Motherboard Suggestions for 45nm Intel chips!

I wonder many people here who is planning to upgrade or build a new rig, got his eyes turned upon what Motherboard to buy for these kind of chips (45nm dual/quadcores)

I've been looking some reviews but could not decide what would be a good motherboard for a chip like the e8400/8500 or q9650. I'm looking more at those with p45 chipset. First of all, it need to have good overclock support (stable at least at 500FSB with proper cooling), good memory handling and if possible a decent hardware controled Raid chip capable of something similar to Intel Matrix Raid (With the current HD prices it's worthless to got stuck on a single drive...) I'm planning on futureproof with DDR3 too, if possible.


I've looked at asus p5q series reviews but found some memory issues, confirmed by some forum members...


Wonder if anyone have comments for: GA-EP45T-EXTREME
It seems tough at the specs on the paper... Review Here It wasnt faster than asus P5q3, but not shure they pushed the limits well... walled at 480 fsb... Need more users reviews and experience...


Here's a four P45 based motherboards comparisson wich included the Gigabyte EP45-DS3L and EP45-DQ6, who came out on top in the reviewer perspective..
but people here in the forum have being blaming it about being difficuld to adjust ram timings...


Any interesting suggestion, links, comments are welcome on this quest for a mobo that will let me push the hardware to their limits are welcome

Will check the abit IP45pro...
http://www.uabit.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=48&page=1&model=428

Seems was scheduled for mid july, so a review should appear soon,.. The ip35pro was a very good overclocker, so let's put our hope on this one... It seems that it's sata connectors are right angled, better than asus p5q...

@crilicM@n said:

First of all, it need to have good overclock support (stable at least at 500FSB with proper cooling), good memory handling and if possible a decent hardware controled Raid chip capable of something similar to Intel Matrix Raid (With the current HD prices it's worthless to got stuck on a single drive...) I'm planning on futureproof with DDR3 too, if possible.

Click to expand...

The MB will depend on which CPU you are going to run...

P45 for quads
X48 for Wolfs

The X48 has a chipset limit the quads hit pretty easily ...usally around 460 - 470...P45 can do 500+ with quads...

The X48 chipset fly with the new duals...IMO (taken with a grain of salt) much better then the P45 chipsets...

x48 boards

glock19owner said:

The MB will depend on which CPU you are going to run...

P45 for quads
X48 for Wolfs

The X48 has a chipset limit the quads hit pretty easily ...usally around 460 - 470...P45 can do 500+ with quads...

The X48 chipset fly with the new duals...IMO (taken with a grain of salt) much better then the P45 chipsets...

Click to expand...

What x48 motherboard would you suggest?
For hitting a consistent 500 fsb, provided adequate tweak and cooling...
Any clue why X48 is better for wolfdales?

Thanks for the input!

Not really...fairly new to the Intel game myself...I am basing that on talking with Collin (been dealing with a lot of quads with a x38/48 board) and on what I read before I bought my rampage...

Since I wasnt planning on going quad for awhile I went with the rampage because it was very constint in the OCing...500+ with the newer 45 CPU's...plus all the reviews rated it as a very stable OCing board...and after having it for a month or so now...I really have nothing bad to say about it except it has a issue with running ballistixs...they run but become unstable after a day or so now (updated to beta BIOS 4.08 helped alot)...I mainly use ballistixs as test sets anyways so that issue is not very high for me now...

The best thing about this board as well as most ROG boards...the LCD Poster...no more headaches on OCing...you know exactly what the problem is...that alone was worth the money to me...much calmer now when OCing and the walls look much nicer now also ...

I just got Tri-Fire up and running about an hour ago and the rampage hasnt even tried to struggle...

I could just go on and on about this board...yes, I am bias to this board right now...this has been the best board I have ever owned and was worth every penny...

My best offer to you is to do what I did...really start checking out the boards you might be interested in and then check out this forum and XS and a few others to see what real people think of them...and then go with the board that is going to best suit what you want/need out of it...

If you dont have that low of a limit and you want to do DDR3...one board that hasnt been reviewed yet is the Rampage Extreme... ...that will be my next board hopefully soon...BIAS came out again ...

Yes... that's waht i'm doing.... I was stuck looking at the p45 boards, but i think people has being hitting 500+ fsb easyer with x48 and, without mem problems i think, at least not much... Haven't studied the 790i SLI chipset yet.... Any thoughts about it?
Tom's hardware has some comparissons with x48 mobos and p45 mobos...

