Pick a Motherboard

[Asgard_thor]

Heres the deal
I am building a computer toward the end of March
I am looking for a board that supports Quad 45nm(Q9450) processor, and DDR2 800, really don't want to buy different ram..
and If possible would like the option of SLI..if possible like i said
thanks

[systemviper]

790i ultra SLI

[Asgard_thor]

how much does one of those bad boys cost? ^^

[Waymon3X6]

They're not out yet...

I would recommend the 780i from EVGA:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188024

OR:

The ASUS Striker II Formula
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131255

Personally I believe the Striker II is better. It looks like ASUS built it better and not as cheesy. The EVGA has a aluminum (aint that great at cooling, but I guess it gets the job done) heatsink for the NB, but the ASUS has a massive copper heatsink surrounding the whole CPU socket. You can also tell by the price...

[Asgard_thor]

is there anything possibly cheaper?
the 780i looked ok, like the look of it..but it says DDR2 1200, would that be ok still for DDR2 800?

[Waymon3X6]

That's just the memory standard. I think you'll be ok - although I am not totally 100% sure.

[BenchZowner]

DDR2-1200 is the max "certified" frequency for the board.
You can run DDR2-800 memory on it just fine.

[[XC] gomeler]

X38-DQ6 or X38-DS4 + 2x HD3870 X2's :p: To stick to the thread topic though, the 790i chipset is looking to be an absolute benching fiend and worthy of taking the hit to the wallet for the board + DDR3.

[Asgard_thor]

:(

anyone want to switch me ram?

I cant afford to buy different ram..

[Asgard_thor]

what if I decide against SLI
what would be a good board or a good clocking board..

780i is just way to out of my budget
45nm support, good overclocking, DDR2 support
P45 worth waking for?
I really did like the blackness of the 780i, any P45 or X38 have that?

[Waymon3X6]

Get the x38

Maybe a maximus formula? Try a P5K too.

[BenchZowner]

I'd say:

Define your budget for the motherboard purchase
And define "good overclocking"...what are you really looking for ?
24/7 ? Benching ?
Cooling to be used ?

[Asgard_thor]

Well, on a side note, Hope your nose gets better man! im praying for yah

Well, I already sent about $450 on my components below
Q9450-about $360 shipped, going to order that hopefully soon
hard drive: any recommendations? 250gb or 320gb at first
GPU: im thinking the 8800gt/or gts... thats kinda why i wanted SLI later on but i guess i will have to live
and for heatsink I was thinking a TRUE, but wasn't that sure where to buy or how much they cost, or what would be better for a Q9450
depending on the GPU, probably around $200 max-ish

edit:
on the overclocking side, 4ghz is a sexy number, but i would settle for 3.6ghz
Probably liquid cool later on

[BenchZowner]

Q9450 = agreed, good pick, great CPU.
HDD...hmm... Seagate 7200.11 or Samsung HD321KJ ( 320GB )
GPU... a 8800GT/8800GTS is good enough to play todays & feature games in high details.
No need for SLI, in the future you can sell the GPU and get a newer one.
In gaming I'd pick single VGA over SLI/Triple SLI/CrossFire/CrossFire-X any day.
Unless gaming at super high resolutions, over 1920x1440 where a dual/triple GPU solution is "needed" to game in high details & AA/AF.

For air cooling, there's nothing better than the ThermalRight Ultra-120 at the moment.

For a mobo... I'd pick any of the following ( for DDR2, trying to keep your budget "low" ) [ DDR3 is kinda expensive and not really beneficial when not benching for the top numbers :D ]:

Gigabyte EX38-DS4
DFI LanParty DarK X38-T2R
Abit IX38 Quad GT
Abit IP35 Pro

[Asgard_thor]

im kinda likely this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127033&Tpk=Abit%2bIX38%2bQuad%2bGT

how will the Q9450 behave on that?
any problems with the motherboard itself?

[Virous]

RAMPAGE FORMULA!

