Best Core 2 duo motherboards before 07'

[3lfk1ng]

I know some of you may think that the topic name is pretty lame, but it 5:00am and my brain is fried, and I feel people should know about these motherboards.

Anyways, I plan on building a new system come mid December and I want a really superb motherboard for overclocking (I'm hoping to get the DFI rd600). Let me know what you guys think, and let me know If I'm missing any worthy motherboards.

Here are some really nice serious overclocking compatible motherboards that I would like to show to people. ALL these motherboards are scheduled to be released before the end of this year.


Mobo#1)DFI LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G
Additional LINK with RD600 OC (WICKED SICK!)
$200+ is the estimate
Intel/ATI w/ physx

With details released about this board just yesterday, this will be the only Intel Core 2 Duo motherboard that sports the new ATI rd600 chipset. Possibly also the last ATI/Intel mobo (along with the Bad Axe 2). The DFI LANParty UT RD600 incorporates 3 pci-e (2 running full 16x, 3rd lane possibly 8x or 4x) lanes for ATI's upcoming Triple play physx. The great thing about this is that if your currently an ATI owner you can use you current pci-e ATI card alongside the upcoming R600 cards and use the old card for physics, while the new cards are in Crossfire.

Wusy is really looking forward to this mobo, with over 30,900 posts and being an "Eldar" to the THGFZ this is what Wusy said:

RD600 is the most anticipated chipset I've been waiting for and all signs indicate only DFI will make them for the sake of the overclockers market. From all the info I've gathered underground, I strongly believe RD600 will be the ultimate Crossfire supporting, overclocking chipset for Core2Duo/Quad when it's released and with special magic from DFI(mainly Oscar Wu's work).

Mobo#2)ASUS P5N32-SLI Premium NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI Intel Edition
Additional LINK
$299
Intel/Nvidia w/ physx

With this board having just been released late September, you won't find this top of the line mobo on Newegg. Being by far the most feature rich motherboard that ASUS makes (Arguably even better than the P5WDH) it's going to cost you quite a hefty chunk of your bank account.This mobo supports quad sli natively with 2 pci-e lanes (2 running full 16x, 3rd lane is 8x for Nvidia Physx). The great thing about this is that if your currently an Nvidia owner you can use you current pci-e Nvidia card alongside the upcoming G80 cards and use the old card for physics, while the new cards are in SLI.(Easily replaced by #4 if you're willing to wait)


Mobo#3)Intel D975XBX2, (Bad Axe 2)

$230-260 is the estimate
Intel/ATI w/physx (no mention of phsyx, but with the 3rd slot I'm going to assume it will support Triple Play physics)

Building upon the already great 975x based Bad axe mobo, Intel has added several noteworthy features. Native Support for ddr2-800 (+epp support) is fantastic as well as the new bios that allows for improved/more advanced overclocking. Innovative features include an onboard power button for bench testing (no more case installing before finding out the mobo was DOA to begin with), 50% more copper for power and ground lines (improved current flow=higher/more stable overclocks), and improved solder points for better current and less heat on the mosfets. The new Bad axe also comes with improved support the Intel's upcoming Quad Core processors.


Mobo#4)P5 R.O.G. Crosshair
Additional Link

Taipei, Taiwan; July 10, 2006 – ASUSTeK Computer Inc. (ASUS), the worldwide leader of motherboards, today debuts an all-new product series, Republic of Gamers (R.O.G). As the name suggests, all R.O.G products are made to provide the best performing solutions for serious gamers and overclockers.

Notice the words "SERIES" so far only 1 motherboard has come out using that name. Intel version coming soon!
$239-$299 is the estimate
Intel/Nvidia sli
Compete's with #5

Not that many details have been release about this motherboard other than the fact that It will be one of the first motherboards to support Nvidia's 680sli chipset. The Crosshair for the AM2 platform is the flagship "got to have" motherboard. With it's many new and innovative features this motherboard will easily take the Throne as the #1 Intel/Nvidia motherboard. Here is the LINK to the AM2 Crosshair. The Intel Core 2 Duo version truely is the board worth waiting for if you want Nvidia SLI.


Educate the Uneducated:
Nvidia 680sli
The current SLI is 590sli which uses the c19chipset (same as the 570sli only with Full 16x lane sli support ). While this may work fine for the general population, overclockers around the globe frown upon it due to low overclocking performance. Many motherboard company's chose to skip this phase because of the FSB issues(which is why 590 sli is scare)

Many overclockers have been waiting patiently for the 590sli revision that will include the c55 chipset. I have yet to see news on Tom's Hardware but Dailytech has posted some news about the new chipset.

Replacing the 590sli will be the upcoming 680sli with the c55 chipset. Rumors say they skipped calling it 590sli rev.b (c55) because Nvidia realized that 590sli sounded a little inferior to R600 so they went with the 680sli (makes sense). Many motherboard makers are talking the 680sli with open arms immediately



Mobo#5)DFI LANParty 680sli
$200+ is the estimate
Intel/Nvidia sli (no word on physx support as of yet)

That's right!! DFI cancelled the "crappy" 590sli c19 and has moved on to the more advanced 680sli with c55. Due out before the end of this year, expect to see a truely amazing motherboard from DFI for the Nvidia cards.


