CPU Model: Each CPU model has its own set of advantages and limitations based on what model you are picking up as well as the generation of the CPU. To ensure the best performance and to make a future-proof PC build, you should always go for the latest-gen CPU choice available in your budget, whether you are going with an Intel or AMD CPU. The model number will also tell you about the CPU’s architecture, which also plays an important role in its performance. Core & Thread Count: Another important feature of a CPU you can acknowledge from its model number is its core and thread count. The cores on a CPU are the physical processing units, whereas the threads are the simultaneous operational units that can handle various processes at a time. Fortunately, almost all CPUs on the market right now offer at least twice the thread count as the core count to offer great support for multitasking. Motherboard Chipset: Since we are picking up a motherboard and CPU combo, you must also check out which motherboard you are getting in the set. And to check the overall capacity and specifications, you should check the motherboard chipset first. The chipset will give you not only the CPU compatibility of the board but also the connectivity options and future upgrade choices available for the board.
Apart from these factors, there are many more factors that you need to carefully check before you decide which CPU and motherboard combination is perfect for your build. And as you may already know, hundreds of motherboard choices are available on the market right now, and even more compatible CPU choices for each board. So, it is difficult to pick a combination right now. We have created this helpful list of the best CPU and motherboard combinations to avoid the hassle. You can also check out our “Buying Guide” for the best CPU and motherboard combination if you are not sure which of these options is right for you.
Best CPU & Motherboard Combos Chart
Best CPU & Motherboard Combos Reviews
1. Intel Core i9-13900K CPU & Motherboard Combo
Right now, Intel has its finest offering available with the launch of the 13th Gen CPUs which are pretty much dominating the market right now. So, we have picked one of the most powerful options from this series for our list. In the 1st position, we are currently putting the most powerful CPU and motherboard combination available from Intel. This CPU and motherboard combination includes an Intel Core i9-13900K Desktop Processor with the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Plus motherboard. This powerful CPU option from Intel’s 13th Gen lineup offers 24 cores and 32 threads. Intel also has 8 P-cores and 16 E-cores on this CPU for a more efficient output when working at 5.8 GHz maximum clock speed. It also has a 36 MB cache capacity, which is pretty high for an Intel CPU. Coming to the motherboard, you are getting one of the budget options from Asus’s TUF series, which has an LGA 1700 CPU socket. This is an ATX motherboard having PCIe 5.0 support along with DDR4 support with 4x DIMM slots. It also has a 16+1 DrMOS power solution with ProCool sockets for efficient cooling that you will need on your system. Apart from PCIe and DIMM slots, it also has 4x M.2 slots for extended storage compatibility. Best Features
This is a 24 core 32 threads CPU CPU has a maximum boost clock speed of 5.8 GHz It has 32 MB cache capacity Motherboard has 4x DIMM DDR4 slots There are 4 M.2 slots are provided Z790 motherboard chipset type
Pros
Most powerful combination from Intel 13th gen Intel CPU for a future-proof PC build Motherboard has built-in WiFi
Cons
CPU cache capacity should have been higher
2. Intel Core i5-13600K CPU & Motherboard Combo
Even though most 13th Gen CPU options from Intel are quite expensive, we are bringing a budget-choice from the same series up next on our list. This combination is basically a budget-focused choice from Intel with great performance. In the 2nd position, we have the Intel Core i5-13600K Desktop Processor paired with the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming. Unlike our last pick, the motherboard on this set is a dedicated gaming motherboard with built-in WiFi support and PCIe 5 compatibility. You will also find many other desirable features on this board, such as DDR5 RAM support with a maximum 128 GB memory capacity. This is an AI-powered motherboard from Asus that ensures smart configurations for overclocking as well as cooling. The CPU, on the other hand, has 14 cores and 20 threads, with the smart core configuration of 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores. The hybrid architecture of the CPU makes it possible for the combination to handle workload very easily. The CPU can operate at up to 5.1 GHz clock speed thanks to the AI-overclocking support of the motherboard. It also has 24 MB cache capacity, which is much better than what you get around this price range with other choices. Best Features
This is a 14 core 20 threads CPU CPU has a maximum boost clock speed of 5.1 GHz It has 24 MB cache capacity Motherboard has 4x DIMM DDR5 slots There are 4 M.2 slots are provided Z690 motherboard chipset type
Pros
One of the budget choices from Intel Combination offers a 13th Gen Intel CPU Gaming motherboard is included on this set
Cons
Motherboard is slightly overpowered for this CPU
3. AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU & Motherboard Combo
Now that you know what Intel has to offer for a CPU and motherboard combination, let us talk about when we can find from AMD. With a wide range of CPU and motherboard options, AMD offers many choices for all budget ranges. Our 3rd pick for this list of the best CPU and motherboard combinations is the AMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X CPU with the ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme motherboard. Both of these options are highly premium and packed with powerful specifications. The CPU comes with 16 cores and 32 threads, offering better performance than any other choices on this list with a 5.7 GHz clock speed. But more importantly, this CPU has an 80 MB cache capacity, the highest you can find on commercial CPUs. As for the motherboard, as the name suggests, this is an Extreme motherboard with all top-of-the-line features. It has the X760-E chipset type, which supports the Ryzen 7000 CPU series and PCIe 5 compatibility. It also has 5 M.2 SSD slots so you will never run out of storage expansion options. Since this is an E-ATX motherboard, there are many additional connectivity options provided with this board that are simply exquisite at this point. Plus, you can use up to 128 GB RAM with this system at a maximum speed of up to 6400 MHz, which is perfect for high-level gaming. Best Features
This is a 16 core 32 threads CPU CPU has a maximum boost clock speed of 5.7 GHz It has 80 MB cache capacity Motherboard has 4x DIMM DDR5 slots There are 5 M.2 slots are provided X670E motherboard chipset type
Pros
Most powerful combination on this list today Dedicated gaming motherboard with all important features included CPU has very high cache capacity
Cons
It is as expensive as a complete entry-level PC build
4. AMD Ryzen 9 7900X CPU & Motherboard Combo
AMD has a lot of other options from its latest 7th Gen CPU lineup that are simply perfect for gaming. The following option from the 7th Gen AMD series is a slightly cheaper variant with a full-fledged gaming motherboard. The AMD Ryzen™ 9 7900X is another highly powerful CPU we picked for our list today. This 12-core and 24-thread CPU makes it possible to run the heaviest of applications and multitask on your PC without any problem. Based on AMD’s Zen 4 architecture, this CPU can work at 5.6 GHz clock speed and offers 76 MB cache capacity, which you will surely find beneficial for gaming. And the CPU also supports up to 5200 MHz memory, making it perfect for the paired motherboard. Talking about the motherboard, this set includes the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-A gaming motherboard. As the name suggests, this gaming motherboard has an AM5 CPU socket and built-in WiFi support. As a fine choice from Asus’s ROG series, this motherboard also brings PCIe 5 compatibility with DDR5 6400 MHz RAM support. And since there are 4x DIMM slots available, you can easily expand the memory up to 128 GB. This motherboard has the AMD X670 chipsets, the first choice for many gamers. Best Features
This is a 12 core 24 threads CPU CPU has a maximum boost clock speed of 5.6 GHz It has 76 MB cache capacity Motherboard has 4x DIMM DDR5 slots There are 4 M.2 slots are provided X670E-A motherboard chipset type
Pros
One of the budget gaming choices from AMD Up to 6400 MHz memory is supported by motherboard Many connectivity options are available
Cons
Not suitable for compact PC builds
5. AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU & Motherboard Combo
Moving on with the budget choices from AMD, we have a couple more options available on our picks that will be the best choices for an entry-level PC build. And since most gamers prefer AMD-based PC builds for a budget PC build, we are picking up the following AMD CPU and motherboard combination. The Micro Center AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is also a very powerful choice from the budget range of the 7th Gen AMD CPU series from AMD, offering 8 cores and 16 threads for flawless performance at a maximum clock speed of 5.4 GHz. Despite being a budget choice, this CPU still offers 80 MB cache capacity, making it equivalent to what you get with premium AMD CPUs. This is also a Zen 4 CPU from AMD that supports DDR5 memory up to 5200 MHz memory speed. The Ryzen 7 architecture is also a safe choice for future upgrades. Coming to the motherboard, this set has the ASUS TUF Gaming X670E-PLUS ATX motherboard. Since this board is coming from the Asus TUF series, you can expect pretty good features from the board that won’t cost you a fortune. This WiFi-enabled motherboard also brings DDR5 memory support with 4x DIMM slots, bringing the maximum memory support up to 128 GB. And you will also get 4x M.2 slots for high storage capacity without compromising on the storage speed. There are 3 PCIe slots available on the board, one of which is the PCI5 5.0 x16 slot for your GPU. Best Features
This is an 8 core 16 threads CPU CPU has a maximum boost clock speed of 5.4 GHz It has 80 MB cache capacity Motherboard has 4x DIMM DDR5 slots There are 4 M.2 slots are provided X670E-Plus motherboard chipset type
Pros
Suitable option for an entry-level PC build High-end motherboard chipset Gaming motherboard for future upgrades
Cons
Motherboard cooling could have been better
6. AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU & Motherboard Combo
Finishing up our picks for the best CPU and motherboard combination, we have the cheapest option you can get right now from AMD. This option is ideal for a starting PC build that you will upgrade in the future. For the last position on our list of the best CPU and motherboard combinations, we have the cheapest option that you can get right now with the AMD Ryzen™ 5 7600X and ASUS Prime B650M-A motherboard. The CPU is powered by 6 cores, and 12 threads, which should be enough for basic performance and entry-level gaming builds. However, it still offers a 5.3 GHz clock speed so that you won’t notice any slowdowns in general PC performance. And it also offers a 38 MB cache to reduce stuttering and lag at the time of gaming. It also supports up to 5200 MHz memory which you will surely use with this motherboard. As for the board itself, the ASUS Prime B650M-A is one of the cheaper options from AMD right now with the B650 chipset, which is a value-for-the-money pick. This motherboard is also equipped with a removable WiFi module and supports the PCIe 5.0 interface alongside DDR5 memory. Even though there are only 2x DIMM slots available on the board, you can still pair 128 GB memory on the board with a maximum memory speed of 6400 MHz. The ASUS OptiMem II technology on this board also offers stable performance with overclocking support, which you will need for high-level gaming. Best Features
This is a 6 core 12 threads CPU CPU has a maximum boost clock speed of 5.3 GHz It has 38 MB cache capacity Motherboard has 2x DIMM DDR5 slots There are 2 M.2 slots are provided B650 motherboard chipset type
Pros
Cheapest option right now for a CPU and motherboard combination Supports Asus’s AURA sync RGB Comes with removable WiFi module
Cons
CPU core and thread count is very low
Buying Guide For The Best CPU & Motherboard Combos
When it comes to building a computer, one of the most important decisions is choosing the right CPU and motherboard combo. While the CPU is the brain of the computer responsible for performing most of the processing tasks, the motherboard is its backbone that connects all the other components together. In this buying guide, we will take you through the factors to consider when choosing the best CPU and motherboard combo for your needs. As you are going to pick up the 2 most expensive components of your PC build, it is necessary to check various factors of the CPU as well as the motherboard to know what features you are getting on both of these units. Therefore, we will suggest checking out this entire buying guide before you finalize any of the options from this list.
1. CPU Model & Speed
The first thing you should check on a CPU and motherboard combination is the CPU because the motherboard won’t have as much impact on the performance and capabilities of your system as the CPU. And while you are checking out the CPU, you should always start with the architecture and speed of the CPU before you move on to other specifications. The architecture of a CPU is basically a combination of multiple factors that make up the chip, such as the control unit, arithmetic logic unit, registers, cache, bus, clock speeds, etc. However, you don’t have to go into so much detail if you just check what architecture is featured on your CPU. You will find architecture options for an Intel CPU like i3, i5, and i7, whereas AMD CPUs offer Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 9, and Ryzen 9 architecture. In any case, higher architecture is always better for performance. And as for speed, it is also equally important. The speed or clock speed of a CPU is usually provided in GHz, and you should prefer the options that have a higher clock speed to gain faster output.
2. CPU Core And Thread Count
While the architecture and speed of your CPU will tell you about its capacity to perform work, the core and thread count will indicate just how much data and processes the CPU can handle and work with efficiency. So for whichever type of PC build you are going for, whether it is a work PC, a gaming PC, or a heavy workstation, you should always pick up a CPU with a higher number of cores and threads. A CPU core is a physical processing unit capable of executing instructions independently and typically has its own cache and registers. A thread on the other hand, thread, on the other hand, is a sequence of instructions that can be executed independently of other threads. A CPU with multiple threads per core can execute more instructions simultaneously, resulting in better performance for applications designed to take advantage of multiple threads. On almost all CPUs, you will find multiple threads available with every single core, making the thread count at least double the core count for the chip.
