Gigabyte G1 Sniper M5 vs Asus Maximus VI Hero/Gene

[ChizYT]

When my computer is going to be built. I want it to be small, and packs a POWERFUL punch. I'm stuck between these two boards, detailed answers are very helpful.

Current builds:
Case: Fractal Designs Define R4 $149 OR NZXT H440
CPU: Intel Core i7 4770k $399
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i $149
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB $99
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X 2400 mhz 2x8 $209
SSD: Samsung Evo 120gb $109
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 780 Ti Superclocked 3gb $889
PSU: Seasonic X-850 80 plus gold $269
OD: LG 24x SATA $25
Monitor: ASUS VE248H 24in Widescreen LED $189
Monitor: ASUS VE248H 24in Widescreen LED $189
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit $209
Keyboard: Das Keyboard Model S Ultimate Tactile Soft (Cherry Brown) $149
Additional Fans x3: Corsair Air Series SP120 QE Twin pack $117

I really like Audio; so thats already a plus to the G1 Sniper

 

[CraigN]

I have a Maximus VI Hero and the onboard audio on it is pretty great, but definitely doesn't have the switchable OP-AMP that the Sniper does. If that's something you think you would mess with, go for it. If it's something you don't think you'll spend any time tinkering with though, I don't think your ears will notice much difference between the two at stock settings. They're both great boards and I don't think you could go wrong with either purchase, but I would lean towards the ASUS if you plan to overclock later down the road.

The Gene is significantly smaller than the Hero, however, so keep that in mind. The Hero is a full size ATX, the Gene and Sniper are Micro-ATXs. The Gene has the same onboard SupremeFX audio that ships with the Hero, though. It comes pretty close to packing the quality of a dedicated sound card onto an onboard chip, so it's certainly worth considering.

 

[ChizYT]

Hm. Okay then, looks like i'm going with the hero