Mobo Recommendation(p35 or x38)

So guys,seems in a couple of days i'll go to build the system.I'm going with p5k-e wi/fi and mushkin redline xp-8000 4gb ram.Do you think it is a solid combination?Any suggestions in this price range?
 
SirKronan said:
You have to be careful when looking at X48's though. Many of them are merely slightly modified X38's at the core that happen to run DDR3. I don't know that being able to run DDR3 is adequate justification for the price difference. We'll have to see how pricing on them stabilizes when they come out.
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Right and wrong; I've also heard that X48 is merely a slightly tweaked X38. As for DDR3 though, it's the same song-and-dance we've been through with X38. Early reports of it being DDR3-only then mobo manufacturers going ahead and making DDR2 versions anyway. No Intel chipset is going to be DDR3-only until Nehalem at this rate. So you're left with a slightly tweaked X38, DDR2 and all. Pretty much the only difference between the X38 and the X48 is official 1600 MHz (400 MHz FSB) support. Which is only good one one super-expensive processor. Not to mention that any P35/X38 worth its salt can FSB overclock well over 400 MHz FSB anyway. So in other words, pretty much no reason to go for X48 over X38 unless you plan to get the QX9770 and not overclock, which would be kinda silly.

Agreed about the Q9450; if Nehalem ends up being disappointing or super-expensive, and AMD doesn't have a good alternative, I'll probably just end up picking up a Q9450 instead to replace my E6850. Looks to be quite the processor!
 
BUFF said:
well, iirc according to Intel P35 doesn't support DDR2 1066 so afaik no mobo manufacturer can officially support it except by saying in overclocked mode.
However, they should be able to run it at stock processor speeds albeit not at DDR2 1066.

Isn't the apparent CPU downclock merely EIST doing it's job by dropping to the x6 multi when full power isn't required?
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Pretty much hit my point on the head chief and this is why I am having such a beef with ASUS right now. I am a victim of overzealous marketeers because of the fact when I ordered this board I was not aware the p35 chipset could not handle 1066 ram. Now being the types we on here are you think I would have known better but what makes this such a travisty in my mind is the fact ASUS actively advertises these boards as being compatable with 1066 ram which is only true if you don't mind said ram being downclocked to 800. It's just total BS IMHO to be so decieving especially for a company that is held in some higher regard amoungst our community for quality products. Why stoop to such levels just to sell a few more boards I mean come on. It's not like I wouldn't have just ordered their board in X38 trim if I had known better anyway so they would have got my money either way. I just would not have had to waste several days of my life trouble shooting something so lame just so some marketeer could get a pat on the back.
 
Kubrick said:
So guys,seems in a couple of days i'll go to build the system.I'm going with p5k-e wi/fi and mushkin redline xp-8000 4gb ram.Do you think it is a solid combination?Any suggestions in this price range?
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Considering what I am going through with that board and DDR2-1066 ram I would NOT use anything above DDR2-800 ram on that board. Please see my threads and responses for more details but long story short if you put anything above 800 ram on a p35 chipset your gambling with instability.
 
Asus boards are insanely picky about RAM - my friend's experience (both AMD and Intel boards) serve as a great example of that. Until they get their shit together, go with a DFI.
 
Mav451 said:
Asus boards are insanely picky about RAM - my friend's experience (both AMD and Intel boards) serve as a great example of that. Until they get their shit together, go with a DFI.
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DFI boards are also known for being picky with RAM. Try Gigabyte or abit for less pickiness in that regard. All motherboards seem to have their issues, you just have to pick which issues you're prepared to deal with.
 
Well the one argument is that his C1 errors (I've never got one), among other problems are probably all gone with BIOS fixes. If his review is in November, there's already been 3-4 BIOS updates since then - and there's already a newer BIOS after my January 2008 one. I just know that my friend was going through RAM sticks trying to find something that would boot on his Asus mobo.

