motherboard search....

[silicon]

well i have decided to get an Asus MB for my new computer build and the choice has been narrowed to either the H97 or Z97 chipset.

ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

ASUS Z97-PRO LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

ASUS H97M-PLUS LGA 1150 Intel H97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

need a little feedback on these choices. thx.

 

[Blain]

Z97-pro 😉... unless you're using old school PCI cards

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It's pretty simple, if you plan on OCing, go with the Z97 chipset.

 

[silicon]

ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

In exploring the specs of this board a little more closely it syas that iti has 6 sata 3 ports 2 of which are shared by esata.

1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pin)
3 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 6 USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x SATA Express connector: , compatible with 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports
1 x M.2 Socket 3 for M Key, type 2260/2280 devices
1 x TPM header
4 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)

does that mean the sata will plug into the these esata ports? This is an interesting board and I may buy it.

 

[mfenn]

It's nearly impossible to give you good advice on a motherboard pick without any context. What's the purpose of the PC? What's your budget? Where are you located? What other parts do you have? Will you be overclocking?