skylake i5 6600k and i7 6700k are in their 1st stepping (stability can be an issue)?

[yafatana]

safe to buy it now or it.s better to wait for and update skylake cpu with new stepping from intel in 1 month ??

 

[Arachnotronic]

It's safe. Go for it.

 

[yafatana]

thank you
i have onother 3 questions i will be more than happy if you can help me

1-as you said it.s safe to buy it but what if after i bought that cpu (which is expensive in my country ) month later intel released new stepping fixing proplems ??

2-im going with the gigabyte ga z170x ud3 motherboard over the asus z170-a ?
good choice ?

3-last question as you khnow also gigabyte release always new REV for there montherboards
so safe to buy REV1 ????

thank you im so excited to build my new skylake gaming pc
my old pc is 5 years old and it stutter in some games .

 

[ShintaiDK]

Unless anything is reported. All boards etc is working flawless.

 

[Arachnotronic]

yafatana

Happy to help. That's what these forums are for!

(1) Even if this happens (CPU vendors release new steppings often), your CPU should still function properly and with the correct level of performance. If the new stepping fixes something that causes problems with the chip, then I would expect Intel to recall the faulty processors and send you a new one free of charge.

(2) Gigabyte is a good brand, and if the GA 170X UD3 has the features you need and it's cheaper, then I think it's a good buy. If they are the same price, I would go with the ASUS just because I have had very good experiences with ASUS and don't use Gigabyte boards much.

(3) I think you should be just fine buying the first revision.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your new Skylake PC! (By the way, what other parts are you including in your system? Just curious )

 

[Burpo]

With SkyLake I doubt there'll be stepping changes..
And Asus over Gigabyte..

 

[yafatana]

thank.s everyone
also arachnotronic thank you so much .
my skylake build

i7 6700k
i will now go with asus z170-a
cpu cooler noctua NH D15
Sapphire Radeon R9 390 NITRO TRI-X OC 8GB
SUMSUNG 850 EVO 250 GB
1 TB BLUE WESTERN DIGITAL
2 TB GREEN WESTERN DIGITAL
GSKILL F4-3000C15D-16GVR
ZALMAN Z11 NEO
seasonic G650 650 watt

 

[Arachnotronic]

thank.s everyone
also arachnotronic thank you so much .
my skylake build

i7 6700k
i will now go with asus z170-a
cpu cooler noctua NH D15
Sapphire Radeon R9 390 NITRO TRI-X OC 8GB
SUMSUNG 850 EVO 250 GB
1 TB BLUE WESTERN DIGITAL
2 TB GREEN WESTERN DIGITAL
GSKILL F4-3000C15D-16GVR
ZALMAN Z11 NEO

Solid build! Let us know when you've got this system up and running. It should be great :biggrin:

 

[pm]

I wouldn't think that there will be a stepping for Skylake that will fix a functional issue that users would care much about.... although predictions are hard, especially about the future.

I prefer the Asus Z170-A board over the Gigabyte board. Good choice.

I don't think there will be future revisions - beyond BIOS changes - for the Asus board. I think it's safe to buy now.

 

[RussianSensation]

If they are the same price, I would go with the ASUS just because I have had very good experiences with ASUS and don't use Gigabyte boards much.

This is a technical forum. I like the color Red and not Blue, so therefore Red is a better color? You haven't used Gigabyte boards or researched them (and I presume neither on MSI/Asrock) but Asus is the best? OK....

And Asus over Gigabyte..

A lot of depth and thought went into this answer, especially since Gigabyte made superior boards in the past.

I prefer the Asus Z170-A board over the Gigabyte board. Good choice.

That tells the OP absolutely nothing about the boards he is considering other than your own bias/preferences.

Let's get on with it then:

-----------------------

Gigabyte UD3's superior feature set:

1. Superior Audio - ALC 1150 chip vs. Asus' budget/lower tier ALC892 sound chip. This almost assuredly means that the headphone amplifier on the Z170-A is garbage as well. IMO, if going for an Asus board that even tries to compete with the UD3, the Z170 Pro GAMING is better than the Z170-A.