He finally got to my Ballistix and voila - it POSTed. Which is hilarious, cuz alot of people poo poo Crucial RAM.

In the end, he went with an Abit, and all of those other RAM sticks worked as well. Coulda saved him a big headache if he never got the Asus board in the first place.
 
Contrary to what I was told Intels own site states the P35 Express chipset can handle all the way up to DDR3. Now is the p35 "Express" chipset different then the P35? Is that the whole issue or is this just back to bad implimentation on ASUS' part. Just trying to figure this mess out. FYI the Corsair Dominator ram I am using is on the ASUS site as approved for said board amusingly enough :rolleyes:
 
Kubrick said:
So better go with abit ip35 pro?
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That motherboard rox. I'm a huge abit fan. I'm running my 5th abit build now, and all four earlier builds are still kicking just fine. Some were intel, some were amd. No problems across the board, and they haven't been to picky for me yet with ram. But I've only used transcend, corsair, g.skill and A-data so far. Not a single compatibility conflict yet.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030

On sale at newegg right now with free shipping. There are lots of reviewers that post 1066 ram working fine on it - crucial, corsair, and other brands. That's a good overclocker of ram and processor. I think you'll have a good experience with it. It has lots of ports, connections, and headers for expansion, too. And the raid works well on that board if you want to do that, as with most newer intel chipsets.
 
Samhorns said:
Contrary to what I was told Intels own site states the P35 Express chipset can handle all the way up to DDR3.
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I think that if you check again you will find that the chipset officially supports upto DDR2 800 or DDR3 1066 - not DDR2 1066. This is of course dependent on which type of RAM that the board takes.

At stock CPU fsb your board should run DDR2 1066 RAM (indeed probably capable of tighter timings at stock CPU speeds as it will be running slower than it's rated for) but probably not at it's 1066 rating. What CPU : DRAM ratios does it have & can you select the nb strap independently or is it linked to the CPU : DRAM ratio?
It also should be capable of running DDR2 1066 at 1066 but you will have to overclock the CPU bus to do so.
My abit AB9 QuadGT & IP35 Pro will do both of the above so I assume that the Asus should be capable as well.
 
All I know is that there are many many people running ram at 1066 just fine on the Abit IP 35 pro. with the mail in rebate that remains my top recommendation for your dollar. It's a stable, good overclocker with lots of headers and ports for expansion and peripherals. And it's around $140 after rebate.
 
Ok,this is another motherboard i found in this price range:gigabyte ep35-ds4.Solid board?Does it have any ram issues too?I'm more confused now:confused:.All these ram issues with p5k-e scared me a bit.
 
MSI P35 Platinum Combo, runs either DDR2 or DDR3, so upgrading ram down the road is a breeze.......;)

Both my Corsair Dominator and Kingston were plug and play.
 
I haven't had any issues with any of my MSI boards at all.....;)

And this P35 Platinum Combo lets me switch ram types anytime I like for testing, but I will admitt that I really like running DDR3 speeds much better.
 
Yeah I've heard lots of good things about MSI P35 boards, too. Also many reports of them running DDR2 at 1066 just fine, providing the memory you have can attain those speeds. MSI used to kinda be not one of the better names back in the ol' days, but now they are putting out some really, really good boards and some fine overclockers as well. Abit IP35 pro or one of the MSI P35 boards would definitely serve you well. Don't worry about it too much, just hop on the egg and look up the specs of each board. The board with the specs and price that fits your needs is the one you should get, providing it has few DOA's per capita reported. Either the Abit or MSI will be a good choice.
 
I am leaning towards gigagyte ep35-ds4 as i've heard only good things about it.Anyone runs this mobo with pc-8000 ram?How many sticks(2-4)?
 
