LGA1150, Z97, i7 4790k/i5 4690k First Time Build Please Help

[SpetsnazBeaver]

Hii, my 5 year old HP Pavilion Elite 9290f's MOBO (Pegatron IPMTB-TK) got bricked due to a CPU fan error. Likely, BIOS minimum CPU fan speed was set too low. I used to be able to press F2 to bypass but now it won't even allow me to pass anymore so I decided to build a new PC to upgrade the dated hardware (although a solution to this issue could be useful, I still am leaning more towards using as excuse to upgrade). The old hardware I want to transfer over to the new build is:
- Rosewill Armor Evo case with 6 fans (5x12" and 1x23")
- Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO cooler
- ASUS GTX660-DC2O-2GD5 2GB OC
- Thermaltake TR2 600W PSU
- possibly some memory sticks I could carry over (the HP had 3x2GB and 3x1GB sticks DDR3-1066) though I am open to replace memory completely

My needs:
- Work (I'm a business student) but also a LOT for gaming on a single 1050p 60hz monitor most games maxed out more or less (aa can be downed). Not sure if finance programs like stock market clients are intensive and would benefit from hyperthreading.
- Z97 MOBO since apparently that will still be supported for at least one more cpu gen? Please NO X99, I don't think it's worth the investment for me with 2011-3 CPU and too new DDR4.
- Either i7 4790k or i5 4690k. Both use the same socket so the same MOBO can be used for either one I assume? The only difference other than clocks is apparently hyperthreading which correct me if I'm wrong only really helps with intensive stuff like rendering/mining not games. My HP was an i7 920 rig. Please NO 5820k or other 2011-3, again not worth it for me.
- Min. 8GB DDR3 RAM (all new memory or re using some 2x2GB sticks+ rest new). Please NO DDR4, same reason as before.
- SLI support for future and OCing ability to push as much life as possible.
- Will get an SSD at some point so should I need M.2? Don't care for USB 3.1 since due to no chipset implementation revision MOBOs takes away from PCIe.
- Enough fan headers for most if not all fans.
- Looks don't matter, also note for pricing I'm in Canada.

What I've found:
MOBO
ASUS
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-z97a
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-sabertoothz97mark2
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-maximusviihero

GIGABYTE
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xsoc
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xud5h
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming7

MSI unsuitable due to too few fan headers, as much as Asrock is getting better still don't trust. Feel free to suggest other MOBOs but also please recommend which of these to get.

MEMORY
There is so much choice I don't know where to begin. What would be my best options for memory? Good sticks but not too expensive. Also might need an extra hdd at least 1tb, would appreciate a recommendation for a good not too expensive hdd.

Thanks for the help and sorry for the wall of text, wanted to be detailed.

 

[dark_strike]

This one- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xud5h
Is really good if you don't mind the color scheme. Black yellow is kind of ugly. As for ram. Might I suggest this- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2k4g3d169ds3
or this- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-ble2kit4g3d1608de1tx0
and as far as HDD I am a WD fan- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex
Hope I was able to help.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

This one- https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xud5h
Is really good if you don't mind the color scheme. Black yellow is kind of ugly. As for ram. Might I suggest this- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2k4g3d169ds3
or this- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-ble2kit4g3d1608de1tx0
and as far as HDD I am a WD fan- http://pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex
Hope I was able to help.

Why this MOBO specifically? I don't care about color since the case has a mesh with the 23" fan instead of a window so you can barely see it through the mesh. This one has less fan headers than some of the others I listed and I heard ASUS BIOS is nicer than GIGABYTE? Otherwise it fits every need even with M.2! Why DDR3-1600 and not faster? Is it because benefits above 1600 are minimal? I think I saw a test some time ago with 1-3fps differences at most.. What are these sticks' advantages over cheaper DDR3-1600 sticks even within Crucial? Would you say i7 4790k or i5 4690k? Thanks.

 

[synphul]

Actually the gigabyte ud5h doesn't photograph very well. I was concerned about the 'yellow' color as well but when I got it the color was much nicer. More of a metallic gold, not caution yellow the way it looks from the flash/lighting in photos. I've also heard the asus bios is more friendly although I didn't encounter any issues with either the traditional bios or uefi on the gigabyte boards. Even as someone who tweaks some of the settings, how often is someone really in their bios for it to be a major problem? Most people set the bios and leave it alone. Asus boards are good quality, as are the gigabyte.

