MSI P6N SLI-FI LGA Good C2D mobo with 2xIDE, SLI, and good OC potential

[adlep]

I got This MSI board last week for $122.00
It has 2 IDE ports, it offers the SLI support, and it features a lot of tweaking options in the BIOS.
The layout IMO is good and the manual that came with it is great.
On the other hand, the bundled MSI software is crap and the passively heated North brige gets hot.

Overall a great buy, considering the price. I realize that it is not based around Intel chipset, yet so far I had no stability problems with Nvidia chipset drivers and the overclocked CPU.
I have managed to get my E4300 C2D to 3.0 GHz stable (5 hours under Orthos) with only a minimal rise of the Vcore (to 1.35V). My Power Supply is very crappy too (generic one, migrated from my old P4 Northwood ) so I am sure that it still have a headroom for more OC.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this board. I realize that it might not be as tweakable as some of the other offerings with the Intel chipset, but on the other hand it offers the SLI
My 2c

Edit: I am going to write some more about my experience with installing the entire setup soon. This was quite an interesting ride as I have managed to go from:
I845PE, P4 Northwood, ATI X800XL AGP -> to N650i, C2D, Nvidia 7900GS WITHOUT reinstalling Windows.

Edit: Running 9 hours of Orthos without any problems. so I guess the 3GHz OC is stable.

 

[Edge1]

Hi Adlep - I'm still surprised at the relative lack of attention this board is getting. Generally very stable and with some very respectable overclocks. I'd enjoy reading more about your exploits with it.

Like everyone else, I'll point you to a few threads that you may be interested in:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1164174 --> most comprehensive P6N thread on the web, thanks to Spanki. Tons of great info and links right on the first page.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=2009104&enterthread=y

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=2021717&enterthread=y

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: Edge1
Hi Adlep - I'm still surprised at the relative lack of attention this board is getting. Generally very stable and with some very respectable overclocks. I'd enjoy reading more about your exploits with it.

Like everyone else, I'll point you to a few threads that you may be interested in:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1164174 --> most comprehensive P6N thread on the web, thanks to Spanki. Tons of great info and links right on the first page.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=2009104&enterthread=y

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=2021717&enterthread=y

Excellent suggestion. Indeed, the first link offers a tons of info. As a side note, I do not have any problems with running the
G.Skill 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 5-5-5-15 @1.8 - 2.0v F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ memory with my P6N SLI-FI. It runs happily at the full rated speed of 800 MHz on Auto (SPD). Edit: My system runs now for about 10 hours under Orthos.

Some more info about my setup:
1. CPU - C2D E4300 NewEgg Link
2. Mobo - MSI P6N SLI-FI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i NewEgg Link (supply and demand, they have risen the price of the board by a few bucks).
3. Memory - G Skill DDR2 800 Mhz NewEgg Link
4. Heatsink - AC Freezer 7 Pro NewEgg Link (notice that you can get it 50% cheaper on SVC (there in nothing wrong with SVC. It is a very good company to deal with.
5. I kept my old case, but the CoolerMaster Centurion case looks like a very good choice for the new shell. It features two 120mm fans, but you might have to get rid of the CPU vent in order to fit the AC Freezer in it. NewEgg Link
6. Got the EVGA 7900GS from Frys for $130.00 AR. The deal is gone now, however NewEgg still offers a similar price. The out the door price is $160.00 - $15.00 MiR. Not too bad. Link
Also, IMO now is a good time to get the EVGA card because of their Step Up program. ATI is about to release a new gen of cards == lower prices on 8800s and 7950s soon.

Edit: After 17 hours under continuous Orthos stress test, the system is 100% stable at 3 GHz and 1.35V. As a side note, according to MSI this motherboard does officially support 1333 MHz system bus Link to the offical product page

 

[WT]

I've bought the following:
P6n Platinum
Buffalo Firestix DDR2800
Arctic Cooler Freezer Pro 7
Fortron FSP 600w quad rail PSU
Seagate 320gb SATA 16mb HD

Now, I am having a helluva time deciding on the 4300 or the 6600 C2D. Next upgrade would be an 8800GTS 640mb card, but the 4300 would simply save me $100 now in preparation for an upgrade to the Q6600 in August. The 4300 would then go into an Asrock board as a spare rig. So guys .... what do ya think ?

