Best Z270 Motherboards

To make matter skilled, a motherboard is the central electronic hub or mother of your computer. The purpose of the build is to keep every component online and working together. One more thing is that each motherboard is created with a specific purpose in mind which decides how it will configure in practice. So, numerous motherboard types are there in the market, and Z270 is one of them.

The Z270 motherboard is an previous version of Z370, and Z390 motherboards. This is however an important motherboard due to its unique chipset specifications. Invented by Intel, the Z270 is created with performance in mind based on a solid foundation. The Z270 motherboards are excellent enough that their processing and graphics compatibilities are second to none. Moreover, it has powerful overclocking capabilities and high-end integration with the destined Intel processors. Plus, some of these Motherboards have best Wi-Fi.

Following the trend, numerous Z270 motherboards are there in the market, and you may find yourself lost in the sea of information and features. Grabbing the processor in your hand and looking for a compatible Z270 motherboard is a demanding job for everyone. But don’t worry, we are here to hold you back as we have reviewed seven top-notch Z270 motherboards of all time by considering their features, performance, compatibility, and price range in mind to let you select what perfectly suits you!

Best Z270 motherboards at a glance

1. ASUS Z270 ROG Maximus IX Extreme 

Best for water cooling enthusiasts and for overclocking

ASUS_ROG_Maximus_IX Extreme

Features

  • Brand: ASUS
  • Memory Speed: 2133 MHz
  • Memory Slots: 04
  • Platform: Windows 8
  • Wireless Type: 802.11n, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g

Reasons to Buy

  • Optimum water-cooling performance
  • Aura Sync RGB lighting for endless colors
  • Integrated I/O shield for better connectivity
  • Dynamic system cooling to ensure high performance
  • Innovative automatic overclocking profiles

Reasons to Avoid

  • Price may be high
  • Messy cable management
  • Water cooling block requires extra care

To be at crossroads, ASUS ROG Maximus IX Extreme Motherboard is a gaming line model and entails some handy features that are not there in similarly priced models. Additionally, it contains an AURA LED lighting system shielded and fully covered with mono-block from Bitspower to proffer an excellent feel in a durable case.

The stunning feature of this motherboard is its compatibility with software called ASUS AURA SYNC, which permits you to get multiple additional RGB gears. Plus, the ASUS carved this motherboard in a shielded design which is well-optimized for cooling to maintain excellent performance throughout the operation and is known as the best Z270 motherboard for overclocking. Above all, it incorporates everything that we might need, including four DIMM slots, two super-fast M.2 slots, speedy USB 3.1 devices in a stylish dark body.

Regarding the overall look, ASUS ROG Maximus IX Extreme Motherboard is sculptured in black and orange color and a bit military feel in a way that black seems to give the shade of green. Besides a classy look, it entails high-end features including configurable chipset heatsink, PCIe slot, rear IO and power LED customization options, and many more such handy features.

And the audio quality is backed by Realtek codec, which is advanced enough to provide you with desired results. Moreover, the onboard design is quite expensive as it uses a Thunderbolt chip, but ASUS effectively maintained the price.

As the heatsink is tied into the mono-block, so you can also monitor airflow and temperature and let you cool your NVME M.2 SSDs to get the desired performance results. Connectivity-wise, this motherboard is quite aesthetic as it’s compatible with Ethernet jack, WIFI with MU-MIMO, and finally, the Thunderbolt support, which was not provided in the previous ASUS ROG Maximus IX Hero model. Cumulatively, lots of RGB and connectivity options are the main selling point of this motherboard.

Want to get a more powerful motherboard? here is a list of the best Z370 motherboards.


2. MSI Z270 Gaming M3

Excellent Z270 Motherboard Packed With Features

msi z270 gaming m3 motherboard

Features

  • Brand: MSI
  • Compatible Processor: Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium
  • RAM Memory Speed: 3800 MHz
  • RAM Memory Size: 64 GB
  • Available Memory Slots: 04

Reasons to Buy

  • DDR4 boost for better memory performance
  • Studio-grade sound quality
  • Excellent low latency and bandwidth management
  • Certified for both online and offline gaming

Reasons to Avoid

  • No SLI or ECC RAM support
  • Fan control within the UEFI is spotty
  • Limited RGB lighting

The MSI Z270 M3 motherboard is carved in red and black color scheme, and the onboard LED is kept minimal, but you are free to customize it using an RGB header and software-based control to get your preferred feel. Moreover, this motherboard supports two M.2 slots with steel armor, high-speed DDR4 memory, and USB 3.1 Generation 2 in Type-A and Type-C, which is excellent for a wide range of connectivity.

