Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z vs Asus 990FX Gen 3

[Wesley Wall]

So I'm in the process of choosing the parts for my first computer build and am contemplating getting one of these two motherboards. As far as the sabertooth goes will i really use the PCIe 3 slot or would I be just as good using the Crosshair's PCIe 2? Which motherboard would be better for overclocking? Basicly just want the pros and cons. I'm not going to be putting in some super graphics or going to be doing crossfire etc. Going to be putting in the AMD FX-8350 if that helps. Thanks everyone in advance!

 

[TheBigTroll]

neither. if you are ever to spend that much on a amd platform, you may as well move onto intel

id pick up a board like this instead. pci-e 3 isnt useful just yet
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131851&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

 

[Wesley Wall]

neither. if you are ever to spend that much on a amd platform, you may as well move onto intel

id pick up a board like this instead. pci-e 3 isnt useful just yet
Please]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131851&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

Please explain your logic behind the whole Intel & AMD thing. If I'm not mistaken it would cost me more to get better performance out of a Intel cpu correct?

 

[TheBigTroll]

generally, the intel platform costs a bit more but you do get better performance. generally speaking, if you are going to spend more than 1100 or so, intel is the way to go

 

[Wesley Wall]

generally, the intel platform costs a bit more but you do get better performance. generally speaking, if you are going to spend more than 1100 or so, intel is the way to go

Thank you for your input. I am looking to spend 1000-1100 on this build.If I'm not mistaken the amd 8350 has higher clock speeds than any other Intel cpu in my general price range. Please note I am no arguing with you as I am fairly new to building a pc, I am simply trying to broaden my knowledge.

 

[TheBigTroll]

no problem. clockspeed doesnt necessarily mean better performance. when you are comparing 2 of the same class of chips ( a fx 8350 at stock and a fx 8350 at 4.5ghz), then the clockspeed method of determining performance wins out. but when you are comparing completely differently designed chips like the i5 and the fx, clockspeed is irrelevant

 

[jnco]

I'm looking at the exact same boards as well and have been poking around to find info about them. Basically the formula is great if you plan to over-clock everything and the sabertooth seems to be built more for endurance and longevity. If you are using as single gpu and are not concerned with a few (and I do mean a few from the bench marks I've seen) fps in your game, stick with the other sabertooth 990fx. But then again, newegg currently has only a $10 price difference between the two. Just take your time, and do research for all your parts.

 

[TheBigTroll]

there is literally no difference between any of the boards listed above in terms of overclocking on air. if you were doing custom watercooling then you would see a difference but still, only 100mhz. definitely not worth doubling the price

sabertooth is a scam. give it a different paint job, tack a longer warranty, and mess around with the software and then you can charge a 60 dollar premium on a board

 

[webduelist]

Ok since TheBigTroll doesn't want to actually give answers but instead biased and misinformed information. I will try to help you seeing as how I personally have built rigs for people with both the Crosshair Formula V and the Sabertooth 990 FX boards. First Asus makes a killer board Intel, AMD, what ever chip-set they are great boards.

That being said both the Crosshair and Sabertooth have support for SLI, built in fan speed controllers, usb bios flash back, clear cmos button, and live overclocking which if it fails 3 times on trying to post will revert to default so you don't have to clear you cmos if become unstable.

the Crosshair has the space and support for 3 way SLI, it also has a power button and reset right on the board, easy to use debug leds, and able to get very stable overclocks.

The Sabertooth has been tested to death, regardless of what TheBigTroll says Asus has tested this thing for 20 hours max load to make sure that it is going to hold up and it comes with a 5 year warranty, it also overclocks pretty well, also has debug leds, and is way cheaper

So in terms of features and overclock ability the Crosshair Formula V is a better board, but the Sabertooth is no slouch and cheaper and with high end build quality. Having built with both boards prior to building my new personal rig, I went with the Sabertooth 990fx R2.0 and have been very happy with it.

 

[TheBigTroll]

yes but you do realize they do a batch test, not individual so reliability only goes so far. if you want a individually tested board, the msi mpower is the one to get although they dont make a amd variant.

