Best sub-$250 board to get the max overclock out of a Q6600 and Ballistix DDR2-8500

torin3 · Feb 2, 2008

Best sub-$250 board to get the max overclock out of a Q6600 and Ballistix DDR2-8500

Ok, I've finally sold my extra video card and have dropped out of SLI mode for only the second time in about 3 years.

I've been unhappy with the overclocking performance in my DFI 680i motherboard.

I've got a Q6600 G0 chip and 4 x 1GB of DDR2-8500 Crucial Ballistix.

What is the best motherboard to overclock with that is under $250? It doesn't have to be that spendy, just a good overclocker. I have an Apogee waterblock, so I've got decent CPU cooling.

I also have some extra fans that can be use for active memory cooling and the like.

I'll want to order it this Monday too.

All my drives are SATA. Running Vista Ultimate 64.

tuskenraider · Feb 2, 2008

Get any P35 chipsetted board with the options and layout you like. OC'ing will be easy with any of them really.

nd4spdbh2 · Feb 2, 2008

tuskenraider said:
Get any P35 chipsetted board with the options and layout you like. OC'ing will be easy with any of them really.

ya p35 or x38 from gigabyte or asus

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...alue=717:28997,717:29253&bop=And&Order=PRICED

I just got a gigabyte p35-ds3l and i must say i can feel that its a MUCH MUCH better ocer than my P5Wdh

w2richwood · Feb 2, 2008

abit ip35 pro and asus p5k p or d are also great
Rich

Evilsizer · Feb 2, 2008

what everyone said x2

Monty_Python · Feb 2, 2008

Asus/Gigabyte of course

torin3 · Feb 2, 2008

Hmm...there is an Abit IP35-pro that is for sale in the classies for a decent price...might go for that.

Evilsizer · Feb 2, 2008

just FYI

IP35-pro $179 w/30 mir for $150...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030
IP35-E $109 w/30 mir for $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127031
just suggestions...

evoted · Feb 2, 2008

i got the P35-DS3L but another option was the Abit IP35 Pro. i think both have great ocing options, the DS3L is about 90 dlls, maybe you can get it and use the extra cash for a cooling fan or something.

torin3 · Feb 2, 2008

Evilsizer said:
just FYI

IP35-pro $179 w/30 mir for $150...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030
IP35-E $109 w/30 mir for $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127031
just suggestions...

Yep, saw the Pro for $150 (the one in the classies is NIB, for a little less, but Newegg has a decent return policy). Of course I'm in the limbo state between when the money was in paypal, and before it hits my bank account. So I probably can't get the one in the classies. Almost 500 reviews with about 80% 5 stars is hard to beat. The Gigabyte P35-DS4 is in my price range too.. (Ugh!! Decisions...

)

Edit: the IP35-pro from Abit only has 3 internal SATA ports...that is a little sparse for me. (I run as many as 5 devices when I'm backing up or working on other people's hardware.)

GT3mich · Feb 2, 2008

torin3 said:
o.. (Ugh!! Decisions... )

Edit: the IP35-pro from Abit only has 3 internal SATA ports...that is a little sparse for me. (I run as many as 5 devices when I'm backing up or working on other people's hardware.)

It has 6 internal Sata ports not 3. The GA-EP35-DS3R 8 internal Sata ports and it comes with eSATA Bracket for 2 external Sata ports but that would leave you with only 6 internal ports.

Jinu · Feb 2, 2008

im not a very big fan of my abit ip35-e, but then again that could be because i can never get the double boot worked out even with flashing the bios. but i do like how easy the p35 boards oc.

Evilsizer · Feb 2, 2008

GT3mich said:
It has 6 internal Sata ports not 3. The GA-EP35-DS3R 8 internal Sata ports and it comes with eSATA Bracket for 2 external Sata ports but that would leave you with only 6 internal ports.

the extra 2ports on the giga are from the jmicron,so its not like he can use them for matrix raid...

nd4spdbh2 · Feb 2, 2008

personally, i tend to stay away from abit... to me they have never seemd like that great of a quality of build when compared to giabyte / asus.

HousERaT · Feb 2, 2008

If you want the best for single card then the Foxconn Mars is the way to go.

Evilsizer · Feb 2, 2008

^^ i keep forgetting about that board...

anyone else find it funny that Foxconn has a good ocing board now? i still cant put ocing with foxconn.. lol

nd4spdbh2 · Feb 2, 2008

Evilsizer said:
^^ i keep forgetting about that board...

anyone else find it funny that Foxconn has a good ocing board now? i still cant put ocing with foxconn.. lol

ya no way id be buying the foxconn mars....

torin3 · Feb 3, 2008

GT3mich said:
It has 6 internal Sata ports not 3. The GA-EP35-DS3R 8 internal Sata ports and it comes with eSATA Bracket for 2 external Sata ports but that would leave you with only 6 internal ports.

Whoops...that is what I get for looking at a too-dark picture on Newegg. Didn't see that they were the 2-high side mounting style.

Evilsizer said:
the extra 2ports on the giga are from the jmicron,so its not like he can use them for matrix raid...

Actually, I don't use RAID.

nd4spdbh2 said:
personally, i tend to stay away from abit... to me they have never seemd like that great of a quality of build when compared to giabyte / asus.

Still going through the options you linked to. I'm wondering though, the ones that say they have 1600 FSB...would that be any indication of more overclocking potential or not?

HousERaT said:
If you want the best for single card then the Foxconn Mars is the way to go.

Evilsizer said:
^^ i keep forgetting about that board...

anyone else find it funny that Foxconn has a good ocing board now? i still cant put ocing with foxconn.. lol

nd4spdbh2 said:
ya no way id be buying the foxconn mars....

I'll take a look at it, but my experiences with Foxconn boards haven't been the best. Had one computer at work with a Foxconn board in it that was from a company that went out of business and couldn't find any drivers for it. Foxconn didn't have any drivers for it and just referred me to the out of business company. Used another and it was definately bargain-basement.

torin3 · Feb 3, 2008

Well, tenatively, these are what I'm looking at. The x38s are nice with the 1600FSB, but it looks like the bottom end of the x38s are at the top end of my price range.

Gigbyte GS-EP35-DS4 $180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128087

Abit IP35-PRo $180 ($150 after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030

And for the heck of it, the Asus P5E X38 board for $230
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219
Which I admit is impressing me with a heck of a lot of coppor on the board.

Evilsizer · Feb 3, 2008

tis a tough choice, your looking at $250 and under...

that gigaboard i need to look into, as its the same price as this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128064
just looking at pictures they are very similar...

*edit*
both have the same feature set, i really dont know if that Dynamic Energy Saver is a feature. if the board has EIST/C1E functions then all boards should have the "Dynamic Energy Saver".
looks like a marketing plow to show the board is 45nm ready. It doesnt matter which board then...
http://www.gigabyte-usa.com/FileList/WebPage/mb_080104_des/tech_080104_des.htm

with what you want to spend, imma have to tip my hat to the Asus board.

Best sub-$250 board to get the max overclock out of a Q6600 and Ballistix DDR2-8500

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