Should I get this motherboard bundle?

[dennisresevfan]

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?MBB-I76T6G

I found this on the Novatech website. I was thinking of getting a new motherboard, processor, and RAM...

This might be what I'm looking for. I'd appreciate some advice. I'm after a system for high end gaming, to be used with an ATI HD5970 graphics card, or possibly two in crossfire.

Firstly, I notice that the RAM is 1600Mhz. However, the Core i7 920 processor only supports up to 1066Mhz RAM, as far as I know.

What the hell are they playing at there? Can I actually use it at 1600Mhz with that processor?

Secondly, I heard a Corei7 is overkill for gaming, and that a Corei5 might be more suitable. Is that true, and if so, WHICH Corei5? How does the Core i7 920 compare to a Corei5 anyway? The actual clock speed looks a bit low, at 2.66Ghz.

Thirdly, would this bundle be good for using with a HD5970? I wouldn't be bottlenecking the Graphics card, right? Is the PCI-E slot data transfer speed to the Processor ok with this MB?
How about two HD5970s crossfired? No bottlenecking?

Fourth, speaking of crossfire, is this Motherboard even capable of it. It seems to have plenty of PCI-E slots , but what speeds are they really running at?

It says "3 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (at x16/x16/x4 mode) XFIRE "

So it seems to be saying Crossfire is fine, but does that mean that I only get two slots at x16 speed and the other one is x4?

Fifth, bearing the PCI slots in mind, if I was to use an Nvidia graphics card as a dedicated PhysX processor, would I have to use one of the x16 slots for that? Or could I put the PhysX card in the x4 slot? (Would it physically fit?! Would the data transfer rate be enough?) And what card should I use? I have an 8800GTX but it's been damaged. I could try oven baking it. If that's unsuccessful, what would be suitable? How about an 8800GTS to reduce power consumption and heat buildup?

 

[o1die]

What power supply are you using? Do you have an 850w or higher ps in a quality brand, or have room in your budget for one? The power supply is the last item most folks budget for; it should be the first item for high end graphics systems. Check the ram voltage specs. I wouldn't use anything higher than 1.65 volts at the default speed. And finally, email the tech support for this website and ask if they have personally tested this combo to work. That's all the advice I can give; I'm not a gamer.

 

[dennisresevfan]

I have a Corsair 950W 950TX. It's new. I'm slightly worried it might not work properly as my old system stopped working properly after the PSU was installed. But it has been tested out and supposedly was shown to be ok. The voltages look alright. Could be it was my previous dodgy power supply that did the damage.

 

[o1die]

Your power supply is probably fine for the new setup. I would definately find out what brand of ram is included and what voltage it runs at. I live in the states so I don't know if the bundle is a good deal versus buying everything separately.