Intel is a very experienced processor manufacturer and has been putting out great processors for quite some time. Their processors can range from low-end to high-end, depending on their prices. Low-end processors are suitable for entry-level gaming and juggling daily tasks such as web browsing, Watching streaming platforms, or studying. The mid-end and high-end processors provide good to best gaming performance. They can handle heavier and more demanding tasking such as streaming, content creation, video editing, etc. Today we are going to review a few best motherboard for i5 9400F that doesn’t goes heavy on your budget but allows you to get the maximum out of this processor.
Intel Core i5 9400f is an affordable mid-end processor with excellent features. It is very capable of gaming and handling your demanding tasks. It has a total of 6 cores and 6 threads but doesn’t have hyperthreading. It has a boosted clock speed of 4.1 GHz and is designed with the LGA 1511 platform. Also, it doesn’t have any integrated graphics, as the “f” in Intel’s line of processors means the same. This processor has a more significant performance margin than its predecessor, and it is capable of performing even better.
The motherboard is the most essential part of any PC build as it is the one that houses all other essential components, including the processor. The i5 9400f has been tested on numerous compatible motherboards to determine which matches it perfectly. Few motherboards are found to be very suitable and highly compatible with this processor. We have compiled a list of the most suitable motherboards for the Intel Core i5 9400f. These boards are highly efficient at what they do and have been tested thoroughly with the processor to provide you with the best guide on them.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s talk about the best motherboards for the i5 9400f processor.
Best Motherboard for i5 9400F Summary
| Award | Image | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Performance Motherboard for i5 9400F |
|
ASUS PRIME Z390-P PRO | See on Amazon |
| Best Budget-Friendly Motherboard for i5 9400F |
|
MSI Z390-A PRO | See on Amazon |
| Best Budget Non-Overclockable Motherboard for i5 9400F |
|
ASROCK MB B365 PRO4 | See on Amazon |
| Best Well-Rounded Motherboard for i5 9400F |
|
ASROCK Z390 PRO4 | See on Amazon |
| Best Budget-Friendly Motherboard for i5 9400F |
|
GIGABYTE H310 A 2.0 | See on Amazon |
Best Motherboard for i5 9400F At a Glance:
Best Motherboard for i5 9400F Reviews
ASUS PRIME Z390-P PRO
Best Performance Motherboard for i5 9400F
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Good Value for money
✓ Excellent thermals
✓ RGB support
✓ Good Audio output
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ No WiFi
We have another motherboard from ASUS that offers a perfect mix of great features and pricing. The ASUS PRIME Z390-P PRO is an exceptional motherboard, only behind the Z-490-E, that provides an excellent option for a mid-range gaming PC build.
It has an aesthetic look with a gaming-ready design. It is covered in a dark grey color with white stripes originating from its center. It offers outstanding thermal qualities as its components are widely spread out and feature high-quality heatsinks for its components. ASUS has integrated it with FANXPERT 4, which helps advance control of the cooling fans of your PC and creates a dynamic cooling system.
The Z390-A packs two NVMe M.2 slots and 4x SATA III ports that are perfect for adding more storage memory to your system. It has 2x DIMM DDR4 memory slots that can support a maximum of 64 GB, which is more than enough to run any game. Moreover, it has 2 Type-C ports on its I/O panel and 6x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports. The audio on this motherboard is also good due to the quality and robust audio capacitors and support of Realtek ALC892, capable of 7.1 surround. Also, higher connectivity speeds are ensured with the Intel 1219V Gigabit LAN system. With the support of Intel’s Optane memory technology, high-speed data access and improved system performance are possible.
The Z390-A is the best motherboard for i5 9400F and other Intel’s 8th and 9th-generation processors. It boasts a wide variety of features that are very desirable in a motherboard. If you are looking for a good motherboard that isn’t over the top and features a perfect set of high-quality components, then this one will suit you perfectly.
