Best CPU and Motherboard Combos to Buy in 2023

We always find that a great starting point for a PC build is selecting your CPU. The CPU can dictate the kind of performance you should expect system-wide, alongside the motherboard you’ll need to pair up with your chosen processor. Once you’ve picked out a CPU, it becomes somewhat easier to decide on a motherboard, but because there are a myriad of options on the market, how do you choose? Or better yet, which options are best?

Should you pair up a Core i5 with one of MSI’s top-tier GODLIKE boards? Or for AMD, will a B650 motherboard suffice for the the top-end Ryzen 9 7950X?

We’ll be answering these questions, and more, with this best CPU and Motherboard combos buyers guide. We’ve supplied a wide range of options, all coming in at different price points, catering to a plethora of consumers.

Best CPU & Motherboard Combos

Without further ado, here are the best CPU and motherboard combos to pick up in 2023. We’ve covered a vast range of options with inclusions from AMD and Intel, with budget combinations, all the way up to high-end more expensive choices.

1. Intel Core i3 12100F & & Gigabyte B660 DS3H AX

👑 The best budget combo.

Intel’s Core i3 12100F is the budget titan from Intel’s previous generation, offering a total of 4 cores and 8 threads clocked at 4.3GHz while boosting. This CPU is one of the best budget options money can buy, sitting well below the $150 mark, making it perfect for an entry-level build. Needless to say, you probably won’t be rendering any 4K videos with this CPU, but it is perfect for 1080P gaming when paired up with a GPU of similar performance, such as an RTX 3050 from NVIDIA, or RX 6600 from AMD.

For our motherboard, we’ve picked out Gigabyte‘s B660 DS3H AX, which is another quality budget board from the 12th-Gen line. We’ve reviewed this motherboard in full on our website, and spoiler alert – it is awesome. Consumers get access to an integrated WiFi 6E and Bluetooth module, alongside some high speed USB ports, and Gen4 M.2 SSD slots. Although this motherboard doesn’t look amazing, you really can’t argue with the price.

Things We Like

Ideal for budget systems: The Core i3 12100F and B660 DS3H AX make a unique pairing because they come in at excellent price points. Neither of them are particularly expensive from the get-go, and if you plan on upgrading in the future, you’ve got plenty of room with Intel 12th-Gen or the more recent 13th-Gen CPUs.

Perfect for 1080P gaming: 1080P gaming has always been at the cheaper end of the spectrum, and the performance that you can get out of the Core i3 12100F matches this perfectly. Consumers won’t be able to play games at insanely high settings, but if you’re looking to build a PC at a low price point and play 1080P games, this combo is ideal.

Strong IO and WiFi: Gigabyte’s B660 DS3H AX is one of our favourite motherboards due to its various features. It doesn’t have the most appealing aesthetic, but at its incredibly competitive price point, consumers get access to Gen4 PCI-E slots, a good set of high speed USB ports, and integrated WiFi 6E.

Things We Don’t Like

Only ideal as a stop-gap: Although the Core i3 12100F is a relatively powerful CPU, how long it will last for 1080P gaming is a question in of itself. Consumers may need to upgrade to something more current and powerful within the next few years.

Not ideal in terms of aesthetic: The B660 DS3H AX is one of our favourite motherboards, but it isn’t the best in terms of looks. The DS3H AX is a more bare bones motherboard and doesn’t offer much when it comes to RGB. So if you’re looking for a solid aesthetic, this won’t be the best choice.

Summary

Where to Buy

2. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 & MSI B550M Pro VDH

👑 The best AMD budget combo.

On the AMD side, we’ve picked out the Ryzen 5 3600. AMD’s current Ryzen 7000 CPUs don’t offer a lot of value at the lower-end, so we’ve picked out an older option from their Ryzen 3000 range. The reason we’ve picked out the 3600 as opposed to a 3100 is due to the increase in clock speed. Gaming is becoming more and more demanding as the years go by, so a better boost clock is needed to ensure smoother gameplay at 1080P and higher resolutions.

Alongside the 3600, the B550M Pro VDH is making a return. MSI‘s B550M is an excellent board sporting a Micro-ATX form factor, with plenty of features for consumers to sink their teeth into. Speaking of features, the B550M offers an M.2 PCI-E 4.0 slot, along with a Gen3 slot for those needing extra storage space. The B550M also offers a PCI-E 4.0 x16 slot, which is compatible with the latest generation of graphics card, making it ideal for consumers looking to pick up a Radeon 7000, or RTX 4000 series GPU.

