P6X58D-E/Sabertooth for General Use/HTPC build

[jjames604]

I have read the discussions here and elsewhere on the comparison of these two mobo's.

I will be attempting my first build this month for my central PC, which I use to watch all dl'd moves/tv shows, play games, listen to music, among other things....a general all use PC.

I like both these boards, and don't see many differences other than ddr3 support and for the sabertooth (lack of coaxial out for audio).

I would appreciate any feedback on which would be the better foundation for such a build, considering its primary media related usage (like the price point in and around a 200 bones).

For further consideration considering the other components:

- i7 950
- Radeon 6850/6870
- Run at least 8 gb ddr3 mem.
- Looking for power, longevity, and quality.

If there are other boards that you think i should consider, that would be great.

 

[jaquith]

Welcome to Tom's Forums!

ASUS P6X58D-E
ASUS Sabertooth

The Sabertooth X58 has 8+2+2 2-WAY CF/SLI vs P6X58D-E with 16+2 phase power and supports 3-WAY CF/SLI.

...and the winner is ASUS P6X58D-E!

 

[JD13]

I have the Asus P6X58D-E & it's a great board for the money!
I built mine back in Aug & it's been running without any problems from the first boot.

A few words of caution though:
Read the manuals & QVL when buying RAM or a GPU+ PSU.
Allot of people just buy RAM for the price or speed. It's useless if the MB can't handle what you are trying to do.
Don't buy a cheap PSU either as you will be going bonkers to figure out why it constantly reboots if it is a POS.


Look closely at RAM voltages & slots they should be placed in, as those are probably the biggest mistakes made in new builds.

 

[jjames604]

thanks guys!

The P6X58D-E is what i've been leaning towards after initially favoring the sabertooth.

its funny cause this build has been at least a few years in the making, and now that its happening (i can finally afford it), i can't seem to make up my mind on parts! lol!

Anyway, the input is appreciated.

 

[jaquith]

I have 9 ASUS P6X58D-E with zip problems; I initially 'tried' the GA-X58A-UD3R and it was a disaster so I researched the crap out of the ASUS.

 

[JD13]

I was also researching my parts list for about 3 months & was about to pull the trigger on the P6X58D Premium MB on New Egg, then saw the P6X58D-E & went for it.
I'm glad I did! The SSD was a last minute thing as it was suggested on this site. I also added a Blu-ray burner / player & 6 GB of RAM.

 

[jjames604]

Thanks all for the feedback, after a week of researching i think i've decided to go with the P6X58D-E.

Have picked my cpu, psu, my tower, and a cheap 2tb green drive...now im just in indecision on my vid card. Will take that discussion to the correct area though.

Many thanks.

 

[jaquith]

This area is fine for GPU discussions - if you're connecting to a LCD/Plasma/LED TV then I would look at the GTX 460.

 

[jjames604]

yeah, I was looking pretty hard at both the 6850/70, but the 70 is pushing my price limit, and probably not necessary. Found an open box special at my local comp store today for the XFX 6850 at $169. I made a call and seeing if i can get my hands on it. Just to, sweet of a deal to pass up, and gives me some wiggle room for any last minuet deals....like a boxing day SSD!! I They said they'd call on tuesday and let me know. Fingers crossed!


I like the 460 and was looking at that as well, it just seemed that the 6850 squeaked out a little higher on the price/perf. All in all both would have been good for my build.

 

[jaquith]

Again, if it's being connected to a TV those resolutions are much lower than a high definition monitor -- therefore you need a lot less GPU to achieve good frame rates. Also, if the HTPC is not gaming then even less to drive a 'Blu-Ray" player, an if you're running Blu-Ray verify compatibly.

XFX is a good ATI brand, get one with a 'lifetime' warranty; I've burnt-out plenty of ATI and do date no nVidia.

 

[jjames604]

ok, got the XFX 6850...

Getting closer to build date now. I actually have two more questions. I can't seem to find a conclusive answer on this, but I wonder if there are any compatibility issues with:

Mushkin Enhanced Silverline Stiletto 6GB 3X2GB PC3-10666 DDR3-1333 9-9-9-24 Triple Channel Memory

and the Board? I don't see it on the approved list on the ASUS site, and have read some with issues, and others with none. Its currently on sale for $68 bucks at my ncix with sale ending on the 15th so im trying to get a conclusive answer on if this is a good purchase.

Also...wondering if i need to think about an after market heatsink to accompany my i7950 (a little off topic again). Don't really know if this is necessary but again, im no expert in this area, so any thoughts opinions would be very helpful.


Just need to pull the trigger on these items...as well as the board which i've been hoping would drop in price...(the lowest i can match it down to is $214 CAD).

As always, thanks!

 

[jaquith]

Mushkin Silverline 998770 will work, but any other Mushkin Silverline I'd contact support@mushkin.com +1 (800) 569-1868 USA ; their online configuration is horrible and testing practices are lazy.

Alternative, Corsair Tested list {use Tri Channel kits only} http://www.corsair.com/configurator/product_results.aspx?id=1522755

The 'stock' fan is okay - just don't OC. Alternatives, Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus or better Corsair H50. The H50 is very good and quite and at 1/2 its original price is hard to beat.

 

[jjames604]

Thanks Jaquith,

yeah, hard to lock down a conclusive answer online. i guess a call is worthwhile.

I had looked at the corsair as well as a set of Gskill mem, all within a 20 dollar price range of each other. At this point I'm just trying to pinch pennies...thats where my indecisiveness comes into play.

I figured the stock fan was fine...i really have no plans in over-clocking in the short term, so i guess i can hold off on this for now until i do decide to do it.

 

[jaquith]

Every build has 'some' compromise, but there comes a point where it becomes a regrettable error. I would encourage you not to toss 'junk' at those components and if it were me -> Corsair Dominator TR3X6G1600C8D 8-8-8-24 1600MHz. Skip a Pizza or two.

..."Looking for power, longevity, and quality."

 

[jjames604]

ha, i hear ya. good point...and excellent quote

I will keep you posted on my progress.

 

[jjames604]

I think im gonna side with:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34654&vpn=TR3X6G1600C9&manufacture=Corsair

was what i was looking at originally, and its on the approved list.

 

[jaquith]

The TR3X6G1600C9 is fine, just don't OC them past 1600.

 

[jjames604]

Just to let you know, i purchased the mobo today @ $214 CAD. Decent price. I now officially have all my parts and will probably do the build in the next few days.

Thanks all for the feedback, it was very helpful.

 

[jaquith]

Good Luck on your build!