Regd. Intel core i5-750 Foxconn socket issue - solution?

[akula2]

Dear Friends,

I am very much disappointed by reading this on this thread => http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/267801-28-buyer-guide

"The LGA1156 platform is suspended from recommendation due to reports of faulty sockets not providing enough contacts, and frying CPUs under heavy load. The faulty sockets are manufactured by Foxconn, but they are used in almost all p55 motherboards. At the moment, most failures have been on highly overclocked systems, but until the extent of the problem is known, this CPU (and socket) will be off the recommended list."

Proximon wrote :

The issue was identified and remedied by Foxconn, all unofficially of course. The question is, have all the old sockets moved through the system yet or will there still be a possibility of getting one?

Could you please share that unofficial remedy for the sake of confused buyers like me

I considered LGA 1366 option but that's going to blow my budget targets...actually I've planned to build a new custom PC sample machine (gaming/workstation usage) based on i5-750 processor. The reasons are:

a) Review the new PC and subject to few tests and evaluate them (1 week)
b) Based on the performance results, am planning to build 20 PCs by Jan 2010 end (am not a re-seller at all)
c) I don't live in the US, need to import all these components from a portal like Newegg or Tigerdirect etc (whoever willing to ship to my country with reasonable rates). It's going to be messy if something goes wrong...because we people don't have the kind of advantage like you guys (easy ordering, cheap shipping etc).

Now my entire plans are in doldrums Someone on this board recommended me in another thread:

i) To use a EVGA MOBO: am not confident at all on spending $30,000 plus based on a new MOBO which i never tried
ii) On extremehardware forum or somewhere: Members were discussing that new Gigabyte A series has LOTES sockets? I don't know whether it's true or not...

Please suggest what to do...should I wait till Jan 2010 or should I take risk and go for Gigabyte new A series etc?

Thank you very much,

~akula2

 

[Silmarunya]

Are you going to overclock?
No: I wouldn't worry too much. Very few reports are made about problems with Foxconn sockets at stock speeds, and these were likely due to faulty installation. In other words: at stock speeds you're safe and good to go.
Yes: the odds of getting a problem are slim, unless you're into truly high-end overclocking. At any rate, I'd wait if it's for overclocking. A slim chance is still too much to risk on such a high budget affair.

 

[akula2]

Are you going to overclock?

I don't intend to overclock the planned final 20 PCs but on the initial build I would like to overclock beyond the 750 processor's Turbo boost capability, i.e., 3.2 GHz. No high-end over clocking but I might test upto 4 to 4.5 GHz (for couple of times) by running few tests (depends on MOBO)...that should be OK, isn't it?

A slim chance is still too much to risk on such a high budget affair.

That's my biggest concern

 

[akula2]

Hello all,

I found something new about EVGA here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188054

Cons: When I turn my computer on, it turns back off, and then back on again, lengthening the boot process for reasons I can't comprehend. The EVGA forums have confirmed that this is an issue across all P55 motherboards.

Also, some people won't like the fact that this board's two PCI-e lanes are locked at x16 and x4. If you're a benchmarking enthusiast, this isn't the board for you.

Could anyone confirm this EVGA problem please

Thanks,

~akula2

 

[cyberkuberiah]

Hello all,

I found something new about EVGA here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188054

Cons: When I turn my computer on, it turns back off, and then back on again, lengthening the boot process for reasons I can't comprehend. The EVGA forums have confirmed that this is an issue across all P55 motherboards.

Also, some people won't like the fact that this board's two PCI-e lanes are locked at x16 and x4. If you're a benchmarking enthusiast, this isn't the board for you.

Could anyone confirm this EVGA problem please

Thanks,

~akula2

evga does not advertise it as dual x8 when the second slot is used , although this is usually mentioned in other mobo specs on newegg , on this one it isnt . simple 2x x16 is confusing , as other mobos advertise it as running second one at x4 explicitly .

