Mother board turmoil

[gritstone]

I am going to buy this soon but I'm not sure of the motherboard... ... advice? Should I get the 790i version??? HELP, thank you.

1 Intel Core2 Quad Q9650 3.0GHz 12MB/1333FSB Processor
1 Asus Striker II 780i SLI Socket 775 Audio/LAN
1 Coolermaster Geminii CPU Cooler (AM2/754/939/940/775)
2 Corsair Twin2X 4GB DC PC2-8500 DDR2 Memory Kit
2 WD Caviar SE16 3.5" 640GB 7200RPM 16MB SATA II Hard Drive, 3Yr
1 LG GH22LS30 22X SATA LightScribe DVD-RW Drive, Black
2 BFG GF GTX260 OCX Max Core 896MB GDDR3 PCI 2.0 Video Card
1 Coolermaster Cosmos S 1100 Chassis, Black/Silver, NO PSU
1 OCZ Silencer 750Watt Quad ATX Power Supply, Blue
2 Scythe S-Flex 120mm SFF21E 1200rpm Case Fan

 

[btc2008]

That system is wicked. I would personally go with the 780i for two reasons: one, it's cheaper (on newegg), and two, there are more positive reviews (four or five eggs, and more total reviews). Also, the 790i supports DDR3 RAM while the former supports DDR2. Both appear to be SLI ready.

It's all a moot choice, I think, and you won't falter in selecting either.

Newegg: 780i

Newegg: 790i

 

[alvine]

core i7?

 

[mtyermom]

You've got DDR2 memory in your parts list, so you should probably get the board that supports it

No point in getting DDR3 anyway, you won't see a difference in performance between the two.

 

[slomo4sho]

For the price your paying for the Q9650+ Asus Striker II+ ram, you can easily choose a i7 920 + a x58 motherboard+6b of ddr3 ram and still come out at the same price.

The x58 boards support 3 way SLI as well and it would be a upgrade to your current system. Go with a i7 build for that budget~

 

[mtyermom]

+1^

Same price, way more potential performance.

 

[gritstone]

How would this be as an i7 instead?


1 Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz 8M S1366 Processor
1 Asus P6T Deluxe X58 S1366 ATX Mainboard w/Audio/2xGBLan/WiFi/FW
1 Coolermaster Hyper Z600 CPU Cooler for AM2/S775/S940
1 OCZ Platinum 6GB TC PC3-1333 DDR3 Memory Kit *3 Module Kit*
2 WD Caviar Black 640GB 3.5" 7200RPM 32MB SATA Hard Drive, 3Yr
1 LG GH22LS30 22X SATA LightScribe DVD-RW Drive, Black, OEM
2 BFG GF GTX260 OCX Max Core 896MB GDDR3 PCI 2.0 Video Card
1 Asus Xonar DX PCIe Sound Card, Retail
1 Coolermaster Cosmos S 1100 Chassis, Black/Silver, NO PSU
1 OCZ Silencer 750Watt Quad ATX Power Supply, Blue
2 Scythe S-Flex 120mm SFF21E 1200rpm Case Fan

 

[kubes]

That looks to be a very nice build to me. I question the asus xonar pcie sound card though? I personaly hear no difference between the onboard sound and a dedicated sound card? Back in the day having a sound card was the way to go, but onboard sound has come a long long way. I know some people can still hear a difference between the two but Its something that can save you a few bucks?

double check to make sure that the cpu cooler is comptabile with the i7. Might have to get a bracket for it if its even available?

 

[gritstone]

Which cpu cooler would be better? I don't want a loud one if I can help it. I appreciate your comments.

 

[kubes]

Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme CPU Heatsink with the Thermalright LGA1366 Bolt-Thru Board Mounting Kit

This does not come with a fan, so this will give you the options of a fan of your choice. Maybe another Scythe?

There really is not a large market here yet due to the i7 being so new and not a lot of manufactures producing them yet.

 

[slomo4sho]

Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme 1366 RT CPU Cooler

 

[gritstone]

Thanks to everyone who comments and help.

 

[geofelt]

How would this be as an i7 instead?


1 Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz 8M S1366 Processor
1 Asus P6T Deluxe X58 S1366 ATX Mainboard w/Audio/2xGBLan/WiFi/FW
1 Coolermaster Hyper Z600 CPU Cooler for AM2/S775/S940
1 OCZ Platinum 6GB TC PC3-1333 DDR3 Memory Kit *3 Module Kit*
2 WD Caviar Black 640GB 3.5" 7200RPM 32MB SATA Hard Drive, 3Yr
1 LG GH22LS30 22X SATA LightScribe DVD-RW Drive, Black, OEM
2 BFG GF GTX260 OCX Max Core 896MB GDDR3 PCI 2.0 Video Card
1 Asus Xonar DX PCIe Sound Card, Retail
1 Coolermaster Cosmos S 1100 Chassis, Black/Silver, NO PSU
1 OCZ Silencer 750Watt Quad ATX Power Supply, Blue
2 Scythe S-Flex 120mm SFF21E 1200rpm Case Fan

I like this very much for a no compromise build.
Some ideas:
1) For a cooler, look at noctua and thermalright. They both have 1366 mounting adapters. I used a thermalright ultra 120 extreme with a $10 1366 mounting kit and it is working very well. Noise is determined by the fan you pick to put on it. The kit works with other similar coolers also. See the TR web site. I understand that noctua offers free 1366 kits with many of their coolers, so that is an option also.
2) Defer the sound card. You can always add it later. The cpu savings are negligible. Onboard HD sound is very good. Also, some sound cards seem to have driver issues.
3) For the OS and games, look at the velociraptor. The intel 80gb X25-m SSD at $600 is even better. Add a slower drive for overflow and storage. Raid-0 is not worth much for games.
4) Consider the Antec 1200 for a superbly ventilated case that is a bit cheaper.

---good luck---