Which Mobo for me? £400 - £550

[PaulW]

Hi,
i am once again looking at mobo choices, i have a little more extra budget now for a mobo.
i orginally specd the Asus ROG Strix X670E-F Gaming WIFI but am now considering throwing and extra £100 at it. so far the choices could be either

MSI MPG X670E Carbon WiFi
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
Asus ProArt X670E-Creator WiFi + Sound card for optical (ASUS why no SPDIF?)

The main focus of my work would be 3D modeling work, Unreal engine 5 work, some rendering, gaming and some video editing.
Probably all of these would do the job but would like some reason to consider buying one over another. All the motherboads are to expensive imo, but thats the world we currently live in so will just have to accept it.

Anyway I would love your thoughts
Thanks
Paul

 

[tamzzy]

what are the rest of the specs of your proposed build?
why do you need such an expensive board?

 

[mattyfez]

For your workload it sounds to me like the motherboard isn't very important as long as it can support the number of drives you want to have...

I'd buy a cheaper motherboard and put the money saved into GPU/RAM/CPU.

 

[tamzzy]

and the VRMs are capable enough to handle the CPU at full tilt for extended periods of time

 

[mickyflinn]

Does the extra £100 spent give you anything extra you need ?

 

[Tetras]

Can you list out your required/must have specs for the board?

The only one I assume from your post is spdif.

 

[PaulW]

yes i need a SPDIF for my audio setup.
atm my build is this

Case	Lian Li O11 Air Mini - Black
CPU	Ryzen 9 7950X
RAM 64gb	Kingston FURY Beast RGB 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 PC5-44800C40 5600MHz Dual Channel Kit (KF556C40BBAK2-64)
GCard	Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC 24GB
PWR Supply	MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 UK PSU 1000W 80 Plus Gold Power Supply
CPU water cooler	ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 - Multi Compatible All-in-One CPU AIO Water Cooler
Motherboard	Asus ROG Strix X670E-F Gaming WIFI
HDD M2 2tb	Samsung 990 Pro 2TB M.2 2280 PCI-e 4.0 x4 NVMe 1.3c Solid State Drive

As i say i have some extra money that i didnt expect to have so it can eiather cover the cost of the 4090 or i can spend it on something better.
the only thing that would be better in the longer term for the Mobo is some extra Gen 5 M2 slots. very much doubt i will get another GPU.

the whole AMD mobo chip swelling / bubbles seems a bit worrying though. i hope they can sort it pretty soon

 

[mickyflinn]

Atx motherboard the case only supports a 240mm rad.

• The 7 Slot Mode has space for up to ATX motherboards. This mode will reduce radiator support – removing support for a top radiator when using any size motherboard. When using an ATX motherboard, the bottom radiator can only be 240mm, but with ITX and M-ATX you can install up to a 280mm radiator.
• The 5 Slot Mode is ideal for ITX and M-ATX motherboards and allows up to 280mm radiators to be installed at the top. If using a M-ATX motherboard, the bottom radiator can only be 240mm, but with ITX you can install up to a 280mm radiator.
• The VGA-Vertical Top Mode gives more clearance for fan installation in the bottom, with 60mm total clearance. With an ATX motherboard only 240mm radiators can be installed in the bottom.
• The VGA-Vertical Bottom Mode gives only 20mm clearance and does not allow for fan or radiator installation. With any motherboard it does not allow fan or radiator support in the bottom.

Lian Li O11 Air Mini, Midi-Tower, Tempered Glass - Black

Order Lian Li O11 Air Mini, Midi-Tower, Tempered Glass - Black now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

 

[Meddling-Monk]

MSI MPG X670E Carbon WiFi
Asus ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming
Asus ProArt X670E-Creator WiFi + Sound card for optical (ASUS why no SPDIF?)

I've said it before but feel it's worth mentioning again here; GPU's are getting bigger and larger heatsinks all the time now (especially the top end cards), to the point where you can get GPU's that go past your next PCIe slot availability (3-4 slots or more taken up), so you should always plan ahead for this aspect if you are aiming to keep the system for a fair bit of time - Always subtract 1 PCIe slot away from what you're getting (as viable and usable for any expansion) if you grab beefy GPU's, especially if it's not that far away from the top PCIe slot.

So in this case, the ROG Strix (both variants - E and F) and the MPG are both nicer contenders than the Proart, because their slots are (nearer) at the bottom and thus more likely to remain viable for use, and they have your SPDIF connection built into the system already; So no extra Sound Card needed and if you do need to expand you can still use the PCIe slots still (unless if you go external Sound Card). You will only want the Proart if you have need of the 10g connection (which can easily be obtained with PCI cards or appropriate USB converters) and/or the Thunderbolt connection (powered quick-charge front USB C as well), which the other motherboards do not have; so if you have need or expect to need these in the near future, the Proart would be the more solid buy since with a hefty GPU you only have the bottom PCI slot available for use, and that's shared as well. So expanding might be easier if you have need of those more.

All other aspects are the same though, again your first selection of motherboards would appear to be the better choice, especially the MPG and E variant, as they also have the Q-CODE LED readout that'll help you diagnose issues if you have trouble or change gear a lot. Otherwise, the F variant (your original choice) doesn't really have anything much worse than the rest given your system goals. And as of such, I'd likely suggest putting that extra money towards grabbing another drive instead for use or a higher end PSU, etc.

 

[Tetras]

yes i need a SPDIF for my audio setup.
atm my build is this

I'd be tempted to get the B650 Tomahawk for your build, you get spdif, but do sacrifice PCI-E 5.0 entirely. At just over £200, is a pretty good value board.

Alternatively, MSI X670-P is available under £300 and has spdif with 1 PCI-E 5.0 M.2.

 

[PaulW]

Atx motherboard the case only supports a 240mm rad.

• The 7 Slot Mode has space for up to ATX motherboards. This mode will reduce radiator support – removing support for a top radiator when using any size motherboard. When using an ATX motherboard, the bottom radiator can only be 240mm, but with ITX and M-ATX you can install up to a 280mm radiator.
• The 5 Slot Mode is ideal for ITX and M-ATX motherboards and allows up to 280mm radiators to be installed at the top. If using a M-ATX motherboard, the bottom radiator can only be 240mm, but with ITX you can install up to a 280mm radiator.
• The VGA-Vertical Top Mode gives more clearance for fan installation in the bottom, with 60mm total clearance. With an ATX motherboard only 240mm radiators can be installed in the bottom.
• The VGA-Vertical Bottom Mode gives only 20mm clearance and does not allow for fan or radiator installation. With any motherboard it does not allow fan or radiator support in the bottom.

Lian Li O11 Air Mini, Midi-Tower, Tempered Glass - Black

Order Lian Li O11 Air Mini, Midi-Tower, Tempered Glass - Black now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

thanks Micky, i thought you could buy some seprate offset adaptors to put the 280 Rad at the top, is this not correct?

Lian Li O11 AIR MINI optional radiator Offset Mounting Bracket

Order Lian Li O11 AIR MINI optional radiator Offset Mounting Bracket now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

 

[mickyflinn]

thanks Micky, i thought you could buy some seprate offset adaptors to put the 280 Rad at the top, is this not correct?

Lian Li O11 AIR MINI optional radiator Offset Mounting Bracket

Order Lian Li O11 AIR MINI optional radiator Offset Mounting Bracket now online and benefit from fast delivery.

www.overclockers.co.uk

Not for a 280mm radiator from my understanding with the use of those brackets and an ATX motherboard , top mounting is listed below

Radiator-Mountings:

1x 240 mm (O11 Air Mini) 1x 240 / 360 mm (O11D Mini)

 

[PaulW]

Not for a 280mm radiator from my understanding with the use of those brackets and an ATX motherboard , top mounting is listed below

Radiator-Mountings:

1x 240 mm (O11 Air Mini) 1x 240 / 360 mm (O11D Mini)

i really dont get why it won't fit considering the size is in bettween both of them. seems a bit of a design mishap on Lian Li's part in that instance. if this is a massive issue then i'll get a 360 or a 240 if the 240 would cool the 7950x well enough ( probaly not reccomended).
i bet i could make something to fit the 280 in it and i am sure other people already have.

