Which Motherboard do YOU recommend?

SpaceMilk

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Apr 8, 2012
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I am getting a new build and I have several concerns about it including this:
What motherboard should I get?
I am getting 2 Gigabyte GTX 670 windforce 3X for SLI so no Maximus V Gene even though it IS awesome.
I thought about other ASUS boards but they just didn't get me hooked. Gene was good but I realized it is best to get ATX.
As for ASRock and Gigabyte, when I look at a board, the first thing I look at is the reviews, if 2 * 1 star ratings are top rating or higher, me no buy.
If all 4 and below star ratings add up to 5 star, me no buy.

So, what board do YOU recommend?
 
ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$217.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

If you want to stick with the ATX size then this would work.

ASUS Maximus V FORMULA LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard
$279.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131854

ASUS Maximus V EXTREME LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard
$379.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131858

I don't know how anybody couldn't get excited about the Asus Maximus Extreme V unless the price was to far above the budget.
Only thing better is the Asus Rampage Extreme IV with the X-79 chipset and the LGA 2011 socket.
 

Wow, that's a good board. I just looked at a review for UD5H.
How does it compare?
 


If I had the money, believe me I would buy them. especially the Formula.
But what's so good about the X79 chipset? It's old.
 


They all look similar...
Any significant differences between them all?
 
You want one of these two bottom line...they are the best at that price range and budget. mobo:ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819#top


http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/asus_p8-z77v_pro_sandy_bridge_review/1 <--- review w/benchmarks http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/ASUS-P8Z77-V-PRO- <--- review w/benchmarks http://www.techreaction.net/2012/06/28/review-asus-p8z77-v-pro/ <--- review w/benchmarks

mobo:GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128545#top http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/gigabyte_z77x_ud5h_wifi_review,1.html <--- review of that motherboard w/benchmarks

http://www.techspot.com/review/521-intel-z77-motherboard-roundup/ <--- review w/benchmarks

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2012/05/09/gigabyte-ga-z77x-ud5h-review/1 <--- review w/benchmarks
 
The good thing about the 2011 cpu is the pci-e lanes that it has and the overclocking features that it has. The x-79 chipset with the LGA 2011 socket has 40 lanes of pci-e bandwidth so that gives you a pure x16 , x16 for two way SLI/Cfossfire. Look at the boards that are posted here with the Z77 chipset and you'll see that with one video card you get a x16 slot and when you go to two video cards then it goes to x8 and x8 on the two full size slots.
 


What's special about them?
Oh and the pro is over my price range. 217 when it is 200.
 
I don't think a ASUS that is below $100 is good. I liked the Gene but it was mATX.
ASUS has terrible customer support and the least performance per dollar. But it makes the best boards. The only I would consider buying now is the P8z77-V. I liked the UD5H but you guys should prove to me what is best.

Buying a product "blankly" is not by judging by specs and reviews, but by buying it without looking at anything.
 

How are benchmarks suppose to prove anything? It is about the features, the price, the size, etc. Not about which one can get the extra 3 fps.
 
The reviews tell you all that as well and buying a cheap motherboard is a case of you get what you pay for 😉