Best Motherboard for i5 6600K


It is not mandatory to have the latest and fastest processor inside your PC as slightly older processors can still be much more helpful. Undoubtedly, the newer processors have better efficiency and performance, but they cost more and require other high-end Hardware to get the most out of them, which doubles the price even more. So, they save you money and effort both. So going with a slightly older processor is not a bad deal if you are using the PC for casual browsing and gaming purposes because they can save you money, and you don’t need such expensive Hardware to run them.

Speaking of expensive Hardware, the I5 6600K was a high-end processor back when it was launched, and it is still a competent processor to this date.

Now being a high-end processor also means that it also requires an expensive high-end motherboard that can run this CPU to its full potential, and since it is a K series CPU with unlocked cores, not only the processor requires a motherboard with better power delivery, but also an excellent cooling system because these processors run extremely hot when they are overclocked.

So, whether you are building your new PC with the Core I5 6600K Or upgrading your previous Motherboard here, we have enlisted the Best Motherboard for i5 6600K. So, let’s get into the list and see which one is a better fit.

Our Top 3 Recommendations

Best Motherboard for i5 6600K Summary

Award Image Model Price
Best Motherboard for i5 6600K Gigabyte GA-Z170X Gaming 7 Gigabyte GA-Z170X Gaming 7 See On Amazon
Best Budget Motherboard for i5 6600K MSI Pro Intel Z170A PC Mate MSI Pro Intel Z170A PC Mate See On Amazon
Best Premium Motherboard for i5 6600K ASUS Prime B360M-A ASUS Prime B360M-A See On Amazon
Best Gaming Motherboard for i5 6600K ASRock B365M PHANTOM GAMING 4 ASRock B365M PHANTOM GAMING 4 See On Amazon
Best Overclocking Motherboard for i5 6600K GIGABYTE B365M DS3H GIGABYTE B365M DS3H See On Amazon
Best Asus Motherboard for i5 6600K Asus Z170 PRO Gaming Motherboard Asus Z170 PRO Gaming Motherboard See On Amazon

Best Motherboard for i5 6600K At a Glance:

Best Motherboard for i5 6600K Reviews

Gigabyte GA-Z170X Gaming 7 (Image credit: Amazon)

Gigabyte GA-Z170X Gaming 7

Best Motherboard for i5 6600K

Gigabyte is one of the best motherboard manufacturers, making the Gigabyte GA170X Gaming 7 motherboard our top pick for the Intel Core I5 6600K processor. This intel i5 6600k lga 1151 Motherboard comes with many improvements from its previous model and has an upgraded design and Hardware.

The Motherboard’s design looks perfect and durable with protective plates and aggressively designed heatsinks. IT comes in black color with white and red accents on the front, and with the help of RB lighting embedded in the heartsinks, it looks impressive with hundreds of combinations that you can choose from the setup utility.

The Motherboard also does an outstanding job in hardware compatibility and features. It comes with an Intel LGA 1151 socket right alongside the Intel Z170 chipset, and with this, you can use any Intel 6th gen processor in it and also be able to upgrade it to 7th gen. There are 4 DDR4 RAM slots on the board that can support 128GB of maximum RAM at a max speed of 3866MHz. There is dual channel and Intel XMP profile support, and you can use both ECC and NON-ECC memory modules in this best motherboard for i5 6600k overclock.

As for the gamers, this i5 6600k compatible motherboard will do an outstanding job because it has 1 PCI-E 4.0 x16 slot and 1 PCI-E 3.0 x8 slot, so you can also easily plug in high-end graphic cards. This i5 6600k lga 1151 Motherboard is equipped with USB thunderbolts, USB 3.1 Type A, and Type C connectors for optimal data transferring speeds.

The only downside of this Motherboard is that it only has 3 SATA connectors, but they provide 16GBP/s of transferring speed. Competitive gaming is also much more fun with this intel core i5 6600k lga 1151 because it has a 10-bit quad-channel surround audio system. Moreover, this should is considered as the Best Motherboard for i5 6600K.

MSI Pro Intel Z170A PC Mate (Image credit: Amazon)

MSI Pro Intel Z170A PC Mate

Best Budget Motherboard for i5 6600K

Coming at a highly budget-friendly price, MSI Pro Intel Z170A is yet another perfect motherboard to be paired with a Core i5 6600K processor if you are running low on budget. Usually, there are no big expectations with a motherboard of this price tag, but this best budget motherboard for i5 6600k comes with surprisingly unique features for its price that are worth mentioning.

