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Hey guys, I am wondering if there are any better reliability/stability in performance or more feature(s) motherboard on the market right now than the MSI Z97s Krait. I am looking for something similarly priced (+/- $50-$60 at most) but performs better or is more reliable in the long run. Just for some perspective and to make suggestions easier for you guys, I am going to be getting i7 4790K CPU and overclocking it to around 4.6GHz, along with overclocking Galax GTX 970 HOF 4GB GPU (I will be getting another GTX 970 in the near future and possibly overclocking that one too, but make suggestions based on the single card for now). So is this board reliable for my plans now and possibly in the near future with 2 video cards in SLI? I am just worried because its a budget board but if its more than enough to hold my overclocked CPU and GPU(s) together for 5+ years then I'm fine with that. Features like the I/O aren't the biggest priority here, just the stability of the MOBO, given the CPU and GPU here (both overclocked). Here are the choices I've narrowed it down to, if that makes things any easier : MSI z97s krait ($189) 1. MSI z97 gaming 5 ($239) 2. Gigabyte Z97x gaming 3 ($205) 3. Gigabyte Z97x gaming 7 ($265) 4. Gigabyte Z97x UD5H-BK ($279) 5. Asus z97 pro gamer ($229) 6. Asus z97 Sabertooth mark 2 ($269) 7. Asrock z97 extreme4 ($205) 8. Asrock fatal1ty z97 killer ($197) 9. Asrock fatal1ty z97x killer ($239) Thanks !

Ok, so im getting mostly MSI and Asus votes for the mobo. In that case, should I stay with the MSI krait in my situation or change to another MSI board on that list ? Or go Asus ? any particular performance difference between say, the MSI krait edition and the gaming 3 or gaming 5 ; or between MSI and Asus in terms of reliability/warranty/customer service, stability with my chosen CPU and GPU ?? Sorry im just concerned about long term effects and I also consider things suddenly breaking down so warranty and all that is also important but mainly, how will the hardware of these 3 components hold up if I were to go with a different MSI board or Asus ?

Keep the suggestions coming guys ! The MSI krait edition is the one I had initially chosen but I just put that list out there in case my CPU and GPU (2 way SLI in future) overclocked won't perform well on that board and I need another alternative. You guys didn't tell me whether or not the board can handle the i5 4690k and gtx 970 g1 gaming overclocked without major issues so im assuming you've already considered that part of my question and went with the MSI krait edition with this in mind. If this board is can handle a stable overclock from both these components, there is no point in getting a higher priced mobo as I don't need the extra features. I'm only changing from the MSI krait if it doesn't perform well after overclocking these 2 parts, otherwise cheaper the better. So...?

Hey guys, 2 question - 1. will the gtx 970 g1 gaming video card fit onto the MSI z97s SLI krait edition mobo ? the card is rather lengthy (I believe 312mm) and Ive heard that the SATA ports of this board block/prevent the card from fitting into the PCI slot smoothly. Is this true (for anyone that has this GPU and this board together by coincidence) ? 2. I am going to overclock the gtx 970 g1 gaming and i5 4690k, would I be able to reach a stable overclock with the MSI z97s SLI krait edition motherboard ? If not, which one is better for functionality in relation to my GPU and CPU choices ? I want a board that can handle these 2 components overclocked that's within my budget, because expensive mobos are no use to me if cheaper ones are more than enough for my build to function properly and accommodate all the software and hardware demands - P.S. im doing a single gtx 970 right now but I might be SLIing in the near future with another gtx 970 (if I get a 2nd, im overclocking that one too) I have these ones in mind within the budget ($150-$230) but if the $250+ ones are better in any way besides more on board options, ill be willing to chip out that extra $20-$50 : MSI z97s krait edition : $189 asus z97-a : $217 asus z97-c : $190 asus z97 pro gamer : $229 asus sabertooth z97 mark 2 : $269 gigabyte z97 hd3 : $169 MSI z97 gaming 3 : $199 MSI z97 gaming 5 : $239 ASRock Z97-Anniversary : $135 ASRock z97 pro4 : $163 ASRock fatal1ty series - ASRock fatal1ty z97 killer : $197 ; ASRock fatal1ty z97 professional : $256 ; ASRock fatal1ty z97x killer : $237 ; ASRock z97 extreme 4 : $205 ASrock z97 extreme 6 : $252

well I have to get a dust filter at the back if I use that for intake rather than exhaust, and they only sell 120mm fan filters here. So that one is definitely going to be 120mm and the rest 140mm. But I have a question, AF or SP for the bottom 140mm and the 2x140mm at the front ? intake ratio is going to be 4:2.

it's personal preference tbh. if you can type well without accidently hitting the wrong keys using the red, then go for it. people say the red is the best one for gaming but that's totally debatable, the feel is different for every person. but what is true is that reds have a higher chance to accidently hit the wrong key than brown or blue, but that doesn't mean that you can't type perfectly with the red once you get used to it. well since youre doubting the k95's LED performance and stability, go with the k70. but with every product, there are those who use something with no problems for months and there are those who use the same product for weeks and they experience a problem so you can't judge things based on that unless the company itself has a bad reputation for producing quality controlled products with consistency. and I don't think corsair is one of those companies.

yeah I was thinking of doing that. im willing to give up some noise for performance so the radiator at the top would definitely be more effective than at the front. if I go with this setup, im going to be restricted to using a 120mm at the back (intake) and use a dust filter. that's exactly what I was thinking, to have more intake fans than exhaust fans or even them out. rear and bottom are already considered, but are you saying that taking out the 2 intake fans at the front are going to do more harm than good (is too much intake a problem ? I'm not really aware of it being a problem but correct me if I'm wrong ! ) I've already asked people about having the radiator at the front VS having it at the top and they suggested that my best bet for performance > noise level is to use the rad as exhaust (top) rather than intake (front) because if performance is more of an issue to me than noise levels, the heat from the rad (from mounting it at the front) would affect my GPU etc. So maybe I will go with the latter of what you said, which is use the rear as intake (switch the 140mm stock fan for 120mm and use a dust filter), top as exhaust, bottom as intake and front as intake too - this is with the rad at top (exhaust) as opposed to at front (intake) Im definitely going to use SP 140mm at the bottom (opposite the rad up top), but can someone help me out on the front (2x140mm) and rear (1x120mm) whether I should go SP or AF (the front has a dust filter and 1 very thin perpendicular air vent - left and right ??) mind you, the radiator has 2x140mm fans and this will be used as exhaust at the top !!

if youre going for a red build and want to match with peripheral colours, I'm aware that the hyper X cloud 1/2 headset comes in red (and this isn't just solely for the colour, these headsets are some of the best quality on the market right now).

OP is choosing between razer and corsair here though, so coolermaster is not in the mix. also he has agreed to go with k70s over the k95s because he doesn't need the extra macros. so if you have experience with the k70, as I don't, you can let him know about the likelihood of LED failure etc. also, cherry MX switches are entirely personal preference, but because he chooses to game and type I reckon brown would be his best bet cause as saya_kucing said, the reds are prone to typos etc. and the blues aren't the most ideal for gaming so I'd say go with browns they are more flexible in OP's situation.

