Looking for a good motherboard

[KotBigemot]

Hello people.
I am building a new PC and just can not decide on MB.
I hear a lot of good things about P5K series. Myself i am looking at P5E board
Link: http://www.newegg.com/product/...x?item=N82E16813131219
I am just asking for a few opinions about those two boards. Or may be there is even a better board?
Here is what i am looking for:
I am not a gamer, so i am not using SLI and all that gamers hardware ;-)
I do like fast strong PCs, also am a freak of speed
Other components are pretty good(i think) but i'd appreciate any advice.

CASE: Rosewill R6XR8-BK Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: R6XR8-BK
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Power Supply: BFG Tech BFGR650PSU ATX 12v 2.0 / EPS 12V 650Watts Power Supply - Retail
Model #: BFGR650PSU
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Video Card: EVGA 512-P3-N802-AR GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: 512-P3-N802-AR
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Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Model #: BX80570E8400
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Memory: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5 - Retail
Model #: TWIN2X2048-8500C5
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Hard drive: Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD1500AHFD
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Optical Drives: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S - Retail
Model #: LH-20A1S
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As you see no RAID, no SLI. Just simple hopefully fast PC.
Any comments will be greatly appreciated. This not first PC i am building but, always good to hear different opinions. May be even professional opinions.
Thanks to all for your input.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Looks decent. I don't know about the BFG PSU, I'd prefer a Corsair or Seasonic, but that's just me. Also, I'd rather get a bigger HD, like a Samsung F1 or Hitachi. These drives are about the same speed as a raptor for most things, but you get 500Gig - 1000Gig storage, instead of 150Gig for the same price.

If you don't want crossfire, don't get a X38 based board.They are way too expensive with no benefit. Get a P35 based motherboard, I like DFI, but Abit, Asus, Gigabyte all make good OC'ing motherboards as well.

 

[KotBigemot]

Hi GarfieldtheCat.
Thanks for your reply. I agree about PS, already changed for Corsair.
But Samsung or Hitachi drives??? In my opinion they are not as reliable as WD. Or am I wrong? Please correct me if I am. Also, I have about 4TB external storage (custom built enclosure and 8 500GB WDs) so I do not really care about having enough storage. You have a good point about storage though. In my case I?d rather get speed. If I am not mistaken, 150 GB HD will perform a bit faster than 500GB.
Now, about the MB.....I will most likely sound stupid but.....what is cross fire? Is it something like SLI? If so, then you are right - it has no benefit to me. I am only installing one video card. I thought that X38 means that board is capable of handling 45nm processors.
Thanks again. I really appreciate your suggestions.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

I think all HD's are about the same for reliability. All brands will have their "bad" models, but overall, I think they are about the same. It seems like a lot of HD failures are due to power issues, or bad shipping/handling. But WD is certainly good as well. (IMHO, of course, YMMV)

I didn't realize that you already had plenty of storage, so enjoy the raptor.

Crossfire is ATI's version of SLI. P35 boards should all handle the 45nm CPU's, although some may require a BIOS flash.

 

[KotBigemot]

Aha! I thought it was ATI's version of SLI. Thank you very much.
Now, I do not mean to sound annoying but, is that the only difference between P35 and X38 boards?
I mean your answers actually make sense. No offence but, I tried some other forums and ....I better not get in to this story So, finally I got to the site, where I can get some answers. That is just great. Thank you.
I wonder if I get any more input from other users as well. Always good to listen to different opinions. I spent only a few hours on this website and I already love it here.

 

[krnmastersgt]

There's a few more bells and whistles with X38, but the price you're paying isn't going to justify anything unless you want CrossFire. GarfieldtheCat has his point with P35 boards, a popular one would be the Gigabyte P35-DS3R/L series boards. As for the HD issue, its true WD had a great advantage for a while but at this point they're edge isn't justified by the price you have to pay.

 

[KotBigemot]

Hi krnmastersgt.
Yes, I agree, that Raptor is overpriced. That is why I am thinking of replacing it with say? WD2500YS
WD
My friend here tells me that this drive has no jumper setting for Master Drive, so ""booting the Windows main OS or any other OS off of this is not physically possible"" as the manufacturer's customer service told me. You will have to use another separate hard drive for that. What do you think about that? I mean I have only one drive so why would not it boot OS?
This WD looks so far like a good drive for my system and for a lot less money (70$). So, will the difference in speed be as big as difference in price?

