IP-35-E versus Pro?

[lollybo]

A lot of people have recommended me the IP-35-Po, and I tried the best I could, but I could not find a reason to justify the extra 50 bucks on an ip-35 pro.

Four SATA drives is plenty. I don't have any use for firewire, nor do I need spdif out. I only have one harddrive, so I don't need RAID. Better heatsinks would be nice, but I could do without them. I will never use SLI.

If you need these bells and whistles, an ip-35 pro might be useful. But for people like me, what is wrong with an IP-35-e?

 

[lollybo]

Misc question about IP-35 boards in general, will I need to install sata drivers with a floppy during OS installation with XP?

 

[hokiealumnus]

1. Absolutely nothing is wrong with the -E. If you don't need all that stuff, don't spend the money on it. For overclocking, this board is just as good as the Pro, it just lacks what would be a very convenient external clear-CMOS switch. You can build one if you feel like it though!

2. You should not need to install any drivers unless you're running RAID, which is not included on the -E, so I guess you're not. The short answer is no.

 

[lollybo]

But IICR, if you have a sata hard disk, you have to install a special driver during xp installation because it's not included in the xp cd?

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Read my Abit IP35-E review @ MB forum. There's a general guide to load windows and overclock a CPU. Lowest price is $71 AR @ MWAVE. That's less than 1/2 the price of the IP35 Pro.

 

[hokiealumnus]

I have an SATA HDD and did not have to install any drivers during setup.

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Windows will automatically load the proper drivers. IP35-E lacks RAID. Therefore, just put in the CD/DVD and load windows. No need to hit "F" anything.