WhyAlwaysMe

V-MODA BoomPro ($30)
Accessories:
(1) 3.5mm Y-Splitter
(1) Single line velcro strap
 
Build
The BoomPro starts with a 3.5mm connection which splits into the boom mic and the rest of the cable. The boom mic is very easily adjustable and holds its position decently. I say this because the mic will occasionally droop a slight bit, which may or may not bother some people. The cable is 79” (200cm) long and is reinforced with fabric wrapping. The cable is slightly on the stiffer side. There are several points where the cable will not fully straighten from how it was wrapped inside its box. If the cable were more plush, I feel it would straighten out more naturally, but it does not affect movement as it is right now. About 12” (30cm) down the cable, there a 1”x1” (2.5cm x 2.5cm) module for controlling the volume and muting the mic. The connection points here are also reinforced, which makes the total length of the module about 3” (7.5cm) long. This adds a bit of heft to the cable. I’m not sure if it needs to be so large, or if it could somehow have the width reduced to make it feel more like a cable instead of a cable with a box built into the middle of it. There is a clip on the module to help alleviate the extra weight somewhat. The BoomPro terminates in a 45 degree 3.5mm 4-pole connection.
 
Compatibility
Full compatibility with just about (some people have reported that it did not work with their headphones, so I will not be including an absolute statement on compatiblity) any headphones with a single 3.5mm removable cable.
 
The microphone is easily compatible with console gaming. For the PS4, no adapters are needed. Just plug the 4-pole right into the headphone port into the DualShock 4 controller. For the Xbox One, it would depend on the controller. The first generation controller would need the official headset adapter from Microsoft, but the second generation controller with the 3.5mm jack will be compatible without any adapters. It should be noted that if your headphones require more power, then connecting an amplifier will still be necessary. Then the setup becomes slightly more complicated with the use of the Y-splitter and possibly needing a ground loop isolator to eliminate static or high pitched sounds.
 
Sound
The microphone captures voices really well. It is permanently set in omni-directional mode, so background noise will be apparent. It does a decent job in keeping the majority of the outside sound out, but my keyboard typing test using Cherry MX Browns and Cherry MX Clears can be slightly heard in the background. Mouse clicks can occasionally be heard as well, but all the background sounds are very much subdued. This makes for a very pleasant experience in chats and even video recordings.
 
Antlion ModMic 5 ($70)
Accessories:
(1) Cable wrap
(10) Cable clips
(1) Mute switch module
(2) 3.5mm Extension cables
(2) Magnetic base clasps
(1) Alcohol wipe
(3) 3M adhesives
(1) Pop filter
(1) Carrying case
(1) Microphone/Headphone 3.5mm to USB adapter
(1) 3.5mm Y-Adapter
 
Build
The ModMic 5 is very solidly built. The mic comes with a thick pop filter that barely covers the entire microphone portion of the boom mic. It does not seem to have any negative effects on the sound quality. The microphone portion contains a switch to swap between omni-directional and uni-directional modes. The shaft of the boom mic is reinforced with sturdy plastic.
It can be adjusted at the desired angle, and it does a decent job at holding it’s form. The magnetic clasp is stronger than the previous versions to help reduce accidental drooping of the mic when you move your head too suddenly. The mic then makes a u-bend into a reliable looking strain relief. The cable on the main mic is about 8” (20cm) long, terminating into a 3.5mm jack. The two extension cables feel almost too flimsy, but is acceptable for in-home use without too much rough usage.
 
The mute switch module can be used in-between any of the 3.5mm connections. For something that only performs one function, the module feels too huge. It adds unnecessary heft to something that is already adding a second cable onto your headphone/microphone combo. Both of the adapters are solid blocks instead of wired splitters. This may or may not be a problem with connectivity depending on if it blocks off adjacent USB ports or hits ledges near the USB/3.5mm port. The block portion of the adapters are both about 1” (2.5cm) wide, 1” (2.5cm) long, and ½” (1.3cm) thick.
 
The worse (and thankfully optional) part of the setup is the cable wrap. It is about 79” (2m) long, and is made of some sort of weaved plastic material. A lot of people had problems with the cable wrap fraying when they cut it, which prompted Antlion to supply a couple of ways to properly adjust the length of the cable. One way is to use a lighter to burn the ends where the wrap was cut to sear the ends. The second way is to use nail polish before and after cutting. This all seems to be more effort than necessary, and adds even more heft to an already cumbersome setup with multiple cables going from your head and added weight of all the additional optional accessories.
 