 

[nerp]

I'd bite the bullet and get 2x2GB sticks of memory and just go with 4GB.

 

[KotBigemot]

It is 32 bit system, so as far as I know, I cannot use all 4 GB. I am thinking a better memory may be but...what's better than Corsair?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: KotBigemot
Hi krnmastersgt.
Yes, I agree, that Raptor is overpriced. That is why I am thinking of replacing it with say? WD2500YS
WD
My friend here tells me that this drive has no jumper setting for Master Drive, so ""booting the Windows main OS or any other OS off of this is not physically possible"" as the manufacturer's customer service told me. You will have to use another separate hard drive for that. What do you think about that? I mean I have only one drive so why would not it boot OS?
This WD looks so far like a good drive for my system and for a lot less money (70$). So, will the difference in speed be as big as difference in price?

Is that an IDE or SATA drive? All IDE drives have master/slave jumpers, and SATA drives don't have master/slave jumpers because they don't need them, it's one drive per channel on SATA.

I've never ever heard of a non-bootable HD, by design.

 

[KotBigemot]

Me neither but, that is what my friend commented on Newegg.com ;-)
I spoke to WD support, they told me same thing - very good drive and very fast(not as fast as raptor but...)

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Originally posted by: KotBigemot
Aha! I thought it was ATI's version of SLI. Thank you very much.
Now, I do not mean to sound annoying but, is that the only difference between P35 and X38 boards?
I mean your answers actually make sense. No offence but, I tried some other forums and ....I better not get in to this story So, finally I got to the site, where I can get some answers. That is just great. Thank you.
I wonder if I get any more input from other users as well. Always good to listen to different opinions. I spent only a few hours on this website and I already love it here.

To be honest, I *think* the only difference is PCIe 2.0 (which doesn't really matter). But I'm not sure.

Yes, I agree, that Raptor is overpriced. That is why I am thinking of replacing it with say? WD2500YS

If you want a 7200rpm drive, I'd try and wait until either the Samsung F1 320Gig or WD 320Gig come out (supposedly next month). They are both 320Gig/platter, so they have one platter vs two on the other HD's. In general higher density platters=more data=faster IO/sec. There are also 640Gig versions (2-platters) comming out as well. The Hitachi P7K500 is a 500Gig with only 2 platters, and is out now as well.

It is 32 bit system, so as far as I know, I cannot use all 4 GB. I am thinking a better memory may be but...what's better than Corsair?

You would be able to use ~3 1/2Gig, still better then only 2Gig.Since you will have an e8400, I would go with high speed RAM like you picked. I wouldn't worry about the timings, they honestly don't make a difference for gaming and real world apps. OCZ, Corsair, Patriot, Mushkin, Gskill, Geil are all good brands, and for the most part use the same memory chips on their products.

 

[OLpal]

I think Garfield is steering you along a wise path !!
The system i built [see sig below] uses alot of your & Garfields thoughts & i'm just awed by this system & the smoothest setup iv'e built yet !!
I'm fast 3.6ghz, cool 32* idle, with this setup !!
Enjoy your build..
If your going to use OC'n i think most would agree ,, get a decent cooler & make sure it will work with your motherboard of choice & case..

Ol'Pal

 

[KotBigemot]

You would be able to use ~3 1/2Gig, still better then only 2Gig.Since you will have an e8400, I would go with high speed RAM like you picked. I wouldn't worry about the timings, they honestly don't make a difference for gaming and real world apps. OCZ, Corsair, Patriot, Mushkin, Gskill, Geil are all good brands, and for the most part use the same memory chips on their products.

I just did some research and you are right GarfieldtheCat.
I will get 4 GB instead of 2. Now, should I get 4 X 1 GB or 2X2GB?
Personally I think that Corsair is the best but, it is just my opinion.
God, so great to be able to exchange useful information.

 

[IT Professional Ant]

for the money you are considering spending there is only one thing I would buy and you havent considered it..
ASUS MAXIMUS FORMULA

If I had the money to afford intel parts.. I would definitely get this..

*edit* not a big fan of your case choice I would go with something that has a bottom mounted power supply.. with a bit more fan action..

