Hey forum people, what's the best socket 1150 Intel mobo $150 or lower (preferably $120 but I can go up a bit)? I want it to be h97/z97, and micro atx/mini itx. I also don't plan to over clock on it at all.
I also live in Canada, in case you need to know.
Thank you to whoever can link me to some good mobos :)
It strongly depends on the features you need...
You can cheap out a lot with Asrock Z97M Anniversary with it's bad Realtec 662 sound chip, 2+1 power phase design and nothing at all...
Or you can stay under 150$ and go with Asus Z97M-Plus with it's M.2, Realtec 887 sound chip, 3+1 DIGI+ VRM power design, more connectivity, intel LAN card...
Or you can go with Gigabyte Z97M-D3H with it's Ultra Durable technology advantages, Realtec 892 sound chip, 3+1 power phase design, good connectivity, etc...
It all depends on your needs - connectivity, sound quality, LAN quality, color coordinating, etc...
Just a hint - the Asrock is the worst one of the bunch. My advice - the Asus has the most features and extras. I am HUGE gigabyte fan, and if i am searching i am first checking the Gigabyte models. However, in this budget the Asus will just be my choice. This M.2 just tipped the scales. One SSD there and i am golden...
PS: I don't give you links to the models, cause this will be your job - check the stores and see where you can find it cheapest.
PS2: I just noticed another Asrock model - Asrock Z97M PRO4. It has sweet stuff on it - 3+1 power phase design, Realtec 892 sound chip with some premium caps, intel LAN card, and where i check them, it is a bit cheaper then the ASUS and the Gigabyte models...
something like this should be fine. Asus Z97M-Plus.
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10530BD8792
But offcourse if you dont overclock you could find cheaper boards aswell. like H97 boards.
I don't care much about color. I mostly care about durability and features. I plan to take the computer (including the mobo, obviously) to lots of lan parties, so it'll be moved a lot.
I've also heard in the past that gigabyte doesn't make very reliable mobo's (not sure if that has changed).
The Asrock Z97M PRO4 looks pretty good for my needs. I'll keep that in mind!
Thanks for the reply! :D
Hmm, another mobo i'll keep in mind even though I don't plan on overclocking. The CPU I plan to get is the Intel i5 4590.
I've been searching around and i've come across a few mobos that seem promising.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128716 Has Sata Express which is something I was really looking for
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132123 Mini Itx which I love
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128721 Has built in AC wifi (even though I only have 10Mb/s (Canadian internet sucks)).
Are any of those good, or should I stay away from them?
Anyone wanna answer my last question which is above this comment? :D
For me personally, if you don't wana go ITX, i will get the gigabyte one... GA-Z97MX... Why? Realtec 1150 sound, M.2, MSATA, dual PS/2 connections, better then USB for gaming, Dual BIOS chips, UD features...
If you really really wana go mini ITX, then it depends on you... The gigabyte has dual lan and better sound, while the ASUS has M.2 and 6 power phase design for the cpu power... There are differences, but it's mainly connectivity, so you really should decide first on what you need, and check if what you can get have those and some room for expansion. It's always good to have room for expansion...
Dang, its gonna be a tough decision choosing between the Asus and gigabyte than :/
But thanks for your reply! :D
No, really, it's not tough... You just need a plan...
Do you want a particular color scheme? Will you use M.2 or mSATA? Do you need good sound, or you don't really make a difference? Cause i don't, but i still got Realtec 1150, and tbh, i don't really see a difference from my old mobo's Realtec 883 sound chip...
Also read some reviews... They will give you some basic info about the possible issues you may have with those boards. For example, i have read many reviews on my board, and only in one of them they have mentioned, that the south bridge is getting pretty warm. I touch my SB radiator and surprise, is warm... A bit to warm actually, but now i check it regularly...
So yeah, get your priorities straight and read some reviews...