Choosing a C2D Mobo

[surfsk8snow.jah]

Hey guys,
This is my first post, but I've been reading quite a bit on here first, "doin my research" per-say, (including the Overclocking Guide thing). I'm not a noob, have built a number of systems, but I don't do this all the time either so I respect the advice/expertise of you guys.
Currently I'm researching to build a brand new system, semi-top-o-the-line (not like the most uberest components out there, just dang good stuff), am looking to overclock and have fun with the setup of it.
I want SLI, I know that, which means I'm going the 680i route. I'm planning on trying out this Ageia PhysX stuff (only $148 BFG card on newegg - does anyone know anything about this?), I'm gonna be setting up a RAID array (deciding between RAID 0 Raptors + RAID 1 storage, or a general RAID 5).
The main boards I've looked at that seem to be good but I can't decide are:

-EVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 ....... $225
-"......................." -T1 ...... $199
-ASUS P5N32-E SLI ............ $199
-Foxconn N6857A-8EKRSZH...$219

Newegg Comparison Chart:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...sc=sli&bop=And

Seems like people on here don't like the p5n32-e very much (was wondering why)... also was wondering what the big diffs b/t th eVGA A1 & T1 are... and about this Foxconn brand which I've never heard of, but people give very good reviews for it, and it's got all kinds of features.

Any suggestions, hints, questions, help?
Thanks much.

[freaksavior]

As far as the EVGA board, it appears there is nothing different about it!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813188013

[bruins004]

I would say go with the T1.
It seems like it is just a different revision than the other one.

The EVGA mobos are too bad and had the least problems out of those you listed.

[WarEagleAU]

Foxconn makes great boards (they are an OEM provider, probably why you never heard of them). Asus makes some good ones, I like the XGS (Xtreme Gamer Series) Motherboards, like the Asus Striker and Asus Commando. Out of those 4, Id say go with the a1 evga or foxconn. Of course, Gigabyte makes a kick axe motherboard for the C2Ds and so does intel.


I think the difference between the A1 and the T1, without looking, is basically what is offered. Ill have to look

Seems to be packaged with a few more components, cables, etc. Thats the big difference.

D007 got the Evga board, and while they are good, they are extremely finicky with memory and a couple other things. I remember reading that there is something (video card, ram or something) that this board dont like. Timings and ocing on it. So be careful and do alot of research.

[tony929292]

asus stalker
aslong as you only have 2 ide devices
i have the p5n32-e sli which is what i am using but also have 5 more board in the basement i think the nf4 p5n32 sli is better

[surfsk8snow.jah]

Thanks for the comparison link, I shoulda looked at that. I edited my original post with a comparison chart for all 4. Looks like the only differences I can see b/t the EVGA A1 & T1 are some included stuff:

T1
Packaged Contents:
122-CK-NF68-T1
Rear I/O Panel Shield
IDE/PATA Cable
FDD Cable
6 x SATA Cable
3 x 4-pin to SATA Power Cable
SLI Bridge
USB Bracket
Brackets

A1
Package Contents:
122-CK-NF68-A1
Driver Disk
User Manual
Floppy Drive Diskette
Rear I/O Panel Shield
IDE/PATA Cable
FDD Cable
6 x SATA Cable
3 x 4-pin to SATA Power Cable
SLI Bridge
USB Bracket
Brackets
Fan

Here's some quotes from reviews on newegg too about the differences:
"It doesn't come with the RAID drivers which is a minor inconvenience, no paper version of the manual (it's on the CD instead) only 2 SATA cables which newegg states it comes with 6. And I believe it only has a 2 year warranty as opposed to the A1 which has a lifetime warrenty."

"Note the A1 version and the BFG version are all the exact same mobo. The only differences are the BFG one comes with a T-Shirt, and the A1 version has a 2yr warranty (and a cooler box heh)."

T1 - "Limited 2 year warranty. You get lifetime with the A1. Those USB and 1394 adaptors don't come with it."

"If you need instructions, either use another computer to view the instructions on the CD or order the A1 version. Doesn't have all the goodies in the box that it says, but it does have the north bridge fan :-)"

T1 - "It doesn't come with the RAID drivers which is a minor inconvenience, no paper version of the manual (it's on the CD instead) only 2 SATA cables which newegg states it comes with 6. And I believe it only has a 2 year warranty as opposed to the A1 which has a lifetime warrenty...RAID drivers: T1=no A1=Yes Paper manual: T1=No A1=Yes SATA Cables: T1=2 A1=6 Warranty: T1=2 years A1=lifetime"

"This is the revision "T1" to the i680 "TR" board just the same as the "A1" to "AR" board"

Pics of Fan:
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggIma...188-013-07.jpg
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggIma...188-013-08.jpg
The fan is apparently for the chipset? somehow attaches/hangs to the heatsinks? That's interesting, altho for $25 I could buy a way friggin better fan. Nifty Adapter w/ hangers onto the heatsinks, not so sure, maybe could fab them, but worth the hassle? prolly not.
oh and does this mean the t1 doesn't come with drivers or a manual? curious.