2. I/O features - Gigabyte has 2x Ultra M.2 ports, 3x SATA Express ports and 6X SATA 3 ports.

In contrast to that, Asus has a single M.2 port and if it's used, the only SATA Express port the Asus board has is turned off. That means you can only use one or the other on the Asus while Gigabyte. M.2 RAID is also impossible on the Asus board. The Asus board also has just 4x SATA 3 ports.

3. Gigabyte has dual-BIOS chips which means if one of them fails or if you flash your bios and something goes wrong, you can just fail safe boot from a 2nd bios. Asus doesn't have this feature.

4. Gigabyte has 7x USB 3.0 ports vs. 6x on the Asus. Does it matter for the average user? Probably not but it's there.

5. Gigabyte uses 10K Black Capacitors. There is no indication that the Asus Z170-A uses such premium caps. They generally reserve these premium components for their TUF/ROG motherboards, not the mainstream line-up. Gigabyte also uses 15oz Gold in the socket and 2oz copper in the PCB. All of these might not translate directly to more performance on a % basis, but Gigabyte is without a doubt using more premium components on their $149 board. This is also reinforced by Asus skimping on using last generation's 892 audio codec.

Aesthetically, matte black PCB of the Gigabyte looks better than the black/brown PCB on the Z170A.

Asus Z170-A's superior feature set:

1. DisplayPort + HDMI 1.4 + DVI port mean that one could run a triple monitor connection exclusively over digital connection.

2. Asus's UEFI and its advanced fan header controls are class leading.

3. Asus offers an Advanced RMA program for customers in North America but it has received mixed reviews. When I had to RMA my Asus P67 board, things went smoothly however.

4. Q-Connector makes it easier to connect the case cables to the Asus board than the Gigabyte's colored scheme on the board.

OP, if you are spending $165 or so on the Z170-A, UD3 is a better board overall. The Asus's better competitor to the UD3 is the Z170 Pro Gaming but Gigabyte's $169 GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-Gaming 5 board is better than all of these boards.

I personally think Asus makes excellent ROG boards but most of their mainstream boards are overpriced as they skimp on features and use lower end components compared to MSI, Gigabyte and Asrock. The Z170-A looks completely outclassed when the Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 5 is just $6-7 more. It's downright ridiculous when comparing feature sets and high-end components chosen on the Gigabyte.

OP, read some reviews online for yourself to compare specs/features you need and component choices. Don't just listen to some remember person who has only bought Asus boards for 10 years. Personally, I would never buy a $160 board with an ALC892 codec in 2015 and a board that costs $160 but has only a single M.2 connector/SATA Express port (i.e., why as consumers are we asked to pay so much more for Asus's basic boards, when boards from MSI/Asrock/Gigabyte have such a superior feature set / components at this same price level?). If you really love Asus's UEFI and it's worth it, sure go for it but at least consider the Asus Z170 PRO Gaming then.

thank you im so excited to build my new skylake gaming pc
my old pc is 5 years old and it stutter in some games .

Let us know what your other system components will be such as the GPU choice, monitor resolution, PSU, etc. Also, how long do you intend to keep this system without upgrading the CPU -- 3 years or 5-6 years?

This matters because if you are considering a Core i7 6700K system with a GTX960, it's probably way better to get a Core i5 6600K and a GTX970/R9 390 instead. However, if you intend to upgrade the GPU 2-3 times over the course of 5-6 years while keeping the same platform intact, it could make more sense to spend extra on the CPU at the expense of a weaker GPU. It just depends what your goals and upgrade paths are. Let us know and we can advise you.

 

[Hugo Drax]

not worth it for a 15% jump in performance if your upgrading from haswell.

 

[LTC8K6]

The gigabyte board has Alpine Ridge, right?