Compatibility
In regards to compatibility with headphones, the ModMic will work on all of them. There does not need to be a requirement of a 3.5mm jack. The magnetic clasp will stick on just about all surfaces unless there are a pair of headphones with a fabric type surface. Yes, the 3m adhesive will even work on the grills of open back headphones.
 
Similar with the V-MODA BoomPro, the ModMic 5 is compatible with everything as long as you use the appropriate adapter. All of the adapters are included for you in this case, but new ones may need to be purchased if the adapters blocks get in the way of connecting to ports.
 
Sound
Unidirectional
When the mic switch is switched to unidirectional mode, the single inner microphone will be active. This mic is aimed at the user and will reduce the majority of background noise. When typing on my mechanical keyboard and excessively clicking my mouse, there was very minimal background sounds being captured by the mic. This mode is great for a semi-noisy room, but it comes with one caveat. The user’s voice sounds very much muted or muffled as well. This mode cannot be recommended unless reducing background noise is an absolute necessity during a chat session.
 
Omnidirectional
This mode is where the ModMic 5 shines. When the switch is swapped to omnidirectional mode, the two microphones at the end of the mic boom is activated. It captures the best representation of your voice of the two modes. Background noises will be heard, but those are slightly muted. Typing on my mechanical keyboard and the excessive clicking on my mouse sounded slightly muffled, while my voice was clear and concise. Unless there is unwanted chatter in the room, this mode is the suggested mode of the mic.
 
Conclusion
So how do these mics compare? If I had to give a 1-10 score to each mic, I would say the ModMic 5 Omnidirectional mode scores an 8, the V-MODA BoomPro scores a 7.5, and the ModMic 5 Unidriectional mode scores a 6 in terms of sound quality. Although the ModMic 5 Omnidirectional sounds the best from the tests, the BoomPro is only very, very slightly behind it. The high price tag on the ModMic 5 comes from the ability to switch in-between the two modes, the upgraded build quality from its previous version, and the large amount of accessories. However, the V-MODA’s build quality does not fall short all the while holding onto a very competitive price. Giving the price and performance, I would have to go with the V-MODA BoomPro your headphones are compatible (or modded to a 3.5mm jack to be compatible). Otherwise, the Antlion ModMic 5 is compatible with all headphones with its magnetic clip, but it comes in at more than twice the price as the BoomPro

Unless you have an especially old or low-end motherboard, I'd say you aren't really going to have a tangible benefit from a sound card upgrade tbh

Before Reading:
I'm not really a fan of using super colorful words because they really aren't helpful for people just starting out so I will try not to use them.
Everything here is MY IMPRESSION. This means that some things will not be the same for you. If there's one thing that I've learned from this hobby, it's that everyone is different so my impression will be different from yours. Also my bank account hates me for getting into this.
I'm pretty much just writing down whatever I think without paying too much attention to what others may think, kinda like Zeos I guess, but with less "it sounds like UUUUUUGH" - Zeos 2017, and a little more describing of how they sound.
Reviews that I write up will most likely not have pictures. I don't think it's worth the effort taking pictures through my phone and moving them to my computer (especially when you can just look them up online for products that have been out for a while) unless there are anomalies or things that I think I need to clarify.
I buy anything I feel like reviewing, just like pretty much every reviewer on this forum. I am not paid by any companies or sent any products for review. I'm just some guy that likes to share his opinion.
 
IMPORTANT:
It is crucial that you read this section. I mentioned this in my review of the Sennheiser HD598s and I will mention this in any write that I do. The scoring in the SOUND and OVERALL sections are relative. This means that the scores in other sections will all a regular 0-10 scale. An 8 is good and a 1 is garbage like in a normal scale. However in the sound and overall sections, an 8/10 in one review does not mean it is equivalent to an 8/10 in another review (a one is still garbage). This is to give me a wider range of ratings without making the scale extremely wide, which makes things hard to really compare (and a 40/100 does not look good even if I say that it is good) and this will prevent perfect scores since no headphone is perfect. This is largely to keep things in different price brackets somewhat away from each other. For example, the HD598s that I gave an 8/10 will definitely not be the same as or even close to a 9/10 that I give to higher end headphones. The 8/10 will most likely be equivalent to a 6/10 in the review for the higher end cans. This allows them to be comparative in some ways while also distinguishing the price differences. An 8/10 is still very good for any review, but just remember it is relative to the products in the same price bracket, so it is definitely not the same as an 8/10 for an LCD-2 type of review, which are about 6x more MSRP (an example. I don't own LCD-2s).
 
