MSI H97M-G43 questions.

[TenacD]

Hello everyone, I plan on expanding my build soon.

I'm aiming for something mid budget. I don't plan on overclocking and I don't plan any SLI.

I was thinking about MSI H97M-G43 and then equipping it with Intel i5 4690K, some 8GB 1600 RAM and Radeon R9 270 for now (replace that later with GTX 970). Would also like to buy an SSD in future.

As far as my research goes I think this motherboard has everything that I need. But I got some questions:

Am I right or am I missing sth?
Maybe I could get something better for that price?
Will a GTX 970 fit in an m-ATX mobo? (I'm putting it in an ATX case anyway).
This one has SATA3 as well as an M.2 so I guess it's SSD futureproof for now, right? (Those 10Gb/s are way too expensive anyway, so I'll probably stick to Samsung 850 EVO which is Sata3).
Is it worth it to go for Z97 instead for faster RAM?

Oh and by the way - right now I have an Intel i5 760. It has a big ass cooler on it because it was seriously overheating with a stock one. Do you think it will fit on the new one so I can buy OEM version? Do coolers have some "terms of compability" or will it fit on every CPU?.

 

[Brunostako]

Unless you want to OC your CPU go with a Z97. If not, don't get a 4690K (the k means it's an unlocked multiplier CPU, easy to OC) and save some money for the GPU. With a i5-4460 is more than enough, with the saved money get a higher end GPU.

RAM? 2x4GB 1600MHz is enough for gaming.