Advice on a Z97 motherboard

[fourbg]

It's my every two year update/refresh and I think I have all but the motherboard figured out. I was sorry to see mfenn is taking a hiatus but grateful that ken g6 and lehtv are still around - plus any other experts I haven't seen. Anyway, here are the background questions and answers:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for = Primarily office stuff with some, but not much, video and photo editing, streaming and the concessional game

2. Since I have most of the build decided on (see #5 below) I'm looking for motherboard comments and the range would be $75 to $150.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from = USA

4. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

Intel 4690K
Antec Sonata case with 500W psu
Crucial mx100 256 as boot drive
WD Blue 1 TB hard drive
16 GB Gskill memory
Lite on DVD

5. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds = some overclocking but nothing too extreme.

5. To be honest, hadn't considered this.

6. WHEN do you plan to build it? = Within the next couple of weeks

7. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? = No, will update from Win 7 to Win 10 as part of this upgrade.


I know the new Skylark chip and motherboards are out, but I'm a bit old school and would prefer to let the experts in this forum figure things out for me rather than be on the bleeding edge. I'll consider the latest and greatest in two years!

To help get things started I have researched the following motherboards but am not tied to any of them if the wisdom of the group says to go a different direction (they are listed in alphabetical order). To the extent it matters, I'd kinda prefer an ATX, but have used a micro/mini before.

ASRock Extreme 3 or 4
ASRock z97 Pro4
ASRock Fatal1ty z97 Killer
Asus z97 A
Gigabyte GA z97 HD# (rev 2.0)
MSI z97 Gaming 5

Thanks to all who respond!

 

[Yuriman]

I don't think there have been any major issues with Skylake, and can see no reason not to go with it. DDR3 prices will likely start to ride, and DDR4 to fall. Haswell is already 2 years old - are you sure you want to go with Intel's 2013 architecture?

If you do decide to go with Haswell and won't be overclocking, there's not a lot of reason to go with a "K" series chip and a "Z" series chipset. You can probably save $50 by downgrading to a 4690 + H97, or perhaps get a quad core with HT (i7 or Xeon equivalent) + H97 board for the same price as the i5 + Z97.

 

[fourbg]

Fair enough. If I did switch my focus to Skylake, which motherboard would be the best choice? There is not much user experience due to the newness, so is it better to just go with one of the "better" manufacturers?

 

[lehtv]

Fair enough. If I did switch my focus to Skylake, which motherboard would be the best choice? There is not much user experience due to the newness, so is it better to just go with one of the "better" manufacturers?

Locked Skylake i5 processors should be out fairly soon (i5-6600 without the K, for instance), along with B150 and H170 chipset boards. If you don't plan to OC and don't mind waiting a few weeks more, you could save maybe $40-50 here. Otherwise, buy 6600K and a standard no-frills Z170 board with DDR4 support. E.g. Asus Z170-P for light OC capability, Z170 Pro Gaming for higher end voltage regulation and also a better integrated sound. MSI and Gigabyte are both fine too - the main things you'll want are DDR4 support and USB type C.

As for RAM, buy at least DDR4-2400, preferably 2666 or 2800. Skylake seems to benefit quite a lot from fast memory.

 

[Ketchup]

I guess I am a bit confused. You said in the OP that you do a "two year update/refresh," but your are running a CPU that is barely over a year old. So I don't know why others are suggesting a move to Skylake.

Are there features you want that your current motherboard doesn't have?

 

[lehtv]

For some reason I thought he doesn't yet own the 4690K. Or that he does, but just bought it and doesn't yet own a motherboard. In his shoes, I'd be willing to return/sell the 4690K and buy 6600K + Z170 + DDR4, budget allowing.

 

[fourbg]

I don't have a 4690 yet, it was the choice I was making for the CPU in this upgrade. Sorry for the confusion. I have everything but the motherboard and CPU. I thought I'd decided on the CPU until the feedback on this posting. Now I'm re-evaluating.

 

[PliotronX]

So you have the DDR3 already which means I'd stick with the 4690k. It's not like SL is groundbreaking. I have been a fan of ASRock's boards as of late and Asus has never disappointed either so I'd venture in that direction. Save the DDR4 transition for when you go all into a new platform like Skylake-E circa late 2016 or beyond.

 

[fourbg]

Good point, I do in fact have the DDR3 memory. I guess I could resell it if the Skylake cpu is worth the upgrade.

If I don't, any of the referenced ASRock boards or Asus board would make your cut? They all seem to get split reviews on Newegg.

 

[PliotronX]

Those poor reviews may be in having to deal with tech support which may be subpar, I know Asus's is among the industry's worst but they maintain a poise in upper tier boards. MSI is another hit or miss and apparently Gigabytes have been not doing so hot this generation. I have the most experience with ASRock and have never had to contact their support.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

For your needs I'd probably go with a 4590 B85 mobo combo newegg deal and save the $100.- difference

 

[fourbg]

Somehow I missed that Newegg did those combo deals - thank you for pointing them out. I've been watching Microcenter as I know they do CPU/motherboard deals.

I keep hoping there will be a great Labor Day sale!

 

[monkeydelmagico]

If you have a microcenter nearby nobody will beat their CPU prices. The 4590 mentioned above is only $159.- at MC. Grab a Gigabyte GA-H81M-H mobo and you are out the door at around $200.-

If you want an even better rated mobo for a few dollars more order a BIOSTAR H81MHV3 from the egg.

Dont forget to at least take a look at the MC AMD bundles. Better mobo discounts for mid tier build. An 8370e with a ASUS M5A97 is right around $200.- as well. Depending on your workload the 8370e will trade blows with the Intel i5 range.

 

[fourbg]

Thank you to all who have contributed so far. I continue to swing back and forth from Skylake CPU and an i5.

I'm thinking I'll go to the family boss and get permission to upgrade to i5 now with the idea of building a brand new machine next year for me (using skylake)!