- Jun 7, 2013
- 72
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- 18,630
Hello there, I'm looking to choose a new motherboard and wonder if an expert can give me some advice. I'm using a 4770K and previously had an Asus Z87-Pro before it developed faults and I had to return it.
If the Z97-Pro with Wifi were available in the UK, I would get that without thinking twice. The things I'm looking for from my motherboard are:
- LGA 1150
- Z97 chipset preferable
- Very good on-board audio performance
- An error code readout (which Asus seems to refer to as the 'Q-code', although I'm not sure if that is a widely used term)
- Overclocking is not important for me (I don't do it)
- Ideally I'd like built-in wifi, although this seems much less prevalent that it was in 2013 when I bought my last motherboard. I need wifi because it's impossible to bring a LAN cable to the location of my PC (I realise this has its drawbacks!)
- Reliable and high-quality parts
- Ideally, good customer service. Like many others according to Google, I have had a terrible experience with Asus' customer service.
- Possibility to SLI two Nvidia GPUs (8 X 8 PCIe), while also using a basic wireless card if the MB does not have it built-in
- A good 'look' would be nice but that is less important than functionality
- M.2 functionality is not important to me
This might seem like a long list but I feel that what I want can't be particularly unusual, as I'm not a specialist user. That being said, I'm not an expert by any means and only have a basic understanding of technical terminology.
My budget is around £150, but I could stretch that a bit if I find something which is worth more.
So far, I've found two potential options, although they both have their drawbacks (and neither has built-in wifi). The review site I've been leaning on for the below information is anandtech.com, as it includes great benchmarks, detailed information and photos.
- ASRock Z97 Extreme6: This seems like a great choice and seems to get glowing reviews from most places, but it is at a higher price point of £140. I've read that ASRock use lower-quality parts than Asus, though, and this motherboard also lack USB 2.0 ports. I'm worried about the latter point because some of my electronics have had compatibility issues in the past when connected to USB 3.0 ports. For me, the colour scheme of this board also leaves a lot to be desired.
On the plus side, the audio appears to be excellent judging from the reviews, which is one of the most important things for me. The M.2 functionality is good to have but I probably won't be using it.
- MSI Z97 Gaming 5: This also seems like a good contender and is cheaper at £115. The drawbacks here are that the board has generally less favourable reviews than the ASRock. As I understand it, you also can't SLI two GPUs and still use a network card, although I may be mistaken about that. Please correct me if I have misinterpreted this.
I've also heard bad things about MSI's quality control, and the Killer network interface has widely negative reviews when I read forums, with many people reporting incompatibilities.
On the plus side, it has a great colour scheme (I vastly prefer it to the ASRock board) and the BIOS has generally more favourable reviews. There are also more accessories included in the box than with the ASRock, including quick connectors for the front panel, which make life easier and which the ASRock board doesn't include.
If you've stuck with me this far, thanks for giving your time to read this and I'd appreciate any constructive feedback you could offer, particularly if there's another option which I haven't thought of yet.
Thanks for your help!
If the Z97-Pro with Wifi were available in the UK, I would get that without thinking twice. The things I'm looking for from my motherboard are:
- LGA 1150
- Z97 chipset preferable
- Very good on-board audio performance
- An error code readout (which Asus seems to refer to as the 'Q-code', although I'm not sure if that is a widely used term)
- Overclocking is not important for me (I don't do it)
- Ideally I'd like built-in wifi, although this seems much less prevalent that it was in 2013 when I bought my last motherboard. I need wifi because it's impossible to bring a LAN cable to the location of my PC (I realise this has its drawbacks!)
- Reliable and high-quality parts
- Ideally, good customer service. Like many others according to Google, I have had a terrible experience with Asus' customer service.
- Possibility to SLI two Nvidia GPUs (8 X 8 PCIe), while also using a basic wireless card if the MB does not have it built-in
- A good 'look' would be nice but that is less important than functionality
- M.2 functionality is not important to me
This might seem like a long list but I feel that what I want can't be particularly unusual, as I'm not a specialist user. That being said, I'm not an expert by any means and only have a basic understanding of technical terminology.
My budget is around £150, but I could stretch that a bit if I find something which is worth more.
So far, I've found two potential options, although they both have their drawbacks (and neither has built-in wifi). The review site I've been leaning on for the below information is anandtech.com, as it includes great benchmarks, detailed information and photos.
- ASRock Z97 Extreme6: This seems like a great choice and seems to get glowing reviews from most places, but it is at a higher price point of £140. I've read that ASRock use lower-quality parts than Asus, though, and this motherboard also lack USB 2.0 ports. I'm worried about the latter point because some of my electronics have had compatibility issues in the past when connected to USB 3.0 ports. For me, the colour scheme of this board also leaves a lot to be desired.
On the plus side, the audio appears to be excellent judging from the reviews, which is one of the most important things for me. The M.2 functionality is good to have but I probably won't be using it.
- MSI Z97 Gaming 5: This also seems like a good contender and is cheaper at £115. The drawbacks here are that the board has generally less favourable reviews than the ASRock. As I understand it, you also can't SLI two GPUs and still use a network card, although I may be mistaken about that. Please correct me if I have misinterpreted this.
I've also heard bad things about MSI's quality control, and the Killer network interface has widely negative reviews when I read forums, with many people reporting incompatibilities.
On the plus side, it has a great colour scheme (I vastly prefer it to the ASRock board) and the BIOS has generally more favourable reviews. There are also more accessories included in the box than with the ASRock, including quick connectors for the front panel, which make life easier and which the ASRock board doesn't include.
If you've stuck with me this far, thanks for giving your time to read this and I'd appreciate any constructive feedback you could offer, particularly if there's another option which I haven't thought of yet.
Thanks for your help!
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