Looking for Z97 motherboard with PCI, can you give me your opinion?

[Plok]

Hello.

Greetings to everyone in this my first post on HL. I was registered here a long time ago, but I don't know why neither my password nor my email were valid. I participate in other forums, but I like HL and I hope to receive help, since although I have worked in computer HW since 1966, until my retirement 7 years ago, I am stuck in SW.

I have been looking for days for a Motherboard to renew my PC and I have some premises that I will explain to you:

ATX 30.5 x 24.4cm. Socket LGA1150.-Why not a more current one or one with more future? (1)

Chipset Z97. It is evident that for my use with less it would serve me, but I can afford this waste. (1)

I value a lot that the manual and BIOS language is in Spanish, because I am one of many thousands who did the Baccalaureate in French and then with English, I never finished passing a level 2/10 in the best of evaluations.

I give a lot of priority to having 1 PCI slot (legacy) and 7 slots, with a PCIex1 being the sacrificable one under a dual-slot graphics card.

I also give a lot of priority to having the rear tower well utilized, having VGA, DVI, HDMI connectors and if possible DPort, at least 4 and 4 USB 2.0 and 3.0, PS/2 combo or double, SPDIF, 5 or 6 audio, 1-LAN. I wouldn't mind if it had WiFi but it wouldn't be essential. Or without USB 2.0 or with USB 3.1, but about 6 or 8 USB.

It must have an M.2 slot and the maximum SATA / USB internal. I wouldn't mind if it had USB 3.1 inside or outside or both.

Better if the 3 PCIEx16 slots are 3.0.

(1) I have seen that the most current sockets 1151, 2011, 2011-3 are already oriented to chipsets X99 etc more oriented to high-flying gamers and I am not going to do OC, and the motherboards don't have PCI connectors or VGA or DVI, although there are very beautiful ones, but they are very expensive, the memories and the micros also, so 1150 and Z97.

It wouldn't be essential to have integrated graphics, (but the ones that don't have them are quite capped) but it is possible that for now I don't put a graphics card, because I plan to put a dedicated one that can support 4K at 60Hz, when I get into a 4K monitor because I haven't been convinced by any yet. When there is one perhaps I will do it, but certain characteristics are not usually included in video-less motherboards (it's like a music system, that if you want more controls, you have to buy 300W when 50 would be enough).

My budget for a motherboard is up to about 225 € maximum.

Below you can see what I have looked for to date, and the motherboard that makes me "tink" the most is the one in green GIGABYTE GA Z97 Gaming 7. The ones in pink, it's a shame they don't have classic PCI.

The table may not be 100% correct and I may have slipped something, but what I would be interested in is if you can provide me with any card with my requirements that I haven't seen, because there are hundreds of models.

What I don't know is if the preferred card has my wishes about the manual and BIOS in Spanish.

What bothers me is the sharing of BUS when inserting other cards or that they cancel other inputs like M.2/SATAex, PCIe's etc. Do they all do it?

Other aspects that are perhaps interesting to take into account, I probably miss, so I hope for your knowledgeable comments.

[Espinetenbolas]

Several observations.

• The PCI thing isn't worth it... it's an obsolete port and without a real reason to look for a board with it, there's no point in choosing a board... it's like asking for an ISA, AGP... or printer port <:(

• If you're not going to overclock, any board is good and to save money, the best thing would be to get a chipset lower than Z97 since that's what costs the most money of the whole board... so those 225€ I would personally reduce them by getting a board with fewer features and spend it on the most expensive micro I can put in... if it's enough for a 4790K, better that.

• As for sharing the BUS, it's because that bus is capped or limited because if you want more PCI-E lines, you have to pay for them and buy a high-end system... that is, an X99 because Z97, even though it seems like the best, Intel considers it mid-range despite the fact that depending on the use, a 4790K is a much better micro than a 5960X that costs triple for the performance of a single thread... however, in multi-threading or very heavy tasks, the 5960x pulls almost double and can mount up to 128gb of RAM compared to the 32gb limit of the z97, half that of the z170 boards that support 64gb of DDR4.

