Making the switch

prime95 · Dec 6, 2006

Hello!
I'm considering upgrading to a Conroe based system e6400/e6600 over from my A64x2/am2 and going from ATI to NVIDIA. I am wondering what motherboards are out there for Conroes that support SLI, and what a good mid to high end videocard would be.

My current system is an AM2 A64 x2 4200+ oc'd to 2.6ghz, 2gb of ram and an x800gto flashed to 16p (I come to this site but its just now that I've decided to register

).

Polaris573 · Dec 6, 2006

Check out the Abit AW9D.

Here is W1zzards review.

Sasqui · Dec 6, 2006

I *think* the only options at the moment for Core2 and SLI are the Nforce4 and NForce 570 (SLI Editions). There are non SLI boards that have hacks to work in SLI.

NVidia intentionally does not support SLI with anything but an NVidia "SLI" chipset. That's why I hate them.

And you'll find the overclocking potential of the NForce4 to be limited - I sit next to a freind at work who has an ASUS Nforce4 and X6800 processor - he hasn't gotten it higher than 3.2Ghz.

Can't speak much for the 570 chipset.

Sasqui · Dec 6, 2006

Polaris573 said:
Check out the Abit AW9D.

That supports Crossfire, not SLI (unless you have hacked drivers - correct?)

Polaris573 · Dec 6, 2006

You're right it only supports crossfire. I thought the 975x supported SLI as well, my mistake.

prime95 · Dec 6, 2006

Then possibly waiting for r600 and going crossfire might be a better idea? BTW, that ABIT is one sick looking board!

Sasqui · Dec 6, 2006

prime95 said:
Then possibly waiting for r600 and going crossfire might be a better idea? BTW, that ABIT is one sick looking board!

Personally, I would, or go with a 975/965 board. The R600 chip isn't proven, and who knows what gains are to be had. If you go intel, better w/ 975 because the second slot on 965 board are only 4x and it does make a difference. But you know "opinions are like assholes" - everyone has one and they usually stink, LOL.

I love Abit and would have gotten that board, but the dealbreaker was the single normal PCI slot that would be useless if running a second PCIx16 video card. Other than that and the typical Abit layout problems, they make the finest overclocking boards/BIOSes going (first hand opinion

)

prime95 · Dec 6, 2006

Interesting... Well my A64x2 isn't that bad.... only thing thats lacking in my system is its videocard. Im using an ECS KA3 MVP so I could potentially go cossfire at some time. I think it might be better cost wise to hold off on upgrading... I just checked out prices for a good nf590 board and that abit + an e6600, and 500 ish dollars is just a little hard on the bank.

Sasqui · Dec 6, 2006

prime95 said:
Interesting... Well my A64x2 isn't that bad.... only thing thats lacking in my system is its videocard. Im using an ECS KA3 MVP so I could potentially go cossfire at some time. I think it might be better cost wise to hold off on upgrading... I just checked out prices for a good nf590 board and that abit + an e6600, and 500 ish dollars is just a little hard on the bank.

If I could do it again, I'd probably go for the E6400 (8x multiplier). I ended up with the E6600, but ironically am using the 8x multi instead of 9x. The smaller cache isn't supposed to make a heck of a difference. The 6600 is happy up to 3.6 Ghz.

One thing I was pondering - if any of the 975 boards are Quad Core ready... I got the Gigabyte DQ6, 965 board, supports Quad Core and Crossfire. So far, I'm quite happy with it.

prime95 · Dec 6, 2006

I'm dissappointed in the overclocking capabilities of my x2, 2.6ghz is nice... but I'd really have liked to gone farther. Don't know if its a cpu, mobo, or ram limitation though, very hard to tell. Maybe sometime this summer I'll see whats up and do a full build.

