Mobo advice for a new i7 system?

[imported_trajan]

I'm getting closer and closer to pulling the trigger on a new i7 system, but I'd really appreciate any input, especially on the mobo!

CURRENT SETUP
CPU: Intel C2D E6600
MB: Asus P5W-DH
ram: 2 GB DDR2 667mhz
HD: 140 GB Raptor / 230 GB storage drive
gpu: EVGA GTX 280 SC
psu: 550W FSP
case: Thermaltake Tsunami case
OS: Windows XP 32 bit

PROPOSED RIG
CPU: i7 920 ($230)
MB: ???
ram: ???
HD: (reuse)
gpu: (reuse)
psu: 850W Corsair 80+ (already bought, $91)
case: Thermaltake Spedo ($159 regular, $199 deluxe)
OS: Vista 64 bit or W7 beta (not sure beta is still an option?)
Cooler: ???

I've made the mistake of not setting a firm budget but I've managed to convince work to pay for 50% of the mobo, RAM and CPU (maybe the case too) so there's some temptation to aim for slightly nicer parts than I might otherwise pick up.

For mobo I've been considering the P6T Deluxe but have also been tempted by the Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R bundle at ewiz.com, which it looks like is still available for $210 and is bundled with 3 x 2GB 1333 mhz DDR3. I had last penciled in the P6T at about $230 and a 6GB DDR3 kit at 1600 mhz for $160. The Gigabyte bundle would therefore save a lot of cash... (at the cost of slower RAM and... a worse mobo?)

My goal is to have a system that I can overclock respectably and LEARN how to overclock with, something I meant to do with the ridiculous mobo I currently have and never actually did :-( Knowing that I'm an amateur I'm scaling back my ambitions this time around. I'm also willing to pay a little extra to have an SLI option, but not a lot more for just that feature. Lastly at some point soon I want to get at least one, possibly two more HD to run in RAID as back up.

 

[PCTC2]

You can possibly look at the UD5 instead of a P6T Deluxe. Gigabytes are really nice boards. Apparently (referenced somewhere in this forum), the P6T drops the A2 RAM channel (my Deluxe has never done that). But if you want to save money, I don't think you could beat $210 for an X58 board and 6GB of RAM. You can clock decently with DDR3-1333.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I too am in the same boat looking for a good overclocking board. I know things aren't apparent now because of the inconsistent results from the chips but what would be my best bet? Judging from the results from the UD3P boards, would either of the Gigabyte boards be good? I don't want the extreme model, but I could consider the other 3 Gigabyte boards. Any other outstanding i7 boards to consider? I'm open for suggestions, thanks.

 

[DaddyRabbit]

Depending on your needs either Gigabyte board is good. You might want to consider the UD4P as well

UD3R - Solid board, only 4 RAM slots (runs triple channel), fewer bells and whistles but the best bang for the buck motherboard out right now for i7.

UD4P - Newer integrated audio, 8x PCI slot as well as the two 16x slots, 6 RAM slots, and I think in your case since you already have the GTX 280, supports SLI as well as Crossfire. Not bad at around $247.

UD5 - More ports, more of everything, but pricey.

I don't do multi-GPU, massive RAID arrays, or need more than 6G RAM so the UD3R fit the bill nicely for me. That said you really can't go wrong with any of these boards.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: trajan

PROPOSED RIG
CPU: i7 920 ($230)
MB: ???
ram: ???
HD: (reuse)
gpu: (reuse)
psu: 850W Corsair 80+ (already bought, $91)
case: Thermaltake Spedo ($159 regular, $199 deluxe)
OS: Vista 64 bit or W7 beta (not sure beta is still an option?)
Cooler: ???

WOW! Can you please share where you are getting the i7 920 for just $230. That's a super price.

 

[Diogenes2]

Micro Center had it for $230 for a while.. Don't see it online at that price now .. Local stores may have it ..

 

[Irthos]

Hi, I'm a brand new member here, in the exact same position as several other posters. I was looking at the P6T as well as the Gigabyte mobos, but I think I've decided to go with the DFI Lanparty JR t3h. It has 6 DIMMS, for up to 24GB of RAM, which is nice for a mATX board. You drop firewire and eSATA capability, but I wasn't planning on using either of those anyway. Only 2 PCI-E slots as well, but Tri-SLI is out of my price range for now, and the conceivable future. So, at $230, I think its going to be an outstanding board.

Oh, and it has an on-board LED for troubleshooting, which seems like a nice addition. I think the Asus board that has something similar costs $299?

Anyways, just my .02

Has anyone seen any reviews of this board yet? Newegg's is mostly composed of people squealing about it being available, not much meat on bugs and such.

 

[tex1]

That's correct about the Micro Centers having them for $229. In store pick up only, I was lucky enough to have a friend near one and with tax the 920 was out the door for 238.

My P6T mobo was 215 free s/h with the egg.