New rig, but been outta the loop for awhile...

[SirFelixCat]

Look here for my original thread.

This rig will be used primarily for online poker (heavy CPU hog...read above link) and some PC gaming...but when I do game, it will be on a 30" monitor, so this is going to have to be a hoss of a rig to handle both of those two things.


Now that I'm pretty sure I'm headed towards Vista 64 w/ a maybe a quad core CPU, I'm starting to break it down and decide on the individual parts.

That said, I've been out of the loop for the 8 months+ and I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choiced out there now, esp in mobos.

Here is what I'm looking for:

-Minor OC'ing if at all

-Support Quad core CPU (Intel)

-Dual PCI express slots...for 8800GTX and my current 7900GT (going to be running 3 monitors, 1- 30" and 2- 20")

-No more than $230 or so

-Supports DDR2 800 (since I'll be cannibalizing the 2Gig in this rig that is DDR2 800) as well as adding another 2 Gig for 4Gig total.

-No idea on P35 or 680i or 680i LT (?) North Bridge...someone wanna learn me the pros/cons of each?

-Would prefer a FSB of 1333/1066, since I'm not sure between the E6750 dual core (1333 FSB or the Q6600 at 1066 FSB).

FWIW, the last rig I built, I built around an eVGA 680i mobo and have had zero problems in the year since I built it...but I'm all about bang for the buck, so please, PLEASE help me out here, y'all!

Thanks!

 

[SirFelixCat]

I'm on a roll here...yet another post, yet another ton of views, yet no replies? I cuss someones mother or something? Come on fellas...throw me a bone here will ya?

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: SirFelixCat

-SLI (going to be running 3 monitors, 1- 30" and 2- 20")

Possibly because you have asked for the impossible?
Currently SLI doesn't do multimonitor (except if used with something like a Matrox tripleheadtogo to split 1 image across 3 screens).

 

[SerpentRoyal]

Get $70 Abit IP35-E and overclock $80 E2160, E4xx0 to +3.0GHz. Wait another year to engage 45nm Quads. There are many GPUs with dual monitor support. See the IP35-E review in this forum.

 

[SirFelixCat]

Originally posted by: Heidfirst

Originally posted by: SirFelixCat

-SLI (going to be running 3 monitors, 1- 30" and 2- 20")

Possibly because you have asked for the impossible?
Currently SLI doesn't do multimonitor (except if used with something like a Matrox tripleheadtogo to split 1 image across 3 screens).

Adjusted OP to clear that up.

 

[NXIL]

Hey Felix,

no SLI with P35, so that eliminates it per your criteria....but, I am not sure you need SLI....you are going to be running separate monitors, not using two cards to crank fast output to one monitor....looks like you want one fast card to drive the 30", and another card to drive the other two panels.

Bad Axe 2: has been around for awhile, not super cutting edge, but, rock solid stable:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813121059

975X chipset, which is good since it has been out and had its trial by fire, had some bugs that are now worked out.

This Abit board ranks high:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813127030

Note: for P35 chipset:

Expansion Slots
PCI Express x16 1 x PCI-E X16, 1 x PCI-E X16 (x4 bandwidth)

680i board: active NB coolers....I am a fan of fanless NB coolers, for noise reduction and reliability, but....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188014

Another 680i board:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813189004

Sort of tepid Newegg reviews:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188013

Same:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131073

I sort of lean toward stable versus "last 2% of speed", so I would probably go for the Bad Axe 2--since this seems like a business machine for you--it's solid mainstream and field tested now....

HTH

NXIL

 

[NXIL]

Possibly because you have asked for the impossible?

Um, I think that was Yoda asking Luke to 'force' the X-wing fighter out of the swamp.

 

[SirFelixCat]

Originally posted by: NXIL
Hey Felix,

no SLI with P35, so that eliminates it per your criteria....but, I am not sure you need SLI....you are going to be running separate monitors, not using two cards to crank fast output to one monitor....looks like you want one fast card to drive the 30", and another card to drive the other two panels.

Bad Axe 2: has been around for awhile, not super cutting edge, but, rock solid stable:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813121059

975X chipset, which is good since it has been out and had its trial by fire, had some bugs that are now worked out.

This Abit board ranks high:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813127030

Note: for P35 chipset:

Expansion Slots
PCI Express x16 1 x PCI-E X16, 1 x PCI-E X16 (x4 bandwidth)

680i board: active NB coolers....I am a fan of fanless NB coolers, for noise reduction and reliability, but....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188014

Another 680i board:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813189004

Sort of tepid Newegg reviews:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188013

Same:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131073

I sort of lean toward stable versus "last 2% of speed", so I would probably go for the Bad Axe 2--since this seems like a business machine for you--it's solid mainstream and field tested now....

HTH

NXIL

Yeah, I mispoke on the SLI...just need dual PCI express slots for dual vid cards for this and yes, it's a "business" machine as I'll be doing this for a living.

That said, in my situation is it a big deal having the second PCI express x16 slot only being a x4? Obviously those monitors will only be running basic computer functions on them, no gaming etc (that will be on the 30" itself only driven by the 8800GTX)?

And I like the idea of the Bad Axe 2 but the FSB is only 1066 and eliminates, say the e6750. Not to mention, while it's built on solid, well tested tech., it kinda handicaps me for the future.

Like I said, I've used an evga 680i already and had zero probs with it, I just wasn't sure if that's the direction to go w/ new things out there is all.

Thanks for the great feedback, and please, keep it coming fellas. This is gonna take me a couple of weeks to decide, so I'm definitely open to other/new ideas!

 

[SirFelixCat]

Anyone else wanna throw their hat in the ring, here?

 

[mcloud777]

See my sig below for config if you want to go the P35 route. X38 boards are just around the corner on Oct 11th if you want dual x16 lanes in crossfire but I also hear a new 780i board is on the way soon too. If you can't wait go with the P35 chipset and the E6750. You can easily oc the e6750 to 3.5 ghz on air cooling with the Abit IP35 Pro.