• The X99 boards:

• They don't have PCI ports because as I told you, it's an obsolete port.
• They don't have VGA or DVI ports because the micro doesn't have integrated graphics where the GPU is located.

• To all this, add that the Z170 (1151) socket brings more PCI-E lines than the Z97 so you don't have the problem of capping or disabling buses or ports as far as I know, although it will depend on the number of ports on each board because the limit is set by the platform, not the motherboard manufacturer.

[krampak]

My God, not even when I bought my car did I compare in such detail! :risitas: Did you go through the specifications one by one or did you use a comparator?
I agree with Espinete, unless you have an extremely expensive card that you want to keep in PCI, it's silly to limit your purchase because of this factor. In my case, out of tradition, I would stick with the Extreme 4 from Asrock since I've been using this range for several generations.

[Plok]

@Espinetenbolas:

Varias observaciones.

• Lo del PCI no te vale la pena… es un puerto obsoleto y sin un motivo real para buscar una placa con el no tiene sentido para elegir placa... es como pedir puerto ISA, AGP... o puerto de impresora <:(

• Si no vas a hacer OC cualquier placa es buena y para ahorrar lo mejor seria pillar un chipset inferior al Z97 ya que es lo que vale más dinero de toda la placa...

• En cuanto a la compartición de BUS es porque ese bus está capado o limitado porque si quieres más lineas PCI-E tienes que pagarlas y comprarte un equipo de gama alta...

• A todo esto añadir que el socket Z170 (1151) trae más lineas PCI-E que el Z97....

@krampak:

Madre mía, ni para comprarme el coche comparé con tanto detalle! :risitas: Te has matado a mirar las especificaciones una a una o has utilizado un comparador?
Yo opino como Espinete…

Citas resumidas: Ir a la respuesta original para detalles.

Ya sé que causa cierto estupor principalmente ese requerimiento de 1 PCI y quizá sea nostalgia, pero creo que tengo de sobra con 6 PCIe (x16 y x1) y quisiera mantener esa opción. En mi actual PC tengo la que fue una magnífica PB, la ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, bastante completa, hasta con WiFi aunque del tipo g a 52 Mbps con el sonido integrado (con lo que me quité la Sound Blaster PCI del anterior, pero sin video (que aun no le habían integrado). Monté mi PC en 2007 con W-XP y renové en 2011 con W7-64. Actualmente tengo una tarjeta PCI de expansión de 5 USB/ 2 FireWire.

Es lo mismo que con el D-Sub, mi SAI APC requiere ese puerto y mi actual monitor, un Samsung SynkMaster 970p es DVI y como es muy majo y 4x3 que ya no se venden, voy a seguir con él aunque comprara un nuevo monitor.

Me quedo con tu comentario sobre el BUS capado. No tengo mis premisas pegadas con Loctite, sino atornilladas, por lo que se podrían desatornillar.

Y bueno, Krampak, suelo hacerlo así las comparativas, rebuscando, solución para los que no tenemos una buena cabeza, porque los hay que todo lo que indagan se lo aprenden (qué envidia) ¡Ojala! hubiera un comparador que le das tus premisas y te hiciera el filtrado automáticamente para todas las marcas y modelos, pero… :nono:

[whoololon]

If you must have PCI ports, the selection narrows down a lot.
The GA-Z170-HD3P is a good motherboard (mid-range) that still retains 2 PCI slots and offers a USB Type-C 3.1 port.

[Plok]

@whoololon:

If you must have PCI slots, the selection is greatly reduced.
The GA-Z170-HD3P is a good motherboard (nothing special) that still retains 2 PCI slots and offers a USB Type-C 3.1 port.

I know that the PCI slot is very limiting and the PB you suggested, which is for an LGA1151, has one PCI slot out of the 2 it has. And the cooler is very underutilized.

