P45 Mobo Recommendations

During my usual OCD last minute pre-purchase research, I ran across an issue with the UD3 range of Gigabyte boards, something to do with S3 sleep and hibernation. Apparently, many users experience a problem wherein PCs running a UD3 board have trouble waking up from any kind of sleep if they are overclocked. Stock settings are often unaffected. My PC spends a lot of time sleeping, I'd hate to have to deal with this. Does anyone have experience with the issue?

EDIT: The damn DFI x48 board I've also been eyeballing was just slashed by $50 on Newegg.ca. Now it's actually cheaper than the UD3P before I factor in the MIR. Now I just need to decide ... do I want best-in-class OC'ing or a future of x16/x16?
 
Last edited:
I can't come to terms with spending more on a P45 platform when a perfectly good X48 board is available for less coin. So my decision comes down to this:

DFI LANPARTY UT X48-T2R $134.99

or

DFI LANParty DK P45-T2RS Elite $104.99

Minor differences aside: One can potentially hit 4ghz with an E0 stepping Q9550 (according to reports), the other can handle any GPU configuration I throw at it with zero performance bottleneck guaranteed. I already have aftermarket copper heatsinks w/ fans for both the north and south bridge should I opt for the P45.

Anyone wish to impart a final pearl of wisdom before I make my choice?
 
Deeky said:
During my usual OCD last minute pre-purchase research, I ran across an issue with the UD3 range of Gigabyte boards, something to do with S3 sleep and hibernation. Apparently, many users experience a problem wherein PCs running a UD3 board have trouble waking up from any kind of sleep if they are overclocked. Stock settings are often unaffected. My PC spends a lot of time sleeping, I'd hate to have to deal with this. Does anyone have experience with the issue?
Click to expand...

Sleep has worked fine on my UD3P (F7 bios). I use it maybe 3-5 times a day. Running Windows 7 x64 Professional. I'm overclocked, though mildly (E8400 @ 3.51) - maybe it's an issue with higher overclocks, not sure...
 
X48 is irrelevant. S3 is irrelevant for a desktop.

That said, imo, the worst layout issue of the UD3*s is that the graphics card is shifted down another slot. With 2 slots clearance below the gfx, that leaves just 2 open slots. Kinda reminds of a mATX board.
 
How is X48 "irrelevant"?

EDIT: Actually, scratch that. I know exactly how. When do you need x16/x16? When running a pair of dual GPU cards in Xfire/SLI. No other setup will saturate the lanes. X48 does not support the new i5/i7 processors, which are likely the only reasonably priced CPUs capable of supporting an Xfire dual GPU setup without a bottleneck. I suppose such a platform could rightfully be labeled irrelevant.

However, I can think of one additional scenario where X48 would be useful, especially considering I can get it for cheaper than P45 atm: One dual GPU card running alongside something like a GTX 275 for dedicated PhysX.

The 5790 needs the PCI 2.0 x16 ... at least, I've read several reports testing for a bottleneck and the numbers appear to confirm it. Whatever DX11 dual GPU Nvidia eventually releases will likely be more powerful than the 5790, resulting in an even more pronounced bottleneck. I realize dedicated PhysX still hasn't proved itself entirely useful in today's marketplace, but it's a setup I'm considering. I could either sell my G200 for a loss, relegate it to server box duty or use it to drive PhysX alongside a beefy DX11 card. There's also the possibility of buying the most powerful Nvidia DX11 single GPU and pairing that up with G200 dedicated PhysX. P45 would suit me just fine in that case, but at this point I'm really in love with the notion of a dual GPU solution. Why Nvidia? I'm not willing to dick around with hax in order to enable PhysX with an ATI running as primary, so here I am waiting for Green to roll out the barrel, considering how best to lay the groundwork for my eventual move to DX11.

... which is the only reason X48 is still a consideration for me.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the suggestions and input.

I went with the DFI X48. Why?

1. It was on sale, cheaper than the most popular P45 solutions (including the UD3P). The DFI P45 Elite looks fine, but the stock cooling doesn't fill me with confidence.

2. I'm a chicken when it comes to OC'ing. Even if there's headroom, I rarely push beyond 3.6 (which is approximately where the DFI board will hit trouble with an E0 stepping Q9550, according to reports).

3. Peace of mind with regard to future GPU expansion, or at least the ability to use my vacant PCI x16 slot and not hobble my primary GFX card with x8.

4. The DFI has a reasonable chance of running OC'd with the 8gb of Mushkin I have kickin' around.

5. Much better layout, courtesy of DFI (though even the DFI P45 boards lack the ideal layout for my needs). The x4 slot is perfect for my PCI-e x1 sound card, for instance.

