I have personally used the MSI B460M Mortar WiFi, and I was thrilled with it. It was excellent value for money, and it performed well. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a budget-friendly motherboard for the i5-10400.
If you’re hunting for a motherboard for your Core i5 10400 processor, the first thing to consider is options that support a 400-series or 500-series chipset and feature an LGA 1200 socket.
For example, Z590, H570, B560, and H510 are 500-series chipsets that support Intel’s 10th-generation Core processors. We can also mention the Z490, H470, B460, and H410 400-series chipset boards.
To help you make a better pick, I have graded them individually based on their area of strength, from best in budget to best in overclocking, as illustrated in the table below:
Top recommendation on the best motherboard for i5 10400
| Motherboard | Verdict Summary | |
| 1. | MSI B550M Pro-VDH Wifi | Best budget-friendly |
| 2. | GIGABYTE B550M AORUS PRO | RAM compatible with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10. |
| 3. | MSI B460M Mortar WiFi | Best for versatile build |
| 4. | MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus | Best for overclocking |
| 5. | MSI Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi | The best high-end motherboard |
| Image | Product | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | MSI B550M PRO-VDH WiFi |
| Buy On Amazon |
 | GIGABYTE B550M AORUS PRO |
| Buy on Amazon |
 | MSI B460M Mortar WiFi |
| Buy On Amazon |
 | MSI MPG Z490 Gaming |
| Buy On Amazon |
 | MSI Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi |
| Buy On Amazon |
GIGABYTE B550M AORUS PRO
GIGABYTE B550M AORUS PRO
I would recommend the MSI B550M PRO-VDH WiFi as one of the best motherboards out there for Core i5 10400 processors, especially if you are more interested in an affordable option without compromising on performance.
With two M.2 slots for NVME SSDs and supporting SATA M.2 SSDs, you get some affordable options for storage alongside the four SATA ports.
The board has four memory slots for future expansion and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for enhanced connectivity. If you use an old monitor, the board has 6 USB ports, basic audio, gigabit Ethernet, and 3 video output options (HDMI, DVI, and VGA).
What I like about this motherboard
- Supports 10th and 11th generation Intel Core processors
- and has integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Comes with PCIe 4.0 support
- Offers M.2 Shield Frozr thermal solution
What I don’t like about this motherboard
- Limited to DDR4-2933 memory speed
- Only has one M.2 slot
- Lack of advanced overclocking features
- Does not support SLI or Crossfire multi-GPU setups
GIGABYTE B550M AORUS PRO
- Support for DDR4-4600 memory: This motherboard supports DDR4-4600 memory, the fastest available memory. This will boost your system’s performance in games and other demanding applications.
- PCIe 4.0 support: This motherboard supports PCIe 4.0, the latest generation of PCIe. This will give you faster data transfer speeds for your graphics card, NVMe SSD, and other PCIe devices.
- M.2 slots: This motherboard has two M.2 slots, the fastest way to connect an NVMe SSD. This will give you blazing-fast boot times and loading speeds for your games and applications.
- Built-in RGB LED header: This motherboard has a built-in RGB LED header, which allows you to connect RGB LED strips to your motherboard. This will allow you to customize the look of your PC to your taste.
- Other features: This motherboard also has several other features, including:
- 2.5GbE LAN
- Wi-Fi 6
- USB 3.2 Gen 2
- Audio Boost
- Smart Fan 5
The Gigabyte B550M AORUS PRO is a great motherboard that offers many features for a mid-range price. It is a good choice for gamers and users who want a powerful and future-proof motherboard.
What I like about this motherboard
- The board is compatible with RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10.
- the build quality is impressive
- You can use up to 32 memory modules
- equipped with 6 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
What I don’t like about this motherboard
- The Gigabyte W480 Vision W features an older design
MSI B460M Mortar WiFi
MSI B460M Mortar WiFi
$89.99
- Stable power delivery with 6+2 phase digital VRM for overclocking
- Fast storage with single M.2 slot for NVMe SSD
- Fast wired networking with Gigabit Ethernet
- Fast wireless networking with WiFi 5
- Customizable RGB lighting
The MSI B460M Mortar WiFi is the best for the i5-10400/F, especially when you are in the market for a particularly versatile system.
