Best Motherboards For I5 11400F

The motherboard is the backbone of a computer and decides all about the connecting element, including their selection and type. In addition, it supervises their performance, speeds, signal transmission, data flow, and much more since it is holding them together and acting as a middleman. We can’t just pick up any board and put that into the PC case expecting it will work because it’ll not. You need to put all your focus and a lot of time to hunt the best motherboard for i F to utilize the system’s true potential.

If we dig deep into the Intel Core i F, it comes with a long list of improvements over the previous 10th generation chips. The brand has played intelligently while designing and manufacturing it according to the current-era usage needs. It has a basic combo of 6 cores and 12 threads with a 12MB Intel Smart Cache, known for improved bandwidth and low timings. You can enjoy the excellent multi-threaded performance with the chip and can increase its 2.6GHz base clock up to a 4.4GHz boost clock when combined with a good-quality mobo.

Another i variant is also available in the stock, but this “F” version is affordable without integrated graphics support. Moreover, it has a locked multiplier, so you can save some more bucks from buying a mother circuit supporting overclocking. Remember, it’s not easy to find a perfect product for the chip when the tech market is filled with hundreds of compatible options. We must choose one that follows all the factors, or you may say conditions given in the buying guide section below. Read the whole post and drop the best decision.

Form Factor: Like other computer elements, motherboards also come in various sizes/form factors where the PC case accommodates only a few with appropriate sizes. There are a lot of mobo sizes available in the market, but the few most common are: ATX, Micro ATX, and Mini ITX. The point is, you must note the size of the motherboard’s socket size given in the case and buy one according to the measurement. A mother circuit with the wrong size can’t be used properly, so be focused while purchasing.

CPU Socket: The CPU socket is a particular connection type given on the board to accommodate the processor. Unlike the AMD, Intel follows a different socket design type, LGA, with a certain number of pins. In the case of the i F, an LGA 1200 type socket is given. So, when selecting a motherboard for this chip, make sure the circuit has the same socket type accommodation to connect the processor.

Chipset: The chipset is a dedicated brain for the motherboard supervising the functionalities of the other connected elements like processor, graphics card, and more. You can choose from the 400-series chipset motherboard or the advanced 500-series ones. If you want an affordable option, you can go for B560, or if you want more, the X590 is a perfect option for you. Remember, some other options are also available, so be careful while choosing.

Thermal management: Every computer element has a rated temperature limit where it can perform at its peak without facing any issues. Well, the motherboard does the same. It performs well under less-temperature conditions and provides excellent performance unlikely under the higher temperature. You must ensure that the mobo has enough features to tackle the thermal issues; if not, go for another one. For your ease, you can check the products given in the following list and choose one fearlessly.

The Best Motherboards for i F You Can Buy Today

ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WiFi
Best Premium Motherboard for i F

ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WiFiBrand: ASUS |Chipset: IntelZ590 |Socket: IntelZ590 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 5333 MHz |Memory: 128 GB

ASUS is a famous name among tech enthusiasts all around the globe, especially its TUF boards are the words of mouth for everybody. The TUF motherboards used to be in the upper-mid-range category with a high-end power delivery design, protective armor, and other known features. But ASUS has redesigned its offering and relocated its sub-brands to offer the same product at a lesser price. The ASUS TUF Gaming Z590-Plus WiFi is a perfect board representing an excellent performance packed in a competitively affordable setup to retain the title of the best premium motherboard for i F chip.

I would like to add some of its most-highlighted specifications and features are given in the products’ description chart. You can put the latest Intel 14nm processors with LGA 1200 socket on the board and run four DDR4 DIMMs with 5133MHz memory speed. As far as connectivity matters, it has plenty of all-kinds USB ports, six SATA 6Gb/s ports, PCIe 3.0 / 4.0 slots, and three M.2 slots to expand the memory. On top of that, there is a 2.5Gb/s Ethernet for networking with WiFi 6 support for wireless communication and ALC 1200 codec chip for audio filtering purposes.

