Hey oc!
I am currently using GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3+ AMD 990FX + SB950 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard and
ASRock H81 Pro BTC LGA 1150 Intel H81 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard.
Funny, I am running the exact same motherboards.... and they are both my favourites as they both have handled up to 6 cards with my AMD GPU rigs (Linux).
I used to run 24 GPU's dedicated to X11 but I have been scaling down as I will be travelling for work in the next few months (now down to 12).
I had alot of problems with other motherboards getting 6 cards going in them... just because a motherboard has 6 PCIE slots doesn't mean that 6 GPU's will work good with it.
I second the recommendation above....
For the OP:
My suggestion to the OP is to consider the Gigabyte motherboard if you have other uses for the machine.... and go from the ASRock BTC motherboard if you want a dedicated mining board that is also more compact in size.
Consider the costs of the processor, as Intel tends to be more expensive than AMD. Think of the CPU and Motherboard as a package price due to the wider CPU price differences. You also want a low watt CPU of either brand.
Consider if you are going to use powered risers.... as the BTC motherboard extra power through PCIE doesn't make a difference if you use powered risers. I like the USB powered risers the best now (so much more extra length - cleaner look), although I had to do some mods to my open air rigs (how the cards are supported due to the larger size base of the USB risers).
Both motherboards are great, but you also have to consider purchase cost, and re-sale. I would suggest that the Gigabyte with any AMD processor has a better re-sale due to the fact that a wider selection of people are interested in buying it.... it is a common motherboard for use anywhere.
The BTC motherboard is a little more exclusive in use.... it is still a motherboard, but not many people will put it in their desktop. It does offer a more compact form... which is good for those who build custom open air rigs... more space for the other add ons.
But if for some reason GPU mining makes a major comeback somehow, with a shortage of hardware.... the BTC motherboard may become more in demand once again.
GPU mining has been considered "dead" for years now... but it still popular, and people want to do it.
It is dead for short term profitability, but I will note, that BitCoin mining wasn't and isn't always profitable in the short term (and that statement extends back to the beginning before BTC hit dollar parity).
It is the long term that you have to think about.... much like people like me, who heard about BitCoin in 2009 when it first came out, and could have mined a few thousand. I got in around May 2013 instead. As any coin goes up, it pushes out the smaller guys in terms of instant profit... but the incumbents, who started small, and can enjoy the rise... those are the real winners.
If you hold onto what you mine, or convert to an alt that has growth potential, you just might make some money!
Good Luck!
