Solved Motherboard Choices

[rfmn482]

I want to upgrade my current system and have decided to go for an 'Intel Core i3-3220 CPU' . My choice of Motherboard is 'Gigabyte Z77 -D3H'. Is this a sensible choice?. Is the Asus P8Z77-VLX a better choice?.
What are the alternatives, I would like an e-sata connection at the back if possible as my ext. drive is connected to this at present.

Pleas note I am not a 'gamer'.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Mate I got the Asus P8Z77-V board for my Ivy Bridge and after a bit of a wobbly start - probably due to the UEFI (BIOS) it has turned out to be just the bees knees.

I had a Gigabyte for my Sandy Bridge build and it was good but I do think I have been won over to the Asus brand as they make a lot of other hardware to fit like GPU's and sound card etc.

even with the straight -V if you want to game or do some graphics it is still loaded with plenty of features, I don't think for general use the VLX is necessary and you will get it (the -V) for less

 

[bobafetthotmail]

I want to upgrade my current system and have decided to go for an 'Intel Core i3-3220 CPU' . My choice of Motherboard is 'Gigabyte Z77 -D3H'. Is this a sensible choice?. Is the Asus P8Z77-VLX a better choice?.

State what do you want to do with your new computer. Games are only one of a long list of stuff that needs a powerful CPU.
Also, for budget builds I prefer Asrock, that among other things has e-sata as well.

Also, do you really need an ATX (big) motherboard? If you don't need legacy PCI slots you can save quite a bit by buying a mATX mobo, that has only the modern PCI-e slots.

 

[Dwarf]

Have a look at my specs. The ASRock Extreme4-M motherboard coupled with an Intel i5-3570K CPU and some DDR3 memory should serve your purpose well. This board has eSata, as well as USB 3.0 and Gigabit LAN. Providing that a suitable processor is installed, on-board graphics are also available.

 

[bassfisher6522]

The top 3 mobo's manufacturers are Asus, Gigabyte and MSI for custom builds. You have a lot of people swear by one brand on another. But it's been my experience that one must try different vendors to truly see the pros and cons of a particular piece of hardware that will fit there specific needs. It's just down to personal preference and what features one is looking for and what price range one can afford.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Sorry late reply my current main machine I built like I said with the Asus p8Z77-V and an i5 3750K plus some fast RAM and I still think it's the best - thats not to say the Giga is no good.

The other brands I don't know much about to be honest and whatever you get seems the support is not that good.

 

[essenbe]

My best advice is find a board with the features you need for what you do, and what you may want to do later down the road. I have had boards from Asrock, Asus, MSI and Gigabyte. I am pretty much an Asus fan, but Asrock builds some pretty good boards for the 1155 chipset. I still have a P67 B-3 running now, it's solid as a rock. No matter which you go with, don't expect very much from tech support as none of them have very much. My Giga and MSI boards are in the dump right now. Asrock builds solid boards for this chipset, but you will get more extras and a little better performance from Asus. Depending on what you do, either would be a good choice for you. Again, just find one that has the features that will suit you. That's my experience with boards, and I have bought quite a few.

 

[bigmck]

I have a Asus P8Z68 with an i3. I didn't know anything about it until I started reading on the motherboards this summer. It has turned out to be a good one so far and I would buy another.

 

[kbrady1979]

I might as well throw this out there: Spend an extra $15 on the i3-3225 for the HD4000 graphics. It is worth the extra money and even if you don't do any gaming, the HD4000 graphics are a mile better than the HD2500.

Intel Core i3-3225

If you really need a rear eSATA port, I would probably go with this motherboard--> Asus P8Z77-V LE

Don't forget the RAM--> Corsair Vengeance 8GB

If there any other components you need, just let us know. The CPU/Mobo/RAM listed above comes to $332 and should be a really solid system.

 

[rfmn482]

I have marked this 'thread' as solved as I now have enough information and advice to make my decision (soon). I am most grateful to all who contributed .