For basic tasks and gaming a 4690k should be more than plenty. Save the $100 and put it toward other needed items. I'd recommend getting a new set of ram for the new build. Either ddr3 1600 or ddr3 1866, they're very similar in price.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl8d8gbxm

Just my personal preference, I lean toward gigabyte. Both are good brands but asus seem to be a bit higher priced. Any of those gigabyte boards are solid choices. It comes down to what your preference is for what type of ports, number of ports (usb 2.0, 3.0, sata etc). Almost all z97's have the m.2/sata express option. One of the biggest perks for me that made me go with the ud5h was the dual lan, not being stuck with the qualcomm killer 'gaming' lan. Most prefer intel's gigabit lan as being a more stable option and networking is a must for my personal needs so again, it's whatever features a board has that you prefer. I don't think you'd go wrong with any of those 6 motherboards.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

Actually the gigabyte ud5h doesn't photograph very well. I was concerned about the 'yellow' color as well but when I got it the color was much nicer. More of a metallic gold, not caution yellow the way it looks from the flash/lighting in photos. I've also heard the asus bios is more friendly although I didn't encounter any issues with either the traditional bios or uefi on the gigabyte boards. Even as someone who tweaks some of the settings, how often is someone really in their bios for it to be a major problem? Most people set the bios and leave it alone. Asus boards are good quality, as are the gigabyte.

For basic tasks and gaming a 4690k should be more than plenty. Save the $100 and put it toward other needed items. I'd recommend getting a new set of ram for the new build. Either ddr3 1600 or ddr3 1866, they're very similar in price.
http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl8d8gbxm

Just my personal preference, I lean toward gigabyte. Both are good brands but asus seem to be a bit higher priced. Any of those gigabyte boards are solid choices. It comes down to what your preference is for what type of ports, number of ports (usb 2.0, 3.0, sata etc). Almost all z97's have the m.2/sata express option. One of the biggest perks for me that made me go with the ud5h was the dual lan, not being stuck with the qualcomm killer 'gaming' lan. Most prefer intel's gigabit lan as being a more stable option and networking is a must for my personal needs so again, it's whatever features a board has that you prefer. I don't think you'd go wrong with any of those 6 motherboards.

Is it worth going to crazy ram speeds above 1600 or 1866? I guess the biggest differentiator for me is the fan headers since my case is blinged out with way too much fans (6+cpu).

 

[synphul]

I haven't seen much data showing huge improvements past 1866. Here's a set of benchmarks, I'm sure there are others out there as well.
http://techbuyersguru.com/ramspeedgaming2.php

If you need more headers then the better motherboard would be the one with the adequate number of fan headers. You could also use fan splitter cables to run 2 fans off each motherboard header or a dedicated fan controller. Some people like to just use the motherboard headers, some like the control of a fan controller for adjusting individual fans to balance airflow/noise.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

I haven't seen much data showing huge improvements past 1866. Here's a set of benchmarks, I'm sure there are others out there as well.
http://techbuyersguru.com/ramspeedgaming2.php

If you need more headers then the better motherboard would be the one with the adequate number of fan headers. You could also use fan splitter cables to run 2 fans off each motherboard header or a dedicated fan controller. Some people like to just use the motherboard headers, some like the control of a fan controller for adjusting individual fans to balance airflow/noise.

Alright so haven't decided on mobo yet but I just need to sit down and stare at specs so seems like you've helped all you could there. As for RAM, I am kind of confused as to voltage. Does lower voltage mean higher overclocking overhead because then why are more expensive rams at higher voltage? You discussed RAM speed but what about latency? Is the jump from 11 to 7 big? Heres a list of the ones I've narrowed down by specs/price ratio:

2x8
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f31866c9d16gsr
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c10d16gsr
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c11d16gsr
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-bls2kit8g3d1609ds1s00

2x4
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl9d8gbsr
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl7d8gbxm
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl8d8gbxm
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c10d8gzh
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f317000cl9d8gbsr
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c10d8gsr
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-memory-blt2k4g3d1608et3lx0

 

[DubbleClick]

I'm confused, this does somehow look like an almost exact copy of another thread with questions I already answered.
Didn't know you wanted exact suggestions, I usually give arguments for and against various options so the op can decide for himself.