Review:
The SMSL M3. A budget DAC Amp combo that supposedly delivers great sound for a great price. At $83.99, it is clearly a direct competitor to the Schiit Fulla 2 and the Fiio E10k (although it sits in the middle of the two in terms of price), and is about $30 greater than the FX Audio DAC-x6. Unfortunately I do not own any of the other amps to compare, and the only other amp I have to compare the M3 to is the NFB 11.28, a significantly more expensive DAC Amp combo. With that said, there will be some comparisons in order to clarify and better illustrate some things (just no direct sound comparisons).
 
Specs:
Output levels:1.9Vrms
THD+N:0.0006%
Dynamic Range:112dB
SNR:107dB
CHANNEL separation:105dB
32Ω 108mW @THD=0.1%
64Ω 85mW @THD=0.1%
150Ω 49mW @THD=0.001%
300Ω 24mW @THD=0.001%
THD+N:0.0002%
SNR:100dB
24-bit 92khz over USB
24-bit 192khz over optical or COAX
 
I'm not completely sure about output impedance but I believe it is .1 ohms. I could be wrong because someone is saying that it is 10 ohms on another forum.
 
Looks and Build
The M3 comes packaged in a small square looking (but not, so don't try to force it back in the wrong way) white box with black text and designs, which looks very nice. Be careful when you take off the outer covering of the inner box since once you take it off, the M3 can fall right out if the box is upside down (the top of the box is open and only covered by the outer shell). Once you take the cover off you'll see, what is thankfully, soft cell foam. A little unnecessary for such a small and tightly packed product but it is definitely not a downside; better safe than sorry. The box also has the specs listed out on the side, which is convenient.
Under the M3 and its protective foam, you'll find a white micro usb to micro usb cable, a decently long (I think 6ft) white usb A to micro usb cable, and a 3.5mm to quarter inch adapter.
I'll get to why I italicized later, but it might be pretty obvious after reading this part.
The SMSL M3 has a metal housing, with a matte black finish and non-sharp edges (looking at you Schiit). At the front (from left), you'll see the power button, which has a white LED, a grid of more white LED indicators, a quarter inch jack (fun fact the headphone jack is the socket, not the plug, which I may be guilty for mixing in my HD598 review), and a volume pot. The volume pot is plastic and also finished with a matte black paint and ridged for grip.
On the back (from left), you'll see RCA outputs for both right and left channel, COAX input (IN 3), Optical (IN 2), micro USB (IN 1), and another micro USB (IN DC) for power.
In short, the M3 is very well built and looks great, without attracting finger prints unless you have oily or sweaty hands. The volume pot feels very nice to turn too.
 
The problem comes in with the WHITE CABLES. It's a very minor complaint and it's certainly not as bad as the blue, aquamarine-ish, transparent and thick USB cable that Audio-gd gives but why would you ship a BLACK DAC Amp with WHITE cables? The Audio-gd cable isn't even that bad since the amp is so big that it pretty much hides the cable if you put it at the back of your desk. The M3, on the other hand, is small so it definitely won't be at the back of any desk since the volume pot has to be reachable, and it doesn't cover the cable because it's small and not at the back of the desk. Again, a minor complaint, but extremely annoying at the same time.
 
The white LEDS on the other hand are not really minor. Yes, they are not blue, thank you, but they are tiny, bright, fuck you LEDS that don't even look dimmer when you look at it from above like with the NFB 11.28, which has a tiny, bright, fuck you blue LED but looks dimmer at an angle and it only has ONE. The M3 has one big tiny, bright, fuck you LED and another 3 other smaller tiny, bright, fuck you LEDs. I think you get the point now.
 
With that said, if you don't stare at them at night or you have brighter things near it like monitors, it really isn't too bad. Still very distracting and somewhat painful at times.
 