Intel chipsets are FTW

[BenchZowner]

The IX38 Quad GT will allow you to reach 450-470MHz FSB with a Q9450, so it's ok considering your OC targets.

[Asgard_thor]

Well, on the X38 quad GT, what could be achieved with liquid cooling or is it maxed out at
450x8?

[BenchZowner]

Depending on your luck ( on the northbridge and the CPU itself ) you'll be FSB limited in between 450 & 470MHz FSB.
The FSB wall is a CPU + Mobo combination...
For example with my best Q6600 I can run it at 506MHz FSB on my Asus P5K3 Deluxe, and at 498MHz FSB on my Abit IP35 Pro.
Same CPU did 477MHz FSB on the Asus Commando, and 485MHz FSB on the Gigabyte X48T-DQ6.
Obviously the CPU is capable of FSBs up to 506MHz ( guaranteed ) but the max FSB is limited by each board.

That can happen even with the same motherboard model.
I have 2 P5K3 Deluxe's here, and the same CPU on the second one does only 490MHz FSB.

On the other side I've seen a CPU maxing at the same frequency on 4 of my boards ( which indicates that it's the maximum FSB limited by the CPU itself ).

For the Q9450 count 450MHz FSB <= X <= 470MHz FSB [ and if you're damn lucky you might max at ~485MHz FSB ]

[Asgard_thor]

so I dont have to worry about the mobo maxing the chip out, they should have about equal the max FSB right?

ok edit:
I'm getting my components narrowed now
Q9450: is that site for pre-ordering legit?, just have to double check, $350 isn't easy to come by
samsung hard drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152054&Tpk=Samsung%2bHD321KJ)
Abit motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127033&Tpk=Abit%2bIX38%2bQuad%2bGT)
8800gt, is suppose to make me last still nVidia comes out with something cool lol, not sure which one to get, BFG is a pretty sweet brand though ( I have that jinx shirt lol)
thermalright (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=185&products_id=21840)

is it a good idea to get an extra two yate loons for the thermalright hs?
edit again: will there any hitting agansit anything, like the heatsinks on the motherboard or anything like that, also I have a OCz memory cooler, everythign should be good?

Edit one last time:
this was in the deal section, any good?
http://www.motherboardpro.com/DFI-INFINITY-P965-S-Intel-P965-Socket-775-ATX-Motherboard-p-7.html

[Asgard_thor]

i think everyone is busy in the CEBIT thread :(

the P45 with DDR2 looked nice, I think it was DFI

[Asgard_thor]

I don't really like the Quad GT...now that I look at it

how much is that P45 going to cost?
or should I look at something else that is already out

[Giacomo]

I'm not sure you need to wait for P45, especially if you're looking for cheap bargains.

If you move away from NVIDIA chipset (and that's a good idea, with an exception - perhaps - for the incoming 790i, which is only DDR3), the Intel offering is actually divided into three interesting chipsets: The P35, the X38 and the X48. The P35 could be the best bang for the buck if you're looking to save money: its drawbacks are the lack of PCI-E 2.0 (still 1.1), and the presence of one PCI-E x16 lane + one PCI-E x8 lane, in place of two x16's. This means that, if you wanna CrossFire later, the second card gets only half the bandwidth. Apart from these graphics weak points, P35 is solid, tested, works and overclocks nice even with quads.

One step further is the X38 chipset, which solves all previous "issues": two x16 lanes for maximum CrossFire bandwidth, PCI-E 2.0 interfaces. Also, the X38 is something more angry than the P35 and it usually clocks better, with less heat per clock.

The X48 is something you should stay away from, not that it's bad, but it's the most costly of the three and it's just a binned X38: it should run cooler and overclock a little better, but I can see no reason why someone looking for reasonable priced boards should go for it.

P35 can be found for really low price, especially on some good ASUS board (P5K family). X38 is somewhere in the middle, still ASUS has some nice and reasonably priced picks. My board, that you can see in my signature, is among the most pricey X38 boards, and I think it's not for you. Other esoteric boards such as Maximus Formula, Maximus Formula Special Edition, Maximus Formula Special Edition I'm Going To Demolish Your SuperPi Record, and other exotic stuff tends to be far from away your budget (and perfectly useless in most cases, too).

If you stick with Intel chipsets, you should really consider ATI cards. That's because CrossFire supports different cards to be put together, and that's brilliant if you like to build your systems piece by piece. You can buy a reasonably priced ATI card today (such as the good HD3870, but it's really up to your gaming needs) and then, for example, pair it with a new HD4000 this summer. Lots of options to preserve your shopping, your money and not to throw anything out of the window too soon.

For a more graphics-related debate, I suggest you to have a wide look at benchies around websites. If you're interested in, I can try to make a brief synthesis of the actual situation for you.

Giacomo

[Dan_c]

Hi there. I was in youre shoes not long ago... Got burned with Abit IP35 Pro (does extremelly well with dual core's, but died on my q6600 at 450 FSB...), ASUS Striker II Formula (never again, I mean enything from this company...) and I finally setled on a Gigabyte G33M-DS2R (best mAtx I ever seen FSB 450 easy)... also tested a P7N Platibum... good stable board... if you do need SLi...
As for HDD, get a Western Digital WD3200AAKS, or WD2500AAKS...
Regarding VGA, i'm still amazed by the brute force of my Gainward Bliss 8800gts... Haven't had a chance to see it in Sli action, but for two days... As for GTvs.GTS, got no clue...

Best of luck to you, and hope to hear only good news!

[Asgard_thor]

samsung (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152054&Tpk=Samsung%2bHD321KJ)
or
WD (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136074&Tpk=WD3200AAKS)

as for the graphic card, Its going to stay nVidia
which X38 would you guys recommend? will the price drop?
something that will work good with a OCZ memory cooler and a thermalright extreme(right?)

[Dan_c]

Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 if u really want X38... but I'd rather have a good P35...sutch as tha MARS, or a DFI T2R.

WD ruless by the way! and I'm talcking from a long experience of hard faileures, because good hardware was rare around here (no names, but you get the point!)... WD is the single brand I wouldn't even think about chancing in my riggs....

[Asgard_thor]

so im guessing you recommend WD, already

well...
any way I can take advantage of 2.0 PCI-e 16x without spending $269 any less possibly?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128326

[Giacomo]

so im guessing you recommend WD, already

well...
any way I can take advantage of 2.0 PCI-e 16x without spending $269 any less possibly?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128326

Yes, i.e. with an ASUS P5E.

Giacomo

[Asgard_thor]

is 2.0 PCI-e what it is all about?

seemed to be alot of ":banana::banana::banana::banana:" talking about Asus around here..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219

I don't want to go through of RMA...this is going to be my only rig...have to give up my other one

good overclocking, decent Price... DDR2-800 support

Dark DFI dont look that bad..but whatcha guys think?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136043

[Dan_c]

:shrug: sorry about over-reacting brother, all in good intentions...
as for the board, it might be the best choice (in my boock that is). set one of those up for my sister, along with an E8200, 4 gig off em2 mushkin and a Gainward 8800gt (plus 4 WD 3200AAKS's, almost left that one out :up: ), and it's rock solid... peace of cake (she and my girlfriend even made fun of my, saing how come I spend so many nights prepping PC's, when it's actually so easy!!:mad: )
That one rides at 400 FSB 24/7, since day one! Pleasent surprise it was...
Again, I'm really sorry for pushing it, but I have sufered serious psichological traumas... :nuts:

[Asgard_thor]

what would be a good overclocking motherboard that supports DDR2 and PCI-E 2.0 and doesnt break the bank that much..

is that Asus board ok?

[DJBUDDY]

Asus P5E, flawless with a quad and 4 gigs of ram!!!!

[Asgard_thor]

Asus P5E, flawless with a quad and 4 gigs of ram!!!!

ok final VOTE!!