At first glance, the Motherboard might not look pretty because of its similar experience to other motherboards, but that is expected as the Motherboard does not feature any RGB lights or protection.

MSI Pro Intel Z170A PC Mate also comes with an Intel Z170A chipset and Intel LGA 1151 socket for the Core I series 6th generation CPUs. Sadly, you can’t upgrade your CPU in this Motherboard from the 6th generation as it does not support it, but you can use any I series 6th generation CPU.

Moreover, it also comes with the standard 4x DDR4 RAM slots that can support up to 64GB of memory at a max speed of 3200MHz, which is good.

MSI has done lots of software enhancement in this intel core i5 6600k socket Motherboard, so you have various optimization options and features like Dual channel memory and Intel XMP profile, Overclocking mode, etc.

Luckily, there are 2 PCI-E 3.0 slots available on the Motherboard that are both running at x16, so you can also use AMD crossfire between them, but if you want to use the dedicated graphics, you have three different video outputs HDMI, DVI-D, and VGA where the HDMI can provide up to 4k resolution. 6 SATA ports are available on the Motherboard with a transferring speed of 6GBP/s and 1 M.2 slot. There are 6 USB 3.1 Gen1 super-speed ports and 4x USB 2.0 ports on the back.

ASUS Prime B360M-A (Image credit: Amazon)

ASUS Prime B360M-A

Best Premium Motherboard for i5 6600K

There are many reasons why most people prefer ASUS products over any other big company, but the number 1 reason is the life expectancy and durability. ASUS makes some of the best and most durable products on the market, and not only that, their products last much longer, possibly 6 to 8 years or more, when used with caution.

People who want to use their PC for the next 3 to 5 years or so always opt for ASUS products. ASUS Prime B360M-A is a perfect example of durability as this 6600k compatible motherboard is also made from solid material and has high resistance capacitors onboard.

Moreover, this i5 6600k compatible chipset also has some great specs and features that significantly mark its performance.

The chipset that ASUS has used alongside the LGA 1151 Socket is the B360, as it is newer and has more comprehensive support. Starting with its CPU support, it can support I series CPUs from 6th to 8th generation, which is very good.

Its Intel Turbo boost support feature performs significantly powerful with increased power and clock speeds.

This Motherboard also does come with 4DDR4 RAM slots; however, there is a slight problem here. These 4 DDR4 memory slots can support 64GB of NON-ECC Un-Buffered memory at a max speed of 2666MHz, suitable for an i5 6th gen processor but not for a 7th or 8th gen processor.

However, with the help of Dual-channel memory and Intel XMP profile, it can go up to 3400MHz.

There is only one PCI-E 3.0x16 slot on the Motherboard, along with 2 PCI-E 3.0/2.0 slots. 6 SATA Ports are available, capable of providing a max speed of 6gbp/s with 2 M.2 slots. For its price, this i5 6600k supported motherboard is yet another excellent option for under 85$.

ASRock B365M PHANTOM GAMING 4 (Image credit: Amazon)

ASRock B365M PHANTOM GAMING 4

Best Gaming Motherboard for i5 6600K

With some slightly upgraded specs and more beautiful aesthetics, this Gaming Motherboard gives the ASUS B360M motherboard tough competition.

The most eye-catching feature of this Motherboard is its design because it just looks fantastic on it as it comes in black color with red-colored strips and accents on the top.

On the back of the Motherboard is the protective metal plate and heatsink that comes in silver color, and it also has RGB lights in it. In conclusion, the most intriguing part of this 6600k mobo is its design, so if you search for a good-looking motherboard, then here it is.

As I mentioned earlier, this Motherboard has some slightly upgraded specs from the ASUS B360M motherboard. Still, one of the significant hardware changes is the support for the 9th gen Intel CPU.

This best mobo for i5 6600k also comes with an LGA 1151 socket but with a different chipset of B365, which performs slightly better than the B360M, which is added plus.

The 4 DDR4 RAM slots perform in the same way as the ASUS B360M, with total RAM support of 64GB at a max speed of 2666MHz however, this time, you can use both ECC and NON-ECC modules in it. The PCI-E slots are also the same, with one being the PCI-E 3.0 x 16 slot and the other being the PCI-E 2.0 slot, making it the Best Motherboard for i5 6600K.

Some of the unique features of this motherboard for i5 6600 include a 50A premium Power Choke, I/O Armor, High-Density Glass Fabric PCB, and two ultra-M.2 Slots and Nichicon 12k Black Caps capacitors significantly improve the Motherboard’s life.

