Suggest a Z97 Motherboard for i7-4770k. Must be Blue/Black

[gautamgr8]

I am Looking for a Motherboard That will match with Blue/Black Theme
I got my mind on ASUS Sabertooth Mark 1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132124
But Later came across the Asrock Z97 Extreme 6
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157500

I love the look of the Extreme 6 But have questions on whether Asrock would be a reliable choice

Yes! (Blue/Black OR all Black )The Look is Important

Open for Other Suggestions
for a High End Performance Priority Workstation PC...Gaming Not Important
Please Help...!

 

[tambeshakunt]

Hi,

I have had good experiences with AsRock and I think for the high end boards it should be perfectly ok. Although ASUS are known for superior quality, AsRock I feel can almost match that. The only thing AsRock may lack is the fancy gadgets and utilities for the m/b which is ASUS is abundant in, though for WS I dont think you are looking for these fancy OC and tweaking tools anyway :/ .

I don't think there are any other blue black Z97 boards apart from that AsRock but for all black I know a few:

Asus Z97 WS, EVGA Z97 Classified and Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK might all be work a look.

Hope this helps!

 

[gautamgr8]

Hi,

I have had good experiences with AsRock and I think for the high end boards it should be perfectly ok. Although ASUS are known for superior quality, AsRock I feel can almost match that. The only thing AsRock may lack is the fancy gadgets and utilities for the m/b which is ASUS is abundant in, though for WS I dont think you are looking for these fancy OC and tweaking tools anyway :/ .

I don't think there are any other blue black Z97 boards apart from that AsRock but for all black I know a few:

Asus Z97 WS, EVGA Z97 Classified and Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK might all be work a look.

Hope this helps!

Wow! Thanks...I ahev gone through all the ASUS Motherboards and concluded on the Sabertooth Mark 1
So if its ASUS, I'll go with Sabertooth
But your suggestion of the EVGA Z97 Looks awesome to me...
Thanks a lot...
I guess I have to choose Between the Asrock & EVGA now...
Still Open for suggestions...

 

[tambeshakunt]

Hi,

I have had good experiences with AsRock and I think for the high end boards it should be perfectly ok. Although ASUS are known for superior quality, AsRock I feel can almost match that. The only thing AsRock may lack is the fancy gadgets and utilities for the m/b which is ASUS is abundant in, though for WS I dont think you are looking for these fancy OC and tweaking tools anyway :/ .

I don't think there are any other blue black Z97 boards apart from that AsRock but for all black I know a few:

Asus Z97 WS, EVGA Z97 Classified and Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK might all be work a look.

Hope this helps!

Wow! Thanks...I ahev gone through all the ASUS Motherboards and concluded on the Sabertooth Mark 1
So if its ASUS, I'll go with Sabertooth
But your suggestion of the EVGA Z97 Looks awesome to me...
Thanks a lot...
I guess I have to choose Between the Asrock & EVGA now...
Still Open for suggestions...

I would defo choose EVGA, this may reinforce my view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0PahxKXcso

 

[gautamgr8]

Hi,

I have had good experiences with AsRock and I think for the high end boards it should be perfectly ok. Although ASUS are known for superior quality, AsRock I feel can almost match that. The only thing AsRock may lack is the fancy gadgets and utilities for the m/b which is ASUS is abundant in, though for WS I dont think you are looking for these fancy OC and tweaking tools anyway :/ .

I don't think there are any other blue black Z97 boards apart from that AsRock but for all black I know a few:

Asus Z97 WS, EVGA Z97 Classified and Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H-BK might all be work a look.

Hope this helps!

Wow! Thanks...I ahev gone through all the ASUS Motherboards and concluded on the Sabertooth Mark 1
So if its ASUS, I'll go with Sabertooth
But your suggestion of the EVGA Z97 Looks awesome to me...
Thanks a lot...
I guess I have to choose Between the Asrock & EVGA now...
Still Open for suggestions...

I would defo choose EVGA, this may reinforce my view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0PahxKXcso

You wont believe it...
I checked that video out right after you suggested the EVGA...
Thank you very much...I have finalized my choice...
Going with the EVGA Z97 Classified

 

[gautamgr8]

EVGA

 

[ajsinghalay]

EVGA for Motherboards...?
How would you rank them tambeshakunt?
ASUS, Asrock and EVGA?

What are the top 5 Motherboard manufacturers in your mind?

 

[ajsinghalay]

Extreme 6 and z97 classified both look good
classified is pricy tho

 

[Tradesman1]

Evga only has 7 mobos total on the market (3 -2011 socket, 1 - 1155 socket and 3 - 1150 Socket)....there mobo business has been pretty much dead for a few years now, they have started to try and revive it, but hasn't been going real well.....the Top mobo maker in order are Asus, GigaByte, ASRock, then comes MSI

 

[ajsinghalay]

Evga only has 7 mobos total on the market (3 -2011 socket, 1 - 1155 socket and 3 - 1150 Socket)....there mobo business has been pretty much dead for a few years now, they have started to try and revive it, but hasn't been going real well.....the Top mobo maker in order are Asus, GigaByte, ASRock, then comes MSI

So would you suggest asrock extreme 6 over the evga classified?

