Recommend passively cooled (probably ASUS) 1151 motherboard?

[bovinda]

I was set on the ASUS TUF Sabretooth Mark 1, but then it looks like it has a fan on it. I definitely want a passively cooled mobo if possible.

It's for a build that will likely run 24/7, mostly for gaming and entertainment, trying to be as quiet as possible, with a 6700K. I may overclock as well. I'll be using a Samsung 950 PRO in the M.2 slot, and two additional mechanical drives in a RAID 1 array. I have one GTX 1080 I'll use, and I don't plan on using SLI in the future. ATX form factor.

These are the mobos I'd been looking at: can anyone confirm these are passive and recommend one for the needs I've described?

ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero
ASUS TUF Sabretooth Mark 1 (definitely has a fan, right? :thumbsdown
ASUS Z170-Pro
Gigabyte G1 Gaming GA-Z170X-Gaming 7

.....
As a side question, how does the sound chip on the ROG series of mobos compare to the Realtek 1150 chip?

.....
Second side question...if I wanted to run two M.2 SSD drives, are there any mobos that would accommodate this? Is there a limitation to this for some reason? It seems most mobos I see only support one of these?

 

[Burpo]

ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero is passively cooled and has ESS audio/features which supports 7.1 surround..

SupremeFX
Big Features:
-ESS ES9023P Sabre DAC
-TI RC4580 2Vrms Driver
-Sonic Sense amplifier
-Nichicon capacitors
-Shielded Audio Processor, Audio Components and I/O Shield
-Isolated Audio PCB
-Gold plated audio jacks
-NEC de-pop relay
-Dedicated clock
-ASUS Sonic Studio II

"Audio is one of the areas where Asus invest heavily in the Maximus VIII Hero. Based around the Realtek ALC 1150 codec, Asus adds an ESS ES9023P DAC, A Texas Instruments R4580 amplifier, an NEC UD2-4 5NU de-pop relay, Nichicon audio capacitors, a dedicated clock, and a cluster of EMI prevention methods.
To compliment that audio hardware, Asus provides a comprehensive software tool to give audio control to the motherboard’s users."

http://www.kitguru.net/components/m...-maximus-viii-hero-z170-motherboard-review/3/

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Actually, I've settled on using the Sabertooth Mark I for various reasons, and I'm eager to tweak and mod the installation with the duct-plate. It needs those 40mm fans to keep the air moving under the duct.

But there should be some fan replacements (Noctua, for instance) which will reduce any noise.

Having just completed a home-made Lexan duct-plate of my own as a sort of "experiment" with a computer that probably doesn't need the extra cooling efficiency, I can see how it can be done without integrating these small fans to the equation.

But that's neither "here nor there," and there are other good boards besides the Mark I.

I'm buying the Mark I for its performance, its phase-power-design, and its price. I wouldn't hesitate to remove the duct if inclined, whether I build my own or simply deploy it like any other board.

 

[Z15CAM]

What's the matter DUCK! Can't get rid of that i7 2700K @ 4.7 on an Asus P8Z68VPro Gen3 and Samsung 840 Pro SSD - LOL

How about boosting her up to 4.8 or 5.2 Ghz ;o)

 

[J3S73R]

Actually, I've settled on using the Sabertooth Mark I for various reasons, and I'm eager to tweak and mod the installation with the duct-plate. It needs those 40mm fans to keep the air moving under the duct.

But there should be some fan replacements (Noctua, for instance) which will reduce any noise.

Having just completed a home-made Lexan duct-plate of my own as a sort of "experiment" with a computer that probably doesn't need the extra cooling efficiency, I can see how it can be done without integrating these small fans to the equation.

But that's neither "here nor there," and there are other good boards besides the Mark I.

I'm buying the Mark I for its performance, its phase-power-design, and its price. I wouldn't hesitate to remove the duct if inclined, whether I build my own or simply deploy it like any other board.

I am almost certain you can just not install the fans. That is how it was with my z77 sabertooth anyways...

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I am almost certain you can just not install the fans. That is how it was with my z77 sabertooth anyways...

You don't want the duct on the Sabertooth without the airflow underneath it. You'd either use the fans provided, replace them with better fans, or mod the duct with your Dremel circular saw, and augment the duct with a "duct-extension" to a second exhaust fan if you can manage it.

But the whole point of that duct plate requires constant airflow between it and the motherboard.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I am almost certain you can just not install the fans. That is how it was with my z77 sabertooth anyways...

You don't want the duct on the Sabertooth without the airflow underneath it. You'd either use the fans provided, replace them with better fans, or mod the duct with your Dremel circular saw, and augment the duct with a "duct-extension" to a second exhaust fan if you can manage it.

But the whole point of that duct plate requires constant airflow between it and the motherboard.

And whoops -- sorry about the double-post. I clicked the "Submit" button once too many.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

What's the matter DUCK! Can't get rid of that i7 2700K @ 4.7 on an Asus P8Z68VPro Gen3 and Samsung 840 Pro SSD - LOL

How about boosting her up to 4.8 or 5.2 Ghz ;o)

I should follow your prescription for enabling PLL Overvoltage and boosting the VCORE to around 1.4.

And I've enabled PLL Overvoltage anyway, after restoring stability to the 2700K.

And why was that? I've just made it more difficult for myself by recently filling all four RAM slots. It requires a bump in the VCORE to restore absolute stability.

But you're right in one respect. There shouldn't be a problem adding another 20mV to the equation.

This latest voltage increase by about 20mV didn't even change load temperatures to speak of.