Best Motherboard for my I7-4790K?

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Stephen Blane

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I'm planning on upgrading my CPU and Motherboard; my choice of CPU is the I7-4790K from what I have heard it's a good CPU. The Motherboard however is harder to choose.

My current Rig is:

CPU: Intel I5-2500*
Motherboard: AsRock Z68 Extreme 4 Gen 3
Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB (4 x 4GB) Memory Kit 2133MHz DDR3 C9
GPU: GTX 970 MSI Gaming 4G
PSU: Corsair CX 750
Tower: In Win GR One

*I had purchased the I5-2500K but received the I5-2500 I never noticed until recently since I had planned to overclock it instead of upgrade. A learning experience that won't happen again.

What Motherboard should I get?

My budget is around £200 I can go slightly above that if necessary. I would ideally prefer an ATX/EATX motherboard for aesthetics mostly. Aesthetics are an important factor for me here but not more important than function.

Any thoughts on what else I could upgrade on my Rig (Other than the 970)? I'm open to a different CPU if you think I should.

Thanks in advance for help given.
 
Solution
JackNaylorPE
Well w/ that usage, I'd keep the i7-4790k

No, The Asus Maximus Formula has the same armor in a red / black and also a built in water block. I have done several builds with this board and it looks great, however I can't recommend this board for two reasons:

-Gaming performance is poor compared to the Gigabyte / MSI Gaming series

-BIOS Clock Freeze Bug affects this and many other Z987 / Z97 boards. The more you are into overclocking, the more this becomes an issue.

For Red / Black, the MSI Gaming series is the best performing / and aggressively priced. As a new line however, I am always concerned about reliability as 1st generation oft suffers from "birthing issues".

This board looks great, performs well and as very good user...
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Manish Tewari

Manish Tewari

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I am pretty happy with my mobo ... see the specs if you like to ...

 
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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1. As for the CPU, you didn't say what the machine is for. If on a budget, you can save $90 with a 4690k . Differences are:

At stock settings ....

4790k is 4.0 GHz, 4.4 GHz under turbo
4690k is 3.5 GHz, 3.9 GHz under turbo

If you overclock, with a decent cooler you should get 4.6 Ghz or more on both, the 4790k may get ya a little more.

You'll want the 4790k if you use any apps that require hyperthreading (video editing, CAD, etc)

2. For the MoBo, you mentioned aesthetics but what will you use the machine for ?

If it's gaming you should look for one with good Gaming scores. See chart below. As you can see there are $100-$125 boards that kick tail on $300 boards
http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/msi_z97_sli_krait_motherboard_review/12

On the aesthetic front .... how much does color matter.... I have done builds for peeps where 'color" was the primatu consideration. Examples:

All white build - Asus Sabertooth in whte Enthoo Luxe w/ white RAM and white video cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132414

White / Orange theme - Gigabyte SOC Force with orange RAM and custom white / orange video cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128705

3. If upgrading the CX series should be under consideration for replacement

4. I'd rather have 2 x 8GB but wouldn't toss 4 x 4GB to get it.

5. Case upgrade might add some bling, but unless you bored with it, keep what ya got.

Might have more to offer if ya add intended use and what specific aesthetic factors you're interested in.
 
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Stephen Blane

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@JackNaylor{E
It's intended mainly for gaming but I do use 3D modelling and video editing software from time to time.

My colour scheme is red and black. I really like the plating for the sabertooth you posted, I had recently looked up a similar motherboard with that kind of plating, I take it that's only included in sabertooth brands?

I see what you mean by what specific use I need, it's definitely gaming. The Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 7 seems to be more or less what I need helped from your links.

Are there motherboards that support quad channel for RAM? I don't know much about channels so I don't know if this is a stupid question.

Thanks for your post Jack it's been really helpful.
 
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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Well w/ that usage, I'd keep the i7-4790k

No, The Asus Maximus Formula has the same armor in a red / black and also a built in water block. I have done several builds with this board and it looks great, however I can't recommend this board for two reasons:

-Gaming performance is poor compared to the Gigabyte / MSI Gaming series

-BIOS Clock Freeze Bug affects this and many other Z987 / Z97 boards. The more you are into overclocking, the more this becomes an issue.