Anyway, the ud5h is a good board. More features and connectors than any other board in the <$200 range. But really just because a motherboard has such stuff, there is no reason to choose it if a $50 cheaper board has everything you need. The overclocking potential difference will be minimal, if even existing for a 24/7 overclock. Therefore performance is going to be the same too.

As for ram, it does not matter much at all. Getting a 2933 mhz cl13 kit might perform 1% better than a 1866 mhz cl9 kit on average. It doesn't justify the price. Therefore, just get the fastest dual ram kit that doesn't cost extra, but I'd recommend at least 1866mhz cl9. Cl means cas latency, by the way. The lower, the better.


As for the cpu and amount of ram, you did still not mention any cpu or memory heavy application. With gaming being your primary focus, the best thing you can do is going as cheap as possible with cpu, motherboard and ram (2x4gb or 1x8gb do more than suffice) and put the money you're saving to one better gpu, or another gtx 660.

As for fan headers just get a splitter and a manual voltage controller and set them to like 50% rpm. That will stay quiet and cool properly. I see no reason why you would want to control each fan individual. I

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

I'm confused, this does somehow look like an almost exact copy of another thread with questions I already answered.
Didn't know you wanted exact suggestions, I usually give arguments for and against various options so the op can decide for himself.

Anyway, the ud5h is a good board. More features and connectors than any other board in the <$200 range. But really just because a motherboard has such stuff, there is no reason to choose it if a $50 cheaper board has everything you need. The overclocking potential difference will be minimal, if even existing for a 24/7 overclock. Therefore performance is going to be the same too.

As for ram, it does not matter much at all. Getting a 2933 mhz cl13 kit might perform 1% better than a 1866 mhz cl9 kit on average. It doesn't justify the price. Therefore, just get the fastest dual ram kit that doesn't cost extra, but I'd recommend at least 1866mhz cl9. Cl means cas latency, by the way. The lower, the better.


As for the cpu and amount of ram, you did still not mention any cpu or memory heavy application. With gaming being your primary focus, the best thing you can do is going as cheap as possible with cpu, motherboard and ram (2x4gb or 1x8gb do more than suffice) and put the money you're saving to one better gpu, or another gtx 660.

It is a redo of that thread, I decided to make a new one with updated info on mobos and ram I found closer to the top to avoid wasting people's time.

 

[DubbleClick]

I see. If you have any questions left or want more in detail reasoning for my suggestions, let us know. I edited the prior post about fan headers by the way.
To get everything covered, I'll also comment on the bios once more: it's only aesthetics and preference. Speaking generally, no bios is better than another. If you have used an msi bios for 5 years, it will take you half an hour to get used to an asus bios. If you used an asus bios for years and switch to a gigabyte bios, it will take you half an hour to get used to it. The only plus point that could potentially be given here is again the dual bios from gigabyte that lets you mess up one bios flash without destroying the board. But who does that, anyway.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

I see. If you have any questions left or want more in detail reasoning for my suggestions, let us know. I edited the prior post about fan headers by the way.
To get everything covered, I'll also comment on the bios once more: it's only aesthetics and preference. Speaking generally, no bios is better than another. If you have used an msi bios for 5 years, it will take you half an hour to get used to an asus bios. If you used an asus bios for years and switch to a gigabyte bios, it will take you half an hour to get used to it. The only plus point that could potentially be given here is again the dual bios from gigabyte that lets you mess up one bios flash without destroying the board. But who does that, anyway.

Alright narrowing down even further to 3 MOBOs
$$$: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming7
$$: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xsoc VS https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-sabertoothz97mark2
$: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xud5h

SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK2 vs GA-Z97X-SOC which is better. Same price, GBYTE has buttons and faster RAM support while ASUS boasts military grade build and gets rid of PCI legacy in favor of all express. WIll probably go for either the winner or the GA-Z97X-UD5H. Probably i5 (unless I have money to blow for futureproofing). RAM probably a 2x4 from the previous list.

