Should i get a new motherboard?

[dDougthehead]

i currently have an Asus p8z68 vlx motherboard, not so long ago one of the pci e slots failed and i switched my gpu to another slot and thankfully it worked. I am wondering if i should invest in a new motherboard so i can then add another graphics card and go crossfire, i had originally intended to get a a new ssd and ungraded gpu. Now if i buy a new motherboard and crossfire my gpu's and add an ssd will i also have to upgrade my power supply, it is currently an 850watt. The alternative is to just upgrade the gpu and buy a new ssd and replace my old gpu, which is fairly decent hd 6950 radeon. I don't like the idea of having a decent gpu gathering dust when i could really use it. Any suggestions? Thank you

 

[clutchc]

First off, unless your 850W PSU is a no-name cheapie, that is more than enough for dual high end cards. The other point I would make is if your processor is adequate, and you game at 1920x1080 or less, the HD 6950 surely isn't giving you choppy frame rates, is it? As to CF, Dual cards sometimes are plagued with a phenomenon know as micro-stutter. It seems AMD cards are more susceptible to it than Nvidia.

But here's the bad news. Your 2nd slot on that board is only X4 electrically. So you are not getting the full benefit from your HD 6950 if that is the slot you are forced to use. This may be why frame rates are less than ideal if that is truly the case. So, bottom line... if your X16 slot is dead, yes, go for a new board.

 

[dDougthehead]

The power supply isn't great, i think its something max, raidmax , when i bought it i looked it up on line and apparently it was a different company that made it and raidmax repackaged it as theirs, andyson if memory serves me correctly. I had no idea my second pcie slot was of lesser quality than the first one, i honestly thought they were all the same and yeah when i play games the frame rate isn't great between 30-60 which is ok i suppose but that is usually with settings turned down some. The motherboard i have currently which i mentioned in my first post, will a new board be of similar shape/size can you guys recommend a good board that would fit in its place.Thank you.

 

[geofelt]

Yes, you should replace your motherboard.
For gaming, you want X8 or better for your graphics card.

Your motherboard has a 3 year warranty. Can you get it replaced via RMA? If I am not mistaken, ASUS will cross ship you a replacement if you give them a credit card.

Otherwise, I would suggest a motherboard with a more modern Z77 chip. There are any number that will cost <$100.

Your motherboard is ATX sized, a standard with 7 expansion slots.

I would not pay more for a sli capable motherboard.

Here is my canned rant on that:

-----------------------------Start of rant----------------------------------------------------
Dual graphics cards vs. a good single card.

a) How good do you really need to be?
A single GTX650/ti or 7770 can give you good performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.

A single GTX660 or 7850 will give you excellent performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.
Even 2560 x 1600 will be good with lowered detail.
A single gtx690 or Titan is about as good as it gets.

Only if you are looking at triple monitor gaming, then sli/cf will be needed.
Even that is now changing with triple monitor support on top end cards.

b) The costs for a single card are lower.
You require a less expensive motherboard; no need for sli/cf or multiple pci-e slots.
Even a ITX motherboard will do.

Your psu costs are less.
A GTX660 needs a 430w psu, even a GTX680 only needs a 550w psu.
When you add another card to the mix, plan on adding 150-200w to your psu requirements.

Even the strongest GTX690 only needs 620w.

Case cooling becomes more of an issue with dual cards.
That means a more expensive case with more and stronger fans.
You will also look at more noise.

c) Dual cards do not always render their half of the display in sync, causing microstuttering. It is an annoying effect.
The benefit of higher benchmark fps can be offset, particularly with lower tier cards.
Read this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995.html

d) dual card support is dependent on the driver. Not all games can benefit from dual cards.

e) cf/sli up front reduces your option to get another card for an upgrade. Not that I suggest you plan for that.
It will often be the case that replacing your current card with a newer gen card will offer a better upgrade path.
The GTX780 and amd 8000 series are not that far off.
-------------------------------End of rant-----------------------------------------------------------

Lastly, raidmax is a tier 5(not recommended, replace asap) on this list:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

Since it is now working, I would not replace it. But do be alert to any symptoms of psu problems.

 

[dDougthehead]

Well thank you, if all that is needed a new board then i will go with that and and SSD, that is about the limit of my budget, around 500$. I didn't want it to spiral up. I can get a good board for the money i am willing to spend, a Samsung 840 pro is somewhere around the 200$ mark leaving me over 200$ for a board give or take. Of course replacing the board comes with it's own issues for me, i have some idea about computers, how big of a job is it replacing my current board, Thank you.

 

[clutchc]

There are several videos on YouTube that show how to replace a MB. Just be sure to have some isopropol alcohol handy to clean the old thermal paste from the CPU and cooler. And have some new thermal paste to replace the old with*. And remember that if your copy of Windows was an OEM, it is tied to the original MB it was installed on. You may have to do a little automated phone work to get it re-activated.
When you install your SSD, follow one of these tutorials for trouble-free installation. There are a few pitfalls to avoid when moving to a SSD instead of a HDD for your boot drive.
1) http://www.computing.net/howtos/show/solid-state-drive-ssd-tweaks-for-windows-7/552.html
2) http://www.overclock.net/t/1156654/seans-windows-7-install-optimization-guide-for-ssds-hdds

* I like to use http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010&Tpk=thermal%20paste%20remover
...for cleaning/purifying
And http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186038
...for the thermal paste.

 

[dDougthehead]

Best answer selected by dDougthehead.

 

[dDougthehead]

Brilliant guys, thank you. 1 last question, can you recommend a good motherboard, one that will fit my case,similar size/shape to my old one. I guess i should be thinking about the MB as more long term as i may(probably will) add to my computer as i go along, so i'm looking for a good MB that should see me through for a few years, Cheers!