GA-X48-DS4...warnings? recommendations?

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TBViking

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Jul 22, 2008
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I'm getting ready to order parts for my first build, and have been trying to find a rock-solid motherboard for under $250. I'll be using a 3.16 GHz Core 2 Duo (Wolfdale.)

A buddy of mine just built an AMD quad-core using a Gigabyte board and raves about it, so I thought I might give Gigabyte a try. Found this board and the reviews seem pretty good...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128336

...but I'm not going to rush into this without being as sure as I possibly can be. Does anyone have experience with this particular board? Gigabyte's website lists this board as Crossfire-supported, but I don't really plan on using multiple graphics cards. I actually have my eye on an nVidia card:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130319

Do crossfire boards generally provide inferior support for nVidia cards? Should I look for an ATI card if I decide to go with this Gigabyte board? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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M@Sc0T

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Yo man!

Thats a great board from what i've seen, wana get one too but only because i wana go Xfire.... If you dont plan on going Xfire or plan on getting Nvidia (Which i would like you to reconcider doing) the X38-DS4 is your board... its cheaper and i dont think it has the 2x full 16x pci-ex slots that u wont use anyway? Both the boards seem to OC the same if u plan on going that way and the X38 got great reviews everywhere too! No real gain for u in getting th X48...

I have no idea about the Nvidia performance on Xfire boards but i highly doubt that it'll make any impact! :)

Hope this made some sence and helped a lil bit!
 
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mikey_mikec

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Jul 28, 2008
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stumbled upon this post while researching the ds4, so decided to sign up and give my two cents!

All the reviews i've read seem to support M@Sc0T, and I can't find any annoyances that people have had with asus boards such as lame old bios' that would be a nightmare to flash if you don't have an old 65nm chip available. One problem I do have is trying to figure out what memory to get for it though... few 2gb stix seem to be listed in the manufacturers list, and i want cheap and cheerful OCZ platinum 1066 2x2gb. If anyone knows if this works fine on this board plz let me know.

As for ATI gfx cards the hd4850 seems on par with the 8800gt, but i believe in america its slightly more expensive, (maybe 10$ after rebate?). dunno if your overclocked edition will perform much better, and besides you can just overclock yourself if you like... The 4870 however will kick the 8800gt's ass ;) Oh and crossfire is only good if you want high resolutions btw, if youre sticking with 1 card for a 19" screen the 8800gt or hd4850 are pretty much the same

good luck with the build
 
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mikey_mikec

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Jul 28, 2008
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Yo homes!

stumbled upon this post while researching the ds4, so decided to sign up and give my two cents!

All the reviews i've read seem to support M@Sc0T, and I can't find any annoyances that people have had with asus boards such as lame old bios' that would be a nightmare to flash if you don't have an old 65nm chip available. One problem I do have is trying to figure out what memory to get for it though... few 2gb stix seem to be listed in the manufacturers list, and i want cheap and cheerful OCZ platinum 1066 2x2gb. If anyone knows if this works fine on this board plz let me know.

As for ATI gfx cards the hd4850 seems on par with the 8800gt, but i believe in america its slightly more expensive, (maybe 10$ after rebate?). dunno if your overclocked edition will perform much better, and besides you can just overclock yourself if you like... The 4870 however will kick the 8800gt's ass ;) Oh and crossfire is only good if you want high resolutions btw, if youre sticking with 1 card for a 19" screen the 8800gt or hd4850 are pretty much the same

good luck with the build
 
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M@Sc0T

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Well it depends, If you want to spend a whole bunch on a 3D card or not? If you do, wait a month and get the HD4870x2, otherwise get the normal HD4870 or HD4850. Just know that they do get a bit hot, the 4870 is a bit cooler because of the dual-slot cooling it has. If you dont mind waiting and dont wana get the more expensive but way better 4870X2 you might wana wait for the new custom cards of those models to come out, like the 1GB 4850's etc... They will handle filtering like AA better and might have better cooling on. If you wana get one now, get on of those 2 and get a good aftermarket cooler :)

there's nothing wrong with Nvidia, except for price/performance ratio atm... And all the best mobos support Xfire. The SLi mobos are all crawling with bugs!

Let us know what u decide to do! :p
 
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surfbum

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that is a great board, i just used one in my new build a couple weeks ago. the build went great with zero problems, and overclocks my E8400 like a champ.

you definitely need to get either the HD4850 or HD4870, i personally went with the 4850 because of my budget but they are the best cards for their price range and crossfire is supported by that mobo if you want to add a second card in the future.
 
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mikey_mikec

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Hey surfbum, do you know what third party heatsinks will fit on this board? I've been looking around and thinking of the thermalright 120, scythe infinity/ninja and i cant really find if they will clear those massive passive coolers on the board

mike
 
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wtfchuck

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I am using the x48 DS4 and ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro. It covers the first dimm slot. Something to consider with that cooler.
 
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mikey_mikec

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Jul 28, 2008
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BTW looking at that TRUE black edition stirs memories of secondary school physics... doesnt black absorb heat better than chucking it off? No doubt it will perform great, though it does seem odd. And thanks for the feedback chaps, its much appreciated.
 
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M@Sc0T

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Yeah the X38-DQ6 isnt bad but the X48-DQ6 doesnt live up to the name! The DS4 is just as good though for what you wana do :)

And about the balck... LOL! Nope dude as far as i remeber black only gets hotter under sun rays faster cuz it absorbs more light... You shouldn't have too much of that coming into your case though so the TRUE black is way cool :D just kinda expensive but worth it for the looks and performance!

Hehehe XD
 
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stevozilik

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Jul 19, 2008
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I'm using the same cooler and all of my dimm slots are perfectly available. I've set mine to blow towards top, as my NXZT Temptest has two exhausts on the top.
 
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moshi

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I agree with M@Sc0T. I'm using an X48-DS4 and I think it's awesome. Compared to an X48-DQ6, I don't really need to pay an extra 60 bucks for 2 more SATA ports (6 is enough for me, for now). So when comparing to an X38-DQ6, it's priced similar to an X48-DS4 anyway, so I'd say go for the X48-DS4!

I'm running a HDT S1283 cooler and it does not affect the dimm slots :)

Crossfire HD4850 is a really popular way to go right now, but will only shine in games that support it. Even when only one of mine works, it is a very solid performer. Oh, and heat for these cards is not too bad once you adjust the fan speed.
 
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mikey_mikec

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Nice one moshi, i think i'll get that cooler over the scythe now, seems to perform better be lighter etc... will be waiting till september now for moneys and the price drop after the 4870x2 is released, see how much a 4870 will set me back then
 
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