Recommendation for MB and graphics

[Craig234]

I'm building a new gaming system.

I'd like suggestions for a good MB and graphics card.

The parts I have:

NZXT Phantom 530 case
Corsair XMS 3 16GB RAM
Intel i7-4790k
EVO 212 fan
Samsung EVO 850 500GB
Seasonic M12 II EVO edition 620W PS
Might use SoundblasterX-fi titanium soundcard, not sure.
Cable modem, and router (netgear3300) for Wi-fi
Planned purchase: 3TB or 4TB HDD
Monitor: 65" 1080P; possibly will consider 1440P Dell 34" Ultrawide

There are some feature I don't need in the MB - I don't know what they all are, but I don't plan to use multiple monitors for example.

On the MB, I tend to like to get quality, ease of use, err on the better side but don't overspend pointlessly, futureproof is nice.

The graphics card is not so simple; based on discussions the R9 390 seems like a good pick for use until Pascal, but I'm open to feedback or specific deals.

Some bias for Newegg for these becauase I have $25 AMEX off $200, $25 visa checkout if that's still active, and a $100 gift card to use. But great deal somewhere else - ok.

For the OS - I like Win 7 but 10 is here, I was thinking of shopping for both and get whichever is the better deal since 10 is a free upgrade from 7.

I have a couple MB from a previous thread to consider:

AsRock H97 Pro4
Gigabyte Z97-HD3.

I also saw good reviews for the Asrock extreme6.

 

[Craig234]

nm

 

[maddogchen]

how much are you thinking of spending?

Yeah get the ASRock Z97 Extreme6. Pretty good price on Newegg now with rebate.

 

[Craig234]

how much are you thinking of spending?

Yeah get the ASRock Z97 Extreme6. Pretty good price on Newegg now with rebate.

The right amount For the right combination of value and price. I avoid 'top' stuff usually, I wouldn't have an i7-4790k but got a good deal. But after that, depends on the market.

So, the graphic card is still an open topic (or other opinions on the MB but I'm ok with the extreme6 I guess, I got a little concerned seeing it seems a bit older).

I can wait for a deal on an R9 390 or...

 

[Craig234]

How about the Sapphire Nitro R39 390, currently $335 - $15 rebate? Wait for a better deal? That $35 more than it was a few days ago when they went out of stock.

(I'd get if for $50 less if the Visa checkout discount is still active)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202164

 

[maddogchen]

The right amount For the right combination of value and price. I avoid 'top' stuff usually, I wouldn't have an i7-4790k but got a good deal. But after that, depends on the market.

So, the graphic card is still an open topic (or other opinions on the MB but I'm ok with the extreme6 I guess, I got a little concerned seeing it seems a bit older).

I can wait for a deal on an R9 390 or...

I honestly know little about graphics cards because I don't game that much.
Here's a link I use to see what kind of cards are comparable.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

A MSI GTX970 is going for $269.99 at Newegg after rebate.

 

[Craig234]

The 970 and R9 390 seem like the best picks, with the 390 more expensive but faster and with 8GB. I have no idea between Nvidia and AMD for games nowadays.

Edit: no one is posting. Guess I just cross my fingers then.

 

[Charlie98]

The 970 and R9 390 seem like the best picks, with the 390 more expensive but faster and with 8GB. I have no idea between Nvidia and AMD for games nowadays.

Edit: no one is posting. Guess I just cross my fingers then.

The GTX cards are typically slightly more expensive for the performance you get, but use less energy and, therefor, run cooler.

Certain games run better on certain cards, you would have to list which games you play... but either card would work well enough in any event. I have a GTX970 in my game rig, it's a decent card and plays my rather dated FPS games (MW, COD, BF 3/4, etc) very well.

 

[Craig234]

The GTX cards are typically slightly more expensive for the performance you get, but use less energy and, therefor, run cooler.

Certain games run better on certain cards, you would have to list which games you play... but either card would work well enough in any event. I have a GTX970 in my game rig, it's a decent card and plays my rather dated FPS games (MW, COD, BF 3/4, etc) very well.

For a while now I mainly play Rift and World of Tanks (both years old), but I'd like to be able to play different new games that are had to predict.

I went ahead and ordered the extreme6 MB and the Sapphire R9 390, but I wonder if I'm overspending, and not planning right for Pascal next year, etc. But I did get some info.

 

[Craig234]

Does the Z97 ASrock I got support DDR4? If not should I care? Is the RAM I listed ok (years old waiting to be used) or should I get newer?

 

[Charlie98]

Z97 is DDR3, you have to go to LGA1151 or 2011v3 for DDR4.

Unless you ran over it with your car or something, throw it in and run a little LinX on it to make sure it's OK.

 

[Craig234]

When I say is it ok for a new gaming PC, I don't mean does it work like is it broken, I mean is the DDR4 or another DDR3 RAM enough better to be an issue.

 

[Charlie98]

Ah... I see. RAM is RAM, either it works or it doesn't. If you plan to OC it, that's another story. DDR4 is better than DDR3, but you have to upgrade the entire platform to get to it.

 

[Craig234]

Are there MB options for i7-4790k and DDR4, and how much performance improvement is there from the DDR4 upgrade? Guessing it's not worth the money?

On the otherhand, is DDR4 'the new standard' where it's good to get for 'futureproofing'? I assume DDR4 MBs are backward compatible with DDR3?

 

[maddogchen]

Are there MB options for i7-4790k and DDR4, and how much performance improvement is there from the DDR4 upgrade? Guessing it's not worth the money?

On the otherhand, is DDR4 'the new standard' where it's good to get for 'futureproofing'? I assume DDR4 MBs are backward compatible with DDR3?

There are no 4790k with DDR4 motherboards. And DDR4 is NOT backward compatible, do not try to plug a DDR4 into a DDR3 slot.

You should be fine with DDR3, don't worry!

 

[EliteRetard]

The 4790k is in the top 5 performing consumer CPU's at any price.
16GB of RAM is plenty for now and likely for as long as that PC lasts.
Thus the fact that you have DDR3 and not DDR4 is not an issue.

The other system components all look good. That MOBO you picked may even have better audio than your old soundblaster, I'd guess at least on par.

The only thing that might bite you a bit is the GPU price dropping when new cards come out, thus hurting resale. Probably the only way to do better though would have been to find an "older" 290 4GB at $200...since those have devalued about as far as they will.

 

[Craig234]

Thanks for the replies. FYI by backward compatible I meant if there were MB for i7-4790K and DDR4, then if they could use DDR3 also.

 

[EliteRetard]

Thanks for the replies. FYI by backward compatible I meant if there were MB for i7-4790K and DDR4, then if they could use DDR3 also.

Nope, as was previously mentioned there are no DDR4 MOBOs for 4790k and as I mentioned the 4790k remains in the top of the charts even with its DDR3 only. The fact that you have 16GB DDR3 laying around works out well. You have enough RAM that you likely wont ever need to worry about adding more either.

I don't know the exact kit of RAM you have, but what I found online suggested you had 1600MHz CAS 11. That's not real fast by today's standards, but most of the time it's not going to be more than a couple percent slower. If you had some old 1066MHz or something though that'd be an issue.