This article will discuss choosing a motherboard for Intel's Core i5 13500 processor. Check out my Recommended Motherboards
below, along with compatible CPU coolers and memory.
Motherboard Requirements for Core i5-13500 Processors
For Intel's 13th generation Core i5 13500 processor, you'll need a motherboard with an LGA 1700 socket and a compatible 700-series or 600-series chipset. However, 600-series chipsets were designed for the 12th generations Core processors and may limit the capabilities of your system.
Motherboards for Intel processors are made with chipsets provided by Intel. Each chipset offers a unique set of capabilities. However, motherboards must explicitly support features and capabilities for you to use them. Verify that a motherboard supports the features and capabilities you desire.
The lack of a "K" suffix in the model name 13500 means it doesn't support overclocking. Because of this, you may not need to use the top of the line Z690-based or Z790-based motherboards that typically support overclocking. Instead, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 700-series or 600-series desktop chipsets (e.g., H770, B760, H670, B660, H610).
The W680 and Q670 chipsets are intended for workstation and business use cases; their availability in stand-alone motherboards is limited.
To use 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs with the 600-series chipsets, you'll need an updated BIOS. You either need to purchase one with an updated BIOS, perform the update with a 12th Gen CPU installed, or use the USB BIOS Flashback feature (if available).
Products that ship with a compatible BIOS are typically marked as "Ready" for 13th Gen Intel processors.
For a detailed comparison of these chipsets, check out my article Which Chipsets Work With Intel's Core i5-13500 CPU?.
Find Z790 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Find H770 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Find B760 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Find Z690 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Find H670 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Find B660 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Find H610 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon (affiliate link).
Check out my Recommended Motherboards for the 13th Gen 13500 below.
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi 6E
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
DDR4 or DDR5 Memory
Because DDR4 and DDR5 are not backward compatible, you must decide which one you want to go with before selecting a motherboard.
DDR5 memory is currently more expensive than DDR4.
However, it offers up to double the stock data rates of DDR4. Overclockers could push this limit even further.
Additionally, DDR5 supports higher-capacity DIMMs (256 GB vs. 64 GB).
DDR5 may experience slower timings at initial release but should be much better than DDR4 as the technology matures. However, keep in mind that the timings scale inversely with the clock rate (frequency). The timing values are in units of clock cycles, but more cycles are happening per second with DDR5. For example, DDR3-2133 CL10 has nearly the same latency as DDR5-8400 CL40. So don't let the CL40 latency of DDR5 scare you away; the number just looks bigger!
| DDR4 | DDR5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Max UDIMM (Unbuffered) Capacity | 32 GB | 128 GB |
| Bandwidth | 12800–25600 MB/s | 38400–57600 MB/s |
| Transfer Rate | 1600–3200 MT/s | 4800–7200 MT/s |
| Base Frequency | 800–1600 MHz | 2400–3600 MHz |
| Effective Frequency | 1600–3200 MHz | 4800–7200 MHz |
| Voltage | 1.2 V | 1.1 V |
| On-die ECC | No | Yes |
Other Considerations When Choosing a 13500 Motherboard
In addition to selecting a motherboard with a socket type and chipset compatible with the 13500, here are a few other things to consider when picking a motherboard. Some of these considerations will help determine the best chipset to use.
Memory Overclocking
To be able to overclock DDR memory, such as via an XMP profile, your motherboard chipset needs to support memory overclocking.
Find which chipsets support overclocking in my article, Which Chipsets Work With Intel's Core i5-13500 CPU?.
Video Output Port
The lack of an "F" in the 13500 model name indicates that the CPU has integrated graphics support. You will need to make sure that your motherboard also has a video output port (e.g., HDMI) if you want to use the integrated graphics.
Even if you primarily connect your monitors to a graphics card, integrated graphics can be beneficial when troubleshooting and fixing graphics card problems.
Storage: M.2 Slots and SATA Ports
NVMe M.2 cards are the latest and fastest form of SSD storage. However, you need to ensure that your motherboard includes enough slots.