Looks and build: 9/10. Fucking LEDs
 
Features
Let's start from the front again.
The power button is actually more of a standby button. Holding the button turns on the DAC and Amp. Holding it again turn it off. Strangely SMSL decided that the standby should shut off both the amp and DAC, which makes Foobar freak out. If there is a later revision of this, the DAC should at least stay on.
The power button also has another function when turned on. Pressing it changes the input modes, leading into the next feature, the grid of LEDs. The first column indicates inputs 1, 2, and 3 (USB, Optical, COAX respectively). The next sets of LEDs indicate the sample rate. The sample rate changes automatically depending on the source. Initially it will start with 44khz when Windows starts but it will eventually go to what Windows outputs. One thing to remember is that the M3 is NOT COMPATIBLE WITH 16 BIT AUDIO - only 24 bit, which is fine, just set Windows and Foobar to output 24 bits.
The quarter inch jack is hardly a feature and honestly every amp should just use quarter inch except for the thin, portable amps. Although this is portable, it is clearly meant to be used as a desktop amp that can be connected and powered by a phone.
The volume knob for the pot feels like plastic ridges with a metal cap - not too sure and I can't confirm anymore since I sold it to the same friend who bought the HD598s from me (again, two days ago as of writing this review). I can say, though, that the volume pot feels very smooth and it is most likely logarithmic since sound levels are logarithmic.
 
Moving on to the back.
I've already listed the possible inputs and outputs so I won't be explaining those any further.
Things to note are that the RCA outputs are LINE OUT meaning they do not control the volume. The RCA outs are mostly for using the M3 as a pure DAC and connecting it to an external amp.
The optical and coax inputs are the only ways to get 24 bit 192khz because the USB input only goes up to 92khz, so if you have optical you might as well use it.
Here's the important part. The IN1 (USB) and IN DC (also USB) are completely different things. IN1 does data and power so if there is a USB connected to IN1, IN DC does not function. You do not get extra power from plugging in a second USB cable. As this suggests, IN DC only does DC power and is for using the amp with coax or optical inputs. If you are going to use coax or optical, you will most likely have to use IN DC and not IN1. I'm not sure if IN1 is even functional while optical and IN DC are plugged in - I don't have optical or coax because MSI decided that it would be smart to remove it for more random analog jacks that have bullshit features on them (Like Surround Sound). It doesn't matter since it's not like having all them of them would affect anything. The input selection will just ignore other inputs.
 
Interestingly the amp portion is more of a feature to the M3. It is not even listed under the amp portion on their website, only under DACs. It's also always on high gain, as there is no gain switch.
 
DOES NOT WORK WITH APPLE PRODUCTS. Don't ask why, that's just how its made. I guess it's the plug and play aspect of it, since a lot of plug and play products seem to be like this.
 
Features: 9/10. For this price it's pretty good but a gain switch would've been nice to have rather than the array of LEDs. While they are convenient and look cool, a gain switch would make these better for IEMs.
 
What Can It Drive?
Unfortunately I only have (had, sold my HD598s around two days before the writing of this review) two headphones to vouch for. People have reported that they can drive HD650s to decent levels because they are somewhat sensitive headphones.
What I can say, though, is that these surprised me quite a bit. My usual listening levels are around 80db for any loud music and 60db for classical music. Unsurprisingly, these can drive HD598s easily and can reach 85db at around 9-10 o'clock depending on the track. However, the real kicker is that these can get HE560s to 86db max (from my measurements) and that was honestly too loud for me anyway. At my normal listening volumes, I was anywhere between 11 to 2 o'clock on the volume pot, which didn't give it much headroom until max since the dial can only turn to 5 o'clock. I am certain that if these can drive HE560s, anything else that is more efficient will be driven properly by this amp.
 
Drive: 7/10. It can drive my HE560s to reasonable levels but I cannot say anything for high impedance headphones or more inefficient ones but I'm pretty sure the more inefficient planars would not get passed 70db. That said, pretty damn good.
 
Sound
So, it can drive HE560s to comfortable and satisfying listening levels (unless you're a fiend and listen to music at 90db), but does it drive them properly?
 
Let's start with the HD598s first.
I mentioned in my HD598 review that these do in fact make them sound better, and a noticeable yet somewhat subtle difference from on board audio. The difference wasn't too noticeable at first but going back to on board, I could immediately tell the difference.
Compared to on board, the bass was more controlled, detailed and not overrunning the mids. In general, the bass was very clean. Mids had a lot of vocal clarity and were generally brought out more and highs were much clearer and less veiled on the 598s.
With the HD598s already being mid centric and bass light, it was a little annoying to have the bass pulled back slightly. It was more pleasant to have them controlled and not muddy, but the HD598s were already known for having less bass than other headphones, so that put me off a little. There wasn't any impact in sub bass but that was because of the headphones and not the amp itself.
Mids were absolutely magical on this combo and gave me the chills everytime (listen to Walkure from Macross Delta for mid centric music, they are amazing).
The highs that were veiled were also brought back, but without the sibilance, so they still had less highs than other cans but they were definitely better than the on board audio.
Sound stage was noticeably wider than on board and imaging/positional audio was slightly improved but not by much. The HD598s are not exactly great at positional audio from my experience.
 