 

[KotBigemot]

I think Garfield is steering you along a wise path !! The system i built [see sig below] uses alot of your & Garfields thoughts & i'm just awed by this system & the smoothest setup iv'e built yet !!

Thanks OLPal. I think so too. GarfieldtheCat sounds like he really knows what he is talking about.
Very interesting, you have same CPU as I want to order? Do you really like it? I am not going to over clock it because:
1. I do not know how
2. Do not think that it is safe.
Now, about your MB...I was always under impression that ASUS is one of the best. How is Gigabyte performing? How long have you had it for?
Also, I looked at Freezer Pro 7, no offense but, ZAlman gets better reviews on many forums. I personally like the price and review on Freezer Pro 7 from Newegg.com users, so I will most likely purchase Freezer Pro 7.

 

[KotBigemot]

for the money you are considering spending there is only one thing I would buy and you havent considered it.. If I had the money to afford intel parts.. I would definitely get this..

I do not mean to sound rude but...money is no issue here (thank god). I had a look at that MB. For some reason I was not VERY impressed. Although, many people are suggesting that MB but, also many people say that it is over kill and P5K or P5E will do just fine. Do not know why. I'd appreciate it if you explained why you think it is a better choice? Why is it better than say P5E? They cost about the same.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Originally posted by: KotBigemot

You would be able to use ~3 1/2Gig, still better then only 2Gig.Since you will have an e8400, I would go with high speed RAM like you picked. I wouldn't worry about the timings, they honestly don't make a difference for gaming and real world apps. OCZ, Corsair, Patriot, Mushkin, Gskill, Geil are all good brands, and for the most part use the same memory chips on their products.

I just did some research and you are right GarfieldtheCat.
I will get 4 GB instead of 2. Now, should I get 4 X 1 GB or 2X2GB?
Personally I think that Corsair is the best but, it is just my opinion.
God, so great to be able to exchange useful information.

I'd go 2x2...it's supposed to easier to OC, and easier for the memory controller to use. Plus you have an upgrade path if you ever need 8Gig RAM later (for 64-bit OS)

I do not mean to sound rude but...money is no issue here (thank god). I had a look at that MB. For some reason I was not VERY impressed. Although, many people are suggesting that MB but, also many people say that it is over kill and P5K or P5E will do just fine. Do not know why. I'd appreciate it if you explained why you think it is a better choice? Why is it better than say P5E? They cost about the same.

In general, overclocking ability and addons make the difference between the $90 and $200 P35 boards. If you aren't going to OC, then pick whichever is cheaper and has the features you want (although most have very similar features anyway). Abit, Asus, DFI, Gigbyte all have boards around $90-110 that should work fine. We really are lucky now iwth all the good boards that are out now.

If you aren't going to OC, then your HS won't matter too much. Any decent HS with a 120mm fan (bigger fan = less noise) will work fine. It's when you OC a lot, which really increases the heat produced, that a really good HS is needed (like my Quad core @ 3.6GHZ....now that puts out some heat!)

 

[KotBigemot]

(like my Quad core @ 3.6GHZ....now that puts out some heat!)

If you do not mind me asking...why quad core? Do you have a 64 Bit system? If so, then what do you do? I mean what can you do with quad core CPU that you cannot with dual core?
I did some research on that and came to conclusion that there are not many applications that will support 64 bit. And all my friends said that unless I do some serious graphical designs or some huge video editing, I do not need 64 bit system.
Here is what I do on my computer:
1. Download and upload movies, music and other stuff - to be short - Bittorent
2. I do edit pictures of my family. Love to create family albums.
2. Very little video editing (family events)
3. Burn DVDs and CDs
4. ORCAD and Altium Designer (I am an EE)
But ...now it will sound insane I know.....I like to do it all at once. That is why I need a strong fast PC.
Did that sound crazy enough?

 

[OLpal]

Originally posted by: KotBigemot

I think Garfield is steering you along a wise path !! The system i built [see sig below] uses alot of your & Garfields thoughts & i'm just awed by this system & the smoothest setup iv'e built yet !!

