Recommendations - MoBo for an I7-4790K

[Hop]

WOW It's been a LONG LONG time since I posted a request for opinions here. My hiatus was brought to you by... YOU GUYS! Yeah! The last time I built a system for myself, it was back in 2007 and the advice you guys gave me led me to buy an A-Bit IP35 Pro. And yeah, that build you guys helped me with has lasted me what... 9 years? WOW!

INFORMED PURCHASES and BUILDS for the win! THANK YOU! You guys rock for advice! And that system is still running just fine!

Now that I am done kissing your butts, I am building a machine for the next decade (I hope), and it includes the Intel I7-4790K. And although I read a LOT of reviews of motherboards on PCPartPicker, I want to know what you guys think. Just a narrow list of research to tackle. I believe that if you are going to build a great machine for yourself, research for at LEAST a few months is a worthy investment of time to get exactly what you want. And advice and opinions I get here is gold to that end.

OK, I'm not even considering overclocking although the liquid cooling solution (my first, and another thread) I am pondering will certainly support that.

A-Bit IP35 Pro purists PLEASE speak up. If there is a motherboard out there for my new processor that is as durable, I would love to know about it!!

I have a lot of research to do, but recommendations would certainly narrow my scope a bit. I need a mobo that can support 32gb of ram, and I wanted 64gb support but that isn't happening with this processor I guess.

I will be doing light gaming of course, but then with this level of hardware that might change. On the business end though, I am looking for processor speed for compiling software builds and over-all processing for number crunching.

So number of USB3 ports and on-board USB3 is important, since some of my embedded systems will be inside the case.

At least 8 SATA 6GB/S PORTS too since I run an amazing array of SSD's. I already have the hardware to install. I guess I need to look for a fresher Antec case for room for this.

On PartsPicker, this narrowed it down to a reasonable list, but many of the search results do not even have prices. The hits that do have prices...
Asus Sabertooth Z87
ASRock Z97 EXTREME6
Asus Z87-Plus
Asus MAXIMUS VII GENE
Asus Maximus VI Gene

Thoughts?

It's absolutely SHAMELESS for me to ask this, but I want an opinion here. After all, my current core-2-duo rig that is still going strong was possible because I asked this 9 years ago.

Thank you so much for your time!!

 

[LTC8K6]

Seems like you ought to go with Skylake for a brand new build?

 

[Hop]

Seems like you ought to go with Skylake for a brand new build?

Only option is the processor I mentioned.

 

[vailr]

As mentioned, selling the 4790K CPU and going with Skylake would be the recommended option.
However, for a Z97 ATX motherboard, I'd recommend a Gigabyte branded board.
Listed with the most expensive to least expensive:

Gigabyte GAZ97X-UD7 TH
http://www.carid.com/gigabyte/ga-z97x-ud7-th-desktop-motherboard-mpn-gaz97xud7th.html
GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-UD5 TH
www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-Z17XU5T
GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-Z97XU5H
GIGABYTE G1 Gaming GA-Z97X-Gaming 7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128708
GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-SLI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1N83UD9860

Note: Newegg has dropped listings for several Z97 models, so alternative sources were listed for the higher-end models. I would not recommend consideration of any Z87 boards.
Also: two key features when considering Z97 or Z170 boards: Realtek ALC1150 audio chip, and Intel i217/i219 LAN port controller chip. Some of these boards include the Atheros Killer LAN port controller, which may be okay for some. I'd recommend instead: the Intel LAN controller, given the option between the two.

 

[Hop]

OK Thank you. That certainly gives me options to look at. There were a couple of other motherboards I have been looking at, the ASRock Z97 EXTREME6 and the Asus MAXIMUS VII GENE (pricey). Thank you for clarifying about the z97 chipset also. That answered one of my many questions.

So the search narrows and continues, reading every review I can get my hands on and learning more about the newer technology.

Thank you for the replies! I love this site and its forums!!

 

[Hop]

However, for a Z97 ATX motherboard, I'd recommend a Gigabyte branded board.
Listed with the most expensive to least expensive:

Gigabyte GAZ97X-UD7 TH
http://www.carid.com/gigabyte/ga-z97x-ud7-th-desktop-motherboard-mpn-gaz97xud7th.html
GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-UD5 TH
www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-Z17XU5T
GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-Z97XU5H

I really like the 1st and 3rd boards you linked. I cannot use the 2nd because of it's LGA1151 and DDR4. I am leaning towards the 3rd (GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H) but need to research it against the first to narrow that down. Thank you sir!!

 

[Hop]

I did a comparison at motherboards.specout.com of those two Gigabyte boards and it was illuminating. So now I need to assess how important a Thunderbolt interface is to me, and of course PCI 3.0. The other features are pretty much the same except of course the LAN controller you mentioned. The GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H has two lan ports which offer me the option of teaming with my home server at greater speeds, but not sure that is a viable selling point against sacrificing PCIE 3.0.

http://motherboards.specout.com/com...TE-GA-Z97X-UD7-TH-vs-GIGABYTE-GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK

 

[vailr]

Thunderbolt is probably an un-needed item, unless you already have another Thunderbolt device to use it with. Not worth the extra ~$70 for most people.
The GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H includes both: an Intel and an Atheros Killer LAN port.
Both boards (in fact: every Z97 chipset board) include PCIe 3.0 video card slots, so there's no real difference there.
So: the GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-UD5H would probably be the better board choice.
Note: try to only get 1.35 volt DDR3 memory, and not the 1.50 volt memory type. Only the 1.35 volt DDR3 memory type can work with a few select Skylake boards.

 

[Hop]

Thunderbolt is probably an un-needed item, unless you already have another Thunderbolt device to use it with. Not worth the extra ~$70 for most people.

That's the catch isn't it? How viable will Thunderbolt end up being a year or two from now?

But the bigger selling point is the 3x PCIe 3.0 vs 3x PCIe 2.0. Graphics will be a big thing for me on this rig. Not for games really, but more 3d rendering and processing.

I will probably not have a problem if I opted for the first board option you offered and never used TB. After all, my Abit IP35 Pro had Firewire and I never used that either when I switched from my Sony tape video cam to a solid state version. I am more concerned about the PCIe version difference.

 

[Hop]

As mentioned, selling the 4790K CPU and going with Skylake would be the recommended option.
However, for a Z97 ATX motherboard, I'd recommend a Gigabyte branded board.

Hey Vailr, could you elaborate why you recommend Gigabyte for my motherboard? I just wanted to know why you recommend this brand. I see that you listed varieties labeled "Ultra Durable" and wanted to know just how that is achieved.

For example, I understand that with the VRM, that quality solid state caps and mosfets are important. I have worked on machines where these components have failed due to heat and numerous on/off cycles, and the damage the failure of these components can wreak.

If you do not mind, I would like to hear about what builds your confidence with the Gigabyte motherboards you mentioned.

Thank you sir!

 

[vailr]

could you elaborate why you recommend Gigabyte for my motherboard? I just wanted to know why you recommend this brand. I see that you listed varieties labeled "Ultra Durable" and wanted to know just how that is achieved.

"Ultra Durable"= best quality capacitors, plus added copper content within the motherboard, and the dual bios feature.
Also: excellent track record with several previous Intel chipset Gigabyte motherboards that I've used.
Asus, Asrock or MSI are other reliable brands of motherboards, although lacking the dual bios feature. Asus customer support seems somewhat lacking, according to some product reviews I've seen on Newegg & Amazon.
Gigabyte is also the recommended choice for building a Hackintosh, for running OSX in a dual-boot system.
http://www.tonymacx86.com/building-customac-buyers-guide-february-2016.html