mobo recomendation??

[Keizer]

I recently built my brother a new system using this board here.
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

The build was straight forward, and is a solid running machine.

I am now looking to build a gaming rig, and wondering what you guys would suggest for a mobo. I am looking to run an Intel dual core processor, and at least four gigs of RAM. (Vista 64) I already own an EVGA GTX 260 graphics card that I will be installing, as well as an X-fi sound card.

I would appreciate the help!! I'm actually leaning towards the same board that I used in my brothers system. Is there any advantage using a board that will accommodate DDR 3 RAM??

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: mobo recomendation??

I recently built my brother a new system using this board here.
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

The build was straight forward, and is a solid running machine.

I am now looking to build a gaming rig, and wondering what you guys would suggest for a mobo. I am looking to run an Intel dual core processor, and at least four gigs of RAM. (Vista 64) I already own an EVGA GTX 260 graphics card that I will be installing, as well as an X-fi sound card.

I would appreciate the help!! I'm actually leaning towards the same board that I used in my brothers system. Is there any advantage using a board that will accommodate DDR 3 RAM??

Using the same board as the one you used in in your brothers system sounds like a fantastic idea.

Worrying about DDR3, and all, is hard to compare to the advantages of using the same board that's in your brothers machine.

Right now the best performance in Games hinders most on the video card. I wish that upgrading to the most expensive system right now would give me a significant boost. But it won't. For almost any other application, it would. But for playing games, don't let DDR3, and all, fog over all the advantages of having the same board as your brothers. The advantages are countless.

And DirectX11 is just around the corner. You might really be kicking yourself if something about it arises quickly and its technology is well worth the expense.

I'll go ahead and mention the one advantage that I think is at the top, or at least second, of a "having the same mobo" list: (No offense intended if your well experienced at it all Keizer; but for anyone that happens to read this and doesn't know.)

1. Diagnosing. (It covers a lot.)
---Both machine's Boot Drives boot from either machine.
---Answering questions or the ability to ask questions like: "Are you getting the most out of existing Video Card or one you might buy just down the road?" Well just pop the video card and your Hard Drive in his machine and compare. Then try it with his Hard Drive if necessary.
---Disaster recovery made super easy and quick.
---The placemant of everything being identical makes for swapping parts with your eyes closed. It's just so fast.
---See how a newer BIOS works before committing both machines to it. (Heck a blind BIOS recovery would be so simplified!)
---Drivers, drivers, Drivers.... What a breeze they are, with the same MOBO!!!
---etc. etc. Its just endless.

GL

[Keizer]

Re: mobo recomendation??

Thanks for the reply!!

The only complaint that I really had with the board I used in my bros build, was the lack of system fan connections. And one of the few available ran at a lower voltage.

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: mobo recomendation??

Thanks for the reply!!

The only complaint that I really had with the board I used in my bros build, was the lack of system fan connections. And one of the few available ran at a lower voltage.

np

Hmmm...

A good PSU should allow you to over come any problems like that.

Can you believe the size of my PSU? (Its only 620 watts.)

In relation to my video card (which is like a pair of 260s), and my CPU speed (3.95GHz all day for over 12 hours and off at night?) its simply unbelievable.

And I didn't mention in my sig that I have five Hard Drives. This PSU can even handle a Dual TV card too. Plays Crysis and record two TV shows simultaneously and flawlessly.

I swapped out my TV card last week and put it into my refurbished HTPC, so I can run a fan or two or three. (I don't need them because temps are super low.)

Maybe the best solution for you is one of those 5.25' bay fan control units that controls all case fans individually with volume controls. That would be too cool. And they've been around long enough that they're dirt cheap now. Regardless of the number of features. (Rummy!)

[profJim]

Re: mobo recomendation??

EP45-UD3R vs EP45-UD3P

Both are excellent boards.

The R version is about $15 less expensive.

The P version has additional features that might make it a better buy
because you won't have buy add-in cards to add some features.

The P version supports crossfire video setups.

Either way, you can't go wrong.

Check out the EP-45-UD3x features and differences here.

[Keizer]

Re: mobo recomendation??

np

Hmmm...

A good PSU should allow you to over come any problems like that.


Maybe the best solution for you is one of those 5.25' bay fan control units that controls all case fans individually with volume controls.

That's actually a good idea!! I use one of those on my wifes PC. It works great!!

Ok, so I am going to go with the
*GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R mobo.


Moving on, what would you guys suggest for RAM. I used this in my bros build.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

Would I be better off using DDR2 1066 PC2 8500 since the mobo can handle that? By the way, is it true that allot of this DDR 1066 RAM is really DDR 800 RAM over clocked? Since you have to manually set the voltage above 1.8V?

How stable will this mobo be with the DDR2 1066 PC2 8500? I know allot of people complain about system stability with DDR2 1066 and MSI mobo's. So I was wondering how the GIGABYTE boards are.

[kick]

Re: mobo recomendation??

800 or 1066 mem may /may not be the same chips ,theres some kind of "bin sorting".
So you may get 800mhz cips that are at the top end and will do 1066 or 1066 chips that are the low end and will only run a little over 1066.
Its not so much the manufacturers overclocking them.( I think)

ddr2 mem speed doesnt make much diff in games it seems,see nickel20s posts.ddr3 is making some difference now it seems on crysis etc.
Mainly tho its gx n cpu speed on ddr2 systems(most of the good gx cards have ddr3 mem in them anyway.

[Bee_Dee_3_Dee]

Re: mobo recomendation??

That's actually a good idea!! I use one of those on my wifes PC. It works great!!

Ok, so I am going to go with the
*GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R mobo.


Moving on, what would you guys suggest for RAM. I used this in my bros build.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Desktop Memory

Would I be better off using DDR2 1066 PC2 8500 since the mobo can handle that? By the way, is it true that allot of this DDR 1066 RAM is really DDR 800 RAM over clocked? Since you have to manually set the voltage above 1.8V?

How stable will this mobo be with the DDR2 1066 PC2 8500? I know allot of people complain about system stability with DDR2 1066 and MSI mobo's. So I was wondering how the GIGABYTE boards are.

Buy the RAM ProJim has unless he says to get other.

1066 is worth setting its Voltage between +1 and +3. And it's easier than setting Boot order.

I've only had 1066 on my Gigabyte. I bought it in Feb. '08.

GL

[Keizer]

Re: mobo recomendation??

Buy the RAM ProJim has unless he says to get other.

Wow, I'm like neighbors with ProJim. I'm real close to Olympia Wa.