As I mentioned earlier, the ASUS TUF stack is famous for its robust power delivery design, and this board has a 14+2 DrMOS power phases design built on a six-layer PCB with ProCool sockets for effective and smooth power delivery and is the best motherboard for i F. Long story short, I like its overall build and structure. The board is made on an all-black PCB with a few yellow areas for highlighting purposes with subtle RGB lighting to catch your eyes. Moreover, enlarged heatsinks, hybrid fan headers, an M.2 heatsink, and PCH fanless heatsinks are used for cooling purposes.

THE PROS
✓Perfect performance-to-price ratio

✓Great thermal management

✓Attractive aesthetics

✓All-rounder connectivity

THE CONS
✗Fewer fan headers

ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero
Best Enthusiast Motherboard for i F

Asus ROG Maximus XIII HeroBrand: ASUS |Chipset: IntelZ590 |Socket: LGA 1200 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 5333 MHz |Memory: 128 GB |USB Ports: 10

When Intel released its 11th generation into the market, the ASUS was standing ready to redesigned all its offerings to match the advancements wave. In 2021, the Z590 was brought to light, and ASUS refreshed its motherboards for the 11th generation Rocket Lake desktop CPUs. Take the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero with Z590 chipset as an example with a long list of features, attractive styling, and much more but with a heavy price tag. You can see numerous improvements over the previous ROG Maximus XII Hero with Intel Z490 chipset for the 10th generation Intel Core processors.

The board has an LGA 1200 socket to accommodate the 11th generation Core processor and DDR4 memory support to increase memory speed up to 5333MHz based on a dual-channel memory architecture. You can boost the clock speed beyond the limit by effectively utilizing its AI cooling and AI overclocking feature, but it’ll not work accordingly for a locked i F processor. Apart from that, it has plenty of USB connections, a Thunderbolt 4 controller to add 40Gb/s Type-C ports, PCIe 4.0 support, and more than enough four M.2 slots for expansion purposes.

Moreover, there is onboard WiFi 6E to establish efficient wireless connections with a dual Intel 2.5 Gb/s Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard for faster networking and SupremeFX ALC4082 for high-fidelity audio. No doubt, the title of the best enthusiast motherboard for i F sits totally valid. The cherry on the top is its power solution with 14+2 power phases for 90A current flow with ProCool II power connectors, alloy chokes, and metallic capacitors. The board also has bigger VRM heatsinks, integrated IO cover, thermal pads, and four M.2 heatsinks with a ROG water-cooling zone to ensure it reaches adequate cooling during peak overclocking sessions.

THE PROS
✓Excellent overclocking and performance

✓Robust power delivery design

✓WiFi 6 and LAN Ethernet

✓Four M.2 slots

✓Effective cooling system

✓Attractive design with RGB support

MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Plus
Best Mid-Range Motherboard for i F

MSI MPG Z590 Gaming PlusBrand: MSI |Chipset: IntelZ590 |Socket: LGA 1200 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 5333 MHz |Memory: 128 GB

The previous ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero is a perfect motherboard for those who want extreme performance but is expensive for most users, including me. So, where to find an affordable one? Well, don’t worry when we can go for the MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Plus, which is the best mid-range motherboard for i F with a great feature set while being affordable. You can connect the latest Intel Core 11th generation processors via an LGA 1200 type socket and take their performance beyond limits with the Z59 chipset.

Moreover, there is enough space to connect four DDR4 DIMMs and take the memory speed up to 5333MHz in overclocking mode to get maximum performance. In addition to that, the board has been tested for a wide range of memory modules from all the brands to ensure that the system runs stable, which is good news to relieve the stress. Moreover, there are eight USB connections, six SATA 6Gb/s ports, PCIe 4.0 support, and three M.2 slots to connect the NVMe SSDs. WiFi and Bluetooth are there to establish wireless connections along with a 2.5G LAN to maintain a stable, secure, and fast networking connection.

