The motherboard is an essential part of your CPU. The i5 6500 is the best CPU for the moderate budget-minded gamers that intel has to offer. To max out the performance of your CPU, a great motherboard is a must. If you are looking for a good motherboard for i5 6500, then you are in the right place. Getting the best motherboard for i5 6500 will make your PC work like a cherry on top! While buying the best motherboard, you should check the motherboard’s overclocking ability and overall performance.

Intel Core i5 6500 is a quad-core processor with a pretty fast speed and performance. Its Base frequency is 3.20 GHz whereas the Max Turbo Boost clock is 3.60 GHz. The 65W TDP shows the average generated power and power consumption as well. It has an integrated HD Graphics 530 that offers a 350 MHz base frequency. The overall value of this CPU is a stroke of luck for the price. The performances are extreme which consumes pretty much power.

It has been a perfect compatible CPU with several PC components. For example, it makes a perfect pair and is possibly the best CPU for GTX 1070 ti. Even though there are many better choices for the GTX 1070 ti, this pair creates a magnificent performance. Not just GPU, you also have to consider the compatible motherboard. This part of the PC holds the same significance as the CPU. If your CPU and mobo are not compatible, the system will be regarded as junk and you will just want to break everything apart due to the unexpected issue occurrence. That’s why a motherboard matters the most when you buy a CPU.

We have narrowed down some of the best motherboards compatible with i5 6500. These selected motherboards have the LGA 1151 CPU socket that the Intel Core i5-6500 will fit into, ensuring motherboard to CPU compatibility.

Table of Contents

Best Mobo For i5 6500

Model Details Price
M.2: 2
SATA: 6
PCIe x16: 3
RAM DIMMs: 4
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M.2: 1
SATA: 6
PCIe x16: 3
RAM DIMMs: 4
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M.2: 1
SATA: 5
PCIe x16: 3
RAM DIMMs: 4
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M.2: 2
SATA: 6
PCIe x16: 3
RAM DIMMs: 4
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M.2: 1
SATA: 6
PCIe x16: 1
RAM DIMMs: 4
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Asus STRIX Z270E GAMING

Asus STRIX Z270E GAMING

ASUS has introduced its user-friendly and mid-market branding subseries – STRIX Z270E Gaming motherboard to its ASUS ROG STRIX product line. Strix provides user-friendly features like 802.11a/c Wi-Fi, moderate price, and many more.

STRIX Z270E is the successor to Pro Gaming Motherboards. This motherboard’s integrated Intel Z270 chipset provides support for the updated Intel LGA1151 Kaby Lake processor line and Dual Channel DDR4 memory. It has a very attractive look with its glossy black appearance and 10 phases of the digital power delivery system. Indeed, it doesn’t leave its users disappointed. The STRIX Z270E provides documentation, an application, a drivers disc, a magnetic dual Wi-Fi antenna, and an HB-style SLI bridge. It also includes mounting hardware for the 3D-printable accessories and a CPU holder to help prevent unintentional angled drops into the LGA contacts.

STRIX 2270E GAMING is a fantastic series of the ASUS ROG product line. This motherboard has a 5-way optimization feature with Autotuning, and FanXpert 4.It has peerless personalization with ASUS exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, two extra RGB headers, and a 3D-printing solid mount. It ensures maximum connectivity and speed with Dual M.2, front panel USB 3.1, onboard 802.11ac Wi-fi, and Intel Optane Memory compatibility. This motherboard has two Patent-pending Safe slots that provide an injection mold process that comprises metal framing for a stronger, firmly anchored PCIe slot built for height weight GPUs.

Specification

Motherboard ASUS STRIX Z270E GAMING
Form Factor ATX
Maximum Memory Speed 3866 MHz
DIMM Slots 4
MAX MEMORY 64 GB
SATA III Ports 6
M.2 Slots 2
Total PCIe Slots 6

Key Features & Downsides

Key Features: WWith 5-way optimization characteristics, ASUS STRIX Z270E GAMING has 4 x SATA cables, RGB LED extension and other impressive features. It has 4 Dual-Band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth V4.1. It has 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (support x16, x8/x8) ,1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (at x4 mode) and 4 x PCIe 3.0 x1. It ensures NVMe SSD RAID support for an excellent performance boost. ASUS STRIX Z270E GAMING has 1 x USB 3.1 type A and 1 x USB 3.1 type C that gives data speed up to 10gbps.