It's funny too, I've gotten so far one vote for each. And one person said there's lots of probs with the EVGA, and another said very few problems lol.

Originally Posted by WarEagleAU

Asus makes some good ones, I like the XGS (Xtreme Gamer Series) Motherboards, like the Asus Striker and Asus Commando

True dat, but that's another benjamin I'd be throwin at it. I do like ASUS tho, every board I've gotten from them is quality, and they have awesome tech support.

Originally Posted by tony929292

aslong as you only have 2 ide devices.
i have the p5n32-e sli which is what i am using but also have 5 more board in the basement i think the nf4 p5n32 sli is better

I'll be hookin up 2 DVD±RWs to it, so that's good? y does this matter? and why do you like the p5n32-e sli better? I wish the Wi-Fi one they have listed on newegg didn't have the 590 chipset... wth? and are you saying you have 5 more p5n32-e sli's in your basement!? haha.

I forgot to mention too the C2D I'll be using/oc-ing, the E6600. I'd like to get it up to to around 3.4 GHz if possible, seems very doable from what peeps are sayin on newegg.

[WarEagleAU]

Asus Commando

Asus Striker OEM only



BFG Board


Gigabyte had a couple good ones, on was at like 350 USD, but it had the Intel 965 chipset. So does the Asus Commando and Striker. Cant go wrong with any of them really.

[surfsk8snow.jah]

I like the open box striker, the price is right there, but I'm still looking. Commando doesn't support SLI does it? And I think that one guy's right... that BFG board looks exactly like the EVGA A1 & T1.
I found this on futurehardware.in (google search):
"The Commando has a weakness with its' Crossfire design. The 2nd PCI-E slot
will only operate at 4X, so if Crossfire performance is important this board
is not the best choice. Of course if Nvidi SLI is desired this board is out
of the question." ... that is unless you get hacked drivers, which I'm not gonna do.

[malware]

Originally Posted by surfsk8snow.jah

I like the open box striker, the price is right there, but I'm still looking. Commando doesn't support SLI does it? And I think that one guy's right... that BFG board looks exactly like the EVGA A1 & T1.
I found this on futurehardware.in (google search):
"The Commando has a weakness with its' Crossfire design. The 2nd PCI-E slot
will only operate at 4X, so if Crossfire performance is important this board
is not the best choice. Of course if Nvidi SLI is desired this board is out
of the question." ... that is unless you get hacked drivers, which I'm not gonna do.

All Intel P965 chipset based motherboards support ATI CrossFire only, so yes the Commando is not SLI ready motherboard. If you like ASUS, look at the nf680i Striker motherboard. Also many of the manufacturers use the reference NVIDIA board design when offering nforce 680i mobos, that's why ECS, EVGA, BFG, Foxconn. XFX look all the same. All motherboards are built by NVIDIA(the same), but sold under different brands.

[surfsk8snow.jah]

Well I think I'm gonna go with the Foxconn mobo. It has all the features of the EVGA boards, plus a northbridge and southbridge fan, no bad reviews of incompatibilities or anything, and a pretty decent price.
That ASUS Striker Open Box model was tempting, however, I did my research, read dozens and dozens of reviews on newegg and elsewhere, and decided against it. While it may be beastly, have nearly infinite overclocking potential, as well as tons of other features, it has a lot of inconsistency in the reviews. Some peoples' work very well, others have way too many problems. There's inconsistent compatibility with memory, inconsistent tweaking stability and success, etc. It's not worth me risking no RMA and building my system around this thing. A little more consistency and I might have gone for it.

I pretty much decided on my whole system today I checked all the compatibility and everything. In case anyone cares or has comments/ concerns, here it is:
Processor: Intel C2D E6600 2.4 GHz - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115003
Zalman 110mm CPU Fan - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118019
Mobo: Foxconn nF4 680i - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813186113
Memory: Geil 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 800 4-4-4 2.4V - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820144062
GPU: (2x->SLI) EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130082
+ BFG Ageia PhysX card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814143055
HDD: (2x) Western Digital 150GB 10000RPM Raptor (Raid 0) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136011
+(2x) Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 500GB (Raid 1) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148136
Media: (2x) LiteOn DVD+-RW 20X IDE/PATA - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106050
+ Floppy DD
Case: SunBeam Transformer Full ATX (sick case, I really like it) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811166005
PSU: COOLMAX 700W SLI compatible - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817159058


Corsair Memory Fan (will work for almost all memory) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835704001
(2x) HDD cooling fans - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835888105
WiFi Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833315041

Thats about it - This will have 17 fans total, including those on the individual components. haha, fun

[freaksavior]

I've read Ageia PhysX card are useless! MAximum pc says it's a waste of an upgrade!

is that true?

[surfsk8snow.jah]

I'm starting 2 new threads in the hardware section.
1 - my setup : General
2 - Ageia PhysX : Video Cards

see you there

[malware]

Originally Posted by freaksavior

I've read Ageia PhysX card are useless! MAximum pc says it's a waste of an upgrade!

is that true?