3.CPU Cache
The CPU cache is also a very important factor that deals with the overall performance of the CPU and more or less impacts its output in various scenarios. A CPU cache is a type of high-speed memory that is built directly into the CPU and is used to temporarily store frequently accessed data and instructions. The purpose of the cache is to reduce the time it takes for the CPU to access data and instructions from the main memory, which is typically much slower than the CPU cache. So unlike the data stored in the RAM, the data stored in the cache is much smaller but more frequently fetched by the CPU. There are several levels of cache organizations available on CPUs, each of which has a different capacity and speed. The L1 cache is the smallest but fastest cache, located closest to the CPU core. Apart from that, there is L2, L2, and L3 cache organization, where L3 is the largest cache storage but offers the slowest fetching speed out of all. The effectiveness of the CPU cache depends on the working set size of the application. Applications with a small working set size can benefit significantly from the CPU cache, and it also includes gaming which has more benefit from fast cache performance.
4. Form Factor
Since you are picking up 2 different components with a CPU and motherboard combination, you need to also pay attention to which board you are getting with the set and check whether it is the right option for your needs or not. For that, you should first check the motherboard form factor to make sure it is the right form factor for your PC case or not. The form factor of a motherboard is basically its size, shape, and layout The form factor are important because it determines the physical dimensions of the motherboard, which in turn determines the size of the computer case that the motherboard can fit in, its installation location, orientation, and arrangement of the various components on the motherboard. There are 5 different types of motherboards available in terms of form factor that are ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX, and BTX. Each of these options offers a different range of specifications apart from differences in size and you need to check the form factor carefully before you finalize which combination you are buying.
5. Motherboard Chipset
When you are checking the motherboard, another thing that you should bring into consideration is the chipset used on the motherboard. This factor will not only ensure the compatibility of the CPU that you are getting with the set but also some other important parameters such as future CPU upgrades, connectivity options, available expansion slots, storage options, and much more. The chipset typically comprises two main components: the Northbridge and the Southbridge. The Northbridge manages the communication between the CPU, memory, and high-speed expansion slots, such as PCI Express. It also includes the memory controller, which is responsible for managing the flow of data between the CPU and the memory. The Southbridge however is responsible for managing the communication between the CPU, memory, and slower peripherals, such as hard drives, USB ports, and audio interfaces. It also provides interfaces for legacy components, such as PCI and IDE.
Conclusion
If you were to count all of the available CPU and motherboard combinations that you can buy right now, we can assure you that you will end up with hundreds of options, making it very difficult to choose an option that fits perfectly in your budget and offers all the features that you need on your PC build. Therefore, we have prepared this list of the best CPU and motherboard combo that you can get right now and get done with the most complicated decision for your PC build components. Most of these options are suitable for high-end gaming as well as workstation whereas some options would be perfect for an entry-level PC build. If you want to know more about how we picked these combinations for our list, you can check out our buying guide for the best CPU and motherboard and check out our selection criteria for both the CPU and the motherboard. We also picked out a few recommendations for you so that you can make a quicker choice without having to examine each and every option.
If you are looking for a budget PC build, then the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU & Motherboard Combo with the ASUS Prime B650M-A will be perfect for you. This is the cheapest CPU and motherboard combination that will be perfect for an entry-level PC build. The CPU on this set is a 6-core 12-thread 7th Gen AMD CPU that has a 5.3 GHz boost clock speed with 38 MB of cache. The motherboard also has built-in WiFi support with a wide variety of connectivity options. Even though this is a budget option, you still get PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support on the board which allows you to choose a high-end GPU and fast RAM for your PC build. But for an ultimately powerful and future-proof PC build, the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X CPU & Motherboard Combo Extreme motherboard bundle will be perfect for you. This is one of the most powerful commercial CPUs on the market right now with 16 cores and 32 threads, offering up to 5.7 GHz clock speed and a massive 80 MB cache size. The motherboard on the other hand allows you to install up to 128 GB memory on the board having up to 6800 MHz clock speed. You will also get the Asus-exclusive Anime Matrix display on the motherboard which will increase the appearance points of your system and make it appear like an actual gaming PC build. Lastly, we will recommend a cheaper and more reliable Intel CPU and motherboard combination which is the Intel Core i5-13600K CPU & Motherboard Combo with the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-F Gaming motherboard. This is also the right choice for a gaming PC build as the 13th Gen CPU from Intel is offering 14 cores and 20 threads with smart core distribution for efficient CPU performance. It also operates at up to 5.1 GHz CPU speed and ensures 24 MB cache capacity which is pretty good at this price. Moving on to the motherboard, you will find this AI-powered motherboard perfect for future upgrades with PCIe 5.0 support and DDR5 memory slots. It also allows up to 128 GB of memory with a maximum memory clock speed support of 6400 MHz. On top of that, you will get a removable WiFi dongle with a motherboard that you can use at your convenience.
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