DFI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136045)


OR

ASUS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219)

note this will be cooled by a thermalright extreme( the one that cost like $70 lol), and OCZ memory cooler...so make sure clearance isnt a problem

is the $20 over the DFI worth getting the Asus over?

[Dan_c]

DFI...

good luck

[Asgard_thor]

anyone else help me find out please?

[Asgard_thor]

I would really like if someone could please help me out here with the motherboarding picking
I was also thinking
How long of Sata cables do I need, I want black sata cables from here
http://www.petrastechshop.com/seataiica.html
im not sure if I want 10"-24"
I want a 90 degree turn though

would a yate loon be best to put on a thermalright?
low-med or high?

[adya]

ive also being shopping for a new mobo .ive checked lots of reviews from clunk ,x.s ,hardforum etc etc . dfi x38 seems to get very good reviews.and seems to clock quite well.
ive decided to go dfi. i think there a better choice.
my experience with asus has being awful. im talking about aftersales support.
they basically lost my board during rma and wont replace it .
just something to think about if going with asus.
i really think dfi x48 t2r is a good choice ,its just being released and dfi x38 is hard to find now to. dfi x48 supports ddr2 as well.

[Asgard_thor]

what is the difference between both these X38 DFI?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136045
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136042

[xytrius]

The LP LT has more goodies like better discreet audio, additional RAID controller, addtional gigabit ethernet and 1394a.

[Asgard_thor]

anymore overclocking benefits?

[.OCX]

I would get the more expensive one with more features. Call me fickle, but the Motherboard should be your center piece for overclocking and stability, pay more for peace of mind.

[Asgard_thor]

is the LT SL?

it has 2.0 X16 x 2
it should be righT?

[adya]

why not go for dfi lt x48 t2r? its out already. and with very little price difference. also supports ddr2 .its available from motherboard pro and possibly new egg. just a thought.

[Giacomo]

why not go for dfi lt x48 t2r? its out already. and with very little price difference. also supports ddr2 .its available from motherboard pro and possibly new egg. just a thought.

Just a tiny little drawback with the X48-T2R: less space between PCI-E slots. If you don't have much faith in the X48-over-X38 capabilities, you might want to stick on some more space between your CrossFire setup, at a lower price tag too.

Apart from faith, if X48 really reveals itself as a better clocker, if you're not running a low multiplier quad core CPU you're not really interested in that. Maybe good for memories?

As I mentioned somewhere else: I was supposed to say "Oh no, just bought an X38...", instead I'm actually happy to have done it (though it's yet to be fired up, damn waterblocks shipment).

Giacomo

[Asgard_thor]

well I will being using a Q9450, if there is no difference in overclocking on air, I will likely go for the $199

I am a Nvidia Fanboy, so i will not being using crossfire lol

[Asgard_thor]

well I will being using a Q9450, if there is no difference in overclocking on air, I will likely go for the $199

I am a Nvidia Fanboy, so i will not being using crossfire lol

the x48 is out of the question, its $299 lol

[Giacomo]

The DK has a 4-phase digital PWM in place of the LT's 8-phase. This means less stable power supply to your components, very probably reflecting into some worse overclocking capabilities. Lot or little, I really don't know.

Plus, the Q9450 is a delicate subject, having an 8x multiplier and being virtually able, apart from its damned multiplier, to reach sky-high frequency with ease. So, if you buy the cheapest board, you could end up with some low FSB wall, know that the CPU could do much more, and curse your mainboard for preventing you to unleash the full potential of your CPU.

I suggest you to stick with the LT and be happy with the best X38 board out there. Someone else talked about "peace of mind" and I totally agree, especially for fitting a Q9450.

Giacomo

[Asgard_thor]

ok hopefully I can stretch for the X38 LT

thanks man :)

[Asgard_thor]

will the Tthermalright heatsink block a ram slot?

also I have a OCZ memory cooler will that get in the way?

can someone asnwer my question about sata cables

[Asgard_thor]

anyone?

[Asgard_thor]

X38 LT

or 780I (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188024)