Hey guys, In terms of static pressure fans, do 120mm or 140mm ones do a better job ? airflow/cfm/noise level comparison ?? specs: fractal design define r5 case gtx 970 g1 gaming intel i5 4690k coolermaster v650 80+ gold would the radiator with 2 x 140mm fans at the top be enough for exhaust ? I am planning to use more intake than exhaust or keep them even. So if I change the rear fan to intake, I will have: radiator at the top 2x140mm (exhaust) rear 1x 120mm (intake) AND BUY A 120MM DUST FILTER bottom 1x140mm (intake) front would be SP or AF preferably ?? and 2x120mm or 2x140mm please ?? OR the other alternative would be : radiator at the top 2x140mm (exhaust) rear 140mm (exhaust) bottom 140mm (intake) front 2x120mm VS. 2x140mm ?? AF vs SP ?? (intake) 4 INTAKE AND 2 EXHAUST OR 3 INTAKE AND 3 EXHAUST ?? CASE SPECS : Cooling system •Front: 2 – 120/140 mm fans (included is 1 Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 fan, 1000 RPM speed) •Rear: 1 – 120/140 mm fan (included is 1 Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 fan, 1000 RPM speed) •Top: 3 - 120/140 mm fan (not included) •Bottom: 2 – 120/140 mm fan (not included) •Side: 1 – 120/140 mm fan (not included) •Fan controller: 3 step fan controller for up to 3 fans •Dust filters: Bottom and front intakes Water cooling compatibility •Front – 360, 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm radiators of all thicknesses (requires removal of drive bays) •Top – 420, 360, 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm radiators. (A thickness limitation of 55mm for both radiator + fan applies on 420, 280 and 140 mm radiators) (420 and 360 mm radiators require removal of the ODD bay) •Bottom – 120 or 240 mm radiator (Use of radiators in the bottom position limits the PSU length to 165 mm) •Rear – 120 or 140 mm radiator

that is fine, you can get the k70 with red backlighting. that one is brown switch and its good for gaming and typing !

that's correct normally the k70 would be cheaper than the k95 (considering both are non rgb). if you have use for macros (or you can just get it anyway in case the macros come in handy in the near future), then go for it. But it's personal preference really, but I can tell you that normally the k95 costs more so if you can get it for even cheaper than the k70 then go for it, a few macro keys more won't hurt unless you are space restricted or something. I don't either keyboard so I can't tell you if the LED will fade or not (if you're talking about 'fade' as in malfunction and not 'fade' as in the lighting pattern, then im guessing that would be highly unlikely if it's bought brand new cause it's 2015 and most high end brands aren't dodgy anymore). I'm thinking of getting a k70 RGB with cherry MX brown switches when I build my new computer in 1-2 weeks time, can't wait !

another thing guys, would the radiator with 2 x 140mm fans at the top be enough for exhaust ? I am planning to use more intake than exhaust or keep them even. So if I change the rear fan to intake, I will have: radiator at the top 2x140mm (exhaust) rear 120mm (intake) AND BUY A 120MM DUST FILTER and going by what you guys are saying, rather than 2x120mm static pressure fans at the bottom, I'll do 1x140mm instead (intake) front would be SP or AF preferably ?? and 2x120mm or 2x140mm please ?? OR the other alternative would be : radiator at the top 2x140mm (exhaust) rear 140mm (exhaust) bottom 140mm (intake) front 2x120mm VS. 2x140mm ?? AF vs SP ?? (intake) 4 intake and 2 exhaust OR 3 intake and 3 exhaust ? SPECS Cooling system Front: 2 – 120/140 mm fans (included is 1 Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 fan, 1000 RPM speed) Rear: 1 – 120/140 mm fan (included is 1 Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 fan, 1000 RPM speed) Top: 3 - 120/140 mm fan (not included) Bottom: 2 – 120/140 mm fan (not included) Side: 1 – 120/140 mm fan (not included) Fan controller: 3 step fan controller for up to 3 fans Dust filters: Bottom and front intakes Water cooling compatibility Front – 360, 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm radiators of all thicknesses (requires removal of drive bays) Top – 420, 360, 280, 240, 140 and 120 mm radiators. (A thickness limitation of 55mm for both radiator + fan applies on 420, 280 and 140 mm radiators) (420 and 360 mm radiators require removal of the ODD bay) Bottom – 120 or 240 mm radiator (Use of radiators in the bottom position limits the PSU length to 165 mm) Rear – 120 or 140 mm radiator

in this case, the RPMs are different so going by what you're saying, 140mm isn't better than 120mm for performance (Static Pressure fans strictly speaking) 120mm = 1650 RPM 140mm = 1440 RPM so which one is more effective to use as bottom intake with AIO (2x140mm) at the top (exhaust) ?

and as far as specs and cooling go, it would be gtx 970 g1 gaming (consider just a single card for now, haven't thought of doing SLI until in the near future anyway) i5 4690k