For Red / Black, the MSI Gaming series is the best performing / and aggressively priced. As a new line however, I am always concerned about reliability as 1st generation oft suffers from "birthing issues".

This board looks great, performs well and as very good user reviews on newegg
MSI Z97A GAMING 7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130843

Things I like...

-Super Ferrite chokes, black capacitors, and Hi-C caps, makes power circuit run cooler and more efficient.

-Guard Pro protection scheme MIL spec resistance to humidity, improved PCB design, and having EVERY port isolated from the impact of an ESD.

-Audio Boost 2 sound solution w/ isolated PCB for dual headphone amplifiers
-ALC1150 codec and Nichicon Audio capacitors

-Direct Audio Power feeds power directly to the audio circuits resulting in more stable power supply to the Audio Boost 2 solution for an overall improvement in sound quality

-USB Audio Power provides a steady 5V to specific ports on the I/O panel to ensure any USB sound solution has the juice it needs to provide clear, crisp sound.

But the Gaming 5 is $50 cheaper and has most of those features and performs slightly better. The audio is something that the reviews are consistent in their praise about

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/Z97_GAMING_5/12.html

That cost is something to consider.... for example, tho I recently out together a build with the $300 Asus Maximus Formula and an MSI 980.... for the same price, I could had a MSI Gaming 5, a 980 Ti and money left over. Obviously the latter would be a lot faster.... much of that due to the GFX card upgrade but still gotta like the performance advantage of the Gaming 5

 
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Stephen Blane

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What's the difference between the MSI Z97A GAMING 7 and the MSI Z97X GAMING 7?

The 97X has a really nice LED setup but I definitely prefer the overall look of the 97A. Would you say I am better off with 97A or is there hardly a difference between that and the 97X?

Thanks.
 
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Zerk2012

Zerk2012

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Their no reason to spend a lot of money on a motherboard, a MSI Z97 gaming 5 would work just as good as a overpriced Asus ROG. I would never recomend one of those boards when the money saved could be put into the price of parts that would actually make the PC performance better.
Anything in the 150 buck range will work just fine.
 
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synphul

synphul

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I'd opt for something like this. Right around 100 pounds, better vrm's than the msi gaming 5, also has a red and black theme. Has a dual bios where the msi gaming 5 doesn't and could be an issue if something goes wrong. Seems quite a few msi gaming 5's are giving people fits with a cpu debug code resulting in a bricked board that has to be rma'd. May never be needed, but if only 1 bios and it shoots craps there's no updating it or fixing it.

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming5
 
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Stephen Blane

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Thanks for the information and help.

---------------------------------------------

From what I have seen so far I think I may just go with the Z97A Gaming 7. It's had really good reviews from what I can tell and looks really nice.

Thanks everyone for your help! I definitely know where to go if I need more help.
 
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CaptainHarrison

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Hello there ! I saw that you are pretty good with these stuff so i was wondering if you could answer my question...So i want to build i gaming rig too with a 4790k and my mobo choice is the Sabertooth Z97 Mark S ...is it a good combination ?? Do they combine just fine ?? Do you have a better option to recommend me in the same amount of money or less money ?? Thank you in advance !!!
 
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JackNaylorPE

JackNaylorPE

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This is a 9 month "dead" thread so don't expect to generate many responses.

The Mark S is a beautiful board but it has been a very long time since I have seen it for sale. And being last generation... you could get a faster CPU / MoBo w/ more features at less cost

Today, taking nothing away from the Sabertooth, I'd do the MAI Z170 Titanium. As good as the Sabertooth mark S and as pretty as it was, the MSI blows it outta the water on both counts. I'm tempted to buy one just too look at it :)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130870

Incredible features, overclocking tools, looks and performance all the way around ... 85% of board owners on newegg gave it 5 egg rating, and just 4% 1 egg. Try that with any comparably priced board from the competition.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($321.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK S ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($368.54 @ Amazon)
Total: $690.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 14:09 EDT-0400


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($369.95 @ B&H)
Motherboard: MSI Z170A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM EDITION ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($273.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $643.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-24 14:10 EDT-0400
 
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