Hardest decision of my build - mobo

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p8ball4life

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Mar 10, 2008
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Hey guys,

I've been going round and round trying to figure out what motherboard to get. Maybe some of you can help shed some light and explain your success or failures.

I know that I want SLI and a good overclock on my Q6600 GO. I'd like to get it up to 3.4-3.6 stable as an everyday workhorse and a gaming rig. I'm looking for a motherboard that overclocks well and can take the strain day in and day out.

I've heard horror stories of 680i from friends, so I thought that I wanted to go 780i, but I'm not convinced because there's only one real option for 780i with DDR2 800 ram.

Any help would be appreciated, I'm not against 680i, but I just thought 780i was much better.

The EVGA LGA775 looks very nice, and it has gotten decent reviews, but it is also fairly expensive and includes a lot of stuff I don't need.

Do you get what you pay for here or is there some golden overclocking gem at a reasonable price that I'm missing?

Thanks for your help!



Current build specs:

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply - Retail

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model HH80562PH0568M - OEM

OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR800C44GK - Retail

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Tuniq Tower 120 P4 & K8 CPU Cooler - Retail

Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan - Retail

XCLIO Windtunnel Fully Black Finish 1.0 mm SECC Chassis ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

Graphics cards will come later, but I just plan on getting 2x 8800GT's and overclocking them a bit.
 
The EVGA sucks. So does the XFX. So does the BFG. They're all reference boards, and hardly a step above the 680is, which I'm sure you're aware of by now have all manner of issues.

The only 780i board I would even consider right now would be the MSI P7N Diamond. It OCs just as well as the reference boards, but uses higher quality components and better PWM circuitry, which means it sidesteps most of the issues with the builk of 780i boards.

It's still a Nvidia chipset, though, so don't expect that it'll work perfectly out of the box. Just hope.

What size/resolution display will you be running? If it's not a 24" LCD or better (1920x1200 or higher) avoid SLI and Nvidia chipsets entirely, and just get a quality P35 board like the DFI P35-TR2S, Gigabyte P35-DS3R, Abit IP35-Pro, or MSI P35 Neo2-FR.

The CAS5 DDR2-800 Reapers don't OC for crap. The CAS4 Reapers OC pretty well though. Different ICs.
 
I'm going to be playing on a new 22" at 1680x1050. I was under the assumption that this was high enough to reap the benefits of SLI.
 
p8ball4life said:
I'm going to be playing on a new 22" at 1680x1050. I was under the assumption that this was high enough to reap the benefits of SLI.
Click to expand...

Not really. A single 8800 GTS 512MB is plenty at 1680x1050. Only at 1920x1200 and above should you start considering SLI, and even at that res most titles are fine, with very few exceptions. World In Conflict and Crysis, yeah, SLI is very good for them, but just about everything else works fine even at 1920x1200 with a single high end card.
 
What if you add high AA's into the equation. It's mainly going to be use for Age of Conan, which has decent graphics and other low end games like TF2, SC2, and WAR.
 
So you've heard good things about the P7N? I've heard there were problems with the X-Fi card it included since it lacks onboard audio.

That particular OCZ reaper set is 4-4-4-15
 
Gigabyte P35-DS3R
A pair of G.skills with powerchip IC's (or any other manufacturer, dont go for fancy cooling etc). Micron D9's tend to die

the P7N is a good board, but i honestly dont see the need to go sli for that resolution. Get a 8800gts, the motherboard listed, OC it and enjoy. u save around $350 aswell
 
p8ball4life said:
So you've heard good things about the P7N? I've heard there were problems with the X-Fi card it included since it lacks onboard audio.
Click to expand...

Probably all driver related. X-Fis suck -- I had one over a year ago and sold it out of frustration. I thought they finally had their act together, but if not, no great shock there.
 
I really don't want the xfi card, but the board doesn't have onboard audio.... Is open box an option? I'm not sure if that's the same as refurb, but I'm a little weary of going open box. It's 60 bucks cheaper and it would let me pick which sound card I wanted.
 
There is no sense in getting an SLI board (or SLI for that matter) at your resolution. While the P7N Diamond is the 780i board, you will be better served by an Intel P35-based board.
 
Markyip1 said:
There is no sense in getting an SLI board (or SLI for that matter) at your resolution. While the P7N Diamond is the 780i board, you will be better served by an Intel P35-based board.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I think I've already said this ~3 times now, but backup is always appreciated. ;)
 
What are you opinions on good sound cards to go with the P7N? Obviously the X-FI's suck so what would you recommend? I'm not an audiophile, but I do enjoy gaming sound and listening to music. I also plan on going with a 7.1 speaker setup. I'd like something compatible that doesn't take up many system resources while running.

If I decide to go SLI would you recommend getting the open box? Is that like a refurb through newegg or what?
 
the x-fi with the p7n works fine, atleast that seems to be the case nowadays

wasnt the same before tho. and if u can get the xfi working, trust me u wouldnt be disappointed.

but again i suggest that u get a P35 board :)
 
p8ball4life said:
What are you opinions on good sound cards to go with the P7N? Obviously the X-FI's suck so what would you recommend? I'm not an audiophile, but I do enjoy gaming sound and listening to music. I also plan on going with a 7.1 speaker setup. I'd like something compatible that doesn't take up many system resources while running.

