# What Z-77 motherboard for Intel I-3770k should I buy?



## germancomponist (May 23, 2013)

Hi friends, I am building a new music PC and want to use an I7 3770k. So I must buy a Z77 mobo, Ivy Bridge, but there are hundrets on the market..... . What I want/need is: 3 HDD's insinde (maybe SDD's), firewire, many usb 3 and/or 2 connections, .... . What mobo would you suggest? Thks!


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## germancomponist (May 23, 2013)

No suggestion for a momo?


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## jamwerks (May 23, 2013)

A couple general suggestions:

-If you can wait a couple of months, the next generation (Z89) intel stuff is coming.

-Stay away from MB's with a built on fan.

-Look for 6gb sata connections (some have 2, others 4).


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## germancomponist (May 23, 2013)

My system has crashed so I need it now.... . 

But thanks for your suggestion to have a look at the sata connections. I didn't know this.


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## Reegs (May 23, 2013)

Hi Gunther,

I just built a new computer around the 3770k (two weeks ago) and went with the Asus P8Z77-V. I'm very happy with it, and it performs well. It's got plenty of hookups and 4 SATA 6 Gbps connections (2 Intel controller, 2 ASMedia), along with another 4 3Gbps connectors. I put an 840 Pro on the Intel controller and it hit 520MB/s read, 490 write on the Samsung benchmark software. An OCZ Vertex 3 is on the ASMedia and hit ~450MB/s read, which is more likely the drive. So, the SATA III is worth it 

USB 3.0 is standard, and the -V models and above come with onboard Wifi modules, which is nice because you don't have to give up the slot. About $180 USD, though there's the -V-LK model which is a little less equipped (no wifi, lower number of voltage regulators) for $130. The -V and -V-PRO, and V-DELUXE are all probably overkill, but they're built well from what I can tell. I looked more into it and with the higher Asus models you get a bump from the ASMedia to a Marvell as the second SATA controller, slightly different routing on the IRQ buses so you can triple-SLI (ha!), dual-channel wireless N (good for heavy gaming), and a second ethernet port for LAN.

If backwards compatibility with add-on cards is an issue, the -V I have has 2 PCI slots in addition to a bunch of PCIe's. There are header hookups for USB 2.0/3.0 (front case ports), and offhand I think 2 USb 3.0 in the rear, plus more 2.0's. VGA/DVI/HDMI out. Easy to configure BIOS.

The Gigabyte UD-3 and 5H are also popular and in the same class as the -V-LK and -V series. Can't comment on it for audio work, but people love it for gaming.

No firewire on either of the above, but most don't have it anymore, and it's doubtful you'd get a TI chip on it. Probably best to buy the external card and drop it in a slot.

My audio experience with the new rig it has been limited so far, but I was hoping to run some benchmarks on it tonight-- I'll update you when I do.

Reegs


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## Tod (May 23, 2013)

germancomponist @ Thu May 23 said:


> My system has crashed so I need it now.... .
> 
> But thanks for your suggestion to have a look at the sata connections. I didn't know this.



I'm sort of in the same situation and need to put something together too. This is what I've kind of gotten together so far and I consider it to be more on the higher end. 

*
Case = corsair Obsidian 800D Case............................279.99
cpu = intel i7 3930k [6 cores unlocked].......................539.99
mobo = asus sabertooth X79......................................319.99
cooler = corsair H100i................................................110
psu = Corsair Professional Series AX 750 Watt............134.99
memory = 16 gb corsair vengance .............................131.98
ssd = corsair Neutron GTX 240....................................204
nvida [EVGA] 650Ti....................................................154.99
Screen 24"..................................................................180
1TB Black 64M 7200...................................................119.95
Audio Interface	
Total.........................................................................2175.88*

Like I said I consider this to lean toward the higher end. I do want the best, but money is an issue so I also don't want to spend money needlessly on things that might be ooverkill. 

I can probably get by on a cheaper case and I could also get by on the i7 3770k which might also bring the mobo down.

Like germancomponist, any suggestions would be appreciated. 
.


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## rgames (May 23, 2013)

I think pretty much any one of the major brands (ASUS, Gigabyte, etc) is pretty much equivalent to any other. I agree the only meaningful difference is the number of SATA III ports.

It is a shame, though, that you can't wait for the new processors. The processing power doesn't look like much of a bump (not much use for us, anyway) but supposedly the new chipsets have pretty low latencies.

Also, don't the new chipsets have more native SATA III connections? You can't get more than 2 with the existing chipsets - I think I read that Intel was pushing that to 6 or something like that.

rgames


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## Chriss Ons (May 23, 2013)

Tod @ Thu 23 May said:


> nvida [EVGA] 650Ti....................................................154.99
> Like germancomponist, any suggestions would be appreciated.



2 fans on that card - adds noise. Unless you need double DVI or are using this as a gaming rig, there are better options for a DAW, like an Asus GT640-DCSL-2GD3, which is still a really good card but a passive, fanless design. And it's cheaper.


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## jgarciaserra (May 24, 2013)

When are going to be available the new chipsets? I've to build new slave PC next month.


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## clynos (May 24, 2013)

More fans on the gpu usually means more quiet. And the fans will be very silent unless you use vst's that run on the gpu I guess.


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## Tanuj Tiku (May 24, 2013)

The Asus Rampage motherboard is pretty solid and tolerant to beating.

Back here in India, we do get electric spikes sometimes and in Mumbai humidity goes upto 90%. My machine is always in an air conditioned environment of course but I live right next to the sea. 

Its a 2-min walk to the beach straight ahead. 

So, corrosion can be a problem. The water is not very clean so it can disrupt electronics.

The guy who did my computer is a mad genius. Holds a overclocking record in the world and gets his BIOS custom made from Asus. He puts vaseline on the Ram slots and some other sprays on the screws and the motherboard. Basically, making it very unlikely to blow up RAM slots or corrode anything easily. 

He does extensive testing at his lab and the ASUS Rampage took it all really well.

I am very happy with it now - its been 3 months.

Intel-i7 - 6-Core 4.2 Ghz overclocked machine with custom BIOS, 32 GB RAM, SSD etc etc etc....

on an ASUS Rampage motherboard. 

Works great!


Good luck!


Tanuj.


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## germancomponist (May 24, 2013)

Eighteen months ago, I was in the same situation and I was advised to wait because new should come on the market. I said ok, and got me another older PC .. .

Well this is also broken now and of course always comes something new. So I think now I'm building a system with the 3770k. It is cheap anyway.

Thank you all for your suggestions!


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## guydoingmusic (May 24, 2013)

If your budget allows... Asus p9x79 pro - i73930k. I have that overclocked at 4.7ghz. I did add a water cooler which is highly beneficial when it comes to overclocking. That motherboard has 8 slots for ram. Supports 64GB. Comes with four 6gb Sata slots and two 3gb Sata. 

So far, this system has been flawless for me. Definitely worth every penny.


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## rgames (May 24, 2013)

What performance difference are you guys seeing with the 3930k vs 3770k? I'm not sure it buys anything.

And Gunther - don't worry about missing the latest processors. I think the 3770k is more than adequate for a DAW. Much better than my 5-year-old i7 920...!

rgames


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## guydoingmusic (May 24, 2013)

@rgames - I've never used the 3770k, so I personally can't compare. I upgraded from the i7 920 as well. 

On CPU benchmark, the 3930k is ranked 13th and the 3770k is ranked 30th. Not sure how big of a real performance jump there is. But the 3930k is 6 cores whereas the 3770k is 4. I'd be interested in hearing comparisons on the two.


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## germancomponist (May 24, 2013)

I think it depends. When I use a lot of samples the use of SSD's seem to be the most important thing?

At least, the 3930 should be better if I use a lot vi's, effects e.t.c.? And sure, with the 3770 I can only use 32GB RAM.

http://ark.intel.com/compare/63697,65523


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## germancomponist (May 24, 2013)

rgames @ Fri May 24 said:


> And Gunther - don't worry about missing the latest processors. I think the 3770k is more than adequate for a DAW. Much better than *a* 5-year-old i7 920...!
> 
> rgames



Salut Richard, thats what I thought too. o-[][]-o


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## Tod (May 24, 2013)

Here's a little tid-bit from Tomshardware I thought was interesting.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/38527 ... nts-please


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## Tanuj Tiku (May 24, 2013)

I upgraded to the 3730K from an i-7 940. 

There is at least a straight 40% performance jump from my older machine. I had 24 GB RAM on that one and I have 32 GB now. 

RAM has not been an issue for me, I run out of processing with all my reverbs and plug ins in real time and also Diva can easily destroy a machine.

I think I have loaded more than 45 Diva instances on one track running on great mode with 7 reverbs and about 30 other plug ins to set up my VSL, plus the usual stuff like Omnisphere and a bunch of other stuff and mix bus which is a on-the-fly by design so I can produce quickly.

But, I have found myself going back to mixing in a new session every time now. So the on-the-fly concept except the reverbs is mostly a mock-up stage - as good as I can make it while composing.

Then I go into the mix stage with a more objective mind.

This saves troubles with the CPU and with all that MIDI data and automation going on, its easier to deal with all of this and a little psuedo mastering for clients in another session.

SSD has made things better because the new motherboards have greater throughput. I have a water cooled system that I can even carry around to other studios. Its difficult sometimes but who said making music easy - 

Ideally, I wanted to buy a more powerful system, perhaps an 8-core but those are very expensive and from here on, I plan to just add machines instead of getting a single 8-core. Time will tell.

But yes, the new processor is a huge improvement in terms of real time performance. I can do 256 buffers 90% of the time. But as usual on an insanely large and effects driven track, I have to be running at 1024. Diva even crushed this machine on a couple of projects!


Best,

Tanuj.


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## germancomponist (May 24, 2013)

Latency is only important when I play on my keyboard. When it comes to the mix...., I am happy with the biggest latency time.


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## rgames (May 24, 2013)

vibrato @ Fri May 24 said:


> I can do 256 buffers 90% of the time. But as usual on an insanely large and effects driven track, I have to be running at 1024.


