Z97 Mobo. EVGA or ASUS?

[Eli Little]

I am currently building a new PC, and am looking for the best Z97 Mobo. Here are the current specs-

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dWFnyc
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/dWFnyc/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($339.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Trident X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($464.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H440 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G2 1300W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1192.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-07-26 03:02 EDT-0400

I was wondering which board I should get between the ASUS Maximus VII Hero or the EVGA Z97 FTW. I was going to get the ASUS VII Hero and was about to order the parts, but then I noticed an amazing -$80 combo with the i7-4790K, which would equal about $150 savings on just that combo from the current EVGA sale.

What do you guys think? The EVGA Z97 FTW is actually more expensive, but is $50 off from the EVGA sale (15th Anniversary).

 

[byza]

Can't go wrong with either of those motherboards. Are you planning on adding a second 780?

 

[unknownofprob]

Asus make the best Haswell boards around, go for an Asus Z97 motherboard for sure.

Get the VII Hero!

 

[legend001523]

Go for Hero for sure

 

[Eli Little]

Can't go wrong with either of those motherboards. Are you planning on adding a second 780?

Yes I was planning on getting a second 780 and adding a custom watercooling loop for heavy OC, hence what seems like a very overkill PSU in the current system.

 

[drumminandstuff93]

I'd suggest the VII Hero.

 

[byza]

Sounds awesome.

 

[unknownofprob]

Can't go wrong with either of those motherboards. Are you planning on adding a second 780?

Yes I was planning on getting a second 780 and adding a custom watercooling loop for heavy OC, hence what seems like a very overkill PSU in the current system.

get the Hero, will suit you best.

780 SLI will be in X8/X8 configuration, which is what you want.

 

[Eli Little]

Asus make the best Haswell boards around, go for an Asus Z97 motherboard for sure.

Get the VII Hero!

I was going to get the Hero originally, but the EVGA deal seemed like a no-brainer. I trust you based on your stats, but the ASUS is better even if the EVGA seems just as high-end for basically $85 because of the sale? See-

EVGA Z97 FTW- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188159
ASUS Z97 Maximus VII Hero- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132125&cm_re=ASUS_Hero-_-13-132-125-_-Product

I had trouble trusting EVGA with Mobos at first (not much experience, unlike ASUS), but the 5-Egg reviews seemed legit.

 

[unknownofprob]

The EVGA only has two reviews, compared to the Hero's 49.

That EVGA is a good board, and the boards in what your looking at doing won't make much of a difference compared to the Asus, The ROG's are overpriced for what you pay for, but that's just because their covered in bling and has a few ROG labels. If you much prefer one board, go for that one, both are excellent, but the Asus for many is there personal choice.

 

[Eli Little]

Trust me, if that -140 combo didnt exist, I would snag the ASUS, and I like its asthetics better, but 90 USD for a 200 USD mobo seems like a steal. Getting your first job at 17 makes it a bit more difficult to allocate funds. (School>Job). I am still reluctant to get a i7-4790K over a i5-4690K for an extra 100 USD cost. Wish i5s had hyperthreading.

 

[byza]

If you're willing to sacrifice overclocking you could get an Xeon E3-1230 V3 which is like an i7 without the intergraded gpu and not unlocked for overclocking.

 

[unknownofprob]

Trust me, if that -140 combo didnt exist, I would snag the ASUS, and I like its asthetics better, but 90 USD for a 200 USD mobo seems like a steal. Getting your first job at 17 makes it a bit more difficult to allocate funds. (School>Job). I am still reluctant to get a i7-4790K over a i5-4690K for an extra 100 USD cost. Wish i5s had hyperthreading.

for the price difference, the EVGA is far better value, In your position the EVGA may be your best choice, and it will not disappoint. For 90 USD, you can't go wrong, and nor should you be ashamed going for that board over the Asus. I am not trying to persuade you to go for the Asus, I want what is best for you.

 

[Eli Little]

I will prolly get the EVGA. The EVGA board with the combo allows me to get the i7-4790K, Z97 Mobo, Trident X RAM, and H440 case for $709, compared to $740 with the i5-4690K instead.

 

[AznGOD]

You should get an ASUS mobo, you can squeeze out a higher overclock with it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132116

OR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132125&cm_re=z97_maximus-_-13-132-125-_-Product

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

ASUS

 

[Eli Little]

I think I have decided to get the ASUS instead. One more thing though. Would it be better to get the ASUS maximus VII, the Z97-A, or the Z97-Pro?

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

All great choices , I like the A and Hero.

 

[Eli Little]

I would pick up the ASUS Z-97-A with the -$20 combo with the i7-4790K, but the black and gold asthetic kind of puts me off. No red version?

 

[drumminandstuff93]

I think the red motherboards are kind of reserved for their ROG lineup.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Get the HERO if you want red . I'm not a fan of the gold type colors either

 

[Eli Little]

I have decided to go ahead and get the ASUS Hero. I also decided to get the i5-4690K also, since it performs basically eaxctly the same when it comes to gaming, but costs $100 less, which should allow me to get a second 780 once I receive my last paycheck for my Summer Job, thanks for your help.

 

[drumminandstuff93]

Solid choices if you ask me.