i7-4790 with H81M motherboard

[notneps]

Is that going to be a problem? I don't plan on overclocking. What issues might I run into? I was going to build on a Z97 board, but since H81M boards are so much cheaper, if I won't have any problems with it I might as well. Other components that might be relevant:

GTX 750 Ti
8GB (2x4GB) of G.Skill RAM
a wireless network adapter card

 

[dwatterworth]

You shouldn't have any issues at all with that combination. With overclocking out of the picture, you're only limiting yourself on supported memory speed and lack of motherboard/chipset raid support along with the usual pared down features of the H81 boards. The CPU should be supported through all bios version as well with the H81 chipset.

 

[notneps]

Thanks! Good to know that I have a much cheaper option. That out of the way, would you actually recommend it? One of the things that's pushing me towards a more modern chipset is that I might want to upgrade memory somewhere down the line, and it would be nice to be able to add two more 4GB sticks instead of swapping the ones I have for a couple of 8GBs. But I can live with that. Other than that, what would be the downsides to the cheap board?

 

[dwatterworth]

The downsides as I see them on the cheaper boards:

1. If you have very demanding workloads that will put the CPU at 100% load for long periods of time (rendering, encoding, hardcore gaming, benchmarks etc etc) then often the cheaper boards don't have the highest option for power delivery as well as heatsinks on those components. It's more a peace of mind thing for me I think.

2. As mentioned before, some connectors etc are left out, so usually less usb slots, less sata connectors, lower quality onboard sound

3. If you plan on adding additional memory in down the line, try to get an exact match for your current memory. If you can't make sure the timings and speed are the same or as close as possible. Even matching part numbers from different packages of memory can sometimes cause errors which then usually require reducing data rate/loosening memory timings to get them compatible. This isn't a common problem, but CAN occur between same part numbers for memory etc.

Other than those things, which aren't a big deal for you I don't think, I believe you will be perfectly happy with the H81 and 4790 combo. If you are running applications that will fully load the cpu, just make sure to keep some airflow (at least a 120mm intake and/or exhaust fan) in the case and over motherboard components for system longevity.