[Plok]

@Espinetenbolas:

• To all this, add that the Z170 socket (1151) brings more PCI-E lines than the Z97, so you don't have the problem of capping or disabling buses or ports as far as I know, although it will depend on the number of ports on each board because the limit is set by the platform, not the motherboard manufacturer.

Well, regarding your suggestion, I came up with the idea of starting another Excel table, but dedicated to ATX PB for Z170 / LGA 1151, and so far I have seen 4 ASUS Z170: PRO GAMING / PRO4 / DELUXE / A, the latter being the one with a cost of about 139 euros that meets most of what I am looking for. Another matter is that the rest of the components to dress it up are too expensive, such as DDR4 memories and the i7 micro, which I don't want to put a very powerful one from the 6000 series, even from the 5000 since they consume a lot of energy and I wouldn't want a micro that sucks more than 60W and it seems like an inconsistency to put a Z170 PB and then not put a monster that eats watts, because some suck 100-150W and it seems like a crazy thing at the price of Kwh.

[whoololon]

Of all that was said in your first message, there is something missing: The use that will be given to the equipment.

If you are not going to overclock, then we can already rule out a Z chipset, with an H being more than enough.
The 60W TDP thing, it won't be like that as a maximum, right? What is usually indicated is the maximum TDP at full load (something that I suppose you won't do all the time, you know, what is not worked is not consumed, and at rest the figure is much lower. Having to rely on integrated graphics, don't expect it to consume only 60 W.

And I'll say it in advance that configurations that are good for everything, are not good for anything.

[Plok]

@whoololon:

Of all that was stated in your first message, there is something missing: The use that will be made of the equipment…

See above for the entire original comment.

Well, I understand that when expenses have to be adjusted, that important detail is considered, but in my case, another component comes into play, which is whim. It's as if I wanted (and could) buy myself a Veyron to show off, but the most I could opt for would be a Porsche, to take a little trip at 140-150 Kmh, knowing that I have the power and grip to get out of compromising situations, although with a Passat I would have more than enough. So I want that Porsche or… a BMW.

As for consumption, I doubt I will set it to maximums, but I do look at consumption. I think I would be satisfied with 3.5 MHz of speed.

[whoololon]

@whoololon:

Of all that was stated in your first message, there is something missing: The use that will be made of the equipment. […]

@Plok:

Well, I understand that when you have to adjust expenses, you look at that important detail, but in my case, another component comes into play, which is the whim. It's like I would like (and could) buy myself a Veyron to show off, but what I could most likely opt for would be a Porsche, to take a little trip at 140-150 Kmh, but knowing that I have the power and grip to get out of compromising situations, although with a Passat I would have more than enough. So I want that Porsche or... a BMW. […]

Okay, it's clear to me now.

[Namiga]

You have put 3 asrock and you forget about the Pro4 … wouldn't that be good for you?

2 PCI and M2...

[Plok]

@Namiga:

You've put 3 asrock and you forget about the Pro4 … wouldn't that work for you?

2 PCI and M2...

No, because it has 2 PCI. I only want 1, Thanks.

[Fassou]

@Plok:

No, por tener 2 PCI. Solo quiero 1, Gracias.

[Plok]

Do I interpret your video as not knowing what I want?
You may be right , that's why I opened the discussion. As a result, I have included a PB Z170, courtesy of "Espinetenbolas and his suggestion.

Here I include the table announced, simpler with just the 2 PB let's say "finalists" to see what you can advise me or what you can alert me about one and the other

Asus Z170-A

Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 7 Placa Base

What bothers me is that it is cheaper (and not a little) the apparently more advanced and modern PB, the Z170. What explanation could this have?

[Fassou]

@Plok:

Do I interpret your video as not knowing what I want?

The gif (very trendy by the way), shows my confusion about the annoyance that it seems to cause you to have double the slots, of something that you say you need.

The PCI bus is obsolete and is not part of the intel chipset specifications, so the assemblers put it in on their own. It is little less than the equivalent of the board having support for Windows 98.

