Preparing to upgrade Motherboard, need advice

[DEATH eVADER]

Price is not an issue when purchasing the motherboard, though I was hoping to find a motherboard that would compliment my GeForce9800GTX/GTX+, which is PCI Express 2.0 compliant, though I have been using it in conjunction with a Gigabyte Technology 965P-DQ6, which is a PCIe 1.0 board.

I also have 2x CM2X1024-6400C4 in dual channel, and a Q6600 @ stock setting (though I may risk overclocking). I have my eyes on this fella Here

I noticed that it only takes DDR2 Ram, though I may think that future proofing may be required by having a Mobo that takes DDR3 as well as DDR2 (obviously not at the same time )

If you have any alternative products (that can be purchased directly from the UK), please let me know.

Plus I want to know what the best heatsink and fan combo is available as I want to experiment with overclocking (I'll be buying a better CPU 2-3 months down the line anyway)?

I also have a Antec P180 EU PC case to give you an idea on airflow.

 

[MRG]

I envy you & your ability to state that price was not an issue. I have linked to a couple of examples below. Foxconn also provides great products. Do you plan to use watercooling or only air cooling? I do advise you to buy the very best motherboard that you can afford. Don't "settle" for anything unless you plan to only use the motherboard for a year before you upgrade one again.

1) ASUS RAMPAGE X48 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

2) EVGA nForce 790i SLI Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188028

Foxconn motherboard info
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3366

ASUS motherboard info
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3309

ASUS Gaming Motherboards info
http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=117

EVGA motherboard info
http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=5

XFX motherboard info
http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/products/motherboards/7series/790.aspx

Motherboard reviews
http://www.motherboards.org/
http://www.mbreview.com/

 

[Barney Fife]

Damn the Rampage is such a beautiful MILF.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

1) ASUS RAMPAGE X48 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

What the f*ck is that? Its got more heatsinks then my entire PC does at the moment.

Am I seeing things? Does it really come with a PCIe 1X Audio card? not to mention a fan

MILF.

Mobo I'd Like to Feel?

 

[Tyguy]

it's a great motherboard...you should probably go ahead and get that one.

you know you want it

 

[Barney Fife]

What the f*ck is that? Its got more heatsinks then my entire PC does at the moment.

Am I seeing things? Does it really come with a PCIe 1X Audio card? not to mention a fan

Yeah it does come with all of the above. I got CROSSHAIR and I love it. The PCIe Sound card is actually true and rather decent. You don't actually need to buy a sound card on this mobo. The fan and the massive heat-sink are unreal even in close-up.

MILF

Mobo I Like To fondle

 

[MRG]

MILF

Mobo i'd Love to Freak

-MRG

 

[Kyorisu]

Just wait for the ricer X58 boards.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Rather amusing actually, just went to Overclock my processor, and just found out that its 266 x 8, instead of using 266 x 9, which means it was running 270MHz under stock settings.

How that managed to happen I will never know, though I will be doing proper overclocking tommorrow

I've heard that its possible to boost a Q6600 upto 3000Mhz without much side effects. Anybody can comment on this?

 

[Uriel]

Can someone explain to me what makes a motherboard better than others?

Here's what I've known about them.

- Supported processors
- Front side bus speed
- Number of PCI/PCI-E slots
- Port variety and quantity (firewire, e-sata, usb, etc)
- SLi/Crossfire support
- Onboard Audio
- Onboard Video
- Maximum amount of RAM

I guess what I'm lacking knowledge in is chipsets. I see a lot of boards with nforce chipsets, does that effect your video card in any way if you have a Nvidia video card?

I'm planning on building a PC with a Q6600 and a 4870, anything I should look for in particular? (I don't plan on using Crossfire)

 

[Kyorisu]

nforce is bad avoid it unless you must absolutely have SLI RIGHT NOW. Otherwise get an intel chipset from any of the big names. Core i7 is just around the corner and the high end boards will support however many x16 slots you need for SLI or Crossfire.

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

Indeed that rampage board is absolutely awesome. I really can't see myself building on anything but Asus from now on. They are absolutely quality 90% of the time.

I also exclusively use PC Power and Cooling for power supplies and eVGA for video cards now. My latest build has been a godsent with basically no problems due to going with these companies.

PC P&C is absolutely incredible. They stress test each PSU individually and only ship ones that can withstand what is far passed the actual draw capacity. I'm never going with another brand.

eVGA has an amazing warranty, decent stock cooling, sturdily built cards and competitive pricing.

