Motherboard + Memory for overclocking Q6600

[DAVco]

Hi all - I'm a long-time lurker first-time poster

I've been looking to buy a new machine for a long time now (still running a P4 with a GeForce 6600 - from the Bronze age ) - I was hoping to grab a new Core i7 but the price is a little steep at the moment, so I thought I'd settle for a Core2Quad system.

I've been doing some reading (Google is your friend and whatnot ) and I'm pretty much decided on the processor and graphics card - but finding a good overclocking motherboard and memory combination is giving me some trouble - I'm not sure which chipset would be best (or if the chipset is even that important)

Basically I'm going for a "bang-for-buck" system with a little overclocking to eke out a bit more performance - so my question is this: What are your motherboard + memory recommendations? Is overclocking capability directly related to the chipset or is it primarily the features of the board its-self?

As far as the other components are concerned, I'm pretty much set on;
CPU: Intel Q6600 2.4Ghz
Graphics card: ATI Radeon 4870
PSU: Antec TruePower Trio 650w
HDD: Seagate 'Barracuda' 500GB SATA
Case: Antec Three-Hundred

Any advice appreciated - Thanks in advance

 

[jerreece]

Get yourself a P45 based motherboard for overclocking that Q6600. Generally that seems to be the board of choice for Intel Core2 and Quads. You won't get SLI ability that way however.

I'd suggest not doing the 680i nVidia based boards as they generally aren't that great for OC'ing a Q6600. I've had two 680i LT boards (one eventually died, warranty got me a new one). The first board would not OC my Q6600 to save its own life. The second one I'm running 3.2Ghz. Seems hit or miss with the 680i boards.

Since you're planning on an ATI 4870, you might find yourself an Intel based chipset with the ability to go CrossFire if you're interested. I think the X38/X48 are the Crossfire boards? P45 or X48 are the newer versions.

As far as memory. Get some PC-6400 (DDR2 800Mhz). I'd go for 4GB total (2 x 2GB) for gaming purposes. Perferably, find something with lower voltages, and good timings. I like Corsair personally. Mine runs 4-4-4-12 @ 2.1V (high voltage however).

 

[aevm]

That's a very intelligent starting point IMO. There's some room for improvement but nothing serious.

I'd change to Corsair 650TX or Silencer 750W ($100 at Newegg), but the TruePower Trio is decent too.

Get a P5Q Pro or GA-EP45-UD3P motherboard. That way you can add a second HD 4870 later if you need it. A P5E Deluxe or GA-X48-DS4 would support Crossfire better, but they cost about $120 more.

Consider a WD 640GB or Seagate 640GB disk instead of the 500GB. They usually have better prices/GB and they are faster.

I'd change the case to something better cooled (Antec 900, NZXT Tempest, RC-690).

Overclocking depends mainly on the chipset. P45 and X48 are good at it. There are various differences in the BIOS and in MB cooling that make some motherboards better overclockers than other boards based on the same chipset, but the difference between two P45 boards is usually small.

RAM: +1 for jerreece. 2x2GB DDR2-800 is the best. You can trust Corsair or Mushkin, for example.

Add a Xigmatek HDT-S1283 to the list since you will OC.

 

[DAVco]

Thanks for the quick response I'll stay away from the nVidia chipsets then.

So a p45-based board is the norm for q6600 overclocking? That narrows my search down a bit.

Crossfire would be nice, but it isn't really that important to me - My next upgrade will probably be to Core i7, meaning a new motherboard anyway.

Ideally I'm looking for a board in the sub-£150 region that will give me decent overclocking performance - Is this too tight a budget?

To be honest I'm not sure how to tell the overclocking ability of a motherboard from the spec sheet, other than the chipset.

 

[aevm]

Some ideas for RAM:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

The Corsair for example runs fine at 4-4-4-15 and 2.1v in the P5Q Pro, according to a review I've read.

 

[aevm]

Oops, you're talking about British pounds. No Newegg for you.

You could try the GA-EP45-DS3R for example (92 pounds)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/145683

 

[pcgamer12]

1. I would definitely look at X38 and X48 motherboards for full speed CrossFireX. They support dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots.

2. For RAM, definitely go for 4GB since it's very cheap and you'll benefit a lot of performance from going from 2 to 4 gigabytes.

3. Make sure to get a 64-bit OS so you can use it all.

4. Your chosen power supply is good. I also chose an Antec power supply for my build, and it's still running fully stable.

5. Good luck on your build.

 

[DAVco]

Yeah, unfortunately NewEgg don't ship internationally

I can find the Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 iX48 for about £145 so I'll be going with that I think.

It seems like all 4-4-4-15 DIMMS are rated at 2.1 - 2.2v. I can find the OCZ Reaper CL4 for £60 (2x2GB), and the Corsair XMS2 DHX for £5 more - There doesn't seem to be any difference in the spec sheets so would you recommend the corsair?

For CPU cooling, I've been looking at the Scythe Ninja II.

 

[Narr]

I prefer a Gigabyte P35-DS3L, nice and reliable board since I have it. OCed a E6400 to 3.8GHz.