ASRock Z170 Extreme 7+

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   Hi
Some advise.  Looking at a motherboard to work as my HTPC and Gaming unit.
Needs to handle 4k gaming and video with surround sound.  -to note I intend later in the year to build a NAS Plex Server for the 4k content to lie on, but for now it will be stored on a D-Link NAS box

The HTPC Gaming unit will have a i7 processor looking at 4-6 cores - not sure, recommendations
RAM of 32GB, SSD for the OS and another drive of 2-4 TB to store games etc on...
Also looking to put a TV tuner and with DVR so that I can access live TV etc and record what I would like...
This build will be completed in stages, and the GPU will be that later purchase, so for future proof AS YOU CAN, I think this above board will do....please provide thoughts

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dragonuck Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 14 Jan 2016 Location: Sheffield Status: Offline Points: 3	Post Options Post Reply Quote dragonuck Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: ASRock Z170 Extreme 7+ Posted: 14 Jan 2016 at 2:51am
	Hi Some advise. Looking at a motherboard to work as my HTPC and Gaming unit. Needs to handle 4k gaming and video with surround sound. -to note I intend later in the year to build a NAS Plex Server for the 4k content to lie on, but for now it will be stored on a D-Link NAS box The HTPC Gaming unit will have a i7 processor looking at 4-6 cores - not sure, recommendations RAM of 32GB, SSD for the OS and another drive of 2-4 TB to store games etc on... Also looking to put a TV tuner and with DVR so that I can access live TV etc and record what I would like... This build will be completed in stages, and the GPU will be that later purchase, so for future proof AS YOU CAN, I think this above board will do....please provide thoughts

PetrolHead Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 07 Oct 2015 Status: Offline Points: 403	Post Options Post Reply Quote PetrolHead Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 Jan 2016 at 5:29am
	I can't give you any specific recommendations, but if you want your system to handle 4K gaming, I think you need to choose your components so that they support at least two high-end GPUs. This means your PSU should have at least two 8-pin connectors available for the GPUs. Those GPUs alone will also likely need at least 500 W of capacity, bringing the total capacity you should be going for somewhere around 1000 W. The GPUs needed to run 4K gaming also demand a lot from the CPU. Those GPUs will also produce a lot of heat, so you need a case that can be cooled efficiently.
	Ryzen 5 1500X, ASRock AB350M Pro4, 2x8 GB G.Skill Trident Z 3466CL16, Sapphire Pulse RX Vega56 8G HBM2, Corsair RM550x, Samsung 960 EVO SSD (NVMe) 250GB, Samsung 850 EVO SSD 500 GB, Windows 10 64-bit

wardog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 15 Jul 2015 Status: Offline Points: 6447	Post Options Post Reply Quote wardog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 Jan 2016 at 6:16am
	If I'm not mistaken, I lean more AMD than Intel by far, 4K is currently only enabled in Intel NUC's and mobile chips.

Xaltar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 16 May 2015 Location: Europe Status: Offline Points: 25058	Post Options Post Reply Quote Xaltar Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 14 Jan 2016 at 2:14pm
	For 4k gaming you will need a minimum of a GTX 980 or R9 Fury Nano to achieve properly playable FPS and that will be at reduced settings. Ideally you will want a pair of GTX 970s/R9 390x or better to be able to mostly max out visuals in games at 4k and have any kind of future proofing. I mention GPU first because when the goal is 4k that is always where you start. Now for CPU you should be able to get away with an i5 6600k with these GPUs and yes the Z170 Extreme 7+ would be a very good choice in combination. If you plan on doing video transcoding etc then you may want to look towards the i7 6700k as the hyper threading will significantly reduce transcoding times. In a purely gaming/media metric however the i5 will be more than sufficient, especially overclocked. 6 core and above CPUs are only available on the X99 platform so avoid this unless it is essential to have more than 4 cores and 8 threads. Going for an i7 5820 for example will mean you will need a socket 2011 X99 motherboard which isn't cheap for a decent board. As for power supply you will want at least a quality 800w unit for dual GPUs, one of Seasonic's PSUs would be ideal but there are other brands that are solid too, just do your research and look for reviews before making a decision. The PSU will be the backbone of your system and is the last place you want to cheap out. Now for a case you will want something spacious and easy to access for hardware changes, tweaks and cleaning. The Corsair Air 540 is a great example if a little pricey. Take your time and plan the system from the ground up. If it will be an incremental build as you say then you will want to make sure that you are not throwing money away on parts you will end up replacing later. Get your PSU, RAM, CPU and motherboard locked down first then work on adding the other components as finances present themselves. Heat from the system will only become an issue once you add the GPUs so you can reuse an older case to get started then replace it later with a decent one. Be patient and meticulous and it will all come together nicely.