 

[cyberkuberiah]

regarding the socket , i am running gigabyte ud2 with a foxconn socket ,and i wont take risks on oc it beyond 4.0 (of course i wanted to but read anandtech's article) . 4.0 is the max i could do with 1.45 vCore , and i wont increase it further .

but the good thing is that after around 8 hours of wPrime overnight , i removed the cpu and checked for any burn marks or the socket itself , there werent any at all .

i guess 4.0 is enough , and i wont replace my mobo with an evga one for the lotes socket , that would be an epic waste to get , and besides i would get max 300-400mhz more(if i am lucky) . i am running this on a budget , so water cooling is not an option .

 

[akula2]

regarding the socket , i am running gigabyte ud2 with a foxconn socket ,and i wont take risks on oc it beyond 4.0 (of course i wanted to but read anandtech's article) . 4.0 is the max i could do with 1.45 vCore , and i wont increase it further .

i guess 4.0 is enough , and i wont replace my mobo with an evga one for the lotes socket , that would be an epic waste to get , and besides i would get max 300-400mhz more(if i am lucky) . i am running this on a budget , so water cooling is not an option .

niklas_13 suggested me that Gigabyte P55A-UD4P has LOTES on it. He wrote here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/275670-31-build-1200

Yet to crosscheck on that fact and if that's true then am planning to freeze on P55A-UD4P or P55A-UD6. Please check this:
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/FileList/WebPage/mb_usb3/usb3.htm

Now question is, should I go with P55A-UD4P or P55A-UD6 (each workstation is expected to be in service for 60 months minimum)

thanks,

~akula2

 

[cyberkuberiah]

thats great news , finally lotes sockets for p55 . but there's a catch sata 3 and usb 3 work in 2.0 mode each when dual graphics are used . i dont have the link but gigabyte support mentioned this to one customer ? read (3) below .

otherwise , ud4 has 12 phase and ud6 24 phase , but 24 phase may not be required at all except for record benchmarking , where the power consumption would be ridiculous anyway for 24x7 use .

also , the ud6 has an extra pcie x4 slot based of p55 chipset , (not lynnfield) again that depends if u wanna use extra raid/SAS drive controllers or something (u can use x8 and x4 and x1 cards in it , because it is x16 length) .

2 . also , do you need CF/SLI ? because if ure thinking 2x5770 like cards , u can get a single 5850 card anyway .

gigabyte have more reliable motherboards than many , i have been using them since pentium 4 days and never a problem . even my ud2 , lowest end of p55 series , is rock solid at 4.0 ghz with all stress testing for hours continuous .

 

[akula2]

thats great news , finally lotes sockets for p55 . but there's a catch sata 3 and usb 3 work in 2.0 mode each when dual graphics are used . i dont have the link but gigabyte support mentioned this to one customer ? read (3) below.

Yes, it's a confirmation but please throw some light on what is dual graphics is all about You recommend P55A-UD4P then, will take a look at that in detail tomorrow (please bear with me). True, UD6 is expensive for sure ($250 vs $185). What do you think

Friend, I didn't get what is CF/SLI thing? Should I care about them when am using a single card?

I am fixed on buying only one card: SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 ($160). SAPPHIRE 5850 would cost me $300 Anyway, any comments on 5770 card?

Thanks,

~akula2

 

[davidstone]

Would be great to see what are the manufacturers saying... are there any official news from Asus/Gigabyte on the issue...?

 

[akula2]

Would be great to see what are the manufacturers saying... are there any official news from Asus/Gigabyte on the issue...?

Check out this video: GIGABYTE P55A mobos - SATA3, USB3 and 3x USB power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv0TM8rMuME

~akula2

 

[cyberkuberiah]

u dont need ud6.

dual graphics = 2 cards used in Crossfire for Ati or SLI for Nvidia .

ud4p and ud6 have 2 slots for video cards , so u can do CrossFire or SLI on them whereas p55a ud3 has one so u cant .

if u are thinking of getting a 5770 now , and adding one later for demanding games , say 4 months later and make it 5770 CrossFire , its better to get a single 5850 now and save on the motherboard , get a ud3 instead of ud4p . 5850 will be good enough to max out most games at 1920x1200 , and the ud3 will save you 60 dollars . and of course , if a single 5770 is enough for you , then it too would be fine on the ud3 .

got it ? i'll clarify if needed

 

[cyberkuberiah]

the 5770 is great for most games (read except crysis) at 1680x1050 and good at 1920x1200 .

