Which motherboard is better to get

[matan_levis]

Hello, which motherboard is better to get,
I know there is the XFX nForce 790i which supports Tri SLI and gives good OC and cooling conditons plus the low ping TCP/IP drivers network card but I was wondering if there is any better mobo or a better priced mobo of any other brands such as ASUS, that give the same features including the tri-SLI.

Thanks alot

 

[halcyon]

Well, I think for Tri-SLi you're looking @ either the 780i or 790i exclusively for a new build. I've read something about their being data corruption with the 7x0i chipsets, so hopefully someone familiar with that issue can provide some more info for you.

If that's not an issue and I wanted Tri-SLi I'd likely be looking in this direction:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131255

...still uses DDR2 (which makes fiscal sense compared to DDR3 today), solid capicators, heck, its just pretty and its got good reviews (when you subtract a lot of the noob-type entries "I tried to run my DDR2 at 3000Mhz and the board won't post.")

 

[aevm]

^^Right, 780i and DDR2 is best. That Asus is nice indeed. I like the XFX 780i and the eVGA 780i too, and they're cheaper.

You do realize that Tri-Sli needs expensive cards like the 8800GTX or 9800GTX, right? Good for you if you can get three of those

Have you picked a PSU yet?

 

[matan_levis]

well ill go for the XFX 780i maybe, a good PSU suggestion will help alot

 

[aevm]

well ill go for the XFX 780i maybe, a good PSU suggestion will help alot

It depends on the number of video cards, mostly.

ENERMAX Galaxy EGX1000EWL 1000W, $253 after shipping and rebate, can handle three 8800GTX or 9800GTX cards
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194019

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Crossfire Edition) 750W, $161, will handle two 8800GTX or 9800GTX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341011&Tpk=Silencer+750W

A Corsair 620HX can also handle two of these cards, but with less room for adding hard disks and other things.

Those are just my favorites. You can also look at nVidia's official list of certified PSUs here:
http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html
and pick from it. In general Corsair, PC P&C, Antec can be trusted IMO. There are lots of good PSUs that can do the job but aren't (yet) on the list.

 

[matan_levis]

k thank you for the help
I don't think I have money left for a powerful PSU..
do you have any others that can at least hold 2 for a good price?

 

[halcyon]

k thank you for the help
I don't think I have money left for a powerful PSU..
do you have any others that can at least hold 2 for a good price?

The PSU is one of the most critical components in your rig, I recommend against economizing on it. ...even it it means you have to cut back on graphics card or CPU. A good PSU can last you a long time across multiple builds. A cheap PSU can sink your entire rig. I use a Thermaltake ToughPower 700W. Not the best but certainly good.

 

[matan_levis]

can the Corsair HX 620w PSU handle 2 of the 9800gtx's ?

 

[stabgotham]

It doesn't show up as a recommended PSU for dual 9800GTX's on SLI-Zone, so I would be wary. The PC Power & Cooling 750w Silencer should be able to and is priced similarly, but again as someone else said earlier, a lot depends on how many other things you plan on powering (i.e. sound card, multiple hard drives, peripherals, fans , etc.).

 

[matan_levis]

Anyone know of a good mobo that is priced well for what you get? maybe a dual SLI chipset would be enough too.

 

[halcyon]

Anyone know of a good mobo that is priced well for what you get? maybe a dual SLI chipset would be enough too.

SLi:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131255

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130158



non SLi



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128089

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136045


for P35:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131275

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128082

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059

 

[matan_levis]

What's better or more preffered, the XFX nForce 780i or the ASUS Striker II Formula ?

 

[aevm]

What's better or more preffered, the XFX nForce 780i or the ASUS Striker II Formula ?

Here's a decent PSU for a good price:
OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W, $90 after rebate and shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

Between the XFX and the Asus, XFX has 74% happy reviewers at newegg, Asus only 54%. I guess XFX is "more preferred" based on that. Mind you, XFX being $70 less may be responsible for the difference, so don't rely much on that.

As for "better", it's hard to say. I'd prefer the XFX because of the price and the more useful accessories. XFX comes with 6 SATA cables instead of just 1. The Asus has some goodies that the XFX doesn't, such as the SupremeFX soundcard or the LCD poster, but IMO those are less useful.

 

[halcyon]

What's better or more preffered, the XFX nForce 780i or the ASUS Striker II Formula ?

Even though the XFX may show preference in the NewEgg reviews I'd select the Asus due to not only what Aevm has pointed out but the Asus also appears to be designed better, with solid capacitors (spelled possibly more reliable and longer lasting). It looks like the XFX is still an nVidia reference design.