If I decide to go SLI would you recommend getting the open box? Is that like a refurb through newegg or what?
Click to expand...

Never buy open box anything from Newegg. They can just leave things out, and there's nothing you can do; read the fine print.

The X-Fi is better now, Creative finally got some ok drivers out. The sad thing is, there really aren't any better options.
 
Still trying to decide. The ONLY thing holding me back from getting the p7n is the lack of onboard audio.

I definitely want SLI for future upgrading. I would like the newer 780i, but overall overclockability is key. I might just have to pull the trigger on the p7n, but I'm not 100% satisfied w/out onboard audio.
 
The P7N includes an X-Fi PCI-E daughter card which is much improved upon other vendor's on-board audio solutions. While not quite as good as an old fashioned PCI X-Fi card, it's still a noticeable step up from the competition. You won't be without quality audio.
 
One's a 750 board with less PCI-E bandwidth, fewer USB ports, fewer SATA, etc. The other is 780i with all the trimmings.
 
Just to reiterate some things:
Markyip1 said:
Just some info on SLI / Crossfire: It's absolutely not worth considering if a) you're gaming at a resolution under 1920x1200 (as you'll see no performance benefit over a single card,) and b) if you plan to buy one card now and another later. SLI / Crossfire as an upgrade path is usually a very poor idea, as by the time you're ready to get that second card, a new single card solution will likely be available that will outperform two of your older cards in tandem. Furthermore, there really is no cost benefit to the SLI Upgrade Route, as any additional cost in getting the new card can be easily mitigated in most situations by selling the original. By avoiding an SLI / Crossfire solution when it will not be of benefit, you gain a cooler running, simpler to maintain system and more importantly, access to a much better (and broader) selection of motherboards.
Click to expand...
 
Also, stay the hell away from Nvidia chipsets unless you /need/ SLI support. They're horrible when compared with their Intel counterparts otherwise. This is coming from someone who's dealt with several P35s in builds for friends and 2 680i SLIs, 1 680i LT, and now 1 780i.
 
Could you provide some actual links to newegg regarding some of the good P35 boards? I would like to put a tuniq on it, so some of the larger northbridge coolers worry me.

The ones listed earlier in the thread were ok, but a few of them were discontinued and available in open box only.
 
I have the DFI Dark T2RS with the Tuniq and it's a fantastic board.

Only thing about fitting the Tuniq on there is that you have to cut off the small loop for K8 mounts on the mounting bracket.

This picture explains it better
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=72230&stc=1&d=1202788343

That method is to mount it vertically and i found that mounting the tuniq horizontally on this board does not seem to be the optimal solution for it. The reason being is that the heatsink base touches the capacitators near the socket, which in turn raises the base near one side.. making the base not completely flush at all times.

In any case, the T2RS is a fantastic board and really great overclocker.. much better than my ip35 pro..
 
I've seen people dremel a notch in the base to accommodate that capacitor, Gaiden. It's an annoyance but it works fine and doesn't get near the contact area, so no effect on temperatures.
 
silent-circuit said:
I've seen people dremel a notch in the base to accommodate that capacitor, Gaiden. It's an annoyance but it works fine and doesn't get near the contact area, so no effect on temperatures.
Click to expand...

Ah, good to know. Yeah my setup is better vertical in any case.. but good to know. It just didn't appear to be flush without any mods. It's a good board though.. definitely worth the effort.
 
silent-circuit said:
MSI P35 Neo2-FR - $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130098
DFI LanParty Dark P35-TR2S - $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136043
DFI LanParty LT P35-T2R - $170 (I recommend this over the TR2S as with free shipping as opposed for $8 on shipping for the TR2S the difference is only ~$22 and it's a nicer board)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136039
Click to expand...

So I've come around to settling for a single 8800GTS and have been looking @ the p35 boards. I like the lanparty TR2S but am a little worried about the Tuniq fitting on it.

I wouldn't mind paying extra for the T2R, but there is a lack of audio and the one pciE slot will be eclipsed by the cooling for the graphics card.

Any suggestions?
 
Some more suggestions:
Abit IP35-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $112
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $122
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $151
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Intel X38 Motherboard - $207

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports or legacy ports, then the IP35-E is a good choice. If you like the IP35-E but need legacy ports, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking abilities and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, and legacy ports and high overclocks, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire and a second PCI-E x16 port, then go for the DS3P. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. Note that the IP35-Pro seems to have problems with the Wolfdales CPUs

Oh, what do you mean by lack of audio on the T2R? It comes with an sound card bracket thing. You should see it in the pics. And the PCI-E slot that can be blocked by a double slot card is just a PCI-E x1 slot. Nothing of too much consequence.
 
Yeah, I missed the card for the T2R, it wasn't listed anywhere but on the specs. I really like the lanparty, but I'm just worried about the Tuniq fitting it well w/out modification.

The blocked PCIE slot is a larger deal when it is the only one on the board.

I only have plans for 1 SATA hard drive and 1 SATA optical drive. Other than that It's mainly getting the most overclock I can out of the quad/ram/graphics while keeping it stable 24/7 for gaming and schoolwork.
 
p8ball4life said:
The blocked PCIE slot is a larger deal when it is the only one on the board.
Click to expand...

It really isn't since there are three PCI-E x16 slots on the mobo. All of those PCI-E x16 slots can accept a PCI-E x1 card.
 
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