Intel Chipset boards....

[firehawk_1]

I am looking for a good reliable performance based intel chipset board with these specs:

2+ PCI slots
16x PCI E
1x PCI E (for sound card)

4+ USB ports
4+ SATA
1+ IDE

support for DDR2, and for Core 2 Quad CPU.

Which fit that category?

 

[chookman]

ALOT

x48
x38
P35
P31
G35
G33
G31

Although you will have to check on the IDE port as some of these chipsets dont have IDE port, however, the mainboard manufacturer usually will add a controller onboard to support the IDE drives.
Id suggest a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L as its cheap and has all of what you need

 

[dagger]

ALOT

x48
x38
P35
P31
G35
G33
G31

Although you will have to check on the IDE port as some of these chipsets dont have IDE port, however, the mainboard manufacturer usually will add a controller onboard to support the IDE drives.
Id suggest a Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L as its cheap and has all of what you need

The new x38 boards all have IDE ports. Not sure about x48s, but they probably do too. X38 costs $200+ right now, and p35 costs $100-$250, although you should get a higher end p35 if you want to run 45nm quad. You really shouldn't get any less than a p35.

 

[Shadow703793]

^Agreed. Get a P35 or X38.

 

[firehawk_1]

I have a P35 already from gigabyte but it is faulty...killed one of my drives and acts wierd during operation....and dont have time to send it back for a replacement....

im more and more interested in the X38 (ASUS range)....

 

[firehawk_1]

question...does the X38 support DDR2?

 

[firehawk_1]

absolutely, I NEVER overclock and dont advise it personally.
However I DO need PCI slots (standard) as I have PCI Cards....so looking for 2 PCI slots as a minimum but from what I have seen with the newer Intel boards, they are non existant for obvious reasons....

 

[antas]

The P35 and X38 boards normally will have 2 PCI slots, at least for some that I know: like ASUS P5K (P35) and ABiT IX38.

Some of X38 boards support DDR2, some support DDR3, and some support both.

I'm using ABIT IX38 myself, it has 4 DDR2 slots.

 

[firehawk_1]

Does the Asus X38 support DDR2? can anyone confirm?

 

[evongugg]

There are several models. Look at the specs for the model you are interested in. It could be either DDR2 or DDR3 or both:

http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=572

 

[dagger]

Does the Asus X38 support DDR2? can anyone confirm?

Most X38 boards support only ddr2, ddr3 is still rare, on any chipset. DFI makes a x38 board that supports both.

If you don't overclock, a cheaper p35 will done fine.

 

[firehawk_1]

true but the gigbyte board I have has a P35 chipset and has slightly put me off even though its not a chipset problem. I guess im looking for performance rather than the media range....

 

[roadrunner197069]

Asus p5l-vm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?CurImage=13-131-046-04.jpg&Image=13-131-046-02.jpg%2c13-131-046-03.jpg%2c13-131-046-04.jpg%2c13-131-046-05.jpg%2c13-131-046-06.jpg%2c13-131-046-07.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&WaterMark=1&Item=N82E16813131046&Depa=1&Description=ASUS+P5L-VM+1394+Micro+ATX+Intel+Motherboard

 

[leon2006]

Asus Motherboards...
http://usa.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=572

Intel Motherboards..Very Reliable... The board get old >10 years and it still run..
http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/motherboard/extreme.htm?iid=mbd_body+dt_extreme

Generally Asus & Intel boards that i use last > 7 years. I get tired of it and of course its obsolete but the boards still run. HD eventually fail and get replaced but these boards still run.