Best Motherboard for i5 8400: Complete Reviews With Comparisons
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Getting the best motherboards for i5 8400 is a fantastic way to improve the overall performance of your PC.
Without a high-performance motherboard, all of your other components won’t work to the best of their ability.
When it comes to the i5 8400, there are a few fantastic options for you to mount your processor effectively.
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Motherboard for i5 8400: Brief Reviews
1. GIGABYTE B365M DS3H WiFi-Y1
The GIGABYTE B365M DS3H WiFi-Y1 boasts plenty of high-end features, especially for RGB enthusiasts.
From improved audio capacitors to double locking brackets, there’s plenty to appreciate with this model.
Once your components are installed, you are bound to appreciate their efficiency and durability.
Review
Let’s look at some of the most impressive features of the GIGABYTE B365M DS3H WiFi-Y1.
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- Improved Audio Capacitors
One of the most significant benefits of this motherboard is that it comes with high-end audio capacitors.
You will experience a significantly improved resolution through high-fidelity audio, enhancing your gaming experience.
Every environment you encounter will feel more immersive, thanks to more realistic sound effects.
- RGB Fusion 2.0
RGB lighting has become a staple in many pieces of gaming equipment, especially motherboards.
The GIGABYTE B365M DS3H WiFi-Y1 is a phenomenal option that allows you to control both external and onboard RGB.
The motherboard comes equipped with pre-filled patterns and colors, including addressable LED support.
- Double Locking Bracket
Another luxurious feature of this motherboard is its patented double locking mechanism, customary with GIGABYTE motherboards.
When installing new components, you’ll find a double locking bracket on the front side of the first lock.
Also, there are different locking mechanisms along the backside for a stronger hold.
- DualBIOS Design
An equally valuable patented technology in this motherboard is the GIGABYTE patented DualBIOS design.
Your BIOS is one, if not the, most important component of your PC and needs to be protected.
With DualBIOS, your rig will have a primary and backup BIOS, protecting it from hardware malfunctions and viruses.
- 4K Ultra HD Support
The modern gaming world has a lot to do with 4K, especially when creating and watching content.
Your new motherboard is innately designed to handle 4K display support, depending on your CPU.
For the most impressive graphic imaginable, you will have native support for a higher level of pixel density within your PC.
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2. ASRock B365M PRO4 LGA1151
When it comes time to upgrade your existing gaming setup, this motherboard is a great solution.
It has plenty of essential features, such as seven Gen 1 USB 3.1 support and DDR4 2666 support.
Review
Let’s look at some of the most impressive features of the ASRock B365M PRO4 LGA1151.
- Polychrome RGB
If aesthetics is one of the main things you are searching for, you will be glad to know this motherboard has onboard RGB support.
There is an addressable RGB header, allowing you to connect to compatible LED devices.
Whether you have RGB-enabled CPU fans, coolers, or a chassis, you can quickly connect your components straight to the motherboard.
- Dual M.2 Slots
If you are looking to install a U.2 PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD, you’ll love the integrated dual M.2 slot for SSD.
This component features SATA3 6Gb/s and PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 interfaces, improving your data transfer speeds.
On average, your transfer speeds can get up to 32Gb/s, ideal for most computing processes.
- M.2 Heatsink
Dispersing heat effectively is one of the best ways to protect your PC’s integrity.
With the added full coverage M.2 heatsink, this motherboard ensures you have the highest speeds with a lower temperature.
As an added benefit, there are added aluminum alloy heat sinks that effectively remove heat from your chipset for stability.
- Intel LAN
When dealing with a local network, you will want optimal LAN support, especially to improve performance.
The ASRock B365M PRO4 LGA1151 is equipped with Intel LAN, offering top-tier performance with lower CPU usage.
At the same time, you are also likely to notice a significant improvement in overall network stability.
- Optane Memory-Ready
When installing your memory, you will want to ensure your motherboard is more than strong enough to handle excessive storage.
This motherboard fully supports Intel Optane memory technology as well as storage technology.
As a result, you will experience a higher level of responsiveness paired with higher computing performance.
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3. MSI ProSeries H310M Pro-VDH Plus
The MSI ProSeries H310M Pro-VDH Plus natively supports 8th and 9th Gen Intel Core Pentium Gold and Celeron processors.
With DDR4 memory support up to 2666MHz, it is an adequate-performing budget-friendly option.
Review
There are several exciting features that the MSI ProSeries H310M Pro-VDH Plus has to offer, including:
- Overall Quality
One of the most impressive features of MSI motherboards is that they’re designed with quality in mind.
Not only do they offer incredible performance for content creators and professionals, but casual users as well.
The overall structure of the motherboard is said to be stronger than steel, offering remarkable longevity.
