Board For Core 2 Duo

[willbemcse]

Looking for board for core 2 duo, looked at msi P965 Platinum. What things I should look for in a board, I want a board which is stable and doesn't have too many issues.

What about the chipset ??

 

[customcoms]

Start with the reviews on this site. Three boards right now stand out-Gigabyte DS3, Asus P5W DH Deluxe, and the Abit AW9D: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127014.

In GENERAL, the P965 Chipsets reach higher speeds and are better board for the 2mb cache C2D's. The 975X based boards are better for the E6600 and up 4mb cache models. Although that is just a blanket statement-both of the above 975X based boards are among the top overclockers.

 

[willbemcse]

I am thinking of getting E6400 or 6400 haven't decided yet. Will I see a that much performance difference between those.

I am not going to OC just looking for a stable board with good features .

 

[Twitch22]

Originally posted by: willbemcse
I am thinking of getting E6400 or 6400 haven't decided yet. Will I see a that much performance difference between those.

I am not going to OC just looking for a stable board with good features .

If you mean E6400 and E6600, it depends on what you're gonna' be doing. The larger cache size of the E6600 will make a difference on CPU intensive applications like media creation and editing that have multi-threading capabilites. For basic use and most gaming, either choice will be fine!

For max stability and minimal "fuss" in both set-up and operation, you can't go wrong with the Intel "Bad Axe" You don't get a lot of extras with this board, but it's a very flexible platform with plenty of storage, RAID and hardware configuration options. BIOS settings even allow for "mild" OC settings. I'm not sure why, but it's pretty expensive right now...about $30 more since last week.

If you want everything and the kitchen sink thrown in, the Asus P5W DH Deluxe is the popular choice. You get built in Wi-Fi, dual Gigabit LAN, hardware and software RAID with multiple configurations, remote, audio-signal throughput, Windows based BIOS and OC'ing programs, super-flexible BIOS, Firewire and USB 2 back plates, every cable you need for set-up...everything! This used to be the most expensive (and hard to get) board out there, but the price has actually dropped a little.

A "newer" 975X board that's getting a lot of attention is Abit's AW9D There are two versions of this board, one has more added extras. Both are real hard to find in stock.

All three boards run on the Intel 975X chipset, which is a very mature and stable platform. The 975X boards feature ATI Crossfire support as well as on-board hi-def audio solutions. The newer Intel 965 and nVidia nForce boards have really impressive OC'ing performance, but they seem to be a bit more finicky with reguards to set-up and stability than the older 975X chipset.

Good luck with your build...

Twitch

 

[imported_LouHead]

Originally posted by: Twitch22

All three boards run on the Intel 975X chipset, which is a very mature and stable platform. The 975X boards feature ATI Crossfire support as well as on-board hi-def audio solutions. The newer Intel 965 and nVidia nForce boards have really impressive OC'ing performance, but they seem to be a bit more finicky with reguards to set-up and stability than the older 975X chipset.

Good luck with your build...

Twitch

Forgive my ignorance, but do these boards also support SLI?

If not, do any 975X boards support SLI or are we all locked into ATI if we want Core 2 Duo (and Kentsfield - quad-core) support?

-LA

 

[willbemcse]

I am going to be using premiere pro.. audition, photoshop. The board you mentioned are top of the line. I was looking for something less than $200.
How are msi and gigabyte boards , are they reliable??

 

[Twitch22]

Originally posted by: LouHead

Forgive my ignorance, but do these boards also support SLI?

If not, do any 975X boards support SLI or are we all locked into ATI if we want Core 2 Duo (and Kentsfield - quad-core) support?

-LA

Lou...the 975X boards only support ATI Crossfire officially. I say this because there are hacked drivers that will allow you to run nVidia SLI cards on a 975X board.

If you want true nVidia SLI support, go with a nForce board like the Asus P5N32-SLI or the cheaper Asus P5NSLI boards. They run on nForce 590 and 570 chipsets respectiviely and have a good following among enthusiasts.

Or, you could wait for a few weeks for nVidia's newest C2D chipset, the much awaited nForce 680

Twitch

 

[Twitch22]

Originally posted by: willbemcse
I am going to be using premiere pro.. audition, photoshop. The board you mentioned are top of the line. I was looking for something less than $200.
How are msi and gigabyte boards , are they reliable??

Aahhh...if you're gonna be using content-creating tools like those, I'd definately opt for the E6600 and the extra cache. In general, MSI and Gigabyte make very good boards. Since many of the C2D boards are made on Intel-based chipsets, most will run well and trouble-free at stock settings. Most of the horror stories you'll hear are when people start pushing their OC's too far or when they buy memory that isn't supported voltage or speed-wise by their particular board.

Twitch

 

[imported_LouHead]

Originally posted by: Twitch22

Or, you could wait for a few weeks for nVidia's newest C2D chipset, the much awaited nForce 680

Twitch

Twitch,

Thanks for the info. Do you know if the 680 is slated to have Kentsfield support, or are you locked into AM2 Procs?

I'm an AMD guy at heart, but it's time to try Intel with the Core 2 Duo and ultimately the Kentsfield.

An Interesting read:

Valve goes Multicore

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: LouHead

Originally posted by: Twitch22

Or, you could wait for a few weeks for nVidia's newest C2D chipset, the much awaited nForce 680

Twitch

Twitch,

Thanks for the info. Do you know if the 680 is slated to have Kentsfield support, or are you locked into AM2 Procs?

I'm an AMD guy at heart, but it's time to try Intel with the Core 2 Duo and ultimately the Kentsfield.

An Interesting read:

Valve goes Multicore

It most definately will work with Kentsfield if you want to spend 4x as much on a CPU as you do on the mobo.

 

[willbemcse]

everybody here recomends 975x over the p965 for a E6600 why. Is 965 not stable enough. Any other good boards besides Asus P5B Deluxe , as there are way too many brands to choose from , also I am not going to OC.

 

[Skott]

The low multiplier chips (E6300/E6400) OC better on the 965 mobos and the higher multiplier chips (E6600/E6700/E6800) OC better on the 570 mobos. Thats why. There are other good brands just as good as ASUS if not better. Gigabyte, MSI, and Intel are three such choices. Right now I'd say wait because this week we'll see new mobos launch.

 

[imported_LouHead]

Originally posted by: cmdrdredd


It most definately will work with Kentsfield if you want to spend 4x as much on a CPU as you do on the mobo.

I agree. But it is always a good idea to keep your upgrade paths open especially for guys like me who wait over two years between major overhauls.

 

[willbemcse]

Are there new chipsets coming soon this week. There are just way too many choices , brands. I dont want to buy something and in need to upgrade after another year.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Originally posted by: willbemcse
Are there new chipsets coming soon this week. There are just way too many choices , brands. I dont want to buy something and in need to upgrade after another year.

The NForce 680i boards are released from EVGA. They're good, but pricey. Depends wjhat you're looking for in a board.

 

[willbemcse]

not looking for board with lots of bells should have firewire, lots of usb. stable . Isn't P965 chipset is more stable than the newer 7 one and works best for E6600 or e6400.
I also read that 975 boards are not worth the extra $$??