Asus is just Asus, they are great for enthusiasts, gamers, tweak/OC'rs and casual builders such as myself. I love Asus boards.

 

[Kyorisu]

Or you could just buy a 500watt Delta or similar PSU. I mean get the ricer stuff by all means but OEM PSUs are hard as nails. Video card manufacturers are a laugh as most just take the stock nvidia design and add a fan or 3 phase power. Generics work a treat imo. As for Asus see my post in the Gigabyte board thread.

 

[Barney Fife]

Can someone explain to me what makes a motherboard better than others?

Here's what I've known about them.

- Supported processors
- Front side bus speed
- Number of PCI/PCI-E slots
- Port variety and quantity (firewire, e-sata, usb, etc)
- SLi/Crossfire support
- Onboard Audio
- Onboard Video
- Maximum amount of RAM

I guess what I'm lacking knowledge in is chipsets. I see a lot of boards with nforce chipsets, does that effect your video card in any way if you have a Nvidia video card?

I'm planning on building a PC with a Q6600 and a 4870, anything I should look for in particular? (I don't plan on using Crossfire)

What makes a MB stand out from the rest is? All of the above and some of the below:

-Endurance.
-Stability.
-Layout.
-Power management.
-BIOS.
-Accessibility.
-Chipset.
-Rigidness.
-Lifespan.
-Other Personal Touches Enthusiasts Prefer.

-Endurance: You will need a MB which can withstand spikes, surges and PSU failures.

-Stability: For OC freaks who like every component to touch the ceiling. A MB that wont crash because it felt like it, a weak MB that any irregular beat makes it tumble.

-Layout: Well its a layout: Some MB will have you crisscross wires across the board, and some have every port where you want it. Some MB hide PCI slots under PCIe slots and SATA connections (For some reason) up on top (You got the idea). So, yeah layout is important.

-Power Management: A decent MB will not let user over charge components, Asus MBs are known not to post if user power settings are unacceptable. Also OCing; unacceptable frequencies will also have decent MB not to post. Also some MB are known to supply power more sufficiently than others (Longer lifespan).

-BIOS: A decent MB doesn't mean a decent BIOS. A decent BIOS will have "Safe Option" for backup, BIOS layout also is important, a supporting BIOS is great, BIOS which supports anything is precious, user friendly and popular BIOS is also time-saving and easier to troubleshoot at your preferred forums. Some BIOS also went out of their way to include MemTest in the system.

-Accessibility: You don't want a MB which hides CMOS jumper under the video card. Accessibility is a must. Areas user usually fingers around must be easily accessed.

-Chipsets: Some like Nvidia, some Intel, they both produce the best chipsets. Latest chipset is a must; you don't want an outdated, inferior, or unknown chipset on MB. chipset must always be top of the line and latest.

-Rigidness: Believe or not, some MB are know to crack, burn, or electrocute themselves. You will need a MB rigid enough to physically withstand the elements.
I once spilled a Coke by accident on a Lanparty Ultra NF3 250GB MB while it was on. It sparked, then collapsed. I wiped it a little then went to sleep, thinking that I just killed the MB. Came back the next day expecting the worst, and to my amazement, it fired up and still working. DFI are known to make Rigid boards (Well, the last time I checked).

-Lifespan: Means just that. Usually at the comments area of the any retail, you will read about people who are complaining about DOA MBs, or places like Anandtech forums will also give you hints about DOA MBs. You will need a MB which will last.

-Other Personal Touches Enthusiasts Prefer: Looks, Graphic, Bios Flash-screen, board color, any statement like Asus's (Republic Of Gamers) written, DFI's Lime and Orange colors, or eVGA's all black; stuff like that also come to play a little.

Good Luck.

 

[huntingbear]

Do A Barell Roll!!

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Is the X48 the latest intel chipset?

I have spotted This Cheeky Monkey which looks nice, same manuifacturer as my other board, but looks equipped.

What do I have to expect from a audio card that comes in the box?

 

[Barney Fife]

Is the X48 the latest intel chipset?

I have spotted This Cheeky Monkey which looks nice, same manuifacturer as my other board, but looks equipped.

What do I have to expect from a audio card that comes in the box?

Yeah, X48 is the latest Intel. I dunno which one (790i and X48) is better, the jury is still out on that. but these two are the latest for Intel and Nvidia.

The sound card that comes with the higher-end Asus boards are pretty decent. The sound card which came with my crosshair now works as backup and team-speak transmitter. I love it.