My Top 7 Picks for the Best Skylake Motherboards in 2024

It’s hard to believe that it has been seven years since Intel released the Skylake processor. In those seven years, there have been a number of advancements in technology, and now it is time for a new generation of motherboards! Here are my top seven picks for the best Skylake motherboards in 2024.

The Skylake family of microprocessors is the sixth generation of Intel processors; the processor comes with new CPU instructions that are compatible with previous generations.

You can run applications designed for previous generations on a Skylake processor without any modifications, but you cannot run applications designed for Skylake on older processors. The new processor will not make your old computer obsolete, but it will allow you to upgrade your PC experience with faster boot times and better performance.

The Skylake processors also support multi-core CPUs with Hyper-Threading technology. This enables your processor to execute multiple tasks simultaneously by allocating multiple virtual threads of execution to each physical core.

I’ve reviewed 7 of the best Skylake motherboards to help you choose the right one for your next build.

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List Of 7 Best Skylake Motherboards – Our Top Picks!

If you’re looking to build a new system, you’ll probably be upgrading your motherboard at some point. For those of you who aren’t sure what you’re looking for, I’ve put together a list of our five favorite Skylake motherboards that will work with the latest Intel Core i5 and i7 processors without any trouble.

You can check them out here!

The GIGABYTE B365M motherboard is an excellent all-around product that offers a lot of features. The B365M offers Intel 9th Gen (i9-9980HK) processor support along with a decent amount of features including dual-channel memory which helps in improving performance and stability.

I love that this motherboard supports Dual-channel non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 which provides higher bandwidth, and more efficient and stable operation of your system.

This motherboard supports M.2 2280 SATA SSD storage, so you can enjoy the performance advantage of NVMe storage without having to upgrade your system. This is perfect if you have multiple SSDs in your system.

This motherboard also has a new audio design that helps reduce noise and distortion when playing your favorite audio files. The audio noise guard on this motherboard helps prevent the noise created by your computer from interfering with your home or office’s audio equipment, you’ll also find a high-quality audio capacitor that helps improve sound quality and durability.

Moreover, this motherboard also includes a hybrid digital PWM design which means that you get a stable and effective operating temperature.

The motherboard also comes with 7 RGB LED strips which offer a lot of control over your lighting effects, you can choose from 3 modes, full-on, half-on, and off. I also like that you can switch between the 7 different modes manually using the onboard RGB Fusion feature.

Additionally, I like that this motherboard supports Gigabyte exclusive 8118 Gaming LAN with bandwidth management CEC. This is a standard that allows your motherboard to communicate with your system so you can connect to it through a network connection using the Intel i219-V Ethernet Controller (I219-V). This helps improve the performance of your network and will help you improve gaming and streaming performance.

Plus, this board has features that you won’t find on most other motherboards including a 15KV Surge LAN Protection which means that your motherboard will not damage your hardware if a power surge is sent into your system.

This board also features UEFI Dual BIOS which means that you have a dual BIOS option available for quick and easy switching.

In addition to these amazing features, you’ll also find that this board has a lot of great features including multiple temperature sensors, a one-click Smart Fan that helps you control your fan speeds automatically, a superior quality that ensures that this motherboard will last longer, and many more features.

After testing the GIGABYTE B365M motherboard, I’ve found that it has everything that I want in a motherboard, plus the extra features that I like.

Overall, Gigabyte is an excellent brand when it comes to motherboards because they offer a wide variety of options and features.

The ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Formula and 3rd Gen Ryzen ATX motherboard is an all-in-one platform that will deliver you a great experience. With its high-end audio and connectivity features, the motherboard will be a good option for your next build.

I love that this motherboard supports Intel’s Skylake, and has four DDR4 slots for your RAM. You can use up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and the board comes with a full set of PCIe lanes to make it easy to add on additional graphics cards. The motherboard has an AMD AM4 socket and integrated Crossfire/SLI support that makes it easy to build a system with multiple graphics cards.

I also like the fact that ASUS integrated a cooling solution with their motherboard. Not only does the PCH heatsink help dissipate heat from the processor, but the integrated fan design keeps everything cool in your case.

In addition, this board has a multi-zone RGB lighting design that will make your PC look beautiful. You can customize the LED patterns, and you can even control the lighting from outside of the box with a smartphone app.

I love the idea of using an OLED display for a motherboard, and ASUS did a great job with their design. The display is bright and clear, and you can use it to show off your gaming system or browse the internet.

They include the Aura Sync RGB lighting design that gives you control over your system’s lighting effects. You can also control the system’s power and case fans through the Aura Sync software. It also has a built-in voltage monitor to make sure you get the right settings for your system.