Kubrick said:
I am leaning towards gigagyte ep35-ds4 as i've heard only good things about it.Anyone runs this mobo with pc-8000 ram?How many sticks(2-4)?
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That's funny that a many of us had recommended the Abit P35 boards and MSI P35 boards. We've even mentioned where you can find reviews and testimonials ... now you're going to pick the Gigabyte? It's a fine board too, especially for its low price right now. I wouldn't blame you for getting it, I just think it's funny .... :p
 
You just recommended an msi combo board just because a friend of someone have it and it works.Thats even more funny:p!.No links,no nothing.Plus I dont like combo boards,just pure ddr2.I know abit ip35 pro is good,i just can't find it.Anyway,this giga is any good?Any reply in the question above^^?
 
In general, Gigabyte, abit, ASUS, and MSI's P35 motherboards are top-notch. As long as you get computable memory (search the forums), you really can't go too wrong with any of them, as long as they have the features that you want at a price that's reasonable to you. I personally like my Gigabyte P35C-DS3R a lot, but that probably doesn't mean much. ;)
 
Kubrick said:
You just recommended an msi combo board just because a friend of someone have it and it works.Thats even more funny:p!.No links,no nothing.Plus I dont like combo boards,just pure ddr2.I know abit ip35 pro is good,i just can't find it.Anyway,this giga is any good?Any reply in the question above^^?
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What do you mean you can't find the Abit P35 pro?? I DID post you a link to it, and at a sale price with a $30 mail in rebate!!!
 
Kubrick said:
No links,no nothing.Plus I dont like combo boards,just pure ddr2.I know abit ip35 pro is good,i just can't find it.Anyway,this giga is any good?Any reply in the question above^^?
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& I posted a link to a review of that Gigabyte, did you read it?
 
I can't find it in any shop in my area,especailly for motherboard i prefer not to buy from an e-shop.Of course i have read it,good find;).
 
They aren't saying anything bad except the price of this mobo.Also,it is silly to judge a product from just one review.I can give you links like that where this motherboard shines.Like that.
Anyway,i'm not here to defend this mobo,i just want to know if this mobo has any ram issues with 2 or even 4 pc8000 sticks.
 
Kubrick said:
They aren't saying anything bad except the price of this mobo.
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& it's layout
Also,it is silly to judge a product from just one review.I can give you links like that where this motherboard shines.
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Depends upon your opinion of the reviewer/site - I happen to think highly of bit-tech's mobo reviews.
 
BUFF said:
& it's layout

Depends upon your opinion of the reviewer/site - I happen to think highly of bit-tech's mobo reviews.
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It's ultimately your choice, Kubrick. The Abit IP35 Pro is still my top recommendation. If you want more stellar reviews of that board other than the one I gave you, just let me know. My own personal experience with Abit has been FANTASTIC so far. And that's running 5 of their boards in various builds. Not a single DOA or dead board yet. The ones I've overclocked have overclocked well, and none have had problems with 4 sticks, in 4GB, 2GB or even 8GB configurations. And I also think very highly of bit-tech's motherboard reviews. They do a very good job.
 
How about vdroop with quads?Is it more than other boards?Does it affect the stability of the system?
 
The Gigabyte probably has less Vdroop with a quad than the abit when severely overclocked but you can easily adjust for that.
& at stock it's not a problem.
 
Hi! I'm writing in my new Pc;)! I ended up in gigabyte p35-ds4 over ip-35 pro because:
1)pci-e lan (i do alot network utilization)
2)better onboard firewire placement
3)better onboard sound
4)better cooling
So far i'm very pleased! Boot first time with no broblems,straight recognized the redlines.
Later i will try some oc.
 
Kubrick said:
Hi! I'm writing in my new Pc;)! I ended up in gigabyte p35-ds4 over ip-35 pro because:
1)pci-e lan (i do alot network utilization)
2)better onboard firewire placement
3)better onboard sound
4)better cooling
So far i'm very pleased! Boot first time with no broblems,straight recognized the redlines.
Later i will try some oc.
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Good deal. I hope you're happy with it. That has always been a good board for its price. I've recommended it to several budget overclockers in the past.
 
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