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Which 680i?


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#1
renaldoaoa

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I've heard so many conflicting reports between the EVGA nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard and the Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard, I have no clue on which to go with. Most reviews put them in the same court.

The striker works well with overclocking (on duo but not sure about quad) and it supposedly excells with dual vid card, although I'm not planning on two unless I have to later down the road, but still nice to know if I do it would perform better.

New system will be running with Q6600, GeForce 8800 GT, 2 Gb ram for starters.

Any ideas? Thanks for the help!!
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#2
jtscustomcomputers

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Hello renaldoaoa,

I read your previous post and see your are looking at a new build. I would start with this read on motherboards. You can get more bang for your dollar. Here is some more comparisons.
This is a good option still supports ddr2 and supports pci express 2.0. I think I would really be thinking hard for support for PCI Express 2.0 especially if you want upgradeability in future. Here is a new review of the GA-X38-DQ6.

Edited by jtscustomcomputers, 31 October 2007 - 02:30 AM.

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#3
Titan8990

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If you are looking to spend Asus Striker Extreme prices on a board then you should go with the X38 chipset like JTS suggested. Both the Striker Extreme and the EVGA 680i boards are good. Keep in mind with the Striker Extreme you are also paying a premium for the onboard WiFi. I personally try to stay away from anything with a SLI sticker on it because it is usually reflected in the price. You can get a nice board for overclocking with a P35 chipset for around $180: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813130096. The Asus P5K deluxe boards overclocked the best out of the P35 chipsets but the difference is so minimal is doesn't really matter.
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#4
jtscustomcomputers

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renaldoaoa,

The ASUS next generation board will be Maximus Formula $270 range, based on Intel X38/ICH9R chipset. This would be my board of choice compared to the Striker Extreme if I was looking in that price range. The X38 would be way to go if I had to build myself a system. You could put together a nice system from the budget you posted in your other topic.

Edited by jtscustomcomputers, 31 October 2007 - 02:49 AM.

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#5
renaldoaoa

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Thank you for the replys jtscustomcomputers and Titan8990.

I'm looking through the links that you guys were nice enough to post, but I figured I might as well list the options that I have through the Cyber Power website.

Quad-Core FSB1333) EVGA nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI G31M-F Intel G31 Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI P6N SLI-FI nForce 650i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI P6N Diamond nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI P35 Neo-F P35 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1333
Quad-Core FSB1333) Asus P5N-E nForce 650i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) Asus P5N32-E nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard
Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI P35 Neo-F P35 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1333 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio((Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI P35 Neo-F P35 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1333 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio)

CrossFire Ready
Quad-Core FSB1333) MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 CrossFire Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,&7.1Audio
Quad-Core FSB1333) Asus P5K Intel P35 CrossFire Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio
Quad-Core FSB1333) Asus P5W-DH I975X CrossFire Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1333 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394,&7.1Audio

I'm seeing p35's and p5's in here.

I have knowledge of computers and different components, but I absolutely positively have no idea when it comes to motherboards. All I know is I would like to get the best that I can get with the options available to me and hopefully have a board that I can upgrade so I don't have to go through this again (well, later than sooner). Unfortunately that's why I'm pretty much saying "what should I buy" board wise.

What recommendation would ya have with these options available to me?

My heart is pretty well set on the q6600, but I also have the option e6750 and the e6850.

Thanks for all your help and I'll start reading after posting.

Edited by renaldoaoa, 31 October 2007 - 09:52 AM.

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#6
james_8970

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I highly suggest waiting to see what the 780i's have to offer in 2 weeks.

Please note that the 680i/780i chipsets are only SLI compatible.
P35/X38/X48 are crossfire compatible.
Neither works vice versa.

The main thing you need to look out for, if you plan on purchasing the 680i's, is to buy a A1 revision. If you have a quad and any of the other revisions your looking for some stability issues and faulty transistors that prevent overclocking on this chip.

James
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#7
jtscustomcomputers

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New Update to all tracking this post. New Look Part 1 at X38 boards.
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#8
renaldoaoa

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Many many thanks for the replys!!! Thanks for learning me. :)

Here's what I've come up with so far on this system. I've made some changes and hopefully I'm heading in the right direction or at least there. 8)

CoolerMaster Stacker 830
NZXT PP500 500Watts Power Supply (other options are Ultra V-Series and Xion ATX.
E6850 CPU
Vigor Gaming Monsoon II Lite CLT-M2LI LGA775 cpu cooling
2 case fans
MSI P35 Neo-F P35 (options, EVGA nForce 680i, Asus P5N-E nForce 650i, Asus P5N32-E nForce 680i, Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680i)
Corsair 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
400GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB
18X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
16X DVD ROM
Creative Labs X-FI XtremeGamer 24-BIT PCI Sound Card

Grand total is roughly $1423.00

How's she look'n?

If I wanted later down the road I could upgrade the PSU and add another GT, but for what I'm doing now I don't need 2.
I dropped the chip down because here again, I don't plan on OCing until later when I need to, or I'll just upgrade to a quad.

Gonna throw another question into the mix which I'm sure everyone has their own opinion. At the moment I'd rather go with XP instead of Vista, but I know later I'm gonna add Vista. It's eaiser to update than to add a whole OS, but I'm conflicted.

Bday is in 16 days.