MSI Z390-A PRO
Best Budget-Friendly Motherboard for i5 9400F
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Excellent features
✓ Good overclocking potential
✓ Robust build
✓ Decent thermal performance
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ No integrated I/O panel shield
✗ Bulky size
Like ASUS, MSI also juggles manufacturing premium quality products and offers various uses. They are usually known for their well-designed graphics cards variant but also excel in designing performance-heavy and high-quality motherboards. The MSI Z390-A PRO, designed specifically for the Intel LGA 1511 socket platform, is aimed at gaming enthusiasts and features many attributes. It has some compromises compared to a more premium option, but those are justifiable because of its pocket-friendly pricing.
As for its looks, it has a minimalistic design with no on-board RGB and is fully laced in black, more like a coffee-colored one. Its aesthetics are straightforward, but it still looks nice for a modern motherboard. Its thermal performance is decently integrated, as it has good overclocking potential.
The memory options on it are numerous. It has 4x DIMM DDR4 memory slots that can support up to 128 GB of memory and offer a high overclocking capability. You can overclock a capable RAM up to 4600 MHz, perfect for extracting every ounce of performance to run demanding gaming titles. There are 2x M.2 NVMe slots but lack heatsinks. It has 6x SATA III ports, which are plentiful for installing hard drives, and with RAID Support, you can install multiple hard drives that will work together perfectly. Its USB ports are adequate, to say the least, with 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A & Type-C), 6x USB 3.1 Gen 1, and 6x USB 2.0 ports. Also, it features relatively adequate connectivity options with Dual GbE LAN and WiFi 6.
Overall, you get good features from an exceptionally priced motherboard. It has a good margin for upgradability and is a capable gaming motherboard.
ASROCK MB B365 PRO4
Best Budget Non-Overclockable Motherboard for i5 9400F
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Exceptional build quality
✓ Good thermal capabilities
✓ Better power distribution
✓ WiFi included.
✓ Good pricing
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ Not enough heatsinks
✗ Only two RAM slots
ASRock is a brand that specializes in manufacturing motherboards, PC cases, Industrial computers, and Graphics card variants. Their motherboards offer lots of features while being very decently priced, ranging from mid-end to high-end. The ASRock MB B365 PRO4 is an exceptionally designed motherboard that perfectly suits Intel’s 8th and 9th-generation processors.
Its looks are pretty straightforward, with no RGB and a black/white color scheme, but it includes two RGB headers for installing RGB strips for additional aesthetics and to make your build look more attractive. It features a nine-phase VRM design with heatsinks, making it suitable for overclocking, and its overall thermal performance is remarkably sound for a budget-friendly motherboard.
The B365 PRO4 has 2x DIMM slots of DDR4 memory that can support up to 64 Gb of RAM, which is more than enough to handle any tasks and games. It also provides adequate USB connectivity options with 7x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A and a single Type-C port. With this motherboard, you also get a Gigabit LAN port and WiFi for better and faster connection speeds. Moreover, it has good storage options with 6x SATA III ports and a single M.2 NVMe slot for faster storage. There are two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots for graphics cards that are steel armored and can hold a hefty GPU without a worry.
Although this motherboard can handle light overclocking, it is not highly recommended, as many VRMs and MOSFETs don’t have good heatsinks. The B365 PRO4 is a very affordable and best motherboard for i5 9400F with some compromises in features but not performance making it a desirable pick for tight budgeted and mid-end builds.
ASROCK Z390 PRO4
Best Well-Rounded Motherboard for i5 9400F
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Top-notch features
✓ Great value for money
✓ Good build quality
✓ Good overclocking potential
✓ Perfect thermal performance
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ No RGB
We have another motherboard from ASRock, the Z390 PRO4. This motherboard is designed to perform its best with its premium features and a considerate price tag. Compared to other motherboards on this list, this one provides the best value for money and perfectly accommodates Intel’s processors.
The look of this motherboard is also very definitive, with no RGB or flashy colors, but the combination of black and grey makes it attractive, nonetheless. Its thermal performance is excellent and further enhanced by the presence of high-quality heatsinks for its components. It also has an excellent overclocking ceiling, designed to handle any overclocked/unlocked processor with boosted clock speeds. It can also support a high-end processor with a BIOS upgrade.
