Motherboard recommendations for 4670K/4770K

[-Ice]

Still on the fence about which CPU to buy but from what I understand, both CPUs are socket 1150 so either one should slot in to the same motherboard, right?

At the moment, I'm looking at an Asus Z87-PRO Intel Z87 Socket 1150 Motherboard but the page says it doesn't do crossfire. Is this true?

I'm planning to OC the CPU --- find the max stable OC then back off a bit. I'm not going to squeeze out every last ounce of performance, but I will try a "medium" OC and if the performance gains (FPS) is good, I'll keep it at the OC but if not, I'll probably run stock or low OC. I have a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo and Kingston HyperX 1600 RAM from my current PC which I hope to use with the new one.

Having said that, I wonder if I can save a bit by buying a lower-spec board? I've only gravitated to the Asus because of the reviews I read but to be honest, most of the "specs" are gibberish to me so I just look at the charts and read the conclusion/final word section

I have two SSDs and two HDDs, one HD 7970 GPU, and a DVD-burner so nothing exotic. I am contemplating trying out a Corsair H100i Performance Watercooler but that's it.

So, does anyone have anything bad to say about the Asus Z87-Pro? Is there another motherboard that I should be considering?

I've tried to read up on reviews but the review for the Asus is a good few months old so I wonder if there's anything newer/better?


Thanks!

 

[Mandrake4565]

Asus Z87 A

Both the Pro and A support Sli and Xfire I don't know why Scan says it doesn't.

 

[wingman99]

ASUS Z87-PRO (V EDITION)

Supports NVIDIA Quad-GPU SLI Technology (with 2 PCIex16 graphics card)

Supports AMD 3-Way/Quad-GPU CrossFireX Technology


I would go with the 4670K for gaming and 212 EVO will work.

Also go with Asus Z87 A
Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology

 

[-Ice]

Thanks for the recommendation guys! Luckily, I found a comparison chart between the different ASUS flavors so I'll see what I'm missing by "stepping down." I do want to OC though -- is there a way to verify that the board supports OC?

As for GPU options, at the very most, I will probably go dual GPUs. I never have due to the price-performance issue but if I get a windfall, I just might buy a 2nd GPU to try things out but as only a few of my games support or fully utilize a 2nd GPU, it'll be more of an experiment than a purchase for better performance. So at this point, the ability to Crossfire/SLI is good, but 3- or 4-GPU setups are overkill.

Is the 4770K significantly hotter than the 4670K? I'm opting for the liquid-cooler for the GPU both as an experiment (never used liquid coolers before) and I'm seeing good reviews. I hope that by keeping it under better cooling, the CPU will last longer under medium OC. Another reason for the liquid cooler is better airflow inside the case. Without the Hyper 212, I'll have smoother airflow inside the case and with the liquid cooler's fans, it'll help move the air without messing with the airflow.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Thanks for the recommendation guys! Luckily, I found a comparison chart between the different ASUS flavors so I'll see what I'm missing by "stepping down." I do want to OC though -- is there a way to verify that the board supports OC?

A Z87 board is made to overclock a k series chip, on the Asus side a Z87 A is about as low as I would go. It will be fine for a mild overclock.

Is the 4770K significantly hotter than the 4670K? I'm opting for the liquid-cooler for the GPU both as an experiment (never used liquid coolers before) and I'm seeing good reviews. I hope that by keeping it under better cooling, the CPU will last longer under medium OC. Another reason for the liquid cooler is better airflow inside the case. Without the Hyper 212, I'll have smoother airflow inside the case and with the liquid cooler's fans, it'll help move the air without messing with the airflow.

From what I've seen the 4770k do run hotter then the 4670k. They are also all over the place with temps, it all depends on how good of a chip you get. I've seen chips that run hotter at lower voltage then others. I personally have a hot 4770k and on a full custom waterloop can only go as far as 4.4 stable 2 hours prime. Trying for anything higher brings me above the recommended max temps. I have compared my 4770k to another members and his was able to run about 10-15 c cooler at higher voltages then mine. It's all a silicon lottery on what you will get. My only suggestion with AIO liquid cooling is getting a top end one if planning on getting a 4770k.