 

[PaulW]

o i c the O11 Air Mini its a smaller depth

 

[mickyflinn]

i really dont get why it won't fit considering the size is in bettween both of them. seems a bit of a design mishap on Lian Li's part in that instance. if this is a massive issue then i'll get a 360 or a 240 if the 240 would cool the 7950x well enough ( probaly not reccomended).
i bet i could make something to fit the 280 in it and i am sure other people already have.

Because the 280mm is wider than a 240mm and a 360mm which both have the same width.

140mm width for the 280mm radiator and 120mm for the both the others

 

[PaulW]

but it does say 280mm RAD mounted at the top with an ATX MB in there official video on there site. not sure i am allowed to link the video but on there offical page for it it says it at 0:48. i think i am going to ask them a question on it. but thanks for the info on the width. it might still be the reason.

 

[mickyflinn]

.

but it does say 280mm RAD mounted at the top with an ATX MB in there in there official video on ther site. not sure i am allowed to link the video but on there offical page for it it says it at 0:48. i think i am going to ask them a question on it. but thanks for the info on the width. it might still be the reason.

Just looked at the video and it's a little confusing b at to get clarification.

 

[PaulW]

So I have not contacted Lian Li yet. this morning i have been all over the shop in thinking what is the best solution to make it all work . i really want a smaller case than my current bulky and heavy tower. the sticking point has been the AIO compatibility in the case. i dont think a 240 would be adequate to cool a 7950X or i'd go with that.
the other option i have considered is going with the 011-Dynamic-mini instead. this would mean an extra £100 for a 1000w SFX-L PSU but it would mean it could then fix two issues. one being the AIO as i could use a 240/280/360 in the case on the top it would also allow more clearance at the front of the case for the monster gigabyte graphic card. Here are a list of draw backs. i can only hope that between now and when i come to buy Lian Li do a refresh of the 011's Minis and make them more compatible.

Lian Li Air Mini - issues
1) Gigabyte 4090 may not fit with the 280 RAD at the front of the case
2) 280 RAD cant be mounted on top ( will ask Lian Li)
3) 240 RAD wont cool the 7950X enough ( unless i undervolt which i might do anyway)

O11-Dynamic-mini
1) Needs a 1000w SFX - SFX-L ATX 3.0 PSU going with Corsair SF-L Series SF1000L Fully Modular Low-Noise atm.
2) not as good airflow in the case

 

[Jamin280672]

I have the same case, Lian li 011 mini air, I have a 280mm radiator in the bottom with 2 140mm fans on top of it doing pull into the case, with an ATX board, a gigabyte x570s master motherboard, just make sure you complete all wiring in the bottom of the board before you put the radiator in as there is only about a 2mm gap between the wring and the side of the radiator once it's in, also if your usb 3 header is at the bottom of the board you will need to get a angle adaptor for it otherwise youve got no chance unless the usb 3 header is on the side of the board by the sata ports, if you plan on using the vertical GPU mount back panel, then you need to limit the radiator thickness to 30mm along with the 25mm the fans take up, that's all the free space at the bottom gone, if you don't plan on using the vertical mount then you can fit a thicker radiator.

I also have a 120mm radiator on the side doing push / pull into the case, along with an EK FLT 120 with D5 pump above it in the same position.

I've then got a 120mm fan in the back of the case exhausting, 2 X 140mm fans in the front of the case pushing in cool air, and 3 X 120mm fans in the top exhausting, all Lian li SL fans

Also the 011 mini air takes full size ATX PSUs, I'm running a Be Quiet straight power 11 platinum 1000w fully modular.

Will post a picture later when I get home.

 

[Jamin280672]