Need help picking MB and RAM for 8 GB Build.

[JimBobE]

Looking to build a new computer after many years.


Looking like it's going to be a Q9650 or Q9550.

What I am looking for is 8GB of RAM - need some recommendations as to MB & RAM that will actually work with all the slots filled. (DD2, can't see dropping the extra cash for the DDR3 at this point.)

Primarily looking at an X48 board (though it's not writ in stone).

Also, wouldn't mind overclocking as far as I can take it on air, without bumping the voltage over the recommended level for the CPU/RAM. (I'm guessing 3.6 - 4.0 GHZ, though I'm led to understand that's kinda tough with four memory sticks in the board.)


Anybody have any thoughts/suggestions/experience with this?

Thanks!

 

[kitsilencer]

You're right about the difficulty of air cooling an overclock with 4 memory slots full. Even if you got heat spreaders, you'd still have a very hot system.

Narrow your field by first picking out a mobo. What are you looking for exactly:

CrossfireX, SLI or a single card graphics solution?
Future DDR3 capability or not?
Overclockability?

The most versatile boards I've worked with are Gigabyte. Great, stable overclocking.

 

[auscanzukus]

GA-EX48-DS4 or ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA
Mushkin Redline 1066mhz+ for overclocking Yorkfields

 

[JimBobE]

KitSilencer -


No real interest in DDR3. (Figure when I buy a new machine in 5 years, it won't matter - there'll be something else out by then.
Option for dual card would be nice, for future expansion. At the moment, I guess that would be Crossfire.
Overclockability would be nice, to help stretch out that period before I need to build a new machine.

auscanzukus

Are both of those good for having all the mem sticks installed?

That Mushkin Redline - is http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=647
the one you are recommending? (doesn't look like NewEgg carries the the 2GB modules.)



Thanks for the info..

I'm sure this will be a nice step up from my current PC - P4C 3.0 Northwood.

 

[auscanzukus]

Yup, or Ascent:

http://www.mushkin.com/doc/features/ascent/

newegg isn't the only online store. Try zipzoomfly, buy, etc.

Ram choice has nothing to do with using up the slots. Worse case scenario is it won't post. In which case, you can try each stick in each slot, then up vdimm and pop in the rest.