(Z97) Sabertooth Mk2 vs Maximus VII Ranger vs Gaming 9 AC

[Kevin_142]

Hello, I was wondering which of these motherboards is the best for overclocking CPU and RAM (therefore ignoring other factors, such as better sound, etc) ? I will be overcloking a 4790k and 1600 MHz RAM. I only have a stock cooler and I am looking to overclock to 4.8 GHz. Will be using for gaming and lots of video rendering. I assume the stock cooler won't do the job?

All I know from researching is the Maximus is reputable for overclocking and the Sabertooth is slightly cheaper, but performs similarly. Are these assumptions correct?

 

[Lutfij]

The stock cooler would be doing a horrendous job at cooling the 4790K. You'd be best served by purchasing an aftermarket cooler such as a Cryorig H7 or the Be Quiet Dark Rock Pro 3(the latter would give you better headroom with temps and performance).

The Sabertooth is primarily marketed under the TUF series which represents durability at a cheaper price point. The only other thing that the ROG series adds on top of the reliability/robustness found in the TUF series is aesthetics and better sound features/add on bells and whistles. In essence when you look at the power delivery for both Asus boards, they are identical - 6+2 phase thus the choice you can make between the two would be either from price point or aesthetics or both. The MSI board has 6+6 phase but it's proven in the past that more power phases don't necessarily mean better overclocking. You can achieve similar result with fewer power phases of higher quality.

I'd choose the Sabertooth.