Best MB for C2D E6600 and 8800GTS/X

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nyczxplizit

Limp Gawd
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Feb 6, 2004
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Anybody know what the best motherboard is for the C2D E6600 Processor combined with the 8800GTS/X? I haven't been keeping up with the latest gear lately and just want to get updated. Any opinions and suggestions are appreciated.
 
My eVGA 680i has been flawless the few weeks I've had it, but there are certainly many other options. Are you looking for any specific features?
 
nyczxplizit said:
Anybody know what the best motherboard is for the C2D E6600 Processor combined with the 8800GTS/X? I haven't been keeping up with the latest gear lately and just want to get updated. Any opinions and suggestions are appreciated.
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There is no "one best motherboard" but there are some good ones that I could recommend depending on your needs.

There are some factors to consider. For example:

Are you planning on going SLI?
Are you interested in reaching high FSB clocks?
Are you looking for the coolest (as in cold) running chipset?

Note: Since your CPU (E6600) has a default multi of 9, you don't need a mobo that reaches super high FSB, though it doesn't hurt to have one either.



Some recommendations:

If you want the possibility of SLI and high FSB clocks, the 680i chipset is for you:

Some cons:

-Not the fastest chipset if you're interest in getting the lowest times in SuperPi

-Runs noticeably warmer than the 965p and 975X chipsets

-Not as easy to overclock as the 965p and 975X chipsets


Some pros:

-SLI

-Can run memory unlinked

-Can reach high FSB clocks


Recommended Board: EVGA 680i A1

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If you're looking for high FSB clocks and a cooler running board, then the 965p chipset is for you:

Some cons:

-No SLI/CrossFire*

-Can't run memory unlinked

-Not as fast as the 975X chipset


Some pros

-Runs cooler than 680i/650i/RD600 chipsets

-Capable of high FSB

-Easy to OC

-Little faster than the 680i

-Usually cheaper than the other chipsets

*Note: You can run CrossFire/SLI with hacked drivers but the 4x PCI-E hinders performance. Do not get this chipset if want tu run a dual video card setup.

Recommended board: Asus Commando, Asus P5B-Dlx, DFI 965-S (if you can find one) and Gigabyte DS3.

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If you want a board with the fastest chipset (lowest SuperPi times), CrossFire capable and runs cool then the 975X is for you:

Some cons:

-Max FSB much lower than 680i and 965p chipsets

-Can't run memory unlinked

-No SLI*


Some pros:

-Faster chipset of them all

-Crossfire capable

-Runs cooler than 680i/650i/RD600 chipsets

-Easy to overclock


*Note: SLI is possible with hacked drivers, but it's not optimized for and doesn't run as stable as in the 680i boards.

Recommended boards: Intel Bad Axe 2 (XBX2), Abit AW9D-Max (if you don't mind the crappy expansion slots layout) and Asus P5W64 WS Pro (if you can get one for a good price. It's said that newer revs of this board have an ever lower max FSB)

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I've had the Asus P5W64 WS Pro, Asus P5B Deluxe and EVGA 680i A1.

Of them all I suggest the EVGA 680i A1, especially since you have an Nvidia video card.

Lots of good overclocking options in BIOS (not easy for noobs), high FSB limit, handles high clocks very well (if set up and cooled properly) and EVGA's customer service is the best. You also get lifetime warranty if you register your board soon after purchase. However, I highly recommend you get some active cooling on the North Bridge (especially if you're overclocking), because it does get quite hot.



Hope this helped. :)
 
Question: What is running memory unlinked?

I do plan on oc'ing the cpu but do not plan to use sli or crossfire. Just want a fast, cool system.
 
I've found the Evga board super easy to OC with, and "unlinked" isn't really unlinked, just auto chooses between many multipliers for you and trys to get to the highest mem speed w/o going over what you tell it you want it at.