 

[cyberkuberiah]

but considering january's only a month away , u can wait for this socket issue for more news and action from mobo manufacturers . especially since then u'd be building 20+ machines , it would be worthwhile . we can have all the gpu selection talk anytime then too

 

[akula2]

but considering january's only a month away , u can wait for this socket issue for more news and action from mobo manufacturers . especially since then u'd be building 20+ machines , it would be worthwhile . we can have all the gpu selection talk anytime then too

I don't need Graphics card for the games purpose on those 20 PCs (purely R&D work). So, I almost closed on Sapphire 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1 GB DDR5 card because am sure it would be more than enough running those scientific applications (drug design and modeling). But, honestly I have a strong desire to get Radeon HD 5870 on my PC (apart from my work, but in my home, love to play games...Age of Empires rocks ).

Sure thing but am planning to assemble one PC by this month end, gonna ask my friend (he's coming on 26th of this month) to bring the components like CPU, MOBO, RAM, Hard Drive, Graphics Card, Thermalright 120 MUX and PSU. 24" Monitor he can't bring it (and am not keen in importing this one, makes no sense due to weight). I have to buy LCD, PC Case, Optical drives etc from the local market, Windows 7 Pro x64 I found that full version is cheaper in my country compared to the US market! So, by this month end I hope to assemble the PC and have all the performance results in my hands so that I could decide immediately on placing the order for the remaining 20 component sets.

MOBO I've decided on Gigabyte P55a-UD4P (future proof), please read this once: http://www.mwave.com/mwave/ReviewList.asp?SKU=BA25979

"Due to the way that the USB and SATA 3.0 have been implemented, ie. that they use the PCIE x16 channel, if either the USB 3.0 or the SATA 3.0 is enable at true USB/SATA speeds what they class as turbo..., then the speed of the PCIE drops down to x8. If both are enabled then the PCIE drops down to x4 and the USB and SATA work at 50% of USB and SATA 3.0 speeds..... a VERY poor implementation."

This MOBO will cost me $180 each but I don't see it as a weakness or poor implementation (because 8x still is not bad), your comment on my choice?


Thank you so much,

~akula2

 

[cyberkuberiah]

about ud4p , you dont need it as it is a board capable of running two graphics card for even more gfx performance . if u want sata 3 and usb 3 , go for p55a-ud3 or 3r or 3p (see what's available , they differ in pci/pcie x1 slots etc only) . they also cost around 50 less than ud4p ! and sapphire 5770 for is also not required . get a 4670 for 67 bucks (almost 100 dollars less) .

 

[cyberkuberiah]

also , as ure not gaming , it does not make a difference whether its 8x or 16x . no problemo !

 

[akula2]

about ud4p , you dont need it as it is a board capable of running two graphics card for even more gfx performance . if u want sata 3 and usb 3 , go for p55a-ud3 or 3r or 3p (see what's available , they differ in pci/pcie x1 slots etc only) . they also cost around 50 less than ud4p ! and sapphire 5770 for is also not required . get a 4670 for 67 bucks (almost 100 dollars less) .

I compared and discussed thoroughly with my IT staff and couple of actual tech. team who gonna use these PCs. Most of them are inclined for GA-P55A-UD4P, given the 5 year rock solid service life requirement. These are the spec. differences (don't know about Power phases) between P55A-UD4P, P55A-UD3R and P55A-UD3P respectively:

PCI-Express X16 (X16) 2 (run at x16,x8) 2 (run at x16,x4) 2 (run at x16,x4)
PCI-Express X1 (X2,X4) 3 2 2
PCI 2 3 3
IEEE 1394 3 N/A N/A
Smart TPM Yes N/A Yes

RED: Doesn't matter much to us
BLUE: Important to us
ORANGE: May not be needed in future?