I think the ASRock Z97 Pro4 is the ideal solution to your demands, and besides it is not Asus or Gigabyte, so it is perfect ;D

Also the ASRock Z97 Extreme3 could fit you, but as it has 3 PCI slots, I better not say anything :mudo:

Salu2!

[Fassou]

By the way.

The 7 slots thing, are you really going to plug something in?, or is it just to make sure you have space between a few cards.

Because if you really need that many slots, how come you haven't looked directly at second-hand servers or stock clearance.

Cheers!

[Namiga]

@Fassou:

The gif (very trendy by the way), shows my confusion about the annoyance that it seems to cause you to have double the slots, of something that you say you need.

The PCI bus is obsolete and is not part of the intel chipset specifications, so the assemblers put it in on their own. It is pretty much the equivalent of the motherboard having support for Windows 98.

I think the ASRock Z97 Pro4 is the ideal solution to your demands, and besides it is neither Asus nor Gigabyte, so it is perfect ;D

Also the ASRock Z97 Extreme3 could fit you, but as it has 3 PCI slots, I better not say anything :mudo:

Salu2!

And if the price is a drawback the Asrock Z97 anniversary is a very good motherboard then …but it doesn't have M2

Regarding the obsolete PCI... well... you're not wrong, but I am still very happy with my Audigy ZS2 PCI

By the way... few motherboards I have seen with 7 PCIexpress slots... and the ones I have seen were over 350 € :wall:

[Plok]

@Fassou:

The gif (very trendy by the way) shows my confusion about the annoyance that it seems to cause you to have double the slots, of something that you say you need.

Because if you really need that many slots, how is it that you haven't looked directly at second-hand servers or stock clearance!

Well Fassou, I wouldn't say I "need" that PCI slot, I would rather say "to have it", because in any case I'm not going to occupy that many PCIe slots apart from the graphics card, so I think that to have plenty of slots, having one be PCI (out of nostalgia?) isn't a bad thing, because who knows?

Maybe it's just a quirk of mine about slots, and I'm not looking for a server from 7 years ago because for that I would upgrade my current PC. For example, I also look for the case to have at least 3 bays of 5 and 1/4, and 1 or 2 of 3 1/2 having decided that it will be the Zalman Z9 U3 after much searching although it doesn't fill me 100% with its aesthetics with those flaps forming a Z on the front and I would have preferred it white over black, but it meets almost all my conditions.

@Namiga:

And if the price is a concern the Asrock Z97 anniversary is a very good motherboard then... but it doesn't have M2
By the way... few motherboards I've seen with 7 PCIexpress slots... and the ones I've seen were over 350 €

The Anniversary is very simple and has a very underutilized tower.
With 7 slots you can see almost all of my first table and at reasonable prices.

I wish the discussion would focus on these 2 motherboards, the ASUS Z170-A and the GIGABYTE Z97X GAM 7. Surely you can tell me what you think of both and why you would decide for one or the other.
I suppose that the micro, despite being the same for both, won't cost the same because of the difference in socket, and the same with DDR4 memories.

[Espinetenbolas]

@Plok:

I suppose that the micro, even though it's the same for both, won't cost the same because of the difference in socket, and the same goes for DDR4 memory.

WTF? :mudo:

Don't mix apples and oranges :troll:

By the way, you don't need either of the two motherboards because if you're not going to do OC (which is the only thing you've made clear) there's no need to buy a motherboard from the Z series... it's throwing away money that you could save or invest in a micro or in more RAM which never hurts but well.

Without a clear need for use (you've already been told this and you haven't responded) as you present it, you're simply asking the wrong questions... or rather, the approach is wrong... that's why I had only made a few observations and I'm not going to recommend any motherboard to you.

It's like going to a car dealership and asking the salesman for a vehicle to get around Venice... Ok, what you really want is a boat :facepalm:

[Fassou]

@Espinetenbolas:

By the way, you don't need either of the two boards because if you're not going to do OC (which is the only thing you've made clear) there's no need to buy a board from the Z series... it's throwing away money that you could save or invest in a micro or more RAM that never hurts but well.