Aside from its attractive appearance, the motherboard has some impressive internal features. For example, the elaborate heatsink, dual M.2 slots (with their brushed aluminum heat spreaders), and IO shield make the build top-of-the-line.
Looking beyond the cool RGB accent, the MSI B460M Mortar WiFi is designed with a quality VRM for the i5-10400 for smooth power delivery to the CPU. It also has four RAM slots, three PCIe slots, six SATA ports, and four fan headers.
The motherboard includes a water pump connector, the Realtek ALC1220 audio codec chip, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for improved value and connectivity.
What I like about this motherboard
- Quality build
- Has RGB lighting and customizable LED headers
- Affordable price
- Good performance
- RGB lighting
What I don’t like about this motherboard
- Limited expansion slots compared to some other motherboards may
- not have enough USB ports for some users’ needs.
- No overclocking support
- a limited number of fan headers
- No Thunderbolt 3 support
MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus
MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus
If you are looking for a budget overclocking motherboard that will allow you to squeeze the most out of an i5-10400, then the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus is a fantastic option.
With this motherboard, you can apply XMP profiles above 2666 MHz and manually tweak RAM timings, allowing you to drill into memory tuning.
It has an impressive, quality build with a strong VRM configuration, two M.2 slots, 2.5 Gbps LAN, and a sleek “MPG” appearance.
What I like about this motherboard
- Supports high-end processors, including up to the Intel Core i9.
- Has multiple PCIe slots for expansion cards.
- Offers high-speed connectivity with USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3.
What I don’t like about this motherboard
- Expensive compared to other Z490 motherboards.
- Limited RGB lighting customization options.
MSI Z490 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi
MSI Z490 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi
Looking for a high-end motherboard to pair with the i5-10400? You may want to consider the MSI Z490 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi. The excellent value and robust feature set are irresistible if you can afford them.
What makes it loveable, I believe, are the 2 M.2 slots and six fan headers (that pair with your CPU fan and water pump header to give you more than enough cooling options in your customized build)
The motherboard has a solid VRM to accommodate a future upgrade to a K-series CPU. You’ll also appreciate the high-quality audio codec chip, built-in Wi-Fi 6, and 2.5 Gbps LAN.
The motherboard’s aesthetic is versatile since black can match most theme builds.
What I like about this motherboard
- Wonderful aesthetic
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support for high-speed data transfer
What I don’t like about this motherboard
- Limited PCIe 4.0 support
- No Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
What to consider when picking a motherboard for i5 10400
To select the best motherboard to pair with your i5 10400 processor, I had to consider a few salient factors that can serve as a buying guide when picking any of the top recommendations.
Chipset and CPU socket
I recommend you focus on the Intel chipset when looking for a motherboard to pair with your i5 10400 processor since they are all good enough for you to use without any issues. As for the socket, it would be best to consider a motherboard with a socket that matches the processor you use.
In this case, for the i5 10400 processor, you want to pick a motherboard with LGA 1151 that matches your processor exactly. Using other socket types, such as 1150, 1155, 1156, and 2066, can cause issues.
PCIe Slots
At least the motherboard you are picking should have three PCIe x 16 3.0 slots. Since this connects the motherboard and graphics card, it allows you to access multiple graphics cards and improves connectivity.
You can also use the high-end option for up to six graphics cards. The design of the motherboard would ultimately determine this.
USB ports
Another essential thing to look at is the I/O. How many USB ports does your preferred motherboard have in total? The one with more ports will allow easier access when installing various peripherals compared to the one with fewer ports.
One last thought
At the end of the day, your final decision on which motherboard to go for to pair with your Intel Core i5 104000 processor will depend on your budget and needs.
Meanwhile, there’s an argument that Gigabyte motherboards are most suitable for Intel processors. With that in mind, I’d thoroughly recommend the Gigabyte H410m H if you need a good motherboard with all the basics and latest technologies, but it comes with just 2 RAM slots.
If you want something similar to the H410 with 4 RAM slots, you can look at the Gigabyte B460m D3H, but it has a higher price tag.