Let me know what you guys think, and let me know If I'm missing any "worthy" motherboards the will be released before the end of this year.

 

[Doughbuy]

Hey 3lkf1ng, just wondering if you got your elfking for Goethe's Der Erlkonig:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Erlk%C3%B6nig

or just from something a lot more conventinal...

Anyways, back to the matter at hand, I'm not crazy about the the nVidia chipsets, since I'm still leaning towards ATI at this moment, but once the G80 and R600 come out and benchmarks are done, I'll be able to make a true educated decision...

Whats getting me is the fact that all these boards have 3 pci-e lanes... for gaming... does anyone even want to begin to calculate how much money a person has to spend on graphics cards alone just to fill up the slots? Sigh... these companies will do anything to get our money

I'm interested to see how the Crosshair and DFI board will pan out. Even though the XBX2 is a nice board, I don't know if I would choose an Intel solution over Asus or DFI...

But either way, benchmarks will tell the whole story.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Hey 3lkf1ng, just wondering if you got your elfking for Goethe's Der Erlkonig

No, but that Is funny...I didn't know that existed.

"My father, my father, he's touching me now!
The Elfking has wounded me!"

The father is horrified; he rides so swiftly,
He holds in his arms the groaning child.
At last he arrives at the yard with speed and urgency;
In his arms, the child was dead.

Sounds pretty cool, so I'm not ashamed to see that fortunately.

I'm not crazy about the the nVidia chipsets, since I'm still leaning towards ATI at this moment, but once the G80 and R600 come out and benchmarks are done, I'll be able to make a true educated decision...

Im pretty much in the same boat, I like the 680sli, but at the same time I'm extremely curious about the rd600 and the r600s.

does anyone even want to begin to calculate how much money a person has to spend on graphics cards alone just to fill up the slots?

Sure, Roughly $1800 if you get 3 top of the line g80's to fill all 3 slots....which would require a 1000watt psu
$500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817703004
or
$349
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817194008
So ....$2149-2300 for that kind of setup...ugh, waste of money.

I'm interested to see how the Crosshair and DFI board will pan out.

Me too

I don't know if I would choose an Intel solution over Asus or DFI

Intel is last on my list as well

 

[dasickninja]

I'd stick with the P5B. But thats just me....
Hey that rythmes.. See I'm hip with the times....
[I'll stop now, everytime someone does that hip hop dies a bit more if it isn't already dead...]

Seriously, I'd get either the DFI option or the Asus board.

 

[Anoobis]

No no, keep going. Hip Hop needs a bullet in the brain pan.

@Doughbuy, the G80 and R600 are video card chipsets. I think you meant the RD600 and the 6X0i series of motherboard chipsets.

I would wait for some real world testing on any of the board, however my biased decision would be the DFI RD600 because it makes me go Wu, Wu, Wu!

 

[3lfk1ng]

Yeah, I've made up my mind, DFI rd600...it's final.

So now I'm looking at

DFI LANParty UT RD600-T2R/G
Core 2 duo e6600 overclocked like a mother...then go quad next year
Scythe Ninja Rev b. or Vigor Gaming Monsoon II
1 Ati x1900xt to hold me over till dx 10 then I'll go crossfire. woot woot
2 gig's corsair dominator pc-8500...then 4 come feb.
2 250gb Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
Enermax 1000watt psu

Expect to see that In my sig come december...well some of it

Now I just need to continue saving and wait for the mobo to come out. Then I'll max out my credit card, run my account dry, and ask for a $500 advance from my boss(100% guarenteed)then I'm good to go

 

[dasickninja]

First off, when the hell does the G80 come out? Last time I checked NVIDIA delayed the G80.
Second, the rap of today needs to die. Hip hop has been dormant since the days of A Tribe Called Quest and Africa Bambata.
Rap is the music, hip hop is the way of life.

 

[3lfk1ng]

G80 is next month, from what I have read...it's this year for sure though.

 

[niz]

First off, when the hell does the G80 come out? Last time I checked NVIDIA delayed the G80.
Second, the rap of today needs to die. Hip hop has been dormant since the days of A Tribe Called Quest and Africa Bambata.
Rap is the music, hip hop is the way of life.

Nov. 11th.

 

[Anoobis]

Second, the rap of today needs to die. Hip hop has been dormant since the days of A Tribe Called Quest and Africa Bambata.
Rap is the music, hip hop is the way of life.

I can agree with those lines.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Bump, I feel more peeps need to know about these motherboards

 

[BUFF]

I'll be very surprised if both the DFIs are $200.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Me too, I'm expecting them to be around $275ish.

 

[dasickninja]

Bump, I feel more peeps need to know about these motherboards

You can't bump yourself! That's against the rules, which I just made up.