 

[DubbleClick]

Well, choosing something like the https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xsli and putting the saved $80 towards a gpu would definitely give you better results, but if you're set on an upper class motherboard, out of these I'd either look at the ud5h as the best all round board. The sabertooth has less usb ports, one less pcie 3 slot, only one lan controller, no pci slots, no m.2 slot, less sata ports, etc. It would better fit a $20-30 cheaper price.
The soc board is great too and probably the coolest looking option. However, it sacrifices a few connectors for more overclocking features, which is exactly what it's targeting on. If you can live without a horseload of ports (that you most definitely will not use anyway, but they just happen to be there in the $200 price class) you should go for that. Don't let the name lead you to think it does give better overclocking results. It may, if you're using l2n cooling and push the cpu to it's limits to get a screenshot of a super high oc before the pc crashes, but for 24/7 overclocks, you won't notice a difference between either of these board, unless you get the best out of all haswell chips with stunning thermals on super high frequencies and scaling well to voltage. Which won't happen.

Military grade build is a marketing gag, at best. Getting rid of pci legacy in favour of pcie? How does that favour pcie? It is nothing but a missing feature.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

Well, choosing something like the https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xsli and putting the saved $80 towards a gpu would definitely give you better results, but if you're set on an upper class motherboard, out of these I'd either look at the ud5h as the best all round board. The sabertooth has less usb ports, one less pcie 3 slot, only one lan controller, no pci slots, no m.2 slot, less sata ports, etc. It would better fit a $20-30 cheaper price.
The soc board is great too and probably the coolest looking option. However, it sacrifices a few connectors for more overclocking features, which is exactly what it's targeting on. If you can live without a horseload of ports (that you most definitely will not use anyway, but they just happen to be there in the $200 price class) you should go for that. Don't let the name lead you to think it does give better overclocking results. It may, if you're using l2n cooling and push the cpu to it's limits to get a screenshot of a super high oc before the pc crashes, but for 24/7 overclocks, you won't notice a difference between either of these board, unless you get the best out of all haswell chips with stunning thermals on super high frequencies and scaling well to voltage. Which won't happen.

Military grade build is a marketing gag, at best. Getting rid of pci legacy in favour of pcie? How does that favour pcie? It is nothing but a missing feature.

Looking over the GBYTE UD5H and ASUS Z97-A I noticed these have pretty much the same features with the only differences being ASUS' 3rd PCIex16 is PCIE2 instead of GBYTE's PCIE3 and ASUS has 6 SATA ports instead of GBYTE's 8 (not a big deal for me). Given this, the ASUS is $20 cheaper than the GBYTE. Is the price jump for the UDH5 worth it?

 

[DubbleClick]

The asus z97-a is more like the counter part of the z97x-sli. The ud5h is way above that, feature and build wise.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

The asus z97-a is more like the counter part of the z97x-sli. The ud5h is way above that, feature and build wise.

How so? Looking over the spec on udh5 vs z97a I barely see a difference (slight difference in pc and sata). Don't know about build quality but seems near identical in features. Also looking at z97a vs z97xsli the features don't get close to compare. Z97a is by far and away superior to the sli.

This is the current narrowed down list of 2 boards and 8 RAM kits:

$160 Asus Z97-A (M.2, 2 less headers than fans, only hispeed memory optimization button)
$180 Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC (no M.2, enough fan headers for all fans, bunch of OC buttons)

MEMORY
2x8GB
$135 Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3-1600 CAS 9 1.5V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-1866 CAS 9 1.5V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-2133 CAS 10 1.6V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-2400 CAS 11 1.65V

2x4GB
$71 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-1600 CAS 7 1.5V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-1866 CAS 8 1.5V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-2133 CAS 9 1.6V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series DDR3-2400 CAS 10 1.65V

1) Is there even a need to upgrade, can my described issue with the old mobo be solved?

2) Feel free to suggest other MOBOs and RAM.

3) Are the DIMMS I've linked a good price or a bit high? I tried to sample all DIMM speeds and tried to keep down latency.

4) Does lower voltage RAM mean more OC potential (crazy expensive DIMMS seemed to have higher voltage)?

5) I might also need an extra hdd at least 1tb, would appreciate a recommendation for a good not too expensive hdd.

