mATX Z87 - Which one?

[TheUnkn0wn]

I've decided to step my build size down to a mATX form factor, the only problem is which board should I pick? I'm trying to keep costs down. Here's some of the things I would like from the board.

- Overclocking
- Crossfire & SLI
- Good Audio

I'm not necessarily a gamer, I do a lot of processor intensive work like 3D modeling and compiling. I plan on buying a GTX 780, but in the mean time my build will consist of two 5770's

I've made a list of the boards I'm looking at with their prices.

ASUS ROG Series MAXIMUS VI GENE Intel Z87 - £164.86
ASRock Z87M EXTREME4 Intel Z87 - £109.99
ASUS TUF Series GRYPHON Z87 - £128.15
GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M5 Intel Z87 - £159.49
ASRock Z87M OC FORMULA Intel Z87 - £168.10

I have no idea which one to pick... I would like to see a review of the ASRocks.

The MSI Z87M-G43 can't do SLI.

 

[MacLeod]

Maximus all the way.

 

[TheUnkn0wn]

It's expensive and other than the extra USB 3.0 ports on the back, I can't see a difference between that at the £109.99 ASRock :S

 

[jamesriley94]

It's expensive and other than the extra USB 3.0 ports on the back, I can't see a difference between that at the £109.99 ASRock :S

The Gigabyte is actually one of the better ones.
Overclocks the best from reviews here.

The Maximus you pay a lot for the name, whereas the Gigabyte you actually get what you pay for.

 

[TheUnkn0wn]

The Gigabyte is actually one of the better ones.
Overclocks the best from reviews here.

The Maximus you pay a lot for the name, whereas the Gigabyte you actually get what you pay for.

http://www.legitreviews.com/news/15648/

 

[tinytomlogan]

Gigabyte deffo. Their whole range this time is epic.

 

[Chopper3]

I know Tom loves the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M5 but not everyone likes the green and black, personally I'm waiting for the Maximus VI Gene but my WORD are Asus taking their time getting them to market - still no exact idea when they're shipping!

 

[tinytomlogan]

I know Tom loves the GIGABYTE G1.Sniper M5 but not everyone likes the green and black, personally I'm waiting for the Maximus VI Gene but my WORD are Asus taking their time getting them to market - still no exact idea when they're shipping!

Rumors are the did a secret product recal on everything because the mosfets were shit

 

[Chopper3]

Rumors are the did a secret product recal on everything because the mosfets were shit

Hmmm...I can see that being the case, wonder if there'll be any immediate way of knowing if we end up with the fixed or pre-fixed versions?

 

[TheUnkn0wn]

The 'ASRock Z87M EXTREME4 Intel Z87' looks like it can do pretty much everything the other boards can do only for less. Pretty much the same Sound and LAN chipsets too.

I can't seem to find a review of the board though.

 

[Feronix]

The 'ASRock Z87M EXTREME4 Intel Z87' looks like it can do pretty much everything the other boards can do only for less. Pretty much the same Sound and LAN chipsets too.

I can't seem to find a review of the board though.

Features wise, yes. Probably won't be an incredible overclocker though.

 

[Chopper3]

The 'ASRock Z87M EXTREME4 Intel Z87' looks like it can do pretty much everything the other boards can do only for less. Pretty much the same Sound and LAN chipsets too.

I can't seem to find a review of the board though.

I'm going to wait for the extra ROG'iness (all the extra code and features that hardly anyone needs)

 

[TheUnkn0wn]

Features wise, yes. Probably won't be an incredible overclocker though.

Still hard to choose... I can't see there being "much" of a difference with OC since the voltage regulators are built into the CPU now. It even uses the same caps as the OC Forumla board.

ASUS, GIGABYTE or ASRock (I dont know of any MSI mATX boards?)

 

[MacLeod]

Gigabyte deffo. Their whole range this time is epic.

They do seem to be coming out with some really good stuff lately. Seems like they're tired of being #2 and are aiming to knock Asus off the top of the heap. I hope so. Some good stiff competition is great for us enthusiasts.

 

[theDTP]

I would of said ASUS ROG Maximus VI Gene but something definitely happened with the Gene as they was shipped with the Hero and Extreme but took longer to stock :mellow:

Go for Gigabyte dude, they have the G1.Sniper M5 but if you don't want green then look at Z87MX-D3H ^_^

Edit: This came from an ex ASUS fan boy

 

[seumasbeathan]

I see no reason to go for the Asus guff when you can get Gigabyte for cheaper.

 

[TheUnkn0wn]

I went with the ASRock Z87M Extreme4, if you look at the specs its the best board for the price. I'd say its better than the Z87MX-D3H, it has a better Audio chipset.

The only problem I've had is with my order from OCUK. I made my order and then got sent to a page that said "Payment Refunded" (which by the way was a lie, but I didn't know this at the time) so I made my order again.

I now have another ASRock Z87M Extreme4 coming tomorrow. I'm sure you can tell I seem to like these boards...

Hopefully I can return it and get a refund.

 

[AverageNinja]

Sniper m5 for sure! GIGABYTE is epic this generation! Just like MSI was last gen

 

[Chopper3]

Had my Maximus VI Gene for a short while now and love it - the sonic radar is a waste of time but the 4-way tuning thing is amazing, sets up your machine to OC with a few mouse clicks - really easy.

 

[TheUnkn0wn]

I'm not exactly a gamer, I'm a software developer and 3D modeler. So I just need a motherboard that can overclock and has a few PCI-E slots for a decent graphics card.