It has been some time since DDR5 reached the mainstream market and while a lot of people are still sticking with DDR4, if you are looking to upgrade to the next generation of RAM you will also have to go ahead and upgrade your motherboard. That is why the demand for the best DDR5 motherboards is something that has skyrocketed.
Now, we are all aware of the fact that DDR5 RAM brought a lot of benefits and the best part is that it is faster than the older generation. Sure, it is more expensive at the moment but the prices are going to eventually come down and there won’t be any issues for anyone who is looking to have a decent experience.
That is why, in this round up, we are going to focus on the best DDR5 motherboards available in the market. We have covered options from almost every manufacturer there is, so if you are confused about what you are looking at, the round up is going to be of great help to you and you will not be left behind.
Reviewing the Best DDR5 Motherboard
| Awards | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Editor’s Choice | Buy on Amazon | |
| Best DDR5 Motherboard for Overclocking | Buy on Amazon | |
| Best Mini-ITX DDR5 Motherboard | Buy on Amazon | |
| Best Budget DDR5 Motherboard | Buy on Amazon | |
| Best DDR5 Gaming Motherboard for Storage | Buy on Amazon |
Now, the market has absolutely no shortage of DDR5 motherboards as there are more options than you might want to go for and the best part is that the experience is going to be top-notch in every case. Allowing you to truly get the motherboard you want to go for. Still, we have reviewed every motherboard in detail, so you do not have to worry about it.
ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi
Specifications:
- Intel Z690 Chipset.
- 20-Phase VRM Design
- Socket LGA 1700.
- DDR5 Support.
- ATX Form Factor.
There is no denying that Asus motherboards have been amazing, to say the least. The company is known for delivering some of the highest end offerings as well as some affordable offerings, so even if you are not in the mood to splurge all your budget on a high-end motherboard, you can always go for a more affordable option. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero WiFi, however, is not an affordable offering as it is made for those who do not want any compromises, and we are going to focus on what makes this motherboard so special.
Now, we are already aware of the fact that the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero is a beast of a motherboard but what exactly is there that makes it so special? Well, a lot of things, to be honest. Performance being one of the best things. The motherboard offers a 20-phase power design that will allow you to push your CPU to its limit without losing any stability, this is certainly great news for anyone who wants to overclock their CPU as they would be able to do it without running into too many issues.
Furthermore, considering how you are getting DDR5 support on this motherboard, the good news is that the motherboard pushes the frequency to 6400 MHz, which is among the fastest one could hope for whenever they are in search of a good motherboard. In terms of the performance, this motherboard is not going to let you down.
The onboard Thunderbolt 4 support is another great thing because with this, you will be able to connect all the modern offerings that support this standard and that too, with great convenience. Moving further, the Wi-Fi 6E is exceptional for those who want the latest standard; the wireless performance on this motherboard is amazing and does not disappoint.
Asus has made sure that the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero comes with a plethora of slots including 2x PCIe Gen 5.0, as well as M.2 Gen 5.0 x4 support that you can get through the ROG Hyper M.2 add-on. Speaking of M.2, there are a total of 5 M.2 sockets, which are more than enough for all those who want storage.
For the fans of RGB, Asus has also made sure that you are getting ample RGB headers, so if you do feel like expanding your lighting, you can do it right here.
I have been using the motherboard for some time now and honestly, the only issue that might be a thing for some people is that there is not enough RGB lighting present on board. Other than that, everything about the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero is perfect as it happens to be one of the best DDR5 motherboards in the market.
- Great overclocking potential.
- Rock solid performance and stability.
- Loaded with modern connectivity options.
- Lots of PCIe and M.2 slots.
- The RGB implementation is not the best.
GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master
Specifications:
- E-ATX Form Factor.
- Intel Z690 Chipset.
- 19-Phase VRM Design
- Socket LGA 1700.
- DDR5 Support.
Gigabyte motherboards have always been amazing and we cannot really say that they are not good. If you have been looking for something that is high-end and is not afraid of pulling some punches then getting any good motherboard from Gigabyte’s Aorus series is definitely something that you should be looking into. To a point that you really will not be disappointed and well, that certainly is the thing that you need to look into. With that said, the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master is the motherboard that we are looking at and for all the right reasons, this is one powerful motherboard.
Looking at the specs alone, it is safe to say that the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master is not going to disappoint anyone because after all, you are getting something that can easily overclock. The CPU support is also extensive, so as long as you are getting a good CPU, you are good to go.
My favorite thing about the motherboard is the fact that you are getting support for some amazing RAM overclocking out of the box as the motherboard is capable DDR5 support of up to 6400 MHz. However, the one thing that surprised even me was the fact that this motherboard also has support for DDR4 RAM modules, so if you are still in the possession of older RAM sticks, you can easily go ahead and get that. However, if you just want to save money at the moment and wait for the DDR5 prices to go down, then that is also the right thing to do since you can easily save money.
The first thing I did the moment I got my hands on the motherboard was overclock the CPU just so I can see how good the motherboard performs overall and honestly, it ran with great stability to a point that I didn’t really have to wonder about the performance not being up there. I have been using the motherboard for some time and the overall results have been excellent regardless. The temperatures did get a bit hotter, but thankfully, after some cooling and proper ventilation, those were also under control.
The 105-amp power stages are definitely helpful in achieving great overclocking. The overall storage speed is excellent, too and since we are on the topic of storage, the motherboard comes with 4x M.2 Gen4 slots, so you are never really in a situation where you are not getting enough storage. The motherboard also has an excellent pricing, allowing it to compete with some of the more expensive motherboards with ease.
I did not really run into any issues with the motherboard that would make me look the other way but the fact that you are only getting a single PCIe Gen5 slot is something disappointing.
Overall, the GIGABYTE Z690 AORUS Master is definitely the motherboard to go for if you are looking for stellar performance without really making you compromise. If you want good performance, this is the motherboard to go for.
- Overclocks like a champion.
- Tons of connectivity options.
- Runs without any stability issues.
- 105-amp power stages are amazing.
- Comes with just one PCIe Gen5 slot.
ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi
Specifications:
- mini ITX Form Factor.
- Intel Z690 Chipset.
- 10+1 Phase VRM Design
- Socket LGA 1700.
- DDR5 Support.
The market has absolutely no shortage of amazing motherboards and over the past couple of years, the rise of mini-ITX motherboards has become a lot more common than one might think. More and more people have started using smaller motherboards that are really powerful as they deliver top of the line performance and that too, without any discrepancies. Sure, one would call them a niche offering but the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi is here to disprove that as it delivers fantastic performance all around.
In terms of the specs alone, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi is definitely an impressive motherboard that you should be looking into but it is more than meets the eye. I have been using this motherboard for some time now and it is more than adequate for higher-end builds, too.
If you are in the mood to create a higher-end gaming computer that is small and still manages to deliver great performance, just put this motherboard in the chassis, use a good CPU and GPU combination and you are off to the races.
However, I would suggest that you use a good cooling solution because considering how this motherboard is more than likely to go inside a small case, you will need to have ample cooling for the chip.
Moving further, the overall performance on this motherboard is excellent and whether you are running the motherboard overclocked or with stock clocks, the results are exceptional, to say the least.
Asus has done an excellent job at designing this motherboard’s power phases as they keep everything stable and without any issues. That, combined with a heap of modern connectivity options and blazing fast DDR5 speeds gives you a recipe to success where you are not going to regret investing in this motherboard.
Honestly, the only issue here is that you are getting a 10+1 power design, which is ample for a motherboard this small but I would highly suggest that you do not go ahead and overclock your CPU to the extreme.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix Z690-I Gaming WiFi still remains to be one of the best motherboards that you can buy and the performance that it delivers is one of the best, and that too, without any issues.
- Packed with features despite being small.
- Looks great.
- Plenty of high-end connectivity.
- Offers great stability.
- 10+1 power phase design is not enough for high-end overclocking.
Asus Prime Z690-A
Specifications:
- DDR5 Support.
- ATX Form Factor.
- Intel Z690 Chipset.
- 16+1 Phase VRM Design
- Socket LGA 1700.
The motherboard market has come a long way, to be honest. The best thing? You have countless offerings to choose from and there is nothing wrong that would go and ruin your experience, either. Therefore, all the good motherboards can be chosen from the best companies out there and you can have a great overall experience, too. With that said, the Asus Prime Z690-A is the motherboard we are looking at right now as it tends to deliver a great value for money and all the advanced and basic features one would want, as well.
Now, looking at the specs, you might think that the motherboard is not as power packed as some of the other ones but honestly, the one thing that surprised me the most about the Asus Prime Z690-A is the fact that it comes with a hefty 16+1 phase VRM design and while that might look like it is not enough, the overall experience is a lot better and solid, allowing you to overclock your CPU without any issues.
I have been using the Asus Prime Z690-A for some time and used both the i5 12600K and i7 12700K with it; the latter managed to overclock better and even ran really good in terms of the temperatures, so I would definitely suggest that this motherboard is good for enthusiasts, just do not expect top tier overclocking as the motherboard is not built for that.
You are also getting 4x M.2 sockets, Q-Latch for M.2, and two USB Type-C ports. For those wondering, you do not have to worry about lane sharing with storage, either. So, you can get the benefit from all the lanes at the same time, making this motherboard an impressive offering for the price you are paying.
Normally, when you are looking at the budget DDR5 motherboards in the market, the lower price usually translates into the lack of proper performance. However, with the Asus Prime Z690-A, things are a bit different. Instead of going with reducing the performance or cutting down on features that would contribute to the performance, Asus has decided to cut corners by excluding the Wi-Fi, and putting just 8 USB ports in the motherboard.
Overall, the Asus Prime Z690-A serves as a great reminder that if you find yourself to be on a budget, the market is going to reward you in the best of ways by offering some amazing motherboards. It does not cost a lot of money, but the performance it delivers is worth noting.
- 4x M.2 sockets.
- Q-Latch for M.2 to make things easier.
- Shares no lane with the storage.
- Great performance on stock and overclocked scenarios.
- Not a lot of ports on the back.
- No built-in Wi-Fi.
MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi
Specifications:
- DDR5 Support.
- ATX Form Factor.
- Intel Z690 Chipset.
- 18+1 Phase VRM Design
- Socket LGA 1700.
MSI is responsible for delivering some excellent motherboards and the best part is that they offer a wide variety of motherboards to choose from. Sometimes, you get motherboards such as the Z690 GODLIKE which is a motherboard that costs over $2,000 and there are times when you get affordable offerings that do not cost a lot of money. The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi is something that happens to be in the middle of the road but do not worry about that as you are not going to take a hit in terms of performance. Quite the contrary as this motherboard definitely knows how to deliver on that front.
You can already tell just by looking at the specs that this motherboard is no joke. However, there are a few things about this motherboard that genuinely surprised me to a point that I realized that what I am looking at is excellent, to say the least.
First things first, the 18+1 phase VRM design is something that I was not expecting from a motherboard that costs this much; it actually is a great thing and allows for some pretty decent CPU overclocking that makes the overall user experience a million times amazing. Not just that, you are also getting a total of five M.2 slots, making the whole user experience simpler and better, so if you are in search of something that is good, this motherboard is definitely going to get the job done in terms of storage.
Moving onto the performance factor of the motherboard, I am glad that the motherboard runs stably; I tested this motherboard with both stock clocks as well as overclocked clocks and the motherboard did not run into any issues, neither did the processor. So I am pleased to announce that if it is performance and stability you are after, they are both available and surprisingly well-rounded, too.
Moving further, another thing that I do love about this motherboard is the fact that you are getting two PCIe Gen 5.0 slots, and there are enough RGB headers for your lighting systems. Not to forget, the Wi-Fi 6E is one of the latest connectivity options, so I can assure you that your wireless needs are going to be meant without any discrepancies coming in the way.
As far as the downsides, I cannot really think that there is something majorly wrong with the motherboard. You are getting only 2.5Gb ethernet and power stages are only limited to 75-A but considering the price you are paying for this motherboard, it is not bad at all.
Overall, the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi more than satisfies the need for a good DDR5 motherboard. Not just that, the performance it delivers is exceptionally well balanced and you have enough features that will keep you around.
- Great performance when overclocked and on stock.
- Lots of storage options with five M.2 slots.
- Two PCIe 5.0 slots.
- Plenty of fan and RGB headers.
- The ethernet is limited to just 2.5Gb.
- 75-amp power stages are not for enthusiast grade overclocking.
Conclusion
I understand how finding the best DDR5 motherboard might be a difficult ordeal for those who are not sure what they are looking for. However, the entire round up is focused on exploring the best DDR5 motherboards that are available in the market can be tiresome for those who just want something good and something that is worthy.
We made sure that we look at all the amazing motherboards that you can readily get your hands on and if you are looking to start your DDR5 journey, these motherboards will ensure the best possible experience and that too, without any complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have been gaming for almost 24 years with extensive knowledge of all platforms and the gaming industry, in general. With interests in literature, art, gaming, and PC hardware.