honestly, I've built with both and it's a tough call. For 8000MHz+ RAM, you really gotta go with the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore... the 2-dimm layout is SO much better for high speeds. I unfortunately had some annoying coil whine on mine tho. The MSI MEG Z790 GODLIKE MAX has insane VRMs but the BIOS is kinda clunky for memory tuning. Apex for speed, Godlike for overbuilt power. gl!

Story time: Sooo I stumbled upon this discussion today and I went through this exact same thing last year. Honestly, I was super nervous about spending $700+ on a board just to get those crazy RAM speeds. As a beginner, I spent weeks reading about VRMs and signal integrity cuz I really didnt wanna fry my Intel Core i9-14900K Desktop Processor. Just sharing my experience, I basically compared these three options because I wanted to be careful with my budget and actually get something reliable: 1. Gigabyte Z790 AORUS XTREME X Motherboard - Pros: This thing is built like a tank and handles power draw like a pro. - Cons: It is SO expensive. Like, seriously... you're paying for a huge screen you'll barely look at after a week. 2. ASRock Z790 Taichi Lite Motherboard - Pros: This was my favorite find!! It has the same beefy VRM as the high-end Taichi but it's way cheaper cuz it skips the fancy RGB shrouds. - Cons: It's still a 4-dimm board, so hitting 8000MHz is harder than on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore mentioned earlier.
3. MSI MPG Z790 Carbon WIFI II Motherboard - Pros: Very stable BIOS for someone newer to OC like me and actually reasonable price. - Cons: You're definitely gonna struggle with 8000MHz+ compared to 2-slot boards. Honestly, I ended up playing it safe with a 7200MHz kit because I was worried about long-term stability and the system crashing. High-speed RAM is cool, but I would suggest double-checking your QVL list before buying... nothing worse than a $400 RAM kit that wont post lol. Just be careful with the voltage and make sure your case has GREAT airflow... peace 👍

This^ Also wanted to add that hitting those speeds is literally amazing!! I'm kinda new to OC but I found: * Just get any high-end board from MSI
* Gigabyte is also super stable imo It's been such a fun journey lol, I reallyyy think your gonna love the 14900K no matter what brand you pick. Good luck dude!!