What should I look for in a motherboard?

[Jvass]

Hi all,

I'm building a fairly high end gaming PC this weekend with a I7-7700K and gtx 1080. I'm comfortable purchasing /understanding every component except the motherboard. What should I look for while buying it? (I do plan on overclocking)

I was recommended the ASUS Prime Z270-P LGA1151, but I'm buying at microcenter and they may not have it in stock. I'd like to have something in mind for a plan B but I'm just not sure what to look for.

Thanks!

 

[CorsairSSC]

If you're going for high-end, you should check for the following features:

-more USB 3.0, 3.1, and Type C Ports
-solid IO shield
-good power delivery system for the CPU (google this)
-good build quality
-reinforced PCI-e lanes
-multiple PCI-e slots
-support for WiFi and Bluetooth
-sufficient sound drivers
-proper VRM and chipset cooling (google this also)
-good looks

I suggest you go to pcpartpicker.com, select your CPU, and then select your motherboard by using the filters on the website. Hope this helps!

 

[Wolfshadw]

Just look for a motherboard that has the Z270 chipset. Beyond that, just look for one with the number of RAM slots, expansion slot, and audio output you want.

-Wolf sends