Motherboard Decisions £150 Budget

[dagmike]

Hi all,

I am currently in the process of building my very first PC that is going to be gaming orientated. I am planning on overclocking the i5 2500k to about 4.5 GHz so that needs to be one of the priorities. Also I do plan on SLI/Crossfire (haven't decided which one yet), I would prefer to make it as future proof as possible and it does not matter about Form Factor. I have no preference between brands seeing as this is my first build and I also have no preference over Z68 or P67 Mobos because I am planning to buy my own GPU at the time of purchase so will not need the Z68's extra features. I have done a bit of looking around and have found the following:
(note that I would prefer to use the site www.aria.co.uk)

- MSI Z68A-GD65-G3 Intel Z68 (REV B3) Socket 1155 DDR3 PCI-Express Motherboard
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+Z68+%28B3%29/MSI+Z68A-GD65-G3+Intel+Z68+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=46425

- ASUS Maximus IV GENE-Z Intel Z68 (REV B3) Socket 1155 DDR3 PCI-Express Motherboard
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+Z68+%28B3%29/ASUS+Maximus+IV+GENE-Z+Intel+Z68+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=45383
(I know this is pre-order but I would be willing to wait if it was very good)

- ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 Intel Z68 (REV B3) Socket 1155 DDR3 PCI-Express Motherboard
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+Z68+%28B3%29/ASUS+P8Z68-V%2FGEN3+Intel+Z68+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=47124

- Asrock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 Intel Z68 (REV B3) Socket 1155 DDR3 PCI-Express Motherboard
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+Z68+%28B3%29/Asrock+Z68+Extreme4+Gen3+Intel+Z68+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard?productId=46589

- ASUS Sabertooth Intel P67 (REV B3) Socket 1155 DDR3 PCI-Express Motherboard
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Intel+1155+P67+%28B3%29/ASUS+Sabertooth+Intel+P67+%28REV+B3%29+Socket+1155+DDR3+PCI-Express+Motherboard+?productId=43880

Anymore suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance,
Michael

 

[xtreme5]

asus p8z68 v gen3 is ultimate option.

 

[Manos]

ASUS Maximus IV GENE-Z hands down. Seen reviews on Guru against other top Mobos and was far better than even the ones with a + 100$ pricetag. Actually the fact I saved money from this mobo alone I ended up with the best PC I could within a couple of weeks.

I couldnt be more pleased from a mobo in general, let alone one with that price.

I wouldnt go for other chipset, so for me the Sabertooth wouldnt be an option eitherway. I dont wanna go through why I wouldnt get either of the rest but I will only advice you to NOT get the Gene in case you arent satisfied from the slots it provides to you. Im going to be SLIng my 560 Ti Twin FrozR II by the end of the month tops and getting me a 3D Vision monitor.

Lets just say that I have it all in the Armor A130 by Thermaltake. Mini towers were never an option for me till I bumped into a review for the Gene. The mobo alone helped me create such a beauty.

Go for it!

 

[dagmike]

Okay thanks a lot for the advice, I was a bit dubious of creating a Micro ATX build but after the positive statements you just said I think I might just do that! Thanks a lot!

 

[dagmike]

Fractal Design Define Mini Micro-ATX Chassis
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cases/Micro+ATX/Fractal+Design+Define+Mini+Micro-ATX+Chassis+?productId=45665

Would this case be good, it's one of only 3 Micro ATX cases on the website I would like to buy from and it does come with a USB 3.0 port on the front which is one of the main things I wanted.