Problems choosing motherboard for i5/i7

[Perene]

Guys, do you know any MB model suited for i5 4460 (or i7 4770 - preferably this one) that:

1) Don't need to update the BIOS to support the CPU - LGA 1150;
2) Has PCI-Express 3.0;
3) 32 GB/RAM;
4) Cool set of features;
5) Not too small;

A few comments:

2) I don't know how PCI-E 3.0 works but it seems most video cards are PCI-E 3.0 nowadays. Cheaper MBs for i5/i7 don't have PCI-E 3.0.

For example, let's say I get the GTX 650 or the GTX 750 Ti. If my MB doesn't have PCI-E 3.0 what will happen? Should I get a MB with PCI-E 3.0 or that is not absolutelly necessary?

5) Perhaps a real possibility if the MB is cheap. Some MBs are too small and when you install a video card it takes space left for other things. For example, in the past I had a MB called ABIT IP35 PRO used for the Q9450 and also the 8800 GTS 512 MB / Blackmagic Intensity Pro, both using the PCI-E.

When the ABIT broke I purchased the DG41TY from Intel. I could not use both the 8800/Blackmagic and I believe not even the 8800 could fit in this MB.

Recently I found this model for i5/i7, however it's a little expensive for me. It can be bought, but I need your opinion if it's the right model or if I may choose a cheaper one, and if so, which one?

- ASUS Z97M-PLUS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813132130

I am willing to get another one if this isn't the best (or the only best) choice and the conditions I talked about are met.

Please comment, thanks.

P.S.

By features, I mean:

A MB that is not too deprived of features you can use. As in "if I have to choose between A and B, I will get B because it has two more ports or things I could use, and B costs the same as A, so...".

I can't tell the max budget since it's not in US$. The max budget may be what the ASUS Z97M-PLUS costs.

 

[Cerb]

1) Many/most
2) They all do. The CPU provides the PCIe 3.0 lanes.
3) 4 RAM slots, and you have it.
4) What non-cool features are you after?
5) What affect would smaller v. larger have? You link to a MicroATX board, but then want one not too small...

1) But, H97 and Z97 will guarantee support out of the box.

2) The 16x video card slot gets PCIe 3.0, regardless, and other slots get whatever is left. Cheaper ones have the same number as more expensive ones, as far as PCIe 3.0 goes.
What is different is that higher-end boards may be configured to distribute the PCIe 3.0 lanes across more slots, to help with SLI and Crossfire video card configurations, and maybe a few more 2.0 lanes. Outside of multiple GPUs, or wanting wanting many GBs/s from single PCIe 1x or 4x SSDs, it really doesn't matter.

If you might add cards other than the likes of networking or drives, you might want to get a mobo with more physical 16x sots (many cheap ones have 1x16 and the rest 1x, so can't fit 4x, 8x, or 16x cards in other slots).

5 (three, sir!)) Can you elaborate? "Blackmagic" has been used way too much as a trademark for me to know what you're talking about (at first I figured it was the video card branding, FI, since I have had video cards named that).

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I've come around to the view that you can build a pretty good computer on an mATX motherboard, but have yet to purchase an mATX for my own use. I choose them for the fam-damn-ily's other computers.

But I may soon be acquiring an mATX for my "# 1" or "#2" system.

You're saving yourself some frustration of you examine the spec sheets on motherboards of interest, and then compile a list of features you need and don't need. There are some top-end boards -- EATX, ATX, mATX -- all kinds. But the board-makers often have a model-line in the mid-price range with fewer features you may not care to pay for.

And look at some reviews on boards of interest published on sites like xbit-labs, Tech Report, TechPowerUp or Tom's Hardware. Oh. Forgot. First in the list: reviews at the Anandtech site.

Cerb points to chipsets you should look at, although there might be exceptions of good earlier mobos and chipsets (like Z87) with BIOS updates that make them stellar. But you don't want to do BIOS updates, so . . . . Likely, best choice could be Z97. Don't know about price differentials, but I think there might be some between chipsets.

Generally, $126 is not excessive for a good mATX mobo. You may find something for less, but I'm betting on that price point as being well within a distribution across sellers and manufacturers. . . . The board has a small sample of customer reviews, with less than 10% in the "bad egg" category. I've occasionally found good boards that only have 50% 5-egg reviews. For what it's worth, 71% seems promising.