So, only deciding factor for us is PCI slots on UD4P. If PCI are not enough then we would go for UD3P and UD3P has TPM chip too but given the price of GA-P55A-UD3P is $160 and GA-P55A-UD4P is $185 on Newegg should I care for extra $25 or not (honestly I don't care if it's worth)...please give your inputs as I need to confirm with my friend in the US in another 48 hours

Thanks,

~akula2

 

[cyberkuberiah]

no need to waste 25 dollars . no ud3 as i noticed u need TPM .
dont bother with number of power phases for your requirement .

the ud3p has TPM , and extra PCI .u need 3pci + 2pciex1 rather than 2pci+3pciex1 .

i would strongly recommend the ud3p .

 

[akula2]

the ud3p has TPM , and extra PCI .u need 3pci + 2pciex1 rather than 2pci+3pciex1 .
i would strongly recommend the ud3p .

P55A-UD4P is already a hit on Newegg but looks like P55A-UD3P is the latest entry into the market Yet to find a good review on UD3P...will search for a few along with UD4P tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[akula2]

no need to waste 25 dollars . no ud3 as i noticed u need TPM .
dont bother with number of power phases for your requirement .

the ud3p has TPM , and extra PCI .u need 3pci + 2pciex1 rather than 2pci+3pciex1 .

i would strongly recommend the ud3p .

Unable to get a good P55A-UD3P review, so am thinking to close on UD4P (at least for this one PC which gonna used as the benchmark for the remaining 20 PCs). And, I must confirm to my friend by tomorrow

 

[cyberkuberiah]

no , use the ud3p as a test to make up for missing reviews and get ud4p if required later , as u already have read many reviews for it ! for 20 systems u would save 500 dollars if the ud3p passes !

 

[akula2]

no , use the ud3p as a test to make up for missing reviews and get ud4p if required later , as u already have read many reviews for it ! for 20 systems u would save 500 dollars if the ud3p passes !

Gigabyte has solid reputation but I can't take a call on a product which has no good review (might take some time for the guys to write one, product is still new). I will settle for P55A-UD4P at least for my PC ($25+ is OK and in future I might add one more Graphics card on this PC), later in the next month (by 3rd week) I will definitely think on buying 20-UD3Ps if I find one good review. I can't take any chances with MOBOs considering the scale of investment. What's your last word on my decision?

 

[EXT64]

I think that is a solid plan if you can wait. I would be shocked if Gigabyte dropped the ball on the UD3P, but when you are purchasing that many (and thus spending so much money) you should be very cautious. At the very least, buy one of the product you plan to purchase in large amounts and test it fully just to make sure nothing was overlooked before purchasing the big set.

 

[akula2]

I think that is a solid plan if you can wait. I would be shocked if Gigabyte dropped the ball on the UD3P, but when you are purchasing that many (and thus spending so much money) you should be very cautious. At the very least, buy one of the product you plan to purchase in large amounts and test it fully just to make sure nothing was overlooked before purchasing the big set.

I gave the final components list to build and test the 1st workstation (MOBO, CPU, CPU cooler, Thermal Paste, DDR3 RAM, Graphics Card, HDD and PSU) to my friend in the US but he said something interesting in the last minute.

He recommends MSI P55-GD65 MOBO for the planned workstations w.r.t Price/Performance/Power consumption but the catch is he recommended strongly Intel Core i7-860 vs. Intel Core i5-750 for my application requirements! His point was the saving on the MOBO could be diverted to the better processor which I already knew it (after reading the Anandtech's review). One again I referred to the update review here: http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=3639

Now I've to confirm to him in another 12 hours max or else he gonna buy GA-P55A-UD4P and Core i5-750 (combo) Please comment on these configurations (Newegg):

MSI P55-GD65 + Intel Core i7-860 - $160 + $280 = $440
MSI P55-GD65 + Intel Core i5-750 - $160 + $200 = $360

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P + Intel Core i7-860 = $185 + $280 = $465
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P + Intel Core i5-750 = $185 + $200 = $385

Which looks better? Maybe I could save little more if my friend gets them in a combo deal. Please comment, thanks.

Note: I couldn't find if MSI has Foxconn sockets or not and don't know ATI Radeon 5770 performance on this MOBO!