Motherboard tier list: Z97 chipset

[MeteorsRaining]

RLCCM, Thanks!

Asus is quite well known for solid motherboards, thus satisfying the 'durable and stable' criteria. Unless you're an audiophile, the integrated sound will not make any difference either. Both are great for OCing, you just get a couple ROG tweaks with the Pro gamer, but that doesn't add up to better performance right away.

By all means, Z97 AR will be a better value/money, since the price difference is a bit too much, and Pro Gamer isn't incredibly better either. I would also consider getting a PSU from XFX/ EVGA/ SeaSonic/ Corsair/ Antec, preferably from Tier 2 or higher, but that's the discussion for the PSU Tier list

DK_VASHER,

I'd go with the cheaper board, they're in the same tier for a reason.

 

[DK_VASHER]

Managed to get a deal on MSI gaming 5 109 euros with postage included.
Thanks for all your help.

 

[MeteorsRaining]

No worries, glad to help

 

[RLCCM]

Thanks very much for the tip MeteorsRaining, just one more question to pick your expertise - when it comes to the caps and VRM - are these something that generally benefit over-clockers only, or would they say 7-8 years down the line help to ensure a system that is still fast and stable? I know components slowly degrade over time - so would the extra phases in the pro-gamer and better caps actually extend the useable (i.e. without pulling hair out over slowness) life of the machine, if that's the case then I think the extra 22chf ($24) would be money well spent - not for its near future, but when it's 5-8 years down the line and starting to feel its age (the current problem of my 7ish year old E8500)!

Thanks again

 

[MeteorsRaining]

I wouldn't exactly say yes, 5k caps and 4+1 hybrid/ digital power phases are usually good for quite a long time. If your system is overclocked, to a serious level, then the high quality components may help ensuring stable power. I can compare them to CPU coolers, the stock cooler is generally good as long as you don't OC, whereas an af cooler will help with temps and thus ensure overall stability in OCed builds. Again, I wouldn't bother with spending too much if OCing is not the criteria. The basic stuff will do just fine, longer than you'd want to keep the system

 

[RLCCM]

Right, AR it is then! Thanks hugely for clarifying all, keep up the impressive work!

 

[cloudstrife465]

thanks to u guys i went with the gigabyte z97x gaming 7

 

[MeteorsRaining]

No worries guys

 

[Drgoku]

Looking for a solid matx board. I have narrowed it down to z97m oc formula vs mx gaming 5. My preferences are (1)long life, (2) high oc 4.8 on 4790k 2400 ram, (3) feature set- sli plus space for WiFi card and sound card strictly in that order. I was rooting for mx gaming 5 until I saw your post. Is the M oc formula so much better? It has only 1 year warranty against the 3 years of mx gaming 5. And I have positive experience with gigabyte. I don't mind switching. Just need some confirmation.

 

[sylvari]

How come that the Gigabyte Z97x Gaming 5 is on a higher tier than the MSI Z97 Gaming 5? The MSI MoBo earned more awards than the GA. Just asking tho.

 

[iwillruinyou]

Great list, MeteorsRaining! I would really appreciate if someone could help me decide between Asus Z97 PRO GAMER (144.53 EUR) and MSI Z97 Gaming 5 (146.32 EUR). Both seem to be great boards, however, I have seen some people mention that PRO GAMER has some better quality components and that it does NOT use the Killer LAN which is apparently considered a good thing according to most users around here. Taking this into account, I am kinda leaning towards Asus, but I would welcome some new ideas with regards to why I should or should not go for PRO GAMING.

 

[zeyuanfu]

The Pro Gamer would me my choice here because:
-It has SupremeFX audio, vs Realtek in the MSI board
-It uses Intel LAN, which is hardware based, compared to Killer LAN, which is software-based. If your Killer NIC software crashes, then you might probably experience a speed slowdown
-It's a bit cheaper

 

[sylvari]

ASUS Maximus VII Ranger or MSI Z97 Gaming 5?