 

[yafatana]

to RussianSensation
hello and thanks for your answer

i khnow that gigabyte ud3 is also a very good board

but what i hate about gigabyte boards
is now you buy the ud3 board month or 3 months later
they upgrade the same board to REV1.1 and you stuck with your 1 REV
ASUS AS FAR AS I KHNOW DONT DO THAT .

my build
i7 6700k
cpu cooler noctua NH D15
Sapphire Radeon R9 390 NITRO TRI-X OC 8GB
SUMSUNG 850 EVO 250 GB
1 TB BLUE WESTERN DIGITAL
2 TB GREEN WESTERN DIGITAL
GSKILL F4-3000C15D-16GVR
ZALMAN Z11 NEO
seasonic G650 650 watt

i want the system to last 4 to 5 years
the GPU FOR SURE I WILL UPRADE IT EVERY 2 YEARS .

 

[LTC8K6]

http://www.legitreviews.com/gigabyte-100-series-boards-feature-intel-usb-3-1-controller_165142

Alpine Ridge is supposed to be a much better controller than the Asmedia used on the Asus boards.

 

[ShintaiDK]

http://www.legitreviews.com/gigabyte-100-series-boards-feature-intel-usb-3-1-controller_165142

Alpine Ridge is supposed to be a much better controller than the Asmedia used on the Asus boards.

The bar was also set pretty low wasnt it?

* > Asmedia

 

[Burpo]

Gigabyte Turbo B-Clock..
" With the new linear range adjustment option of the Tuning IC, ranges from 90MHz to 200MHz are now possible"


ASUS PRO CLOCK TECHNOLOGY
"A dedicated base-clock (BCLK) generator designed for 6th-generation Intel® processors that allows overclocked base clock frequencies up to 400MHz*. This custom solution works in tandem with the ASUS Turbo Processor Unit (TPU), to enhance voltage and base-clock overclocking control."

For $239 is the board I'd consider..
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/MAXIMUS-VIII-RANGER/

 

[Hugo Drax]

Anyone know when ASUS is going to release the MB with Tube finals for the preamp section? I heard is 2nd quarter 2016.

 

[RussianSensation]

Gigabyte Turbo B-Clock..
" With the new linear range adjustment option of the Tuning IC, ranges from 90MHz to 200MHz are now possible"


ASUS PRO CLOCK TECHNOLOGY
"A dedicated base-clock (BCLK) generator designed for 6th-generation Intel® processors that allows overclocked base clock frequencies up to 400MHz*. This custom solution works in tandem with the ASUS Turbo Processor Unit (TPU), to enhance voltage and base-clock overclocking control."

Really? That's your argument for going with an Asus board?

Ok, we can play the BCLK numbers game all day. Asrock Z170 boards can do 650Mhz.

Can you provide a benchmark that shows that running an overclock with 400-650Mhz BCLK improves performance vs. stock-200Mhz?

For $239 is the board I'd consider..
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/MAXIMUS-VIII-RANGER/

And what makes this board worth $50-70 over Gigabyte Gaming 5 or $190 GIGABYTE GA-Z170X-UD5 or Asrock's Extreme 6? Extreme 6 costs $180 and has 60A power chokes, 12K Platinum caps, great sound, etc.

I think he would be better off buying a $150-170 board and putting the difference moving from a 250GB to a 500GB Samsung 850 SSD OR saving it towards a future GPU upgrade.

to RussianSensation
hello and thanks for your answer

i khnow that gigabyte ud3 is also a very good board

but what i hate about gigabyte boards
is now you buy the ud3 board month or 3 months later
they upgrade the same board to REV1.1 and you stuck with your 1 REV
ASUS AS FAR AS I KHNOW DONT DO THAT .

It's better to have Revision 1 of a higher end board stacked with features than an overpriced Asus board of any revision that lacks features and has a premium price based mostly due to brand/marketing. Granted, there haven't been enough user feedback on any of the Z170 boards so it's hard to say at this point which boards/revisions have any peculiar quirks. That means no matter which board you go with, you are going to be playing the Z170 chipset early adopter lottery. But if I had to play that lottery, I'd much rather choose a board with premium components and better sound. Asus Z170-A isn't that board.

SUMSUNG 850 EVO 250 GB

I would personally spend a bit more and bump it to the 500GB version. Your games/programs will enjoy the larger SSD.

