Best motherboard for GTA-5 and future proofing

[Maho01ae]

Hi all

What is a good gaming motherboard for gaming (GTA-5) and for future proofing?

I bought GTA-5 and my old computer is not up for the job, which I knew was a long shot, so I'm looking for advice in terms of what I should get in terms of hardware. Motherboard is the big question as Rockstar recommend the following hardware for for the game.

Windows 8.1 64bit
Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3,2GHz (4CPUs)
8 GB RAM
NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB


What is required if playing in 4K?

I will greatly appreciate any advice, I intend to put the computer together myself so no need for a pre-assembled computer.

Thanks

Martin

 

[spooky2th]

A better CPU and GPU are needed to play on a 4K monitor. And at least a decent 2x4GB memory kit.

This is a decent MB that won't break the bank plus has both M.2 and sata-express options in case you decide to go that route later on.

GIGABYTE GA-Z97X-SLI
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128714

Pair it with an i5 like this: Intel Core i5-4690K Devil's Canyon Quad-Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117372

Or if you can afford it: Intel Core i7-4790K Devil’s Canyon Quad-Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117369

With the 4790K, you will have a top-dog contender computer system for years to come.

 

[yeskay]

Hi all

What is a good gaming motherboard for gaming (GTA-5) and for future proofing?

I bought GTA-5 and my old computer is not up for the job, which I knew was a long shot, so I'm looking for advice in terms of what I should get in terms of hardware. Motherboard is the big question as Rockstar recommend the following hardware for for the game.

Windows 8.1 64bit
Intel Core i5 3470 @ 3,2GHz (4CPUs)
8 GB RAM
NVIDIA GTX 660 2GB


What is required if playing in 4K?

I will greatly appreciate any advice, I intend to put the computer together myself so no need for a pre-assembled computer.

Thanks

Martin

A Solid 4K Gaming Rig - Complete Build:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($231.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 7 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($138.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($124.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($332.49 @ B&H)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($332.49 @ B&H)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($134.99 @ Mwave)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.79 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer XB280HK 60Hz 28.0" Monitor ($758.96 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($27.87 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Logitech G930 7.1 Channel Headset ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2500.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-23 18:59 EDT-0400

If you're getting only the motherboard, get the same one suggested in this list, which comes with great on-board audio, killer network card, performance & longevity.

Don't take AC:Unity & FC4 into consideration, as they're not well optimized for PC. Check this - Titan X Overclock vs GTX 980/GTX 970 SLI 4K Benchmarks.

On Price to Performance ratio, I would say GTX 970 is nicely placed. But if you're looking for the most available performance, you need to shell out another $350-$450 for that extra 20% performance through either GTX 980 SLI or GTX Titan X.

Cheers!

 

[synphul]

I've seen mixed results but for 4k gaming the gtx 970 could be an issue due to the vram layout of 3.5gb + .5gb. In many cases so far it hasn't shown to be a huge issue but at 4k or across multiple monitors at higher 4k resolutions if a game tries to load more than 3.5gb into vram there could be some stuttering. From what I've read it's not really fps that suffer so horribly but rather frame times which start to lag. Just a bit of caution regarding that since the op mentioned 4k gaming specifically.

From an article on the matter - "Simply put the GTX 970 is only able to fully utilize 3.5GB out of the 4GB of available VRAM optimally. While the card can still access all 4GB of VRAM, the last 0.5GB of memory is not accessed or managed as efficiently as the rest of the available memory. Which leads to the reported performance degradation when an application needs to access more than 3.5GB." .. "As there’s evidence that it has a more perceptual impact on frame time consistency rather than FPS which can be perceived as the stuttering or choppiness reported by Nvidia users on the GeForce forums. Most users should not face this issue except on higher resolutions such as 4K or in the case of multi-monitor gaming. In which case we would actually recommend buying a graphics card with more memory anyway."

Read more: http://wccftech.com/nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-memory-issue-fully-explained/#ixzz3YBGPaqdb

 

[spooky2th]

GTX 650 and higher all support 4K monitors.

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/4k/supported-gpus