What are the most important factors for buying a MB?
I'm building a midrange machine with limited gaming/video but expecting some expandability and am set on the i5 2500/2500K chip. I can get the ASUS P8P67 Pro mobo for around $150 but there are others within 10-20 bucks(more or less) and I'm not sure what specs should add them to my list or completely remove them as possible options.
I expect to have 1 HDD, 1 optical drive, 4G RAM and a PCIe vid card and most extras running through USB but no doubt there will be some upgrades and extras required sometime in the next couple of years.
Should I look at Z chipset over the P with less SATA options?
So many options and its a bit daunting for a newb like me, so what should I be focusing my priorities on?
I'm building a midrange machine with limited gaming/video but expecting some expandability and am set on the i5 2500/2500K chip. I can get the ASUS P8P67 Pro mobo for around $150 but there are others within 10-20 bucks(more or less) and I'm not sure what specs should add them to my list or completely remove them as possible options.
I expect to have 1 HDD, 1 optical drive, 4G RAM and a PCIe vid card and most extras running through USB but no doubt there will be some upgrades and extras required sometime in the next couple of years.
Should I look at Z chipset over the P with less SATA options?
So many options and its a bit daunting for a newb like me, so what should I be focusing my priorities on?