 

[webduelist]

of course it is a batch test, but that is the base line, yes there are going some bad boards in the mix, but the boards that are up to spec are going to have that expected level of performance.

The thing about the Sabertooth boards is that each part on it should be up to military spec. Again yes there will be bad parts but this means that they are manufactured with the intent of being tough and able to pass military tests. There are always bad ones in the mix, its like this with everything even cars, phones, radios, etc.

 

[TheBigTroll]

every series of boards go through a batch test. running it longer doesnt necessarily mean its more reliable. so how does the military spec come in when you cant gurantee that all your boards are reliable and are good out of the box. msi also has their military spec listing on their boards, it doesnt mean that they are built very well. if asus can test all their boards individually like msi on their mpower series, then id see a reason to pony up the extra 50 bucks.

 

[webduelist]

its not just about the load, most motherboard designs don't go though military level salt spray tests, dust tests, shock test, etc. Which to be military spec components they must pass all of the tests put forward. In other words they are tough, cause they in theory can go though more than the average motherboard and keep working.

 

[Wesley Wall]

Thanks everyone for your input. Although I did find TheBigTroll a bit biased and to some extent tuned him out (no offence BigTroll) he somehow convinced me on going with Intel for my build. Most likely the 3570k or wait for haswell.

 

[TheBigTroll]

its already a known fact that sabertooth boards are no better than the standard stack. go look at the sabertooth z77. has a plastic shield that looks aweosme, but traps dust (you have to use the whiny 40mm fans included to cool the board inside), increases operating temperatures, and generally overclocks the same

you might as well wait for haswell. its a month away anyways

 

[Wesley Wall]

I most likely will wait for haswell although if I understand this correctly haswell is most likely only to improve power consumption with little to no performance increase.

 

[TheBigTroll]

its more like only performance increase but a bit more power consumption

 

[Wesley Wall]

Then I'll defiantly be waiting.

 

[webduelist]

Wesley before you completely decide, you should really look at what you expect to be doing with the machine, for example if you are going to be gaming only and your only after that highest fps and physics scores then the intel side is going to be for you. But lets say your going to be streaming the games you play though xsplit, the amd 8350 is known to do a much better job of maintaining frame rates while streaming than the intel.

So what it comes down to what you are going to be doing, I suggest you look into both products because they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

This is what I personally do, make a parts list for both platforms and get the price of each build, look at how each performs, and then look at the price to performance of each system. Once you have this you can make a decision on which one you would rather have, and if one or the other is worth price to performance to you.

in either case the next gen cpus for both will be announced before to long, as well as the next gen gpus, you might be better off waiting and re-evaluating your build after the announcement over the next few months.

I'm not trying to be biased if I am coming off that way, just to show you I have 2 (main) Intel builds a 2500k and a Dual Xeon, plus all the various PIIIs and PIVs I have from way back when. I also have 3 AMD builds one is a Athlon X2 (old and now a minecraft server), A8 (1st gen), and a FX 8350.

Also at TheBigTroll, The sabertooth 990fx and Z77 are very different board in terms of design, you seem to be only considered with how good of a overclock you can get and not the quality of the components used in making the board. I would also like to see your "source" of them being no better then the average board.

 

[Wesley Wall]

Not going to be streaming any games. The main purpose of this build is to run simulators such as Euro Truck Simulator and others that are similar.
Here's my list of parts
Case: Cooler Master HAF-X
Mobo: Asus Maximus V Formula
Cpu: 3570k (Most likely will go with haswell)
Graphics: Undecided
SSD: OCZ Vector 128gb
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16gb
Cooler: Swiftech H220 with Noctua NF-F12's
PSU: Undecided

 

[webduelist]

Well, Simulators don't require that much power, Let me break down what I see so far. I'm not trying to destroy your build or anything just my personal opinions on the matter
From what I see you have a very solid build, a bit on the pricey and overkill side but solid and way more then you will ever need for a Simulator.

The biggest issue I really have with your build is the SSD, yes they are fast, but they fail rather fast actually. I just had a OCZ Vector die just 2 days ago not even a year old. Its not even so much a problem with the SSD but that you have no backup drive, Considering you are putting alot of high end parts in this machine tells me that you are trying for a build that is going to last, the SSD will not last the lifespan of the build, really lucky if 2 years. Its best to have a old fashion HDD, and use the SDD for caching.

