Motherboard Recommendations

Backstory - I am not a high end editor, in fact my laptop (specs below) still is getting me by. I don't plan on ever doing anything very complex in Fusion.

I have inherited a computer from my now closed business that I want to incrementally upgrade, as I am retiring and my budget will be more limited. That machine currently has a 1000w PSU, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM (can take up to 64), 4 installed drives (an SSD for the OS, two used for storage that are currently in a mirrored RAID config, changeable, and one backup drive). It is running Windows 10 Pro.

The current mainboard is an ASUS Prime Z270-A. The existing CPU will not run Windows 11.

I also already have on hand an ASUS Geforce RTX 4070 12 GB GPU, which I may or may not temporarily try to use on that board.

My plan is to first increase the RAM to 32 or 64 GB and install DR on that box, then as my budget allows over the next few months, to change the mainboard and CPU, and eventually move to Windows 11. I am looking for board recommendations that would use the existing DDR4 RAM, and I am thinking about an Intel i9-13900K for the CPU. I think for the level of editing and Photoshop I do, that would futureproof me for a number of years. All recommendations are appreciated.

Hello, my few cents:
- 13th and 14th intel series are better used with ddr5 and ddr5 supporting motherboards.
- 12th intels are still very good - maybe you can find a cheap second hand 12700K or even a 12900k (and a good cooler for the later).
- don't bother with z790 motherboards - you can use 12th/13th/14th series with a z690 ddr4 motherboard just fine (with a bios update).
- just make sure you study the z690 chosen motherboard's ssd slots to be enough before purchasing.

Thanks. I could bite the bullet and go with a DDR5 board now and add RAM over time, instead of maximizing the DDR4 RAM currently for the existing board. I still think going 13th series CPU will be more future proof, even if the 12th is currently doing OK.

You don't gain much going with an I9 in Resolve. Especially if you're not using Fusion heavily.

I'd also point out future proofing is often a bad investment. By the time you need that extra power something else in your system may be holding you back.

I'd suggest instead looking at your storage options. Look at your ports. Fast USB or Thunderbolt ports will let you ingest files faster. Fast ethernet will let you attach a NAS if you want.

If you do go with an I9 a better quality board will tend to have better quality parts that will make it more likely to be stable with an I9 running at full power.

Thanks. I could bite the bullet and go with a DDR5 board now and add RAM over time, instead of maximizing the DDR4 RAM currently for the existing board. I still think going 13th series CPU will be more future proof, even if the 12th is currently doing OK.

The LGA 1700 socket is a dead platform anyway so you might even go with the latest cpu they will produce for it like a 14700K and a good pair of ddr5. From what i have read the memory controller in the 14th series will offer better performance and compatibility with ddr5 kits then in the 13th series.
It is your choice.

The current mainboard is an ASUS Prime Z270-A. The existing CPU will not run Windows 11.

Which CPU is currently in the motherboard?

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7400 CPU @ 3.00GHz

So many different flavors to choose from. Thoughts on these three.

ASRock Z790 Riptide WiFi LGA 1700(14th,13th,12th Gen) Intel Z790 SATA 6Gb/s ATX DDR5 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 2.5G LAN WiFi 7 + Bluetooth Motherboards - Intel

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX LGA 1700 Intel Z790 ATX Motherboard with DDR5, Quad M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Gen2X2 Type-C, Intel WiFi 6E, 2.5GbE LAN, Q-Flash Plus, PCIe EZ-Latch

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 X ATX Motherboard with DDR5, 4* M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Type-C, Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5GbE LAN, Q-Flash Plus, EZ-Latch Plus

So many different flavors to choose from. Thoughts on these three.

ASRock Z790 Riptide WiFi LGA 1700(14th,13th,12th Gen) Intel Z790 SATA 6Gb/s ATX DDR5 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 2.5G LAN WiFi 7 + Bluetooth Motherboards - Intel

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX LGA 1700 Intel Z790 ATX Motherboard with DDR5, Quad M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Gen2X2 Type-C, Intel WiFi 6E, 2.5GbE LAN, Q-Flash Plus, PCIe EZ-Latch

GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ICE LGA 1700 Intel Z790 X ATX Motherboard with DDR5, 4* M.2, PCIe 5.0, USB 3.2 Type-C, Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5GbE LAN, Q-Flash Plus, EZ-Latch Plus

I never had a ASRock board but i heard only good things about them. I had few gigabyte boards in the last years and my impression was: good hardware but VERY poor bios support (incompetent programmers and testers).

Also be wary that (those) gigabyte boards keep putting four (4) usb2 ports on the back while the ASRock has only two usb2 ports in the back.

Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-7400 CPU @ 3.00GHz

IMHO it isn't worth it trying to expand your current setup, just to add 32GB would be around $80, you 99.99% likely wouldn't be able to reuse that memory later, and you would still have very low performance, you are better off focusing on completely new system. When it comes to that add Asus to the list of candidates. For opinions on which mb is good/bad you will be much better served by inquiring in hardware enthusiast forums, plus brands like Asus have their own forums.

When it comes to CPU Puget Systems has done benchmarking for Resolve. Be warned of the following, though viewtopic.php?f=21&t=199480

I am aware of that issue. Other reports seem to indicate that it may related to over voltage of the CPU. I am not a gamer and don't intend to be doing any overclocking or other tweaks that hard core gamers do.
I was basing my options on this Puget set of tests. I will probably go with 13th gen.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/artic ... on-review/

My main thought leaning towards the ASRock board was the number of M.2 plus the SATA connections for a lot of storage options. USB is a lesser concern.

Most people these days aren't going to use a lot of SATA ports unless you're building a NAS. In which case you'd want a NAS oriented MB.

My main thought leaning towards the ASRock board was the number of M.2 plus the SATA connections for a lot of storage options.

There is a limit to how many simultaneous connections can be done and in which way (for example, using some of M.2 slots will result in video card going from x16 to x8) so get yourself familiar with that and read manuals carefully (if you haven't already) to make sure it will end up working the way you think it will for your desired setup.