think I made an error with board I bought

emimec

emimec

emimec

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15 Jan 2016
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14
Having been out of the computer upgrading for many years, I think I have made a mistake. I bought an MSI gamer 5, Z97. Not because I'm a gamer. Just thought it had lots of things to offer. I wanted to use the M2 slot with a fast ssd that will also boot windows 7 pro, not interested in windows 8 or 10. I see now the M2 port on this board is an early attempt as I think it's only half speed of the latest Samsung ssd.
As I have only bought the DDR3 memory it's not too late to change this, I'll sell on eBay what I have and start again..
My question is this... what Asus board will let me boot from said M2 Ssd, give me usb 3.1 , be a good sort of middle to high end with a bit of future proof in it, around the £100-175 mark. Also, ATX form.
Hope someone can advise on board, processor and Samsung combination.
Thanks
Bob, London UK
 
Just keep the board and use its m.2, ok it is not as fast as newer iterations but it is still, like really fast dude.

What do you need the most fastest boot and seek times for? If you don't, or you don't know, then don't get hung up on chasing the tail of something you wont even notice really.
 
Your right, no idea why I want fastest boot and seek times other than a tiny bit of future proof or investing in up to date stuff.
 
Some users have reported that M.2's don't even boot faster. Maybe how it's setup has some impact, to be fair.

Could always get one of these adapters if you want the full x4 speeds:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

Total: £111.66
(includes shipping: £8.70)
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You'd have to check if they really provide the full speeds (and support NVME). I've heard some out there don't. Just ask OcUK staff for help.
 
Narrowed it down now to z170pro or the gamer pro.
Both have more usb, for only a few pounds extra over your suggested board in the bundle.
The pro may be best as its stated quality Intel chips.
 
Why do you need a high end board?
Skylake? Yes. Definitely. But high end board? Why?

Most people who buy a high end board absolutely do not need it.

You can usually find high end featuresets in terms of connectivity in a lower end board. Pretty much any board that has 8+ VRM phases on it with high quality MOS, that's what you're paying for. For overcloocking. Extreme overclocking.

Basically high end boards get you things like: Thicker copper ground layer in PCB, higher gold content in socket and traces and PCIE slots etc, robust VRM, improved audio, improved LAN, more storage controllers, occasionally PLX chips (to artificially double the number of PCIE lanes from the CPU. It works), etc. Most people don't need all that.

At work we still build on gutter grade MSI H81M-P33 (a $40 US board) boards for 99% of people because that's all the average person needs. Clearly you want a bit more, but be cautious of spending money unnecessarily.

Similarly, for your CPU, most people who are PC fanatics are going to recommend you a K chip. Do you need a K chip? No. Most people who HAVE K chips don't need them. It's just E-Peen. I have one so I'm guilty of this as well as a $500 motherboard (also didn't need it but hey- e-peen).

Just don't buy what you don't need. Ultimately, what matters is the chipset, connectivity, and that it doesn't have completely garbage power delivery, but that's about it. If audio quality from integrated audio is important to you, look for a board that has an isolated audio section with nice electrolytic caps and opamps on the board and ideally an ALC 1150 chip. If you will be using a USB DAC, get a board with a "DAC OUT" USB port which is isolated on it's own PCB layer for better performance. Etc etc. Features. Look for features. Avoid ECS and Supermicro.

In terms of warranty support, the best brand you can go with is Gigabyte. Their Ultra Durable boards are exceptionally well made, especially the PCB.
 
Think I just want to make sure I buy something decent that will last for many years. Bear in mind what I use now is probably 15 years old. So quality paid for today should be worth it in the long run.
Funny thing is, I use my phone mostly these days for internet, or an old lap top I found and repaired as its hot windows 7 on it, that my old desktop can't run.
 
I felt the same about the lack of USB ports on the back of the board, but my case adds another 4 and my monitor has a 4 port usb hub on the back of it, So I have more that I need now.
 
decided, rightly or wrongly, to get the ASUS Z170 PRO (not gaming pro)
Possibly over the top for my needs now, but has potential to last way into the future hopefully.
 
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