A sad eVGA X58 story: I need a new X58 board.

[Yukikaze]

First of all, I'd like to thank a specific member of TPU for helping me out with the RMA procedure for the board. He's really been outstanding with all his help, and it is really amazing to know that some people will go to such lengths for a stranger around here. I am not naming him because I do not know whether he wants the "publicity", but he can always chime in and say he's the person I owe a lot to.He also knows how much I appreciated his help.

Anyway, I bought an X58 3SLI (a 132-BL-E758-TR) board from said TPU member. The board worked for about half a year, then one bright morning failed to POST. Thankfully it was still under warranty, and the RMA was accepted. The returned board was delayed by customs, who ripped me a new one yet again, and then when I finally got to installing it I discovered that the replacement board has a faulty memory slot. The #5 slot would not detect any memory in it. I tried all my six sticks through it, and while they all work flawlessly in all other slots, they do not work in #5. To make matters worse, the board requires the first three memory sticks to be in slots #1, #3 and #5, so I can't even run three sticks in it for 6GB in triple channel because it won't POST with three sticks in #2, #4 and #6. I even checked for a CPU seating issue, and even tried to different CPUs, but it was of no use. Slot #5 is dead.

In short, I am extremely (and that's an understatement) pissed at eVGA's quality control and I will never buy another eVGA product ever again. I am also a bit pissed off at myself: I sold my Q9650 setup and bought a 990X CPU in the meanwhile. My 975 was to be moved to another box together with my DFI X58, and I ordered the 990X without waiting for the eVGA board to return from the RMA, so now I am stuck with two (expensive-as-heck) CPUs and only one X58 motherboard.

This brings me to the question of which X58 motherboard I should buy. Money is not an object. I don't care, I want my system up and running as the monster that it is, and I really couldn't care less about the board price.

If you were pissed enough to shell out any amount of money for an X58 board, what would it be?

 

[2DividedbyZero]

R3E Black Edition, you know you want to.

 

[de.das.dude]

you know, most of the products you recieve after RMA "ARE" infact fixed ones that were submitted on a previous RMA!

 

[Jack Doph]

ASUS Rampage III Black Edition

EDIT: and sorry to hear about your woes mate..

 

[micropage7]

you know, most of the products you recieve after RMA "ARE" infact fixed ones that were submitted on a previous RMA!

yeah i hear it too some replacement quality is questioned, some just works fine as long as warranty period (i mean just 1 year)
sorry to hear that

 

[newtekie1]

In short, I am extremely (and that's an understatement) pissed at eVGA's quality control and I will never buy another eVGA product ever again.

I know it doesn't answer your question of what board to get, but I just wanted to say I've had similar experiences with eVGA recently, and it really sucks. I know times are lean, but it seems eVGA's quality and support have completely tanked.

I bought an eVGA board locally, and the mosfets on it overheated and turned the PCB brown. When I tried to RMA the motherboard, eVGA refused the RMA because the place of purchase couldn't be verified. So don't buy anything eVGA locally, because they won't honor the warranty.

I bought a 750i FTW board, and it came to me with no working USB ports. The USB controller was completely fried, even the internal headers didn't work.

I bought a 750i SLI while I waited for the RMA on the 750i FTW, and it came to me with a bad memory slot. When the new 750i FTW came, I RMA'd this board as well.

I had to RMA my 680i board twice, the first time because all the memory slots when bad. Then the board they sent me as a replacement had a bad intrusion sensor, so it threw the "Case has been Opened. Press F1 to continue" during every post, which is extremely annoying.

:shadedshu

you know, most of the products you recieve after RMA are infact "fixed" ones that were submitted on a previous RMA!

I think you put the quotes in the wrong spot. I fix it for you.

I think most people understand that we are not getting new products when you recieve an RMA, but most of us at least expected fixed products, not "fixed" products which means eVGA powered the unit up with a single stick of RAM and did no other tests on it and said "yep it is fixed" and then sent it out the door.

 

[Yukikaze]

you know, most of the products you recieve after RMA "ARE" infact fixed ones that were submitted on a previous RMA!

Yeah, but they should be FIXED for crying out loud. I spent like 100$ on shipping in total and I get a bad board back....that's just crappy customer service and bad quality control. With what newtekie has added, it looks like their quality is simply complete and utter crap.

The R3E Black isn't available anywhere here. The R3E and the R3F are. Here are the options I am eyeing right now, in no particular order (prices converted from local prices to USD, and yes, they are frakkin' high - the reason why I originally bought the eVGA board off TPU):
1) Asus Rampage III Extreme (552$).
2) Asus Rampage III Formula (468$).
3) Asus Sabertooth X58 (289$).
4) Gigabyte X58A-UD5 (374$).
5) Gigabyte G1.Guerilla (494$).
6) Gigabyte G1.Sniper (640$).

The G1.Assasin won't fit in my case.

I am leaning towards the Rampage III Extreme or Rampage III Formula. I love their expansion slot arrangements.

