Which Z97 board?

[Sam60I]

Hey what's up everyone?

I've finally given up on the idea of making a mini tower because the case I'm looking for, the Bitfenix Aegis takes too much time to be released. So instead, I'll get the Phantek Enthoo Luxe.

So I'm looking for a case with a great audio chipset that can go past 4.5 without any problem. But I don't need to go past 5ghz. I'm trying to optimize the lifetime of my computer by overclocking to avoid futur bottlenecking with more powerful GPU.
If possible I'd like my mother board to be fully black. What do you recommend me and why? Oh and I'm making a gaming rig so little extra features can be nice.

Also this is my first build so a motherboard with a very simple bios could and that allows cables emplacement to indenfied easily would be useful.

That's all. No budget but stay reasonable. I want something that gives what I need nothing more. Unless you thing it could be helpfull.

Have a great day.

 

[crashtech]

Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK

All black, Intel LAN, ALC1150 sound chip, pre-burnt-in, etc etc. Everyone has their favorite but I think they should be measured by this board.

In fact, now that I have looked this thing over, I think I will get one once a deal can be found.

 

[tential]

Personally think a board like that is EXTREME overkill. You should get a board that fits your needs. Not the needs of enthusiast posters on here.

 

[crashtech]

Hmm, I thought someone spending $90 on a case, and who was some specific wants for the board, could easily be classed as an enthusiast. I could be wrong, though.

 

[Sam60I]

Huh, it depends what you mean by enthusiast. If your mean getting the performances possible without a regard toward price/performances, then no.

The reason i looking for a new rig in the first place is because my brother cheaped on the motherboard and on the CPU, which won't for a new GPU with out bottlenecking for his 5 years old computer.

Unlike him, I want a rig that will last a while long. Although I care about price/performances ratio because my budget is kinda thigh. And i think we can all agree that a 50mhz won't make a difference in 3-5 years. So i don't want the best performing board since it won't really matter in game and won't make my rig more ''futur proof''.

So basically what I want is a board that optimize overclock and last a long time, but I want it have a good price/perfs ratio at the level of the VRM, phases etc and have everything I'm asking for.

I hope I'm not asking for too much lol .

Btw the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe costs 140$. I choosed this case because it would allow me to expend my H220X easily, looks awesome and is very user friendly with easy cable management.

 

[Freddy1765]

What kind of components will you be pairing the motherboard with, and for what purpose?
Are you sure you need such an expensive and large case? I fail to see how that makes sense when

my budget is kinda thigh

What is your budget for the motherboard? If it's just for gaming and achieving an average OC on a 4690k or whatever I don't see any reason to spend more than ~$130 for something like an Asus Z97-k or similar.

I don't understand what you mean by this:

And i think we can all agree that a 50mhz won't make a difference in 3-5 years.

 

[sukiblr]

If you are budget conscious maybe you should check out Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE.

The mobo offers support for 4th and 5th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors that enables overclocking on Unlocked Intel® Core™ Processors and boasts of on board HDMI supported 4K2K resolution for high-definition image display and premium sound quality with lower distortion

 

[Sam60I]

Thanks for your answers.

If you are budget conscious maybe you should check out Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE.

The mobo offers support for 4th and 5th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors that enables overclocking on Unlocked Intel® Core™ Processors and boasts of on board HDMI supported 4K2K resolution for high-definition image display and premium sound quality with lower distortion

This board looks kinda cheap. I can spend up to 200$ but less would preferable haha. Do you think I could achieve a 4.5ghz overclock with a i5 4690k on that board? Also does it support Sata express?
And a more aestethically sober board would be nice.

What kind of components will you be pairing the motherboard with, and for what purpose?

Utilisation:
50% gaming
30% hd videos
15% web browsing
5% editing

Full build:
I5 4690k
H220X 120x240
Z97
Kingston fury 2x4gb ddr3 1600
Mx100 256gb
External HDD 1to
XFX XTR 550w I'm also considering the 750w version for SLI.
phanteks Enthoo luxe
I also have graphic that I don't remember the name that I'll use until I get the gtx 880/870.

Are you sure you need such an expensive and large case? I fail to see how that makes sense when

I think you are referring to the phanteks Enthoo primo which I would consider large and expensive.
The luxe isn't really big. It's like 25x55x55 cm. It's maybe a bit more expensive than what I thought but 140$ seems worth it to get that case.
I got that one because it looks great, is user friendly, well cooled for a SLI setup and can support a lot of rads which would allow to extend my loop in the future. You think it's overpriced?

