Broadwell is late. Go with Haswell, Devil's Canyon or something else?

[Biggiesized]

So, I just paid for a new i7-4790K. I couldn't pass up the $30 savings currently.

How scary is de-lidding for the first time? I hear that Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra is the best stuff to apply between the IHS and die.

Now, I'm trying to sort through Z97 motherboards and I have no idea where to begin. There must be 20 in the $100-200 range.

I'm partial to Gigabyte (used them for a couple of builds), but I'm totally open to using other manufacturers like ASUS and MSI if they provide better value.

What's the most recommended Z97 board these days (under $200)?

I have my eye on some models of RAM, but I'm hoping for some discounts. My plan is to install 2 x 8GB now, and upgrade to 32 GB down the road.

Any idea when the Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 is coming back in stock? That seems to be the best model at the moment.

 

[mfenn]

Your best bet to get good info on de-lidding is to make a thread in CPUs and Overclocking.

For a good value, stacked Z97 motherboard, check out the ASRock Z97 Killer for $115 AR.

Regarding the GPU, I wouldn't worry about trying to find the "best" card becasue overclocking is pretty much limited based on Nvidia's TDP limit. The card runs extremely cool even when OC'ed. The Gigabyte G1 is in stock at Amazon, but it's got a $100 markup, which is not worth it at all. I'd pick up a normal GTX 970 with a dual-fan cooler like this Zotac for $330.

 

[Biggiesized]

For a good value, stacked Z97 motherboard, check out the ASRock Z97 Killer for $115 AR.

I actually spent most of last night researching various Z97 boards and I ended up settling on the ASUS Z97 Sabertooth Mark2 for $165 at Newegg.

PSA: Anyone considering a CPU/Mobo upgrade should consider this board right now. You can get both the i5 Devil's Canyon chip and the motherboard for $100 off when purchased together (total of ~$300).

Regarding the GPU, I wouldn't worry about trying to find the "best" card becasue overclocking is pretty much limited based on Nvidia's TDP limit. The card runs extremely cool even when OC'ed. The Gigabyte G1 is in stock at Amazon, but it's got a $100 markup, which is not worth it at all. I'd pick up a normal GTX 970 with a dual-fan cooler like this Zotac for $330.

Well I read that eVGA really went cheap on its GTX 970 designs with respect to the heatpipes. I hear that MSI and Gigabyte have the best (coolest performing) cards on the market.

 

[mfenn]

I actually spent most of last night researching various Z97 boards and I ended up settling on the ASUS Z97 Sabertooth Mark2 for $165 at Newegg.

PSA: Anyone considering a CPU/Mobo upgrade should consider this board right now. You can get both the i5 Devil's Canyon chip and the motherboard for $100 off when purchased together (total of ~$300).

This combo? Nice find!

 

[Cerb]

What combo? No line then a bad link...

 

[mfenn]

What combo? No line then a bad link...

Sorry about that, fixed!