6. Worst case scenario, if it does turn out to be my CPU holding me back, I'll be happier with the stock X48 as opposed to stock P45.

Cheers!
 
Last edited:
Seconding the UD3P recommendations solely for it's high performance and great value, but I'd also like to give a nod to DFI's P45 line of motherboards. I own both and have been equally happy with both of mine (UD3P and T2RS-Plus) but Gigabyte has more frequent BIOS updates and a few other nice features.

Edit: Coincidentally, I'll be parting out my computer here shortly and my DFI T2RS-Plus will up for sale, so shoot me a PM if you're interesting in purchasing it.
 
Last edited:
If you have some time, I would try to pick up an Asus Rampage Formula x48 mobo. I have built two computers with that board, and both were incredibly stable and high performers. I just purchased one off HardForum in the last month for $85 delivered. Can't beat that! My advice if you buy a Rampage Formula: remove the NB and SB heatsinks, remove the factory paste, and apply Arctic Silver 5. It lowered the NB temps from the low 60'sC to 50C. Good luck.
 
KingerXI said:
If you have some time, I would try to pick up an Asus Rampage Formula x48 mobo. I have built two computers with that board, and both were incredibly stable and high performers. I just purchased one off HardForum in the last month for $85 delivered. Can't beat that! My advice if you buy a Rampage Formula: remove the NB and SB heatsinks, remove the factory paste, and apply Arctic Silver 5. It lowered the NB temps from the low 60'sC to 50C. Good luck.
Click to expand...
You're a little late to the party. The OP already bought himself a board.
 
Zero82z said:
You're a little late to the party. The OP already bought himself a board.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but good advice. The Rampage was my first choice, I simply could not find one for a reasonable price. Had I stumbled across one for $85 it would have been a no brainer! The DFI is no slouch, in the same league at least, and I actually prefer the layout to the ASUS board. That said, with all things being equal, I likely would have opted for the Rampage.
 
Last edited:
Deeky said:
Thanks for all the suggestions and input.

I went with the DFI X48. Why?

1. It was on sale, cheaper than the most popular P45 solutions (including the UD3P). The DFI P45 Elite looks fine, but the stock cooling doesn't fill me with confidence.

2. I'm a chicken when it comes to OC'ing. Even if there's headroom, I rarely push beyond 3.6 (which is approximately where the DFI board will hit trouble with an E0 stepping Q9550, according to reports).

3. Peace of mind with regard to future GPU expansion, or at least the ability to use my vacant PCI x16 slot and not hobble my primary GFX card with x8.

4. The DFI has a reasonable chance of running OC'd with the 8gb of Mushkin I have kickin' around.

5. Much better layout, courtesy of DFI (though even the DFI P45 boards lack the ideal layout for my needs). The x4 slot is perfect for my PCI-e x1 sound card, for instance.

6. Worst case scenario, if it does turn out to be my CPU holding me back, I'll be happier with the stock X48 as opposed to stock P45.

Cheers!
Click to expand...



Congrats. :cool:

Looking forward to seeing how it performs for you. I have thought about getting that same MB myself. Great price.
 
Here's some hilarity for you:

So I received my new motherboard today. Nice, fancy DFI box. X48-T2R. But.... man, the heatpipe looks kinda funny through the clear plastic window.

Open it up.

This... isn't what I ordered. No. Not even CLOSE. Inside the DFI X48-T2R box isn't the DFI X48-T2R one would reasonably expect. Nope. It's actually a Biostar P45 motherboard! Not only is it not X48, it's not even DFI. Strange thing is, all the accessories are correct. The box is correct, the accessories ... but the board and the user manual are from another planet.

All I can say is: WOW.

Newegg.ca ... droppin' the ball. And I'm back to square one. Needless to say an RMA is in progress.
 
Very strange...practically unheard of. Either an honest mistake on their part, or someone was trying to fool you while moving old inventory. Good thing you didn't try to force the CPU into that Biostar...
 
WELL. They claim their stock is correct and that is was simply an error. I've requested a replacement.

I guess they have a bunch of empty DFI boxes laying around, mobos waiting to be packaged up and a big ass shrink wrap machine running 24/7.
 
They probably shipped you a refurb accidentally, and when the original owner sent back the box, they stuck in the Biostar board instead of the DFI.
 
I hope so. That or they're selling open box stuff as new. An open box product would explain the low price, but it would be nice if they advertised it as such (if that is the case).
 
They shouldn't be selling open-box products as new. Somebody screwed up big time somewhere down the line.
 
I've never had a problem with Newegg in the past, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on this one. Once my pre-paid shipping label shows up, I'm sending it back for a replacement.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top