Hi people, Im looking for a motherboard that's for gaming. ( OC not required )

[Ephooooo]

As the title states, I am looking for a gaming motherboard and I do not OC my parts or should I say, I dont know how ( hahaha, pardon me for my ignorance ). Please advice me on which model should I get and do explain a little to me why. Im the worst enemy for a technology-guru

Cheers!

P.S games I play are CS:GO, DotA 2, Wildstar.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Budget ?

 

[Ephooooo]

hmm. Not to be boastful but budget is not really the problem but I'm not saying I will splurge 700-1k on just a motherboard itself. If you really want an answer, I guess it would be around 400-600?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Well more money generally just brings you more overclocking abilities.

< $200 - MSI G45 and GD65 ..... $40 cheaper than the Asus equivalents with same feature sets.

< $300 - Asus Maximus Formula *

< $400 - ASUS P9X79 WS

< $500 - Asus Rampage Extreme

Gigabyte also has great equivalent boards but the Asus BIOS is much more advanced IMO.

NOTE: Asus Z87 / Z97 boards are currently afflicted with a BIOS Clock Freeze bug which affects users when triggered by a number of various actions.... Google "Asus BIOS Clock freeze" for more info. A fix was reported for 12 boards on June 11 ... with the rest reportedly forthcoming.

 

[Ephooooo]

I was looking at ASUS AS MAXIMUS VII RANGER with i7-4790 or i7-4771 today and I really like the design but I do not know if it's really worth it as I do not know how to overclock my parts. I've read that MSI z97 Gaming 7 does the same thing as the previous mentioned Motherboard and it's cheaper. What should I do? Any tips on what to look out for in buying a motherboard? ( layman terms please, I get starry eyes with all those techy terms )

Thank you so much, JackNaylorPE.

I've read it here, the last reply -> http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2139639/asus-maximus-vii-ranger-hero.html

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I tend to shy away from new lines .... let the "birthing problems" get worked out and maybe take the plunge the 2nd time thru. MSI's gaming 5, 7, 9 series and Asus' new Ranger etc likely won't be in any of my builds till next series. With Z87 and Z97 ..... the GD65 and the Hero are the major players in the < $200 range.

1. MSI has made a huge push in the market segment starting with the Z77 boards....

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/msi_z87_gd65_gaming/12.htm

MSI has been using components that meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G for some time as part of its Military Class build philosophy. Parts such as Super Ferrite Chokes that run at up to 35 degree Celsius lower temperatures, have a 30% higher current handling capacity, and a 20% improvement in power efficiency; Tantalum filled Hi-C Caps that are are up to 93% efficient; and "Dark Capacitors" that feature Lower ESR and a ten-year lifespan all tied into a PCB with improved temperature and humidity protections as part of the "Military Essentials" package......In the end MSI's Z87-GD65 is a board that comes with an expansive feature set that includes all your basics and the extras that set them apart such as the V-Check points, upper end audio, Dual BIOS ROMs, KIller Network package, Military Class IV package, and a three-year warranty. Couple that with good looks that carry the dragon theme through the board, and you have a winning combination at $189.

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/msi_z87_gd65_gaming_review/15

Now and again a motherboard appears that is so obviously brilliant, and so affordable, that we wonder if anything will be able to top it. For a while that crown was held by the ASUS Sabertooth, both in X58 and then P67 variants. Then MSI stole the crown with the Z77 MPower. Looking at the Z87 GD65 Gaming we think it's going to take something extraordinary to top it, such is the perfect storm of price, performance, features and looks.

The switch to Military Class 4 has given us an extremely ready overclocker too. You're always thermally limited when overclocking and the i7-4770K is one of the most demanding around. Considering the amount of cooling we're using we think that although the GD65 is capable of bringing 5GHz from our i7-4770K you'd need a proper water loop to make the most of it.

Performance is outstanding. The stock results were a particular highlight. We know a lot of people still just like to put their CPU in and go, without overclocking it first. Despite how easy it is these days we know that the fear factor still exists. So you'll be glad to know that the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming really rocks hard even at stock settings. Naturally the overclocking is blistering too, with some OC3D records broken.

MSI have laid the gauntlet down to all the other manufacturers. Gorgeous to look at, blistering performance and all at a very affordable price, the MSI Z87 GD65 Gaming is not only the new benchmark for Z87 motherboards, but probably for all motherboards.

2. The GD65 and the Hero are almost an exact feature for feature match but the GD65 is $40 cheaper.

3. Be aware that a fix is reportedly forthcoming for the "Asus BIOS Clock Freeze Bug"
http://rog.asus.com/forum/showthread.php?33895-Hero-Time-Clock-Problem&highlight=Hero+Freeze

 

[Ephooooo]

Ok. I understand. So, let's say I would take the MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming, which processor do you think I should pair it with? Currently, I am using Gigabyte N670 OC for my graphics card.

 

[shiv51292]

My setup is as follows:

Fractal Design R2 XL ultra tower ( by no means necessary lol but love it) paid $99 on Newegg
ASUS M5A99FX Pro 2.0 mobo ( $115)
AMD FX-6350 CPU ($119)
Patriot Gamer RAM 1600 16GB ($140)
Cooler Master 212 EVO cpu cooler (35)
EVGA 650 bronze ( caught a refurbished one for like 50 bucks but can get many 650 watt PSU for around that)

 

[shiv51292]

this is more than enough for the games ur playing

 

[Ephooooo]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. In the end, I've bought the MSI H97 Gaming 3 as this motherboard is for users that do not OC their parts. As I lived in Singapore, the prices you guys mentioned will differ from the ones here. But still, thanks a lot for the help in helping me make my decision.

Cheers!

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Ok. I understand. So, let's say I would take the MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming, which processor do you think I should pair it with? Currently, I am using Gigabyte N670 OC for my graphics card.

I'd do a Z97 with 4790k (if you can benefit from hyperthreading) or the 4690k if gaming and budget is getting strained.