Practically, the provided M.2 ports are swiftly connected through four incorporated PCIe lanes, which, while pairing with NVME protocol, tends to enable the data transfer rate of around 4 GB/s, which is an ideal value for all types of users. Surprisingly, the M.2 based PCIe SSDs are spotted to perform up to 8-times faster than SATA 6G SSDs.

When it comes to manufacturing, it uses Military-grade 5, high-quality components for efficient protection and security. Above all, the gamers can get good mileage out of this model in a reasonable price range.

MSI Z270 M3 entails the handy feature of mystic light sync lets you synchronize other added RGB solutions with the grabbed gaming rig to customize all the LEDs in just one click. Furthermore, the audio boost-4 along with the Nahimic-2 is excellent to provide your ears with studio-grade sound to ensure a high-end gaming experience.

Plus, the Gaming LAN with LAN protect is excellent for better online gaming expertise with low latency and powerful bandwidth management. Another most attractive feature of this motherboard is the incorporation of award-winning BIOS, which comes with a scalable font having higher resolution, and plenty of search functions to permit easy navigation.

Above all, you are going to get five 4-pin headers for PWM-based fans, besides having XMP hold and a top-notch overclocking feature for any professional use.


3. ASRock Z270 Extreme4 ATX Motherboard

Best value Z270 motherboard for gaming

ASRock Z270 EXTREME4

Features

  • Brand: ASUS
  • Compatible Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core
  • RAM Memory Speed: 2400 MHz
  • RAM Memory Size: 64 GB
  • Available Memory Slots: 4.0

Reasons to Buy

  • Triple NVME support
  • M.2 support for WIFI modules
  • Lots of RGB lighting options
  • Easy and swift overclocking
  • Both USB Type-A and Type-C ports

Reasons to Avoid

  • Overclocking isn’t quite good
  • AURA LED light is really dim
  • Intel Ethernet ports require special drivers to work

The ASRock Z270 Extreme4 ATX motherboard is the most compatible board with Intel processors from the 6000 and 7000 series. The color theme of this model is kept black and blue, which is quite different from the similarly priced models.

Additionally, this motherboard offers DDR4-RAM compatibility with the 4-DIMM slots in an ultra-swift dual channeled mode to ensure an advanced level of performance. You will be allowed to insert 64 GB RAM on the memory bank, which is sufficient to meet almost all users’ needs.

The most attractive feature of this motherboard is its diverse compatibility; the I/O panel proffers the latest USB Type C connectivity, which is kept thin so that you can be plugged in both ways. But that’s not the end of the world, as this motherboard is also backward-compatible with USB 3.1 Type-A ports to provide you with the best of both worlds.

The ASRock Z270 Extreme4 ATX entails three PCIe x16 slots from which one arrives with a full 16-lanes connected to the chipset, whilst the remaining PCIe x16 slots are connected by 8 data links to provide you with variety. Furthermore, to provide you with I/O and expansion cards, this motherboard incorporated three additional PCIe x1 slots and holds up NVIDIA SLI in addition to AMD Crossfire technology.

The board lets you connect extra fast data storage devices as it arrives with two M.2 slots reserved for extreme NVME SSDs along with six SATA ports to connect hard drives easily. Stunningly, the Extreme4 motherboard incorporates stylish LED lighting, and an Aura RGB LED header for LED strips, Intel Optane Memory, and a unique black & white design, which distinguishes this model from the previously existing similar priced models.


4. MSI Pro Series Z270 SLI

Solid performance at a good price

MSI Pro Series Intel Z270

Features

  • Brand: MSI
  • Compatible Processor: Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium
  • RAM Memory Speed: 3800 MHz
  • RAM Memory Size: 64 GB
  • Available Memory Slots: 04

Reasons to Buy

  • Affordable business motherboard
  • Dual Turbo M.2 slots to give variety
  • The BIOS is easy to navigate
  • Energy efficiency with high-end performance

Reasons to Avoid

  • No RGB LEDs
  • No internal wireless connection
  •  No internal Bluetooth

To devour through information, MSI Pro Series Z270 SLI Motherboard is carved in the color theme of black and white, which looks classy, gives the feel like it’s ready to knuckle down to work. The heatsinks are placed at both bridges with a mix of black metal with an angular bright slash to maintain the built-in performances.

The bright areas on the heatsinks are paired with the steel surrounding the two primary PCIe slots and between four memory sockets. This motherboard is aimed at business people, so it lacks the RGB LEDs to suit the business environment and needs best. Hold in there; you’ll get white lights across the back of the board and an RGB light strip header, with customization options with the help of software. Plus, it contains a row of handy LEDs; what else do you need as a business enthusiast?

Inching forward, MSI Pro Series Z270 SLI Motherboard runs DDR4 at a maximum speed of 3800 MHz, which is not an unusual thing at all. But to offer something excellent, it comes with two M.2 sockets and six SATA 3 ports. This MSI motherboard supports two-way NVIDIA SLI, three-way AMD Crossfire, and dual graphics to offer a wide range of connectivity options.

Plus, the backplate incorporates four USB 3 ports having both Type-C and Type-A connectivity to equip you with advanced and backward compatibility options at a time. Grounded in fact, this motherboard is one of the few motherboards that have six audio jacks. Another handy feature of this motherboard is providing ample room around the CPU socket and memory slots to let you handle your connections with ease.

Besides this, the SATA ports are kept perpendicular to the board, whilst the top M.2 port won’t get blocked by the graphic card. After the thorough experience, we can say that the manufacturer has smartly placed each component to offer possible benefits to users.


5. ASUS TUF Z270 Mark 1 

Best gaming motherboard with lots of extras

ASUS TUF Z270 Mark 1

Features

  • Brand: ASUS
  • Compatible Processor: 7th generation Intel core
  • RAM Memory Speed: 2133 MHz
  • RAM Memory Size: 64 GB
  • Available Memory Slots: 04

Reasons to Buy

  • Military-grade durability
  • Lots of RGB LED lighting options
  • Supports Intel Optane Memory
  • Incorporates Thermal Radar 2+
  • High-end cooling mechanism

Reasons to Avoid

  • No Asus aura connector for the case lighting
  • No LED lighting control
  • Not for mid-tower cases

Keeping the whole nine yards, ASUS TUF Z270 Mark 1 Motherboard is engineered specifically to work with various high-performance workstation graphic cards. It has taken a considerable place in the market. It incorporates the Aura Sync technology, which is smart enough to offer full RGB lighting control with lots of exciting preset options for onboard LED illumination and lets you switch between shades from a single application.

The provided Q-LED indicators contain five lights of various colors to indicate any irregularities during the booting process. Overall, the price range of ASUS TUF Z270 Mark 1 is kept a bit higher than Mark 2 as it entails some additional features like it entails 1 more GPU support and two more USB 2.0 ports.

Ahead of the curve, ASUS TUF Z270 Mark 1 Motherboard has innovative DDR4 overclocking dynamics, which let you get higher memory frequency than ever upon utilization of all memory slots. The most attractive feature of this model is the ASUS Pro Clock technology which greatly assists in taking the TUF performance to extreme heights by pairing it with the right compatible CPU.

Plus, this model is completely beginner-friendly; you don’t need to be an expert to get excellent overclocking performance because the incorporated TeuboV Processing Unit (TPU) ensures all management with a single click. The slow networking problem during workflow is all gone as MARK 1 keeps the data moving swiftly with the aid of Intel Gigabit Ethernet connectors. Moreover, the case fans and graphic card fans are completely controllable through thermal radar, allowing you to make the manual or automatic adjustment with a single click.

Overall, the Mark 1 has undergone the industry’s most punishing tests to ensure durable and reliable performance in any environment.


6. ASRock Z270 Killer SLI/AC

 Best Z270 MOBO at a budget price

ASRock Z270 Killer SLI AC

Features

  • Brand: ASRock
  • Compatible Processor: 7th, 6th Generation Intel Core i7/ i5/ i3/Pentium/Celeron processors
  • RAM Memory Speed: 2133 MHz
  • RAM Memory Size: 64 GB
  • Available Memory Slots: 04

Reasons to Buy

  • Onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
  • Efficient memory overclocking capability
  • Supports USB charging boost
  • Handy features at a budget-friendly price
  • Good efficiency and built-in performance

Reasons to Avoid

  • No extra slot for NVME drive
  • No USB 3.1 Gen2 controller

Don’t throw caution in the wind, as the ASRock Z270 Killer SLI Motherboard is broadly basic and comes with almost all the required primary features. A quick look has shown that the two PCIe slots are incorporated, whilst the third is just limited to four lanes.

The thing which makes this motherboard more inviting is the WIFI connectors, which you might not expect in this price range. Stunningly, the PCIe x1 slots are open-ended to support any longer cards, so you can even use three-card Crossfire configurations to take your work out in an appropriate manner.

As there are no bottom slots, you won’t encounter any configuration limits due to resource sharing. Keep in mind that both M.2 slots share SATA resources, but this could be overcome by installing PCIe based M.2 card to get what you exactly want. Overall, it’s the best budget Z270 motherboard, in addition, to being the best Z270 motherboard for i7 7700k.

Grounded in fact, the ASRock maintained the lower price range of this model by providing only four fan headers, of which one can be switched between PWM and voltage-based speed control to make it the best Z270 motherboard for the money.

Moreover, the PCH sink holds RGB lighting, and an RGB header is also provided to the case fans to add some flare to your existing setup, and this thing distinguishes it from ASUS TUF Z270 Mark 1. Unlike previously existing models, the audio connectors are placed in the back corner, which might cause issues, but we didn’t face any.

The USB 3.0 connector is kept above the top slot, which won’t block any cards. The thing that might attract you the most is incorporating the SLI bridge, which is perfectly economized by the ASRock.

Additionally, the package comes with a pair of Wi-Fi antennas, a pair of SATA cables, a driver disc, an I/O shield, and full printed guide documentation to provide you with the best of both worlds. All in all, it entails the features and the aesthetic appeal of a pricier motherboard.


7. ASUS PRIME Z270-A 

Powerful motherboard designed for gaming

ASUS PRIME Z270-A motherboard

Features

  • Brand: ASUS
  • Compatible Processor: 7th Generation Intel Core
  • RAM Memory Speed: 2133
  • RAM Memory Size: 64 GB
  • Available Memory Slots: 04

Reasons to Buy

  • High-end UEFI BIOS design
  • RGB lighting with case lighting control
  • Supports custom 3D printed panel
  • Aesthetic layout and design
  • Affordable price range

Reasons to Avoid

  • Difficult to setup BIOS
  • Not all RGBs are customizable
  • Not recommended for overclocking as it creates troubles

The ASUS Prime Z270-A Motherboard comes with a range of solid features; some are so handy that only one click can do the trick. Don’t you want to make your PC smart with 5-way optimization? As it can optimize necessary aspects of connected systems according to real-time usage to offer superb CPU performance.

The ASUS Prime Z270-A entails the high-end encompassing fans controls of all the time, which are customizable through Fan Xpert4 and UEFI BIOS. Stunningly, the thermal sensors are there to monitor temperature on the ASUS graphic cards. Plus, the water-cooling feature is excellent for custom-based and self-contained cooling setups.

Moreover, the dedicated fan header supplies approximately 3 Amps to ensure high speed. The incorporated circuit secures each fan header’s overcurrent and high temperature to maintain the built-in performance. Above all, with the Auto-Turning Mode, we can scan all the fan-related parameters with just a single click.

You will enjoy the efficient overclocking DDR4 with aligned time for supreme compatibility and stability on the clear ground. Moreover, the ASUS SLI bridge multiplies the provided bandwidth to provide a high-end gaming experience. This motherboard proffers ultimate connection flexibility as it’s compatible with the latest USB 3.1 Type-C in addition to backward compatibility with Type-A to let you take mileage of both worlds.

Additionally, this energy-saving model has ultra-sturdy digital power, quiet and cool fans, advanced audio and networking settings directly tailored to your apps. All in all, the high-end optimized features of this motherboard ensure that paired PC is ideal for entertainment, gaming, and elevated productivity.

All in all, ASUS Prime Z270-A is a well-maintained board that performs excellent in all applications around and smartly pairs the results with the built-in features at an attractive price. This motherboard has white strips, and if you like the white color, check out these best white motherboards for gaming.


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Buying Guide for Z270 Motherboards

The best Z270 motherboards are an excellent choice for high-end gaming and other professional works to reap the reward. The attractive thing about them is the unequaled overclocking capabilities which you might have never seen before. Actually, they come with multiple slots, configurations, color schemes, and audio track quality, so grabbing the best model that can meet your needs can be tricky and somewhat more demanding.

So, to save your productive time, we’ve designed this buying guide to let you know which features you will get in your best Z270 motherboard. Let’s discuss more.

Optane Ready Support

Optane is the fast type of caching storage, which is the most demanded feature of the time. This is because it will allow you to get an SSD level of performance for your entire drive. Moreover, its potential of providing a massive amount of quick storage by just adding this to the system tends to make the Z270 motherboards superior to other types in this regard.

Additional PCIe Lanes

Grounded in fact, the Z270 motherboard features a higher number of PCIe 3.0 lanes, increasing four lanes compared to older models of Z100. These advanced PCIe ports can help you to add more bandwidth connections with increased capabilities, such as the latest graphic cards, USB 3.1, and thunderbolt. Practically, the Z270 contains 30available lanes, of which 24 are PCIe 3.0.

Integrated LAN

Coming to the light, the best Z270 motherboards feature integrated LAN, which means that the chipset entails network connectivity as part of the dedicated components. This attribute allows you to bypass the need to grab a dedicated network interface for a separate card, just like an Ethernet card that could be attached to your motherboard.

USB 3.0 and latest I/O panel

Out in the open, the era of legacy ports is coming to an end. Moreover, the USB 2.0s headers and other back panel connectors that were part of the game for a long time are now being replaced with the advanced 3.0 and 3.1 models. Furthermore, the M.2 and U.2 storage numbers are being increased, whilst the SATA ports decrease with the release of each new model. The Z270 motherboards come with advanced and backward connectivity options to provide you with the best of both worlds.

Fan Headers

The fan headers are the real game-changers to maintain the built-in efficiency and performance results to ensure excellent performance. But keep in mind that if you are planning to install lots of fans, you must check the specifications on the grabbed model and the number of possible supports for fans on the motherboard to get excellent mileage out of your Z270 Motherboard on the way to excellence.

RGB Lighting

On the moral high ground, RGB lighting is the most loved feature by gamers and daily users. Different Z270 Motherboards have a different array of lighting and distinct options to customize them according to need. Remember, not all Z270 Motherboards come with incorporated RGB, as some models are designed for high-end business purposes only. Check out our list of best motherboards with RGB.

Other Advanced Technologies

Besides the above-mentioned features, the best Z270 motherboards also incorporate,

  • Rapid Storage Technology for PCI storage
  • Platform Trust Technology
  • HD Audio Technology
  • Smart Response Technology
  • Smart Sound Technology
  • Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP)
  • Virtualization Technology

Grounded in fact, these all features are more than enough to ensure high-end performance results. What else do you need?

Final Verdict

Keeping the long story short, the best Z270 motherboards could be the perfect match for most of Intel’s processors in a row. They are sturdy enough to build a new rig with combined performance and versatility at an excellent price. Moreover, the best Z270 motherboards support Intel Optane Memory, multiple SATA ports, and a sea of top-notch features and specifications. So, getting the right set of features isn’t too easy as it seems to be. That’s why we’ve reviewed high-end Z270 motherboards to provide you with the possible best!

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Mathew Bradford

Hey! Mathew Bradford Here, A proud member of GamingExpert Team. I love playing games with new gaming gadgets. Our team is here to help you find the best gaming products, reviews of videos games and to help you decide which one is best for your. You can contact me if you need further assistance.