Which motherboard/cpu to replace dfi-ultra/939@3ghz

[you2]

My dfi-ultra has started to give me problem (checksum error in bios, slow disk reads, ...). The machine is fast enough but I figure it might be easier to just replace the motherboard/cpu.

I'm not looking for the fastest machine I can build - but something that is 'fast enough' - i.e, good bang for the buck. I have an 8800gts (g92) in the system and the power supply is a 600W FSP (epislon?).

Last I heard E38 boards and DDR2 were current but these things change every week so no longer know what is current. Also, Which cpu do folks use these days? Are the quads cheap enough to go with one of htem or should I stick with a duo ? Is g.skill 800mhz ddr2 the way to go for ram ?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

you could help us with your cpu choice with a description of your uses, eg what games you play if any, what apps your run, etc.

 

[you2]

I normally play latest action or rpg game. I've been playing supercomm but did not love it and i've grown tired of RTS in general. I also use the machine for photo editing. I did a quick search and it seems like something along the lines of the following would be suitable with either no or minimal overclocking (my psu is a fsp 600w-gln). I'd like my selection of parts to last 2 years - kind of disappointed the dfi is developing bios errors - btw the temp seems to peak around 42 CPU/mb bridge and 55 for the GTS when playing supercomm and airtemp is 72F.


GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L ($85)
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) ($80 4GB)
or
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) ($60 2GB) since mb wants 1066
Q6600 ($220) or E4600 ($120)

 

[Fallen Kell]

Well, if you go with a 1066 CPU, I highly recommend the 1066 memory, it will make a noticeable improvement. But I would suggest getting at leat 4GB (if you are running Vista64 or XP 64).

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

4Gb would be future proofing in a Vista 64 bit upgrade. 1066 would give you overclocking headroom without lowering the memory divider = this would be a good choice if you choose a cpu with a low multiplier which would give you the headroom to ramp up the front side bus. Usually cpu's with low multis are the cheaper ones. High fsb requires 8 phase power management which means a decent mobo. I bought an open box Asus P5K3 for @ 100$ using 8 phase but thats DDR3 and the verdict on the board is, it runs great, no problems. So that may be a cheaper option for ya and if you want a manual, cd, and back i/o shield, you can usually find them on eBay as i did. Clock for clock at stock the Q9300 is faster, 45nm technology, uses less power, runs SSE4 instructions, and runs cooler. If you want a higher L2 cache, get the Q6600 65nm technology. The reason I bought a Q9300 is uses less wattage which returns some but not much lower electric bills. The big difference comes when you compare the Q9300 to the Q6600 at load levels. I can't remember where I seen the review, but the difference was almost 100 watts.

 

[you2]

Q9300 is $280. Is it really worth the extra $$$$ ? Is there a decent dual core you would recommend?

Is the gigabyte a good MB or should I consider something else (or a different chipset?)

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Its better in energy consumption. But its up to you if that's a factor in your decision. the e6750 for 174$ is a good daul core with an 8 multi and easily overclockable to 3.2 by 400fsb. Which would fit the DDR2 800 speed but at 3.6Ghz you'll need memory of atleast 900Mhz or greater. But, it would help you to find out your memory overclocking limit first. Read some reviews on how much overclocking you'll get out of your memory maker options. I like to keep the timings at its lowest rated timings. People with AMD machines understand this better. The only reason to get a mobo with 8-phase management is for stability in overclocking cpu & fsb, which the ladder is more important. If you plan on using 2 discrete video cards, the p35 might not be the bad choice although i haven't read to many reviews on performance at 16x combined with 4x pcie slots othewise the more expensive x38 chipset is your next option or you still have nVidia's chipsets, thats your choice. I didn't do any research at all on the nVidia mobo chipsets.

What is your budget?

 

[you2]

I don't have a budget per sey - just want to use common sense. Is there any real advantage of the E6750 over the Q6600 - given they are near the same price and the Q6600 has two more cores...

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

As far as I can tell you is, Quad cores are better for UT3 and I'm big-mint into UT3, other than that, I suggest reading up on the reviews for possible similarities within your interest in the benchmarking areas. My biggest problem is my enthusiasm for overclockability options in my hardware decision making. I recognize it and admit it. That's what you gotta think about with yourself. My opinions always are bias towards enthusiast hardware so... btw, i went looking for a replacement cpu for my 939 cpu on eBay and came across a guy selling an Opteron 185 on a A8N32 board with 4Gb of memory, a 7950GT video card, and a water cooling setup for the cpu and right now its going for 103$