my dream system :)
- Thread starter Beta-guy
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Mibs
Well-known member
The first thing I noticed is the Intel board. Any reason why you chose this one? I'm sure it's a great board I just haven't heard much about it, I guess I pay more attention to other brands. But there are lots of really great X38 boards out there. Hopefully somebody can chime in with a good recommendation. Definitely a good choice on the HD4870. I'd like to get my hands on one of those soon. My main concern is the DDR3 memory. I know a lot of guys are jumping for it now, but I still think the price premium is not worth the gains over DDR2. DDR2 is so cheap right now I see no reason to not get it. You pay a huge premium on the board and the memory when you go DDR3. So unless you have a specific need for it for benching or otherwise, I would suggest sticking with DDR2. Then again there is nothing wrong with going that route if you don't mind spending the extra cash, some people want the latest and greatest so more power to them I say. Otherwise good choices! I just helped a friend build a rig in the Antec 900 and I must say it was pretty friendly compared to my P180.
very cool, the reasons for the Motherboard I've selected is I'm trying to aim for a price of $1500 and at that I'm over budget
I want to get DDR3 for the performance boost, my preference if price was not an issue would probably ASUS. As for memory price at my local computer parts store I can get 2 GB DDR3 for $130 everything else is crazy expensive though lol when I saw $100 DRR3 I went for it, and it's brandname too... Corsair 2GB XMS3-1333C9 TWIN3X Dual Channel DDR3 Kit (2 x 1GB) at Memory Express ComputersEDIT: I want to point out that another reason I want DDR4 is it uses lower voltage and thus produces less heat, in my experience RAM dies faster, and I blame RoHS for that but I could be wrong in doing so...
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Mibs
Well-known member
So you have already purchased the memory? That is a decent price for what you are getting. I was going to just quickly recommend this as an example, the ASUS P5Q Pro is a solid P45 board from what I can tell, and right now it's on sale for $1388.88. I don't know how much you are paying for that Intel board, I searched PriceCanada and the cheapest listing there was $197.47. So you could spend less while still getting a great board so you could spend more on some better DDR2 memory. Sorry if it seems like I am trying to discourage your choices! Just trying to give another opinion on the matter. There are plenty of good DDR2 boards out there that won't break the bank,and by saving the cash on the board you can put it elsewhere. Good luck!
Mibs
Well-known member
From what I have read P45 performs quite well. I am going to assume you are not planning on going crossfire? I think the P45 will only allow x8/x8 speeds if you are going crossfire, but full x16 speed when one PCIe slot is being used. Are you planning on overclocking? There are a whole bunch of reviews and forum threads on the web about the chipset debate. Not to mention a million ASUS boards, let alone all the other manufacturers. Choosing a board is always the hardest part.
Cheator
Well-known member
I love my P45.. highly recomend it. I can't wait for Tri-fire
I'm not going to be using crossfire, it's a great idea, but I prefer having just 1 card. As for overclocking I doubt it, the mindset behind the computer is build it for performance and longevity. I've gotten the best that I can afford, in the later part of it's life I may touch on some overclocking but for now, I'm building it for power so I won't have to overclock. :biggrin:
The longevity is with the case and heatsink trying to cool everything off as best as I can. I've made the mistake of focusing on the case/heatsink/power supply over that of the Motherboard, and almost get the Intel board.
Anyways I looked at the P5Q series, and the P5Q3 deluxe/WiFi-AP look darn good and it still costs less than the intel board. :biggrin:
Mibs
Well-known member
Good stuff, like I said I'm not sure about that Intel board but I'm almost positive you will be happier with something nice from ASUS or somebody else. My friend just got a P5E3 Deluxe and it's great. That's an x48 board but the P45 chipset looks just as good. I see you are sticking with the DDR3 and that is a fine choice as well. It's obviously not going to hurt your performance! Good luck with the new board decision!
