Asus Sabertooth z87 or z97?

[KevinPaul06]

I have a multiple questions about those two.

1. Do both chipset works with i5 4670k? I know z87 does but I don't know about z97

2. What is the difference?

3. Which is better?

4. Do you guys happen to know their price differences?


Thanks guys! 😀 Just ask if you want more information.

 

[volcanoscout]

1. Yes, both mobos support that CPU. Z97 needs to have BIOS 0801 or higher.

2. The main differences are that the Z97 supports M.2 and eSATA, and that the Z97 will support the new Broadwell chips when they're released. If you go here, you can select the Z97 Mark 1 and 2, and the Z87 and compare them feature by feature: http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/Intel_Platform_Products/

3. The Z87 is cheaper, the Z97 is more "future proof" - which do you prefer? (For a difference of $22, I'd go for the Z97)

4. Asus SABERTOOTH Z87 $206.98 (SuperBizz)
Asus SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK 1 $228.99 (Newegg)
Asus SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK2 $164.99 (Newegg)

 

[legend001523]

F.Y.I if you plan on getting the sabertooth, you don't need to get the armour edition as it does nothing much to reduce the heat, but it does look good with it on

 

[KevinPaul06]

@volcanoscout

The price of z97 is really confusing. Last time I checked on newegg, the z87 and z97 have the same price >.<. But I guess I can afford extra $22.

I'm having a dilemma on i5 4670k and i5 4690k too.

 

[volcanoscout]

The chip is easy - i5-4690K. It's stock clock is 100MHz higher, which isn't a big deal, but it has better thermal properties (improved TIM) so at clocks below 4.4GHz it'll run much cooler (@10C). You'll still want to get a good cooler, either way.

If you go with the 4690K, you might as well get a Z97 board to match although it will run on a Z87 with a BIOS update. You really ought to take a look at the Hero VII - same performance but cheaper if you don't need the Sabertooth bells and whistles. Do a side-by-side comparison at the Asus website.

If you're not already using it, pcpartpicker is a great site for putting together a build, checking compatibility, and tracking prices. If you register there (it's free), you can open the link below and save it under your own profile, then swap components in and out until you've got a perfect mix.


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DxYXYJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DxYXYJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $399.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

 

[legend001523]

FYI, the hero is not cheaper, it's retail is around 150 pounds whereas the sabertooth is 120

 

[volcanoscout]

FYI, the hero is not cheaper, it's retail is around 150 pounds whereas the sabertooth is 120

Depends on what country you're in and which Sabertooth Mark model you're looking at

 

[legend001523]

FYI, the hero is not cheaper, it's retail is around 150 pounds whereas the sabertooth is 120

Depends on what country you're in and which Sabertooth Mark model you're looking at

The mark 1 is even more expensive and I said pounds so for me in UK it's more expensive

 

[volcanoscout]

I did indeed catch your original reference to pounds, and assumed that you were posting from the UK. It seemed obvious enough that I didn't feel any need to refer to it.

When I said, "Depends on what country...", it was to point out to you that it should have been just as obvious that the prices I was quoting were not from the UK. Here in the U.S., the Hero is $30 less than the Sabertooth MK1. It's still more expensive than the MK2, but IMO is worth the extra cost, while the MK1 is not. The pricing can be verified independently, you don't have to take my word for it.

Anyway, this is all getting off topic and not helping the OP find his solution.

 

[KevinPaul06]

Is the Thermal Armor not really worth it? I don't have a good air flow case and my room is not air-conditioned and I live in Philippines xD. But I guess I'll check the price gap between the two then decide what should I get.

 

[legend001523]

Is the Thermal Armor not really worth it? I don't have a good air flow case and my room is not air-conditioned and I live in Philippines xD. But I guess I'll check the price gap between the two then decide what should I get.

Nope, I've read on forums where people who own the mk 1 don't get any better temps with the thermal armour on, it's just aesthetics

 

[KevinPaul06]

Sadly, both sabertooth z97 and 4690k are not available in my area. Do you think the z87 and 4670k will be fine for the next 3-5 years? I'm kinda worried for the future, like, what if they can no longer perform future softwares or games.

 

[legend001523]

Sadly, both sabertooth z97 and 4690k are not available in my area. Do you think the z87 and 4670k will be fine for the next 3-5 years? I'm kinda worried for the future, like, what if they can no longer perform future softwares or games.

yeah they'll be fine

 

[volcanoscout]

Sadly, both sabertooth z97 and 4690k are not available in my area. Do you think the z87 and 4670k will be fine for the next 3-5 years? I'm kinda worried for the future, like, what if they can no longer perform future softwares or games.

Sorry about that. Yes, both will be fine for that long, probably longer. The 4670K and the 4690K are basically the same chip; the only major difference is the TIM used between the chip and the integrated heat sink. Well, and a 100MHz starting clock speed, but that's not a big deal. The Z97 would have been nice but it's not critical, especially if you're not planning on upgrading your chip in the next year or two.