You can listen to music or target your enemies in the games with clear audio coming from the Realtek ALC4080 codec and getting out via audio ports. Interestingly, the board features a 14+1+1 VRM power design embedded on a six-layer PCB sheet where each phase supplies 75A power that comes mainly with the expensive boards. You can easily update the BIOS with the help of a USB Type-C and Flash BIOS button and run older chips as well. Design-wise, the black PCB shines with grey touches and lining, presenting a black dragon log.

THE PROS
✓Affordable

✓Good value for money

✓Excellent VRM circuit design

✓Fully shielded style

THE CONS
✗Three M.2 slots

✗No Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

GIGABYTE B560 AORUS PRO AX
Best Affordable Motherboard for i F

GIGABYTE B560 AORUS PRO AXBrand: Gigabyte |Chipset: Intel B560 |Socket: LGA 1200 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 4800 MHz |Memory: 128 GB

We have reviewed the MSI MPG Z590 Gaming Plus earlier which is a pretty affordable motherboard that falls in the mid-range category. Apart from that, the Gigabyte B560 Aorus Pro AX is available at even lesser bucks with pretty much the same features and specifications. It is undoubtedly the best affordable motherboard for i F, ready to reach an excellent performance level with the B560 chipset. It comes with an improved power solution over its ancestors, outstanding thermal management, and all-types connectivity. The brand has used the same tactics to retain its name for durability and high-quality manufacturing.

You can utilize this motherboard to power up the latest 11th generation Intel Core processors and four DDR4 DIMMs of 128GB with a speed of 4800MHz in OC mode. As fas connectivity masters, this is a future-proof option with all-type USB connections, six SATA 6Gb/s connectors, PCIe 3.0 / 4.0 support, and two M.2 ports to expand the memory. On top of that, the board features an Intel 2.5 GbE LAN chip to establish a secure and fast networking connection and an Intel WiFi 6 AX200 chip, and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless communication.

The board is Hi-Res Audio certified and has Realtek high-end HD audio codec to produce clear-crystal audio while producing a wide range of frequencies to boost the quality. To feed a smooth power stream to the connected elements, the brand has planted a 12+1 digital CPU DrMOS power design with a digital PWM controller, and it takes power from an 8-pin power connector. Build-wise, it’s the best motherboard for i F since it has an advanced thermal solution containing MOSFETs heatsinks, thick thermal pads, and much more on an all-black PCB with a black metallic-looking rear panel with the Aorus Falcon logo and RGB lighting.

THE PROS
✓Affordable

✓B560 best seller

✓Excellent thermal management

✓20 Gb/s USB-C on IO panel

THE CONS
✗Boost issue with some M.2 drives

MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk WiFi
Best Value Motherboard for i F

MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk WiFiBrand: MSI |Chipset: Intel B560 |Socket: LGA 1200 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 5066 MHz |Memory: 128 GB

If you’re a tech elements buyer who doesn’t want to waste their single penny but wants a full bang for the bucks, the MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk WiFi is a perfect option for you. It carries the most excellent performance-to-price ratio to be the best value motherboard for i F in this post. I’ve been reviewing tech products for years and noticed that the Tomahawk mother circuits are great entries and retain their popularity with the entrance of the B560 chipset. It’s much more pocket-friendly than the Z590 boards but lags in overclocking, which is okay since the Core i F is a locked chip.

The board allows the latest 11th Intel Core processors up to i9 via LGA 1200 socket to work efficiently and accommodate four DDR4 DIMMs to run with 5066MHz memory speed in OC mode. If we look at the specifications manual, there are ten all-types USB ports, sic SATA 6Gb/s connections, PCIe 4.0 supporting ports with steel armor for protection, and three M.2 slots to connect and expand SSD drives. The wireless communication side is taken by WiFi 6 and Bluetooth with a 2.5Gb/s LAN Ethernet for networking purposes.

You must know that efficient and smooth power ensures that all the connected elements work at their full potential. It seems the brand had picked the fact before you and installed a 12+2+1 power phases design on a 6-layer PCB where each phase carries 60A to smoothen the input power coming from a 4-pin power connector. Moreover, you can easily upgrade the BIOS with CLIC BIOS 5 features utilizing the CMOS Setup utility. Design-wise, it’s enjoyable to look at a black PCB with grey heatsinks and several LEDs, and plenty of RGB header customize if you want.