This motherboard also supports Wi-Fi 6 which will make the connection process easier than ever. You can set up the board with either a built-in Wi-Fi adapter or use a dongle. The board also supports dual-band 3.11ac Wi-Fi, so you can use it to connect your devices while streaming a 4K video or playing online games.

The motherboard is built with high-quality components that will keep your system running at maximum performance.

After testing out all of the ASUS ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Formula motherboards, I liked the overall design of the board. I was impressed by the way the motherboard cooled the processor, and I loved the RGB lighting design.

Overall, this motherboard is a great option if you want a reliable system that is ready to perform.

The ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA LGA1151 Skylake motherboard is a great board for anyone looking to upgrade their system. It’s equipped with a few features like a front-panel USB 3.1 port which allows the transfer of data to your USB devices at a maximum of 10 Gbps speed.

I love that this motherboard is designed and optimized for 7th Generation Intel Core processors. With it, you can get up to 10 Gbps read and write speeds on SSDs.

I like that this motherboard comes with Intel Optane Memory, which offers users a way to add more memory to their system and make their computer run faster. If you want to add extra RAM to your system, this motherboard will work for you.

Moreover, one of the best things about this motherboard is its five-way optimization technology. It allows the board to automatically adjust the voltage to each part of the system to keep everything running smoothly.

If you want a motherboard that can handle a lot of heat, the ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA LGA1151 Skylake motherboard is what you need. It is equipped with a VRM (voltage regulator module) that has a cross-chill design. This makes sure that every part of the VRM stays cool at all times.

Additionally, you also have the option to configure your lighting and RGB color, ASUS has even created a lighting feature called AURA Sync that allows users to change the color and lighting of the motherboard at any time.

In addition, this motherboard comes with 802.11ac Wi-Fi which makes it easier for users to connect their devices to their home network. With it, you can access your files and other important data from anywhere.

After testing and using the ASUS MAXIMUS IX FORMULA LGA1151 Skylake motherboard for about a month, I found that this motherboard has been operating perfectly and performing smoothly.

Overall, this motherboard is a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their system It is easy to use, has great performance, and is equipped with a lot of great features.

When you’re shopping for a new motherboard, you want to make sure that it will support the latest generation of processors as well as any future upgrades you may want to perform in the future.

I love that the Gigabyte ATX DDR4 Intel LGA 1151 Skylake motherboard is one of the best options when it comes to supporting Intel Core i6 and i7 processors, and it comes with tons of features that will keep your system up to date with the latest technology.

It also supports PCIe dual graphics cards, which means you can connect up to two graphics cards and enjoy some amazing visuals.

Plus, this support for non-ECC UDIMM memory modules means that you’ll be able to get more performance out of your processor.

There’s also an excellent sound feature on this motherboard. if you’re a gamer or a person who listens to music, you’ll want to check out the integrated Creative Sound Core 3D. The motherboard includes dual audio amplifiers so that you can connect more speakers to the front and back of your system. There are high-quality Nichicon audio capacitors that will ensure a clean signal when you’re playing any form of media.

Moreover, the motherboard supports dual M.2 slots, which will enable you to install two different SSD drives into your system at the same time. You can also install two SATA 6GB/s SSDs into your system using this motherboard, which means that you won’t have to swap out a drive every time you install a new SSD in your system.

The motherboard also comes with several other features, including digital PWM and IR Digital Power Design. This will help to power up your computer and ensure that it doesn’t overheat. 

Additionally, this motherboard also has a Thunderbolt 3.0 port, which will let you connect up to three monitors to your system. That’s a great feature for those who like to play games on a big screen TV. And a Type C port on the motherboard, which will allow you to connect an external device like a keyboard, mouse, or an external hard drive to your computer at lightning-fast speeds.

In addition, the motherboard also has a gold-plated headphone jack so that you can listen to music and watch movies without a lot of noise.

After testing out this motherboard for a few days, I was absolutely in love with it. It has everything that you need to keep your computer up to date with the latest technology.

Overall, the Gigabyte ATX DDR4 Intel LGA 1151 best skylake motherboard is a great option for those who want a motherboard that will support the 6th, and 7th generation of processors as well as future upgrades. You’ll also enjoy all the audio features that come with the motherboard, such as the dual-amplifier feature.

If you’re looking to upgrade your motherboard for the first time, the MSI Pro Series Intel X299 LGA 2066 motherboard is the one for you. The motherboard has been designed to keep your system running at peak performance with a large number of features and premium hardware.

