Mobo and RAM for 4790K?

[Space_Coyote]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, game development

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$300 or so

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
McHenry, IL

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Mobo, 2x8GB RAM, CPU cooler

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Seasonic X650 PSU, Sapphire 7870 XT Boost, Samsung 830 128 GB SSD, 2TB HDD

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
2560x1440, 27"

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Now

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Good on-board sound, USB 3.0, good overclocking

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
W7 64-bit


I already have an i7-4790K and Antec P280 case on the way. For the motherboard, I was thinking either the Asus Z97-A or Gigabyte Z97X-SLI. I want this to last 5 years or so, and I've read about some issues with the Z97X, so I'm thinking that the Asus is probably the way to go. The Hyper 212 Evo seems like a no-brainer for the cooler, so really the only thing I'm not confident in is the RAM.

There are so many different speeds, latency, timing etc, and I'm not sure what is best for overclocking. I'll probably stay stock for a while, since it's such a huge upgrade for me, and look the squeeze the most performance out of the 4790K as time goes on. My limited research leads me to believe that 1866 Mhz, latency 9, and 1.5v is the way to go? Are there any major difference between these to warrant the extra cash?

 

[rhansen5_99]

I think you are good in considering 1866, for as far as I have seen there are diminishing returns if you go any higher. Honestly not really sure you would see that much of an improvement over 1600mhz ram.
These look pretty decent for $120

 

[Dangman]

I already have an i7-4790K and Antec P280 case on the way. For the motherboard, I was thinking either the Asus Z97-A or Gigabyte Z97X-SLI. I want this to last 5 years or so, and I've read about some issues with the Z97X, so I'm thinking that the Asus is probably the way to go.

Either motherboard has the same chances of longevity.

There are so many different speeds, latency, timing etc, and I'm not sure what is best for overclocking. I'll probably stay stock for a while, since it's such a huge upgrade for me, and look the squeeze the most performance out of the 4790K as time goes on. My limited research leads me to believe that 1866 Mhz, latency 9, and 1.5v is the way to go? Are there any major difference between these to warrant the extra cash?

[/QUOTE]
No real difference. Just get the cheapest one.

 

[Arct1c0n]

Some people say yes on higher Ram speed, others cry wolf and promote faster clock cycle rates at slower Ram speeds, it goes back and forth. Go with G. Skill 1866mhz for a happy in between and call it a day

 

[Space_Coyote]

Thanks for all the replies. My G.Skill DDR2 has been good to me all these years, so I probably stick with that brand. I had decided on the Snipers last night, and of course this morning they went up another $15 to $139.99.

Is there any reason not to order the mobo from NCIXUS? They have low resellerratings, but a VERY small sample size, since they are new. I see there is a rep here on the boards, so that gives me confidence. They have the Z97-A for $134.99, and a coupon for $10 off or $20 gift card for new customers.

 

[rhansen5_99]

I have personally ordered from NCIXUS before. Cant remember any troubles with them. But take that with the salt grain.

 

[Arct1c0n]

Is there any reason not to order the mobo from NCIXUS? They have low resellerratings, but a VERY small sample size, since they are new. I see there is a rep here on the boards, so that gives me confidence. They have the Z97-A for $134.99, and a coupon for $10 off or $20 gift card for new customers.

If they suck, you can also bitch to Linus on his youtube channel

 

[Dangman]

Is there any reason not to order the mobo from NCIXUS? They have low resellerratings, but a VERY small sample size, since they are new. I see there is a rep here on the boards, so that gives me confidence. They have the Z97-A for $134.99, and a coupon for $10 off or $20 gift card for new customers.

They're not new: They've been around for quite a few years now. I can't really vouch for their US operations but their Canadian operations seems solid. With that said, I still hate that website's fuckin' organization.