 

[iwillruinyou]

The Pro Gamer would me my choice here because:
-It has SupremeFX audio, vs Realtek in the MSI board
-It uses Intel LAN, which is hardware based, compared to Killer LAN, which is software-based. If your Killer NIC software crashes, then you might probably experience a speed slowdown
-It's a bit cheaper

Thanks, zeyuanfu! I am pretty sure this is what I wanted to hear all along.

 

[zeyuanfu]

No problem

 

[PigFreak]

One question. I'm building a new PC and I need a new MOBO. I've been looking at the ASUS Maximus VII Hero or the Gigabyte Gaming GT. I can get them for the same price. Which one do you recommend? I'm really torn between those 2!

 

[MarkW]

A nice addition to this would be to list which motherboards are E-ATX, and which ones allow for triple spaced SLI and Crossfire. I've spent a good portion of the morning today trying to track down motherboards that fit into both of these categories. Finally found 2 that do triple slot spacing. One was ATX and the other was E-ATX. Both are Z97 boards from Asus. The Z97-E (E-ATX) and the Maximus Vii Ranger (ATX).

 

[Melodyazzz]

Hey you guys, thanks for this thread it helps me a lot narrowing down to 5 types :
Gigabyte z97x UD5H BK
Gigabyte z97x Gaming 7
Asus Pro Gamer
Asus Maximus Vii Ranger (no sata e)
Asus Sabertooth Mark 2 (no m.2, no sata e)

This is my 1st build and i dont think im going oc.

Pro gamer is cheaper than the rest and support m.2 and sata e. I wonder why its 1 tier lower.
Mark2 has TUF, but is it ok to choose based on this sturdiness ?
How is the possibility on using m.2 or sata express? can this be a deciding factor?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[zeyuanfu]

If you're not going to overclock:

-But you're planning to SLI or Crossfire: The Pro Gamer would be my choice since it's the cheapest and has cool features like SupremeFX.

-And you're not going to SLI or Crossfire: Get an H97 board since you won't be using the Z97 board's extra capabilities. The cheapest board from a good company should be perfect.

 

[zerael]

I'm getting a new build with i5 4690k, which I intend to OC, and wonder whether there is any quality difference between MSI Gaming 3 and 5. I will stick to single GPU setup, so no need for the SLI/CF support. Is 3 built with lower quality components or is it just the multi GPU support difference?

 

[convertedconsolegamer_92]

I'm getting a new build with i5 4690k, which I intend to OC, and wonder whether there is any quality difference between MSI Gaming 3 and 5. I will stick to single GPU setup, so no need for the SLI/CF support. Is 3 built with lower quality components or is it just the multi GPU support difference?

MSI Gaming 3 only has a 6 phase VRM and it's analog. The Gaming 5 has 8 phase and fully digital. You can overclock on the gaming 3, but personally I would go with an 8 or 12 digital phase VRM setup on the Z97 chipset. You're paying for a premium CPU. Why skimp out on the motherboard?

I also prefer the Gigabyte gaming 5 over the MSI gaming 5, plus it's usually cheaper.

 

[rjedwards]

Hello, I am new to these forums but I have been reading this thread from the beginning and I have some questions.

I am building my first build and I am stuck between these 3 motherboards:


- Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 5 LGA 1150 z97 115dB SNR HD Audio with built in rear amplifier ATX ($133.99)

- Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H-BK LGA 1150 Intel Z97 Express ATX RAID gigabit LAN (Integrated Graphics) ($134.50)

- ASUS Z97-A ATX DDR3 2600 LGA 1150 ($169.99)



(sorry for the extra info in there just copying the listings from the seller. )

Please can you help me to decide which route I should take?

 

[sylvari]

Guys, I need help! Asus Maximus VII Ranger, Gigabyte Z97X Gaming 5 or MSI Z97 GAming 5? Which one is the best among the three?

 

[convertedconsolegamer_92]

Guys, I need help! Asus Maximus VII Ranger, Gigabyte Z97X Gaming 5 or MSI Z97 GAming 5? Which one is the best among the three?

Ranger if you get it at a price close enough to the Gigabyte Gaming 5.

 

[sylvari]

Does it have features that the Gigabyte mobo doesn't have?