Why should I spend $150+ on a motherboard?

Tommy154 · Mar 19, 2014

Currently looking for a motherboard for my first build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3d0iL

This has everything I need(at least according to pcpartpicker): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131981

but why should I even spend that much? I'm staying away from mobos closer to the $100 price point because I'm reading many bad reviews, but as to the mobo I linked, what am I giving up besides a bunch of extra ports(in relation to $200 mobo)? Am I truly sacrificing anything with this mobo? Is there an even cheaper, but still reliable (and compatible) board I should be looking at? Or am I really limiting myself with the mobo linked?

Hazle · Mar 20, 2014

-better quality parts
-better power phase design for a more stable CPU OC. great for those looking to OC as high as they could.
-misc. features like Digi VRM, MemOK, various BIOS/UEFI extras, etc.
-SLI support

though if you're just looking for something simple, & going for a mild OC, there's Asrock Z87 Extreme3/Extreme4. well under $120 for the extreme4 with enough power phases and SLI support. quality & features may not be up there along with that Asus you linked, but it'll do.

if you don't mind the lack of SLI support, plenty of Z87 boards in the $100 price point, though they mostly come with a 4-phase power design, which may or may not pose a problem with stability when mildly OCing the CPU.

JackNaylorPE · Mar 20, 2014

Like anything else it depends what you want to do with it...... enthusiast MoBos are built with high end components and budget MoBos are built with less expensive ones...... ya get what ya pay for holds here. If ya need a "station car", ya buy a $18,000 model drive 5 miles to the train station and commute to work from there. If ya gonna be in the car all day, ya prolly want something with a few more features, a bit more performance and the ability to take the abuse of 20k miles a year.

Better MoBos will take more abuse, have more features, overclock higher..,..if ya spend less, keep your expectations in accordance with ya budget in those respects.

Tommy154 · Mar 20, 2014

Hazle :

I was actually seriously considering the extreme 3 and 4, and I still am, but in the reviews I noticed a few people having complaints about the sound. I also read numerous reviews that ASUS has some of the most reliable mobos, and like I said I'm willing to pay more for better quality, but not for stuff I don't need.

Tommy154 · Mar 20, 2014

JackNaylorPE :

How would my mobo linked in my OP compare? Would it hold my system back in its current configuration?

JackNaylorPE · Mar 20, 2014

Tommy154 :

In the last decade or so I'd say 90%+ of the builds we did were on Asus boards ....however, in the $125 - $225 range I have switched to MSI......the MSI G45 has won dozens of awards and performance crowns and is a killer board in it's price range..... at $130 after $10 MIR, it's a steal and right at your budget target

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130693

The GD65 matches feature for feature with the $200 Asus Hero but can often be found for as much as $50 less. I was buying them at the turn of the year for like $155 after coupons and MIRs, last few weeks $165 and now they are $175

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_z87_gd65_gaming/12.htm

MSI has been using components that meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G for some time as part of its Military Class build philosophy. Parts such as Super Ferrite Chokes that run at up to 35 degree Celsius lower temperatures, have a 30% higher current handling capacity, and a 20% improvement in power efficiency; Tantalum filled Hi-C Caps that are are up to 93% efficient; and "Dark Capacitors" that feature Lower ESR and a ten-year lifespan all tied into a PCB with improved temperature and humidity protections as part of the "Military Essentials" package......In the end MSI's Z87-GD65 is a board that comes with an expansive feature set that includes all your basics and the extras that set them apart such as the V-Check points, upper end audio, Dual BIOS ROMs, KIller Network package, Military Class IV package, and a three-year warranty. Couple that with good looks that carry the dragon theme through the board, and you have a winning combination at $189.

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/msi_z87_gd65_gaming_review/15

Now and again a motherboard appears that is so obviously brilliant, and so affordable, that we wonder if anything will be able to top it. For a while that crown was held by the ASUS Sabertooth, both in X58 and then P67 variants. Then MSI stole the crown with the Z77 MPower. Looking at the Z87 GD65 Gaming we think it's going to take something extraordinary to top it, such is the perfect storm of price, performance, features and looks.

The switch to Military Class 4 has given us an extremely ready overclocker too. You're always thermally limited when overclocking and the i7-4770K is one of the most demanding around. Considering the amount of cooling we're using we think that although the GD65 is capable of bringing 5GHz from our i7-4770K you'd need a proper water loop to make the most of it.

Performance is outstanding. The stock results were a particular highlight. We know a lot of people still just like to put their CPU in and go, without overclocking it first. Despite how easy it is these days we know that the fear factor still exists. So you'll be glad to know that the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming really rocks hard even at stock settings. Naturally the overclocking is blistering too, with some OC3D records broken.

MSI have laid the gauntlet down to all the other manufacturers. Gorgeous to look at, blistering performance and all at a very affordable price, the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming is not only the new benchmark for Z87 motherboards, but probably for all motherboards.

Setting aside all the Editor's Choice Awards and performance crowns for the G45, look at the faeture comparison .... more PCIE 3 slots, betetr sound, better networking, Coax SPDIF added, MIL Spec 4 components.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=-1&IsNodeId=1&Description=msi%20z87%20G45&bop=And&CompareItemList=-1|13-131-981^13-131-981-TS%2C13-130-693^13-130-693-TS&percm=13-130-693%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24

THGs new page structure truncates k=long url's so to view that link you will have to hit "Reply To", then copy / paste the whole url into your browser bar

Of course one can't ignore that MSI has the best ...er..... "instructional videos"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvNnv7nh2Es

Tommy154 · Mar 20, 2014

JackNaylorPE :

Tommy154 :

In the last decade or so I'd say 90%+ of the builds we did were on Asus boards ....however, in the $125 - $225 range I have switched to MSI......the MSI G45 has won dozens of awards and performance crowns and is a killer board in it's price range..... at $130 after $10 MIR, it's a steal and right at your budget target

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130693

The GD65 matches feature for feature with the $200 Asus Hero but can often be found for as much as $50 less. I was buying them at the turn of the year for like $155 after coupons and MIRs, last few weeks $165 and now they are $175

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_z87_gd65_gaming/12.htm

MSI has been using components that meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G for some time as part of its Military Class build philosophy. Parts such as Super Ferrite Chokes that run at up to 35 degree Celsius lower temperatures, have a 30% higher current handling capacity, and a 20% improvement in power efficiency; Tantalum filled Hi-C Caps that are are up to 93% efficient; and "Dark Capacitors" that feature Lower ESR and a ten-year lifespan all tied into a PCB with improved temperature and humidity protections as part of the "Military Essentials" package......In the end MSI's Z87-GD65 is a board that comes with an expansive feature set that includes all your basics and the extras that set them apart such as the V-Check points, upper end audio, Dual BIOS ROMs, KIller Network package, Military Class IV package, and a three-year warranty. Couple that with good looks that carry the dragon theme through the board, and you have a winning combination at $189.

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/msi_z87_gd65_gaming_review/15

Now and again a motherboard appears that is so obviously brilliant, and so affordable, that we wonder if anything will be able to top it. For a while that crown was held by the ASUS Sabertooth, both in X58 and then P67 variants. Then MSI stole the crown with the Z77 MPower. Looking at the Z87 GD65 Gaming we think it's going to take something extraordinary to top it, such is the perfect storm of price, performance, features and looks.

The switch to Military Class 4 has given us an extremely ready overclocker too. You're always thermally limited when overclocking and the i7-4770K is one of the most demanding around. Considering the amount of cooling we're using we think that although the GD65 is capable of bringing 5GHz from our i7-4770K you'd need a proper water loop to make the most of it.

Performance is outstanding. The stock results were a particular highlight. We know a lot of people still just like to put their CPU in and go, without overclocking it first. Despite how easy it is these days we know that the fear factor still exists. So you'll be glad to know that the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming really rocks hard even at stock settings. Naturally the overclocking is blistering too, with some OC3D records broken.

MSI have laid the gauntlet down to all the other manufacturers. Gorgeous to look at, blistering performance and all at a very affordable price, the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming is not only the new benchmark for Z87 motherboards, but probably for all motherboards.

Setting aside all the Editor's Choice Awards and performance crowns for the G45, look at the faeture comparison .... more PCIE 3 slots, betetr sound, better networking, Coax SPDIF added, MIL Spec 4 components.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=-1&IsNodeId=1&Description=msi%20z87%20G45&bop=And&CompareItemList=-1|13-131-981^13-131-981-TS%2C13-130-693^13-130-693-TS&percm=13-130-693%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24

THGs new page structure truncates k=long url's so to view that link you will have to hit "Reply To", then copy / paste the whole url into your browser bar

Of course one can't ignore that MSI has the best ...er..... "instructional videos"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvNnv7nh2Es

Like I said in my OP this is my first build so I can't fully appreciate the significance of some of those things. In terms of real world performance would I see any difference between the ASUS and the G45 or GD65? I definitely have the budget room to go up to the GD65 but would it be worth it or would I be paying extra for ports I won't be using? Would I notice the sound quality difference or internet performance? I read the articles but again I don't fully understand the specs as much as you.

JackNaylorPE · Mar 20, 2014

Well, like I said....when the G45 is $145 and the GD65 is $155, it's a no brainer. At $45 difference, I can't say that they GD65 is a better bang for the buck than the G45 . The kicker is though ..... does it have any features ya might want as you become more familiar with ya PCs.

So if ya gonna take the $45 saved using the G45 to move up from the Hyper 212 to the Phanteks PH-TC14-PE, and get an extra 0.2 Ghz on ya overclok, then yes by all means get the G45.
http:/c/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709011

If ya gonna take the $45 saved, double it and get the MSI 780 for $470, then yes by all means jump on the G45 / 780 combo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127746

If ya gonna take the $45 saved and upgrading to a 2TB Hybrid SSD / HD which will give you SSD like boot time performance then yes by all means get the G45.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178380

BTW, if this is a gaming box and you won't be doing anything with specialized apps that can benefit from hyperthreading, then I'd save $70 and pay for the rest of that video card.

In summary, if budget is OK with the 4770k / GD65 ....

Dropping to G45 saves is -$45
Dropping to 4670k is -65
Upgrading to Phanteks is +40
Upgrading to SSHD + 36
Upgrading to the 780 +90

Doing the bold ones....ya $16 over the "OK budget" and would have a much improved system.

Search

Why should I spend $150+ on a motherboard?

Tommy154

Honorable

Hazle

Hazle

Distinguished

JackNaylorPE

Titan

Tommy154

Honorable

Tommy154

Honorable

JackNaylorPE

Titan

Tommy154

Honorable

JackNaylorPE

Titan

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page