Gigabyte P55-UD3P vs P55-UD4P

acadia11

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Which motherboard should I get?? I don't care that much about overclocking any longer. Don't need firewire. Main concern is that the UD3P apparently only has 8x PCI-E? Is this correct? I'm pairing this board with i7 860. In any event, I don't use firewire. I like it has USB 3.0 support they both do, the UDP4 also has dual lan, but this is not a server machine. I don't see the need?
My main concern was the PCI-E channel, is it true the UDP3 is only 8x, or is it full 16x? I've found the video card is the only thing I've really upgraded over the years 3x's no less. As well as memory from 1GB to 2GB. You guys can recommend other mobo's 2, I am partial to Gigabyte, got almost 7 years out of my current one.

I'm replacing, system I built in 2003, Norwood P4 2.8GHz overclocked to 3.2GHz for a few years, started giving me problems a couple years ago, so I run it at 2.8, P875, motherboard. I considered x58 mobo, and i920, but I figure by the time I actually do another upgrade it will be like 5 years, and I doubt the x58 will be much of anything, at that point.
 

glowyrm

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P55's are awesome right now. There's some stuff on Tom's Hardware about them VS x58's and the x58's seemed for people that need more connections and more bandwidth from the highest end CPU's and multi GPU's.

If you just want 1 badass GPU and an i7 860 P55 is the way to go. If you want to do multi GPU's go for x58.

The reason is the 2nd PCIe x16 only works @ x8 for the second GPU on P55.


About the UD3P vs UD4P, they both will work a full x16 lanes on a single GPU. The UD4P however is a little better for dual GPU setup since the 2nd PCIe lane will run @ x8. On the UD3P board the 2nd PCIe lane is only x4. Pretty much, you can't run 2 GPU's on the UD3P, and you can kinda run 2 GPU's on the UB4P. Also, the UB4P seems to have a few extra connections like extra PCI slots, things you don't seem to need.

If money isn't an issue at all, go with the UB4P, but if you won't run SLI or XFire and don't need an extra PCIe x1 slot, go for the UB3P. The different is really only 30 bucks, but for some people that is the difference between eating/gas for the car or getting a new computer. :)

EDIT - Here are the exact differences ---> UD4P has 1 extra PCIe x1 slot.
UD4P has XMP (for RAM) support - no big deal at all
UD4P has a 2nd LAN port
UD4P has CrossFire and SLI support (as much as a P55 can)
UD4P I THINK has a better power phase design which means
it will be more power efficient and cooler

The UD3P says it supports CrossFire, I wouldn't even try it without at least x8 lanes on the 2nd card though, it will drag your games from everything I have read.
 

acadia11

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Jan 31, 2010
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yeah, I wewith the UD4p and the i860, plus 4gb 2x2gb crucial, plus 5770. I just didn't want to spend $300 on 5850.

this should hold me over, they arrive 2more, things to come

------

80gb SSD
W7 ultimate

and this is going to sound stupid but I really like the case

thermaltake level 10, I know dumb spend more for powerful GPU or processor, or more memory, but that case is sweet man, it's sweet.


Thanks,
for advise. I was almost going to go UD3r :)
 

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