Gigabyte is a failure. Alternative ideas, please?

[FlashBimmer]

ok - I'm throwing in the towel. I'm thoroughly discouraged at this point. In the last two weeks I've had two X58A-UD7 boards - the first was an outright failure, the second came in looking like a potato chip (Gigabyte's packaging is worthless!) While I agree that brand-new products bring with them a certain risk, this is beyond that - Gigabyte's quality control is pitiful and their packaging is embarrassingly amateur. VERY bad showing for their so-called "Flagship."

Does the forum have any alternate recommendations? I like all the specs the UD7 comes with, but I'm willing to compromise on some if I can just get this system built. I'd like to get on with my life now, please. The working parts of the system consist of:

Intel 980X 6-core Extreme CPU
Toniq 120 Extreme CPU Cooler
Nvidia FX4800 Video Card
12GB Mushkin 1600 RAM (6x2)
Corsair HX1000W Modular PSU
Intel 160 GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB HDD
(4) WD 1TB Black Caviar HDDs
Corsair Obsidian 800D Case
Lots of fans with pretty neon lights

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

PS: Logical, well-defended appeals for not jumping Gigabyte's ship just yet would be given careful consideration. With the exception of the minor detail of the motherboard not actually working, I'd like to stick with Gigabyte - I like the looks of the thing (and I've got all the wiring figured out.) I'm clutching at a straw here.

tx

 

[saint19]

Hi newcomer and welcome to the Tom's hardware forum.

A very solid mobo for ur rig and that have very similar features as the UD7 is the ASUS P6X58D-E, or get the little brother of the UD7, the X58A-UD3R BUT this isn't as good as the UD7 and don't support USB 3.0 when u use Crossfire.

 

[capt_taco]

Actually, the most helpful thing to do would probably be to send back the 980X and use the money you save to go on a nice vacation. Then you'll have lifelong memories, and with whatever CPU you get in its place, you'll have a computer that's not noticeably slower for any practical purpose.

Additionally, I'd dump 6GB out of the 12GB of RAM, also because it's just plain unnecessary to have more than 4GB for common uses, MAYBE 6. Same with the $300 case. Probably the 6TB of hard drive space too, unless you're REALLY into movies.

Basically, unless you're doing some hardcore graphical work or hardcore video editing, this entire system is $2,000+ worth of overkill. Unless the real purpose of the machine is have-it-just-to-have-it ... in which case the amount of money spent is what defines success.

Oh ... and aside from that, I agree with the Asus as a good replacement.

 

[FlashBimmer]

Thanks for the replies.

Actually, for what I do, this is by no means overkill. I'm not even sure the 12GB of RAM is enough. I'm not putting this system together for bragging rights and I'm not a gamer. I work on very large architectural and construction projects with programs that are major hardware hogs - NavisWorks Manager, Revit Architecture, Adobe CS5. Individual graphic file sizes often exceed 4GB and the 3D models are nearing 1GB. 6GB of RAM would be an exercise in frustration and I expect that even 12GB will be maxed out at times.

I checked out the ASUS board and it doesn't really have enough.

I've decided that since I haven't heard a compelling alternative I'm going back for thirds - I'll be trying the UD7 one more time. Let's see if they get it right this time. If not, I'll look into other brands - could be ASUS.

 

[saint19]

Another option could it be the ASUS Rampage II Extreme, support 24GB but don't support SATA III and USB 3.0

 

[FlashBimmer]

Any opinions on the Rampage III?

 

[saint19]

^Seems pretty good too, but a little expensive IMO.

 

[FlashBimmer]

Don't tell anyone, but now that I'm going on my third UD7 in less than two weeks I would have paid twice as much if I could have gotten one of the good ones.

 

[saint19]

^See how works ur third Gigabyte and if finally don't works fine, go with ASUS.

 

[capt_taco]

Thanks for the replies.

Actually, for what I do, this is by no means overkill. I'm not even sure the 12GB of RAM is enough. I'm not putting this system together for bragging rights and I'm not a gamer. I work on very large architectural and construction projects with programs that are major hardware hogs - NavisWorks Manager, Revit Architecture, Adobe CS5. Individual graphic file sizes often exceed 4GB and the 3D models are nearing 1GB. 6GB of RAM would be an exercise in frustration and I expect that even 12GB will be maxed out at times.

In that case, my apologies. You're one of the rare 5% or so with a system like that who has a real reason for it. Good luck with the new board -- if it's not smashed to pieces, don't give up on it, because the damaged one notwithstanding, you'd have to be about the unluckiest guy ever to get two DOA boards in a row, no matter who made them. Gigabyte usually does better than that.

 

[FlashBimmer]

Apologies entirely unnecessary. I'm in that uncommon position of constantly stretching the envelope. My day isn't over unless there's smoke coming out of the box...

I'll keep you posted on the motherboard developments. My guess (educated by recent experiences) is that Gigabyte pushed a shipment of UD7s to market too early.

 

[FlashBimmer]

Interim update: the third X58A-UD7 just arrived. For the first time there is no obvious damage to the packaging. Both the previous boards had two or more crushed corners on the outer paperboard box and cracks in at least two corners of the inner plastic packaging, including the INNER inner packaging of the northbridge heat sink/passive cooler. It's looking promising already.

Ok - here we go. The procedure is: mount the i7 930 to the motherboard, mount the CPU heatsink, install the motherboard, plug in all the connections, mount the northbridge heatsink, doublecheck all connections, stand the case up (need a crane for this one), mount the video card & plug it in, check all connections again, plug in the video, mouse & keyboard cables, plug in the power cable, say a short prayer, push the PSU power button (more prayer), push the system start button, wait, install the updated BIOS (more prayer) & when (if) all looks good and W7 starts up, power everything down, undo all previous steps, including removing the heatsink & CPU, grab the 980X and repeat all the above steps, especially the praying. And I'm not a religious person.

More to follow

 

[saint19]

^Don't forget discharge ur static or u could kill some component.

 

[FlashBimmer]

Best answer selected by FlashBimmer.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey