motherboard Help with Motherboard

[Walt]

Hi everyone,

I'm building a game PC and need help with the motherboard. I am choosing between the Asus ROG strix Z270F and the Asus Z170-A. (but any other options are also fine (preferably from Asus)) What are the difference between the motherboards and which one will fit my build the best?

 

Build: 

CPU: Intel core i5-7600K

CPU cooling: NZXT kraken x41

Motherboard: ?

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200MHz

GPU: Asus ROG strix 1060 OC 6GB

Case: NZXT H440 RAZER edition

Storage: WD 1TB (7200 RPM) & Samsung 960 EVO 512GB (pci m.2 SSD)

PSU: Corsair RM650x

 

Thanks!!

[RadiatingLight]

Just get the cheapest one. anything more expensive is just you paying for looks, so if you want to pay for looks, feel free. but it's not going to affect performance at all.

keep in mind however, that the Z170 mobo might need a BIOS update before working with Kaby lake CPUs, so if you don't have a spare skylake to update it with, you should get a Z270 Mobo

 

Also, although ASUS makes excellent motherboards, it's wrong to look for a motherboard based on brand.

[RadiatingLight]

2 minutes ago, valdyrgramr said:

Z170 = Skylake chipset

Z270 = Kabylake chipset

 

I think some Skylake boards support Kabylake ones, but some boards might need a bios update for that.

 

A newer chipset could potentially communicate faster too.  You'd have the least likely amount of issues with a z270 mobo given that processor.

with a Z170 motherboard, if it has an updated BIOS, then you shouldn't experience any problems at all with the compatibility, and AFAIK the communication speed is the same.

the only reason to get a Z270 is if you don't have a skylake CPU to put in it to update the BIOS

(and for a few extra chipset PCIE lanes, but those don't really matter)