Motherboard Confusion and (Lack of?) Availability

[Snarf77]

My dell xps8300 motherboard went up but I'm pretty sure my i7-2600 will still work for a couple years of mixed use (media, light gaming, internet). The more i read the more confused I get, and half the threads I find list motherboards that are no longer available, or are nearly $200. My budget is $75-100 and I will never upgrade the chip on this board.

Things I know I need:
LGA1155
4 memory slots preferred so I can use current memory sticks
One graphics card slot
Ability to run one SSD + one 3.5 HD.

Things I'm not so sure about:
Form factor - ATX vx mATX (do i care?)
Chipset - Z77, H67, etc. Not sure what they do for me. I wouldn't mind a non-K overclock to 3.8, but unsure cost/benefit.

Leaning towards:

ASROCK z75 Pro3 - $85 on newegg. A few bad reviews, failures, DOAs, but still Tom's HW recommended and in my budget. Does the Non-K OC. Is this ok, or is there better for a bit more $$ or equivalent for less $$?

 

[glamdringfh]

Hi Snarf,

1) Form factor is really only important if you are building inside a tiny case. A standard ATX motherboard should suit you just fine.

2) Chipset is a reference to a type of motherboard model/ processor socket. For example, the z75 Pro uses the Z75 chipset, which has the socket size H2 and is compatible with Intel CPU's in the 1155 family.

Edit: The 'K' specification for overclocking is for the CPU, not motherboards. While some motherboards are built to make OC'ing easier, unless your CPU is a 'K' model it isn't made to be OC'd.

3) I think you would be fine with the z75 Pro, though someone else might be able to chime in for a better mobo.