Ok Ive been planning on building a new rig for a while now and the only component that I still cant make a decision on is the motherboard!!! I have researched different motherboards on countless web sites including motherboards.org and still cant find the right one. These are the options that must be included on the motherboard. First I will only use Intel CPUs specifically I have chosen the Intel Quad core 6600. Second I want to be able to run a crossfire configuration with two Radeon 4850's. This basically means I also need a motherboard that supports a FULL PCIE 2.0 x16 interface. Also the ability to overclock at a reasonable level would be an important consideration. Beyond that I really would prefer to spend around $200 maybe $250 TOPS on the board.
Second I want to be able to run a crossfire configuration with two Radeon 4850's. This basically means I also need a motherboard that supports a FULL PCIE 2.0 x16 interface
Not sure what method you are using to 'search' for a MB that meets your criteria. If you 'demand' to have PCIE 2.0 16 x2 in CrossfireX, you can narrow your search to the X38/48 chipset period. No other chipset supports it. P45 supports PCIE 2.0 x 16 one lane and Crossfire 8 x 8, but not 'full' 16x16. Your search of countless motherboards on endless websites is a simple as the choice of the Intel X38/X48 or P45 chipset.
"If you will only use a 22" widescreen or less, a P5Q -E will work fine. "
^^^^Well I am also going to purchase a 22" Samsung LCD... so what your saying is any P5Q-E motherboard should be fine?
Lol, motherboard itself has nothing to do with resolution. Higher resolution would require more powerful graphics card, but since no x38/48 bottlenecks cf, there's no difference.
You might want to consider p45 with a single more powerful card, instead of going the cf route. Might be more cost-effective, as p45 performs on par with x38/48 other than pcie bandwidth, for much less.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] rder=PRICE
You are about to answer a thread that has been inactive for more than 6 months. If you still wish to proceed, please ensure that your posting is original and does not duplicate or overlap any prior responses to this thread.