Please help me with my Skylake gaming upgrade

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runf_40

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I want to upgrade from an i7-950 with an asus Sabertooth MB.
I want to get an i7-6700 but I'm not sure what MB to buy or what memory.
I'm a gamer but probably not into overclocking. I like to play (recently) Metal Gear Solid:phamtom Pain,
Watch Dogs, Dying light and of course, looking forward to Fallout 4 and Mass Effect 4, etc.
I'll be sticking with my GTX 970 for this build. I also plan to keep my case, a Corsair 600T.
http://www.corsair.com/en-us/graphite-series-600t
Money is an issue but I do have some leeway. Don't really want to spend more than $200 for a MB but I will if there is some compelling

reason. I don't really know what having a bluetooth motherboard or a WIFI motherboard is good for. Maybe I would like it?
As far as memory, I don't need bleeding edge. I see allot of people using Corsair Vengence but I don't know what speed is best/compatible/affordable.
I'm leaning toward Asus for the MB because I've used them before. But they have many selections and I find it very confusing.
So, based on the above, I would love recommendations for MB, memory and any thoughts on the case and if it will let me get the most out of the MB.
TIA
 
Solution
TofuLion
i would go with an i7-6700K even if you dont plan to overclock, simply because it is factory clocked at 4.0 GHz where the non-K is only 3.4 GHz.

that being said, might as well go with a z170 motherboard, that way you DO have the option to overclock in say 3-4 years when your CPU becomes a weak factor (which is why you now need to upgrade). if ASUS is the brand, i would go with the z170-A, since you want all the normal stuff without extra super high quality sound/overclocking/memory speed/networking/wifi/etc...

for RAM, corsair vengeance is high quality, and happens to be reasonably priced. you might want to get 16 GB just so you don't have to worry about it again.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant...
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TofuLion

TofuLion

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i would go with an i7-6700K even if you dont plan to overclock, simply because it is factory clocked at 4.0 GHz where the non-K is only 3.4 GHz.

that being said, might as well go with a z170 motherboard, that way you DO have the option to overclock in say 3-4 years when your CPU becomes a weak factor (which is why you now need to upgrade). if ASUS is the brand, i would go with the z170-A, since you want all the normal stuff without extra super high quality sound/overclocking/memory speed/networking/wifi/etc...

for RAM, corsair vengeance is high quality, and happens to be reasonably priced. you might want to get 16 GB just so you don't have to worry about it again.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($365.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($153.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($85.50 @ Newegg)
Total: $634.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-10-20 23:21 EDT-0400
 
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gondo

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You're not into overclocking so the absolute top $400 gaming board might not interest you. Here's one tip though. Do you use a sound card/external DAC or do you use onboard sound. If you use onboard sound check out Asus boards for example. As you go up in price you tend to have better onboard audio with some even having onboard headphone amplifiers. I'd definitely take the better onboard audio if that's what you're using.


 
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runf_40

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I actually have a very high end outboard audio DAC but I don't use it much for gaming. So I do want good audio from my motherboard but I don't need top of the line. Thanks for bringing it up, I had not factored it in.
 
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gondo

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If you're using regular stereo headphones check out the middle of the line Asus. They started putting headphone amps onboard. Not bad for the price.

Is your DAC USB? I've been wanting to get an Emotiva USB DAC to use for the computer and other devices. I noticed Emotiva released a couple of portable USB DAC headphone amps for under $200. Great for a laptop or computer. I'd like their regular one so I can plug XBOX, TV, and Media Player into it as well using SPDIF and computer through USB.
 
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runf_40

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I will definitely check out those boards. Thanks! I have an M-Audio 2626 for some pro audio stuff I do, It's firewire.
 
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