I honestly appreciate the help!!!

Edited by renaldoaoa, 01 November 2007 - 11:04 AM.

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#9
james_8970

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If you plan on updating to vista down the road, I suggest you just stay with vista to avoid the headaches of backup all your information before reformatting.

All three brands of PSU's you mentioned are very low quality PSU's, I highly suggest purchasing a higher quality PSU, if you don't you risk one going to killing your entire computer. It's really not worth getting a poorly made PSU.
James
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#10
jtscustomcomputers

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Hello renaldoaoa,

CoolerMaster Stacker 830
NZXT PP500 500Watts Power Supply (other options are Ultra V-Series and Xion ATX.
E6850 CPU
Vigor Gaming Monsoon II Lite CLT-M2LI LGA775 cpu cooling
2 case fans
MSI P35 Neo-F P35 (options, EVGA nForce 680i, Asus P5N-E nForce 650i, Asus P5N32-E nForce 680i, Asus Striker Extreme nForce 680i)
Corsair 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
400GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB
18X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
16X DVD ROM
Creative Labs X-FI XtremeGamer 24-BIT PCI Sound Card

Grand total is roughly $1423.00

How's she look'n?


It looks like its coming along nicely. Comparing this to your current setup you will be very happy with the performance gains. I agree the power supplies are not the best of choices. You could always upgrade that later. As far as xp or vista you would have to consider if you want to play the latest dx10 games. I myself am a big fan of xp and havent made the to plunge to vista yet. I am one of the many who are very unhappy with what I consider a poor release of vista. I think Microsoft was more concerned with making money then releasing a solid os with good driver support. It is very hard though to release a new os with major improvements and keeping people happy at the same time who use software and hardware designed for previous OS. I was really hoping that we could go straight into the full 64 bit world but that dream seems to be a few more years away. Have you had a chance now that you have narrowed down system components to compare other computer builders? I suspect prices wont change much, but you may have some different hardware choices. Either way you will be happy with your new system.

Edited by jtscustomcomputers, 01 November 2007 - 12:42 PM.

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#11
james_8970

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-I have to agree, a OS that only supports 64bit is long overdue, not sure what microsoft was thinking in that regard, next OS is supposidly only 64bit, but I don't want to wait that long to adapt to the 64bit word.
-SP1 is coming out, unless you already have a genuine version of XP it's not really worth it, if you want to save a few bucks right now then it might be, otherwise I think it's just a waste of money to buy XP then buy Vista 6 months down the road.
-I'm strongly against powering your rig with those PSU's, it's not worth the risk of frying nearly 1500$ in equipement.
-I'll say it again, if I were you I'd seriously consider waiting till mid November, ATI is releasing there new mid range cards and Nvidia is coming out with the 780i which will affect current market prices, or might be a more attractive buy then what you are already considering.
James
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#12
jtscustomcomputers

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Hello renaldoaoa,

I agree with James on waiting a few weeks for the hardware to arrive. Some of these new boards are just beginning to hit the market and more on the way. I was leaning towards another builder because I believe you can get same quality setup with more hardware choices at same price range from various vendors, ie. next generation board, high quality power supply.
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#13
renaldoaoa

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Sorry, been having isp problems. I know I keep saying it, but really thanks for the help!!

I'll go ahead and wait before making a decision until closer to Christmas, that way I'll be able to see these new boards.

Since I'm going to play the wait game, is there another vendor that yall could suggest I should check out?

So I'm keeping my the setup I described, but holding off for the possibility of a better board and most defiantly a better psu.

The only idea I have with things setup now is just downgrade the psu to the one that comes with the case (-$30 or -$40), and buy a better one from newegg ($70/$80). If I went this route, I'm sure it would void the warranty tho.
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#14
Titan8990

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I recommend spending a little time reading up on system building while you wait. Building your own I always believe to be the best way. It is also a very satisfying experience. This way it is all between you and the manufacturer and you don't have that third party to deal with.

The only idea I have with things setup now is just downgrade the psu to the one that comes with the case (-$30 or -$40), and buy a better one from newegg ($70/$80). If I went this route, I'm sure it would void the warranty tho.


I'm not totally sure on how it works with these computer companies. I don't know if they give you the manufactur's warrenty on each part or just have their own warrenty for the entire system. Also the PSU cost will more than likely closer to the $100 range.
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#15
renaldoaoa

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Thanks for the reply Titan8990!!

Looking over the guide now, but I read one earlier this year. If I build it myself I would have to pay for , but If buy from a reputable dealer/merchant then I would get it as a gift. :)

I've never built one by myself, but I've assisted a few times over the years. I'd enjoy doing it and It would be cheaper, but ya can't beat getting it for free.

Quick question on the PSU. If I upgrade (through cyberpower), my choices are....

Enermax EG565P 535 Watts Power Supply - SLI Ready

CoolerMaster Unit 600 Watts eXtreme Power - SLI Supports (I hear it's quite noisy)
Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE(W) SFMA 24P (ALL IN ONE) - SLI Ready (I hear it doesn't last as long)
Thermaltake ToughPower 600 Watt Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready
Xion SuperNova

If none of these are advisable, then I'll just downgrade and buy one myself.
What and where would you all suggest?



Thanks!!

Edited by renaldoaoa, 09 November 2007 - 09:38 AM.

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