In the market for a new mobo...

[jkrueger188]

before i get started: system specs...
I7 2600k currently not oc'd but when im feeling like it i'll oc it to 4.3
Hydro corsair H75 liquid cooler
current gpu is a gtx 680 but i have a gtx 970 coming in a week to replace the 680
1 ssd designated for boot 2 hdd's (one for recording the other for files and games)
16GB (8x2) gskill cas9 2133 mhz
rosewill 800w modular psu
current mobo asus p8p67 deluxe b3 revision
win 7 64 bit

Now that i got that out of the way... I'm in the search for a new mobo. I've been looking around a little myself but don't really know what I'm looking for as I've had my current motherboard for around 3.5 years and haven't been shopping for one since. My current PC color scheme is definitely blue, I'd like to follow that if possible but I've been looking and haven't really seen any good looking blue mobo's either so i'm open to anything really.

Whatever I sell my 680 for is the money ill have for my mobo which should be somewhere around $280, but if need arises I'm willing to pay up to 320 for the mobo if needed (which i don't think will be necessary).

Any help is appreciated

 

[Darkbreeze]

That's an LGA 1155 socket motherboard, which is a dead socket spec. Honestly, there's not a lot worth upgrading to unless you change the cpu as well, which you can easily do and still get a significant performance upgrade from it. Are you in the USA or another country?

 

[Darkbreeze]

These are probably the only ones worth upgrading to, but the money would be much better spent on a newer cpu and board that's at least LGA 1150 if not newer.


http://www.ncixus.com/products/?usaffiliateid=1000031504&sku=61781&vpn=Z68A%2DGD80%20%28B3%29&manufacture=MSI

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2291300&SRCCODE=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc_o=-ddCjC1bELltzywCjC-d2CjCdwwp&utm_source=Linkshare&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=8BacdVP0GFs&AffiliateID=8BacdVP0GFs-SEqlma36n.GCunFWfGMfdw

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054OWTQU/?tag=pcpapi-20

 

[Darkbreeze]

This would probably be worth upgrading to. It would also have no trouble with the card you have coming, at all.:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($225.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $325.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-03 03:07 EDT-0400

 

[jkrueger188]

That's an LGA 1155 socket motherboard, which is a dead socket spec. Honestly, there's not a lot worth upgrading to unless you change the cpu as well, which you can easily do and still get a significant performance upgrade from it. Are you in the USA or another country?

I'm in the US

 

[jkrueger188]

After looking around and hearing your advice you got me sold on upgrading my cpu in addition to the mobo.

I've definitely been looking at the I7 4790k as it has fairly high stock clocks and I'd much rather not deal with overclocking, so this would serve me well in that regard.

As for the motherboard....
I definitely have a soft spot for asus when it comes to motherboards so i've definitely been looking at the ASUS Maximus VII Hero http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-MAXIMUS-VII-HERO-Motherboards/dp/B00K2MASE4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1412350216&sr=8-8&keywords=asus+lga+1150+motherboard
I've also been looking at the ASRock Z87 Extreme 6 http://www.amazon.com/ASRock-Z87-Extreme-Intel-Motherboard/dp/B00D3IKKL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412347337&sr=8-1&keywords=asrock+z87+extreme+6
and a little at the MSI z87 and z97 g45 gaming mobo's http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Motherboard-Motherboards-Z87-G45-GAMING/dp/B00D12OBEU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412348223&sr=8-2&keywords=msi+g45 although i'm not sure how i feel about MSI as i've never had a single piece of msi hardware in my computer...

But that's what i've been looking at so far don't know if any of these are the best way to go but as of right now i'm definitely liking the though of having an I7 4790k combined with the ASUS Maximus VII hero sitting in my PC

 

[Darkbreeze]

The Hero, by miles. Of course, I'm highly partial to ASUS to but that's mainly due to the fact that ASUS remains superior in quality for all intents and purposes. Depending on what you do, the i5-4690k might be a better choice than the i7. It games just as well in most cases and unless you're doing some serious 3d rendering or some folding you probably won't notice the difference between the 4690k and the 4790k much if at all. There is nothing wrong with going with the i7, don't get me wrong, so it's really just a matter of how much you don't mind paying for the difference. The combo would be a sweet addition though and at least get you through the next two weeks before it becomes obsolete. Just kidding.

 

[jkrueger188]

The Hero, by miles. Of course, I'm highly partial to ASUS to but that's mainly due to the fact that ASUS remains superior in quality for all intents and purposes. Depending on what you do, the i5-4690k might be a better choice than the i7. It games just as well in most cases and unless you're doing some serious 3d rendering or some folding you probably won't notice the difference between the 4690k and the 4790k much if at all. There is nothing wrong with going with the i7, don't get me wrong, so it's really just a matter of how much you don't mind paying for the difference. The combo would be a sweet addition though and at least get you through the next two weeks before it becomes obsolete. Just kidding.

I do ALOT of rendering on vegas pro plus alot of gaming and I am definitely willing to spend the extra $$ to get the hero and 4790k so i think that's what I'm gonna go with.

**update**
I just realized theres an ASUS Maximus VI formula... So no I'm wondering if its worth the extra $80 to go for it or just stay with the hero... I feel like there both a great choice but the formula is just better for overclocking as it has built in water cooling ports, which i really wouldn't need.

I feel like i just answered that myself lol but i'll post it anyways...

 

[Darkbreeze]

Go with the Hero. It's the best performing motherboard of 2014 on most comparisons including this one:

http://www.futuremark.com/hardware/mobo