Motherboard and Windows 7 vs 8

[bigrob10]

Hi,

I have almost finished designing my homebuild and have a couple of quick questions.

I was going to you this motherboard:

Asus P8Z77-V LK S1155 Intel Z77 DDR3 ATX

However someone told me I should go for this one instead:

Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard

Which one is better? I really cant separate them.

Also, I cannot decide between Windows 7 and 8. I think I will just go for 7 Home Premium to save money. If everyone agrees that this is the case then is it worth getting the OEM version? Or should I stick to the ludicrously more expensive Retail version?! Can you upgrade an OEM version later on?

Thanks!

 

[clutchc]

If you like using your phone interface for a desktop, then go for Win8. If not go for Win7. Win8 is a poor attempt at tabletizing the desktop environment. I've had Win8 on a desktop and a tablet. Never again. Even Win 8.1 is turning out to be a flop.

An OEM license is tied to the motherboard for upgrading. And there are ways of getting around even that. But you can upgrade everything else with no worries. Most builders will opt for the OEM.

Both boards are good quality. The Asus has PCIe X16 slots better suited for adding a 2nd gfx card (x8, x8). The Gigabyte board's slots are X16, x4. Go to the web page for each board and examine the specs to see which has the features and options that are most important to you.
Asus: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z77V_LK/#specifications
Gigabyte: http://www.gigabyte.us/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4140#sp