Downsides: The main downsides of this motherboard are that it provides mediocre DRAM overclocking and has insufficient RGB Lighting. The USB-C connection slot is quite small, which means it can’t connect a USB-C Cable, without trimming this ASUS cut out. And installing this motherboard is time-consuming.

Pros
  • Good Efficiency
  • Stock performance
  • Durable and Excellent construction
  • Storage offerings dual M.2 ports and SATA ports
  • Good Wi-Fi controller
  • Better software suite
Cons
  • Moderate DRAM overclocking
  • Insufficient UEFI RGB LED configuration

Final Thoughts

STRIX Z270E GAMING motherboard highlights 5-Way Optimization, AURA Sync, and 3D printing mounts. It is a wonderful motherboard series and is user-friendly. It gives a decent performance at its price. In Fact, it is a great deal for budget-builds.


Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO

Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO

ASUS is known for its top notch performance and attractive looks. In fact, ASUS’s Republic of Gamers or ROG lineup is craved among the enthusiasts. This praisable product line has introduced a member to its series- HERO, which is in the middle of the ROG line up between the Gene and the Extreme. MAXIMUS VIII HERO is an outstanding motherboard with a high-value Gaming ATX factor. It offers the best overclocking performance, plenty of cool features, both software and hardware-based. It also offers good performance in terms of audio and stock speeds.

ASUS MAXIMUS HERO series is known to be more of a conventional ROG motherboard. It provides a balance between its features and quality that is alluring to most enthusiasts. This motherboard ensures the best gaming performance with 5-way optimization that has auto-tuning and also best gaming audio, best gaming network, best gaming protection, and many other gaming-oriented utilities.

Specification

Motherboard Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO
Form Factor ATX
Maximum Memory Speed 3800 MHz
DIMM Slots 4
MAX MEMORY 64 GB
SATA III Ports 6
M.2 Slots 1
Total PCIe Slots 6

Key Features & Downsides

Key Features: ASUS Maximus VIII Hero has many appealing features, and many of them are inherited from PCH. It includes Intel’s latest NIC for LAN connectivity and a PCl-E 3.0, 4x M.2 slots for fast storage. It carries ASUS’s latest iteration SuperFX audio, two-way graphic support, and USB 3.1 type-A and Type-C. This motherboard provides 8 x SATA 6Gb/s and 6 x USB 3.0 ports.

Downsides: A few of the downsides of this motherboard are that it has a few complicated overclocking settings that are quite difficult to master. Sadly it has no CPU voltage measuring points.

Pros
  • Attractive looks
  • Outstanding overclocking capabilities
  • USB 3.1 type-A and type-C
  • Excellent performance
  • Provides gaming protection
Cons
  • Some of the overclocking settings are difficult
  • No CPU voltage measure points
  • UEFI sometimes takes trial and error

Final Thoughts

ASUS MAXIMUS VIII HERO is an excellent motherboard with appealing features for enthusiasts especially gaming enthusiasts. It is, in fact, a win-win in all scopes. In conclusion, It is actually a great motherboard with great looks and great performance.


Asus Z170 PRO GAMING

Asus Z170 PRO GAMING

Asus Z170 Pro gaming is a product from the Asus Pro Gaming series of motherboards and it is is designed for enthusiast gamers who demand the best technologies at affordable prices. This comprehensive range of Z170 based motherboards complements almost every PC build targeting every section from overclockers to gamers to aficionados and more.

Asus Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard has the traits that are required for a good Gaming motherboard. This motherboard product has got recognition for its strong audio, networking, performance, and attractive styling. Asus has made practical design choices to aim gamers with the Z170 Pro Gaming, It has deployed Realtek ALC1150-based audio which is one of the best audio codecs available. It also features a high-quality Intel I219V Gigabit network controller and a conventional red and black theme. This motherboard ensures the best performance which is covered by providing all the latest connectivity standards of the Z170 platform including M.2, DDR4, USB 3.1, SATA Express, and Support for Intel Skylake CPUs with full overclocking abilities.

