Best Motherboard for Core i7

EVGA x58 Classified is very good, I would go with that if possible.

although the classified is one of the best motherboard for i7, have you also looked into the asus rampage 2 motherboard?

For the same price the classified looks better

Both the boards listed above are overkill if you're not going 3-way SLI or Crossfire, and as you list a single 4850 GPU I say save some cash and get something more sensible.

Personally I'd get a P6TD Deluxe - it's the Xtreme Design revision of the P6T Deluxe V2 so it comes with improved heat dissipation, Turbo V overclocking software and other nice bits. It'll overclock almost as well as the Rampage II Extreme, and you can run dual SLI/Crossfire and still keep 1 PCI slot and 1 PCI-E x1 slot - you can even fit 2-way SLI + PhysX and keep the PCI and PCI-E x1 slots.

If I was going Tri-SLI I'd be torn between the Rampage II Extreme and the X58 3-way SLI Classified, otherwise P6TD Deluxe all the way.

If you do decide to go with the X58 Classified, get the 760 version instead of the 759 version. The 759 uses an additional NF200 chip to get the 4 PCI-E x16 slots up to true 16 lanes each, but apparently adds enough latency to drop overall performance below that of the 760 version which doesn't have the NF200 chip (all 4 slots running at 8x if used).

We're talking latencies that no human being would notice without benches and synthetics, but if you're spending that much on a mobo you might as well get the better performing one.

I have the rampage 2 extreme, and its awesome. I have used many motherboards in my time, and only the ROG series have proved to be 100% reliable and rock solid. It overclocks like a beast too. Literally install, overclock and forget. Just how a motherboard should be!

(I am sure the EVGA Classified is good as well, I simply have no experience with it)

emyyhh:

Apparently the Rampage II Extreme is the board used in the i7 OC World Record.

Is the bundled X-Fi any good?

As far as I understand the R2E was used for the world OC record yes. Not that it should detract buyers from other boards that are probably equally as good.

The X-Fi certainly does the job. I am quite an audiophile so I would never recommend a PC sound card for pure musical quality (although I would like to hear the Xonar Essence) but for gaming and occasional listening its does me fine.

That pretty much sways me then.

I've managed to land a few extra bucks for my end-of-year build and was looking at upping my mobo from the P6TD Deluxe to something Tri-SLI capable and couldn't decide between the Rampage II and the Classified.

If the Rampage's X-Fi was good then the money I'd save not buying a sound card would cover the difference between the P6TD and the Rampage, plus I can get the OC Station for some serious OTT bling (although the real-time OC profiles is something that I plan on using heavily, and I won't need a separate fan controller).

The only thing still swaying me is the Classified is as standard the red and black I'm using in my build - I don't like the Rampage's colouring lol cover up unused ports and paint the SATA terminals I think ;-)

The Classified certainly looks better IMO. You must have a case with a side window...? And a serious set-up if you're 'upgrading' from a P6TD!

In terms of performance their probably very similar, so small things like the included sound card (although i'm sure there are much better) and the optional OC station would sway me. The main reason I bought it was due to my experience with the X38 boards - the Maximus Formula took my Q6600 to 4Ghz, a full Ghz more than a 680i board would.

The R2E also has the 21-multi glitch that the P6T has, which is handy for OCing. Again, I don't know if the Classified has it or not, but if not, thats another point to the Asus for me.

Either way, you'll be getting yourself a very nice motherboard!

Oh yes, she's going in a windowed (and modded) Raven RV01.

Originally I was content with a pair of GTX285s in SLI, hence the P6TD. Nice gaming performance and CUDA for my media stuff - happy bunny. Then with NIVIDIA having no end of problems with Fermi, the rumours of them abandoning the high-end market until Fermi comes out and then the amazing leap the Radeon 5800s have made, I thought how often do I use CUDA-enabled apps over gaming?

So with a little extra cash coming my way I thought go tri-card capable, get just 1 5870 (or 5890 if it's out when I build) and wait for Fermi - if it's a disappointment then rack up another 1 or 2 5870/5890s and fly until I build a new system in 7 years.

Plus those Radeons are black and red :-P

Apologies to Thejj924 for hijacking the thread! But I guess this convo also helps with your mobo choice.

Thanks for all the Answers; im just getting ideas because i want to upgrade soon, but don't have the money yet, i couldnt really overclock my i7 on the Asus P6T that well atleast with the old cooler (Zalman 9900) but this new Noctua Cooler i got for it keeps it much cooler; I'm not really an expert in overclocking, as i will need help (my first cpu with overclocking capabilities); but im expecting to pump at-least $1600 more into this machine than i already have. Asus R2E only has 6 SATA Slots and the Classified has 9 so i think i will go with the Classified. and upgrade my graphics when i can to either 5870 or 5890 as well with the new Direct X 11.

What does PhysX Do to the Computer if you have it?

Overclocking on a P6T is very easy. Its a great board, probably the most popular socket 1366 board there is, and for good reason. If you need help there is a wealth of info on i7 overclocking out there, and some boards (R2E I know for sure does) have pre-loaded OC profiles for the less confident/experienced user that you literally just select and enjoy. If you have $1600 to spend have you thought about water-cooling? A custom swifttech kit is well within your budget. The only real 'weakness' I can see in your setup is the GPU, and even if you went mad and got Crossfired 5870's you'd still have change!

As for Physx, its a nVidia only technology that allows more realistic physics effects in games. Not all games support it though, and enabling it will reduce overall frame-rates, whilst giving nicer physics effects. A decent card (GTX260 or higher) will manage physx ok on its own, or you can pair it with a 'lesser' card that is dedicated solely to physx. ie, GTX285 + GTS250 for physx if you game at high resolutions/settings. ATI cards can run physx too with modified drivers, although this is something to do at your own risk.