Which Z87 Matx Board to go for?

viowithcrailtap

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Originally had the Asus Gryphon in mind but I've since been suggested the Gigabyte G1 Sniper M5 or Maximus VI Gene instead so I thought I'd ask.

Which board is the better choice?

Why... Better Audio, components etc?

It's going in a system for gaming with a GTX 770. Are there any benefits to buying the same brand motherboards and GPU?

Any other options are welcome, I have also looked at the MSi Z87M Gaming, Gigabyte Z87MX D3H and Asus Z87M Plus.
 

t1nfoilh4t

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there are some software features you will get when buying both products from msi, but they are negligible. I would definitely go with the sniper or the genie for gaming. They both have great on board audio (at least as good as it gets) and superior build quality. One rarely mentioned advantage of the sniper is the pci placement. If you decide to go for sli in the future (which has become something that is actually recommendable), you still have one slot between cooler of the first and pcb of the second card, providing superior thermal conditions and room for another expansion card. For more in depth infomation i would suggest youtube coverage or reviews concerning the overclocking properties etc.
 

viowithcrailtap

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I watched a video on the sniper and they did mention the PCI layout. If the sniper or the gene are worth the money then I'll seriously consider them.
 

viowithcrailtap

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I've just read that because the PCI layout on the Sniper is different then I'll have a problem with using the second slot in a case which only has 4 card slots and not the standard 5. I'm looking at getting the Silverstone TJ08-E Case so I might have a compatibility problem if I ever wanted to go sli.

 

Newf

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What extra CPU cooling do you need?
Would that interfere with the first slot on the mATX board?
Are you planning to overclock in the first place?
Since no mention of these issues has come up, there is no need to spend extra $$$.
The Asrock board seems to do what you need, based on what you have said so far. It is not a cheap board, but has lots of features and a solid BIOS with good options for gaming and overclocking.
Tell us about your plans for this rig, the resolution and # of monitors you plan to run, and if SLI is an issue.
If you have the money up front, buy the single best gaming card you can rather than do SLI.
A typical ATX board has 7 available expansion slots, not 5.
Micro ATX boards are compact, and more difficult to build with high end intentions.
The cases that only accept mATX are harder to cool as well, if you are building an energy hungry rig.
Help us all help you.

Newf.

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viowithcrailtap

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I'm going to use a H75 for cooling so no problems on clearance there. I am going to overclock. I'm not planning to sli now (I'm going to get a GTX 770 to start with) and I'm only using 1 monitor at 1080p (at the moment) but I'd like to have the option to sli in the future.

It's the slots on the case not the boards that are the issue. The TJ08-E has 4 slots on the rear which can house 2 dual slot gpus. But the layout of the Sniper M5 has the PCI-E slots as x16, x4 and x8. So with such a big gap (which from the sounds of it helps keep sli gpus cooler) it won't work in the TJ08-E with Sli cards.

So it seems the sniper would be a waste. I've read some good reviews of the MSI board and as it's around 2/3 the price of the Gene it looks like a good choice for the money. I will look in to the Extreme 4 and find some reviews etc.


 

Newf

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The MSI is a good board, but look at the slots. Where will the SLI second card go? It won't fit.
The Silverstone case only has room for 4 single slot cards. A dual slot card in the bottom of the board won't fit.
IF SLI is important to you, and I will say it's a waste at 1080p, then something is wrong here.

Newf.

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Newf

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One more thing to consider.

By the time you want to buy another 770 to SLI your current card, there will be better options available to upgrade the current 770 you have (will have). This is an age old question of wanting to future proof what you spend money on now, verses the reality of a fast moving technology. I have been learning and helping on these forums for a long time now, and this rule has never changed since the 1990's.

I have never even considered adding an extra gaming card equivalent to what I had bought in the past as an SLI or XFire option. When time passes it is always OBVIOUS to ditch what I had and get the NEW and expensive single card. Only decades of experience will make this obvious, but the young can learn if they listen to an old fart like me tell them how I used to walk 10 miles to school in the snow. I never did but it sounds good. It was only a mile or so...

If your needs for computing power are NOW requiring you to buy 2 high end cards, then do it. Don't even consider a choice based on what will LATER be a possibility...
This rule does not apply to adding extra storage capacity or even more RAM, but the basic platform of motherboard, cpu, power supply and video card should be a set decision the day you pull the trigger and buy it.
 

viowithcrailtap

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Sli isn't important I just thought that I could buy a second 770 (if they became cheaper) further down the line instead of having to go and buy a newer card for more money. It was just a thought to be honest but I didn't want to give up that option in case I ever decided on going that route. It's one of the reasons I didn't look in to Mini Itx.


I've seen the TJ08 with sli titans in (granted it was really tight). But besides that, I've just had a look at the Asrock Extreme4 Matx and it looks really good.
 

Newf

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I think you will like it.
The BIOS is simple to use and solid.
The board is high quality without a lot of gimmicks.
It is reasonably priced.
There are other options out there, but I have been happy with the Asrock boards lately.
I have also used Intel, MSI, Biostar, Gigabyte and Asus boards without any problems, so I can't say I'm an Asrock fanboy. Aging myself, I have also used boards from corporations that no longer exist...
Go ahead and look at ITX if that is the form factor you want.
One video card will be enough for 1080p, period.
The hard part will always be space and noise to keep the monsters cool.
This is why I tend to use large cases, big slow fans, adequate power supplies, aftermarket cpu coolers and quality, (not bare bones), motherboards to build highly reliable computers.

Newf.

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viowithcrailtap

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I'll consider it. I've never used Asrock and my friends are all on asus but I think they won't use anything different until they have a problem with asus. So it might be time for something different.

Thanks for the help