The ideal motherboard for this flagship processor can differ from one user to the next, but generally, there are certain things that you should absolutely keep in mind while choosing the platform for your next build. Ideally, we would want something that can harness the true potential of the Core i9 12900K, and that means being able to overclock the said processor, therefore we would be taking a look at Z690 choices in our roundup today. Our choices for the best motherboards for i9 11900K are also available for consideration if you are going for the last-gen flagship. The Z690 platform (and the Alder Lake platform for that matter) comes with a bunch of massive improvements over the previous generation of Intel processors. After many years of pressure from competitor AMD and their Ryzen processors, Intel has taken an entirely new approach to core design in order to manifest some pretty substantial performance gains. In addition to the new core design featuring P-cores and E-cores, Intel has also enabled support for the brand new DDR5 memory platform on the Alder Lake processors. However, DDR4 memory is still supported by these CPUs as well so you have to make the choice when purchasing the motherboard. PCIe Gen 5 support is also a highlight of the Alder Lake platform, although that feature has little-to-no real-life use as of right now. Be sure to check out the best motherboards for i7 11700K and the best motherboards for i5 11400 as well.
The Best Motherboard For i9 12900K – Our Picks
Why you should trust us
We live, breathe, and eat motherboards here at appuals.com. Whether it’s the latest Intel or AMD chipsets, we know our way around a motherboard. We’ve been reviewing them for years, and our experience shows in our detailed, comprehensive reviews. Our leading PC hardware expert, Hassam Nasir, boasts a tremendous experience in the field of motherboard reviews which spans back to the days when Nvidia used to add an extra SLI chipset to motherboards! One can say that he loves to get into the nitty-gritty details of PC hardware such as PCB analysis, VRM performance, memory/core overclocking potential, cooling potentials of AIOs, and the list goes on and on. His expertise does not come as a surprise, since he has been obsessed with PC hardware from the era of Opterons and Smithfield Pentium processors. However, we don’t just rely on our experience – we also put every motherboard we review through a rigorous testing process. We test for stability, compatibility, overclocking potential, and more. Our team’s key expertise lies in the area of VRM testing, both for quality and long-term reliability. Of course, we also take into account the user experience when writing our reviews. Whether you are looking for a budget-friendly option or the absolute best motherboard on the market, we can help you find what you need. The AORUS line of motherboards from Gigabyte is renowned for its excellent premium offerings for both AMD and Intel platforms, and that trend continues with the Intel 12th Generation processors as well.
The Z690 edition of the Gigabyte AORUS Master trim combines a premium power delivery system with a host of exciting and unique features that are almost to be expected at this price point. Speaking of pricing, you will find that the Gigabyte AORUS Master Z690 is among the most expensive offerings on our list, but it justifies its price tag if you want to push your Alder Lake 12900K to its maximum potential. Related Roundup: Best Motherboards For i7 10700K In order to achieve said maximum potential, the most important component of a motherboard is the VRM design. Thankfully, Gigabyte has gone above and beyond to ensure that your i9 12900K CPU will not have any problems running at its maximum possible overclocked settings. The VRM setup consists of 22 phases, out of which 19 are dedicated to the CPU with 105A of power. This setup will ensure that even the most hardcore of overclockers can trust the Z690 AORUS Master for their i9 12900K overclocking duties. The VRM is also cooled efficiently with the help of sizeable VRM heatsinks with adequate finning, so temperatures shouldn’t be a concern. Moving on to the features offered by the Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master, one would be hard-pressed to find a missing feature or capability at this price point. Our selected variant is the DDR5 Z690 AORUS Master, with memory support for up to 6400MHz DIMMs. Connectivity is handled via a 10 GbE LAN port on the back provided by Aquantia. The board also supports wireless connectivity using WiFi 6E protocol, which is nice to see. The rear I/O includes 11 USB ports with 2 USB-C variations as well, which is ideal. As far as storage goes, Gigabyte has provided four M.2 drives so you shouldn’t really have any concerns with the storage setup. The board also supports the PCIe Gen 5 protocol as standard. Aesthetically, the Gigabyte Z690 AORUS Master is certainly one of the more premium-looking boards out there. The whole front of the board is covered with sizeable heatsinks and heat spreaders, so you don’t really see a lot of the PCB which gives it a clean look. The RGB lighting is plenty, covering most of the I/O cover adjacent to the VRM heatsinks, and the chipset heatsink. The design language is not as clean as it could’ve been, but still, the board looks really good all things considered. Helpful Read: Best Gaming Motherboards All in all, the Gigabyte AORUS Master Z690 is arguably the best overall motherboard for i9 12900K. Its power delivery system is among the best in the industry when it comes to Z690 motherboards, and its host of features also makes it a strong candidate for power users. The price point sure leaves a bit to be desired, but if you want the best of the best, this board should be at the top of your list. It would be impossible to curate a list of premium motherboards for the i9 12900K without mentioning the ROG series from ASUS. Particularly, the Maximus motherboards from ASUS ROG have always been the default choice of enthusiasts looking to pair a premium motherboard with a premium CPU.
