Thanks for the feedback. As I said in my previous reply, I don't insist on getting 8 GB anymore, I'm considering getting 12 GB instead, because 6 GB is not sufficient for my needs. I'm somehow confused as to which memory modules to look for (regarding the frequency). Intel i7-920 spec says I should be looking for memory types DDR3-800/1066, while Kingston search facility recommends DDR3 modules clocked at 1333 MHz (recommendation was based on mobo ASUS P6T SE). I won't be overclocking, so the default clocks/frequencies will apply. Can anyone explain it to me, please?
Here are comparison tables of all ASUS x58 boards currently listed at their website, in .jpgs:
P6T, P6T Deluxe, P6T Deluxe/OC Palm, P6T Deluxe V2, P6T SE
P6T WS Professional, P6T6 WS Professional, P6T7 WS Supercomputer, P6TD Deluxe
Rampage II Extreme, Rampage II GENE
P6T, P6T Deluxe, P6T Deluxe/OC Palm, P6T Deluxe V2, P6T SE
P6T WS Professional, P6T6 WS Professional, P6T7 WS Supercomputer, P6TD Deluxe
Rampage II Extreme, Rampage II GENE
With the i7 CPUs the memory controller has been moved unto the CPU itself. It runs at double the speed of your RAM, it is locked at this speed. With the i7 920 the recommended speed is 2.13GHz (2133 MHz); this is according to Intel and what it is warrantied to run at. This matches perfectly to 1066MHz RAM (remember the memory controller/north bridge is twice the RAM frequency). You can certainly run faster RAM it you would like: 1333MHz would set the controller at 2666Mhz (2.66GHz), 1600MHz RAM would be 3.2GHz and so on. Technically the faster the RAM and memory control, the better the performance. You would be over clocking part of the CPU with any RAM faster than 1066MHz, even if the main processor clock stays the same. My 920 has no problems running the RAM/Controller at 1600/3200.
With such a small difference in the price of RAM I would recommend getting 1333 or 1600 and even if you do run it at a slower speed of 1066 it might allow you to use better RAM timings.
With such a small difference in the price of RAM I would recommend getting 1333 or 1600 and even if you do run it at a slower speed of 1066 it might allow you to use better RAM timings.
@ inhuman: Thanks for providing the mobo comparison tables. Much appreciated.
@ gbeirn: Thanks for the detailed explanation, but where did you found that recommended speed is 2.13 GHz? The i7-920 spec published on the Intel web site mentions only the clock speed at 2.666 GHz.
But anyway, I'm going to use that machine for work and I demand the maximum possible stability, so I won't be interested in overclocking. In that case, I should settle for 1066 RAM as mentioned in the spec, right?
@ gbeirn: Thanks for the detailed explanation, but where did you found that recommended speed is 2.13 GHz? The i7-920 spec published on the Intel web site mentions only the clock speed at 2.666 GHz.
But anyway, I'm going to use that machine for work and I demand the maximum possible stability, so I won't be interested in overclocking. In that case, I should settle for 1066 RAM as mentioned in the spec, right?
The clock speed of the 'processing cores' is 2.66GHz but the 'north bridge' part of the CPU (the memory controller and L3 cache) operates at a different frequency. 2.13Ghz for the i920 and i940 and 3.2Ghz for the Extreme i965/i975.
gbeirn, thanks for pointing out the difference in frequency between the core and north bridge. Much appreciated.
The TR is the right choose as the 758 A1 has the higher stuff with life time warranty, hell I'll be lucky if I still have this board in two years. Also water cooling these does not yield any thing better than a good fan can do, again they are made for minus 0 celcius. Even then a guy at XS forum only clocked his a1 to 5Ghz. Hell a guy at the EVGA forum clocked his classy on air to 5GHz. I'd even suggest the micro as one guy passed a classy over clock on his. FOr two hundred bucks oh hell ya!
ChaiBabbaChai
Golden Member
- Dec 16, 2005
- 1,090
- 0
- 0
I like the MSI X58 Plat SLI, because of the company as well as the design. I would get a DFI, but all accounts are that they are terrible now. They were good to me in 2005...
If you get the MSI (which is the better built board AFAIK) you will have to re-seat or put on aftermarket heatsinks for the chipset. I think it's worth the trouble in the end.
If you get the MSI (which is the better built board AFAIK) you will have to re-seat or put on aftermarket heatsinks for the chipset. I think it's worth the trouble in the end.