Uhhh, after seen some fantastic 600, 700, and the world record 725mhz fsb with this motherboard... I definetly have to admit, i'll run the risks of going with a quite unknown motherboard manufacturer...

Good luck with the TPower...when you do get it...let us know if it can hit 640-650 on air...

glock19owner said:

Heres a thread at XS with testing of the LN2

It worked at 640MHz in air-cooling though even used the no good CPU, I achieved FSB700MHz with LN2. (The dual is 694MHz) I just start inspection of the BIOS, so FSB will go up still. x9.5 will be in fun now.

Click to expand...

640 Air Cool

Click to expand...

Yes... that good result with air makes me more confortable on choosing it... `ve seen an unfinished comparisson of 7 p45 mobos in a french site, were it was until then, the fastest fsb of the round, folowed by an asus " p5qsomething" were he hitted 635 fsb with the Tpower, 600 with the asus and a litle bit less with the others, but the review tests aren´t finished, but increased my expectance for that hardware... When they finish i´ll post the results of it here...

I'm waiting on the Foxconn P45 Avenger which looks to be one of the best P45's...if it ever gets released.

got the 3110 a few hours ago...so far this is what I have done...what I am running into is memory...none of the memory I have will run at past 1130Mhz stable...so until I get some 1200+ memory like the first set of ballistixs I had...I still am limited on FSB on both the CPU and MB....but at least that limit has gone up to 550

glock19owner said:

got the 3110 a few hours ago...so far this is what I have done...what I am running into is memory...none of the memory I have will run at past 1130Mhz stable...so until I get some 1200+ memory like the first set of ballistixs I had...I still am limited on FSB on both the CPU and MB....but at least that limit has gone up to 550

Click to expand...

With the rampage isnt'? Nice....Congratulations! But can't you use a memory bus divider that alows you to pass the 1130 Sorry if the question seems stupid, as i've been away from the desktops for some years and now i'm coming back to buid a desktop.... My next quest is with what ddr2 i'll go... but that's for another thread... Are you with " relaxed timings "already


EDIT: ahh dumb, theres the validator...

I finally found my way past the 1130 limit...just had to take my time and get the right combo for GTL settings...

Running 4x1GB PC2 8000 Ballistixs at 1200Mhz now...so something tells me I must of done something right



Your board should be even better when it comes to FSB...

Just a little forwarning...I was out of the swing of things for a few years also (until a few months ago)...you will probably go bald after the first week or so with the new settings and more percise tweaks...but after a week or so...you will be ok...

Only bad thing about that board...it doesnt have the LED POSTER like the Asus...that thing is a god send for OCers...no more WTF, holes in walls, systems flying out windows...with the LED Poster...you know exactly were the OC is hung up at...personally...I think all boards should have that ...

Have you ordered your board yet?

glock19owner said:

I finally found my way past the 1130 limit...just had to take my time and get the right combo for GTL settings...

Running 4x1GB PC2 8000 Ballistixs at 1200Mhz now...so something tells me I must of done something right



Your board should be even better when it comes to FSB...

Just a little forwarning...I was out of the swing of things for a few years also (until a few months ago)...you will probably go bald after the first week or so with the new settings and more percise tweaks...but after a week or so...you will be ok...

Only bad thing about that board...it doesnt have the LED POSTER like the Asus...that thing is a god send for OCers...no more WTF, holes in walls, systems flying out windows...with the LED Poster...you know exactly were the OC is hung up at...personally...I think all boards should have that ...

Have you ordered your board yet?

Click to expand...

Haven't ordered yet becouse Iám choosing the ram yet, for my luck, newegg has lowered $6 the price ... I'm thinking about these Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145
$85 for a2x2gb of ddr2-1000... I Think it won't let me down before 550 FSB, and there i'll be already happy Maybe I'll choose 1066-1100-1200 G.SKILL memory.. but that is already enough and a big bang for the buck!!!



Fortunately it has a smallLCD with post codes... A more cheap aproach but similar to what asus have... Not that great, must know what the code mean, but still gives a clue of what made it not to post... http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en-us/t-power/content.php?S_ID=365#

I'm still thinking if I should or not go for a OCZ SSD too... but new egg is still on pre-order...

jason4207 said:

I'm waiting on the Foxconn P45 Avenger which looks to be one of the best P45's...if it ever gets released.