Similarly, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero seems like the ideal pairing for the high-end Core i9 12900K CPU. Not only does it have the VRM credentials, but it is also one of the most jam-packed motherboards on this list in terms of features. Related Roundup: Best Z590 Motherboards Starting off with the power delivery system, ASUS has packed an incredible 20+1 VRM design with 90A power stages in the Maximus Z690 Hero. Just like the AORUS Master Z690 we mentioned before, this VRM design should be more than plenty for any sort of overclocking you might want to do with the i9 12900K. The VRM is also cooled rather efficiently with large VRM heatsinks with adequate fins, therefore you should not have any problems with the VRM temperature under prolonged loads as well. The Z690 Hero seems to be the ideal motherboard for enthusiast-level overclocking with the flagship Core i9 12900K. Moving on to the features offered by the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero, there is certainly not a lot to complain about. All the features you expect from a premium motherboard in 2022 are present here, leaving not a whole lot to be desired. Our selected variant supports DDR5 memory at up to 6400MHz speeds which is what you want to see from a Z690 motherboard. Connectivity is handled by a 2.5 GbE LAN port and WiFi 6E, while storage is taken care of by the 5 M.2 devices (if you install the PCIe M.2 expansion card as well). Rear I/O stands out with the inclusion of 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is a neat touch. More Intel Motherboards: Best Motherboards For i7 8700K When it comes to the looks of the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero, you can see that ASUS has tried something new with these boards. The script and graphics all follow a “pixelated” design language, which is reminiscent of the retro styling of older PC games. The board itself is completely covered by large heatsinks and heat spreaders, so you barely see any actual PCB. The design is fairly straightforward and stealthy, if not for the two large areas of RGB lighting on the I/O cover and the chipset heatsink. All in all, not a lot to complain about when it comes to the aesthetics of the board. Conclusively, the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero is one of the premium motherboards that you should consider if you are looking to maximize the potential of your brand new flagship Core i9 12900K CPU. The power delivery system is the highlight of the package, which is what separates this offering from your standard Z690 motherboard. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero might just be the best high-end motherboard for i9 12900K you can buy right now. The MSI Performance Gaming or MPG trim of motherboards from MSI is synonymous with enthusiast-grade products with a focus on excellent power delivery. The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi carries the same mantle as the other famous MPG motherboards across both Intel and AMD lineups.
The Z690 Carbon combines a robust VRM design with a high-end feature set, which is the ideal pairing for enthusiasts looking to get the most out of their Alder Lake CPU. The primary highlight of the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi is the excellent power delivery system that MSI has provided with this board. The 18+1+1 phase VRM with 75A power stages is ideal for enthusiast-grade CPU overclocking, particularly with high-end CPUs such as the Core i9 12900K. The VRMs are also adequately cooled by large heatsinks, which make sure that the temperatures remain within reasonable limits under extended load periods. The MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi is also a bit cheaper than the two aforementioned options, therefore it can be considered the best overclocking motherboard for i9 12900K. The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi is also packed with features, which is expected from a high-end motherboard in this price category. Nevertheless, our selection is the DDR5 variant with support for speeds up to 6666MHz, which is a bit more than competitors. Furthermore, the board also comes with the standard PCIe Gen 5 support, a 2.5 GbE LAN port, WiFi 6E, and 4x M.2 ports for your storage needs. This feature set is really all you need for a high-end PC in 2022, even if you are somewhat of a power user. All in all, nothing much to complain about when it comes to features. Helpful Roundup: Best Motherboards For i9 9900K Aesthetically, the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi is certainly a unique-looking board that sets itself apart with its use of carbon fiber design (hence the name). MSI has also added a large RGB dragon logo over the I/O cover, which gives it a distinctive look. The entirety of the PCB is covered in heatsinks and heat spreaders with a distinct carbon-fiber trim design, and the board overall looks really sleek and modern. The script “Carbon” is written near the chipset heatsink, which is a really neat touch, especially when lit up in RGB colors. This board will be best suited for RGB builds due to the nature of the styling that MSI has implemented. Overall, the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi firmly establishes itself as one of the best motherboards on the market for the i9 12900K CPU. It also sits in a mid-range price bracket with respect to modern Z690 motherboards, so that gives it an advantage when it comes to the value proposition. Certainly, potential buyers should consider this motherboard if overclocking is on the top of their priority lists. It would be impossible to curate any selection of motherboards in 2022 without including a mini-ITX offering. Compact gaming PCs have seen a massive popularity boom in recent years as components have generally become more efficient.
