P5N32-SLI or P5ND2-SLI

[awillys]

Hi there,

I am setting up a new computer and want to go with a Pentium D950 dual core as CPU, a Geforce 7900GTX, 2 Go RAM DDR2, etc...
Main usage of that computer will be Gaming and Imaging.

Would you advise me to go for the P5ND2-SLI or the P5N32-SLI?
Is there any big difference between both?

Thanks in advance.
Antonio

 

[wun911]

Well there is about a 150 buck differnce in price between the two MBs (in Australia in AUS $)

The P5N32 SLI is more expensive..... It has a SB and NB and uses passive heat pipes to cool both of them.

The P5ND2 SLI runs SLI but splits the bandwith between the two GPU cards (8x2). However if you dont have SLI it will run the single GPU at (1x16).

However the P5N32-SLI As the name sugests (with 32) does not split the bandwidith for the two GPUs (2x16). From what I gather in reviews nobody needs this much preformance but it is nice to have it if you need it in the future. This is the main differnce appart from that both MBs will support dual core P4s.

I would personally go for the lower end P5ND2 SLI and save the money for the second GPU. (IF you dont intend to SLI I would recomend 955x chipsets intel chipsets and intel CPUs go quite well together) If you inted to pimp out your sysem with 2x 7900GTXs then maybe I would recomend the P5N32 SLI.

 

[awillys]

Hi wun911.

Thanks for the reply. I ended up ordering a P5N32 as it seems that it can handle the Pentium D 950 whereas the P5ND2 can't.

Cheers,
Antonio

 

[wun911]

Antino! I have a few questions for you......


Did you have to update the Bios on the P5N32 SLI to get the 950 CPU going?

Is the thing stable as in has it crashed yet?

 

[spdunn]

^^^ i have the same setup but with dif. cards and i did not have to update the bios

 

[wun911]

I dont know about America but here in Australia the early shipments of P5N32 SLI deluxe was with really old BIOS. And only recently have they improved the BIOS and they have labeled these MBs with a red sticker.

 

[toodles]

I was about to order this board but i didnt and i am still not sure do to the power issues ive heard as well as the sata issues ive heard about them.