HD598 combo: 7/10. Kinda lifeless in songs that are mastered that way, but I don't fault the amp for that. It will really depend on the track.
 
Although the bass was pulled back and highs were brought out, this amp is actually slightly warmer than what I would consider neutral. It's just that the on-board was a cluster fuck of garbage pulled through Realtek's CEO's ass and passed right into MSI's CEO's hands who just smashed it all together then went about his day without washing his hands of the disgusting material. All of which made the M3 sound brighter/neutral. Some compared this to the Fulla 2 and Magni Modi combo (for some reason) and stated that both were brighter/neutral compared to the M3. The M3 is stated, for the most part, to be more detailed than the E10k.
 
Now for the HE560s.
This is going to be difficult to describe without direct comparisons to my NFB 11 and reviewing the HE560s at the same time (which I haven't written yet so I'd rather not say too much), but I will try my best.
I honestly did not think that this was a bad combo in anyway. The SMSL M3 was surprisingly engaging and nothing sounded thin or tinny. With the HE560, the sound was slightly (like very slightly) warm with bass having impact and the low rumbles in electronic music was very fun to listen to. Mids were still very clear and distinct and highs were clearly more present than the HD598s which was somewhat fatiguing, but that is the fault of the headphones and not the amp. It is not NFB 11 in terms of highs, since those are ear rape with highs and this pair of cans.
That being said, it was clear to me, even without having listened to higher end amps before the NFB 11, the M3 struggled with bass extension and even some bass detail. There were times that the bass was not as clear or the grungy-ness was too amplified or not there. Bass control was clearly a problem.
In any  tracks with somewhat louder bass, the bass almost always had the rumble and punch to it, which was fun to listen to, but it was almost always there (which will be a turn off for some people in certain tracks). It did not overflow into the mids and did not detract from the music (in fact I think I prefer this).
With classical music, I wasn't blown away by this combo. It wasn't bad - clarity was still fine - but the highs (while not veiled) didn't have the sparkle that I wanted to hear from a violin or piano (although it was great for piccolo, flutes and high octave clarinets because no ear rape and fuck piccolo players). This was strange but I'm guessing it was due to the recordings and the amp not being super neutral). It was certainly better than the highs of the HD598s IMO.
I don't want make a direct comparison with the NFB 11 so I will leave it there.
 
HE560 combo: 7.5/10. It was definitely fun to listen to this combo but bass in heavy bass or low level bass tracks, while not thin sounding, had clear control issues. Some will be able to tell (although anyone who hasn't listened to anything more than Beats or Streets by 50 won't because they don't know much better), and most audiophiles will pick up on this. I did enjoy the M3 more than the NFB 11 in some of the bass light or mid heavy tracks because it was more engaging, which is a huge plus.
 
I saw one report that there is channel imbalance at lower positions on the volume pot. I looked around for similar posts and could not find any. While I do not have IEMs to test this and really no longer have the amp on me, I can say that I did not hear any channel imbalance with either of the headphones I tested. Noise could not be heard with both headphones either with the volume pot maxed out. I would be wary about the imbalance and noise with IEMs if you have them (will have an update once I get earbuds or IEMs).
 
Overall
If you're on a tight budget and you don't plan on buying planars that are more inefficient than the HE560 (HE400i and HE400s are less sensitive and may be better with the M3) or don't plan on buying planars at all, this is definitely a good budget option. It's compact enough to be taken around, has a quarter inch jack, good build, looks, and features. It even sounds pretty good and is, in my opinion, more engaging and fun, at times, than the more neutral NFB 11 (not all the time but I'll get into that in my NFB 11.28 review, which will not be out until I finish the HE560 review, which will most likely not be out until I get my Ori pads from Massdrop, which are estimated to ship on October 31, so not for a while). I would definitely take this over the E10k, since the E10k doesn't really have as many features (the bass boost is pretty much unusable) and the M3 just sounds more detailed in the lows. I cannot say anything about the Fulla 2 personally since I have never heard it, but I'm sure there is a comparison somewhere online. I hope that in later revisions, and there better be some, the LEDs are less fuck you and more "here's some info you might want to actually look at without hurting your eyes" (keep them white though, just dimmer), the DAC isn't shut off  when in standby, and a high low gain switch is added. Highly recommended at this price (especially for dynamic headphones), and even more if you can get one for cheaper.
 
