Which motherboard should i get ?

Forum Motherboards & Memory : Motherboards Which motherboard should i get ?

im just getting into building my 1st computer i really dont know much, so i will really appriciate any input!

Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3 Z68 HDMI DDR3 Intel 1155pin USB3

or

ASUS P8Z68-V-LE DDR3 1155pin

or

AsRock Z68-Extreme3-Gen3 Intel Z68 USB3.0 1155

its meant to support this system im trying to build

CPU: i5 2500K 3.3 ghz

VGA ASUS 1GB 550GTX PCI-E:

RAM: 8GB RIPJAWS

HDD: 1TB WD BLUE

CPU COOLER: COOLMASTER V8

CASE: SGC-2000 STORM SCOUT

PUS: ANTEC NEO ECO 520C 520W

so im wondering what motherboard will support that the best with what ive chosen? or maybe use can reccommend others ?

previously they said that asrock would be the best. is this true ?

thankyou

Reply to teomanbro

Personally I would go for the ASUS, as I have had problems with both other brands.

I also suggest you get a higher wattage PSU and a GTX560 or better for gaming, and especially if you're gonna OC, look for a Corsair 650w or so.

Also, the cheaper V6GT has better overclocking rates than the V8 due to the dual fans.
Case is good, look at maybe trying for a OCZ Vertex3 SSD as a boot drive. Ripjaws are fine.

The Extreme3 is a really common recommendation. If you want to overclock or if you ever want to use two graphics cards then the ASUS should be out. I have a P8Z68-V Pro and it's a good board but that line doesn't have the strongest overclockers. The ASUS board doesn't have x8/x8 mode (the ASRock and Gigabyte both do) so it won't be able to SLI or crossfire.

My vote goes to the ASRock with the Gigabyte as a close second. They're almost the same board but the ASRock has a slightly better reputation and is a little cheaper. The ASUS is a solid and reliable board but it doesn't have the features and performance of the other two.

Reply to danraies

I prefer Asrock myself, but Asus and Gigabyte are very good as well, it's up to your personal preference really.

I would suggest spending a few extra bucks and getting a GTX560 or 560ti, you'll be much happier since that's obviously going to be the bottleneck in that build. The Neo 520w will be plenty for either of those cards.

Obviously there is no need to overclock your cpu even if your using TWO GTX560. Of course if you want to add a second GTX560 down the road you would want to go with a higher wattage psu now.

Message edited by geekapproved on 12-21-2011 at 05:24:08 PM

------------------------------ Core i3-2100/Asrock H61/8GB1333/XFX HD5850oc/WD Black 500/Antec 300/Antec EA380w bronze
Currently playing Deus Ex:HR a second time on Hardcore
Reply to geekapproved

I vote for ASUS. speaking about performance, all gigybate and asrock have all seems too bluffing to me. ASUS still has the best BIOS and overclocking ability I have experienced. But I didn't try any Z68 at all, just personal brand image.

Reply to tt7596

Quote :

all gigybate and asrock have all seems too bluffing to me

That statement seems "bluffing" to me, I can't make any sense of it.

------------------------------ Core i3-2100/Asrock H61/8GB1333/XFX HD5850oc/WD Black 500/Antec 300/Antec EA380w bronze
Currently playing Deus Ex:HR a second time on Hardcore
Reply to geekapproved

Since the replies here seem to be spread around we should probably look at some actual comparisons. Tom's did three very good roundups of Z68 boards at various price points.

*Four Z68 boards from $220 to $280: ASRock Z68 Extreme7, ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe, Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD5, and MSI Z68A-GD80.
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 25-18.html
The recommendation went to the ASRock Extreme7

*Five Z68 boards from $100 to $160: ASRock Z68 Pro3, Biostar TZ68A+, Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3, Intel DZ68DB, and MSI Z68A-GD55
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 80-19.html
The recommendation went to the Gigabyte Z68XP-UD3.

*Three Z68 boards around $200: ASRock Z68 Extreme4, ASUS P8Z68-V Pro, and Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 39-18.html
The recommendation went to the ASRock Z68 Extreme4.

I don't have any idea why the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 was not included in the budget roundup. The ASRock Pro3 was included but that's a step below the Extreme3. The Extreme4 and Extreme7 won both of the other two and I'm pretty confident that the Extreme3 would have fared very well in the budget range (based on other reviews and benchmarks that I've seen).

First of all, if you want a board that can SLI under $150 then the Extreme3 and the Z68XP-UD3 Z68 are really your only two choices. The ASUS P8Z68-V LE has two PCIe x16 slots but it doesn't have x8/x8 mode which is pretty important for SLI. Even if you don't want to SLI, those two boards still seem to be your best choices. I think the nod goes to the Extreme3 if for no other reason than it's $25 cheaper.

Reply to danraies

I agree the Asrock is the best deal going. I used to be a big Gigabyte fan but they still haven't even adopted UEFI bios, so that's the main reason I switched to Asrock this time around, that and my mobo was only $60.

------------------------------ Core i3-2100/Asrock H61/8GB1333/XFX HD5850oc/WD Black 500/Antec 300/Antec EA380w bronze
Currently playing Deus Ex:HR a second time on Hardcore
Reply to geekapproved