I don't understand what you mean by this:

The reason I'm overclocking is to make my rig last longer. i want my cpu to be able to handle futur games without any problems. What I meant is that a slightly higher clocked CPU won't really make a difference if my CPU start struggling with newer games. A 1.5ghz difference in the CPU's clock speed might make me able to use a year more but a 50mhz difference won't be enough to make a difference.
Therefore there's no need to spend a lot more to get a board that will allow a slightly better overclock. I hope what I said is more clear now. Sorry for my bad English. It's not my mother language so I have some trouble to explain what I want sometimes.

What is your budget for the motherboard? If it's just for gaming and achieving an average OC on a 4690k or whatever I don't see any reason to spend more than ~$130 for something like an Asus Z97-k or similar.

Budget:
Max: 200-220$
Preferred: 150-170$

And how's the audio on the z97-k?

 

[Freddy1765]

Aha, if you're also considering SLI that's a very important feature to highlight when asking for suggestions. Not all boards support that, in fact I don't think the Asus Z97-k does.

I would look into the Asus Maximus VII Ranger; this is a new board in their Republic of Gamers series which is equipped with higher quality components for overclocking; it also has a designated audio chip and generally has features that appeal to gamers.
Also looks sexy as hell, which is neat when you have a large window in your case.
Check out some reviews of it to find out if it suits your needs, there are plenty of those on google.
It might not be available worldwide, so look for it on the websites or stores where you plan on buying your parts.

Also, am I to understand you've already purchased all the components you listed? If you plan on using the GTX 800-series I think it would make more sense to build the computer when they're actually available.

 

[Kenmitch]

I think temps will be more limiting than the motherboard when it comes to overclocking Haswell.

I just did a rebuild with a 4690k and a Gigabyte Z97MX-Gaming 5 motherboard. I'm using a H100i in a Arc Mini case and I'm temp limited at around 4.5ghz running the fans around 1200-1500rpm.....During stress testing at least. Still got to reload windows and do some everyday testing.

 

[Mem]

Budget:
Max: 200-220$
Preferred: 150-170$

And how's the audio on the z97-k?

Asrock have some very good boards in this price range,http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157524 .


http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z97 Extreme6/

 

[RaistlinZ]

Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK

All black, Intel LAN, ALC1150 sound chip, pre-burnt-in, etc etc. Everyone has their favorite but I think they should be measured by this board.

In fact, now that I have looked this thing over, I think I will get one once a deal can be found.

Nice board. M.2 and Sata Express support. 5 year warranty as well.

 

[Sam60I]

Thanks for your help. And I have a question, when it comes down to overclocking, what's better between 6 phases and doubler and 8 true phases?

Nice board. M.2 and Sata Express support. 5 year warranty as well.

Another point for the ud5h bk. What does this board offers more than the ud3h bk? And is there a way to hide the gold on the VRM's heatsinks without voiding the warranty? It kinda bothers me.
How are gigabyte's bios also? I'm a noob in overclocking and everything that isn't related with windows, so I'd like a bios that makes navigating easy but still offers a lot of customizations for when I'll get better.

Aha, if you're also considering SLI that's a very important feature to highlight when asking for suggestions. Not all boards support that, in fact I don't think the Asus Z97-k does.

I would look into the Asus Maximus VII Ranger; this is a new board in their Republic of Gamers series which is equipped with higher quality components for overclocking; it also has a designated audio chip and generally has features that appeal to gamers.
Also looks sexy as hell, which is neat when you have a large window in your case.
Check out some reviews of it to find out if it suits your needs, there are plenty of those on google.
It might not be available worldwide, so look for it on the websites or stores where you plan on buying your parts.

Also, am I to understand you've already purchased all the components you listed? If you plan on using the GTX 800-series I think it would make more sense to build the computer when they're actually available.

I haven't bought anything yet. But why should I wait for the gtx 800-series to build my computer? My actual computer won't be able to run modern games pretty well. I have a Q8300 I think and a hd 6850. This thing is lound and hot as fuck. I'm planning to sell it as soon as possible.

And yeah the ranger is so sexy :wub:
Sadly not available in Canada. The Asus VII Hero is available although. Should I get it or is it overkill for what I need? If yes, do you have any other recommendations?

And what were you going to say after when in your last post?