 

[p3gaz_001]

Yeah, but they should be FIXED for crying out loud. I spent like 100$ on shipping in total and I get a bad board back....that's just crappy customer service and bad quality control. With what newtekie has added, it looks like their quality is simply complete and utter crap.

The R3E Black isn't available anywhere here. The R3E and the R3F are. Here are the options I am eyeing right now, in no particular order (prices converted from local prices to USD, and yes, they are frakkin' high - the reason why I originally bought the eVGA board off TPU):
1) Asus Rampage III Extreme (552$).
2) Asus Rampage III Formula (468$).
3) Asus Sabertooth X58 (289$).
4) Gigabyte X58A-UD5 (374$).
5) Gigabyte G1.Guerilla (494$).
6) Gigabyte G1.Sniper (640$).

The G1.Assasin won't fit in my case.

I am leaning towards the Rampage III Extreme or Rampage III Formula. I love their expansion slot arrangements.

grab a rampage III extreme, u wount regreat.

 

[Yukikaze]

Well, by overwhelming vote the Rampage III wins (I assume everyone who told me to buy the Black Edition would support the regular one as well). I ordered a Rampage III Extreme. Should have it over here in the next few days and finally have my rig up and running again.

Now to take it all apart and put my DFI board back again so I won't be stuck on my laptop until the R3E gets here. Christ. I hate eVGA.

 

[2DividedbyZero]

yup R3E whichever one you can get you dirty little fingers on, that 990X is crying out for it

 

[bogmali]

In short, I am extremely (and that's an understatement) pissed at eVGA's quality control and I will never buy another eVGA product ever again.

Welcome to my world.

As far as X58 boards, I've had nothing but success with Gigabytes so between them and Asus. Sorry to hear about your troubles with EVGA, I've been labeled as a "scammer" by EVGA at one point for trying to RMA something that was legitimately under warranty.

 

[p3gaz_001]

Well, by overwhelming vote the Rampage III wins (I assume everyone who told me to buy the Black Edition would support the regular one as well). I ordered a Rampage III Extreme. Should have it over here in the next few days and finally have my rig up and running again.

Now to take it all apart and put my DFI board back again so I won't be stuck on my laptop until the R3E gets here. Christ. I hate eVGA.

is funny to hear , in my places my mates hates asus

 

[de.das.dude]

its such a shame that a company this big doesnt even check if the mobos have passed quality control. no offence, but, this seems somehow related to the manufacturing being slowly shifted to China. thats why i try to avoid stuff made in china.

 

[Deleted member 24505]

Most electronic stuff is made in china now, i dont think chinese stuff is bad on the whole, maybe Evga are going through bad times or summat.

 

[de.das.dude]

Most electronic stuff is made in china now, i dont think chinese stuff is bad on the whole, maybe Evga are going through bad times or summat.

being neighbors with china. we have a thing called "chinese? wont last"
my nokia 3110c was made in china, it died after a year(exactly a year!), my friend who bought the same thing but was made somewhere else, is still alive. he did pay a little more though.

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Hmm surprised to hear this about EVGA. Have you considered posting this on their forums? You have a legit rant there that is super bad PR for them and that a mod there just may pass on to someone who can do something.

My god man, those mobo prices! And I imagine Customs is a ripe bitch in Isreal. They don't screw around there cause they really can't.

Good luck, hope you get this sorted soon to your liking.

As for stuff from China electronics may be a bit different than other products, generally, but it's still always price over quality and it's not just cheaper labor. That's the point. Why do you think Gigabyte or whomever it is advertises Japanese-made caps on their board boxes?

 

[Taskforce]

Black in stores now: ASUS Rampage III Black Edition LGA 1366 Intel X58 ...

$589+$10=ouch!

 

[2DividedbyZero]

its that price where if your gonna buy it, its with your eyes closed when you hit the button.

but oh what a board to see x58 out

 

[freaksavior]

You get what you pay for. Cdawall had iirc 6 or 7 750is that he rma'd. I've gone through two of my x58's and want to get rid of it.

Sorry to hear about your experience.

 

[Bjorn_Of_Iceland]

Wow.. ok.. no more EVGA for me too then .

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Most electronic stuff is made in china now, i dont think chinese stuff is bad on the whole, maybe Evga are going through bad times or summat.

yeah evga is doing terrible right now. they have lost close to every Motherboard specialist

 

[Jack Doph]

yeah evga is doing terrible right now. they have lost close to every Motherboard specialist

Are they still reliable in the GPU segment though?

 

[MxPhenom 216]

Are they still reliable in the GPU segment though?

I have no idea. I just dont bother with their stuff now. Even GPU's because i really like being able to sell my stuff. I currently have a classified that is giving me issues and im going to RMA it once my GPU comes back from Asus

 

[Jack Doph]

Cheers mate. I'll keep that in mind for my next build

 

[Wrigleyvillain]

Um this is unfortunate and troubling for sure but it is still, at this point anyway, the experience of only two users. I'm not quite ready to write off the whole brand. That said, more investigating is required before I make another purchase from them, starting on their forums (a place I should spend a little more time anyway).