- Professional-Quality Audio
If you are an audiophile, this is one of the top motherboards you should consider.
With this technology, you will have MSI Audio Boost, which offers the highest sound quality for premium components.
Users will experience a significantly more dynamic range of soundscapes with the integrated audio capacitors.
- Improved Fan Headers
One of the most commonly discussed issues with motherboards is their lack of headers for cooling fans.
Fortunately, this model helps resolve that issue by adding two fan headers with both DC and PWM modes.
As an added benefit, both headers are fully controllable, allowing you to manually manage your system’s temperature.
- Optimized Networking
The MSI ProSeries H310M Pro-VDH Plus is clearly designed with networking in mind, especially when transferring large data.
LAN Protect is a unique piece of technology you’ll find in this model, protecting you against static electricity and lightning strikes.
Overall, you are bound to experience a far more reliable networking experience with fewer drops and lag.
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4. ASUS Prime Intel Z390-P
ASUS is another heavy-hitter when it comes to PC parts and components, especially for gamers.
The ASUS Prime Intel Z390-P is a valuable option for improved system cooling and high-definition audio.
Review
Let’s dive into some of the best features of the ASUS Prime Intel Z390-P.
- Cooling Controls
Compared to other motherboards, this model has more unique cooling controls.
The cooling schemes are flexible for both liquid or air cooling, allowing you to tune cooling efforts manually.
Alternatively, you can use the Auto-Tuning mode, which allows the system to manage your parameters automatically.
When performing light tasks, you will find that this feature is significantly quiet.
Also, there is a special Extreme Quiet mode that helps to reduce cooling sounds for whisper-quiet computing.
- Improved Connectivity
The speed of your computer is of the utmost importance, which is where this motherboard excels.
With M.2 up to 32Gb/s, you will have excellent data transfer speeds, ideal for accessing data quickly.
- Lighting Controls
As with the majority of other motherboards, this model also offers impressive lighting controls.
You will find 5050 RGB strips connected to the RGB header, allowing you to customize the lighting of your setup.
There are also multiple displays to choose from, including static, fading, blinking, and strobing.
- Improved Audio
When it comes to creating an immersive environment, audio quality is important to consider.
The ASUS Prime Intel Z390-P boasts audio shielding, which is responsible for reducing multi-lateral interference.
You will also find significantly less crosstalk between the audio paths, thanks to the separate track layering.
- Intel Z390 Chipset
On this motherboard is a single-chipset recommended for 9th and 8th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors.
With this, you will experience improved bandwidth and stability as well as six USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports and four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports.
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5. ASUS TUF B365M-PLUS
If you are on the hunt for a motherboard that arrives Intel Optane memory-ready, this model is ideal.
Several of its great features range from Aura Sync RGB to DDR4 2666MHz support.
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Review
Let’s take a look at some of the best features of the ASUS TUF B365M-PLUS.
- Military-Grade Components
One of the main reasons why gamers consider TUF components is because of their build quality.
This motherboard is designed using military-grade components, including chokes, LANGuard, and capacitors for increased durability.
- Improved Storage Speeds
Interestingly, this motherboard has native M.2, offering lightning-fast transfer and storage speeds.
Over time, you will notice a significant improvement in your storage performance as well as reliability.
Also, because it is Intel Optane-ready, you can access the latest storage technology speeds.
- Fortified PCIe Slot
Another benefit of TUF protection is that the motherboard features SafeSlot Core+.
This design ensures that the PCIe slot is fortified with a single stainless-steel brace, shielding the spot from damage.
When the component is affixed, it is secured with hooks and remains firmly anchored.
- ESD Guards
The longevity of your motherboard has a lot to do with electrostatic discharge protection.
With this, you will have access to integrated ESD guards that prevent damage from static by protecting up to +/- 10kV of air discharge.
Also, headers are protected from +/- 6kV of contact discharge.
This feature will prove quite useful for gamers putting their first build together.
You’ll find that most of the sensitive components will be shielded against electrostatic discharge.
This DIY-friendly spec is common with many top-tier motherboards.
- Cooling Controls
The flexibility of the ASUS TUF B365M-PLUS cooling controls is incredibly impressive.
You will be able to access the FAN Xpert2+ software, allowing you to control fans based on sensor inputs.
You can also opt to have the software manage to cool for you, working multiple temperature sources simultaneously.
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Which Motherboard Is Best for i5 8400?
Thanks to its build quality and resilience, we found that the ASUS TUF B365M-PLUS is the top motherboard for i5 8400.
With extra-strength headers, installing your components has never been more effortless and stable.
Also, it provides improved audio and cooling controls for the most immersive experience possible.