Enthusiasts are now jumping to smaller mini-ITX cases from large full-sized PCs as they take up less space and are also easier to carry around. For this purpose, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I is the perfect mini-ITX motherboard for your i9 12900K. Not only does it have a robust power delivery system for a mini-ITX board, but it also packs plenty of features that one might not expect from such a compact offering. ASUS has not really cut any corners when it comes to the VRM design of the Z690-I. The power delivery setup consists of a 10+1 phase VRM with 105 amp power stages, which is plenty for moderate overclocking on an i9 12900K. The board also sports sizeable VRM heatsinks with adequate fins, which should help in keeping the temperatures under control. Realistically, this power delivery system should be adequate for most overclocking scenarios of 12700K or even 12900K, provided you don’t plan to go too over-the-top. When it comes to features, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I really shines. Our selected variant supports DDR5 memory at up to 6400MHz speeds, which is pretty much standard for DDR5 Z690 motherboards. Connectivity is handled by a 2.5 GbE LAN port and WiFi 6E, while storage is managed by two M.2 slots wired for PCIe Gen 4 connectivity. The main PCIe 16x slot is also wired for PCIe Gen 5 connectivity, although that has little-to-no impact on actual performance right now. Other noticeable features include the Clear CMOS button, BIOS flashback, 12v and 5v lighting headers, and two additional PCBs which are used for certain extensions. All in all, this makes a very versatile feature set for a mini-ITX motherboard. Best Compact Builds: Best Micro ATX Cases Aesthetically, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I certainly stands out from other boards in its category. ASUS has gone with massive heatsinks and I/O covers which basically cover the entirety of the PCB. The I/O cover also extends laterally over the M.2 devices, serving as a stand-in M.2 heatsink as well. ASUS has also incorporated the ROG eye and the ROG Strix script on the lower-left corner of the heatsinks, which gives the board a unique look. The overall aesthetic is certainly an acquired taste, but it should match up perfectly with most compact RGB builds. If you are in the market for the best mini-ITX motherboard for i9 12900K, then the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I is certainly the pick for you. It combines a robust VRM with great features and should be perfectly suited to most compact builds featuring the flagship i9 12900K. It is a bit pricy being a mini-ITX motherboard, but it is great for the specific use case for which it is designed. The ASUS ROG Strix Z690-A is a mid-range offering by ASUS in the Strix lineup. It combines a solid power delivery system with a host of excellent features that are the hallmark of a great motherboard in 2022.
The Z690-A is a more compromising option as compared to the Maximus series from ASUS, but it is certainly more suited to the average gamer than the premium offerings. The ROG Strix Z690-A’s competitive price point also makes it a great value option for moderate overclocking on the Core i9 12900K. Speaking of overclocking, you can expect a decent amount of overclocking on the Core i9 12900K with the robust 16+1 phase VRM that ASUS has packed into the ROG Strix Z690-A. Sure, it might not be as overpowered as the one found on the Maximus Hero, but it certainly serves its purpose well. You can expect a decent amount of stable overclocking out of the Z690-A, but don’t expect anything too competitive or overkill. The i9 12900K is already one of the best CPUs for gaming out there, so you shouldn’t need to go too crazy with the overclock. The VRM is also cooled nicely by large VRM heatsinks with diagonal fins, and that helps keep the temperatures in check under extended loads. The Z690-A also packs a pretty decent feature-set considering the price point. Our selected variant is the DDR5 supported Z690-A with support for memory up to 5333MHz. This speed is a bit lower than the competitors on our list, but it certainly shouldn’t translate into any meaningful performance losses. Storage is handled by four M.2 slots with PCIe Gen 4 functionality, while the PCIe 16x slot also supports PCIe Gen 5. The board also supports 2.5 GbE LAN and WiFi 6 as standard for connectivity. Rear I/O is decent with several high-speed USB ports, HDMI, and Displayport. The ROG Strix Z690-A sets itself apart from the others when it comes to design and aesthetics. The PCB is covered with large white heatsinks and heat spreaders, which give it a really premium look. The highlight of the board is the I/O cover which is extraordinary in its appearance thanks to a beautiful RGB design with the Strix script in it. This board will look really good in white-themed builds that are ever so popular nowadays. If you are in the market for the best looking motherboard for i9 12900K, then this might just be the perfect pick for you. All in all, the ROG Strix Z690-A balances extravagant features and a competitive price point. It does not cut any severe corners in the name of cost-saving, but it also doesn’t offer anything unique or over-the-top that one might expect from a really premium offering. The Z690-A looks to be a really solid option for the Core i9 12900K considering its power delivery, feature-set, and value proposition. If you are in the market for a more reasonable pairing for the i9 12900K that doesn’t completely break the bank, then the MSI Pro Z690-A WiFi might be the choice for you. The MSI Pro series is the value-oriented lineup from MSI which aims to maximize your bang-for-the-buck.
The big advantage of the MSI Pro Z690-A is the Z690 chipset itself, which offers maximum overclocking functionality and all the bells and whistles you can expect from the flagship Intel chipset. Therefore, the MSI Pro Z690-A WiFi aims to be the best value motherboard for i9 12900K. Being a budget-oriented motherboard, we have to adjust our expectations slightly when it comes to the VRM design of the MSI Pro Z690-A. The board features a decent 8+4 phase VRM which is good enough for moderate overclocking of the i9 12900K, provided you don’t plan to go too over-the-top. It certainly is no match for the ASUS and Gigabyte AORUS offerings mentioned above, but considering the price point, we can’t really complain too much. The power delivery is adequate for moderate overclocking on a Core i9 12900K, but we wouldn’t recommend any enthusiast-level overclocking on this board. The VRM, however, is cooled adequately using large heatsinks with several fins, therefore thermals should not be an issue. The MSI Pro Z690-A is fairly well-equipped when it comes to features. It certainly doesn’t hold a candle to some of the more premium boards we have mentioned before, but realistically it has all the features an average gamer might need in a gaming PC. The Z690 chipset at this price point is a big plus, coupled with the DDR5 support and PCIe Gen 5 support as well. The Z690-A also has 4 M.2 slots for your storage needs, and there is a 2.5 GbE LAN port and WiFi 6E for connectivity as well. You might want to consider our picks for the best PCIe Gen 4 SSDs out there. MSI has cut a few corners here and there, like the lack of a built-in I/O shield, but all in all the feature-set is quite decent considering the price point. Aesthetics are not really a strong point of the MSI Pro Z690-A, as the board sports a rather dull and basic design. There is a stark lack of lighting, and the board looks decidedly last-gen due to the lack of large heat spreaders everywhere. Thankfully, looks don’t really contribute to performance so there is nothing wrong with a basic, stealthy approach to aesthetics as MSI has taken here. This board will probably save you from installing 30 different RGB software as well, which is a big plus. The Pro Z690-A should go well with basic black builds, although there is nothing wrong with incorporating it into an RGB build as well. The MSI Pro Z690-A places itself strongly in the price-to-performance sweet spot when it comes to the best motherboards for i9 12900K. While yes, it may not be as extravagant or premium as some of the aforementioned offerings, it delivers a great feature-set with decent power delivery, which is ideal considering the price point. This board should be on your priority list if you are looking for a value-oriented Z690 motherboard for your i9 12900K. The PRIME series from ASUS has always provided some really interesting budget offerings that aim to maximize the price-to-performance ratio. The ASUS PRIME Z690-A is another such offering from ASUS that could be a great pairing for your i9 12900K.
It does cut some corners in areas such as VRM design and lacks some fancy features, but it should be more than enough for stock operation with an i9 12900K, and you might even get lucky with some light overclocking. Budget motherboards usually do not feature the most robust power delivery systems. The same holds true for the ASUS PRIME Z690-A, however, it is not as bad as budget motherboards of the past. In fact, it is actually quite a decent setup for the price. ASUS has provided a 16+1 phase VRM for this board, which should be enough for some light overclocking on the i9 12900K. Realistically, this board is ideal for those users who want to operate their i9 12900K on stock settings, or maybe dabble in some light overclocking. The cooling is also acceptable with large heatsinks on the VRM components that help to keep the temperatures in check. Features-wise, the board is decently equipped, although there is nothing fancy or unique about this setup. The board does support DDR5 memory with speeds up to 6000 MHz which is a decent support range. PCIe Gen 5 is also supported on the main PCIe 16x slot, although its benefits are questionable as of right now. Connectivity is handled by 2.5 GbE LAN, and the board lacks WiFi which is sad to see on a Z690 motherboard in 2022. You can pick up an external PCIe WiFi card to solve that issue though. Storage is handled by four M.2 slots that are wired up for PCIe Gen 4 operation. A neat touch is the inclusion of a Thunderbolt 4 port on the rear I/O, which is rare to see in budget motherboards. As far as the looks of the board are concerned, there is certainly nothing to complain about. There are clear parallels between this board and the ROG Strix Z690-A motherboard that we mentioned earlier, although the Strix board has a much cleaner and refined look. Still, the white theme is nice to see on a board of this price point. The RGB implementation is quite tasteful and the general look of the I/O cover and chipset heatsink is very attractive. This motherboard will pair nicely with white-themed builds, which is hard to say for most motherboards out there today. Conclusively, the ASUS PRIME Z690-A is an excellent budget offering from ASUS that you should definitely consider if you want the best budget motherboard for i9 12900K. It might not have the extravagant bells and whistles of some of the more premium offerings in our roundup, but it does have everything you need to get up and running with your brand new flagship Alder Lake processor, and that too on a decent budget.
Buyer’s Guide – How To Choose The Best Motherboard For i9 12900K
The motherboard serves as the base platform on which the entire building of your PC rests. Everything is connected to the motherboard, therefore it is only logical that it is one of the most critical components in PC building. In order to choose the best motherboard for i9 12900K, several factors should be considered. The VRM quality should be of primary importance when choosing a motherboard for a component such as the 12900K. Being an unlocked SKU, overclocking is a big part of the reason why anyone would opt for the K variant over the standard non-K SKU, therefore it must be considered thoroughly before choosing the board. Furthermore, the feature-set of the motherboards should be considered deeply. Nowadays, modern motherboards come with a host of features such as high-speed networking, WiFi 6E, PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots, DIMM.2 slots, various buttons and switches that help in troubleshooting, etc. Aesthetics should also be considered, but that is a subjective thing that varies from person to person. Other factors that are specific to the Alder Lake generation of CPUs are discussed as follows.
DDR4 vs. DDR5
Alder Lake comes with support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory generations, which can be a bit confusing for users who are not familiar with the way Intel has rolled out the support for DDR5 in these motherboards. You have to make the choice between the two generations of DDR memory, and you can’t opt for both in one motherboard. There are variants of motherboards that support DDR4 and there are variants that support DDR5, so you have to make a choice of one memory generation depending on the memory you have available or plan to buy. Both DDR4 and DDR5 memory cannot be supported on a single motherboard at the time of writing, but maybe there will be some exceptions down the road. As of right now though, you have to make the choice between the old generation and the new generation of memory. Initial benchmarks do not show a massive difference between DDR4 and DDR5 memory as of right now, but that gap will only increase as time passes on. We will also get faster and faster DDR5 memory as time goes on, so this is something that you should consider before pulling the trigger on early DDR5 memory. Nevertheless, if you do plan to wait for DDR5 memory to mature, you might want to opt for a DDR4 Z690 motherboard right now. Just be warned that you will have to change the motherboard and the memory when you are ready to make the jump to DDR5 down the road.
Chipset Choice
The 12th Generation Alder Lake processors are supported on various chipsets that Intel has rolled out after the launch. It is important to know the differences between the various chipsets in order to make the best purchase decision.
Z690: This is the primary chipset that is fully unlocked in terms of overclocking. It supports full CPU and memory overclocking and has a DMI 4.0 x8 chipset link. It provides 28 maximum PCIe lanes and 12 usable PCIe Gen 4 lanes.H670: This chipset only allows memory overclocking and does not allow CPU overclocking. It has a DMI 4.0 x8 chipset link, provides 24 maximum PCIe lanes with 12 usable PCIe Gen 4 lanes.B660: This chipset also only allows memory overclocking and does not allow CPU overclocking. It provides a DMI 4.0 x4 chipset link, has 14 maximum PCIe lanes with only 6 usable PCIe Gen 4 lanes.H610: This chipset is the most basic and does not allow any form of CPU or memory overclocking. It has a DMI 4.0 x4 chipset link, has 12 maximum PCIe lanes with NO usable PCIe Gen 4 lanes. You should avoid this chipset for everything except maybe the most basic office builds using budget Alder Lake CPUs.
The comparison makes it clear that only Z690 provides full memory and CPU overclocking in addition to several other excellent features. Therefore, one should only look to pair a Z690 motherboard with an unlocked flagship CPU such as the Core i9 12900K. And so concludes our roundup of the best motherboards for i9 12900K. If you want a more in-depth walkthrough on how to purchase a motherboard, you should check out our comprehensive motherboard buying guide, which will equip you with the essential knowledge that you need to make the perfect motherboard purchase decision.
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