The Z390 PRO4 is equipped with 4x DIMM DDR4 slots and supports up to 128 GB of RAM with more than 4300 MHz speeds. It is very capable of accommodating significant amounts of the storage medium with its 1x M.2 NVMe slots and 6x SATA III ports. Also, it has 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 10Gbps and 2x USB Gen 1 5Gbps with both Type-A and Type-C connectivity options. Moreover, it includes 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots for GPU installation while it has AMD Crossfire technology support to accommodate two graphics cards at once. The connectivity options are not something that you haven’t seen before with a WiFi module and Intel Gigabit LAN port.
It is more expensive than a B365 motherboard but boasts a lot more features. Overall, this motherboard is a good pick for gaming enthusiasts and creative taskers because it will provide you with the best possible performance for your processor and is equipped with a handsome set of features.
GIGABYTE H310 A 2.0
Best Budget-Friendly Motherboard for i5 9400F
REASONS TO BUY
✓ Good Build Quality
✓ Decent thermals
✓ Very affordable price
REASONS TO AVOID
✗ No WiFi
✗ Limited RAM support
GIGABYTE is a dated manufacturer of PC components, and they are highly respected in the gaming community for their awesomely made graphics card variants, motherboards, power supply units, monitors, etc. They have been designing motherboards for quite some time and have offered great options for AMD and Intel processors. The GIGABYTE H310 A 2.0 is an exceptional board with great entry-level features and an affordable price.
Its looks are simplistic with no on-board RGB. However, it offers a good color scheme of grey with white stripes all over. It doesn’t feature that many heatsinks like other pricier options but is designed smartly to afford reasonable thermal control with 4x temperature sensors and 2x fan headers. Also, an RGB header is handy for better control over the lighting that can be installed separately.
It features a 2x DIMM DDR4 memory slot that supports only 32 Gb of RAM. It has a single NVMe M.2 slot and 4x SATA ports, providing a good capability for installing storage drives. 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 broadens your options for installing graphics cards for both Nvidia and AMD. Its connectivity options are decent, with a single GbE LAN ethernet connection support, but it doesn’t have built-in WiFi. It has adequate audio quality with high-end audio capacitors and good noise suppression.
This motherboard is perfect for entry-level gaming and supports Intel’s 8th and 9th-generation processors. Moreover, its specifications are better for a cheap motherboard and fit a tight budget like a glove.
How to Buy a Motherboard
The Intel Core i5-9400F is one of the best budget-friendly high-performance processors and is going to be more than adequate for almost any AAA game that you’re planning on playing. However, the processor is just one part of the equation. Another important factor is the compatibility of PC components.
You do not want an excellent processor performing sub-optimally or not performing at all, just because you didn’t buy the right motherboard. So, how do you buy the best motherboard for the i5-9400F? This will be the focus of today’s article.
When purchasing a motherboard, there are multiple factors that you need to consider to ensure that it is the right fit for you. These include Chipset, VRMs, Memory Support, Connectivity and Aesthetics, to list just a few. There are other factors too but these are often the most important ones once you have decided on a processor. Let’s have a look at each of them in greater detail.
Chipset
A chipset basically acts as a highway that facilitates communication between different components on a motherboard such as RAM and CPU. The chipset of a motherboard determines the features it provides and the connectivity options it supports. Different chipsets have different strengths. Some are budget-friendly, others offer greater overclocking support.
The most popular chipsets series available for Intel processors are B, H, and Z. The B is a more budget friendly option and provides overclocking support for RAM and basic connectivity options. This is suitable if you just want to have your processor up and running without any plans for too many modifications or exotic hardware. Motherboards based on the B360 chipset are your best bet if you plan on going this route.
The H series is intermediate between the B and Z. They offer similar features as the B series but come with more extensive connectivity options so that you have access to a greater number of USB and SATA ports and PCIe slots. H310 and H370 are two popular chipsets in this category. Confusingly enough, the B360 comes between H310 and H370 in terms of features and performance.
The Z series is reserved for power users and enthusiasts who aim to push their PCs to their limits. These are the most expensive and offer the most upgrade options like multiple graphics cards or significant overclocking support without destabilizing your system. Since the i5-9400F is a somewhat mid range processor, Z series motherboards will generally be overkill for this processor as this processor does not come with any overclocking support.