THE PROS
✓Adequate RAM overclocking

✓Wi-Fi and 2.5Gb/s LAN

✓Plenty of USB ports

✓Enhanced audio

THE CONS
✗Quality could be improved

Asrock B560 Steel Legend
Best Overclocking Motherboard for i F

Asrock B560 Steel LegendBrand: ASRock |Chipset: Intel B560 |Socket: LGA 1200 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 4800 MHz |Memory: 128 GB

Once again, we have an affordable option on our list, the Asrock B560 Steel Legend, but with some unique-looking features, a bunch of impressive technologies, and a different type of eye-catching design. It’s a well-known mainstay on a B560 chipset known for being in most of the mid-range additions. We have seen its predecessor with the B460 chipset, to which Intel hasn’t included the memory overclocking feature, but this time the B560 has support for memory overclocking making it the best overclocking motherboard for i F chip.

Intel’s latest B560 chipset is appropriate for the latest Intel 11th generation processor and the previous 10th generation via LAG 1200 type socket. Moreover, it supports 128GB of volatile memory in four DDR4 DIMMs and can run with a 4800+ MHz of memory speed. The board has plenty of USB ports, six SATA 3.0 connections, PCIe 3.0/4.0 support where PCIe 4.0 can deliver 64Gb/s data flow, and three M.2 slots to use with SATA or NVMe drives. On top of that, there is a 2.5 Gigabit LAN to maintain a smooth, stable, and fast networking and a Key-E to add a WiFi card – the board has no built-in wifi support.

Moreover, the Steel Legend features a 10 DrMOS power phases design where each phase is rated for 60A current flow to smoothly feed the power to connected elements coming from an 8-pin power connector. Interestingly, an aluminum heatsink is used to cool the VRM region passively. Most importantly, its unique-looking design is very different from the competition. The card is sculpted with a military-inspired aesthetics with a largely brushed aluminum heatsink fitted on a black PCB with dark grey complements all over the board.

THE PROS
✓Affordable

✓Excellent performance

✓Unique design

✓Integrated RGB LEDs

THE CONS
✗No Bluetooth and built-in WiFi

ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero
Best Z490 Motherboard for i F

ASUS ROG Maximus XII HeroBrand: ASUS |Chipset: Z490″ |Socket: LGA 1155 |Form Factor: ATX |Memory Speed: 4800 MHz |Memory: 128 GB

I have already reviewed the advanced version of the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero, the Maximus XIII Hero, which was a great performance warrior with everything a gamer may need but was expensive. Like its big brother, the XIII Hero with Z490 chipset dominates the motherboard market being an outperformer at the #1 spot. It falls in the upper mid-range segment of the Z490 landscape and is more expensive than the competition, which is not good news. However, some premium features are added that we will discuss in this review to make it the best Z490 motherboard for i F and to complement its price tag.

In reality, it is made for the Intel Core 10th generation processors with LGA 1200 socket, but you can pair it with the 11th generation chip as well by slightly tweaking and updating the BIOS to a newer version. You can take the 128GB of four DDR4 DIMM memory modules up to 4800MHz memory speed. If we come to the connectivity side, the board is equipped with a USB 3.2 second-generation 20 Gb/s Type-C port, six SATA 3.0 6Gb/s ports, three M.2 slots, Bluetooth, WiFi, and Marvell-based 5 GbE LAN, and much more.

Additionally, AI overclocking and AI cooling support enable the motherboard to deliver potential performance from the processor and memory modules. To support these features, a 14+2 power phases design with 60A power stages with alloy chokes and metallic capacitors can help you by regulating the required power. Undoubtedly, the board has pretty much everything you may need during gaming sessions. In addition to that, there are three heatsinks for all the M.2 slots for cooling purposes, along with four fan headers for extra support.