Athlon2K15 · Dec 6, 2006

prime95 said:
I'm dissappointed in the overclocking capabilities of my x2, 2.6ghz is nice... but I'd really have liked to gone farther. Don't know if its a cpu, mobo, or ram limitation though, very hard to tell. Maybe sometime this summer I'll see whats up and do a full build.

most likely a ram limit,im running my x2 at 2.76ghz from the stock 2 all at default voltages,i know i couold go higher if i had the option of increasing voltage

prime95 · Dec 6, 2006

dunno, cause 2.6 is like a wall. I've been thinking its my motherboard, I cant get past 1.35 volts for my cpu, the ram timings are an easy 5-5-5-12 @ 760 ish mhz 1T.

lemonadesoda · Dec 6, 2006

I cannot recommend a "lagacy free" mainboard. For the same price as competing products, a legacy free board cuts out:

1./ Floppy drive
2./ Parallel port
3./ COM port
4./ Sometimes the keyboard and mouse ports

The "legacy free" concept means using USB for every peripheral.

I don't think anyone who visits this forum would like to lose their floppy (ie boot disks and BIOS mod).

Any "power" user or hack needs a COM port for all sorts of possible gadgets. Some people still use Parallel printer port. Why have to buy a USB to Parallel converter, when a mainboard with parallel would be sufficient.

(I use a COM port for: mobile phone programmer, phone PBX link, EPROM programmer. I don't use a parallel port. All printers are networked)

Deleted member 24505 · Dec 6, 2006

i reckon in the next year or two,boards will become legacy free.

Easy Rhino · Dec 6, 2006

prime95 said:
Hello!
I'm considering upgrading to a Conroe based system e6400/e6600 over from my A64x2/am2 and going from ATI to NVIDIA. I am wondering what motherboards are out there for Conroes that support SLI, and what a good mid to high end videocard would be.

My current system is an AM2 A64 x2 4200+ oc'd to 2.6ghz, 2gb of ram and an x800gto flashed to 16p (I come to this site but its just now that I've decided to register ).

newegg is your friend. lots of good reviews on these new boards. be prepared tho to spend well over 1000 dollars just for a good motherboard/e6400/memory and graphics!

lemonadesoda · Dec 6, 2006

tigger69 said:
i reckon in the next year or two,boards will become legacy free.

Maybe so, but in the next year or so, all existing CPUs and GPUs will be out of date and no longer manufactured. Does that mean we shouldn't buy one today?

Tatty_Two · Dec 7, 2006

prime95 said:
I'm dissappointed in the overclocking capabilities of my x2, 2.6ghz is nice... but I'd really have liked to gone farther. Don't know if its a cpu, mobo, or ram limitation though, very hard to tell. Maybe sometime this summer I'll see whats up and do a full build.

I had a 4200 x2 albeit socket 939 and got 2.85 gig out of her, what voltage you putting thru the CPU?

Processor	Athlon 64 x2 AM2 4200+ @ 2.6ghz
Motherboard	ECS KA3 MVP
Cooling	Stock
Memory	2x 1GB Patriot 4-4-4-10 776mhz
Video Card(s)	X1950XT 256MB Sapphire
Storage	250gb SATA 3gbs
Display(s)	AG Neovo 19in Widescreen
Case	Gigabyte Poseidon
Audio Device(s)	Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum
Power Supply	Sparkle 550w
Software	XP Professional SP2

Processor	LGA 775 Intel Q9550 2.8 Ghz
Motherboard	MSI P7N Diamond - 780i Chipset
Cooling	Arctic Freezer
Memory	6GB G.Skill DDRII 800 4-4-3-5
Video Card(s)	Sapphire HD 7850 2 GB PCI-E
Storage	1 TB Seagate 32MB Cache, 250 GB Seagate 16MB Cache
Display(s)	Acer X203w
Case	Coolermaster Centurion 5
Audio Device(s)	Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music
Power Supply	OCZ StealthXStream 600 Watt
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate x64

System Name	Senile
Processor	I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard	MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling	Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory	16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s)	GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage	Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s)	34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (34401440) FREE_SYNC*
Case	Rosewill
Audio Device(s)	Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply	Corsair HX750
Mouse	Logitech G5
Keyboard	Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software	Win 10