 

[-Ice]

That's the point. What determines which one will do a mild OC or a full OC?

What is a top-end water cooler? I've no experience to be routing my own stuff on a full-blown watercooled setup....

Also, why test on Prime95? I test with Intel Burn Test since it was mentioned that it gives hotter temps.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Mandrake4565]

That's the point. What determines which one will do a mild OC or a full OC?

Silicon lottery, no way to tell what you'll get.

What is a top-end water cooler?

Something with a 2*120 radiator if you're thinking of AIO water.

Also, why test on Prime95? I test with Intel Burn Test since it was mentioned that it gives hotter temps.

I use Prime Blend because I find it's the only test that I can run and not have stability issues, for what I use my rigs for. I have found that when I use Intel Burn test even if I can pass a bunch of rounds of it, at times I may have stability issues. It's not about how hot it gets for me, it's about having the rig stable. For what I do with my rig, it will never get as hot as it does stressing it using prime and that's good enough for me. If I can pass two hours of prime blend, I never have issues with stability.

 

[EarthDog]

Also, why test on Prime95? I test with Intel Burn Test since it was mentioned that it gives hotter temps.

IBT and programs of the like are overkill to me as well. Its like testing your car at the rev limiter instead of red line when the reality is, you will rarely touch red line in the first place.

 

[-Ice]

Nope, I meant what will determine mild OC or full OC on the motherboard side? How can you tell if a mobo variant will do mild or full OC?

As for the watercooler, the H100i has 2x240mm fans and has good reviews from what I could find --- I'm guessing this is "top end watercooling" then?

As for IBT, I just chose it to show max temps, then I play around with my system and see what "day-to-day use and gaming" will give me. I guess Prime95 is a not-as-hot test? So if a system fails on Prime95, it'll definitely fail IBT? Just curious about all this, just re-starting my OC attempts and my i5 750 maxxes out just below 80*C on IBT but doesn't even crack 60*C on my games --- so this is more of "should I switch to Prime95 instead of IBT"?

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Anything ambient (air or water) I wouldn't buy more than a GA-Z87X-UD3H or the equivalent.
If you plan on going sub-zero and running Dry Ice or Liquid Nitrogen for extreme benchmarking, then you should look higher.
Anything over ~$140 is a complete waste of money for a motherboard in a normal usage computer (for Intel). It won't gain you anything except a lighter/thinner wallet (this can be good if you have back issues from having a fat wallet though).

The H100i is meh at best when compared to a custom water loop.
If you're looking for AIO water cooling, check out the Cooler Master Glacer 240L or (if you can fit a 2x140mm radiator) the Nepton 280L.
Those both leave the Corsair AIO units in the dust.

 

[manu2b]

All z87 Mobo's in the $100+ range won't be a limiting factor for any OC under ambient temp (air/water).

The CPU and cooling will be the ones.

I'd rather go NHD-14 or Phantek PH-TC14PE than H100i (or any other AIO watercooling solutions). Risk of pump failure, and not really a great temp gain over a top end air cooler.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Nope, I meant what will determine mild OC or full OC on the motherboard side? How can you tell if a mobo variant will do mild or full OC?

In most cases the limiting factor with a Z87 motherboard will be the cooling used and the chip, not the motherboard. The high end motherboards like the Asus Maximus Extreme are geared toward pushing to extremes under sub-ambient cooling, such as DICE or LN2.

As for the watercooler, the H100i has 2x240mm fans and has good reviews from what I could find --- I'm guessing this is "top end watercooling" then?

Yes I would consider it one of the top end ones.

As far as IBT goes, yeah it will certainly push the temps on the processor but that doesn't always mean "stability". For me it's overkill, Prime 95 will push the temps also, not as high as IBT but higher then almost all the programs I have ever run on my rigs. Should you switch, that's your call. Stability is a very grey area, if passing IBT and playing games is sufficient for you to call your rig stable for your needs, it's not my call to tell you it is or isn't stable. I know that for my uses, passing IBT does not mean I will be 100% stable and I will at times have random crashes, which does not occur when I can pass two hours of prime blend.

