Asrock Exteme4 vs Asrock Z77M

[Biggles_]

Hello,

I am building a new flight simulator pc and was wondering what mobo to get. Obviously the Extreme4 would be better but the Z77M is $45 cheaper. I will be doing some overclocking up to about 4.5ghz max and no SLI/Crossfire. For the price, which would be the better motherboard?

Build:
Sharkoon T9 Value ATX Midi Tower Red(9Bay,USB3,USB2) $69.00
Antec VP-550P 550W Strictly PSU $69.00
Seagate SATA3 1TB 7200RPM 64mb Cache $74.00
G Skill 8G(2x4G) DDR3 1600Mhz PC12800 RL 9-9-9-24(CL9D-8GBRL) $45.00
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO w Transparent 12cm $36.00
Intel Core i5 3570K LGA1155 CPU 3.4Ghz 6Mb Cache Ivy Bridge $229.00
Gigabyte GK-KM6150 Elegant Multimedia USB KB & Mouse $13.00
Logitech Extreme 3D Pro Joystick $34.50
Samsung SATA Black Internal DVD±RW Drive $18.00
Sapphire HD7850 OC 2G 256Bit GDDR5 PCIE3.0 DVI HDMI 2*MiniDSP $220.00
Asrock Z77-EXTREME4 Z77/4 x DDR3/2 x PCI-E3.0/4 x SATA3/6 x USB3.0/HDMI $134.00
Total : $941.50

Thanks very much!

 

[envy14tpe]

Why do you think you'll reach 4.5GHz on a Z77M? I have the Z77 Pro 3 and the highest I reached with my $110 mobo was 4.4 (2500k) so I'd guess maybe I'd have 4.3ghz with a 3570k. I just think its a little ambitious on a cheaper mobo. I'm happy with 4.4Ghz, but with a Extreme 4 I bet I could hit 4.7/4.8ghz.

All in all I'm sure the Z77M is great for the price. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I'd suggest going with the Z77M and use the extra money to get a SSD. I can't stress enough to people how cheap they are and how much it improves the user's experience.

 

[Biggles_]

So there is less OCing potential on the Z77M? I would love an SSD, though I cannot justify spending that much on decreased boot times and load times. I would much rather put the extra $45 on the GPU.

Anyhow main point: I can overclock more on the Extreme4 than the Z77M? If so why?

Thanks!

 

[envy14tpe]

You will have a higher overclock on a Extreme 4. No one will question this. A cheaper motherboard is cheaper for many reasons, one of them is overclock potential. I missed this when I bought my Pro 3. I thought all motherboards overclock the same, but that IS NOT TRUE. You will achieve a higher overclock on the Extreme 4.

I run my 2500k at 4.4ghz. If I go higher, then my system will fail. So, I leave it at 4.4ghz and move on.

The extreme 4 is a higher quality build and it has a better "power phase design."
The Z77M is 4 + 2
The Extreme 4 is 8 + 4.
This is a huge difference. I can't tell you why, but this is essentially why you can have a higher overclock (stable).

 

[Biggles_]

You will have a higher overclock on a Extreme 4. No one will question this. A cheaper motherboard is cheaper for many reasons, one of them is overclock potential. I missed this when I bought my Pro 3. I thought all motherboards overclock the same, but that IS NOT TRUE. You will achieve a higher overclock on the Extreme 4.

I run my 2500k at 4.4ghz. If I go higher, then my system will fail. So, I leave it at 4.4ghz and move on.

The extreme 4 is a higher quality build and it has a better "power phase design."
The Z77M is 4 + 2
The Extreme 4 is 8 + 4.
This is a huge difference. I can't tell you why, but this is essentially why you can have a higher overclock (stable).

Okay, I understand now. I will go for the Extreme4. Thanks very much for your help!

 

[Biggles_]

Best answer selected by Biggles_.

 

[envy14tpe]

Okay, I understand now. I will go for the Extreme4. Thanks very much for your help!

You won't be disappointed with the Extreme 4. I wish I would have spent the extra $30usd for it.

 

[johntomfun]

Hey i know this is like reviving a dead post, but i was wondering the possible potential of ocing with the asrock z77m. i accidentally ordered on on ebay (thinking i got a good deal ), but now i regret it...

Still how well could it possibly overclock with a 3570k?, could it reach 4ghz or 4.3?

 

[envy14tpe]

Hey pi know this is like reviving a dead post, but i was wondering the possible potential of ocing with the asrock z77m. i accidentally ordered on on ebay (thinking i got a good deal ), but now i regret it...

Still how well could it possibly overclock with a 3570k?, could it reach 4ghz or 4.3?

I think you could reach 4.2 and probably 4.3. You need to read overclocking guides and use trial and error. At first I only had a stable overclock at 4.2 but I wanted higher. I found another guide and it helped me reach 4.4 Be patient and make sure you give it time to be stable.

 

[johntomfun]

I think you could reach 4.2 and probably 4.3. You need to read overclocking guides and use trial and error. At first I only had a stable overclock at 4.2 but I wanted higher. I found another guide and it helped me reach 4.4 Be patient and make sure you give it time to be stable.

Thanks for your response . you dont have to, but do you know any guides on overclocking and can u link them too?
I know nothing about ocing, never done it before. all i know is i need a custom cpu cooler fan-what would be a good affordable one?

 

[envy14tpe]

coolermaster evo. it's not heavy and great cooler.

 

[envy14tpe]

Thanks for your response . you dont have to, but do you know any guides on overclocking and can u link them too?
I know nothing about ocing, never done it before. all i know is i need a custom cpu cooler fan-what would be a good affordable one?

When you install the cooler you need to do so before installing the motherboard into the case.

To find guides...google ...guide overclocking 3570k.
Also, there is no such thing as a definitive guide. So it's best to look at multiple ones and try out different settings. Don't worry, most people never have overclocked before, like me, but it's easy if you take some time to learn.

 

[johntomfun]

Thanks again for your help, im looking it up now.