I'd recommend the evga board in a heartbeat, runs great for me. Check out the lower end nForce boards too, 650i.
 
sethk said:
Nice post, MakubexGB. Thanks!
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Sure, no problem. :)


jmackay said:
I've found the Evga board super easy to OC with, and "unlinked" isn't really unlinked, just auto chooses between many multipliers for you and trys to get to the highest mem speed w/o going over what you tell it you want it at.
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Yeah, that's what's called unlinked, lol. :p

J/k, I know what you mean.


nyczxplizit said:
Question: What is running memory unlinked?
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Like others said, unlinked means you can adjust the FSB speed to whatever you want without affecting the speed of the memory. In other words, you don't have to overclock your memory to overclock your CPU, and vice versa.

nyczxplizit said:
I do plan on oc'ing the cpu but do not plan to use sli or crossfire. Just want a fast, cool system.
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In that case a 965P motherboard sounds like a good choice for you. I also forgot to mention (I already added to my 1st post) is that the 965p mobos are also (for the most part) cheaper than 680i and 975X mobos, which makes it the more of a good choice.
 
makubexGB - you can use the intel 975x board for SLi - it just requires hacked drivers. But, in all honesty - to the op - if your going to get a GTS - may as well go SLi and grab two - get the 680i board - go for a later eVGA - they appear to have the least amount of problems - earlier models - its a trip to the zoo.
 
Endrithius said:
makubexGB - you can use the intel 975x board for SLi - it just requires hacked drivers. But, in all honesty - to the op - if your going to get a GTS - may as well go SLi and grab two - get the 680i board - go for a later eVGA - they appear to have the least amount of problems - earlier models - its a trip to the zoo.
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You didn't read my post carefully did you? ;)
 
so if i understand this right

unlinked I can do like FSB 333 with a 9x multipler and have the RAM at 400
with linked the FSB 333 and the RAM would be at 333 even if using DDR2-800??

then with a linked mem chipset if you were doing the above 9x333 (on a Q6600 for instance) you would need anything better than DDR2-667?

so then what would be the point of having your RAM running faster than your FSB?
 
Tetrahedron said:
so if i understand this right

unlinked I can do like FSB 333 with a 9x multipler and have the RAM at 400
with linked the FSB 333 and the RAM would be at 333 even if using DDR2-800??

then with a linked mem chipset if you were doing the above 9x333 (on a Q6600 for instance) you would need anything better than DDR2-667?

so then what would be the point of having your RAM running faster than your FSB?
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No, with linked you'll have to use the provided dividers to adjust your FSB/memory speed (they don't have to be the same, i.e. 1:1 ratio. So if your FSB is at 333MHz, your memory doesn't have to run at 333MHz too, that's what dividers are for but you'll be limited to the provided dividers like in any other chipset). With unlinked you can set the FSB to whatever you want and the memory to whatever you want individually.
 
MakubexGB said:
No, with linked you'll have to use the provided dividers to adjust your FSB/memory speed (they don't have to be the same, i.e. 1:1 ratio. So if your FSB is at 333MHz, your memory doesn't have to run at 333MHz too, that's what dividers are for but you'll be limited to the provided dividers like in any other chipset). With unlinked you can set the FSB to whatever you want and the memory to whatever you want individually.
Click to expand...

ok i guess i was wrong.. lol... thanks for explaining.
 
With non-NF6 boards there are a limited number of dividers, such as 1:1, 4:5, 2:3 etc.

So if you are running your CPU @ 333, your ram could run at 333, 416, 500, etc.

With the NF6 series, you can set it to "unlinked" and say put it @ 400 and your CPU @ 333 and it would find a divider that gets it as close to 400 w/o going over automatically for you. It also has a huge range of dividers vs the standard ones.

So it would set it to something like 15:18 (random #s, not sure if it has this as an option or not), or 333:399.6 or whatever it can use to get it close to 400 w/o going over.

Edit: Also, what many people don't realize is that the CPUs are clocked @ 266mhz and most people buy 400mhz memory (DDR2-800). That means if you use a 1:1 ratio, you won't overclock your ram until you hit 400 mhz on the CPU, which is quite a large overclock.
 
There's a new DFI 965p mobo in town, the DFI 965 Dark.

I'm waiting to see some results and more info before I add it or not to my recommended list.

Just a heads up in case anyone is planning on getting a 965p mobo. ;)
 
jmackay said:
Edit: Also, what many people don't realize is that the CPUs are clocked @ 266mhz and most people buy 400mhz memory (DDR2-800). That means if you use a 1:1 ratio, you won't overclock your ram until you hit 400 mhz on the CPU, which is quite a large overclock.
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thanks for explaining the unlinked and linked further...

so then at 400Mhz CPU FSB overclock, which is quite large, with the above statement one would only really need DDR2-667 for a 1:1 ratio right? does it matter?
 