 

[DubbleClick]

Z97X-SLI vs Z97-A

i3/i5/i7 4th gen.
4 Ram slots, 32gb maximum both.
D-Sub, DVI, HDMI vs Displayport, DVI, HDMI - onboard graphics, irrelevant.
ALC1150 vs ALC892 sound chip
Intel I218V vs Intel I218V lan
2x pcie 3.0 vs 2x pcie 3.0
(3x pcie x1 + 2x pci) vs. (1x pcie 2.0 x2 + 2x pcie x1 + 2x pci)
2 way sli/cf vs 2 way sli/cf
6x usb 3.0, 8x usb 2.0 vs 6x usb 3.0, 8x usb 2.0
bios+uefi vs uefi
m.2 + sata-e vs m.2 + sata-e
6x sata 3 vs 4x sata 3
4 vrm phases vs 4 vrm phases (don't let asus fool you, see http://www.overclock.net/t/1490142/z97-vrm-info)
shitton of useless software vs shitton of useless software

I don't see how the z97-a is in any kind above the z97x-sli. The real differences are 2 more sata ports on the sli and 1 pcie3 x1 port vs a pcie2 x2 port. The sli has a better audio chip an an additional bios, while the z97a has a displayport for iGPU (which can't support such data rates anyway).
If at all, the z97x-sli would come slightly ahead of the z97-a with these differences. The udh5 is a whole other story.

 

[DubbleClick]

$160 Asus Z97-A (M.2, 2 less headers than fans, only hispeed memory optimization button)
$180 Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC (no M.2, enough fan headers for all fans, bunch of OC buttons)

Fan headers are irrelevant. There is zero use for them if you don't want to control each fan individually, for which no reason exists. The oc buttons are just as useless for any normal user, though. Where they would show (huge) advantage are oc'ing competitions. But for those, you don't come around a z97x-soc force anyway.

MEMORY
2x8GB
$135 Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3-1600 CAS 9 1.5V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-1866 CAS 9 1.5V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-2133 CAS 10 1.6V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-2400 CAS 11 1.65V

2x4GB
$71 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-1600 CAS 7 1.5V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-1866 CAS 8 1.5V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-2133 CAS 9 1.6V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series DDR3-2400 CAS 10 1.65V

1) Is there even a need to upgrade, can my described issue with the old mobo be solved?

2) Feel free to suggest other MOBOs and RAM.

3) Are the DIMMS I've linked a good price or a bit high? I tried to sample all DIMM speeds and tried to keep down latency.

4) Does lower voltage RAM mean more OC potential (crazy expensive DIMMS seemed to have higher voltage)?

5) I might also need an extra hdd at least 1tb, would appreciate a recommendation for a good not too expensive hdd.

1) As I mentioned, I'd recommend to replace the ram. Don't EVER mix different kinds of ram anyway. And the old ram runs at very low speed, while haswell shows great scaling until 1866 mhz.

2) I already suggested motherboards. On canadian prices (following part picker), the z97x-sli is a no brainer. As for ram, it does absolutely not matter at all, but looking at what's currently the cheapest and best performing I'd choose: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl9d8gbxl. Currently the cheapest 1866mhz cl9 kit.
If you otherwise feel like getting the last 1.5% performance out of the ram for ram reliant applications, have a look at https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c9d8gab.
If you're set at 16gb, https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c10d16gtx seems to be the best choice.

3) Prices seem alright for canada. From the kits you posted, the last one (2400mhz cl10) would be the "best performing" on average.

4) More oc potential? For what, the cpu? No. The ram? Not really. Faster clock speed means higher latency and higher voltage, therefore you don't see 2133+ mhz kits at below 1.6v. The normal voltage for such kits is 1.65v.

5) https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex
64mb cache, 7200rpm, 1tb, cheap. Seems like everything you could potentially want from an internal hdd.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

$160 Asus Z97-A (M.2, 2 less headers than fans, only hispeed memory optimization button)
$180 Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SOC (no M.2, enough fan headers for all fans, bunch of OC buttons)

Fan headers are irrelevant. There is zero use for them if you don't want to control each fan individually, for which no reason exists. The oc buttons are just as useless for any normal user, though. Where they would show (huge) advantage are oc'ing competitions. But for those, you don't come around a z97x-soc force anyway.

MEMORY
2x8GB
$135 Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3-1600 CAS 9 1.5V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-1866 CAS 9 1.5V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-2133 CAS 10 1.6V
$145 G.Skill Sniper Series DDR3-2400 CAS 11 1.65V

2x4GB
$71 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-1600 CAS 7 1.5V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-1866 CAS 8 1.5V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws X Series DDR3-2133 CAS 9 1.6V
$85 G.Skill Ripjaws Z Series DDR3-2400 CAS 10 1.65V

1) Is there even a need to upgrade, can my described issue with the old mobo be solved?

2) Feel free to suggest other MOBOs and RAM.