WaitingForNehalem
Platinum Member
- Aug 24, 2008
- 2,497
- 0
- 71
I think Intel said somewhere that X58 is fully capable of using 1333/1600 so it shouldn't be an issue.
This has nothing to do with the X58 as their is no memory interface there. It's all about the MC on the i7 part. Technically they say the 920 runs 800/1066 MHz memory, but there's no real reason that 1333/1600 shouldn't work in the system.
Anyone use the Asus Rampage II board? Im thinking about building a microATX system, and this board sounds nice
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-II-...&qid=1249737646&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-II-...&qid=1249737646&sr=8-1
That's one mistake to never make. Yes DFI was good in 2005 and that may have been when you did your last build. Yes those days they were hot, but never buy a MB based on your experience with DFI of 2005. These companies change.
I made the mistake of buying the DFI ICFX3200, the ATI RD600 board a few years ago. I fell for the DFI hype and it just happened that particular board was the companies way of cashing out on their reputation. It never received decent FW updates nor was it a good overclocker. It was just a big waste of time riding on the reputation of the company.
In fact in MBs in general I have learned to never look at a brand name as more than a name printed on the board. The actual reviews of the board after it has been out for a while are far more important to me.
I realize my view is extreme with regard to warranty support and other support like manufacturer support and community support. Some brands have better support than others. DFI at that time was the board to get for top overclocking support, but it fell on it's face with that was basically unsupportable. I remember that some people just gave up on the board and bought something else eventually. $300 is a ot of money to just give up on. It happens though.
Puffnstuff
Lifer
- Mar 9, 2005
- 16,187
- 4,871
- 136
I used to say that about asus but I've had two bad striker 2 formula's the second of which just died. My son bought a new rampage x48 that died 3 weeks later. Their made in china stuff is not what the older stuff used to be. With that said I replaced the striker with a made in taiwan gigabyte x48 mb.
WaitingForNehalem
Platinum Member
- Aug 24, 2008
- 2,497
- 0
- 71
I'm using an EVGA X58 SLI LE (eg the 757) and have been fairly happy with it, Mainly it looks good, and has good warrenty & customer support plus EVGA's website is great.
The downsides, no ESATA or dual lan didn't really bother me as I have a pci-E Intel Pro 1000PT so don't even use the onboard LAN and have an Esata card left over from my last board which also didn't have ESATA.
These are cheap add in cards if your really worried about not having these items you can just add them and the add in cards are usually better than whats built into most motherboards these days (jmicron = awful support for ESATA stay far far away)
The downsides, no ESATA or dual lan didn't really bother me as I have a pci-E Intel Pro 1000PT so don't even use the onboard LAN and have an Esata card left over from my last board which also didn't have ESATA.
These are cheap add in cards if your really worried about not having these items you can just add them and the add in cards are usually better than whats built into most motherboards these days (jmicron = awful support for ESATA stay far far away)
I'm using the ASUS P6T delux and the i7 920. 6gb of RAM. OC'd to 3.2Ghz. It's an easy board to OC, and the i7 will go to 4.0 with good RAM and a stable Power supply. I use it with 2 EVGA 285 SLI cards, and Vista Ultimate. So far, I very happy with it and it has been up and running 24/7 OC'd, since May 1st/09
EVGA has great service and lifetime warranty. i've delt with ASUS and their service is okay. not great, but not bad. if you're not gonna use SLI, i'd recommend the gigabyte x58-ud3r, the asrock deluxe (or was it supercomputer??? it was reviewed here on anandtech), asus p6t (not deluxe or se), foxconn bloodrage, or msi platinum. those boards seem to fit your price range. if you dont mind microATX, try out the msi pro, asus rampage II gene, or DFI jr x58-t3h6.
Why's that? Gigabyte officially supports both SLI and XFire on the X58-UD3R. Check out http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Pro...ew.aspx?ProductID=3103
Not that it matters at all to me, but saying it's not a missing feature for that board at all. The biggest drawback is only 4 (read: 3) memory slots rather than 6.
Tried the MSI M58X motherboard, but just found the darned thing's BIOS screens to be too obtuse to get clear indications of what I was doing with overclocking, and just didn't see why MSI chose not to heatsink the VRM's on that particular board when they are heatsinked on every other X58 board out there....made me rather uncomfortable OC'ing my 920 much with it.
Got an Asus RII Gene as its replacement and haven't regretted it one bit. Very stable, very OC friendly, not bad looking either.
Got an Asus RII Gene as its replacement and haven't regretted it one bit. Very stable, very OC friendly, not bad looking either.
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