ASUS SABERTOOTH Z87 (C2) vs. ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO (C2) when not overclocking

[Casper Larsen]

Hey guys and gals.

I am preparing my first build in freaking YEAAARS! Made some stupid financial mistakes a few years back so decided to live on a rock so I could be completely debt free......Now I will have my revenge!

Well, I am considering this.
Intel Core i7-4770K Haswell 3.5 GHz quad.
Corsair Vengeance Bk DDR3-1866 QC - 16GB
OCZ Agility 3 SSD - 120GB
Corsair RM1000 Gold - 1000W PSU
Cooler Master HAF X Black
ASUS GeForce GTX 770 OC - 2GB GDDR5
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z87 (C2) - Haswell

I had planned on getting the Sabertooth. I like the specs, and its very durable since its the in the Asus TUF series. I have heard a lot of good experiences with ROG cards like the Hero, but im not sure that extra special gaming features of a ROG card is "worth" more than the more "durable" TUF card. Both a Asus, and they are both similarly priced here in Denmark.

I hope some of you guys can help me find whats the most important differences in the cards by scanning through some of the BS that the producers write.


Both cards claims several features beside the specs like

Hero: -
SupremeFX - Supremacy through discrete-caliber audio - Audio edge is already with the Hero.
- Sonic Radar - Scan and detect to dominate - Seems rather stupid to be honest. And a little bit like cheating.
- Extreme Engine Digi+ III - Hardcore power delivery with premium components - ???
- GameFirst II + Intel LAN - Put Your Frags First
And a both of different OC features....The BIOS system looks absolutely awesome and there are a few of the programs that I would use....

The sabertooth on the other hand:
- TUF Fortifier
- TUF Thermal Armor
- TUF Thermal Radar 2
- TUF Dust Defender
- TUF Components [Alloy Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; Certified by Military-standard]

Just to begin with.......Is it correct for me to assume that the whole military standard thing is completely and utterly meaningless? Because it sounds awfully like a cleaver sales trick.

I like the dust defender, and the ESD guard and I like how the extra strong backplate protects againts almost any kind of bending from heavy components. "Enhanced Heat Conduction - For better VRM cooling and DIY safety" is one of those things where most manufactorers would claim some sort of new enhanced heat conduction....So I don't know...
Thermal armor and flow valve is almost present.....

Seems to be well suited for liquid cooling if I decide to go that way at some point.

It also have a few Win8 exclusive features which I refuse to mention because Im childish and I hate W8.....


I would have to find slightly different rams if I go with the Hero, but thats a small thing.

If you want to recommend a different MB that those two, feel free.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[SlitWeaver]

I know this is about the motherboard, but I have to ask...is this strictly for gaming? If so, I'd dial down to an i5-4670K. An i7 is completely overkill for gaming...and so is that 1000W PSU. Not to mention the overpriced RAM (then again, prices may differ in your region)... Sorry, I couldn't help throwing in some personal asides. On to the motherboard!

I would go with which ever motherboard is cheaper. In terms of features, they're almost identical. There are only two major differences:
1) Warranty. Sabertooth has a 5-year and the Hero has a 3-year.
2) Integrated sound on the Hero is much, much better than the Sabertooth. If you care about audio, you're just gonna get a discrete sound card anyway, though.

 

[Casper Larsen]

I know this is about the motherboard, but I have to ask...is this strictly for gaming? If so, I'd dial down to an i5-4670K. An i7 is completely overkill for gaming...and so is that 1000W PSU. Not to mention the overpriced RAM (then again, prices may differ in your region)... Sorry, I couldn't help throwing in some personal asides. On to the motherboard!

I would go with which ever motherboard is cheaper. In terms of features, they're almost identical. There are only two major differences:
1) Warranty. Sabertooth has a 5-year and the Hero has a 3-year.
2) Integrated sound on the Hero is much, much better than the Sabertooth. If you care about audio, you're just gonna get a discrete sound card anyway, though.

Thanks very much for the advice. Irs for gaming but i was thinking that i wanted to buy for tte future. The vengeance rams have great respond times.
I think i might go with the sabertooth then. I like the look of it a lot too.
They are priced similarly.

 

[SlitWeaver]

I know this is about the motherboard, but I have to ask...is this strictly for gaming? If so, I'd dial down to an i5-4670K. An i7 is completely overkill for gaming...and so is that 1000W PSU. Not to mention the overpriced RAM (then again, prices may differ in your region)... Sorry, I couldn't help throwing in some personal asides. On to the motherboard!

I would go with which ever motherboard is cheaper. In terms of features, they're almost identical. There are only two major differences:
1) Warranty. Sabertooth has a 5-year and the Hero has a 3-year.
2) Integrated sound on the Hero is much, much better than the Sabertooth. If you care about audio, you're just gonna get a discrete sound card anyway, though.

Thanks very much for the advice. Irs for gaming but i was thinking that i wanted to buy for tte future. The vengeance rams have great respond times.
I think i might go with the sabertooth then. I like the look of it a lot too.
They are priced similarly.

I always wanted a Sabertooth. Too expensive (like $100 more than similar motherboards here) and I have no faith in ASUS motherboards anymore after numerous poor situations. Enjoy your new motherboard and it's 5-year warranty!

 

[stevez87]

I have the sabertooth and it's amazing! It looks so cool in my case (Corsair C70) and has a lot of features(backplate, thermal armor, thermal radar, assistant fans (quite noisy),..)! Maximus Hero is really good looking but for the same price the Sabertooth has more features than the Hero. You won't regret it!