3) Are the DIMMS I've linked a good price or a bit high? I tried to sample all DIMM speeds and tried to keep down latency.

4) Does lower voltage RAM mean more OC potential (crazy expensive DIMMS seemed to have higher voltage)?

5) I might also need an extra hdd at least 1tb, would appreciate a recommendation for a good not too expensive hdd.

1) As I mentioned, I'd recommend to replace the ram. Don't EVER mix different kinds of ram anyway. And the old ram runs at very low speed, while haswell shows great scaling until 1866 mhz.

2) I already suggested motherboards. On canadian prices (following part picker), the z97x-sli is a no brainer. As for ram, it does absolutely not matter at all, but looking at what's currently the cheapest and best performing I'd choose: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f314900cl9d8gbxl. Currently the cheapest 1866mhz cl9 kit.
If you otherwise feel like getting the last 1.5% performance out of the ram for ram reliant applications, have a look at https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32133c9d8gab.
If you're set at 16gb, https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f32400c10d16gtx seems to be the best choice.

3) Prices seem alright for canada. From the kits you posted, the last one (2400mhz cl10) would be the "best performing" on average.

4) More oc potential? For what, the cpu? No. The ram? Not really. Faster clock speed means higher latency and higher voltage, therefore you don't see 2133+ mhz kits at below 1.6v. The normal voltage for such kits is 1.65v.

5) https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/western-digital-internal-hard-drive-wd10ezex
64mb cache, 7200rpm, 1tb, cheap. Seems like everything you could potentially want from an internal hdd.

Great answers as always. Only thing is how is the UDH5 a whole other story vs the sli and z97-a? Seemed to have similar features.

 

[DubbleClick]

Quick summary of differences:

Killer Lan + Intel Lan vs only intel lan
An additional pcie 3.0 x4 slot, therefore support for 3-way crossfire or alternatively a pcie ssd.
Additional memory controller, 3 more sata3 ports (than the z97x-sli, 5 more than the z97-a)
2 more usb 3.0 ports, by an additional usb controller
tpm header, power button, reset button, clr cmos button, bios switches, voltage measuring points & onboard error display, of which most come in handy when doing advanced overclocking to achieve stability
HUGE bclk overclocking capability (usually around 185mhz on the 1.66x strap or even 120mhz on the 1.0x strap)
8 true vrm phases

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

Quick summary of differences:

Killer Lan + Intel Lan vs only intel lan
An additional pcie 3.0 x4 slot, therefore support for 3-way crossfire or alternatively a pcie ssd.
Additional memory controller, 3 more sata3 ports (than the z97x-sli, 5 more than the z97-a)
2 more usb 3.0 ports, by an additional usb controller
tpm header, power button, reset button, clr cmos button, bios switches, voltage measuring points & onboard error display, of which most come in handy when doing advanced overclocking to achieve stability
HUGE bclk overclocking capability (usually around 185mhz on the 1.66x strap or even 120mhz on the 1.0x strap)
8 true vrm phases

Hmm, I see your point (though I don't care about crossfire, nvidia all the way). The ud5h black edition is cheaper than the regular ud5h atm. Is it better or worse?

Also does msi have any worthwhile offerings?

Finally, what is the difference between the sli and gigabyte's slightly more expensive udh3, gaming 3, gaming 5 and sniper? Seems mostly build quality rather than features?

 

[DubbleClick]

Quick summary of differences:

Killer Lan + Intel Lan vs only intel lan
An additional pcie 3.0 x4 slot, therefore support for 3-way crossfire or alternatively a pcie ssd.
Additional memory controller, 3 more sata3 ports (than the z97x-sli, 5 more than the z97-a)
2 more usb 3.0 ports, by an additional usb controller
tpm header, power button, reset button, clr cmos button, bios switches, voltage measuring points & onboard error display, of which most come in handy when doing advanced overclocking to achieve stability
HUGE bclk overclocking capability (usually around 185mhz on the 1.66x strap or even 120mhz on the 1.0x strap)
8 true vrm phases

Hmm, I see your point (though I don't care about crossfire, nvidia all the way). The ud5h black edition is cheaper than the regular ud5h atm. Is it better or worse?

Also does msi have any worthwhile offerings?

Finally, what is the difference between the sli and gigabyte's slightly more expensive udh3, gaming 3, gaming 5 and sniper? Seems mostly build quality rather than features?

