Difference in Asus P7P55D boards

[AndyDK]

I have been searching for hours now, trying to find out exactly which motherboard is best for me. I have not been able to find the answer, which is probably because I got overfed with information and therefore couldn't tell the difference between different motherboards.

Anyways, I decided to ask here instead. This text will be a bit of a long read, but I hope you will take your time to read it through. I will appreciate any help I can get. Also, I'm not from an english speaking country, so if there is anything you don't understand in this text just ask me to clarify it. From time to time I tend to use words that I barely even understand the meaning of myself.

I'm building a new system for gaming and I want it to be somewhat 'future compatible'. I already have some parts, that I wish to use in the system and then I also have my eyes on some new parts. However, when it comes to motherboards I am really in doubt. I've always been an ASUS fan (not that type of fan you geek! ) and I have mostly been looking at their motherboards, but I am open to any other suggestions.

I've been looking at their P7P55D line to be exact, and I really don't know which board to get. I am mostly interested in P55 motherboards because I think it would be too expensive for me to buy an LGA1366 processor.

The choices are the following:

- P7P55D
- P7P55D PRO
- P7PP5D EVO
- P7PP5D Deluxe
- And then all the -E versions of those above.

The rig will look like this:

CPU: Intel core i7-860
RAM: Corsair Dominator 4 x 2GB 1600Mhz DDR3 Dual Channel (8-8-8-24) See it here
Mobo: Undecided
GPU: ASUS Nvidia 295 gtx
PSU: OCZ GameXStream 700 Watt See it here
HDD: Samsung 753LJ 7200-rpm 32MB buffer
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

If the text is underlined it means I already own this part.

Considering the price of a new Nvidia 295 gtx, I do NOT have any plans of going SLI, so this should be taken in consideration. Also note that I intend to Overclock, but only if software can do it for me, I don't have the needed experience to do it in the BIOS.

These are my questions:

1. Will my 650 Watt Power Supply be able to handle this rig?

2. Can P55 motherboards even handle 1600Mhz 8-8-8-24 RAM or should I get 1333Mhz 7-7-7-24 instead?

3. Will the stock CPU cooler be enough?

4. Last but definitely not least: Which Motherboard would you recommend me? I have a hard time understanding the differences between them. My priorities are: Good onboard sound, easy overclocking, good performance in games and not too hard to fit in my computer case.

If there is anything else I need to know please tell me.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MadAdmiral]

What are you doing with the computer?

First, Corsair RAM is extremely expensive, and depending on your use, 8 GB is most likely overkill.

So some answers:
1.) Yes, a 700W PSU will be able to handle this. I asy 700W because the OCZ StealthXStream 700W is $55 after rebate.

2.) You want the 7-7-7-x RAM instead. Grab some sweet G.Skill Ripjwas 1600 mhz CL 7 for $115/ 4 GB on Newegg.

3.) If you don't overclock. If you do, pick up the Coolermaster Hyper 212.

4.) The differences involve the number and speeds of the second PCIe 2.0 slot. Since you're not going to add a second card, it doesn't matter. The "-E" means they have USB 3/SATA III support. Get the cheapest one with that support.

And some changes to the build:

CPU: If you're a gamer, you should get the i5-750, and take the money saved to a better GPU. Or should have used that money for the GPU.

RAM: Mentioned above, G.Skill makes better RAM for less. An 8 GB 1600 mhz CL 7 kit from G.Skill is $230.

PSU: Let this be a lesson for you: never buy a recertified PSU. Period.

GPU: Out of curiosity, why nVidia? Is that a card you already had? Right now, they're getting pummelled by ATI.

 

[AndyDK]

Thanks for your quick reply!

To reply on your answer:

What are you doing with the computer?

I'm basically gonna use the computer for gaming, and I have a tendency of requiring the best graphics I can get. I play everything from Total War games to the newest FPS games and I even play some older ones too.

1.) Yes, a 700W PSU will be able to handle this. I asy 700W because the OCZ StealthXStream 700W is $55 after rebate.

I already own the OCZ GameXStream, so I don't have to buy the StealthXStream do I, or what do you mean?

2.) You want the 7-7-7-x RAM instead. Grab some sweet G.Skill Ripjwas 1600 mhz CL 7 for $115/ 4 GB on Newegg.

Unfortunately, here in Denmark I can not find any retailers selling G.Skill RAM. Can you recommend another brand?

3.) If you don't overclock. If you do, pick up the Coolermaster Hyper 212.

4.) The differences involve the number and speeds of the second PCIe 2.0 slot. Since you're not going to add a second card, it doesn't matter. The "-E" means they have USB 3/SATA III support. Get the cheapest one with that support.

Thank you, I will probably go with the P7P55D-E then.

CPU: If you're a gamer, you should get the i5-750, and take the money saved to a better GPU. Or should have used that money for the GPU.

I already have the best GPU available (not counting SLI and Crossfire).

PSU: Let this be a lesson for you: never buy a recertified PSU. Period.

Is the PSU I have recertified and what exactly does that mean?

GPU: Out of curiosity, why nVidia? Is that a card you already had? Right now, they're getting pummelled by ATI.

Yeah it's the card I already have

Thanks a lot for your answer!

 

[MadAdmiral]

On the PSU stuff: I didn't notice that you owned it first. You also linked to a Recertified GameXStream. I'm hoping you bought it new.

RAM: Other good manufacturers are OCZ, Corsair (tends to be pricey here in the US) and Mushkin.

CPU: The i860 is a good CPU, but the i5's lower price makes it better, as the gaming performance is the same. The i860 is a lot better in other applications though. Guess it doesn't really matter since you alreay have it...

 

[AndyDK]

On the PSU stuff: I didn't notice that you owned it first. You also linked to a Recertified GameXStream. I'm hoping you bought it new.

RAM: Other good manufacturers are OCZ, Corsair (tends to be pricey here in the US) and Mushkin.

CPU: The i860 is a good CPU, but the i5's lower price makes it better, as the gaming performance is the same. The i860 is a lot better in other applications though. Guess it doesn't really matter since you alreay have it...

Ok seems I didn't make myself clear in the first post - I only own the parts that are underlined, which means: The GPU, the PSU and the HDD.

So I should get the i5-750. Right. And sorry for linking to a recertified PSU! The one I own was bought from new, and has been working for 2 years now don't worry.

Just to clarify: Is it better to just get 4GB RAM instead of 8GB? Will the difference really be that small? How about in RTS games, aren't they very demanding on the RAM?

 

[MadAdmiral]

Games aren't really demanding on RAM in general. You might see some performance gains, but the money can be spent better elsewhere in the build. Typically, gaming builds should go as cheap as possible on most parts if they can fit in a bigger GPU. RAM is also a very easy thing to upgrade later, and since prices will fall over time, you might as well wait for the cheaper sticks when you actually need them.

 

[AndyDK]

Okay thanks a bunch.