Choosing the Best Motherboard for Intel's Core i3-9300T

Motherboard Requirements for the Core i3-9300T Processor

For Intel's 9th generation Core i3-9300T processor, you'll need a motherboard with an LGA 1151 socket and 300-series chipset.

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 9300T means it doesn't support overclocking. Because of this, you may not need to use the top of the line Z390 or Z370 chipsets which support overclocking. Instead, you can use a motherboard with Intel's other 300-series desktop chipsets listed below.

For compatiblity with Intel's 11th generation Core processors, you can use any of the 300-series chipsets: Z390, Z370, H370, B365, B360, H310. These are roughly sorted from most to least functionality.

The Q370 chipset is also compatible, but is intended for business use cases; its availability in stand-alone motherboards is limited.

• Find Z390 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon
• Find Z370 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon
• Find H370 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon
• Find B365 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon
• Find B360 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon
• Find H310 Chipset Motherboards on Amazon

Other Considerations When Choosing a 9300T Motherboard

When choosing a motherboard for the 9300T, we considered several key factors beyond socket type and chipset compatibility. These include form factor, expandability, power delivery, and features like USB ports, audio quality, and Wi-Fi support. By focusing on these elements, you can identify what matters most for your specific needs and ensure an optimal, future-proof setup.

To overclock DDR memory via an XMP profile, your motherboard chipset must support memory overclocking.

The absence of an "F" in the 9300T model name indicates the CPU has integrated graphics support. Ensure your motherboard includes a video output port (e.g., HDMI) if you want to use integrated graphics.

Even if you primarily connect monitors to a dedicated graphics card, we found that integrated graphics can be beneficial when troubleshooting graphics card issues.

NVMe M.2 cards are the latest and fastest SSD storage form. We recommend ensuring your motherboard includes enough slots for your needs.

The Z390, Z370, and Q370 chipsets support the most PCIe 3.0 lanes, meaning motherboards with these chipsets typically offer the most x4 NVMe M.2 slots.

Learn more about storage types in our article Storage Type Comparison: M.2, U.2, NVMe, SATA, SSDs, HDDs.

Ensure the motherboard provides enough USB ports at your desired speeds. The Z390 and Q370 support the most USB ports for the 9300T at USB 3.2 2x1 (10 Gbps) and USB 3.2 1x1 (5 Gbps) speeds.

High-bandwidth devices typically fall into two categories: storage devices and high-resolution video equipment. These devices depend on high-speed data transfer for optimal performance. In our testing, we've encountered instances where insufficient bandwidth significantly impeded performance, particularly when working with large data transfers and high-resolution video editing.

When choosing a motherboard, prioritize one with physical audio ports if sound quality matters to you. Look for color-coded 3.5mm jacks (green for front speakers, black for rear, orange for center/subwoofer) to ensure proper connections for surround sound systems.

If you're using a soundbar or AV receiver, we recommend selecting a motherboard with an optical (S/PDIF) port. It provides cleaner audio by avoiding electrical noise, which makes a noticeable difference in sound quality.

While built-in audio quality isn't the most critical factor, choose a motherboard with a high-quality audio codec if you're using high-end headphones. It can reduce background noise, especially at higher volumes. If the motherboard's audio doesn't meet your standards, consider an external audio solution like a USB DAC as a reliable backup. It's an affordable way to bypass onboard limitations and improve sound quality for both desktops and laptops.

Choose a motherboard whose ports are compatible with your current equipment to avoid costly upgrades in the future.

When it comes to motherboards, we've encountered three primary form factors. In our experience, ATX stands out as the most common for desktop PCs. We've also explored Mini-ITX and MicroATX for building mini-PCs, and found they typically offer fewer PCIe slots, RAM slots, and storage support.

We've observed that these smaller form factors are backward compatible with standard ATX cases, using a subset of their mounting holes. In fact, we've frequently used Mini-ITX motherboards in ATX cases.

One crucial consideration is ensuring your case matches your motherboard's form factor. We've learned from experience how important it is to choose a case that aligns with your motherboard's specific needs.

The Z390, Z370, and Q370 chipsets provide the most flexibility when paired with the 9300T, allowing multiple PCIe 3.0 graphics cards in dual x8 configuration.

Other chipsets, however, are very limited with only a single PCIe 3.0 x16 slot.

Learn More About the Intel Core i3-9300T

• Motherboard: Choosing the Best Motherboard for Intel's Core i3-9300T
• RAM: Best RAM for the Intel Core i3-9300T CPU
• TDP: What Is the TDP of the Core i3-9300T CPU?