My template runs at 128 buffer (44.1 kHz) on my 2008 i7 920 and 2x i5 slaves and gets 1250 - 1500 voices per machine. My effects are only six instances of an IR reverb and a bunch of EQ's, so maybe you have some extreme processing going on. When I add on Waves L3-16 I have to work at 512+ samples. But you don't need that until the mix down, at which point the latency doesn't matter.

I seriously doubt processor power buys you much in terms of sample streaming performance. If you have instruments with very poorly programmed sample streamers then maybe it helps. But if you're running VSL / LASS / Cinesamples / EWQL I really doubt a more powerful processor buys you anything.

The bottlenecks are not in the processor. They're elsewhere in the system - mostly disk streaming and audio/video hardware.

rgames


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## germancomponist (May 25, 2013)

rgames @ Sat May 25 said:


> The bottlenecks are not in the processor. They're elsewhere in the system - mostly disk streaming and audio/video hardware.
> 
> rgames



Right. But when I work a lot with Diva, Zebra , Samplemodeling e.t.c., then Tanuj's system is for sure a best one.

Is anyone using this? http://sonic-core.net/joomla.soniccore/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=387&Itemid=2&lang=us


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## Tanuj Tiku (May 25, 2013)

rgames @ Sat May 25 said:


> vibrato @ Fri May 24 said:
> 
> 
> > I can do 256 buffers 90% of the time. But as usual on an insanely large and effects driven track, I have to be running at 1024.
> ...




Completely agree with Rgames here! The bottleneck is usually in disk streaming and RAM if you have less. 

I would not need more CPU power if I was not using so much processing and typically in a hybrid situation, the CPU power does become a problem for me.

But when I am writing only orchestral music, even 128 will not be a problem.


Best,

Tanuj.


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## germancomponist (May 25, 2013)

I have found the motherboard what I will buy. It is the ASUS P8Z77-V Premium.

http://www.motherboards.org/review/...fied-thunderbolt-motherboard-hands-first-look

Cooler Dark Rock Pro C1

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/04/02/be-quiet-dark-rock-pro-review/1


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## Tanuj Tiku (May 26, 2013)

Good luck Gunther! I am sure it will be a beast!


Tanuj.


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## germancomponist (May 26, 2013)

Thanks Tanuj.

One cool thing is that I can connect my focusrite saffire audio interface to Thunderbolt. It’s actually a connection to a separate bus on the motherboard, and thats fine. No need for an firewire card and ready for the future.


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## chimuelo (May 26, 2013)

MSI Z77-GD65 has very short trace lines, no extra jive, the RAM trace lines are the shortest of any non server motherboard.
I also use the i7 3770S as it can overclock, even though they say it won't, 
but I just run my RAM @ 1866, and the CPU stock.
I enjoy the 32C case tempos, and 39C CPU temps. TDA is extremely low, 
and the 1U design fits into a cool 4U DJ Shockmounted case for stage.

If not an MSI the Supermicros are extreme high quality.
Asus and Gigabyte are fine boards, but too much gamers crap, and extended trace lines to accomodate so many PCI-e 16X slots.

I have everything in a 4U since the Graphics are perfect for audio.
As a matter of fact the new Haswells are great CPUs but no improvement 
on anything we want, just better graphics to appease the gamers.
Gamers actually drive the market more than any other sector, so thanks 
to them we see really good consumer parts, that transklates into cheaper, 
less featured boards for us.


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## germancomponist (May 26, 2013)

Sir, so far as I know you are using the Scope? Is it worth it?


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## Tanuj Tiku (May 26, 2013)

Jimmy,

That looks like the Solaris...wow! How is it in action? I cant even find one to play with, not even in London.


Best,

Tanuj.


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## Reegs (May 26, 2013)

Nice picks, Gunther! I was looking at the Dark Rock cooler, too (went with the Noctua SE2 equivalent because it was easier to get in the States).

Reporting back the -V (reg) is working wonderfully. 128-sample latency with many, many voices and no issues 

Reegs


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## chimuelo (May 26, 2013)

The 4U rack has an SE-1 Analog, a 1U XITE-1 DSP rack, a 1U Z77 PC, 
and a SurgeX Conditioner.
Scope is like UAD only it was a synth platform with B3, TX816, Moog, ARP, 
Oberheim,
etc. But it's Reverbs, FXs. Mixers and Modular synth are top shelf.
And yes it's a Solaris. I have had it for 2 years now and it's the best live 
synth I ever owned. Processed at 96k, audiorate mondulations are insane 
and no mushy envelopes on this beast.

http://www.supermicro.com/products/moth ... 3000/#1150
go to new 1150 LPGA

These are top shelf small form factor motherboards.
You can actually buy a nice 1U ATX Chassis and have your main DAW and 
Slave in the same 1U.
THis would be a serious portable powerhouse.
I actually prefer 16GBs as it loads really fast compared to 32GBs.
Once you see how cheap that is build another 1U for a total of 1 main DAW 
and 3 x slaves.

Also Ivy Bridge CPUs and associated parts will drop drastically in price by 
july-august due to the Haswell launch next week.

Happy Hunting.


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