Need Advice on Motherboard

[Nintendo_Gamer]

I'm getting a custom desktop built for me. Does it matter what motherboard I choose?

I'm only getting one video card. It's a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 - 4GB - EVGA Superclocked. So the motherboard only needs a 1x PCLe 16x for the card to work, correct?

One of the specs listed on an available motherboard is: 6x SATA-III 6Gb/s. What is this? Is it something I need to be concerned about?

And what's the deal with the fancy names? Do these hold any meaning? For example, one is called a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 3, while another is called a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5. But they both have the same specs! So what's the difference?

Obviously, I'm a total noob at this. Any and all feedback is welcomed.

Thanks!

 

[Puffnstuff]

The short answer is yes the board matters as it is the heart of your system. Gigabyte is a top board brand along with asus so you won't go wrong there. You have to look at the construction of the board to really see the differences between them. Power phases, cap types, heat sinks and features all matter when choosing a board. Each manufacturer has a web site that you can go to and see detailed information on their products. Of the two boards you mention the gaming 5 is one of their newer models and is the one I'd chose if I had to pick between them. What ever you do stay away from a cheap board and absolutely do not get an evga board.

 

[Nintendo_Gamer]

The short answer is yes the board matters as it is the heart of your system. Gigabyte is a top board brand along with asus so you won't go wrong there. You have to look at the construction of the board to really see the differences between them. Power phases, cap types, heat sinks and features all matter when choosing a board. Each manufacturer has a web site that you can go to and see detailed information on their products. Of the two boards you mention the gaming 5 is one of their newer models and is the one I'd chose if I had to pick between them. What ever you do stay away from a cheap board and absolutely do not get an evga board.

Thank you!