 

[-Ice]

LOL @ "prime blend"... sounds like a cigar or a joint.

Anyway, my only curiosity in Prime95 vs IBT is just what is the community standard. It'll be useless for me to post results using IBT if 99% of the guys here use Prime95. I'm not married to IBT, it's just what I chose to use early on my OC'ing attempts. I'd happily switch to what is commonly used. I've also used RealTemp in the past but discovered HWMonitor which I'm happily using now.

ATMINSIDE, thanks for the recommendations, I'll have a look at the cooler solutions. What is the "equivalent" of the UD3H? Looking at prices, the Gigabyte board is £130 but for an extra £9, I can get the Z89-PRO, so it's not exactly like breaking the bank. If you'd have said something like the Asus Z87-K which goes for £90, then there is a £50 price difference which would make me think, but £9 is a different matter. That's just one trip to McDonalds! I am a bit confused though... you mention UD3H but then mention a $140/£83 price point....

I don't exactly have a fat wallet, but I do understand the value of spending a bit more. I used to go strictly "best bang for buck" which is why I have an i5 750 instead of an i7, but as resources free up, I'd like to experience a bit more hence the move to i7, water cooling, etc. Unfortunately, I don't have the guts to try a custom fully water-cooled setup just yet.

My case is a Corsair Carbide 500R which lists the Radiator Mount Locations: Front: 120/240mm, Top: 240/280mm, Rear: 120/140mm, Bottom: 120/140mm so I guess I can fit both options?


manu2b, I'm on air cooling at the moment and have a Hyper 212. All the reviews of AIO watercooling never mentioned pump failure but the reviews of the H100i showed it was better than the NHD-14 IIRC. Have you had a negative experience with AIO watercooling?


Mandrake, are you referring to the Maximus VI Extreme? That board is listed almost £300 and is a very far cry from the Z89 PRO that is at £139. I'm just wondering if the PRO is overkill but based on a somewhat confusing post by ATMINSIDE, it seems like it's more of an enthusiast board.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

$140 is just the price point of the UD3H in the US (on sale I believe, I see it at $160 currently).
My point is that if you're looking at something significantly more expensive than the Z87-PRO, UD3H, etc that you're not going to get a performance gain for the extra money spent.

Keep in mind that (in the US) the H100i costs a good bit more than the NH-D14 and will be significantly louder.

I would try to Google some info about what radiators people have actually put into the 500R, just to double-check that a 280mm radiator will fit.

 

[Mandrake4565]

Mandrake, are you referring to the Maximus VI Extreme? That board is listed almost £300 and is a very far cry from the Z89 PRO that is at £139.

Yeah I know sorry if I strayed off topic a bit, I was just trying to point out that for "normal" overclocks a really high end board is overkill.

I had a look through Scan which is the site you linked and the Asus Z87 A is the least expensive board that has the features I would look for in one for overclocking. The board that Atminside mentions is also good but it's $26.00 more.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Yeah I know sorry if I strayed off topic a bit, I was just trying to point out that for "normal" overclocks a really high end board is overkill.

I had a look through Scan which is the site you linked and the Asus Z87 A is the least expensive board that has the features I would look for in one for overclocking. The board that Atminside mentions is also good but it's $26.00 more.

The Z87-A is still in the range I would recommend also.
It just kills me to see people wasting $400 on a motherboard to run a mild OC on air all its life, when that board is meant for LN2...

 

[Mandrake4565]

It just kills me to see people wasting $400 on a motherboard to run a mild OC on air all its life, when that board is meant for LN2...

That was my point Atminside, if it didn't come across that way.

 

[Witchdoctor]

AsRock z87m OCF

Best budget z87 available IMO

It a very difficult to find any chinks in its armor

 

[ATMINSIDE]

That was my point Atminside, if it didn't come across that way.

Mine too, I just like to reinforce the point sometimes

 

[Mandrake4565]

It's a good point