The Z790, H770, Z690, and H670 chipsets support the most PCIe 4.0 lanes, which means that motherboards with these chipsets are likely to have the most x4 NVMe M.2 slots available.
Learn more about storage types in my article Storage Type Comparison: M.2, U.2, NVMe, SATA, SSDs, HDDs.
Connectivity
USB
Make sure that the motherboard provides enough USB ports at your desired speeds. The Z790, H770, Z690, and H670 can support the most USB ports at USB 3.2 2x2 (20 Gbps), USB 3.2 2x1 (10 Gbps), and USB 3.2 1x1 (5 Gbps) speeds. The devices that are likely to need the high bandwidth rates will typically be limited to storage devices and high-resolution video devices.
Audio
Make sure that the motherboard has your desired audio outputs.
For example, if you have a surround sound system, ensure that it comes with rear and center speaker ports.
If your audio equipment requires an optical input, consider getting a motherboard with this port.
Alternatively, you can purchase a separate PCIe or USB sound card to add additional port types such as optical or RCA.
Form Factor
Motherboards typically come in one of three form factors. ATX is the most common motherboard form factor for a desktop PC.
You might also consider Mini-ITX or MicroATX form factors to build a mini-PC. Keep in mind that these smaller form factors typically have fewer PCIe card slots, fewer RAM slots, and can not support as many storage devices.
These smaller Mini-ITX and MicroATX motherboard form factors are backward compatible with standard ATX cases. They use a subset of the ATX mounting holes. You can also use Mini-ITX motherboards in MicroATX cases.
You will need a computer case compatible with your motherboard form factor.
PCIe Expansion Slots
The Z790, H770, Z690, and H670 chipsets provide the most flexibility, allowing multiple PCIe 5.0 graphics cards in the dual x8 configuration.
The H610 chipset, on the other hand, is very limited, with only a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot.
Recommended Motherboards for the 13th Gen 13500
Best Feature Motherboard
- Our recommended feature-rich motherboard to pair with the Core i5-13500:
MSI MEG Z790 ACE Gaming Motherboard Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory (DDR5 provides the fastest memory speeds)!
- 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
- Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
- Bluetooth 5.3 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
- Five x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! One of these supports PCIe 5.0 speeds, and the rest run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the MSI MEG Z790 ACE Gaming Motherboard on Amazon (affiliate link).
Runner-Up Motherboard
- Our recommended runner-up motherboard to pair with the Core i5-13500:
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi 6E Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128 GB of DDR5 memory (DDR5 provides the fastest memory speeds)!
- 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
- Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
- Bluetooth 5.3 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
- Five x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! One of these supports PCIe 5.0 speeds, and the rest run at PCIe 4.0 speeds.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi 6E on Amazon (affiliate link).
Best Value Motherboard
- Our recommended Value motherboard to pair with the Core i5-13500:
MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 Gaming Motherboard Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- PCIe 5.0 support
- It supports up to 128 GB of DDR4 memory.
- 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port is faster than any home Internet speed available with tons of room to spare for file transfers.
- Wi-Fi 6E makes it easy to reach the fastest speeds and future-proof your Wi-Fi system.
- Bluetooth 5.3 is great for streaming music to Bluetooth headphones.
- Three x4 NVMe M.2 slots, which is fantastic! These slots all support PCIe 4.0 speeds.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 offers 20 Gbps USB speeds!
- Check the latest price of the MSI MAG B760 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 on Amazon (affiliate link).
Considerations When Choosing a CPU Cooler
Thermal Dissipation
A CPU cooler's TDP (Thermal Design Power) rating indicates how much heat it can dissipate in watts. If the cooler can't keep your CPU cool enough, your CPU may throttle (slow down), and your cooler will constantly run at full speed.
Intel CPU specifications indicate this power dissipation number as "Processor Base Power" and "Maximum Turbo Power."
Depending on the workload, the Core i5-13500 has a TDP of 65–154 watts.
A CPU cooler can still work with a lower TDP rating than the TDP of a CPU. However, the CPU will eventually throttle itself to a lower frequency to allow itself to cool.
The CPU may not achieve or maintain maximum turbo speeds without adequate cooling.
Types of Coolers
Air coolers use a combination of heatsinks and fans. They are the cheapest, but also the loudest.
A Closed-Loop Cooler (CLC), also called an all-in-one (AIO) cooler, is a type of liquid cooler. All-in-one liquid coolers provide a more straightforward setup in a single pre-built package.
Liquid cooling can provide even better TDP performance at lower noise levels but are more expensive and take up more room. The noise level and ability to cool your CPU will depend on the liquid cooling solution's radiator size and the number and size of the fans.
Find LGA 1700 AIO Coolers on Amazon (affiliate link).
Open-Loop Coolers are also a type of liquid cooler, except you construct them yourself. They allow for more flexibility in building your perfect cooling solution but can also be more complicated to set up. Open-loop systems give you the flexibility to cool additional devices, such as your graphics card's GPU.
Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler
Check Price on Amazon
Amazon Affiliate Link
Noise
More fans typically mean better cooling. However, they also mean more noise.
Larger fans are typically quieter than smaller fans, as they can move the same amount of air at lower speeds.
If a cooler is struggling to cool a CPU, it will run at its maximum speed, which will be louder.
Fan noise levels are measured a dB. Lower dB values are quieter.
You can often configure your motherboard's BIOS to use specific fan speeds at particular temperatures. This configurable fan speed allows you to have a near-silent computer while your computer is idle.
Mounting Brackets
CPU coolers can have various mounting brackets to work with different socket sizes. Make sure that your cooler comes with a compatible mounting bracket.
The easiest way to find a CPU cooler that will work for your computer is to search by socket type. For example, the 13500 uses an LGA 1700 socket, so you would search for an LGA 1700 CPU cooler.
In some cases, such as when a new socket size is released, there may not be many compatible coolers. In these cases, you can often purchase a separate mounting/
Size
Before buying the biggest cooler possible, ensure that your case and motherboard configuration have room.
Also, ensure that other components on your motherboard won't interfere due to size constraints. For example, do your memory modules (DIMMs) have tall heat spreaders?
Dual-fan coolers often take up quite a bit of room. Liquid cooling solutions typically position fans at the top or bottom of the case.
Lighting
Some CPU cooler fans come with LED lighting. Similarly, liquid cooling pump heads can also come with LEDs or even LCDs!
If you want to turn off the lights when they get annoying, make sure your CPU cooler has that option.
Price
In general, air-based coolers will be lower cost than liquid cooling systems.
CPU coolers that support a higher TDP are also typically correlated with a higher price.
The more advanced lighting features tend to also come at an extra cost. You can decide between a practical, low-cost solution and a dazzling light show.
Recommended CPU Cooler for the 13500
The distance between heatsink screw holes for the LGA 1700 socket increased to 78x78 mm from the 75x75 mm spacing typical of recent sockets. This new spacing means you'll need a new cooler/
Locked Intel CPUs may come with a stock CPU cooler. These CPU models do not have a "K" in the name. While stock coolers will prevent your CPU from overheating, your CPU will throttle its performance during games and other intensive tasks. Higher TDP coolers will keep your CPU at turbo speeds for longer durations. Stock coolers are often quite loud at their maximum speed.
The LGA 1700 socket will require a CPU cooler that supports the new socket size. Some manufacturers are releasing upgrade kits for LGA 1200 heatsinks to support the new size.
Best AIO Liquid Cooler: Enermax Liqmax III 360
- This Enermax liquid cooler has an excellent cooling capability with a 360-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
- Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 2066, 2011-3, 2011, 1700, 1200, 1366, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150 and AMD AM4, AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, FM2+, FM2, FM1.
- Quiet operation at 14-27 dBA.
- You can get the LGA 1700 Enermax Mounting Kit for LIQMAX III on Amazon (affiliate link) or request a free LGA 1700 mounting kit via the LGA 1700 Mounting Kit Request Form.