Thanks for all the useful information guys, and an especially big thanks to MakubexGB for the great post. I will have to remember this in a few months when I decide to go C2D....
 
The reason to buy a 965 board is to run high fsb so you would still need rams capable of 450fsb+.... As for dividers on the 965, it pretty much doesnt exist and in most cases the only option you have is to run 1:1..... Im not sure if its the same for all 965 boards but on a P5B-dlx ( and my Commando ) the 4:5 divider stops working at around 430fsb, and the 2:3 divider is useless unless you have 650fsb rams lol.......

If youre not planning on running high fsb ( 450 + ) then I think the 975 or 680/650 chipset will be better/faster.....
 
Tetrahedron said:
thanks for explaining the unlinked and linked further...

so then at 400Mhz CPU FSB overclock, which is quite large, with the above statement one would only really need DDR2-667 for a 1:1 ratio right? does it matter?
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No, if you do get 667MHz memory then you WILL have to OC it if you want to keep a 1:1 ratio and OC the CPU. If you just want to OC the CPU and not OC the memory and keep a 1:1 ratio then get DDR2-800 memory or higher.


mrmetal_53 said:
Thanks for all the useful information guys, and an especially big thanks to MakubexGB for the great post. I will have to remember this in a few months when I decide to go C2D....
Click to expand...
Glad to help. :)


luihed said:
The reason to buy a 965 board is to run high fsb so you would still need rams capable of 450fsb+.... As for dividers on the 965, it pretty much doesnt exist and in most cases the only option you have is to run 1:1..... Im not sure if its the same for all 965 boards but on a P5B-dlx ( and my Commando ) the 4:5 divider stops working at around 430fsb, and the 2:3 divider is useless unless you have 650fsb rams lol.......

If youre not planning on running high fsb ( 450 + ) then I think the 975 or 680/650 chipset will be better/faster.....
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No, not really. Dividers very much exist on 965p mobos, and even more most people don't run there CPU and memory on a 1:1 ratio, especially if overclocking. If you want to get the highest memory speed you can you will have to use another divider other than 1:1. This is not AMD, using the 1:1 is not that important. The important thing is getting the highest clocks possible. The fact that your 4:5 divider stops working at 430fsb is not a general 965p problem. It might be a problem with your specfic motherbod, or BIOS, or memory, etc.
 
The dividers are there to use but my point is at bus speed of 450fsb or less, there are better boards out there thats a wiser buy than a 965 board........ At 450fsb even using the smallest divider ( 4:5 if it works) will need rams capable of 562fsb which are available but not too many people have them....... Which leads to most running 1:1 ........ The dividers are usefull if running at lower buss speed but a 965 is the wrong board here.....

Running a faster memory speed is huge on the C2D according to superpi anyways..... My 32M time at 12m49s is only 9 secs faster than someone running almost 800mhz slower but using 2:3 divider:eek: ...... Im running 4380mhz @ 9 x 487fsb 4-4-3-4 1:1 ( 487fsb memory ) and him 3590mhz @ 9 x 399fsb 4-4-4-5 2:3 ( 598fsb memory )........ Given that I suck at that benchmark and he's probably the best at it, 780mhz is still a huge difference and most of that is from using a divider...........
 
What do you guys think of the Asus P5N32-E SLI Vanilla/PLUS vs the eVGA 680i. They are a good deal cheaper than the eVGA.
 
luihed said:
The dividers are there to use but my point is at bus speed of 450fsb or less, there are better boards out there thats a wiser buy than a 965 board........ At 450fsb even using the smallest divider ( 4:5 if it works) will need rams capable of 562fsb which are available but not too many people have them....... Which leads to most running 1:1 ........ The dividers are usefull if running at lower buss speed but a 965 is the wrong board here.....