Click to expand...

You've been waiting as long as I've known you

@crilicM@n said:

I'm still thinking if I should or not go for a OCZ SSD too... but new egg is still on pre-order...

Click to expand...

Which OCZ are you speaking of? Link?

-Collin-

@crilicM@n,
dont get the DDR2-1000 kit, get the DDR2-1066 kit instead. the DDR2-100 kit doesnt oc like it use to when it first came out. the DDR2-1066 can get over 1100 with stock votlage from what i have seen over on XS. other wise go DDR3, for high fsb ocing.

Ninja,
i think he is refering to these SSD's from OCZ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...+50001550+1421541071&name=OCZ+Technology,+Inc.
128gig is $545 and in stock, the 64gig is $279 and is on back order.

if your going for the 128gig you better off with the ST-120gig SSD at $479
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820609304

Evilsizer said:

@crilicM@n,
dont get the DDR2-1000 kit, get the DDR2-1066 kit instead. the DDR2-100 kit doesnt oc like it use to when it first came out. the DDR2-1066 can get over 1100 with stock votlage from what i have seen over on XS. other wise go DDR3, for high fsb ocing.

Ninja,
i think he is refering to these SSD's from OCZ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...+50001550+1421541071&name=OCZ+Technology,+Inc.
128gig is $545 and in stock, the 64gig is $279 and is on back order.

if your going for the 128gig you better off with the ST-120gig SSD at $479
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820609304

Click to expand...

That was exactly what my 6th sense was telling me... I'll go with the 1066 for $20 more and guarantee my happiness

I was wondering exactly that 64gb unit... Better two 64gb units in raid than a 120 Anyway, I'm with a little bit of doubt because many people telling about them dying... must read more the ocz support forums... Perhaps it's due to not turning off i can't remember what inside the bios (ahcpi?) By the price of 2 64gb I can go 2 raptors In Matrix Raid... (Are them too noisy?) And, i'd like to see the crucial ssd's that have a claimed read of 250mb's... but i think it's just time to wait the technology get matured...


My next system is starting to take form:
-Biostar TPower I45 mobo
-2x2 Gb of G.Skill 1066 ddr2
-E8400 or 8500
-Noctua NHC12p cooler
-CM 690 case to be used with 7 800rpm near silent 120mm scythe fans
-1x SSD 64gb + SATA backup drive... Or 2 Raptors 300gb in matrix raid...
-Choosing videocard

Have right now setled at new egg for ocz 64gb ssd, TPower I45 and G.Skill 1066 2x2gb DDR2...

Will choose the rest now...

@crilicM@n said:

That was exactly what my 6th sense was telling me... I'll go with the 1066 for $20 more and guarantee my happiness

I was wondering exactly that 64gb unit... Better two 64gb units in raid than a 120 Anyway, I'm with a little bit of doubt because many people telling about them dying... must read more the ocz support forums... Perhaps it's due to not turning off i can't remember what inside the bios (ahcpi?) By the price of 2 64gb I can go 2 raptors In Matrix Raid... (Are them too noisy?) And, i'd like to see the crucial ssd's that have a claimed read of 250mb's... but i think it's just time to wait the technology get matured...


My next system is starting to take form:
-Biostar TPower I45 mobo
-2x2 Gb of G.Skill 1066 ddr2
-E8400 or 8500
-Noctua NHC12p cooler
-CM 690 case to be used with 7 800rpm near silent 120mm scythe fans
-1x SSD 64gb + SATA backup drive... Or 2 Raptors 300gb in matrix raid...
-Choosing videocard

Click to expand...

well if your using the intel ICH9x then raid bandwidth wont go up. seems there is still a issues with SSD raid bandwidth. you would need to use a hardware raid card, Dom went thru the same issue with SSD mtron testing. from what i have heard the raptors depending on the hard drive cage mounting can be noisy, some say they arent to bad. i have never used one so i cant say one way or the other. i stick with Seatgate drives and all i have used are very quiet. as far as the cruical drive your talking about they are working with intel on that project for SSD's. i havent seen any cruical drives on newegg with those kinds of speeds. i think intel stated those drives they are working on with cruical might be out Q1-09.