Thanks OLPal. I think so too. GarfieldtheCat sounds like he really knows what he is talking about.
Very interesting, you have same CPU as I want to order? Do you really like it? I am not going to over clock it because:
1. I do not know how
2. Do not think that it is safe.
Now, about your MB...I was always under impression that ASUS is one of the best. How is Gigabyte performing? How long have you had it for?
Also, I looked at Freezer Pro 7, no offense but, ZAlman gets better reviews on many forums. I personally like the price and review on Freezer Pro 7 from Newegg.com users, so I will most likely purchase Freezer Pro 7.

Hey KotBigmot hope your build comes out sweet..
1. your in the right place for oC'n guidance, i just love my E8400 with a mild overcloxck to 3.6ghz not even a boost in voltage... whereas you'd have to push a Q6600 very hard to reach 3.6ghz & really need that Zalman. & THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF GAMES OR SOFTWARE THAT UTILIZES THE QUAD CORE.... THIS E8400 IS SUCH A FLYER THAT stores are price gouging the heck out of them.. Glad i got mine early..

2. I've used Gigabytes for years & feel the Ultra Durable quality is outstanding !! I seriously considered the X38 Gigabyte DS4 @ $199 but i really didn't need the 2 video card slots & the P35 seem to be about all you could ask for..


alot of the Asus boards have to be flashed with a new bios as i hear it before it will reconize the E8400

My DS3R took off right away & is running nicely , haven't even installed the driver disk from gigabyte yet,, which is a 1st. for me.. I've gotta ask someone about that also.. Even my sound works on my 4ch w/sub Any help on this Garfield ??? ARE THERE ANY DRIVERS ON THE GIGABYTE cd THAT ARE REALLY NEEDED????


One piece of advice i'd like to pass on i like to install my coolers outside the case on a flat static free surface [to keep from flexing the MB so badly before installing the MB..
If you do get the freezer pro, consider using the heat paste they have on it allready as it's some quality stuff !!
If you go with 4 gig which i & garfield recomend @ these great prices, you may want to install your OS with only 1 2gig chip installed.. Then after all is set up Bios settings also [sometime need to enable memory mapping] you can put the other chip in !! You should notice the extra ram !! Corsair , Mushkin, i used GSkill for the DDR2 1000 speed & Lat settings ,,, any of these are fine.. I used to swear by Crucial, not so much anymore..

Hope some of this helps !!! Ol'Pal

 

[KotBigemot]

Hey KotBigmot hope your build comes out sweet.. 1. your in the right place for oC'n guidance, i just love my E8400 with a mild overcloxck to 3.6ghz not even a boost in voltage... whereas you'd have to push a Q6600 very hard to reach 3.6ghz & really need that Zalman. & THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF GAMES OR SOFTWARE THAT UTILIZES THE QUAD CORE.... THIS E8400 IS SUCH A FLYER THAT stores are price gouging the heck out of them.. Glad i got mine early..

WOW!!! Now I feel like I am ready to order parts at last.
OLPal, can you give me more info on your MB. I tried to locate it on newegg.com and it gave me like 5 different boards. Which one would you recommend? Here is the link:
NEWEGG.com
Yes, I think for the first time in 10 years I am going to try Gigabyte. You guys sound very confident about that board so I will order it instead of Asus.
Why do you suggest installing memory 2GB at a time? Can I install all 4GB at once? I am just a bit lazy Once I build it and close the case, I do not want to reopen it for at least next month or so.
Thanks for telling me about the paste. I usually use my own paste and it works pretty well.
PASTE
Finally in 2 weeks of research I feel confident. Thank you. After I build the system, I will start asking questions about OC. Want to try it, see what happens.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Originally posted by: KotBigemot

(like my Quad core @ 3.6GHZ....now that puts out some heat!)

If you do not mind me asking...why quad core? Do you have a 64 Bit system? If so, then what do you do? I mean what can you do with quad core CPU that you cannot with dual core?
I did some research on that and came to conclusion that there are not many applications that will support 64 bit. And all my friends said that unless I do some serious graphical designs or some huge video editing, I do not need 64 bit system.
Here is what I do on my computer:
1. Download and upload movies, music and other stuff - to be short - Bittorent
2. I do edit pictures of my family. Love to create family albums.
2. Very little video editing (family events)
3. Burn DVDs and CDs
4. ORCAD and Altium Designer (I am an EE)
But ...now it will sound insane I know.....I like to do it all at once. That is why I need a strong fast PC.
Did that sound crazy enough?