Running a faster memory speed is huge on the C2D according to superpi anyways..... My 32M time at 12m49s is only 9 secs faster than someone running almost 800mhz slower but using 2:3 divider:eek: ...... Im running 4380mhz @ 9 x 487fsb 4-4-3-4 1:1 ( 487fsb memory ) and him 3590mhz @ 9 x 399fsb 4-4-4-5 2:3 ( 598fsb memory )........ Given that I suck at that benchmark and he's probably the best at it, 780mhz is still a huge difference and most of that is from using a divider...........
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965p board among the best overclckers and stable boards. If by any chance the user decides to run at 450fsb, not take it higher and doesn't have memory that will run at 562MHz then he should use the 1:1, and that's fine, because that's IF that specific situation occurs and that's what dividers are for. There's a good chance that with s 975X board he won't even make it to 450FSB, and he'll still have to use the same dividers provided with the 965p board. These boards can usually go much higher than 450FSB, so he also has the option of lowering the multi and setting a much higher FSB. There are many options for many memory speeds. This chipset is no different than any other that can't run memory unlinked in terms of dividers provided. Dividers have always worked well, you just gotta know how to use them.

I agree that an EVGA 680i is a great choice, it's my personal favorite, but if he wants a cool board that's easy to overclock then the 965p fits his needs better, especially since he doesn't plan on going SLI. This way he still gets a really good board, with a faster chipset and saves some cash.
 
MakubexGB said:
The important thing is getting the highest clocks possible.
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Are you really saying that running the memory faster than the FSB will yield any worthwhile increase in speed? Youd need a benchmark to see anything, and it wouldnt be much of an increase at all.
 
nissanztt90 said:
Are you really saying that running the memory faster than the FSB will yield any worthwhile increase in speed? Youd need a benchmark to see anything, and it wouldnt be much of an increase at all.
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Yes, it is, especially since you can do it so easily. If you're a benchmark whore than this is a must. Even in real world apps, It may not be much but you may gain a few fps in games. If you can gain some fps, why not do it? It's not like you're sacrificing anything. Remember that memory is being sold already binned to run at these high speeds, all it takes is a divider change.
 
MakubexGB said:
You can, but most of the time with looser timings you can OC the memory high enough to beat tight timings. The timing that makes the most impact in performance is the 1T/2T timing, but running at 1T limits your overclock severely.
Click to expand...

Correct, but I'm saying you don't need super expensive ram that will OC high.
 
I should have clarified, i meant more so OC past stock, and yes of course if your a bench mark whore youll do it, but in real-word apps, its really not much of a difference. I would think though, running at the FSB speed, and the tightest timings, would be better than a higher frequency that cant be used as much with looser timings, no?
 
nissanztt90 said:
I should have clarified, i meant more so OC past stock, and yes of course if your a bench mark whore youll do it, but in real-word apps, its really not much of a difference. I would think though, running at the FSB speed, and the tightest timings, would be better than a higher frequency that cant be used as much with looser timings, no?
Click to expand...
No, actually in Intel platforms you benefit more from high bandwidth than from tight timings.
 
I'm about to order the 680i also...

problem is: WHAT VIDEO CARD!?!? uhh damn you ati

I may just drop the cash on a 8800GTX and hope that Nvidia beats ATI and I can step-up within 3 months
 
I really like my Asus P5B Deluxe. Overclocks fairly well. I got my e6600 to 3.6 (400x9) and it wasn't the mobo, it was the proc. :)
 
I installed an Intel BadAxe-2 last night. This thing is schweet!

My only gripe with it is the manual has NO coverage of the BIOS options. You have to download a PDF from Intel's site.

That would be fine, but the PDF contains EVERY command of EVERY BIOS they have, and it's a 38 page conglomeration of stuff that only about 20% of it applies to your board, and it's up to you to figure out what 20% :)

Has anyone written a concise BIOS guide dedicated to the BadAxe-2 ?


There are 3 or 4 options in there I don't quite understand. Other than that, it's really straight forward.
 
I was just searching trying to figure out which of the chipsets to go with, myself. And then here is this lovely thread. THANK YOU!

So, for someone who doesn't care at all about multiple video cards (SLI or CrossFire), then the Intel 965P or 975X are the two choices to go with.

975X vs. 965P

965P is cheaper, and a better overclocker.
but the 975X is faster in a clock-for-clock battle.

Is this a correct assessment?

If this is the case, then what are some of the minor differences to differentiate between the 975X and the 965P?
 
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