Please help me decide on Mobo

[Gryph0n]

I'm getting a new CPU and Mobo this weekend. The CPU i'm going with is Intel C2D E6750 (2.66GHz, 1333 MHz FSB).

The Mobos I've short listed are
1>Asus P5K-E
2>MSI P35 Platinum
3>Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R
4>Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3P
5>Gigabyte GA-P35-DS4

Please suggest which of the above I should go with. I am especially confused on the real difference between the Gigabyte boards. I did use the 'compare' functionality on the Gigabyte website, but that didnt really clear up anything for me. FYI, all of the above are based on the Intel P35 chipset and the Intel ICH9R Southbridge

Do note that I've have considered other Mobos, and ruled them out for 1 or more of the below reasons
1>I need atleast 5 onboard SATA connectors, and 1 IDE Connector
2>I'm only looking at DDR2 mobos
3>I'm looking for ICH9R Southbridge as I might go with RAID in the future
4>Not available in my part of the world

I did consider the nVidia based chipsets, but the 650i chipsets only provides 4 SATA connectors. The 680i provides more, but the reference nVidia Mobo uses fans for cooling the Northbridge and southbridge. Except Asus, all other manufacturers have gone with the reference mobo. The Asus 680i mobo is too expensive for my taste.

 

[Doclife]

I recommend the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R because that's what I'm using now. I overclocked the E4500 to 3.0GHz and the system ran flawless for 2 months now. The on board audio is superb. You can read my comments on this board at http://forums.anandtech.com/me...115027&highlight_key=y

 

[Denithor]

I would suggest the abit IP35 for its excellent overclocking stability, features, and low cost ($95 after $25MIR).