How much motherboard do I need? (for i7-8700K w/GTX 1080 gaming PC w/factory OC)

[doesnotcompute]

Hello:

I'm embarking on a new gaming system build that'll be pretty standard stuff (i7-8700K, GTX 1080 OC, 16 GB RAM, a few SSDs and HDs, etc.). I know I need a new motherboard and I've been looking at these:

- ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
- GIGABYTE Z370 AORUS Gaming 7
- ASRock Z370 Extreme4

I know the above are top of the line, but I'm wondering if I need that much mobo. All I'm looking for is a stable board with current components (latest USBs, etc.) and a good auto-OC function. I'm not going to tweak the OC beyond wherever auto sets it.

I've gone with ASUS for my last few boards and they've been rock-solid reliable, but I'm open to other brands as well.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[WildCard999]

Any of those would be fine however I'd advise against auto overclocking programs, there generic and every chip overclocks differently so voltage may not need to be as high as what auto will set it too causing higher temps.

 

[doesnotcompute]

Any of those would be fine however I'd advise against auto overclocking programs, there generic and every chip overclocks differently so voltage may not need to be as high as what auto will set it too causing higher temps.

Fair enough — I honestly wasn't even aware that auto-OC functions changed the voltage at all. I have one on my current Asus board that I used and it has functioned flawlessly for years.

Regardless, I'm still wondering whether I really need one of the boards I listed. I realize that all of them will work, but they may be overkill given my intentions, and perhaps there's something that will suit me just as well at a lower cost.

Thanks!

 

[WildCard999]

Well if you've had good luck with Asus and there auto overclocking feature then it may be a good idea to stick with them. I know Asrock's program, from personal experience gives it a little more voltage then needed. The Gigabyte is really good but I know nothing about there auto overclocking features and tbh the Gaming 7 may be more then you really need, the Gaming 5 or Ultra would be enough. It's really going to come down to how many SSD's (SATA/M.2/etc) and HDD's you want to connect, if you want the ability to SLI and how far that auto OC program can push the CPU. But I would recommend looking over this guide for Intel Temps, it has great info on overclocking and testing utilities.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-1800828/intel-temperature-guide.html
By CompuTronix