GSKILL F4-3000C15D-16GVR

You could save $15 by going with this kit. It has slightly looser timings but the $15 is better used towards a 500GB SSD or a better mobo or PSU.

seasonic G650 650 watt

Is this PSU the $85 one? It's not modular.

Notice above I said save $15 on the RAM kit with slightly lower timings and use it towards another component that's more important. Instead of getting that $85 PSU, get a $100-105 one from any of these:

$105 EVGA 220-G2-0750-XR 80 PLUS GOLD 750 W 10 yr Warranty ECO Mode Fully Modular NVIDIA SLI Ready and Crossfire Support


^10 year warranty, incredible reviews from users and 9.8/10 from Johnny Guru. That means for the next 10 years you have a peace of mind about a PSU at all and just carry it over for future builds. Just make sure to register for warranty within a certain amount of days (I believe 28-30) after purchase.

This unit is also better than the SeaSonic you were eyeing.
$105 SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold ((SS-650KM Active PFC F3)) 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD

The case you picked is a personal choice so I won't argue there. Just something to think about if you later on decide you are interested in water-cooling or would like to reuse your case, the Fractal Design S is a solid $100 case. As you get older this case will still stay classy but you'll find the Zalman case "out of style."

I also like the NZXT H440 or Phanteks “ Enthoo Pro Series “ PH-ES614P_BK Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case

But of course a case is a personal statement so you choose.

P.S. Not sure about some of those HDDs you chose. Depending on the price, I'd probably ditch one of those and just grab a $130 5TB external. For example, the 2TB green drive which I presume you will use for movies/pictures/etc. is $79 but for $130 you get the external drive that's close to 2.5X the size for 64% higher cost. Also, the external drive you can use for a gaming console, and it's easier to resell.

If you want to save some $ on the videocard and are interested in the MGS V game, here is an Asus Strix 970 for $290. The Sapphire 390 costs $330 but has a shorter 2-year-warranty and performance should be very similar. In this instance I would say the Asus Strix 970 offers better value especially since you get a free game too.

 

[Arachnotronic]

This is a technical forum. I like the color Red and not Blue, so therefore Red is a better color? You haven't used Gigabyte boards or researched them (and I presume neither on MSI/Asrock) but Asus is the best? OK....

Nowhere in my post did I say "ASUS is the best." I merely said that I have had very good experiences using ASUS boards and that if it were ME in the OP's situation, I would choose an ASUS board (and I did when I built my Skylake systems).

If you want to argue that another board has better specifications or is a better value on paper, then that's totally cool with me -- I enjoy reading this stuff

However, my perspective (for whatever it's worth -- I'm just some guy on a computer hardware forum) is that these Z170 boards are all basically really good and will do the job nicely, so I am inclined to suggest the brand that I have the most (positive) experience with.

 

[guskline]

BTW Arachnotronic really nice rig. Especially like your choice of monitor!

 

[Burpo]

Asus boards can do 650Mhz also. I stated MY preference & the board I would "consider". After being in the business for 32 yrs. I'm allowed to state MY preference, no arguments, no justifications, just MY opinion. After having over 1000 motherboards go through my hands, MY choice is Asus.

 

[Arachnotronic]

BTW Arachnotronic really nice rig. Especially like your choice of monitor!

Thanks! The BL3200PT is really an awesome "all around" monitor for both work and gaming.

 

[escrow4]

Asus boards can do 650Mhz also. I stated MY preference & the board I would "consider". After being in the business for 32 yrs. I'm allowed to state MY preference, no arguments, no justifications, just MY opinion. After having over 1000 motherboards go through my hands, MY choice is Asus.

And I'd say Asus is all brand. You are paying for the name. Like Porsche. Asrock will do it cheaper and as good if not better. And ALC 892 on any decently priced Z170 board is ridiculous. It ain't H110 or B150.

 

[Burpo]

Didn't anybody click the link I posted? It is NOT ALC 892 audio.

http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/MAXIMUS-VIII-RANGER/

Buy what YOU want. That's still the board I prefer. It was around $200 in the NewEgg Combo..
Now out of stock. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2466098