Intel Core i5 8400 provides the best value for money if you are going to stick with an Intel-based system and I have seen so many people asking for the best motherboard for this processor. It’s not shocking to see these queries because i5 8400 is one of the best gaming CPUs right now which has 6 cores and can work with any mid to high-end graphics card. I have even recommended it for GTX 1060 to get the maximum benefit.
As there are multiple chipsets for LGA 1151 motherboards, there will be confusion at first as to which motherboard should you buy for this CPU. I have made some recommendations below that should be best for i5 8400. Not that motherboards other than the following won’t work but when we talk about the best, then there are only a few of them for the least price you can pay for the maximum benefits.
ASRock B360 PRO4
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The ASRock B360 Pro4 uses B360 chipset that is better than the H310 due to various reasons. I don’t recommend going with an H310 chipset with i5 8400 because in future you might consider going with an unlocked processor. Also, B360 has more ports and slots for supporting multiple components. The main specialty of this motherboard is the VRM which has double components for more stability and a good heatsink for handling heating issues. It can support up to 64GB of RAM clocked up to 2666Mhz which doesn’t sound amazing but at a price less than $80, it’s definitely a great deal. For storage, it has 6x SATA 3 ports and 2x M.2 slots for NVME SSDs. It’s pretty much the best for under $80.
GIGABYTE H370 HD3
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It has 4x DIMM slots for supporting memories clocked up to 2666Mhz and more USB ports for connecting more peripherals. As compared to the ASRock B360 Pro4, it falls behind in the VRM section but its really not a big deal for the i5 8400 unless you will upgrade to a better unlocked processor in the future. This motherboard costs $90 and is the second good recommendation from my side. These motherboards provide the best value for the money and other boards which are above $100 having the B360 and H370 chipsets should be avoided because above $100 you can have a Z370 chipset motherboard.