So, overall, the most suitable motherboard for your i5-9400F is going to be a B or H-series chipset motherboard.
VRM
VRM stands for Voltage Regulator Module. These are ICs (Integrated Circuits) that ensure stable power delivery to your processor by regulating the voltage and preventing any voltage spikes when CPU loads vary. VRMs come in different sizes and configurations, determined by their ampere rating and the number of phases they have. Motherboards with more advanced VRM designs are typically reserved for high-end processors to meet their power needs, both during regular operation and when the CPU is overclocked.
Generally speaking, VRMs are a significant factor influencing the pricing of motherboards. The more advanced the VRM design, the more expensive the motherboard tends to be. Since the i5-9400F does not have high power requirements and is not overclockable, VRMs will only become a crucial factor if you consistently run your i5-9400F at its maximum turbo performance. In such cases, it might make sense to invest in a motherboard with a greater number of high-quality VRMs.
Memory Support
The i5-9400F is compatible with DDR4 memory modules with sizes ranging up to 128GB and speeds of up to 2666 MHz. Most modern motherboards meet these requirements, so memory support is not likely to significantly affect your choice of a motherboard.
However, to really get your money’s worth, we recommend installing memory sticks in pairs of half the total size. For example, if you plan to buy 16GB of RAM, purchasing a pair of 8GB sticks would be ideal. This will allow you to take advantage of dual-channel memory technology which results in increased overall memory bandwidth and hence better performance in certain applications.
Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, chipsets indeed influence connectivity options on a motherboard. The B and H series chipsets typically offer fewer connectivity options compared to the Z series chipset, which tends to have a more extensive range of features and connectivity options. Connectivity options become particularly important when your performance and storage needs exceed those of most mainstream users.
For instance, if you wish to use SLI or CrossFire (although these technologies are not as popular nowadays), to add multiple graphics cards for gaming or rendering purposes, or if you plan to turn your PC into a home server with terabytes of storage, then connectivity options can become an important deciding factor in your motherboard purchase.
Aesthetics
Aesthetics are more subjective in nature and are largely independent of the choice of your processor. Some individuals prefer plain black motherboards with little to no styling. Others prefer minimalist design with a few accents here and there. There are some users who really want their computer to come alive by flashing RGB lights all over the place.
Depending on your personal preferences, some popular options are the ASUS PRIME B360M-A and the ASROCK B360 Gaming K4. The former is a good option for those who prefer minimalist design aesthetics while the latter is geared more towards someone who is interested in something that is a little more flashy.
Conclusion
The motherboard is a crucial component of any computer system, as it houses all the significant parts and powers them for optimal performance. You must thoroughly research computer components to ensure compatibility with your chosen processor. Specifically, you must ensure that the motherboard supports the same socket as your processor and is upgradeable for future use as more powerful processors become available. Failure to consider these factors could lead to serious compatibility issues and performance problems down the line, so be sure to do your due diligence before making any purchases.
The durability of a computer’s integral components is crucial for longevity. Ensuring that your motherboard supports the latest features is essential for seamless upgrades to your graphics card or processor. Understanding compatibility and performance is key when purchasing computer parts. That’s why we offer educational resources for avid gamers and enthusiasts who want to create customized PCs.
We understand that choosing a motherboard can be challenging, especially considering your budget and requirements. That’s why we want to help you by compiling a list of motherboards suitable for the Intel Core i5 9400f. The list includes crucial information on features, pros, and cons so that you can make an informed decision. So, we compiled a list of suitable motherboards with information on their features, pros, and cons to help you make an informed decision. However, if you still aren’t confident in deciding for yourself, we can do that for you.
The best overall motherboard for the Intel Core i5 9400f processor is the ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-E. It is a pricier pick but offers outstanding features and greater upgradability. Moreover, it has enough potential to support your overclocking endeavors.
The best affordable pick for the Intel Core i5 9400f is the ASRock Z390 PRO4 because it has the perfect mixture of great value for money and exceptional features. It is suitable for overclocking and handsomely accommodates Intel processors such as the Core i5 9400F.