Things We Like

A competitively priced option: Due to AMD’s Ryzen 5 3600 sitting on an older platform, consumers can expect to be relatively price conscious with this combo. Although the platform is deprecated, the lower price point does make this CPU and motherboard combo and incredibly tantalising choice.

Some upgradeability: The CPU and motherboard that we’ve chosen lean more towards the budget end of the spectrum, for this reason, it offers some upgradeability later down the line. Consumers have access to a significant range of options for CPUs from the higher-end Ryzen 3000 choices, all the way to Ryzen 5000. Consumers have plenty of motherboard options too from the X470 and X570 chipsets.

Gen4 SSD options: Despite this combo being an older option, the MSI B550M Pro does have a Gen4 slot. This allows consumers to install one blazing-fast SSD with Gen3 capabilities too.

Things We Don’t Like

Deprecated platform: The biggest disadvantage of this combo is the fact that AMD Ryzen 3000 has long since become deprecated. This does mean that Ryzen 5000 is the end of this long-standing platform, but it does deliver some upgradeability. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword.

Not as strong as current Intel options: Although AMD’s Ryzen 3000 CPUs were excellent for their time, they have since been beaten by Intel’s most recent 12th-Gen CPUs and do offer better performance metrics in certain scenarios.

Summary

Where to Buy

3. Intel Core i5 13400F & ASUS TUF Gaming B760-Plus WiFi D4

👑 The best Intel mid-range combo.

At the end of our budget choices is the Core i5 13400F from Intel. We’ve reviewed this CPU recently, and overall we were pretty impressed with the performance. The 13400F aligns itself with the 12600K from the previous generation, offering great metrics in 1080P and some 1440P games. The lower clock speed does let this CPU down to some extent, but the awesome price point makes this CPU worth picking up if you’re looking to build a budget PC with plenty of cores and threads.

On the motherboard front we’ve picked a more recent entrant from ASUS, the TUF Gaming B760-Plus WiFi D4. We’ve reviewed this motherboard in full on the website, and I’ve got to say I’m a big fan. Although the B760 chipset hasn’t drastically changed, the TUF Gaming offers a more refined design sporting the TUF logos across the board with various features that make this board a worthwhile purchase. Consumers have access to Gen5 x16 slot, ready for the next generation of graphics cards, alongside three PCI-E 4.0 M.2 slots, offering up plenty of space for storage devices!

Things We Like

A solid modern option: The Core i5 13400F is one of Intel’s more recent CPUs offering strong performance at 1080P with good legs at a 1440P resolution. This CPU should also hold up relatively well with the majority of modern games too.

Strong rear IO: The TUF Gaming B760 is one of our favourite motherboards, and despite being a much cheaper option, the rear IO is awesome. Consumers have access to a set of modern USB ports, 2.5 Gigabit LAN, alongside integrated WiFi 6.

Plenty of upgradeability: Intel’s 13th-Gen platform is technically at the end of it life cycle, but because we’ve picked out a B760 motherboard, users have the option to upgrade to a better CPU without any hassle.

Things We Don’t Like

Not ideal for a workstation build: Although the Core i5 13400F is strong when it comes to gaming, workstation CPUs need a strong set of cores alongside a high clock speed. If you’re planning on building a workstation PC, you might want to consider some other options instead.

LGA 1700 at the end of its life cycle: Intel’s 13th-Gen range is one of the best set of CPUs we’ve seen in quite a while, but the platform is likely to be deprecated within the next year or so. If you’re planning on upgrading your parts soon, you’ll need to pick up a new CPU and motherboard for Intel’s 14th-Gen options.

Summary

Where to Buy

4. AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D & MSI MPG B550 Gaming Plus

👑 The best mid-range gaming combo.

Moving onto the more mid-range options, we’ve picked out AMD‘s Ryzen 7 5800X3D from the previous AM4 platform. The reason we’ve picked out this CPU, versus one of AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 CPUs is down to value. The 7600X and non-X variants aren’t great value for money right now, especially when you consider the price of the motherboards and DDR5 memory. The 5800X3D on the other hand, offers a much better value proposition when it comes to gaming. The 5800X3D was able to compete against the 12900K when it came to gaming, and considering the platform price is much cheaper now, this makes it a definitive purchase for many consumers.

But be aware, despite the core and thread count, the 5800X3D is primarily a gaming CPU, and not really ideal for workstation users. There are many better CPUs (that we’ll be covering below) which are more ideal for multi-faceted systems that have heavier workloads to deal with.