Priced at a slightly higher tag, this i5 6600k socket 1151 Motherboard shares some of the same features as the B360M but has some upgraded specs. You can easily choose between these two motherboards by their price tags.

GIGABYTE B365M DS3H (Image credit: Amazon)

GIGABYTE B365M DS3H

Best Overclocking Motherboard for i5 6600K

The Gigabyte B365M is a solid improvement over the previous model of this Motherboard, but it’s still not the best that you can get. The design of the Motherboard is straightforward, and nothing too fancy about it except the combination of black and white-colored stripes.

This 6600k compatible motherboard is a perfect mid-range with some of the features you can only find in a high-end motherboard like the Dual Bios system. However, this best motherboard for i5 6600 is also a budget-friendly addition to this list which means that it will do the job just fine.

At first glance of the Motherboard, you can’t tell just how much the Motherboard is capable of, and it’s because of its much simpler design. So, this intel i5 6600k motherboard has a B365 Chipset alongside the LGA 1151 socket, so you can easily plugin 6th gen Core I series CPUs to up to 9th gen.

However, I would not recommend using a 9th gen processor as it’s a budget-friendly motherboard; if you ever need it, the option is there.

The rest of the specs go the same, just like the other motherboards with a couple of changes, so you have the same 4 DDR4 memory slots with 64 gigs of memory max support. It is a dual-channel and has an Intel XMP profile, and you can only use NON-ECC memory in this intel core i5 6600k compatible motherboard.

Moreover, it has the same PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot with two other PCI-E 2.0/30 slots kept at 8.0 speed. However, the good thing that this i5 6600 motherboard does have is the best audio quality capacitors and M.2 slot for Faster SSDs. Inside the BIOS, there are a lot of other features like RGB Fusion, Easy Tune, Smart HUD, Smart Survey, Game Boost, and many more things.

Asus Z170 PRO Gaming Motherboard (Image credit: Amazon)

Asus Z170 PRO Gaming Motherboard

Best Asus Motherboard for i5 6600K

If you search for the Best Motherboard for i5 6600K at a small price tag, you are in the right spot because this ASUS Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard is this type of Motherboard. Taking a look at its design, it’s nothing too good.

As the Motherboard name already suggests, this Motherboard is meant for highly intensive usage like gaming or running CPU-intensive software and applications, so doing either of these tasks is no big deal on this best motherboard for i5 6th gen.

Still, it’s above average as you have protective plates and a heatsink with a red and black combination that gives this best gaming motherboard for i5 6600k a sportier look, and on the chipset, you can also find Pro Gaming mentioned on it.

The Motherboard is a complete all-in-one package. It is loaded with high-end features like the Z170 Chipset, which is highly recognized for its overclocking capabilities. Since we are using a 6th gen K series, the CPU with this Motherboard is a perfect combination.

Further, adding this i5 6600k motherboard can support 6th to 8th gen I series CPUs which is good for its price. The memory management has a significant upgrade this time; however, it still supports 64GB of DDR4 memory but now with a max speed of 3600MHz.

Another main selling point of this 6600k motherboard is the 2 PCI-E 3.0 x 16 slot, which allows you to use both Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossFireX. The M.2 slot alongside the 6 SATA Ports and 1 Supreme SATA connector is also upgraded with new-gen 3.0 that allows much faster data traveling speeds.

To conclude, this intel i5 6600k compatible motherboard gives precisely what you want in a high-end motherboard; there are also many more software features embedded into the BIOS like support for Intel Turbo Clock, XMP profile, Game Boost, ASUS Aura RGB lighting, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Motherboard Is the Best For I5 6th Gen?

Many motherboards can be found both online and locally but finding the right one is a much more difficult task than it may seem. Luckily I5 6th Gen is somewhat old at this point, so its motherboards have become much cheaper, but to get the most out of these CPUs, you should go with a motherboard that has a Z270 chipset or Z170 as both of these chipsets are of high quality and provides good performance for the CPU.

Is I5 6600k Compatible with Z390 Chipset?

The short and the simple answer to this question is NO because the Z390 chipset is not compatible with older CPUs like the 7th or even, in some cases, 8th gen.

Which Motherboard Is Best for an I5 Processor?

Intel I5 series CPUs are a mid-range, budget-friendly option which also means that you don’t need much of a high-end motherboard to get the most out of them. Depending upon your CPU generation, the Motherboard specification can vary by big difference.

Austin Contreras
Hi, My name is Austin Contreras and I'm the Writer of Techfrugal. I have been played games for over 18 years, and I like to share my gaming knowledge with People.
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