I love that this motherboard supports Intel’s new Skylake processors, this is the motherboard for you. The motherboard can support Intel Core i5, i7, and Xeon processors, along with future versions.

The motherboard comes with two memory slots, and it supports DDR4-4266+(OC) memory. This means that you can easily increase the amount of memory on the motherboard to match the needs of your new processor.

Moreover, I also like the fact that the motherboard supports M.2 SSDs, so if you decide to install a 2.5″ SSD in your build, this will make it easy to add another drive to your system without having to worry about the SATA connections.

I also love the features on the motherboard, like the MSI Gaming LAN and VR Ready technology. The motherboard has been designed with the gamer in mind, if you plan on gaming with your computer, you can set up a high-performance network solution with the integrated gaming LAN technology. The VR Ready technology will improve your gaming experience by reducing motion sickness. It can be activated by pressing a button during gameplay, you can turn on or off this function in the BIOS.

The motherboard also comes with MSI’s Audio Boost feature, which is a dedicated sound card that helps improve your audio while playing or listening to songs. The motherboard also has premium quality audio components, as well as the MSI Audio Boost feature.

Additionally, the motherboard supports Intel’s Turbo Boost technology, which will allow your processor to reach its maximum performance when needed. If you’re planning on overclocking your processor, the motherboard will have no problem keeping up with the performance of your new processor.

In addition, the motherboard has some cool hardware features, like the MSI fan headers, which are designed to improve airflow in your system. The motherboard also supports Steel Armor technology, which helps prevent ESD damage.

After testing the MSI Pro Series Intel X299 LGA 2066 motherboard, I can see that it comes with several features that are very impressive. These features make the motherboard easy to use and can be used in any type of build, from basic gaming builds to high-end servers. I like the fact that the motherboard can support the latest processors, and that it has some great features that make the motherboard stand out from the crowd.

Overall, I think that this motherboard is an excellent motherboard for gamers, and it can help increase your gaming experience.

The ROG Maximus XIII Hero comes with 11th Gen Intel Core processors and 10th Gen Intel CoreTM processors, along with a whole lot of power. The motherboard has five power phases and they’re all controlled by the ASRock intelligent power circuitry. This includes an onboard AI-overclocking solution that will keep you informed of your CPU’s maximum speed at all times.

I love that the board also supports the latest generation of Intel CPUs, but if you’re not into overclocking, you can take advantage of the motherboard’s built-in AI Overclocking to save some time. With this feature, you won’t have to wait around for the motherboard to reach full speed before using your system.

I like that the Maximus XIII Hero comes with 14+2 paired power stages for 90 Amps of power, and all of the power connectors are on the rear panel. This means that you don’t have to remove the motherboard from your case when you need to add more power, and you won’t have to be worried about shorting out the motherboard.

The board includes a couple of M.2 heatsinks and they are installed right on the underside of the motherboard. This means that the M.2 heatsinks are easily accessible for cleaning, there are a total of 14 power connectors on the motherboard and they all come with ROG ProCool II heat sinks.

These heatsinks come with copper base plates that allow them to draw heat away from the chipset and MOSFETs. This helps you stay cool when you’re gaming or working hard.

Moreover, the board comes with Onboard WiFi 6E (802.11ax), dual Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet, and ASUS LANGaurd. The WiFi 6E is a Wi-Fi 6 solution, which means it will support gigabit Ethernet speeds along with a whole lot more. The Gigabit LAN ports also come with Thunderbolt 4 USB-C so you’ll be able to plug in your USB devices quickly and easily. Conversely, you can use the two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 USB-C to transfer files between your devices.

The Maximus XIII Hero also supports the latest audio solutions from ALC4082, which has an ESS ES9018Q2C DAC. This means that the motherboard will give you great sound quality even though you’re streaming high-quality content.

In addition, the Maximus XIII Hero comes with dual RGB headers, so you can control the lights on your motherboard and your case using the ASUS Aura Sync software. The RGB header and addressable RGB header also give you the ability to add more lighting to your system. The RGB header is located under the rear panel, and the addressable RGB header is located underneath the M.2 heatsinks.

In terms of connectivity, the board comes with two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots for storing solid-state drives. This means that you can use two M.2 SSDs in your system and you can configure the two M.2 sockets to support both SATA and NVMe storage devices.

And all of the power connectors and the USB ports come with ROG ProCool II heat sinks. The Maximus XIII Hero supports a total of seven expansion slots, which include four PCI-E 2.0 x16 slots, one PCI-E 3.0 x1 slot, and two PCI-E 4.0 x1 slots. This means that you can install as many graphics cards as you want to your system, and you can install up to three M.2 SSDs and six hard drives in your system.

After testing it I have found that it’s a very powerful motherboard that comes with some pretty cool features. You can use the onboard AI Overclocking feature to ensure that your CPU gets the most out of its maximum speed.

Overall, the Maximus XIII Hero is an excellent motherboard that comes with a lot of power and is the best Skylake gaming motherboard. The Maximus XIII Hero is ideal for those who want to build a high-performance gaming system that’s easy to configure.

The ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E motherboard is a solid choice for a new build. The board supports 10th Gen Intel Core processors and includes a wealth of features, it offers great support for multi-core processors with Hyper-Threading technology.

You can run applications designed for previous generations on a Skylake processor without any modifications, but you cannot run applications designed for Skylake on older processors. The new processor will not make your old computer obsolete, but it will allow you to upgrade your PC experience with faster boot times and better performance.

I love that 14+2 power stages with ProCool II power connectors are available on this motherboard. This allows you to connect two high-power devices to your motherboard, making your system even more powerful than before.

In addition, the chipset has been optimized to work with the latest CPUs and the onboard WiFi 6 AX201 (2.11ax) chip allows you to connect to 6 GHz WiFi devices. There are plenty of other features to keep the ROG Strix Z490-E running at top speed.

I was also impressed with the low-noise cooling system on the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E motherboard, it uses the company’s exclusive AI Thermal Design to keep your system cool while running at full speed.

Moreover, who wants to build an awesome gaming PC, the board also comes with dual M. 2 ports so that you can run multiple graphics cards simultaneously. You can also connect your headset, speakers, or mouse with a USB 3. 2 Gen 2 Type-C connector. The SupremeFX S1220A audio codec can handle high-quality audio and the DTS Sound Unbound technology provides clear and dynamic sound.

I like that this board also features Heatpipe and fan headers, allowing you to install high-performance coolers and fans without taking up valuable PCIe slots. This is a solid board for those who want to build a high-end system with a fast processor.

Additionally, you can get ASUS Aura Sync RGB lighting on this motherboard, ASUS’s Aura software allows you to create stunning lighting effects using RGB LEDs. You can also use the included software to control your lighting effects remotely.

After testing the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E motherboard, we found it to be a great option for building a powerful Skylake gaming system. It’s easy to install and supports 10th Gen Intel Core processors with great performance.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix Z490-E motherboard is a perfect choice for the gamer in you. It comes with a lot of features that are sure to make your PC faster and more fun to play.

How to Choose the Best Skylake Motherboards – Buying Guide

The process of choosing the best motherboard will take a few hours or days depending on your needs. Before you go shopping for the best motherboard, you must be clear about your needs and your budget. Here are some of the most important aspects that you need to keep in mind before making any purchase:

Processor:

The first thing you need to decide is the type of processor that you want to use in your system. Skylake is a newer generation of processors from Intel and offers better performance and features than older processors. Make sure that you know what your processor can handle, you should also look for a motherboard that supports 10th Gen Intel Core processors.

Graphics Card:

The graphics card is another important part of your PC. It is responsible for displaying the information on your monitor and helping your system process the data. Always choose a motherboard that has support for the video card that you want to use. You should also check the recommended specifications for the video card and make sure that the video card fits within them.

Memory:

Skylake processors require a lot of memory compared to previous generations of processors. Your motherboard should support DDR4 RAM, this will allow you to install up to 64 GB of RAM in your system. There are four different memory speeds that you can use in your system – 2400 MHz, 2133 MHz, 2666 MHz, and 2933 MHz.

Power Supply:

The power supply is an important part of your system and will play a major role in how long your system lasts. Always choose a motherboard that has support for high-performance power supplies. You can also make sure that it supports at least 500 W.

Cooling system:

Skylake processors generate more heat than previous generation processors. You need to make sure that your motherboard has the right amount of cooling and airflow to keep the system cool. The motherboard should also support a fan header so that you can add fans to the motherboard.

Conclusion

Skylake is a great processor from Intel and works well with motherboards that have support for it. If you want to build an excellent gaming rig, you should always choose a motherboard with support for the latest processors from Intel. This is important because it allows you to have the best PC experience possible.

After testing each product I would like to recommend GIGABYTE B365M Skylake motherboard as they have proven to be the most suitable for gaming. This is the motherboard that supports the 10th generation of Intel Core processors and DDR4 RAM.

The motherboard also has support for the latest graphics cards including NVIDIA GTX 1080 and AMD Radeon RX, and it is the best Skylake gaming motherboard.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me, I am here to help.

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