, or else I suggest you move on to the next option.
Asus has offered “ASUS 5X Protection” on this Mobo which ensures that you get All-Around Protection that provides the Best Quality, Reliability, and Durability. That’s a really good thing and I have to appreciate Asus for providing these features for a Mobo of this budget.
You’ll be getting 6 SATA ports and 3 PCIe ports on this Mobo but the sad thing is, there is no M.2 slot. It might have been better If Asus provided the M.2 slot for fast performance. Also, it is very difficult to overclock your processor on this Mobo. Keep this in mind If you are planning to get this one.
Specs in a glance:
Name: ASUS H81M-A.
Form Factor: Micro ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 16GB
No. of SATA Ports: 6.
M.2 Slots: 1.
PCIe Slots: 3.
7. Asus Z97-C
The last option of Motherboard for i7 4790k is from Asus i.e Asus Z97-C. It is priced just under $250 and I would say it is a fair deal considering its features it has to offer. Let’s talk about that now.
Unlike the above ASUS H81M-A, this one offers you to update your memory (RAM) up to 32GB from its 4 DIMM slots with a maximum speed of 3200 MHz. Not bad, right?
You are also getting 6 SATA ports and an M.2 drive port for storage devices. That’s more than enough for most of the users. Asus has offered 3 PCIe ports to install the graphics card on your PC which is a perfect feature for a gamer. You’ll also find UEFI in this motherboard which is going to boot your faster than usual.
Overall, This is a decent motherboard that is compatible with i7 4790k.
Name: Asus Z97-C.
Form Factor: ATX
No. of DIMM slots: 4
Maximum Memory Size: 32GB
No. of SATA Ports: 6.
M.2 Slots: 1.
PCIe Slots: 3.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Motherboard for i7 4790k:
1. What motherboards work with i7 4790K?
Every motherboard on this list supports i7 4790K and you can get any one of them based on your budget.
2. Is the i7 4790K still good?
Yes, it is still good to use the i7 4790k processor, but don’t expect the same performance as the latest processors.
3. Will an i7 4790K bottleneck a GTX 1080?
No, i7 4790k won’t bottleneck with GTX 1080 unless you are aiming for a very high FPS.
4. What socket is the i7 4790K?
The socket on this processor is LGA1150.
5. Does the i7 4790K support DDR4?
No, It doesn’t support DDR4 and I have said before, don’t get DDR4 RAM for this mobo as it won’t be of use.
6. Is i7 4790k still good for gaming?
The i7 4790k has proven to be a good gaming CPU and still, it is one of the best gaming processors on its own terms. You can follow this Reddit thread for more info.
7. Is i7 4790K good for streaming?
Yes. Just like gaming, the 7 4790k is still good for gaming.
Conclusion:
As I said in the beginning, the i7 4790k might be a dated processor but there are many good reasons to use it and a lot of people are still running their PCs with this processor. I’m hoping that you have found the Best Motherboard for i7 4790k with the help of this simple guide. Do let me know in the comments which one you liked and which one you didn’t. Thanks.