Also keep in mind that if you don't couple a good GPU with your CPU there is no real point in getting a powerful processor and a ROG motherboard.

 

[inzone]

webduelist, the object of a thread that is asking for help to decide is to do that and to not attack other posters that have responded. Calling someone biased and misinformed is an attack on their attempt to help, your responses should be directed at the OP and not at any of the other responders this is how flame wars start and they do get started very easy in AMD vs Intel questions. Let the OP decide who's giving the better info.

 

[TheBigTroll]

Not going to be streaming any games. The main purpose of this build is to run simulators such as Euro Truck Simulator and others that are similar.
Here's my list of parts
Case: Cooler Master HAF-X
Mobo: Asus Maximus V Formula
Cpu: 3570k (Most likely will go with haswell)
Graphics: Undecided
SSD: OCZ Vector 128gb
Memory: G.Skill Trident X 16gb
Cooler: Swiftech H220 with Noctua NF-F12's
PSU: Undecided

-a board like a gigabyte ud4h has all the features you will ever need for 100 bucks cheaper. and it overclocks the same on air. wouldnt waste my time there
-the haf x is huge. if you want haf x looks, get the haf xm instead. that way you dont waste money and space for something you dont need
-faster memory is useless. not to mention the heatsinks are useless when the ram modules run cool without any cooling
-you dont need the vector. something much cheaper like the plextor m5s for 86.99 performs well and close enough that you cant tell the difference between the 2

 

[Wesley Wall]

Well, Simulators don't require that much power, Let me break down what I see so far. I'm not trying to destroy your build or anything just my personal opinions on the matter
From what I see you have a very solid build, a bit on the pricey and overkill side but solid and way more then you will ever need for a Simulator.

The biggest issue I really have with your build is the SSD, yes they are fast, but they fail rather fast actually. I just had a OCZ Vector die just 2 days ago not even a year old. Its not even so much a problem with the SSD but that you have no backup drive, Considering you are putting alot of high end parts in this machine tells me that you are trying for a build that is going to last, the SSD will not last the lifespan of the build, really lucky if 2 years. Its best to have a old fashion HDD, and use the SDD for caching.

Also keep in mind that if you don't couple a good GPU with your CPU there is no real point in getting a powerful processor and a ROG motherboard.

Forgot to mention that SSD is for OS and programs only and going to have a HDD for documents etc. and backup.

 

[MikeShelley Robinson]

Looking over your build I wanted to chime in and add my 2cents if you don't mind. WW, looks like you have a good foundations started. Regardless of the case you choose to use on your build, just keep in mind air flow and noise. As far as your choice in storage devices, I would recommend against OCZ. As I write this I am doing my second rebuild on a mirror in the last 3 days. OCZ Tech support is lacking and I have had nothing but trouble with the drives I have used. (Vertex2). I have nothing aganst using the SSD's for your OS, they fly. I often setup high end workstations in raid0 with a pair of 60GB SSD's. I have the best luck with Intel and Plextor and have used PNY and Adata also with no complaints.
I like your choice in ram I use GSkill and Kingston exclusively.
I generally build between 100 and 200 workstation each year. I favor the AMD platform for cost and durability. I do build some Intel Workstations on request or when required from time to time as well as some servers. I can tell you from my many years of experience that you can litterally flip a coin and be right, 100% of the time, no matter what one you choose.
I won't try to talk you out of one or the other. I would like to mention that I have built at least 50 machines in the last 3 years using the ASUS 990FX and I have not had a lick of trouble with a single one. As I sit right now in my office I am litteraly surrounded by them. LOL. I have 5 of my own. I used them for workstations and server boards in my company. They are holding 8150 and 8350 chips. 2 originals, 2 r2.0's and 1 Gen3 I just put together last week for our media center.
I would also like to add that I have had better luck with the Nvidia GPU's if that is any help to you. EVGA and ASUS. The ASUS seem to run cooler though.

Good luck.

Mike.