Why not? Seriously, I didn't really need it, but I do some photo editing, and Photoshop does seem to take care of multi-cores (>2). Also, I play Flight Simulator X and Supreme Commander, and both are supposed to take advantage of 4 cores. Also, I got my Q6600 last year, before the e8400 came out. 4x3.6 is probably about the same as 2x4 overall, but I'm sure some games/apps favor one of the other. Either ay, I bet we are all VC limited anyway

I do run 64-bit Vista, because I wanted the extra RAM for photo editing. The only real benefit to 64bit is the extra RAM usage, and you still run all 32-bit apps, so you are right, it's not really needed.

A nice Dual core with 4Gig RAM and modern HD should be fine

 

[KotBigemot]

Why not? Seriously, I didn't really need it, but I do some photo editing, and Photoshop does seem to take care of multi-cores (>2). Also, I play Flight Simulator X and Supreme Commander, and both are supposed to take advantage of 4 cores. Also, I got my Q6600 last year, before the e8400 came out. 4x3.6 is probably about the same as 2x4 overall, but I'm sure some games/apps favor one of the other. Either ay, I bet we are all VC limited anyway

Well, that is what I thought as well.
What do you think about OLPal's MB? Asus vs. Gigabyte? He sounds very confident. For past 10 years all I used was Asus....But Gigabyte has nice reviews as well. If you can, read his last reply in this topic, there is a question for you as well. I'd love to hear your opinion on his reply. Thanks.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Originally posted by: OLpal
My DS3R took off right away & is running nicely , haven't even installed the driver disk from gigabyte yet,, which is a 1st. for me.. I've gotta ask someone about that also.. Even my sound works on my 4ch w/sub Any help on this Garfield ??? ARE THERE ANY DRIVERS ON THE GIGABYTE cd THAT ARE REALLY NEEDED???

I don't have a gigabyte motherboard, but in my experience, I haven't need the install Cd's included with my motherboards. In general, they will have the chipset driver, RAID drivers (if applicable), maybe USB 2.0 drivers, network, and sound.

Usually, I download driver updates before I install a motherboard, so I have the current drivers handy (usually this means I get newer versions then are on the CD). I don't ever use RAID, so that is a non-issue.

Nowadays, with Windows Update, you probably can get updated drivers off of that, so the driver CD isn't needed, unless you have some unique hardware on the motherboard. So if XP or Vista can "see" and install your NIC drivers, to get you on the internet, you can probably download anything else you need from either Update or going to the specific websites themselves. Kind of like buying a new VC, I never use the drivers on the CD, since they are older then what I can download from ATI/Nvidia's website.

The only thing I really use on a driver CD is sometimes the company has some utility progrmas which are nice to use. I have a couple of DFI motherboards, and they have a program called SmartGuardian on the CD that shows voltage and temp settings. So I install that, but that is all I use the CD for.

 

[GarfieldtheCat]

Originally posted by: KotBigemot

Why not? Seriously, I didn't really need it, but I do some photo editing, and Photoshop does seem to take care of multi-cores (>2). Also, I play Flight Simulator X and Supreme Commander, and both are supposed to take advantage of 4 cores. Also, I got my Q6600 last year, before the e8400 came out. 4x3.6 is probably about the same as 2x4 overall, but I'm sure some games/apps favor one of the other. Either ay, I bet we are all VC limited anyway

Well, that is what I thought as well.
What do you think about OLPal's MB? Asus vs. Gigabyte? He sounds very confident. For past 10 years all I used was Asus....But Gigabyte has nice reviews as well. If you can, read his last reply in this topic, there is a question for you as well. I'd love to hear your opinion on his reply. Thanks.

I've got a DFI LT P35-T2R, since it has a 8-phase digital PWM, which is (supposedly) a bit more heavy-duty to OC a Quad core. I've read (although as with all of this, you never know how true anything is) that some of the regular P35 boards get pretty stressed by OC'ing a Q6600, since it draws more power then a dual core. How true any of this is, who knows.

So I don't have experience with Asus or Gigbyte, but from what I have seen/read, Asus, Gigbyte, MSI, Abit, and DFI all have good motherboards that OC well. You probably have an equal chance of getting a "lemon" board from any of them. So I would go with whatever you like, based on cost or features.