 

[Edge1]

Nice looking setup WT. What do you think about splitting the difference and grabbing the 2.0gHz E4400 for $139 and getting a 10x multi? Having said that, the 4300 would be a great choice as its getting 3.0gHz pretty readily with that board and is like $118. If you're gonna get quad-core in the not too distant future, one of those two seems to make sense. No?

Of course I want a E6600 myself but that's not happening. I gotta build my kids' rig this summer. The E6420 might be more relistic down the road.

PS. What vid card do you have?

 

[adlep]

Originally posted by: Edge1
Nice looking setup WT. What do you think about splitting the difference and grabbing the 2.0gHz E4400 for $139 and getting a 10x multi? Having said that, the 4300 would be a great choice as its getting 3.0gHz pretty readily with that board and is like $118. If you're gonna get quad-core in the not too distant future, one of those two seems to make sense. No?

Of course I want a E6600 myself but that's not happening. I gotta build my kids' rig this summer. The E6420 might be more relistic down the road.

PS. What vid card do you have?

I would like to know that too

 

[WT]

Bought the 6600 ... I finally came to the realization that quad core is just not practical for me. Even after factoring in the August 22 price drop on the Q6600, I see no reason why it was a better buy than the E6600 for what I will be playing (*emphasis on this part*). Also, the 8800GTS 640 is overkill for a 22" LCD, but I am hoping this setup will run ET:QW at a playable clip. Pairing the 4300 with a 640mb 8800 would be sorta silly, and likewise with the 6600 paired with a 320mb 8800. So I decided to blow more cashola and build it the right way with no compromises.

The 4400 looked like a real winner, but Anand's review found it did not overclock at all compared to its 4300 brethren, so I decided to skip it entirely. In all fairness to the 4400, AT might have gotten a bum chip, but I wouldn't rule out the 4400 paired with an Asrock Vsta775 board for a budget build for me at the end of this year just for something to do.

 

[Edge1]

Real nice choices, WT. Congrats on getting the E6600! Your machine should be impressive.

I may get an E4300 for a second budget build I'm doing. I see Ewiz has an OEM (all I need) for $103. I usually stay behind the technology curve a bit - cost reasons and all that.

How do you like the Platinum?

 

[WT]

Edge, I waited a looong time to drop dime on that Platinum, and followed every page of that {H} thread as well. I even waited for the Abit and Gigabyte boards to come out to see how they stacked up against the MSI. Last time I bought an MSI board was probably '98. It was a 440BX 6119 board, so MSI was not on my radar until I read the Anandtech review. But given my needs (Firewire, quality NB/SB cooling) the MSI was the perfect fit.
Some people will claim a DIY cooling setup would offer better results, but I wanted a stock board that eliminated the homework involved in doing NB/SB cooling cleanly. Other than the usual FSB holes, the MSI board is a great choice.

Edge, I will be PM'ing you frequently when I start bumping this thing up the OC scale. As of right now, its still in parts in the closet. The case I'm using is currently housing another rig, so I will eventually have to tear all that out and paint the case. It picked up a lot of scratches from a previous build and I haven't bothered to sand/paint it. Its a huge full server tower case, and replaces my current Tt Swing case which is just too small for my tastes.

adlep, you assembled a very nice rig there, and I mulled over each component you listed and arrived at my final list as well. If quad core were more relevant to my gaming needs, then I would have used the 4300 and some cheaper RAM as well, but I just can't convince myself that two extra cores are a good buy for me now. Remember, if the chip sells at $266 in late August, it won't go up in price, so I can just buy it at the end of the year and hopefully it will run ET :QW at an even pace.

 

[Edge1]

Originally posted by: WT
Edge, I will be PM'ing you frequently when I start bumping this thing up the OC scale. As of right now, its still in parts in the closet. The case I'm using is currently housing another rig, so I will eventually have to tear all that out and paint the case. It picked up a lot of scratches from a previous build and I haven't bothered to sand/paint it. Its a huge full server tower case, and replaces my current Tt Swing case which is just too small for my tastes.

I'm all ears, my brother. I'd love to share whatever I've been able to do, but its not like I know a ton - just what I've read. Sounds like a fun project for you (paint job and all). Look forward to hearing all about it:beer:.

Nice to see some Floyd in the sig. I was just enjoying the Pulse DVD the other day.