 

[crashtech]

Another point for the ud5h bk. What does this board offers more than the ud3h bk? And is there a way to hide the gold on the VRM's heatsinks without voiding the warranty? It kinda bothers me.
How are gigabyte's bios also? I'm a noob in overclocking and everything that isn't related with windows, so I'd like a bios that makes navigating easy but still offers a lot of customizations for when I'll get better...

The UD5H has more power phases, more SATA 6GB/s ports, more USB 3.0 ports, onboard power and reset switches, and probably a few more things. The phases and the switches are what do it for me, but if you look the spec sheets over and think the UD3H is enough for you, it is also a fine board. The Gigabyte BIOS was kinda clunky in the last gen, but in the latest one they have vastly improved mouse support, and there is also the option to go old school "classic" screens if you like that better. I find them comparable to the ASRock BIOS at this point.

 

[Sam60I]

Ok, thanks for your help. What do you guys think of MSI's motherboard also?

 

[taserbro]

Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK

All black, Intel LAN, ALC1150 sound chip, pre-burnt-in, etc etc. Everyone has their favorite but I think they should be measured by this board.

In fact, now that I have looked this thing over, I think I will get one once a deal can be found.

I also feel the urge to plug this board because I rarely see it mentioned anywhere; in fact, I can't comprehend why the more expensive black edition model with the quad 16x pcie lanes chip, embedded wifi and all those things most people don't care about gets all the attention while this one is mostly ignored by reviews.

This board's featureset is lean, sober and makes a ton of sense for 99% of users out there (please stop it with the thunderbolt ports, 7.1 audio chips and one button overclocking chips) and it's built to be as reliable as possible with a 5 year warranty on top of that. To me personally, it's by far the best choice I could find for myself after shopping for mid and high-end z97 boards for a week and reading all the reviews/experiences.

My two cents; good luck to OP with his search.

 

[Sam60I]

Choosing the right motherboard is so hard. I just want to try them all. Although I'm starting to have little preference for the UD5H-BK. I made a poll. I'll just get the motherboard with the most vote when I'll buy.

 

[Kenmitch]

I'm currently a Gigabyte fan when it comes to motherboards.

The Gigabyte UD5H-BK looks like a nice MB.

 

[schmuckley]

None of the above.
Giga z97 SOC force
Maximus 7 Gene
Asrock z97 OCF
or
Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE

Those are pretty much in order best/worst
All are better than any on the poll...
well the Biostar may not be better than the Giga ud5 but..it's cheaper,and still good
Definitely better than Extreme4
(I've had both)

 

[crashtech]

The Z97X-SOC Force is geared towards LN2 cooling, I don't think the OP is going to do that. But it looks great if you love Halloween.

 

[schmuckley]

The Z97X-SOC Force is geared towards LN2 cooling, I don't think the OP is going to do that. But it looks great if you love Halloween.

Well yes..this is true..
costs the same as ud5 though
all I can say is..the umm..overclockers like the SOC force.

 

[Sam60I]

None of the above.
Giga z97 SOC force
Maximus 7 Gene
Asrock z97 OCF
or
Biostar Hi-Fi Z97WE

Those are pretty much in order best/worst
All are better than any on the poll...
well the Biostar may not be better than the Giga ud5 but..it's cheaper,and still good
Definitely better than Extreme4
(I've had both)

I don't understand. Why the Asus MVII Gene instead of the Asus MVII hero? And it might sound silly but I can't stand the color scheme of the SOC force and OCF. And on paper the Extreme 4 seemed to me better than the Hi-Fi z97WE. Could you explain what you mean?

 

[you2]

Well for myself this is the only board that meets my requirements (pci slots and 8 sata ports). However, why spend extra for the BLK version ? Also @ microcenter the board is only $140 if purchased with a processor.

Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H-BK

All black, Intel LAN, ALC1150 sound chip, pre-burnt-in, etc etc. Everyone has their favorite but I think they should be measured by this board.

In fact, now that I have looked this thing over, I think I will get one once a deal can be found.

 

[Rvenger]

Take a look at the Asus Z97-A. I couldn't be happier with this board.

 

[abaez]

Well for myself this is the only board that meets my requirements (pci slots and 8 sata ports). However, why spend extra for the BLK version ? Also @ microcenter the board is only $140 if purchased with a processor.

Is this microcenter bundle dead? I can only see the Gaming 7 available with a bundle: http://www.microcenter.com/site/brands/intel-processor-bundles.aspx