The ud5h-bk is the ud5h, but has a damn nice looking dark black pcb (the pictures don't really get it well) and was tested 160 hours or so to ensure server grade stability. You also get 5 years of warranty instead of the usual 3, so if they're priced similary, the udh5-bk is definitely the way to go.

The ud3h is.... the sli with a pcie3 x4 slot instead of a pcie3 x1 slot. The gaming 3 is very similar too, just more expensive. The gaming 5 is a bit more expensive than the ud5h usually, but doesn't bring anything to the table. Not sure about the sniper.

Msi does usually bring boards to the table, at pcpartpicker canadian prices, there isn't anything interesting, though.
The krait sli is only $95 here, compared to $110 for the z97x-sli, so it might be worth a shot. But when it costs more, no reason to get it.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

Quick summary of differences:

Killer Lan + Intel Lan vs only intel lan
An additional pcie 3.0 x4 slot, therefore support for 3-way crossfire or alternatively a pcie ssd.
Additional memory controller, 3 more sata3 ports (than the z97x-sli, 5 more than the z97-a)
2 more usb 3.0 ports, by an additional usb controller
tpm header, power button, reset button, clr cmos button, bios switches, voltage measuring points & onboard error display, of which most come in handy when doing advanced overclocking to achieve stability
HUGE bclk overclocking capability (usually around 185mhz on the 1.66x strap or even 120mhz on the 1.0x strap)
8 true vrm phases

Hmm, I see your point (though I don't care about crossfire, nvidia all the way). The ud5h black edition is cheaper than the regular ud5h atm. Is it better or worse?

Also does msi have any worthwhile offerings?

Finally, what is the difference between the sli and gigabyte's slightly more expensive udh3, gaming 3, gaming 5 and sniper? Seems mostly build quality rather than features?

The ud5h-bk is the ud5h, but has a damn nice looking dark black pcb (the pictures don't really get it well) and was tested 160 hours or so to ensure server grade stability. You also get 5 years of warranty instead of the usual 3, so if they're priced similary, the udh5-bk is definitely the way to go.

The ud3h is.... the sli with a pcie3 x4 slot instead of a pcie3 x1 slot. The gaming 3 is very similar too, just more expensive. The gaming 5 is a bit more expensive than the ud5h usually, but doesn't bring anything to the table. Not sure about the sniper.

Msi does usually bring boards to the table, at pcpartpicker canadian prices, there isn't anything interesting, though.
The krait sli is only $95 here, compared to $110 for the z97x-sli, so it might be worth a shot. But when it costs more, no reason to get it.

Thought I would replace the psu as well since my thermaltake 600w isn't even 80+ certified. Guaged the PSU requirement and seems even if I go full retard with i7 (I'll probably follow your advice with i5), DDR3-2400, and replace the 660 with sli 970s (I want to get a 970 at some point and sli down the line. Want full dx12 support and 970 is cost efficient for maxed out 1080p even with the 3.5+0.5GB controversy) I would use just under 600W. These are the ones I picked out, all happened to be SeaSonic:

$90 Silverstone Strider Plus 600W 80+ Bronze Modular
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-power-supply-st60fpb
$108 SeaSonic 650W 80+ Gold Semi-Modular
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr650rm
$100 Silverstone Strider Plus 700W 80+ Bronze Modular
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/silverstone-power-supply-st70fpb
$110 SeaSonic EVO Edition 750W 80+ Bronze Modular
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ss750am2

 

[DubbleClick]

Out of those, I'd choose the second one. Or, better yet spend $10-$20 more and get either https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-capstone750 or https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr750rm. Just in case you decide to heavily overclock cpu and both gpu's and to make sure that even your next dual gpu choice (which might take along time haha) gets enough power.

 

[SpetsnazBeaver]

Out of those, I'd choose the second one. Or, better yet spend $10-$20 more and get either https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/rosewill-power-supply-capstone750 or https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr750rm. Just in case you decide to heavily overclock cpu and both gpu's and to make sure that even your next dual gpu choice (which might take along time haha) gets enough power.

Is this 850W worth it over your 2? Thermaltake 850W 80+ Gold Semi-Modular https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/part/thermaltake-power-supply-pstpd0850mpcgus1

 

[DubbleClick]

I'd rather get the SeaSonic or the Capstone, of which I know they're of great quality. But for that subject, you may want to ask somebody else than me.