THE PROS
✓Outstanding performance

✓AI overclocking and cooling

✓Three M.2 slots with heatsinks

✓Excellent thermal management

THE CONS
✗Competitively pricey

MSI MPG B560I Gaming Edge WiFi
Best mini ITX Motherboard for i F

MSI MPG B560I Gaming Edge WiFiBrand: MSI |Chipset: Intel® B560 |Socket: LGA 1200 |Form Factor: Mini-ITX |Memory Speed: 5200 MHz |Memory: 64 GB

If you are a computer user who wants to build a compact system because you have to travel and can’t carry a bigger system everywhere, the MSI MPG B560I Gaming Edge WiFi is for you. It is a mini ITX mother circuit packed with a long list of outstanding features to not compromise on the performance due to its smaller size. It’s the best mini ITX motherboard for i F to help you build small form factor or SFF PCs. The B560 chipset enables it to tackle the latest 11th generation Intel Core processors while showcasing impressive performance benchmarks.

Unlike the ATX motherboards with four module accommodation, you can put only two DDR4 DIMM memory modules to give 64GB space with a speed of 5200MHz memory speed. Besides the lesser memory than the bigger board, it offers the rest of the same features and specifications as the bigger boards. It has eight all-types USB ports, four SATA 6Gb/s ports, PCIe 4.0 connections with a heatsink, and a pair of M.2 slots to connect SSDs. Moreover, there are three 3.5mm audio jacks to listen to the audio coming after Audio Boost enhancement.

When we talk about the wireless aspect, it has a 2.5 Gb/s LAN Ethernet for fast and stable networking with WiFi 6E to establish sustained wireless connections that are way faster than the non-E WiFi version. Apart from that, there are 6+2+1 power phases embedded on an 8-layer PCB under two heat sinks for effective power delivery. You can easily update the BIOS with BLICK BIOS 5 feature from the CMOS Setup utility given in EZ and advanced mode. Look-wise, most of the black PCB is decorated with white accents, a dragon logo, and heatsinks.

THE PROS
✓Compact and attractive

✓2.5 Gb/s LAN and Wi-Fi 6E

✓Better thermal performance

THE CONS
✗Lackluster VRAM

✗Pricey

Conclusion
The motherboard is the backbone of a computer, directly impacting the performance of elements connected with it. You can’t just go to a tech market and purchase a mother circuit but need to spend hours researching the item and the essential protocol you need to follow. My team and I wrote the following post regarding finding the best motherboard for i F to fetch a peak efficiency from the chip. The Intel Core i F is a great processor with 6 cores and 12 threads with a 12MB Intel Smart Cache and a 4.4GHz boost clock speed.

The tech market is filled with hundreds of motherboards from tens of brands, so it’s not that easy to hunt one. You need to focus on some factors that will help you to choose wisely, like form factor, motherboard’s chipset, cooling capabilities, and more given in the buying guide section – you must read that. Moreover, you should know your needs first and then visit the product list provided in this post from all categories to fulfill every user’s needs. There are eight motherboards in this post, and I’m sure you would have picked one.

Frequently Asked Questions
Which motherboard is best for i K?

I have chosen the MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk WiFi as a perfect motherboard to pair with the Intel Core i F. There are a lot of benefits you can get from it like it provides an excellent bang for your bucks while having adequate RAM overclocking capabilities. It features WiFi to establish a stable wireless connection and 2.5 Gb/s LAN Ethernet for networking purposes.

What motherboards support Intel 11th gen?

The motherboards with the 400-series or 500-series chipsets are compatible with the Intel 11th generation processors like Z590, Z490, and B560. In addition, you need to check the socket since it is the connection via which you will connect a processor to a motherboard. If the socket is also okay, you can go for the motherboard.

Should I pick the Z590 over the B560?

The Z590 is made for extreme overclockers who can spend more bucks for performance, while the B560 is affordable and gives a full bang for your bucks. Since the Intel Core i F is a locked chip, my suggestion is to go for the B560 to not use for overclocking. In short, look at your budget, personal preference, and expected performance before choosing one.