This motherboard uses Pro clock technology, 5-way Optimization, and 2nd generation T-Topology for easy and stable overclocking. The Asus Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard provides many appealing gaming optimized features. Some of them are SupremeFX Audio with Sonic Radar II, Intel Gigabit Ethernet for better, and protected gaming networking. Also, the speed along with LANGuard, GameFirst, and RAMCache packages for the finest gaming experience is included. Asus Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard features an 8-phase digital power delivery system, sharing the same DIGI+ style power system of its higher-priced ancestors.

Specification

Motherboard Asus Z170 PRO GAMING
Form Factor ATX
Maximum Memory Speed 3466 MHz
DIMM Slots 4
MAX MEMORY 64 GB
SATA III Ports 5
M.2 Slots 1
Total PCIe Slots 6

Key Features & Downsides

Key Features: ASUS affiliated the following characteristics into the Z170 pro board with 4 x SATA 3 ports, 1 x SATA Express port, 1 x M.2 PCle x4 capable port, 3 x PCI Express x16 slots, 2 x PCL Express x1 slots, and 1 x PCIe slot. There are more features affiliated to the Z170-A board, such as onboard power and MemOK! Buttons, an Intel I1219-V Gigabit NIC, EZ XMP and TPU switches, crystal sound 3 audio subsystem, integrated DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, and VGA video ports, and USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 Type-A and Type-C port Support.

Downsides: This motherboard has many exclusive features and a few downsides. This motherboard is quite difficult to install and the LED lights sometimes may be irritating. Unfortunately, this motherboard product is not a ROG alternative.

Pros
  • Easy to use Solid BIOS interface
  • Controllable board LED effects
  • Quality audio and networking
  • USB Type-A and Type-C
  • Suitable pricing
Cons
  • Difficult to install
  • Inclusion of PCL slot
  • Not a ROG alternative

Final Thoughts

Asus Z170 Pro Gaming is an interesting mobo for i5 6500. This motherboard maintains a balance between its features and performance. It has a very stylish design along with very impressive performance and is budget-friendly for entry-level gaming builds. All the components are well placed and easy to use for all builds. In conclusion, Asus Z170 Pro Gaming is a feature-packed motherboard suitable for enthusiasts and gamers with mid-budget gaming solutions.


MSI Z170A GAMING M5

MSI Z170A GAMING M5

The MSI Z170A GAMING is a mid-range motherboard with stunning design and spectacular specifications. The MSI product line has taken a cutting-edge take on Intel’s Z170 motherboard chipset by introducing the MSI Z170A GAMING M5 motherboard product line with the new LGA 1151 socket. This motherboard is built for enthusiasts and comes with significant features that have made it one of the best choices to partner with a new Intel Skylake CPU.

This ATX motherboard supports both the Nvidia 3-WAY SLI and AMD CROSSFIRE tech. The user-friendly UEFI has tons of options and customizations to work with. Even the layout is perfect for any ATX cases. The color scheme along with the RGB layout is like a chef’s kiss. However, its customizable RGB has not had many colors. The overclocking potential of this mobo is awesome. One can prove it by the overclocking performance it provides every time. It is easy to install, even though the manual did not show perfect work of specifications. You can not want more from this motherboard. It already does so many things swiftly and satisfyingly which is a bang for the buck.

This motherboard supports 7th and 6th Gen Intel processors. It features DDR4-4133 memory of 64GB max and a DDR4 boost with steel armor. It features triple turbo M.2 slots. No doubt, MSI’s Z170A GAMING M5 is one of the rich motherboards with exclusive features built for gaming first and foremost.

Specification

Motherboard MSI Z170A GAMING M5
Form Factor ATX
Maximum Memory Speed 3600 MHz
DIMM Slots 4
MAX MEMORY 64 GB
SATA III Ports 6
M.2 Slots 2
Total PCIe Slots 7

Key Features & Downsides

Key Features: MSI Z170A Gaming M5 is equipped with 3 x PCle x16 slots with 2 x PCle slots hanging off the CPU. This motherboard has dual M.2 slots with 4 x lanes of PCle Gen3 each, 2 x SATA Express ports, and USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports for better next-generation storage. This motherboard is built on the Z170 chipset with USB 3.0 ports with additional Gen3 PCle lanes and support for the NVMe storage control protocol.

