MB Round 2

[pitchingace88]

I am making yet another topic because after posting in the CPU boards and learning that what I will be wanting is the Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor I will need to know the motherboard that is recommended. My previous post was based on using an old motherboard and old chipset that is no longer being produced... so without further adieu

CASECooler Master Centurion 5 - Silver ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports
POWER SUPPLYUltra LSP750 750-Watt Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, SLI-Ready, 135mm Fan, Lifetime Warranty
HDDSeagate Barracuda 1.5TB Hard Drive ST31500341AS - 7200RPM, 32MB Cache, SATA-3G
CPUCore i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor
MOTHERBOARD RECOMMENDATION IS NEEDED
RAMCorsair CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 XMS 8GB DDR3 RAM - PC10666, 1333MHz, 2x 4GB
HEATSINKCooler Master Hyper N520 Copper Heatpipe CPU Cooler
GPUSapphire DIRT 3 EDITION Radeon HD 6950 2 GB DDR5 DL-DVI-I/SL-DVI-D/HDMI/DP PCI-Express Graphics Card 100312-3SR

The processor will run me about 180 at a Microcenter near me. I have been given recommendations as:
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 $150
ASUS Rampage III Gene $200
GA-Z77X-UD3H LGA 1155 Z77 ATX $150

My budget was around 400 for CPU and MB... so I have another 200+ I can spend on a MB, is it worth it to go for something like
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128559 @$240
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157328 @$240

***NOTE*** I work within 5 minutes of a Microcenter, so I can always go in with prices from NewEgg or TigerDirect and see what the best deals they can give. I will also be going in and buying the CPU Core i5 3570K at the same time and know they have deals. What do you guys think? Go with the cheaper version and use the extra 100 bucks I had allotted for the combo for something else, or use go a little more expensive than 150 to the 200-250 range? Are the boards worth the extra 50/100 bucks?

 

[C12Friedman]

With the desire to overclock, I personally prefer the Asus Maximus V Gene for Socket 1155 (the Rampage III is on Socket 1366) but all three are recommended boards - I don't think you can really go wrong choosing any of them.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/390655/Maximus_V_Gene_LGA_1155_Z77_mATX_Intel_Motherboard
My $0.02

 

[pitchingace88]

With the desire to overclock, I personally prefer the Asus Maximus V Gene for Socket 1155 (the Rampage III is on Socket 1366) but all three are recommended boards - I don't think you can really go wrong choosing any of them.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/390655/Maximus_V_Gene_LGA_1155_Z77_mATX_Intel_Motherboard
My $0.02

Thanks for the $0.02, why the differences in price. I am in IT support and learning about this stuff, but also sell shoes as my second source of income once or twice a week. I generally know that in shoes for instance, there is a reason they price them at certain points. There are some shoes that are 400-500 that are ridiculous, but I understand the longevity and ability for the companies to retain their customers with repairs, but I personally prefer a shoe around 150 that I would say rivals some 200+ and especially with my feedback from customers.

It seems like the motherboards are either 80-120, basic not for real users || 150-200 are for extended users || 200-300 ??? || 300+ ???

What is the difference between the 150-200 from the 200-300 and 300+ price ranges? I know what the manufacturers state, but they use stylish words to lure customers to their products and being in sales I look beyond and ask users who have either experienced it or know of other people to get to the real nuts and bolts of why a product is successful and works

 

[C12Friedman]

With many computer parts, even within the same brand, you find the use of different terms for the same meanings - it seems to me that this is to keep consumers confused about what is featured - I may even throw in an example or two later (just for fun).
As far as the price difference, we are to believe that higher quality parts are used (the Maximus is a good overclocking board, used in a few reviews).
Are higher quality parts really used in those boards to justify the cost? I personally like to think so but, that may be a combination of marketing and my lack of knowledge.
BTW, some more expensive boards do have additional features like mutiple ethernet ports and goodies like that but you do pay for them.

 

[pitchingace88]

With many computer parts, even within the same brand, you find the use of different terms for the same meanings - it seems to me that this is to keep consumers confused about what is featured - I may even throw in an example or two later (just for fun).
As far as the price difference, we are to believe that higher quality parts are used (the Maximus is a good overclocking board, used in a few reviews).
Are higher quality parts really used in those boards to justify the cost? I personally like to think so but, that may be a combination of marketing and my lack of knowledge.
BTW, some more expensive boards do have additional features like mutiple ethernet ports and goodies like that but you do pay for them.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, as in the shoes, which put me through college. I learned that companies will put fancy lettering to attract people and as a salesman they help sell the product. Some companies I have learned to respect because although they use fancy lettering, they are comfortable and last long. I am looking for a good MB that will suit my purpose for years to come. I am not insane when it comes to what I need my computer to do, I just need to play games and allow fraps to record them at high speeds and better rendering speeds would be nice. So ports I don't need as many, would like the board to at least expand up to 16gb if possible so in the future I can upgrade... and ability to have 2 video cards, good placement on the board. This is always something tough to do pick a board that is best for someone, but I think you guys have given me plenty to think about and research further. If there is anything else you think I should look for let me know, Someone did mention on my CPU post that the LG1155 would be going out of production soon, so does this mean I should wait a month or two before upgrading? The reviews on the Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 are pretty darn impressive

 

[C12Friedman]

My understanding is Haswell, Socket 1150, is still 6 months away (give or take). Don't know if it's worth it to wait - I personally wait at least 2-3 months afer new technology is released to see what bugs arise, so I'd be looking at 9 months or so. Think I would give myself a good base now (on a LGA 1155 board) and sit back and watch... but that's my personal take.
There's always something new around the corner it seems...

 

[pitchingace88]

My understanding is Haswell, Socket 1150, is still 6 months away (give or take). Don't know if it's worth it to wait - I personally wait at least 2-3 months afer new technology is released to see what bugs arise, so I'd be looking at 9 months or so. Think I would give myself a good base now (on a LGA 1155 board) and sit back and watch... but that's my personal take.
There's always something new around the corner it seems...

That is something I am learning more and more. I will say that when building my computer 3 years ago, I was one a college student and two relying on mostly my gaming friends to build my computer. As a graduate and being in the field, I am learning more and more with each passing month. This being said, I have been researching heavily for 2 weeks now and it looks like the Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 paired with one of the motherboards is a great foundation for the next couple of years for me. All the motherboards mentioned seem pretty good, I will probably head into Microcenter and see what deals they would have for combos and if they have any special discounts because that could sway me as I am not particular as to whether I get a Gigabyte, Asus, or ASRock

 

[pitchingace88]

So I went into Micro Center and it looks like if I get the Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor I get 50 bucks off a compatible motherboard, so that means I could get the ASRock extreme 4 for 80 bucks. Think that might be the route I go, then go for the SSD

 

[C12Friedman]

So I went into Micro Center and it looks like if I get the Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor I get 50 bucks off a compatible motherboard, so that means I could get the ASRock extreme 4 for 80 bucks. Think that might be the route I go, then go for the SSD

Makes me wish I didn't live in the middle of nowhere - that sounds to be an good plan (IMO) and a rather good deal to boot.

 

[pitchingace88]

Best answer selected by pitchingace88.