 

[Tradesman1]

I would yes. The z87 Classified didn't sell very well, and while I've seen the Z97 on their web site, haven't yet seen it at any major re/e-tailers

 

[tambeshakunt]

Evga only has 7 mobos total on the market (3 -2011 socket, 1 - 1155 socket and 3 - 1150 Socket)....there mobo business has been pretty much dead for a few years now, they have started to try and revive it, but hasn't been going real well.....the Top mobo maker in order are Asus, GigaByte, ASRock, then comes MSI

Yep that's true, however, personally, I feel EVGA do deserve a mention due to the features they are trying to cram into their boards and their look of the board (all black Z97). You would expect a few stumbles on the way as they try to revive their mobo market, right? Also, EVGA for all other components, imo is very good so I would expect that from motherboard too?

Also, just out of curiosity, why do you rate MSi under AsRock because I have seen many people say MSi are now stepping up their game and AsRock have a infamous reliability? (just wanted your take on this )

 

[gautamgr8]

From the other reviews that i ahve seen and read
ASUS
Gigabyte
Asrock
Msi
Intel
EVGA...Thats how the preference goes
with Asus for high performance enthusiasts
and Gigabyte & msi being the gamers prefered 'go to' mobos

 

[Tradesman1]

Evga only has 7 mobos total on the market (3 -2011 socket, 1 - 1155 socket and 3 - 1150 Socket)....there mobo business has been pretty much dead for a few years now, they have started to try and revive it, but hasn't been going real well.....the Top mobo maker in order are Asus, GigaByte, ASRock, then comes MSI

Yep that's true, however, personally, I feel EVGA do deserve a mention due to the features they are trying to cram into their boards and their look of the board (all black Z97). You would expect a few stumbles on the way as they try to revive their mobo market, right? Also, EVGA for all other components, imo is very good so I would expect that from motherboard too?

Also, just out of curiosity, why do you rate MSi under AsRock because I have seen many people say MSi are now stepping up their game and AsRock have a infamous reliability? (just wanted your take on this )

______________________________

As far as sales they were passed by ASRock back about the end of 2009 by the Rock which has continued to add to their lead...QC issue have been growing as they try gimmick advertising to regain sales - i.e. I get more trouble calls on MSI mobos than any two other manufacturers put together, and rather than a single problem area, they range all over the mobo, i.e. board works fine for a week a month whatever then the PCI slot goes, or a DRAM slot, ethernet port or USB ports die, etc, just not real dependable...Lots of little things that point to poor QC

 

[gautamgr8]

Going with Asrock now...
The Extreme 6 suits the NZXT H440 Blue/Black Special Edition Perfectly
I hope its does well for me

 

[Tradesman1]

Nice mobo, think you'll be pleased w/ it

 

[tambeshakunt]

Going with Asrock now...
The Extreme 6 suits the NZXT H440 Blue/Black Special Edition Perfectly
I hope its does well for me

I love the H440! And yes, you should be pleased with the AsRock.

 

[gautamgr8]

Going with Asrock now...
The Extreme 6 suits the NZXT H440 Blue/Black Special Edition Perfectly
I hope its does well for me

I love the H440! And yes, you should be pleased with the AsRock.

I've chosen my parts

Case: NZXT H440 Black/Blue
Motherboard: Asrock Z97 Extreme 6
CPU: Intel i7-4770k
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i with Corsair SP120 Performance Edition fans
Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB SuperClocked
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) (Blue colour sticks)
MEMORY: Western Digital Black series 2TB
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
Power Supply: Corsair AX860
OS: Windows 8.1 Pro

 

[tambeshakunt]

Going with Asrock now...
The Extreme 6 suits the NZXT H440 Blue/Black Special Edition Perfectly
I hope its does well for me

I love the H440! And yes, you should be pleased with the AsRock.

I've chosen my parts

Case: NZXT H440 Black/Blue
Motherboard: Asrock Z97 Extreme 6
CPU: Intel i7-4770k
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i with Corsair SP120 Performance Edition fans
Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB SuperClocked
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB (2 x 4GB) (Blue colour sticks)
MEMORY: Western Digital Black series 2TB
Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
Power Supply: Corsair AX860
OS: Windows 8.1 Pro

Looks good... how about 840EVO instead of 840 Pro? Its a newer and faster drive.

 

[feelingtheblanks]

EVGA motherboards beat ASRock anytime in any condition. Way better component quality, more complex vrm, no false marketing, no lies (like ASRock repeatedly doing false marketing on their hybrid/analog controller being digital and true phase counts) and so on... There is really not a single reason to buy ASRock over EVGA.

I wouldn't evaluate motherboards based on how much they sell or who sell them. It's just ignorant... You probably can't find Supermicro motherboards everywhere (they are one of the best server suppliers though) but their z97 offering puts biggest manufacturers to shame. Even Chaintech is back in mobo business now with Colorful which will make things interesting in higher-end/enthusiast motherboard market.

So don't think twice, definitely buy EVGA, and stay away from the brands who lie about their products.