Best overclocking motherboard for an i720. Is the Intel DX58SO best? BIG USER! Need expert advice.

[CrewXp]

UPDATE: Narrowed it down between the Rampage II Extreme and the P6T DELUXE V2.

1.) Oh yeah... my i7 is going to be a D0 Stepping. I think thats supposed to be better than the previous, right?

2.) I was leaning towards the Rampage II Extreme, but the reviews on the newegg for the Rampage says it does not support 1800 and 2000 speeds with memory. The P6T Also lists a lot more memory standards on the specifications page. Is this true?

Link again:
P6T: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131365
Rampage: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131352

OLD:
Hey, I'm about to upgrade from an E6600 to a i7 920 using Intel's Retail Edge Big Deal. Its that time already. Right now my computer seems... sluggish. My CPU Always at 90-100% usage. Its overclocked from 2.4Ghz to 3.12Ghz. Any more and temps go a lot higher.

I have 2 choices of buying:
$289: Intel i7 920 + Intel Motherboard DX58SO + Windows7
$129: Intel i7 920 + Windows7

Current Setup:

4x Gateway Monitors. 3x24inchs (1920x1200) + 1x21inch (1280x720)
1x ATI HD4870 Graphics Card
1x ATI x1900 XTX Graphics Card
1x IntelE6600 Processor
1x P5W DH Deluxe Motherboad
4x 2GB G.SKILL Memory F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) (8GB TOTAL)
1x Corsair HX620 PowerSupply
1x Creative X-FI Platinum Sound Card
1x Custom Liquid Cooling Setup. DIY SETUP.

USAGE:

Lots of internet Browsing. Have about 6 Chrome Browsers Open with 100+ Tabs on each
Occasional Gaming (Counter-Strike, Prototype, Etc.)
Multi Tasking a lot. Right now I have Chrome, 3DS Max, Ventrilo, Watching a 720P Movie, uTorrent, PuttY, WinSCP (Downloading), iTunes, notepads all open. I use them efficiently on all 4 monitors.
Right now Im at 94% Usage and 55 Degrees C Temp

Ordering Sunday. Want to get as much info by then.

 

[footballrunner800]

im in the same situation as you. Im just getting the processor and will buy the motherboard somewhere else. The intel board is great at stock settings, but lacks overclocking features that the other boards have. You can get a better board for 50 dollars more.

 

[CrewXp]

Just bought the i7 for 129... 129.. yea right... Intel charged me 158 total for shipping and tax. Better ship fast, jeez.

Anywho, Ive got a list of mobos to look at. Which do you guys would say is best in cost/worthit ratio?

Classified, Rampage 2 Extreme, Gigabyte X58 Extreme, Asus P6T6 WS, U5D, and Bloodrage

Preferably would like to stay under 300 due to budgeting reasons. Saving for a Japan trip.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: footballrunner800
The intel board is great at stock settings, but lacks overclocking features that the other boards have.

You'd be suprised at how extensive the overclocking settings on the Intel DX58SO is. It may not have every little minutiae in the BIOS, but it is pretty solid plus has probably the most stable memory subsystem of any board.

That being said, I still would not get it for an overclocking/enthusiast board because of several reasons, such as only 4 memory slots (but part of the reason memory stability is so good) and a rather mediocre layout.

I've used four different X58 motherboards:

Intel DX58SO
Asus P6T
MSI Eclipse SLI
MSI Platinum SLI

For overclocking I'd have to say hands down out of these four the Asus was the easiest and the best.

With that being said, there are a whole lot of other X58 chipset boards out there and I'm sure there are many more good ones, so good luck on finding the perfect board. That many choices makes it tough.

Regarding memory, you will have to buy new stuff because Core i7 does not work with DDR2. If you use a 32-bit operating system and won't be changing anytime soon, then get a 3GB DDR3 kit. If you use a 64-bit operating system or you think you might be upgrading your OS in the near future, get a 6GB DDR3 kit. IMO decide either on cheap 1333MHz stuff that runs at 1.5v or pay extra for some enthusiast 1600MHz stuff that runs at 1.65v (or less).

The Core i7 chips run hot, so a good cooler is essential for overclocking. On all the boards I've tested, the chipset runs very hot. That being said, I'd recommend a good aftermarket cooler that has the fan blowing DOWN on the motherboard. Now, I know that the best heatsinks for cooling the CPU are the tower style that blows across the board, but IMO having air blow DOWN on the board is a good idea. You should be able to find one that uses a 120mm fan and has a bunch of heatpipes. Remember, bad cooling = bad overclock.

I'd also ditch the x1900XTX just because it probably uses a lot of power. Find the lowest end Radeon of the latest generation (4000 series) that still has two DVI ports, and use it for the extra two monitors.

 

[CrewXp]

Wow, thanks Zap! Really helpful information. Good thing I asked. I had NO IDEA that my current 8gb setup of memory wouldn't work with the i7.

Few final questions...

°You're saying that a lower end 4000 series gfx card will actually work better than my current x1900?
° Im debating between the ASUS Rampage II Extreme and the P6T Deluxe V2. Any suggestions?
°My 8GB memory WONT work right? So would you recommend 6GB, and not 12GB? Is it worth it? Im just afraid of a performance loss from 8GB DDR2 to 6GB DDR3

OCZ XMP-Ready 3x2GB DDR3 1600 OCZ3X1600LV6GK + FREE flash drive!

