A Blast From the Past For You Older [H]'ers... DX58SO Smackover Build

Mr. Bluntman

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
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This is a new project I've started work on today... It's one I have been meaning to complete for at least the last 18 months and the (sort of) end is now in sight... Now, the specs:

Intel Core i7 970 CPU equivalent (Xeon W3670), 6c/12t @ 3.2GHz, 12MB L3 Cache
3 x 2GB G.Skill DDR3-1600 DDR SDRAM
Intel DX58SO X58 "Smackover" ATX Crossfire/SLI Motherboard
AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 (Barts XT - 1120/56/32/256b)
2 x 1TB 7200RPM HDD in RAID0
Corsair TX650 650w PSU
Windows 7 Ultimate

IMG_20221212_201957.jpg


The CPU and GPU were each $20, the PSU was a 1yr/o pull from my main PC after being replaced with the RM850 that is sitting in its place. Everything else I've had for 18 months - 2 years already, just waiting to be dusted off. Just need DVD-RW drive and DVD-ROM drive/Blu-Ray drive. Must be SATA, please... If you have extras, HMU!
The case was so filthy it literally took almost 3 and 1/2 hours scrubbing it clean with scalding hot water + straight ammonia/distilled water in a 50/50 solution. Works well, but the chassis needs a new front with dust filter, 120mm + 140mm 3-pin DC fans, and said optical drives.
I have spent nearly 7 hours (a full work day if you include the hour lunch professionals get...) working on this motherfucker. I just pray it passes the smoke test once again, especially since it's an untested (but previously at last power on working) pull.

The GPU is only temporary, as is the 6GB of DDR3. I plan on upgrading to most likely a Radeon HD 6970 2GB, maybe something similar or a little faster (if you have a 6970 2GB reference card, PM me!), haven't decided for sure yet... It just depends on what I come across for what and how much I have on hand at the moment. But yeah, smoke test tomorrow... Wish me luck!
 
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So I figured I would post an update... The system works fine, I just need a Windows 7 Ultimate key and a pair of DVD drives (1 RW, 1 ROM). I did want to ask you all which GPU should go in, should it be a...
AMD Radeon HD 6970 2GB?
nVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB?
or an nVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB??
Something, anything that won't stress out a PCIe 2.0 x16 connection too much...
 
I vote for the 780 Ti
Still have one in service, albeit paired with a 5GHz 2600K

The 6970 and 680 are not retro enough (comparatively)
 
I've got a HD4850 ATi-branded card if you want retro. Obviously a step back from what you're thinking, though.

-bZj
 
I've got a HD4850 ATi-branded card if you want retro. Obviously a step back from what you're thinking, though.

-bZj
It'd go nice with my matching card for Crossfire! Sadly I'm kinda overextended on purchases as it is.
 
I still have my semi-retired asus p6x58d-e, x5670 at 4.3ghz, and 3x4gb ddr3-2000 chugging away. Might slot a gtx 1080 in it, it's been paired with an 8gb r9 290x until recently, I swapped it for an rx580 8gb though.

I always wanted to try some of the gskill 2400mhz memory kits, see if my IMC can do it but probably never will.

No point IMHO in going with older graphics cards unless for fun, 1366 can still game at 1080/4k even with better GPUs, but the cpu OC is big too, a third more performance roughly. That xeon will easily hit 4ghz but that heatsink will be a problem, and 50/50 for the board. Higher res demands lean more on the gpu. There's some youtube channels playing around with 1366 at 4k still if you get bored/interested
 
Haha- I remember this review (vaugely).

Thanks, and yep. My roommate was using it until just last week. Did everything he needed, even light gaming!
It's not that the board was bad. It was that Intel marketed it as some extreme gaming motherboard but missed the mark entirely on that front. They never could understand what made a gaming board and what didn't. Taking one of their OEM style motherboards and putting a weird looking skull on it doesn't make it a gaming motherboard. They actually exited the market shortly after that review. Obviously not because of my review but rather because their sales were falling and the motherboard and DIY market was shifting to a niche focus on gaming and later content creation. Intel simply couldn't understand that or change with the times. Intel never has understood enthusiasts.
 
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Make no mistake, X58 was great. It packed a lot of punch for its weight. And it really did withstand the test of time.
 
I had a couple Intel Extreme boards.

Anyone know if this or the DP55KG was the last of the Extreme Series?

-bZj
 
I had a couple Intel Extreme boards.

Anyone know if this or the DP55KG was the last of the Extreme Series?

-bZj
The DX58SO was one of the last two Intel boards I reviewed for HardOCP and preceded their exit from the market. I believe I also reviewed the D5400XS that year.
 
I had a couple Intel Extreme boards.

Anyone know if this or the DP55KG was the last of the Extreme Series?

-bZj
I had an Intel Z77 motherboard, the DZ77SL-50K. I believe after Ivy Bridge they stopped producing motherboards altogether. X58 was the beginning and the end of the road for Intel HEDT boards though as Dan_D said.
 
I had an Intel Z77 motherboard, the DZ77SL-50K. I believe after Ivy Bridge they stopped producing motherboards altogether. X58 was the beginning and the end of the road for Intel HEDT boards though as Dan_D said.
I never even saw those. But now that I think about it, I do remember the DX58SO being after the D5400XS. I don't think I ever so much as heard of or saw any of their Z77 stuff.
 
So I figured I would post an update... The system works fine,
It seems to have regular electrolytic capacitors for what I assume are the power portions of PCIe slots.

So, if it starts giving you grief with some GPU, I'd start with just getting those replaced with new ones, considering it's been a while since this board launched.
 
I never even saw those. But now that I think about it, I do remember the DX58SO being after the D5400XS. I don't think I ever so much as heard of or saw any of their Z77 stuff.
In my 8 years with it before selling the DZ77SL-50K was rock solid stable as long as the RAM was up to snuff. It was a great board as long as you didn't overclock.
 
In my 8 years with it before selling the DZ77SL-50K was rock solid stable as long as the RAM was up to snuff. It was a great board as long as you didn't overclock.
Intel boards are probably the ones I've had the least trouble with over the years. It's a shame they left the market.
 
Absolutely a shame. I had the BadAxe2, and the BoneTrail - solid boards.

I asked about the latest ones to see if it might be worth pulling some old stuff together, for a server or something. Looks like it might not be worth it, though.

-bZj
 
Intel boards are probably the ones I've had the least trouble with over the years. It's a shame they left the market.
I agree. As long as you didn't overclock or care about tweaking much they were extremely solid offerings. It's what I bought when I wanted an Intel system to just work.
 
I liked the Extreme Series for solid, basic OC'ing. Nothing major, but a little 'free' speed, with stability.

-bZj
 
I liked the Extreme Series for solid, basic OC'ing. Nothing major, but a little 'free' speed, with stability.

-bZj

Unfortunately most Intel Extreme boards were no better than ECS boards for overclocking.
 
Not for high speeds. But they stayed stable once you found your lane.

-bZj
 
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