Best z270 MoBo for kaby lake overclocking

Alright guys, curious to see what everyone's opinion (preferably tested) is on the best MoBo for overclocking processor and RAM. I was able to run at 5.0 stable on my Asus ROG Hero VIII, and when I upgraded to the MSI Z270 Gaming M7 I am able to run at 5.1 stable. I was previously unable to even get 5.1 to boot on the ROG board.

So, is there another MoBo that might give a better overclock yet? (system will be on custom loop water, so cooling wont be an issue)

Lets say keeping a price point around 400.00

Thanks in advance!

ROG boards will overclock CPU the same as any other top series. The difference is that ROG is not for all users and sometimes to get max clock you have to play with additional settings while most other series are easier to use. The best overclocking motherboard is probably ASUS Apex but it won't be much better than other high ROG boards.
I could OC my 7700K the same on MSI Carbon and ASUS Apex, however on MSI I could set a bit lower voltage to keep it stable. Still max clock was the same on both.

So what's the difference between say the APEX and the Formula. Besides all of the flashy add-ons

I have ASUS Prime z270-a and can overclock to 5ghz easily... even has a overclocking profile in the bios. I dont wanna push it too hard yet, but is 5.1-5.2 the limit for us kaby lake guys?

I am currently Delidded with a Cryorig A40 Liquid cooler. It may not be the best motherboard out there, but it will get the job done.

R_Pierce said:

So what's the difference between say the APEX and the Formula. Besides all of the flashy add-ons

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APEX is designed for max OC. It has less memory slots and a bit shorter traces so memory will OC better. CPU will overclock the same as on Formula or Code or Extreme. There are these little differences that matter when you take part in competitive benchmarking. Still even on cold all other ROG boards will be almost the same. APEX is cheaper than Formula/Extreme so for benching only, Apex is better option. Btw it has the best looking RGB LED lighting

KL will overclock up to 5.2GHz on water. All depends on chip and cooling. Typical clock is 5.0-5.1GHz. At 5.2GHz is hard to stabilize them as little voltage change adds a lot of heat.

I ended up buying the Formula. It should be here tomorrow along with a few other goodies. Hopefully middle to end of next week I have my 1080ti in hand and can get started!!

I wouldn't have bother moving up from the M7... wow. A couple hundred dollars for 100 Mhz...?

EarthDog said:

I wouldn't have bother moving up from the M7... wow. A couple hundred dollars for 100 Mhz...?

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That board is being repurposed to another build actually.... Wow.....

Good to know...wow!

Sent from my computer using a Keyboard.

You must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed today eh?

To be fair, when you requested our advice you didn't specify that you were going to re-purpose the MSI board. So overall spending $200 for maybe 100 Mhz (if any improvement) depending on ones finances (which we also were not made privy to) can be seen as a waste of money or at least diminishing returns. Let's just say that my wife wouldn't be happy with me dropping another $200 for a possibility of a 2% increase in processor speed that doesn't have any real benefit outside of competitive benchmarking -- and I'm a team leader <ignore that I haven't benched in quite some time due to other financial and time obligations>.

Janus67 said:

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To be fair, when you requested our advice you didn't specify that you were going to re-purpose the MSI board. So overall spending $200 for maybe 100 Mhz (if any improvement) depending on ones finances (which we also were not made privy to) can be seen as a waste of money or at least diminishing returns. Let's just say that my wife wouldn't be happy with me dropping another $200 for a possibility of a 2% increase in processor speed that doesn't have any real benefit outside of competitive benchmarking -- and I'm a team leader <ignore that I haven't benched in quite some time due to other financial and time obligations>.

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You are correct. But please tell me where it says anything (or asks) to keep my financial situation or the other boards purpose in mind? If I was worried about those two things, I would have listed that.

I'm not being a smart *** here. But clearly someone else was.

I listed a purchase amount and asked for advice on a question. That is all.

AND I have learned a TON of information here, so the advice is greatly appreciated!! Let's not get that turned around either

It was simply an edgy reply to someone else's arrogance. That is all. And in hindsight, neither was likely needed.

That's fair, you didn't mention that. But keep in mind that you have been a member for about a month so we don't have much to go on regarding knowing you/your personality/spending habits/needs/etc. Given the tens of thousands of threads that have been posted asking for advice on motherboards (or <insert product here>) the first recommendation that is made by those giving the advice is generally based on a price/performance ratio and diminishing returns and making sure the person asking for help/advice knows 100% what they are requesting and having realistic expectations about results. We've seen many many people come in and looking to spend upwards of $5-10,000 on a computer for us to be able to talk them down from that ledge and get something 98% as powerful for 20% of the cost. I don't think ED's post was meant to be antagonistic, but I think we can all agree that the conversation started heading down a negative and unnecessary path.

Just trying to put things in perspective.

Fair enough.

Thanks woomack for the friendly/helpful advice!