P8P67 PRO vs. P8Z68-V

[Guest]

I'm wondering which motherboard is better assuming their prices are almost the same?

I plan to use i5 2500K and overclock it (~4 GHz). Probably won't be upgrading to Ivy Bridge. SSD is a possible option in future.

Is there a better alternative from Gigabyte, Asrock or MSI in same price range?

Thanks for help.

 

[xtreme5]

the p8z68 v are latest and faster mobos as compared to p67 chipset so go with z68 vpro it's too much better.

 

[Guest]

I compared P8Z68-V and P8Z68-V PRO on Asus' official website and PRO doesn't offer anything that justifies the price increase over non-PRO.

I'd like to know what exactly makes Z68 chipset so much better than P67?

 

[cliffro]

The difference between the V and the V Pro is some extra SATA connectors and something else that's also minor.

The biggest difference between the P67 and Z68 is QuickSync and SSD Caching. Plus use of the onboard GPU which is directly related to Quicksync as well. Quicksync is very helpful IF and ONLY IF you do alot of video encoding.

 

[Guest]

How would you compare Asrock Extreme4 Gen3 to Asus P8Z68-V? According to NewEgg, Asrock is much better.

 

[RetiredChief]

ASrock MBs should be fine (I have the Asrock Z68 Extreme 4 (olded non Gen 3 Board) and it is fine,

As with any MB, verify that it provides enough Sata 2 and 3 connections and that the USB2 and 3 ports are enough for "Future" needs. Make sure it has the 20 pin USB3 connector on the MB. Several have bought MBs that do not have this connector and can NOT connect the Case front panel USB3 ports to the MB.

One Big advantage of the Z68 over the P68 is that the initial build can be done without a dedicated GPU - One LESS component to troubleshoot if the System does not work from the Get Go. Also later on, if the GPU fails, you can still use the Computer with the IGP until you replace the GPU.

 

[Max1s]

Yeah I have the P8Z68-V (not pro, not gen 3) and its a very solid board. Cool new bios, very solid OC capability, not too expensive. But for a 4ghz OC you dont even need that much mobo power, the 2500k clocks up to 3.7ghz automatically when its doing anything (turbo boost I think its called), so bumping that up 300mhz isnt too hard for the chip or the mobo.

 

[Guest]

That's good to know, thanks both of you.

I don't plan to use more than 2 HDDs and maybe 1 SSD later on, so SATA2/3 connectors are not an issue.

 

[cliffro]

It's pretty nice, the main reason I went with the P8Z68-V is because of 2 things that were important to me.

1. I've read complaints about Asrock's UEFI bios, and liked Asus' interface from seeing my buddy's P8Z68-V Pro

2. The Asus Qconnector, I shaved at least 5 mins off my build time thanks to it. Not having to squint really hard to see if I had it connected right was a blessing. I did some minor squinting outside the case with better light and then plugged it right into the board.

and of course price. I paid $119 after getting $60 off when buying it with my 2500k @ Microcenter. I am/was saving for another car so every dollar counted, though I did spend more for the V over a Gigabyte Z68 UD3 because I wanted UEFI, but it was a worthwhile tradeoff.

 

[cliffro]

Yeah I have the P8Z68-V (not pro, not gen 3) and its a very solid board. Cool new bios, very solid OC capability, not too expensive. But for a 4ghz OC you dont even need that much mobo power, the 2500k clocks up to 3.7ghz automatically when its doing anything (turbo boost I think its called), so bumping that up 300mhz isnt too hard for the chip or the mobo.

Yeah, it overclocked my 2500k to 4.2(Auto OC in bios) with minimal input from me. I tinkered trying to get it to take it higher, but decided 4.2 is plenty for now. I'll go higher when it starts feeling slower.

Either board will be good if your eyesight is better than mine or don't spend much time in your bios. OH and Firewire was the other option I couldn't remember that the Pro has that the non pro doesn't

 

[Guest]

I never go to BIOS except when I'm installing Windows, to edit boot priority. And of course, for overclocking, but that will be a one time thing.

My eyesight is excellent, but Q connector looks really useful anyway. Isn't that something that could be bought separately no matter which motherboard you use, though? It looks like you could get it for few bucks on eBay. (Edit: Apparently it wouldn't work.)