My motherboard recently started malfunctioning (as far as I can tell) and I'm looking for a replacement. I've been looking into the ASRock Z97 Extreme4, but have a few concerns.
Firstly, I currently have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan. On my current mobo this cooler blocks the first RAM port by maybe a centimeter, making it unusable. Would I have the same problem with this motherboard? Is there any way for me to tell?
Secondly, I recently bought some G.Skill 1866 DDR3 RAM (2x4gb), would this perform worse than if I bought pricier 3000 or 2933 RAM? Also, I have some G.Skill 1600 DDR3 RAM (2x4gb). Would it be worth it to install this with the 1866? I'm not sure if there's a way to get them to play nice, or if I should just spend the extra 60 bucks to get another 8gb.
Thirdly, I'd love any advice or questions that anyone can provide about good Mobos or anything else!
Here are the parts that will be in the build as of right now:
Firstly, I currently have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120 mm PWM Fan. On my current mobo this cooler blocks the first RAM port by maybe a centimeter, making it unusable. Would I have the same problem with this motherboard? Is there any way for me to tell?
Secondly, I recently bought some G.Skill 1866 DDR3 RAM (2x4gb), would this perform worse than if I bought pricier 3000 or 2933 RAM? Also, I have some G.Skill 1600 DDR3 RAM (2x4gb). Would it be worth it to install this with the 1866? I'm not sure if there's a way to get them to play nice, or if I should just spend the extra 60 bucks to get another 8gb.
Thirdly, I'd love any advice or questions that anyone can provide about good Mobos or anything else!
Here are the parts that will be in the build as of right now:
Case: Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Mobo: ASRock Z97 Extreme4 (Possibly, not yet purchased)
Current, damaged Mobo: ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W BX80623I52500 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000
GPU: EVGA 04G-P4-3975-KR GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support Graphics Card
HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Owned RAM possibility 1: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Owned RAM possibility 2: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL
Mobo: ASRock Z97 Extreme4 (Possibly, not yet purchased)
Current, damaged Mobo: ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge Quad-Core 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W BX80623I52500 Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000
GPU: EVGA 04G-P4-3975-KR GeForce GTX 970 SSC ACX 2.0+ 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 SLI Support Graphics Card
HDD: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive
PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Owned RAM possibility 1: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Owned RAM possibility 2: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL