Looking to buy a new socket 775 motherboard - Suggestions?

[PCXL-Fan]

I've been browsing Anandtech, Tomshardware, and Hardocp for motherboard roundups and haven't found any up to date ones for 775 mobos.

Things im looking for:

- Something in the $140-$200 price range.

- I'm looking for a good motherboard I can use to overclock a conroe e6600 to 3.2ghz or and eventually when I get one, a penryn quad core to ~3.5-3.8ghz and have ultra stability.

- good motherboard layout

- nice features

- (preferably) one that gives me the bios options needed to overclock conroes as well as penryn, (the required mem ratio settings and what not), I notice some mobos don't have the settings needed to ideally overclock a conroe.

- I only need one pci-e x16 or 2.0 graphics port (any more are bonus but i doubt i'd ever use them)

- not sure which chipset to go with (p45, x48, g45)
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I was looking at the Asus P5Q (not the deluxe edition or Pro edition) which was $160 at a local shop. The deluxe was a bit over +$200 dollars.

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Try @ES the ultimate emulator frontend and all in one media player

Originally Posted by Exodus

Yes, I like anime, Street Fighter, Japanese music and download video game music. Yes, I know... I've changed.

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Last edited by PCXL-Fan; December 14th, 2008 at 22:21..

[makotech222]

well, last march i got my x38 gigabyte board for around 180 USD and its doing great. It was easy to learn the bio overclock features, as it was my first time ever, and i got it up to 4.0Ghz, but dropped it to 3.8 for less heat. I dont even think they make the x38 anymore, but the x48 will probably be just like it but better.

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[skoreanime]

Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L w/ DualDDR2 1200, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, PCI-E 2.0 x16 at Memory Express Computers

Asus P5QL-EM w/ DualDDR2 1066, Gigabit Lan, 1394, PCI-E 2.0 x 16 at Memory Express Computers

My choices if I had to suddenly replace my motherboard.

Have you checked out Memoryexpress yet PCXL? A bit far from your place, but their service is a lot better then CBIT

[Cid Highwind]

P43, isn't that a bit worse for OC? I'd suggest going with a proper P45 motherboard, not an awfully expensive one, and invest in a Q9 processor if possible. Though finding the perfect mobo is darn hard.

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[PCXL-Fan]

Thanks guys yeah i wanna look into the difference between a p43 and a p45. Yeah Cid If the p45 is recommended for OCing i wouldn't mind spending a few extra bucks. Yeah I'd want to be overclocking a quadcore as opposed to a dual core so it would have to be capable of handling more voltage and heat.

Thanks skore. I haven't gone to their shop yet. Infact i wasn't even aware of them. Ill have to look at their website and take a look at the these 2 mobos you like. But i want something that will last me for years when perminently OCing a quadcore. You have your quad-core and you OC it, so you think those boards could handle your conroe proc at 3.2ghz?

@Makotech: I was glancing at a couple different x48 gigabyte board you were mentioning and they look are pretty high end (and perhaps pricy too). One could definetly do some decent overclocking on them.

I wanna be able to play pcsx2 fast

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Try @ES the ultimate emulator frontend and all in one media player

Originally Posted by Exodus

Yes, I like anime, Street Fighter, Japanese music and download video game music. Yes, I know... I've changed.

gamersat678's Bug Reporter ||| cottonvibe's pcsx2 guide for noobs ||| GSdx plugin ||| DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer

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Last edited by PCXL-Fan; December 15th, 2008 at 00:52..

[skoreanime]

Mine is the P35 chipset, so overclocking is all good for me. But like Cid said, the P43 is meh, it's the budget version and I wasn't exactly looking at that one when I was browsing

Go with a P45 board.

gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R w/ DualDDR2 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, PCI-E at Memory Express Computers
Asus P5Q w/ DualDDR2 1200, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, PCI-E 2.0 x16 at Memory Express Computers

Memoryexpress is right by CBIT too. It's one street over, onto Century, and a couple blocks down south.

[PCXL-Fan]

Thanks man .... yeah both those boards look good. Though flipping through the manual i noticed the multiplier on the asus p5q board only was only designed for penryns. 12x to 16x or 17x

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Try @ES the ultimate emulator frontend and all in one media player

Originally Posted by Exodus

Yes, I like anime, Street Fighter, Japanese music and download video game music. Yes, I know... I've changed.

gamersat678's Bug Reporter ||| cottonvibe's pcsx2 guide for noobs ||| GSdx plugin ||| DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer

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Last edited by PCXL-Fan; December 15th, 2008 at 07:32..

[Cheesus]

Can't not say this...

If you're getting a new motherboard and (eventually) new CPU... Did you consider waiting till Q1 2009, and investing in an i7 upgrade? Several more motherboards should come out by then... Not to mention prices will likely plummet to get rid of old christmas stock. If nothing else, it'll give you some headroom to upgrade in the future.

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Lenovo x121e: Core i3 2367M; Intel HD3000; 4Gb 1333Mhz; 128Gb OCZ Vertex 4; 11" Matte Display; Windows 8 Pro 64bit

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

If you have to get something now then you have two options, get something cheap just good enough to get the most of your current processor, and save the rest for i7 upgrade (which I don't think will be worth it, but meh) or get whatever Asus or Gigabyte motherboard is right at the top of your budget capabilities.

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Get it right fools! The glass is HALF-EMPTY, not half-full!!!

!!! WARNING: Emulation requires a brain !!! WARNING: Emulation =/= Piracy !!!

[Spyhop]

I'm also looking for pretty much everything PCXL just mentioned but in a mATX format

[Phil]

are you going for the mini p180 spyhop? its actually wider then a p182, so it can accommodate extra large heat sinks

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[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Originally Posted by Spyhop

I'm also looking for pretty much everything PCXL just mentioned but in a mATX format

No clue how affordable they are...but these 2 are your best bet I would say.
ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

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Intel Core2Quad Q9550 (2.83Ghz stock) | ASUS P5Q | 2x2GB Transcend JetRam DDR2-800 | ASUS ENGTX260\HDTP\896M | Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit SP1

The Champ has retired but may his Legacy live on FOREVER !!!!

No$GBA DS FAQ 2.0

Get it right fools! The glass is HALF-EMPTY, not half-full!!!

!!! WARNING: Emulation requires a brain !!! WARNING: Emulation =/= Piracy !!!

[PCXL-Fan]

Originally Posted by Cheesus

Can't not say this...

If you're getting a new motherboard and (eventually) new CPU... Did you consider waiting till Q1 2009, and investing in an i7 upgrade? Several more motherboards should come out by then... Not to mention prices will likely plummet to get rid of old christmas stock. If nothing else, it'll give you some headroom to upgrade in the future.

well the i7 seems a little lack luster. Not much performance improvement in gaming or emulation. The chips are more expensive, the motherboards are as well, and they require new ddr3, plus i hear they are not as good at overclocking because of the integrated memory controller. I'd get better performance and same number of cores if i overclock. And more bang for my buck.

Originally Posted by Cheesus

Can't not say this...

If you're getting a new motherboard and (eventually) new CPU... Did you consider waiting till Q1 2009, and investing in an i7 upgrade? Several more motherboards should come out by then... Not to mention prices will likely plummet to get rid of old christmas stock. If nothing else, it'll give you some headroom to upgrade in the future.

well the i7 seems a little lack luster. Not much performance improvement in gaming or emulation. The chips are more expensive, the motherboards are as well, and they require new ddr3, plus i hear they are not as good at overclocking because of the integrated memory controller. I'd get better performance and same number of cores if i overclock a quad penryn. And more bang for my buck.

__________________

Try @ES the ultimate emulator frontend and all in one media player

Originally Posted by Exodus

Yes, I like anime, Street Fighter, Japanese music and download video game music. Yes, I know... I've changed.

gamersat678's Bug Reporter ||| cottonvibe's pcsx2 guide for noobs ||| GSdx plugin ||| DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer

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Last edited by PCXL-Fan; December 16th, 2008 at 00:45.. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

[tuanming]

Going on a budget can sometime hurts your future hardware investment due to lack features, fuctionality, quality, overclockability, etc. Like the old saying goes, "You get what you paid for".

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[skoreanime]

^


Most people don't even use most of the features that come with premium boards. E.g., Asus's little media remote, what a piece of crap. And don't even get me started on Xfire and SLI...hell, you've had your P5K for awhile and I don't see you using Xfire.

Budget components don't have quality? Even your benevolent budget Asus boards?

And it's been shown time and time again budget boards can overclock nearly as good as premium boards without having to pay through the nose.

Seriously, high end, premium components don't matter to most of us.

@PCXL
Just asking, but why do you need a new motherboard? Your computer didn't seem so bad when I peeked at it when I was over at your place Unless somethings happened recently.

[Gossamer]

Asus and Gigabyte > all

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[tuanming]

Most people don't even use most of the features that come with premium boards. E.g., Asus's little media remote, what a piece of crap. And don't even get me started on Xfire and SLI...hell, you've had your P5K for awhile and I don't see you using Xfire.

Budget components don't have quality? Even your benevolent budget Asus boards?

And it's been shown time and time again budget boards can overclock nearly as good as premium boards without having to pay through the nose.

Seriously, high end, premium components don't matter to most of us.

There are reasons why a budget motherboard is a budget motherboard While it may be true that 'some' budget board can reach impressive fsb OC'ed but the question is can it maintain such overclock in the long run or long term? Is it stable? Etc, etc. You get the drill.

The enthusiast motherboard or high-end boards are priced high for reasons too you know and they not just for show either. Quality designed/built, high quality components used, optimized BIOS for superior system control/tweaking, etc.

Seems like you jumped the gun there, I wasn't referring to any specific board only the price range I'd pay a bit extra the Asus Deluxe version if I were you PCXL-Fan.

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Asus P5K-E Wifi/AP Rev.1.02g
Thermalright Ultra Extreme 120+ FM121 (110 cfm fan)
ATI x1900 GT Rev.2 256mb 513/657

G.Skill 2x1gb Hz--540MHz
CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by tuanming

There are reasons why a budget motherboard is a budget motherboard While it may be true that 'some' budget board can reach impressive fsb OC'ed but the question is can it maintain such overclock in the long run or long term? Is it stable? Etc, etc. You get the drill.

The enthusiast motherboard or high-end boards are priced high for reasons too you know and they not just for show either. Quality designed/built, high quality components used, optimized BIOS for superior system control/tweaking, etc.

Seems like you jumped the gun there, I wasn't referring to any specific board only the price range I'd pay a bit extra the Asus Deluxe version if I were you PCXL-Fan.

This may be a misconception. Generalizing everything that is thrifty as though it is cheaply made is a little out of the question. Just because something doesn't cost as much doesn't mean it isn't quality. My motherboard cost me 85 bucks, all-solid capacitor design, wonderful bios and hasn't given me any smack whatsoever no matter what my overclock is.
(Gigabyte P35-DS3L)

Point being, it's pointless to categorize things that are budget as garbage. The cost doesn't make the part, the company that makes it, user reviews and research lead you to the best part. If you want the best for your money, do the research, look at what other people are buying and you'll figure out as well. My machine costs around $800 to make, but can best any general $1200 PC that was made in 20 minutes just because someone "thinks" that more money=more performance.

A friend of mine, Mike built his PC to be worth around $1500
A $200 Asus Motherboard with 2 9800gt's in SLI and a quad core, no to mention the $130 550watt PSU that runs at 85% efficiency.
My PSU? A 500Watt Goodpower that costs around $35 and I've ran it for two years strait with two Hard Drives, two Disk Drives, four 120mm fans and everything else with no problems.

Our recollection? Oh I don't know, 3Dmark06.
Me - 12500
Him - 11300

:P

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Last edited by Gossamer; December 16th, 2008 at 04:31..

[Princess Garnet]

Spyhop, here's a board that should fit what you're looking for.

Newegg.com - ASUS P5E-VM HDMI LGA 775 Intel G35 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

It's got a G35 chipset, which, if I remember right, is the exact same as the P35, just with integrated graphics (hence the "G"). If you're using an add on video card (which I presume you would be), that shouldn't limit it too much. If I was building a mATX Core 2 build right now, that would be my board.

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[Phil]

Yep. It has the IH9R chipset.
And it looks like Newegg upped the price on it again.....it was 109 a few months ago.

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