Overall: 8.5/10. It does what it says and I really enjoyed listening to music through this DAC Amp combo.
 
This review is subject to change. Not in opinion but in content. I will add an IEM section, although the IEMs are cheap MEE Audio instead of their more expensive line, since I don't really have earbuds or IEMs. They're not coming in for a while because I ordered them off Massdrop. Some of the wording may be edited as well since I wrote this at 4AM.
 

Unfortunately no 4k ultrawide yet. The 4k high refresh rate monitors are super expensive. I would recommend a 3440 x 1440 100hz ips monitor for your situation.

I'd go for the 275R TG then.

I would go with the corsair one. It looks a hell of a lot better, and I like the tinted glass.

All high end monitors have a chance of being faulty. I don't think there is any brand in particular that is better than the others when it comes to this. 

Jep. The channels are bound to the memory controller on your CPU, not the sticks themselves. 
If you have a controller capable of running quad channel, any 4 sticks will run in quad channel.

PCGamer is a bit of a lol source. 
 
Powerline is generally better than wifi, but it really depends on several variables the most import of which are:
- Distance (the longer the electric wire, the slower speed you receive)
- Interference (the more interference the higher the ping)
 
Their testing is not exactly perfect because it varies on a per-subject basis really. I would choose powerline over wifi. 

I would just upgrade your PC. At that price point, a desktop upgrade would have much better price to performance. Try get a Ryzen 7

I agree with @WoodenMarker on trying out the included fans first.
 
Just a side thought: if you decided to use like a 240mm AIO for some reason and you mounted it up top, you would have two fans up top anyway with that.

The Define C TG comes with 2x preinstalled GP-12 X2's. They're pretty good already and should be plenty of cooling for the specs listed. I'd suggest seeing how the stock fans perform before deciding on whether or not to replace them.

If you don't need the bling, Noctua, Phanteks, and Corsair have great fans.  If you want RGB stuff Corsair probably.
 
Noise-to-performance is really relative considering configurable fan curves.  If you're talking decibels at full speed though, you probably want like maglev or magnetic bearing type fans. Ex. the ML series from Corsair.

I would just upgrade your PC. At that price point, a desktop upgrade would have much better price to performance. Try get a Ryzen 7

Noctua fans are generally considered to be really good. not thati would know i havent tried them but they are supposed to be good. As long as you dont mind the colour of performanse

ASRock z370 Exteme4 is a good overclocker and relatively cheap compared to other options

Something to keep in mind is, Nvidia's 1180 is supposedly being released sometime in July, with the lower end cards being released in the months to follow. Even if you do not want to buy an 11 series gpu, the release of them would probably decrease the price of existing gpus.

I have looked into the Poweramp app and to be honest I use plex for streaming my music and videos so i can't see me using that app. 
 
Thanks, its been hard but the rewards reap themselves including saving my marriage.

It's 2 120mm/1 140mm, if you have no HDDs and remove part of the PSU shroud, and doing that gives you an extra 1 120mm/140mm I believe from looking at mine

The next platform will probably be more than 3 months, what's your budget, needs and what is your current system?

Yes, a fan will work just fine on there. All that means is that Pin header can supply up to 3A iirc for a pump to get sufficient power if it draws its power from the 4pin header and not external. 

Its still a normal PWM header, yes it will be able to control the fan. 

You can control a pump with that, both are essentially an electric motor. Though that fan will be labeled as 'AIO pump' in the BIOS.

They are close enough. The ML fans are amazing and I have 6 in total in my case, 3 140mm and 3 120mm for my setup. You wont notice any performance difference between them. 
 
For controlling the fans, I would recommend you get a PWM splitter if you can like the one from Swiftech or Silverstone so you can control them all from one box and keep them all at the same RPM levels consistently. 

h370 and b360 board are supposedly being released soon and zen+ is being released next quarter. In your I would either get i5 8400 with b360/h370 or next gen ryzen