- Make sure your computer case dimensions support this, as it will take up a decent amount of space!
Enermax Liqmax III 360 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Best Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
- Dual 140 mm fans provide 220-watt TDP (183 NSPR) of cooling capability.
- Supports a variety of CPU sockets, including Intel LGA 1700, 1200, 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 2011, 2066 and AMD AM4, AM3, AM3+, AM2, AM2+, FM2, FM2+.
- Quiet operation at 24.6 dBA.
Noctua NH-D15, Premium CPU Cooler Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Runner-Up - Dual-Fan Air CPU Cooler: Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510
- This CPU cooler doesn't have any fancy LED lights, but the dual 120 mm fans do a great job of cooling LGA 1700 CPUs.
- Suppose you think this cooler will take up too much space. In that case, Thermaltake has a few single-fan TOUGHAIR variants which use different orientations.
- This CPU cooler has a 2000 RPM max speed for optimal cooling.
- 180-watt TDP (Thermal Design Power).
Thermaltake TOUGHAIR 510 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Recommended RAM
Before purchasing memory, review your motherboard specification to verify which speeds are supported. For example, if a DDR4 motherboard stated that it supports "DDR4 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200 / 3000," that would mean that it could support DDR4-3400, DDR4-3333, and DDR4-3300 with memory overclocking, and DDR4-3200 and DDR4-3000 at stock speeds. Motherboard specifications also indicate the maximum capacity per stick of RAM (DIMM) and across all slots.
Recommended Stock-Speed DDR5
- At an effective frequency of 4800 MHz, this memory hits the fastest DDR5 speed supported by Intel's Core i5 13500 CPU without overclocking.
Corsair Vengeance DDR5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5 4800 MHz Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- Compact heat spreaders avoid conflicting with a CPU cooler.
- 32 GB provides ample memory for gaming and multitasking.
Recommended DDR5 for Overclockers
- This DDR5 memory is designed for overclocking to an effective frequency of 5200 MHz.
Kingston Fury Beast 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) 5200 MHz DDR5 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- Certified for XMP 3.0.
- Compact heat spreaders avoid conflicting with a CPU cooler.
Recommended Stock-Speed DDR4
- At an effective frequency of 3200 MHz, this memory hits the fastest DDR4 speed supported by Intel's Core i5 13500 CPU without overclocking.
- The low-profile form factor ensures that the heat spreaders don't get in the way of other devices, including your CPU heatsink.
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) 3200 MHz DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
Recommended DDR4 for Overclockers
- This DDR4 memory is designed for overclocking to an effective frequency of 3600 MHz.
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) 3600 MHz DDR4 Check Price on Amazon Amazon Affiliate Link
- Supports XMP 2.0.
- Compact heat spreaders avoid conflicting with a CPU cooler.
Learn More About the Intel Core i5-13500
- Which Chipsets Work With Intel's Core i5-13500 CPU?
- Choosing the Best CPU Cooler for Intel's Core i5-13500
- Choosing the Best Power Supply for Intel's Core i5-13500
- Is the Core i5-13500 CPU Good for Gaming?
- Choosing the Best RAM for Intel's Core i5-13500 CPU
- Choosing the Best Motherboard for Intel's Core i5-13500
- How Many Cores Do Intel Core i5-13500 CPUs Have?
- What Is the TDP of the Core i5-13500 CPU?
You can find detailed 13500 specifications on Intel's site.
Other Considerations When Building a PC
Want to brush up on other new technologies to consider when building a computer? Check out these articles:
- Cases:
- CPUs:
- The Best CPUs for Gaming
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 5.0?
- Which Intel and AMD CPUs Support PCIe 4.0?
- LGA 1700 CPU List
- LGA 1200 CPU List
- Look up an Intel or AMD CPU on TechReviewer for related recommendations:
- The Best CPUs for Gaming
- CPU Coolers:
- Storage:
- Memory:
- PCI-Express:
- Motherboards:
- Graphics Cards:
- Power Supplies:
- Keyboards:
- Monitors: