Motherboard for overclocking

[Kopesetic]

I'm having some difficulties deciding on a motherboard to overclock with. at the moment, I'm looking at a few options:

MSI Z77A-GD55
MSI Z77A-GD65
ASRock Z77 Extreme6

Now, I have done a considerable amount of research on all 3 of these boards and what I have learned is that all of them are better than all of them. Some say go for the MSI Z77A-GD55 for SLI or Xfire because the PCIe config is 8x/8x/4x while the GD65 is 8x/4x/4x but some say the GD65 is more stable for OCing. I have also been looking at the ASRock Z77 Extreme6 but I have seen many reviews and comments stating that many have had issues with these boards being faulty out the box while others stand by them.

As I trust the judgement of OC3D members, I decided to ask and see what you guys have to say about these products and which I would be better off with.

Or if anyone has a better option within the price range of these boards, please share. I'm trying to keep the mb price around $150-200

 

[njallday]

GD65 or if you can stretch, the MSI Z77 MPower

 

[Kopesetic]

I was just looking at the MPower actually. I like the sound of every board being hand tested. I'm just not a fan of yellow. How easy would it be to take the yellow off the board w/o painting?

 

[Christoi]

From what I've seen, you really don't need a high-end board for overclocking, unless you plan on going with a custom loop or higher. This is especially since motherboards are replaced relatively frequently anyways, so longevity usually isn't too much of an issue either.

Because of that, I'd say that all of the boards you listed are fine for most overclocks. The GD55/GD65 would probably be preferable due to the larger number of true phases (which tends to give better stability), but isn't necessary either. Boards like the UD3H and the TZ77XE4 are also good choices looking at the VRM alone, unless there's specific features and such you would prefer from the boards you listed.

On a side-note, what will you be using it for? Depending on your setup, dual cards running at 8x can affect performance to an extent, which is worth considering. Performance difference is typically very small, but with a triple-monitor setup for gaming for example, there is a difference of ~5%.

 

[tinytomlogan]

What CPU, what clock do you want, and what cooler do you have?

 

[WillSK]

Mpower is cheaper than the GD65 i believe and has many of the same features. A couple of people on the forum have painted the heatsink covers with no issue so the yellow shouldn't be a problem

 

[Kopesetic]

I'll be using the i5-3570k @ 4.2 to 4.5ghz OC, H100i with SP120 push for the cooler. Primarily for gaming use.

 

[PingPangBV]

I'll be using the i5-3570k @ 4.2 to 4.5ghz OC, H100i with SP120 push for the cooler. Primarily for gaming use.

If that's the case then there's really no need to go for the Mpower-especially if you don't like the yellow on it. You'd be fine with the GD55 or the GD65.

 

[Kopesetic]

Ok, thanks guys! Now I just need my damn taxes to come through and I'm all set.

 

[airdeano]

the GD55 is a 4.5 dream.. if you still think you need more, then the GD65 has
a lil better power phase control. they use the same EFI BIOS structure.
i hadnt used the ASRock since P67 days and it was meh... i guess its hit or miss.