Advice for new X38 machine

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trucmuche

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I plan to buy the following "custom" config from AVADirect.
I want to keep this machine for 4-5 years, without making any major change like MB or CPU, to the exception of BIOS, GPU, or RAM upgrades. With maybe some OC later.
I am not planning any SLI or Crossfire.
The usage are a bit of gaming (WoW/Starcraft1-2), a bit of office, a bit of photo edit.

1) Core2 Quad Q9300 OEM
COOLERMASTER, Hyper TX 2 CPU Cooler
GIGABYTE, GA-EX38-DS4 or ASUS, P5E, Intel X38, 1600MHz
CORSAIR, 4GB (2 x 2GB) XMS2 DDR2 800MHz CL5 (5-5-5-18) 1.8V Non-ECC
eVGA, 9600GT Superclocked 675MHz, 512MB
WESTERN DIGITAL, 320GB WD Caviar® SE
LITE-ON, LH-20A1S 20x DVD±RW SATA
COOLERMASTER, CM 690
CORSAIR, CMPSU-520HX HX
MICROSOFT, Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit
I am reusing a 19" LCD and will change soon to a 20".

2) Please comment on the choices, particularly of the motherboard Gigabyte EX38-DS4 vs ASUS P5E ? (Price difference is only $8 at AVADirect)
And is the CORSAIR RAM the right set ?
But remember that although AVADirect has lots of choices they might not have all products available like at Newegg.
 
Not worth getting an X38 mobo which has full native support for Crossfire (ATI chip video cards). It is a waste with that 1 x Geforce 9600GT video card. Just get a Intel P35 chipset mobo. A P35 chip mobo will offer very good overclocking.
 
Yeah, I concur with HardwareGuru. Going with an X38 chipset motherboard won't increase the longevity of your system. Do note that DDR2 RAM won't be the standard for long when the mainstream parts of Intel's new Nehalem CPU architecture is introduced. However, current Intel Core 2 Duo systems do not benefit very little from DDR3 RAM. So a bit of a pickle.

Also, how much does that Ava Direct build cost?
 
If you want to use this for four or five years, you may want to spend very little now, and then when Nehalem comes out, get a new system. Because Nehalem is going to be an all new socket... which means a new motherboard... and IIRC it's going to be DDR3.
 
Thanks to all for your comments.
Here are my answers.
Danny Bui : the config w/ X38 quotes $1,520. And this is the max price range I wanted to be.
All : I read about Nehalem and how it will break the current LGA775 MB but don't plan to go to it.
My plan was to buy the best price / quality config which lasts as long as it can with : PCIe 2.0, DDR2 up to 1200 Mhz or eventually DDR3 (but as Danny said there is no add performance/price of DDR3 right now).
HardwareGuru : I agree with you for the P35 MB if I was looking for a short term life system. And the eVGA 9600 is the best price performance I can see (I rejected the ATI 3870).
Based on these explanations any comment or suggestions for the X38 Gigabyte vs ASUS, or the RAM,
or the Graphic card ?
Thanks.
 
The only difference between PCI-E2.0 and PCI-E1.1 is the increased power delivery through the slot and the increased bandwidth. PCI-E2.0 cards are backwards compatible with PCI-E1.1 slots. However, current PCI-E2.0 cards do not saturate the bandwidth of PCI-E1.1 slots. Therefore, theres no point in spending a huge amount of money for the sole purpose of getting a PCI-E2.0 slot right now. By the time PCI-E2.0 cards are severely limited by the lower bandwidth of the PCI-E1.1 slots, it will be time for a new motherboard anyhow (by which time PCI-E3.0 will be out; which would put you back into the same predicament).

So my suggestion is the same as everyone else. Stick to a P35 board. Another option is to wait for the P45 boards, which have PCI-E2.0 (they're due out sometime in Q2'08).
 
I agree, a P35 board will last as long as an X38 board at this point. There's no reason to go DDR3 right now, it's just a waste of money. Even when DDR3 becomes the "standard" with Nehalem, you won't need it unless you upgrade to a new motherboard/CPU anyway. As for PCIe 2.0, I think it's going to be a while before you really need it. Hell, there's still AGP cards available that are fairly respectable.
 
OK I am now entertaining the option of going with a P35 board.
I am looking at : GIGABYTE, GA-P35C-DS3R, DDR2-1066/DDR3-1066 8GB/4GB
to give me the option of moving into DDR3 later when price goes down and performances get much better than DDR2. About the GA-P35-DS3R (w/o DDR3), the price difference at AvaDirect is only $8.
What do you guys think of that GA-P35C-DS3R in combination with the above CORSAIR RAM and the rest of the config ?
My 2nd (less preferred) option would be the ASUS P5K-E.
Thanks.
 
While DDR3 price and performance will get better in the future, you won't be able to take advantage of it with that board and CPU. There is no performance difference between DDR2 and DDR3 on the current Conroe/Bearlake platform. So, you're paying $8 for nothing, IMO. Also, the C boards seem to have more problems than non-C boards, from what I've seen... or maybe I havent looked around enough, lol. I'd go with the non-C or the P5K-E. If you want to OC above 400Mhz FSB speeds, the DS3R will need additional cooling on the northbridge, while the cooling on the P5K-E uses heatpipes (better).
 
Enginurd : just curious, what do you mean by additional cooling on the NB ? Isn't the Hyper TX2 sufficient if I want to OC > 400Mhz ? If not, what is the limit of OC with the Hyper TX2 ? Or what should I use if I want to OC > 400 Mhz ?
Thanks.
 
NB = North Bridge. It's under that big heatsink with the Gigabyte label next to the CPU. Enginurd is saying that you will need better cooling for the north bridge if you plan on OCing past 400Mhz FSB. Better cooling include strapping a small fan (40mm should be fine) on it or using replacing the stock Gigabyte heatsink north bridge cooler with this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109128

As for the CPU OC, I don't think anyone can say with a definite answer what's max OC you can reach with a certain HSF. There are other factors involved such as whether or not you got a CPU that likes to be overclocked, ambient temperatures, whether or not you have good NB cooling, the quality of the HSF itself, etc.

With that said, the Hyper TX2 should be sufficient for at least a 400Mhz FSB OC. That's all I can say about it.
 
trucmuche said:
I want to keep this machine for 4-5 years, without making any major change like MB or CPU, to the exception of BIOS, GPU, or RAM upgrades. With maybe some OC later.

GIGABYTE, GA-EX38-DS4 or ASUS, P5E, Intel X38, 1600MHz
Click to expand...

I'm looking at the same kind of situation, although I'm not buying until September (when the Q9550 drops to the $316 price point). But I'll want a computer that lasts 5 years with only a video card upgrade at some point. I've been trying to decide between a P35 and an X38 motherboard, and decided that I would rather go with the X38 motherboard for the following reasons:

1) PCI-e 2.0: With no idea of what future video cards might require in regards to power being supplied through the slot, I figure PCI-e 2.0 is hedging my bet.
2) 2 x PCI-e 2.0 x16 slots: The P35 motherboards only have an x16 and an x4 slot for dual video cards. Again, I'm hedging my bet for the future with two full x16 slots, if I ever decide to Crossfire future ATI video cards.

Anyway, I researched X38 motherboard reviews, and from what I can tell, the Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 is better than the Asus P5E, so if you decide to go with X38, get the Gigabyte motherboard.

BTW, AVA Direct also has the ThermalRight Ultra-120 Extreme heatsink, so if you want the best air cooling, that's the one to get.
 
Yeah go with P35, save yourself some money, and buy yourself a more badass monitor. Or get an additional and dual screen.
 
Danny: Thanks for the information on both the NB cooler and the CPU HSF. Appreciate it. In fact I just saw in an other forum someone posting a picture of his 40mm fan on the North Bridge.
 
AndonSage : thanks for sharing your rationale for choosing the Gigabyte X38 - interesting to see we are going through the same dilemma.:)
I am probably going to end with the GA-P35C-DS3R, as I don't plan any Crossfire or using any 24" LCD or 1920 x 1200 definition soon.
 
trucmuche said:
AndonSage : thanks for sharing your rationale for choosing the Gigabyte X38 - interesting to see we are going through the same dilemma.:)
Click to expand...

You're welcome :) I've got several months to go though, so it's always possible I'll change my mind by then, hehe.

trucmuche said:
I am probably going to end with the GA-P35C-DS3R, as I don't plan any Crossfire or using any 24" LCD or 1920 x 1200 definition soon.
Click to expand...

The other reason I'm waiting until September is for the new video cards being released, so those will determine what I eventually go with. I game on a 24" Soyo at 1920 x 1200.

I have noticed that some new games coming out, like Age of Conan, have a 3.0GHz Pentium 4 as their minimum spec. I just hope I can wait until September...
 
By September, the Eaglelake chipsets will be out. And a few months later, Nehalem should be out, but only for high end.
 
enginurd said:
By September, the Eaglelake chipsets will be out. And a few months later, Nehalem should be out, but only for high end.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know, but I don't want to wait until the middle of next year for reasonably priced Nehalem systems. I can get a sweet Core 2 Quad system in September which will last at least until Sandy Bridge. With a Q9550 and an ATI 4xxx or nVidia 9900 card I'll be set :)
 
enginurd said:
By September, the Eaglelake chipsets will be out. And a few months later, Nehalem should be out, but only for high end.
Click to expand...
A bit like AndonSage, I am not waiting that far for my next machine. I will probably go as soon as end May-early June. I will observe how the P45 comes out and might or might not affect the prices of the P35C board I selected (or eventually the prices of the X38 board) ... The rest of my initial config will remain the same.
 
Well you can actually get a sweet Core2Quad system NOW, instead of waiting until September. But, of course, its all up to you. I don't think you'll gain much in terms of performance and savings by waiting until September, but thats just me.

@OP: yes, definitely check out eaglelake if its out by the time you buy.
 
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