equivalent price - better p35 or cheaper p45?

[dpstrand]

I putting together a system with a Q9450 core 2 quad and ati 8450, primary use will be avchd camcorder video editing and some gaming (age of conan).

I'm trying to decide between a more robust p35 offering versus a lower end p45 offering. Specifically, asus p5k pro p35 board for $105 versus gigabyte ga-ep45ds3l p45 board for $108.

Most of the extras on the p5k will probably go unused (no plans for raid or crossfire). I'm more interested in stability, power consumption, overclockability in that order.

Which should I go for?

 

[msarp]

If you can wait, go for the ABIT IP45 PRO or the ABIT IP35 PRO is a great choice.
The ASUS P5Q-E is another good MB. I was seriously looking at this one before I bought a Asus Maximus SE for crossfire.

if I had to pick of the 2 you are looking at , I would go w/ the GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3L

 

[cubeless]

it looks like the 45's are getting higher fsb oc's... makes some sense since they are built for faster proc's at the get go...

i'm going the cheaper r45 route, myself... might as well go with the newer stuff...

 

[dpstrand]

I would also like to run linux, I understand the asus p5q boards use an atheros L1e and that there is no atheros driver in the current linux kernels. I guess that takes the p5q variants off my list.

 

[GundamF91]

Get P45, especially if you are running Penryn. The P35 boards are all out of flavor now, and you wont' save that much more money.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: dpstrand
Most of the extras on the p5k will probably go unused (no plans for raid or crossfire). I'm more interested in stability, power consumption, overclockability in that order.

Stability as a function of maturity (driver, BIOS, and PCB revision) favors P35. Power consumption of the chipset is a distant consideration relative to all the other stuff in a system that is going to have higher power consumption. Overclocking favors P45 but I suspect you won't be exceeding what P35 can easily handle.

P45 can support up to 16GB DDR2 or 8GB DDR3 compared to the P35's 8GB/8GB. P45 brings PCI-E 2.0 v. P35's PCI-E 1.1, if that's important to you.

Processor support won't be any different. ICH10 really doesn't bring much over ICH9. Intel chipset DMI is still 2GB/s.

Because you have stability as your first priority, I would tend towards a board that has been shipping three to four months and has some BIOS updates behind it. But then, I always do.

 

[cubeless]

buy a cheap nic for the lan for now... go 45...

 

[dpstrand]

I think what I'm going to do is use the cheapo ECS that came with the processor (fry's deal) and wait out the p45 reviews.... I guess that way I can wait for some p45 stability.

 

[The Odorous One]

Originally posted by: dpstrand
I think what I'm going to do is use the cheapo ECS that came with the processor (fry's deal) and wait out the p45 reviews.... I guess that way I can wait for some p45 stability.

No need to wait, P45 is a already a stable platform. The P5Q-E is a very nice board fro the money. Would buy P45 any day over a P35.

 

[Budarow]

What about on-board Firewire? Comes in handy for capturing/editing home videos. Although it would save money to add an inexpensive Firewire card rather than pay the premium for on-board Firewire.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: The Odorous One
No need to wait, P45 is a already a stable platform.

Wow. Most P45 motherboards haven't even gotten beyond the first release BIOS. Two weeks = stable platform. That's gotta be some kind of record.

 

[The Odorous One]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Originally posted by: The Odorous One
No need to wait, P45 is a already a stable platform.

Wow. Most P45 motherboards haven't even gotten beyond the first release BIOS. Two weeks = stable platform. That's gotta be some kind of record.

Huh?

Are you saying that most P45's out of the box are not stable? Ha, that's news to me. WTH are you smokin?

P5Q-E has had 3 bios releases thus far and super stable for me. Easier overclock and equally as stable than my old matured IP-35 Pro.

Takes my Q6600 200 MHz farther than the Abit too.

 

[SolMiester]

If you arent interested in crossfire get the IP35 instead of the Pro for extra PCI slots instead of the wasted 2nd PCIe.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: The Odorous One
Are you saying that most P45's out of the box are not stable? Ha, that's news to me.

Ah, the problem seems to be a difference between "consumer" and "professional" understandings of relevant terminology. The industry definition or criteria for a "stable platform" is not "My motherboard has been stable for two weeks and overclocks more easily." A chipset and/or motherboard in and of themselves do not even constitute a "platform", per se.

But anyway, that's a nice personal anecdote you have there. Really it is, and thank you for sharing. I promise that I will put it on the refridgerator so everyone can see it, OK? Now run along so the big boys can talk.

 

[The Odorous One]

Please elaborate more on "consumer" and "professional" stable, I'm all ears. And please, use your condescending tone again.

 

[SolMiester]

hehehehe...:beer:

 

[PUN]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Originally posted by: The Odorous One
No need to wait, P45 is a already a stable platform.

Wow. Most P45 motherboards haven't even gotten beyond the first release BIOS. Two weeks = stable platform. That's gotta be some kind of record.

P45 is a form of P35 updated bios.
Crossfire support, Tweak bios with window accessbility, etc.