OCZ Platinum 3x2GB DDR3 1600 GBOCZ3P1600LV6GK + FREE flash drive!

Those are the two best deals on 6GB DDR3 memory Ive found so far. I dont know much about memory and timings etc, but do you guys have any suggestions? Does one look better than the other?

Thanks!! Cant wait to order!

 

[theAnimal]

4000 series will use less power.
DDR2 will not work in a DDR3 mobo. The amount of memory that you need depends on how much you use; if it's more than 6GB you will see a drastic decrease in performance.
I would go with the OCZ Platinum.

 

[ZimZum]

Originally posted by: theAnimal
4000 series will use less power.
DDR2 will not work in a DDR3 mobo. The amount of memory that you need depends on how much you use; if it's more than 6GB you will see a drastic decrease in performance.
I would go with the OCZ Platinum.

Explain?

 

[CrewXp]

that line caught my attention also, curious to know more.

And so is the Platinum a good choice? Would you guys buy it for yourselves?

 

[theAnimal]

Let me rephrase it: If you use more than 6GB you will lose performance with only 6.

 

[Cannyone]

I have been using an Asus P6T motherboard. It's great for overclocking. Allowing me to quickly ramp up my C0/C1 stepping 920 to 3.6GHz with ease. Eventually I was able to drop the voltages below what the BIOS was setting automatically, but it did fine at first on it's own. This board also supports 12GB of memory. For a cooler I recommend a Prolimatech Megahalems. I am using this cooler with 2 57CFM/120mm fans and am getting excellent results. And while I bought mine from Frozen CPU, I have found it for allot cheaper at the Heatsink Factory.

 

[CrewXp]

Originally posted by: theAnimal
Let me rephrase it: If you use more than 6GB you will lose performance with only 6.

Haha, so if I'm reading u right, you're saying if I have more than 6gb (I have 8gb now so yes) I will see a decrease in performance with only 6gb ben though it's newer and triple data rate, instead of dual like my 8gb?

 

[tcsenter]

All that and zero mention of what OS you currently run. I assume 64-bit with 8GB memory, but assumptions...

 

[TotalLamer]

Originally posted by: CrewXp

Originally posted by: theAnimal
Let me rephrase it: If you use more than 6GB you will lose performance with only 6.

Haha, so if I'm reading u right, you're saying if I have more than 6gb (I have 8gb now so yes) I will see a decrease in performance with only 6gb ben though it's newer and triple data rate, instead of dual like my 8gb?

No, he's saying if you USE more than 6GB of the 8GB you have now, you'll see a decrease in performance by going to 6GB.

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: CrewXp
°You're saying that a lower end 4000 series gfx card will actually work better than my current x1900?
° Im debating between the ASUS Rampage II Extreme and the P6T Deluxe V2. Any suggestions?
°My 8GB memory WONT work right? So would you recommend 6GB, and not 12GB? Is it worth it? Im just afraid of a performance loss from 8GB DDR2 to 6GB DDR3

You are just using the X1900 XTX for running two more monitors for normal Windows work and not gaming, right? A newer but lower end card would NOT change the way anything works for you. It WILL change how much power you draw from your wall outlet, and how much heat your computer dumps into your room.

I've never used the Rampage II Extreme, so am unable to help your choice.

I don't know how much RAM 3DS Max uses, but for everything else 6GB should be plenty, even all at the same time.

 

[CrewXp]

Yea, normal windows work....

Though I DO use it for videos more since my HD4870 produces artifacts sometimes on mkv videos. I think its the driver. Im using Catalyst 9.3 because it works with both monitors.

 

[CrewXp]

1.) Oh yeah... my i7 is going to be a D0 Stepping. I think thats supposed to be better than the previous, right?

2.) I was leaning towards the Rampage II Extreme, but the reviews on the newegg for the Rampage says it does not support 1800 and 2000 speeds with memory. The P6T Also lists a lot more memory standards on the specifications page. Is this true?

Link again:
P6T: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131365
Rampage: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131352

 

[VirtualLarry]

I am also interested in the "best" X58/Core i7 mobo, with a primary focus on gaming and SLI. Probably no need for Tri-SLI, just dual would be fine. Probably going to go with 12GB (3x2 + 3x2) memory, with all six slots filled.

I've narrowed down my RAM choices to these. They are some of the cheapest 3x2GB DDR3-1600 kits on NewEgg. The GSkill has slightly higher voltage, and only a tiny bit higher price, so I'll probably go with two kits of that.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820220365
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231225

Is the Asus P6T still one of the best? How is the Gigabyte? Especially about the 12GB of RAM, which boards work and overclock better with all of the RAM slots filled. That is key.

This is a new MSI micro-ATX, has six ram slots and two PCI-E x16 slots, looks really sweet.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813130227

 

[CrewXp]

Oh yeah.... you think I could fit my video card on the Rampage since it has a watercooling block on it? From the pictures, it looks like the Rampage's video card slots are spaced close together.

 

[lopri]

The Intel X58 board would have been my choice had it not been for the idiotic placement of SATA ports.