System Name	Senile
Processor	I7-4790K@4.8 GHz 24/7
Motherboard	MSI Z97-G45 Gaming
Cooling	Be Quiet Pure Rock Air
Memory	16GB 4x4 G.Skill CAS9 2133 Sniper
Video Card(s)	GIGABYTE Vega 64
Storage	Samsung EVO 500GB / 8 Different WDs / QNAP TS-253 8GB NAS with 2x10Tb WD Blue
Display(s)	34" LG 34CB88-P 21:9 Curved UltraWide QHD (34401440) FREE_SYNC*
Case	Rosewill
Audio Device(s)	Onboard + HD HDMI
Power Supply	Corsair HX750
Mouse	Logitech G5
Keyboard	Corsair Strafe RGB & G610 Orion Red
Software	Win 10

Processor	LGA 775 Intel Q9550 2.8 Ghz
Motherboard	MSI P7N Diamond - 780i Chipset
Cooling	Arctic Freezer
Memory	6GB G.Skill DDRII 800 4-4-3-5
Video Card(s)	Sapphire HD 7850 2 GB PCI-E
Storage	1 TB Seagate 32MB Cache, 250 GB Seagate 16MB Cache
Display(s)	Acer X203w
Case	Coolermaster Centurion 5
Audio Device(s)	Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music
Power Supply	OCZ StealthXStream 600 Watt
Software	Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Making the switch

prime95

New Member

Polaris573

Senior Moderator

Sasqui

Sasqui

Polaris573

Senior Moderator

prime95

New Member

Sasqui

prime95

New Member

Sasqui

prime95

New Member

Athlon2K15

HyperVtX™

prime95

New Member

lemonadesoda

Deleted member 24505

Guest

Easy Rhino

Linux Advocate

lemonadesoda

Tatty_Two

Gone Fishing

Processor	Intel Core i9 11900K
Motherboard	MSI Z590 Carbon EK X
Cooling	Custom Water
Memory	Team DDR4 4000MHz
Video Card(s)	ASUS TUF RTX 3080 OC
Storage	WD WN850 1TB
Display(s)	43" LG NanoCell 4K 120Hz
Power Supply	Asus Thor 1200w
Mouse	Asus Strix Evolve
Keyboard	Asus Strix Claymore

System Name	ICE-QUAD // ICE-CRUNCH
Processor	Q6600 // 2x Xeon 5472
Memory	2GB DDR // 8GB FB-DIMM
Video Card(s)	HD3850-AGP // FireGL 3400
Display(s)	2 x Samsung 204Ts = 3200x1200
Audio Device(s)	Audigy 2
Software	Windows Server 2003 R2 as a Workstation now migrated to W10 with regrets.

System Name	Desktop
Processor	i5 13600KF
Motherboard	AsRock B760M Steel Legend Wifi
Cooling	Noctua NH-U9S
Memory	4x 16 Gb Gskill S5 DDR5 @6000
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte Gaming OC 6750 XT 12GB
Storage	WD_BLACK 4TB SN850x
Display(s)	Gigabye M32U
Case	Corsair Carbide 400C
Audio Device(s)	On Board
Power Supply	EVGA Supernova 650 P2
Mouse	MX Master 3s
Keyboard	Logitech G915 Wireless Clicky
Software	The Matrix

Processor	Rocket Lake Core i5 11600K @ 5 Ghz with PL tweaks
Motherboard	MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
Cooling	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120SE + 4 Phanteks 140mm case fans
Memory	32GB (4 x 8GB SR) Patriot Viper Steel 4133Mhz DDR4 @ 3600Mhz CL14@1.45v Gear 1
Video Card(s)	Asus Dual RTX 4070 OC
Storage	WD Blue SN550 1TB M.2 NVME//Crucial MX500 500GB SSD (OS)
Display(s)	AOC Q2781PQ 27 inch Ultra Slim 2560 x 1440 IPS
Case	Phanteks Enthoo Pro M Windowed - Gunmetal
Audio Device(s)	Onboard Realtek ALC1200/SPDIF to Sony AVR @ 5.1
Power Supply	Seasonic CORE GM650w Gold Semi modular
Mouse	Coolermaster Storm Octane wired
Keyboard	Element Gaming Carbon Mk2 Tournament Mech
Software	Win 10 Home x64