If you consider spending ~150$ for two or three games that really support pshysics right, than it's not useless.

surfsk8snow.jah, the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme* cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835109140 costs $61.99. I can't see the point in choosing Zalman, ahead of Thermalright.

*This is currently the best air cooler on the market.

[Ketxxx]

Dunno how much it is over there, but what about the AW9D MAX? Its supposed to be a VERY good board, and even sports universal SLi and Crossfire support with its 975x chipset. Some may moan about its "limited" FSB (expect about 420MHz max) but thats still a pretty insane FSB, and if you get a Core2 with a higher multi, then the FSB "limitation" is no longer a factor.

[infrared]

Good advice ket. The 975x is god-like for memory performance. Just don't get a cpu with a multi below 9x and you'll be happy.

[surfsk8snow.jah]

so wait do all 975x boards support both crossfire and sli?
and the e6600 has high enough multi right?
I also am definitely gonna switch to that crucial ballistix mem from Buy.com, and get 4GB of it... amazing deal, and slightly better memory (just that it's guaranteed to be Micron D9s, and a little faster speed capability)

Abit AW9D-Max = $209US newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813127011
... looks like a pretty good board. ... sheesh so many choices on these boards, they all look so good. Now we're back to the 975x vs 680i debate from previous topic lol.

And I think I'm switching from dual 8800GTS-320mb to single 8800GTX-768MB for exactly the same price, and by recommendations from another post.
And I'm ditching the Ageia PhysX card. It had me mesmerized for a second, and I was all hot on it, but everyone's right, it's not yet the time for that. I can always upgrade in the future if it becomes a real deal. I'll spend the money better on something else atm.

Oo, and why is the Thermalright better than the Zalmann? It doesn't have a fan does it? That Zalmann is 110mm and a HUGE heatsink. Plus its pretty.

[Ketxxx]

Easy, 975x hands down. It may not be able to clock as highly, but its very versatile and reliable, while maintaining a good potential for OC, where the 680i chipset... well its known for toasting DIMM modules and DIMM slots, need I say more? Theoretically all 975x mobos support SLi and Crossfire, however as far as I know the AW9D MAX is the only board to supply a SLi bridge to make use of SLi.

Now the VC thing.. its a 50\50 tossup, but personally I would stick with 2x 88GTS cards, in newer games in higher resolutions especially they will absolutely demolish a single 88GTX, especially if your into OCing the GTS core, most get a easy OC to 600MHz on the GTS core, and those willing to continue exploring usually end up with a GTS core clock of around 650MHz. So effectively thats 2x 650MHz cores vs a single GTX core of about 650MHz (even after its OCd)

[surfsk8snow.jah]

Ok I'm kinda confused. On Newegg reviews say that Abit Aw9d does not support sli, only with hacked beta drivers. Has that been fixed? And a lot of people like the 680i chipset. confusion.

VC: Ok I thought I knew what I was doing in the beginning, but then on another thread (http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=30812) people were saying to go with 8800GTX instead. Now I'm just plain confused. help.

[Ketxxx]

First I heard about that. I read somewhere the board was bundled with the SLi bridge, so Abit must by default bundle a driver for it to work. The only way I can see the mobo not supporting SLi is if nVidia has been rather cuntish and threatened Abit with a legal suit if they dont stop budling a SLi bridge. (The board doesnt have "official" - aka nVidia "approved" support)

VC is simple, stick with your 2x 88GTS

[surfsk8snow.jah]

Here's some stuff I gathered up off google:

http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.p...75_motherboard

and another advertisement page with this footnote:*The AW9D-MAX officially supports Crossfire platforms and un-officially supports SLI with tweaked drivers readily available for download.

Thanks for the input on the VC. That's exactly what I thought, but then started thinkin about upgradeability down the road (I don't build systems for myself except for every 2-4 years... current one I'm writing u on is P4 2Ghz, Radeon 9600... i just build em for other people, like my boss lol)

[Ketxxx]

It all looks good imo

[jtenorj]

you want to be careful with a 8800gtx. that is one huge card, and you might have trouble

fitting it in your case with all those hard drives. Maybe ditch the ageia card and get 2 8800gts

with 640MB gddr3 each. Also, consider the c2d 6420 and oc to 3.2ghz... it may be a better

match for your memory and save money. aditionally, consider nforce 650i sli to save more.

Finally, I've read some negative things about the cpu cooler you're looking at. Check out some

reviews of some of the newest coolers and consider something a little older like the Thermal-

Take Big Typhoon. Hope you find this useful.

[malware]

Originally Posted by surfsk8snow.jah

Oo, and why is the Thermalright better than the Zalmann? It doesn't have a fan does it? That Zalmann is 110mm and a HUGE heatsink. Plus its pretty.

Look at this chart here: http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling...spx?i=2981&p=3
and you'll see that the Zalman cooling is just pretty(it's ugly as hell in fact and makes your system look cheap), not so good.
Yes, the Thermalright comes without a fan, but you can choose one according to your needs: silence, performance, 50:50, LED fan...etc