Downsides: This motherboard has no power or resets buttons features. Also, it doesn’t have onboard Wifi, which is a disappointment. Another downside is that this motherboard has only two 3.1 ports and four 3.0 ports.

Pros
  • Good Efficiency with Killer network controller
  • Attractive design
  • Dual M.2 slots
  • USB 3.0 Gen3 and USB 3.1 Gen2 ports
Cons
  • No power and rest buttons
  • No onboard wifi
  • Second-tier Overclocking

Final Thoughts

The MSI Z170A GAMING M5 motherboard comes with a friendly price and appealing cutting-edge features like dual M.2 slots, USB 3.0 Gen3, and USB 3.1 Gen2. This motherboard is, in fact, a top choice and stand-out pick for Skylake-based gaming builds.


Best Budget Motherboard for i5 6500

Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H

Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H

Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H is a simple budget-friendly i5 6500 motherboard with all necessary features for users who have no overclocking interests. This motherboard supports 6th and 7th generation Intel core processors. It supports Dual Channel Non-ECC unbuffered DDR4 up to 2311MHZ and 2400MHz, USB 3.1, HDMI 1.4, and S/PDIF. It provides 2-way Crossfire Graphics Support. Besides, It offers both PCle and SATA interface for M.2 SSD devices that provide 16gbps of speedy data transfer, storage performance, and support. It also has ultra-fast M.2 slots with the Pie Gen3 x4 & SATA interface. This motherboard is packed with all exciting and appealing features along with performance and durability.

This best budget motherboard for i5 6500 really lives up to its name. For those who are new to building computers or want the cheapest option for a CPU, this one is ready to go. It is a solid starting point for beginners. The UEFI is awesome and easy to work with. Also, it has sufficient internal connectivity with those SATA, USB, and PCIe ports.

Specification

Motherboard Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H
Form Factor Micro ATX
Maximum Memory Speed 2400 MHz
DIMM Slots 4
MAX MEMORY 64 GB
SATA III Ports 6
M.2 Slots 1
Total PCIe Slots 3

Key Features & Downsides

Key Features: Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H provides an LGA1151 socket, form factor micro ATX, chipset Intel B250, 6 x SATA ports,1 x PCle 3.0 x16 slot, 2 x PCle 3.0 x1 slot, 1 x M.2 slot, and 4 x RAM slots. Moreover, it has 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports, 6 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 1 x system fan header, and 1 x CPU fan header.

Downsides: This motherboard is comparatively less efficient and doesn’t provide good load regulation. There is only one PCle x16 3.0 slot.

Pros
  • Variety of BIOS option
  • Cheap in price
  • Easy to install
  • Anti sulfur resistor design
Cons
  • Comparatively less efficient
  • Only 1 PCle x16 3.0 slots

Final Thoughts

Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H is a simple motherboard that is quite reasonable in price. It is a good choice for users who don’t care about overclocking interests. It has very impressive features and performs up to its price.


Closing Thought

From the recommendations, We hope that you can now choose the best motherboard for i5 6500 easily. As for our pick, it is ASUS STRIX Z270E GAMING. You will easily spot the one as your choice since these motherboards are sorted from best to better. Also, each motherboard’s key features and downsides are marked separately. Furthermore, there may be many things that we’ve missed out on or made mistakes. You can freely inform us through a comment or contact us.


Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What motherboard should I get for i5-6500?

    If you want an all-purpose motherboard for i5 6500, you should get ASUS STRIX Z270E GAMING. The price to performance ratio is perfect and the motherboard also has good efficiency. However, if you want a budget motherboard for i5-6500, Gigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H is a perfect choice.

  2. Is i5 6500 good for gaming?

    The Core i5 6500 is a perfect gaming CPU. It is a good quad-core CPU that can become a beast if a good GPU is paired with it. Even without the best GPU, this CPU can run almost all the present AAA games swiftly.

  3. What chipset is the i5-6500?

    The Chipset of i5-6500 is u003cstrongu003e“Sunrise pointâ€u003c/strongu003e.


GamingSpice author image
Sherman R.

I am a total tech geek! I'm obsessed with computers and anything remotely related to them -building, tinkering, upgrading...you name it. My friends are probably sick of hearing me talk about the latest hardware innovations and whatnot but, I hope you all appreciate it!