Moving onto the motherboard choice, we’ve picked out MSI‘s MPG B550 Gaming Plus, to pair up with the 5800X3D. B550 motherboards are extremely cheap right now, which means consumers can pick up some of the more high-end SKUs on this chipset, for an exceptional price point. X570 boards are slowly dropping in price, but they are harder to pick up, because they sell pretty quickly. MSI’s MPG B550 will be perfect for those that just want to build their PC, throw in a Gen4 drive, and play some games at high framerates.

Things We Like

One of the best gaming CPUs: AMD‘s Ryzen 7 5800X3D is still one of the best gaming CPUs on the market. This CPU can handle every resolution, maxed out settings when paired up with the right components.

An awesome board with a great aesthetic: MSI‘s MPG B550 Gaming is an incredible motherboard with a great all-black aesthetic and plenty of RGB lighting. This motherboard also has a great set of rear IO, supports the latest graphics cards and SSDs, and has decent overclocking potential on the RAM side.

Competitively priced: AMD’s Ryzen 5000 CPUs along with the B550 chipset are older options, but for that reason they’re very well priced. They still hold up incredibly well to today’s standards and can be picked up at a great price point.

Things We Don’t Like

Older deprecated platform: Much like the Ryzen 3000 combo, AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs and the B550 chipset are also on a deprecated platform. This does limit upgradeability to a degree, but it means consumers may have to upgrade in the near future as games become more demanding.

Not ideal as a workstation PC: The biggest downside to AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU, was the slightly weaker workstation performance. There are better options when it comes to high core counts and clock speeds, making this a slightly poor option for productivity.

Summary

Where to Buy

5. Intel Core i5 13600K & NZXT N7 Z690

👑 The best all-rounder combo.

For our final mid-range option, we’ve picked out the Core i5 13600K from Intel’s latest 13th-Gen range. This CPU currently holds the ‘value king’ title, due to its incredible performance metrics, with a more than reasonable price point. The Core i5 13600K offers similar metrics to the Core i9 13900K from the previous generation, but sits at a price comparable to a 12600K. Consumers with this CPU will have no issues with 4K games, and will find that this CPU is awesome in a workstation setting too. The 13600K is the go-to for many consumers right now, and we definitely recommend picking it up if it’s within your budget range.

As our chosen CPU is an unlocked ‘K’ variant, it makes perfect send to pick out a motherboard that can handle some overclocking. We didn’t choose a Z790 motherboard, because at their current price, they’re not ideal for a mid-range system. Z690 motherboards have dropped significantly with the launch of Intel 13th-Gen, and the N7 Z690 is currently one of the best priced Z690 boards on offer. Although the BIOS is a little bit funky, this board comes with an awesome minimalist NZXT aesthetic, with features such as integrated WiFi 6E, numerous high speed USB ports, and a PCI-E Gen5 GPU slot, ready for the next generation of graphics cards.

Things We Like

Best all-round option: Intel’s Core i5 13600K was one of the most impressive CPUs that we’ve seen release over the last year with performance metrics sitting on par with the Core i9 12900K. Although it doesn’t have the same core count, the 13600K is an excellent CPU for a multifaceted system. If you’re the kind of consumer that does some relatively intense productivity during the day, and gaming in the evening, this combo will be perfect.

Excellent motherboard option: NZXT‘s N7 Z690 is one of our favourite motherboards on this chipset. It sits at a pretty reasonable price considering it is a 12th-Gen board, it has plenty of upgrade options, a very strong set of high speed IO, great networking and has good overclocking capability.

Great aesthetic: NZXT is well known for creating well designed cases and coolers with a minimalist aesthetic, and their motherboards follow suit. The N7 Z690 looks awesome, it has plenty of shrouding to cover up any exposed PCB, no RGB, and is covered in NZXT’s signature perforation design.

Things We Don’t Like

NZXT’s BIOS isn’t great: One of the weaker areas of NZXT‘s motherboards is the BIOS. It isn’t very user friendly, the UI doesn’t look great, and it doesn’t have many quick-change features that we see from other manufacturers. If you plan on overclocking or going into the BIOS a fair amount, NZXT isn’t an ideal choice.

Core i5 will struggle in the most intense instances: Although the Core i5 13600K is one of the best CPUs we’ve seen in quite a long time, when it comes to workstation applications, the more intense workloads will see this CPU struggle to a degree. Productivity applications rely on more cores and high clock speeds, which means there are stronger options if you need a CPU that can handle higher intensity tasks.

Summary

Where to Buy

6. AMD Ryzen 9 7900X & Gigabyte X670E AORUS Master

👑 The best high-end combo.

At the high-end we’ve picked out AMD’s Ryzen 9 7900X. AMD most recently released their non-X variants, and unfortunately the value isn’t great. With the price of the 7900X sitting mostly on par with the standard 7900, it will be worth paying the $10-$20 extra to be able to overclock your CPU. Regardless, the performance of the 7900X is very strong, offering excellent metrics in 4K games, alongside great performance in workstation applications. Single and multithreaded are also very good, especially due to the higher clock speed. Overall, if you’re looking for a CPU that can handle intense workloads, or 4K games, the 7900X is a great pick

Motherboards wise, the new AM5 platform leaves consumers spoilt for choice, but the motherboards are rather expensive. We’ve picked out one of the cheaper options that sits within the high-end range, but isn’t overkill. Gigabyte’s X670E AORUS Master comes loaded with USB ports, most of which are high speed, with only two USB 2.0 ports in sight. For PCI-E, this board comes with a Gen5 x16 slot for your GPU, alongside two Gen5 M.2 SSD slots. The X670E AORUS Master is perfect if you’re looking for plenty of slots and ports, and also offers plenty of upgradeability as we see the market become saturated with newer components.

Things We Like

Incredible performance metrics: AMD’s Ryzen 7000 range of CPUs was pretty hit and miss at the lower-end, but their high-end options are much more solid. The Ryzen 9 7900X in particular is one of the best CPUs in this particular performance bracket. The 7900X will be able to handle pretty much anything you throw at it, such as 4K gaming, and is more ideal for intense workstation applications due to the higher core count and clock speed.

Excellent feature set: AMD’s newest motherboards have come with a great set of features, including widespread PCI-E 5.0, numerous high speed USB ports, alongside great overclocking capabilities. The AORUS Master has plenty of upgradeability to Gen5 components when they release, the most amount of USB ports that you’ll ever need, alongside great RGB lighting.

Ideal for overclocking: The Gigabyte X670E AORUS Master has plenty of VRM power phases offering great potential for overclocking. The Ryzen 9 7900X already has a high clock speed, but for consumers wanting to unlock an extra level of performance this motherboard and CPU combo will be perfect.

Things We Don’t Like

Rather expensive: The performance metrics are extremely strong with the new Ryzen 7000 processors, but the cost of the platform is rather significant. Although the 7900X sits at a price we expect, but the AORUS Master motherboard is definitely one of the more expensive options compared to the rest of the market.

Requires a very good cooler: Due to changes in the boosting behaviour the Ryzen 7000 CPU range runs very hot. Even if you’re not overclocking, the 7900X will require a very strong cooler to offset the high temperatures that pop up when the CPU boosts.

Summary

Where to Buy

7. Intel Core i9 13900K & ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

👑 The best enthusiast combo.

For our final combo, we’ve picked out the Core i9 13900K and the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero from ASUS. The 13900K is currently the most powerful consumer-focused CPU that you can currently buy. There are very few tasks that will cause an issue for the 13900K. Multithreaded and single threaded benchmarks are excellent, and unexpectedly, 4K gaming does not pose an issue for this CPU either. Consumers will definitely need to pair a good cooler with this CPU, due to the higher TDP, but once your system is built, this CPU is an absolute powerhouse, that will not disappoint.

Motherboard wise, we’ve picked out the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. This E-ATX DDR5 motherboard is perfect to house the 13900K due to its high VRM power phase count, alongside the plethora of features that are on offer. In terms of features, the Maximus Hero has more USB ports than anyone will ever need, making it ideal for those that have an excess amount of peripherals and accessories. This board also offers plenty of upgrade paths, with support for Gen5 graphics cards (when they release), and Gen5 SSDs. Needless to say, this motherboard has ‘all the features’, and is perfect for a high-end system!

Things We Like

The most powerful combo: The Core i9 13900K is one of the best CPUs on the market right now. Combined with the solid VRM power phases of the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, consumers can push their build to the max with a strong overclock unlocking a a performance bonus.

All the next-gen features: Intel’s 12th and 13th-Gen platform brought along PCI-E 5.0, strong DDR5 overclocking, Thunderbolt 4, and plethora of more great features. The ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is a prime example of this housing a myriad of great options for consumers to sink their teeth into making it ideal for a multifaceted system.

Great overclocking potential: The ROG Maximus Hero has a very solid set of VRM power phases making it ideal for those planning on overclocking. If you’re looking to push your system to the max, this CPU and motherboard combo will be ideal providing strong performance across the board.

Things We Don’t Like

Extremely expensive: As you can probably imagine, an enthusiast PC build comes with a significant price premium, and you’d be correct. Although this PC is definitely a worthwhile purchase, it will be out of reach for the consumers looking at mid-range and budget options.

High wattage PSU needed: The Core i9 13900K although powerful, requires a significantly high wattage PSU. The boosting capabilities of this processor are unrivalled, but for that reason you’ll want a PSU that can handle the wattage needed for a build of this magnitude.

Summary

Where to Buy

All of these questions are vital considerations that need to be made when picking out components for a PC build. Although a CPU won’t necessarily dictate what kind of frames you’ll get when playing games (this job is primarily determined by your GPU), it does play a massive part in ensuring that data from your GPU is processed quickly enough to avoid bottlenecking. This essentially means that the weaker your CPU is, the choppier the gameplay might become – irrespective of how much you spend on the graphics card.

Ultimately there needs to be an equilibrium between all of your components to ensure the best performance levels. But determining what kind of PC you’re building is a good first step in figuring out what kind of performance metrics you want to achieve, versus what you’ll actually be able to, with your budget and chosen parts.

The Compatibility and Features Checklist

Something that we’ve covered before in much of our written content is motherboard compatibility and features. CPUs from either Intel or AMD have seen a vast amount of change in the features available, chipset type, and CPU socket. This means that for the average consumer, all of the various letters and numbers concerning chipsets, such as Z790, X670E, B760, etc. – could easily cause confusion.

Features also play a big part in determining which motherboard a consumer will choose. For those that want the latest and greatest options, you’ll need to pick up a flagship chipset from either AMD’s or Intel’s latest line of motherboards. For other consumers that don’t particularly care about the number of USB ports they have, a cheaper more price-conscious chipset will be a better consideration.

Regardless, in order to alleviate confusion we’ve created a table that details the compatibility between CPU ranges, and motherboard chipsets (with some information on the features too). This table is extensive, so please bare with us, but we hope it provides a little more clarity as to which options work where.

Motherboard Chipset	Compatible CPU Ranges	Chipset Features
AMD X670E	AMD Ryzen 7000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 44 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 24 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 2 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR5
AMD X670	AMD Ryzen 7000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 44 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 8 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 2 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR5
AMD B650E	AMD Ryzen 7000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 36 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 24 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 1 Maximum SATA Ports: 4 RAM Generation: DDR5
AMD B650	AMD Ryzen 7000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 36 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 0 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 1 Maximum SATA Ports: 4 RAM Generation: DDR5
Intel Z790	Intel 13th Gen Core Processors Intel 12th Gen Core Processors	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 28 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 20 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 5 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR4 & DDR5
Intel H770	Intel 13th Gen Core Processors Intel 12th Gen Core Processors	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 24 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 20 CPU Overclocking Support: No Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 2 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR4 & DDR5
Intel B760	Intel 13th Gen Core Processors Intel 12th Gen Core Processors	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 14 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 20 CPU Overclocking Support: No Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 2 Maximum SATA Ports: 4 RAM Generation: DDR4 & DDR5
AMD X570	AMD Ryzen 5000 Series AMD Ryzen 3000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 36 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 0 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 0 Maximum SATA Ports: 14 RAM Generation: DDR4
AMD B550	AMD Ryzen 5000 Series AMD Ryzen 3000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 30 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 0 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 0 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR4
AMD A520	AMD Ryzen 5000 Series AMD Ryzen 3000 Series	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 26 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 0 CPU Overclocking Support: No Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 0 Maximum SATA Ports: 4 RAM Generation: DDR4
Intel Z690	Intel 13th Gen Core Processors (with a BIOS update) Intel 12th Gen Core Processors	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 28 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 28 CPU Overclocking Support: Yes Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 4 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR4 & DDR5
Intel H670	Intel 13th Gen Core Processors (with a BIOS update) Intel 12th Gen Core Processors	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 24 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 20 CPU Overclocking Support: No Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 2 Maximum SATA Ports: 8 RAM Generation: DDR4 & DDR5
Intel B660	Intel 13th Gen Core Processors (with a BIOS update) Intel 12th Gen Core Processors	Usable PCI-E Lanes: 12 PCI-E 5.0 Lanes: 20 CPU Overclocking Support: No Maximum USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Ports: 2 Maximum SATA Ports: 2 RAM Generation: DDR4 & DDR5

Conclusion

Best Overall CPU and Motherboard Combo: Intel Core i5 13600K & NZXT N7 Z690

Intel’s Core i5 13600K is one of the best CPUs that consumers can currently buy. NZXT’s N7 Z690 is also one of the best priced Z690 motherboards right now, offering a great set of features and a minimalist aesthetic. This combo is great for gaming, and workstation systems, and is ideal for those looking to build a mid-range system.

Read our full Intel Core i5 13600K review and NZXT N7 Z690 review or buy the Core i5 13600K and NZXT N7 Z690 on Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions