Need a little advice

T8RR8R

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Feb 20, 2007
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I really hate to ask a question like this, but I'm stuck between the MSI P35 Platinum (DDR2 version) and the Asus P5N32-E Plus. I just need a little help deciding.

They will both support 45nm(Penryn) CPU's and both support 1333FSB. I'm not interested in DDR3, because it's expensive and for now I already have good DDR2. The Asus is a 650i chipset but with a variant that allows it to run dual 16x slots at full bandwidth and another at 8x bandwidth just like the 680i. At the same time though, it'd be just as easy to get one of the G92 cards when they come out and smack around any 8800GTS SLI setup...although I could do that with either board.

See my predicament? Both boards are around the same price as well. JSUK

And one last thing, would you get the 9700NT for these boards or the 9700LED? In other words match the copper or match the green?
 
The P5N32-E Plus is a mature technology and it looks like the bugs have all been worked out. The P35 chipset is new and nice but there may still be bugs. I'd pick P5N32-E for now.

That being said, reviewers generally say that they're impressed by the maturity of P35 (as in, no bugs found so far) :D
 

T8RR8R

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I'm obviously leaning towards the Asus board only because it's a little older and offers SLI. Since I have an 8800GTS it'd be easy enough for me to get another one a little later on. With the Asus you get ALOT more for less than $10 over the MSI, but the p35 chips are pretty nice though. The performance is pretty much the same between the two. I guess I was just concerned about the things I don't think about that all you nice THG people think of. :)

Any thoughts on the NT or LED?