Best Skylake for USB 3.1c and M.2

[bobad]

Hi guys.


As you can see by my signature, I'm 3 or 4 generations behind. My current system is pretty fast, and I don't game. I do a lot of transcoding and work with a lot of large files.


I would like to upgrade to Skylake, either the 6700K or 6600K, with a mild overclock similar to what I have now.


Fast RAM, best M.2 options, and best USB3.1 and USB 3.1C options are driving this upgrade. I will probably run video off the chip, so video options need not be fancy unless they help speed up the M.2 drives.


A main requirement is USB 3.1 or 3.1C on the front of my case. The boards I have researched have USB 3.1C only on the rear. It hardly makes sense on the rear, where things stay plugged for months. I want to buy a very fast 32-64GB flash drive and fill it up in seconds, but don't want to reach around the back to plug it.


Does this bring any board to mind? My favorite boards are Asus and Gigabyte, but I'm willing to jump the fence for the right options.


Many thanks,,,

Robert

 

[EarthDog]

I would grab some DDR4 3200MHz CL14 for ram.

With USB3.1 G2/Type-C being so new, not many cases have those red USB ports the front/Type-C plug. You will need to look for it.

Not sure offhand what boards have 3.1 G2 front panel headers either. There may be some out there, but, I don't know of any off hand.

 

[bobad]

I would grab some DDR4 3200MHz CL14 for ram.

I'm hearing some of the Skylake boards won't run your fast RAM at full speed. I'm also hearing that some boards take a long time for the BIOS to find the M.2 drive, so boot time is abysmal. I guess Skylake is still sort of half-baked, and I should wait for better RAM, USB, and M.2 options.

 

[EarthDog]

I haven't heard those things and I certainly haven't experienced any of it when using that platform.

Skylake isn't any kind of half baked...

Your biggest concern is with having USB3.1 G2 front panel connections and buying a case that has the Type-C connector on the front of it.

 

[Woomack]

All motherboards are supporting DDR4-3200+. However most manufactuers are adding info that anything above 3200 isn't guaranteed because of memory controller and some other things. Anway I haven't seen any issues at 3200 on any Z170 motherboard and I already tested couple of ASRock, ASUS and MSI boards. I'm not touching Gigabyte so can't say much about them. There were issues with memory on early Gigabyte boards but I don't know if they solved it.

Keep in mind that all lower motherboard series are optimized for stability and maximum memory clock is lower ( usually up to 3466 ). Higher motherboard series are still stable but have additional options and a bit different PCB design and can make 4000+ ( not all can make more than 3866 in dual channel ).
Usually on tested memory list you can find info if motherboard works with higher memory frequency.

 

[bobad]

All motherboards are supporting DDR4-3200+. However most manufactuers are adding info that anything above 3200 isn't guaranteed because of memory controller and some other things. Anway I haven't seen any issues at 3200 on any Z170 motherboard and I already tested couple of ASRock, ASUS and MSI boards. I'm not touching Gigabyte so can't say much about them. There were issues with memory on early Gigabyte boards but I don't know if they solved it.

Keep in mind that all lower motherboard series are optimized for stability and maximum memory clock is lower ( usually up to 3466 ). Higher motherboard series are still stable but have additional options and a bit different PCB design and can make 4000+ ( not all can make more than 3866 in dual channel ).
Usually on tested memory list you can find info if motherboard works with higher memory frequency.

Thanks for the reply. You answered my question on memory. I looked it up again, and I knew I wasn't nuts. At least 1 early Gigabyte 170 board did have problems getting above DDR4 2900 for some users.


As for USB, the board makers seem to be making a habit of half-baking the USB on their early entries. Sandy Bridge needed a non-Intel/Microsoft driver for USB3, and many had no front riser. I don't want to get caught in a situation like that again. I'll wait until USB3.1 is fully implemented.

Not worried about a front 3.1/3.1C port on the case. You can get 3.5" accessory USB ports and cables for a few bucks that work great.

Thanks again, and thanks to ED as always.

 

[EarthDog]

RE: Giga - of the several we reviewed, none had that issue. That doesn't mean its gone, but I certainly wouldn't worry about it. The platform is PLENTY mature.

I still don't understand the 'half-baked' comment on USB though. There are some native USB ports and some 3rd party controlled (think ASMedia) ports, but they all need drivers. Just be sure to select one with USB3.1 G2 (as USB3.1 G1 is still USB3 speeds) front panel and you will be fine. You are also taking 3 generations ago with Sandybridge.

 

[bobad]

RE: Giga - of the several we reviewed, none had that issue. That doesn't mean its gone, but I certainly wouldn't worry about it. The platform is PLENTY mature.

I still don't understand the 'half-baked' comment on USB though. There are some native USB ports and some 3rd party controlled (think ASMedia) ports, but they all need drivers. Just be sure to select one with USB3.1 G2 (as USB3.1 G1 is still USB3 speeds) front panel and you will be fine. You are also taking 3 generations ago with Sandybridge.

Half-baked (in this context) means there are improvements to be made in future boards/chipsets to take full advantage of new features. It wasn't meant to be derogatory. It's just part of the evolution we are all familiar with. Asmedia drivers for my Sandy Bridge USB3 were slippery as a bar of soap. They would squirt out of place for any reason, and were a minor pain to reload. Since later Windows 10 with MS drivers, my USB3 is like butter.

Thanks again,,,

 

[EarthDog]

Gotcha!

Not something I would worry about, that is for sure.

 

[bobad]

I guess I'm the last one to find out about Kaby Lake, which will have more complete support for M.2 and USB3. Bad news is, it's not expected until Q2 of 2017.

Apparently the new socket is needed to extract all that goodness from Skylake chips.

http://www.fudzilla.com/news/processors/40949-skylake-x-10-comes-in-q2-17

 

[EarthDog]

Not sure what you are trying to say there... the article isn't saying that?

Those are also new HEDT platform CPUS and R4 chipset.

You worry about a lot of little things that really will not effect you.

 

[bobad]

You worry about a lot of little things that really will not effect you.

Good, glad it won't affect me. USB and M.2 performance are very important to me.

Thanks again,,,

 

[LutaWicasa]

ASRock Front USB 3.1 Panel
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))

Asrock Z170 Extreme6+

 

[bobad]

ASRock Front USB 3.1 Panel
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s) (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s) (Supports ESD Protection (ASRock Full Spike Protection))

Asrock Z170 Extreme6+

I'll definitely check that board out. Thanks!