Choosing a z87 motherboard

[mrguy2039]

Hi there,
I'm a student filmmaker. I edit with Premier Pro and use after effects and photoshop on occasions (but not to a very high level). I have been using a sager laptop for my editing, but it's not really keeping up anymore. I shoot on a Panasonic GH3 which creates 78Mbps h264 files (in a .mov) wrapper.

Here is the build I've configured:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($65.49 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($182.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($20.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Best Buy)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.97 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Dell U2412M 60Hz 24.0" Monitor ($281.15 @ Amazon)
Total: $1248.31
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-05 02:04 EST-0500)

I realise the ram may be a little minimal, but I'm not currently using all of the 8gb my laptop has, so I'll hold off getting more ram till I need to. I don't know if my editing is intensive enough for a RAID HDD set up, so I will go with a SSD+HDD setup (and then if need be, look into RAID arrays).

Anyways, I don't know much about motherboards; what's the difference between the Gigabyte Z87 options/what would be appropriate for my needs?
Oh, and since I figure it's not worth starting a new thread on; any advice on cases?

 

[unknownofprob]

I'm keeping this simple and short, if you need more reasoning just ask;

Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Killer, I know 2 people who have this motherboard and are extremely satisfied with it with no current problems and great OC capabilities.

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932/ X 942, Extremely good airflow to keep the heat out of the case. I have the HAF X 942 but they are quite expensive but well worth it, they also look really good.

 

[mrguy2039]

Thanks for the reply! Can you run through why you chose those over some other options? Any more budget friendly options for a case (and what would the payoff of these be?)

 

[veladem]

Changed a few things hope you like it, if you want reasoning, just ask;

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($333.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($93.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($131.50 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($182.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN751ND 802.11b/g/n PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($11.49 @ Staples)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($170.12 @ Amazon)
Total: $1360.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-05 02:13 EST-0500)

 

[unknownofprob]

Thanks for the reply! Can you run through why you chose those over some other options?

Well The ASRock Z87 Killer Fatli1ty Gaming series boards are known to be very good for the price;

Triple SLI Support
-15μ Gold Finger, SLI/CrossFireX™ Power Connector

Audio - Purity Sound™

Supports Dual Channel DDR3 3050+(OC) <3050Mhz, That's insane

6 SATA3, 6 USB 3.0, Which quite a few have, just saying so you know how many it has.

Fatal1ty Mouse Port <Great for better performance from your gaming mouse, actually better then standard USB2/3 Port.

Premium Gold Capacitors

Gaming Armor

and so on..

 

[mrguy2039]

Changed a few things hope you like it, if you want reasoning, just ask;

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($333.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($93.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($131.50 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($182.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN751ND 802.11b/g/n PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($11.49 @ Staples)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($170.12 @ Amazon)
Total: $1360.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-05 02:13 EST-0500)

Thanks Veladem. Can you provide your reasons on those changes? And I'm particularly interested in your thoughts on the motherboard

 

[mrguy2039]

Thanks for the reply! Can you run through why you chose those over some other options?

Well The ASRock Z87 Killer Fatli1ty Gaming series boards are known to be very good for the price;

Triple SLI Support
-15μ Gold Finger, SLI/CrossFireX™ Power Connector

Audio - Purity Sound™

Supports Dual Channel DDR3 3050+(OC) <3050Mhz, That's insane

6 SATA3, 6 USB 3.0, Which quite a few have, just saying so you know how many it has.

Fatal1ty Mouse Port <Great for better performance from your gaming mouse, actually better then standard USB2/3 Port.

Premium Gold Capacitors

Gaming Armor

and so on..

Most of that stuff seems to be aimed at gaming, though - so perhaps unnessecary for my needs?

 

[unknownofprob]

yes true, but great for all round needs also. The mouse port is great for you needs, as you use photoshop that will help you out.

 

[mrguy2039]

yes true, but great for all round needs also. The mouse port is great for you needs, as you use photoshop that will help you out.

Fair point. Though I just looked up the board, no shops that sell it (for a reasonable price) seem to ship to New Zealand

 

[veladem]

Changed a few things hope you like it, if you want reasoning, just ask;

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($333.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($93.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($131.50 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($182.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN751ND 802.11b/g/n PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($11.49 @ Staples)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($170.12 @ Amazon)
Total: $1360.79
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-05 02:13 EST-0500)

Thanks Veladem. Can you provide your reasons on those changes? And I'm particularly interested in your thoughts on the motherboard

Motherboard is just a simple board, you'll be able to OC a little.

Extra RAM to fit your needs, no reason to skimp, even though you don't use it now, dual channel will help a bit.

PSU because you had a tier 3 up there, no beuno, you want your parts to have a good quality PSU feeding them.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

Blu-ray reader/writer just in-case, digital realm you dabble in.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.99 @ Staples)
Motherboard: ASRock H87 Pro4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($93.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($131.50 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($182.79 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN751ND 802.11b/g/n PCI Wi-Fi Adapter ($11.49 @ Staples)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor ($170.12 @ Amazon)
Total: $1311.81
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-05 02:31 EST-0500)

Forgot to remove a optics drive.

 

[mrguy2039]

Motherboard is just a simple board, you'll be able to OC a little.

Extra RAM to fit your needs, no reason to skimp, even though you don't use it now, dual channel will help a bit.

PSU because you had a tier 3 up there, no beuno, you want your parts to have a good quality PSU feeding them.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

Blu-ray reader/writer just in-case, digital realm you dabble in.

Thanks again. So would that mobo be fine if i do end up creating a RAID array for editing? Are there any drawbacks I should be aware of?

 

[mrguy2039]

I should say that, if possible I want to get a mobo that's available on Amazon (as they're the only place that does reasonable shipping to NZ that i've found) or something that can be found on http://pricespy.co.nz/ (NZ price aggregator)

 

[veladem]

It does support RAID and has 6 6GB/s ports.

If you go RAID in the future I'd upgrade the board also. Might as well.

 

[veladem]

I should say that, if possible I want to get a mobo that's available on Amazon (as they're the only place that does reasonable shipping to NZ that i've found) or something that can be found on http://pricespy.co.nz/ (NZ price aggregator)

The board is available on Amazon for $12 more if needed.

 

[mrguy2039]

I might just bump this topic. I was initially set on the ASRock Z87 Killer Fatli1ty. But as I was about to buy - it really does seem like overkill.. can I get any other thoughts on this?

 

[mrguy2039]

I'm thinking the Fatal1ty H87 Performance may be most suitable? The only downside to it that I can see for me would be the less pcie slots - but I don't think i'd be effected by that anyway?

 

[unknownofprob]

I'm thinking the Fatal1ty H87 Performance may be most suitable? The only downside to it that I can see for me would be the less pcie slots - but I don't think i'd be effected by that anyway?

I would place my recommendations on that H87 motherboard.

If you ever consider OC one day, you'll be much better off with a Z87 board, if never are going to, then H87 is fine.

 

[SirMadDude]

Mm. Given I have the 4770k it seems wasteful not to have a z87.. but I guess Iop mightn't ever oc. Is OCing needed for video editing?