Which ASUS mobo is the best bang for the buck?

[Melongod]

I'm planning on buying a barebone system and building it up...

the thing is, i have no idea how to pick a motherboard...

The brand i'm going with is ASUS(seem really good from user opinions), i'm giong to overclock a c2d4300 to around 2.8ghz, and i don't plan on using the SLI feature...

P5B, P5N, 650i.........what the heck is the main difference and which should i chose?

Thanks....

 

[Assman]

i'd recommend plain p5b or p5b deluxe a nice, stable mobos, good for ocing (woth proper cooling).

P.S.: nice cpu pick, but with a nice cooler you can tak it further than 2.8 8)

 

[madmurph]

Agree with the A$$man --- we're P5B fanboys -- I like the Deluxe because of the stability of the 8-phase power supply.
W00t!! 500 posts. Yikes.

 

[Assman]

congrats on your 500 posts bro 8)

 

[madmurph]

Thanks, man. TBH, I was looking for "family" when it happened. This was a good spot, tho. Cheers, MM

 

[Assman]

lol

 

[hashbrown]

I'd recommend checking out the Gigabyte P965 S3 or DS3. I'm sure you'll find that if offers all of the qualities you are looking for, and for much cheaper. Check out this article.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mainboards/display/ga-965p-s3.html

You'll find this mobo at Newegg for only like $100 and the DS3 for around $130

Awesome boards, happy building.

 

[Melongod]

How much difference is ASUS and Gigabyte in terms of reliability?

My budget for this comp is around 1000-1200

I plan on getting the following

c2d 4300 (i plan on upgrading to a q2d when price is right)
2-4gigs of ram depending on needs(performance ram)
8600 ultra dx10 video card (or best bang for buck dx10 video card under 200)
vista premium

the last thing i need is a mobo...but i want it to have the ability to upgrade for a few years..(3-5 would be good)

thanks

 

[madmurph]

Compromises always have a cost. Do a side-by-side comparison. The DS3 only has one pci-x slot, ruling out any kind of dual gpus, and very limited RAID options.

As I wrote in my ^^post, neither one of the Gigabytes has the power configuration provided by the Deluxe

"8 Phase Power Design
The ASUS 8-Phase Power Design protects the CPU and power module from the risk of excessively high power stress to greatly extend CPU lifetime and system stability. The highly-efficient design also generates less heat to ensure low ambient temperatures"

all cooled by a heat-pipe cooling system. No I don't work for Asus, though I now feel like a commercial. I've owned dozens of diff brands, this just being the latest, and IMHO, one of the best I've ever owned.

 

[Assman]

:trophy:

 

[hashbrown]

Well if you want to be able to upgrade for that many years, anything now will not do you the best. You should wait for Intels new 35 chipset. It supports all current C2Ds, but not old netburst stuff. So it's optimized for the new architecture. Also, it will support DDR3 which is supposed to be the next format and will be the next one for the next few years I'd guess. Here is an interesting link on the new stuff. Not sure when it will be out though.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/editorial/display/cebit2007-5_2.html

Also, I'd recommend forgetting about worrying about finding a mobo with a second PCIe slot for "upgrading later" because people say this often, but rarely do it. I would much rather have one powerful card than two mediocre. Less heat in the system, more room, and possibly less power draw. Also, SLI isn't even supported in quite a few games, and its not always that much more. AMD's crossfire is a better choice IMO, and it is supported on the new Intel chipsets.

I doubt that the enhancements made by the ASUS board are going to make that much of a difference in lifetime to make the $60 difference worth it. All motherboards are designed to last atleast 5 years or so. If they don't, its either faulty or you pushed it too far without proper cooling when overclocking. Gigabyte has also made an effort in durability in making its motherboards, hence the 'D' in DS3. Check out this link
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/NewTech/2006_motherboard_newtech/tech_061212_award.htm

The ASUS 8-Phase Power Design protects the CPU and power module from the risk of excessively high power stress to greatly extend CPU lifetime and system stability.

"greatly" is pretty vague, I doubt it has that much benefit over the DS3. I'd rate that the two boards are no different in terms of reliability. And so far there is a great backing of overclockers using the S3 and DS3 and I'm sure they would tell you no different. Even the S3 is reliable and will last as long as your computer will until the next upgrade.

 

[Melongod]

:? ...this is so hard to chose from...but which one is easier to OC?

this comp will be the first time i'll be OCing...

as for PCIe slots, there're only used for video cards right? I don't plan on doing SLI or Xfire....is there a reason why i need more than 1?

thanks

 

[hashbrown]

In the future I think they plan on doing SLI/Crossfire with a third PCIe for Physics units, but thats a ways off, and quad core processors will probably do the same thing.

I can say from experience that the Gigabyte S3 is really easy to overclock, I used it to overclock a Pentium 4 though, but that doesn't matter really. I hear that the P5B is also good for OCing though, I don't think I've read a review on it, but in one of my other posts there is that article on the S3 and overclocking.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mainboards/display/ga-965p-s3.html

hope that helps

 

[madmurph]

As they say in Congress, "I think I've already answered that question."

edit: glip comments aside, you might want to go over to the motherboards thread in the "Overclockers" section, and check out what the folks over there think (it's all just a bunch more peeps opinions to help confuse you further, that is, afterall, the whole point of a "forum").

 

[Melongod]

thanks i appericate all the advise so far...

How are RAM compatibility issues with each board?

I plan on going ddr2 800, and in the past i've had RAM issues with my dell (yes i bought a budget dell!)

 

[madmurph]

Generally, that choice will be fine, but with any P965 chipset, you find some "pickiness" with each manufacturer's product. Once you've made a decision on the board, consult the buyer reviews, this forum, and the manufacturer's qualified vendor list (QVL) to get an idea which sticks have had the greatest success with that specific board. Just like the boards, you'll get lots of opinions on what you should do, but you will be steered in the right direction.

 

[hashbrown]

with the gigabyte, i've used Crucial, Corsair, GSkill, Kingston, Wintec. there are probably more, you can check at the manufacturers website, and same with ASUS.

 

[merc14]

Take a look at the Asus P5N32-E SLI Plus Very nice mobo that overclocks like a dream but is below $200 as they have removed the fluff. With an 8600 card you may well find yourself wishing for some more graphics power down the raod when running DX10 so do not discount that SLI option. It isn't that costly. I have my e4300 at 3.2GHz on the Plus board BTW.

 

[Lionhardt]

hey, for awhile i was all bent on getting the ds3, but you guys are saying that the $120 Asus board is a better value?

can you compare, as many people here are asking this question>

 

[Melongod]

P5B Deluxe and P5B-E...what's the difference between the two?


As for the P5N32 vs P5B....i don't plan on going sli, so why should i spend more money on something i don't need?

Remember, i'm looking for best bang for buck....not most powerful part out there

thanks!

 

[merc14]

Roger that but for a few dollars more you have the option of upgrading the vid card when it gets bogged down. Anyways, most enthusiast boards come with Crossfire or SLI anyways so you may not have a choice. Good luck either way mate.

 

[hashbrown]

well if you get the S3 or DS3 and aren't satisfied with it, heck i'll buy it from you! I've been wanting to get one, but haven't yet.