C2D motherboard options?

[Atheus]

I feel the urge for Intel but I have no clue about all these new chipsets and boards...

Is it still the case that intel chipsets are the best for intel CPUs? What's the difference between them and which one should I go for? I want performance and overclocking but *not* at the expense of stability and reliability - I'm sick of super-mega-overclocking boards which can't stay up for more than a day.

 

[KeithTalent]

There is a bit of information here that may be helpful: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=29&threadid=1992133&enterthread=y

Cheers,
KT

 

[Atheus]

Wow! Now that's a lot of info.

"The best chipset for Core 2 Duo is Intel P965/G965. So my first picks are from motherboards based on them. The NVIDIA nForce 680i is targeted for enthusiast SLI gamers. If you are going to build a high-end gaming machine, that may be your first choice. The position of Intel 975X is subtle. It was released seven months earlier than 965, but it is still the only "performance" chipset for Core 2 Duo (P965/G965 is a "mainstream" chipset). As a consequence motherboard manufacturers tend to add rich features to 975X motherboards, that could be a plus for some. (High-end P965 motherboards also come with lots of features, however.) Intel 945P/945G motherboards fall in the low-end sector. Performance-wise, there is no big difference between 945 and 965."

So 965 is the 'best' but 975X and 680i have better performance? Is the 965 just more stable?

 

[sjandrewbsme]

I think that when filtered through price it's tough to beat p965. When you ignore price, 680i and 975x are the choices.

If you don't need SLI (and you don't), P965 is the C2D chipset to get imo.

 

[Atheus]

OK.

Is the Gigabyte 965P-DS3 overclockable enough? Stable? How does it do with fast memory speeds? Do I want the rev 3.3 over any earlier one?

/edit: I read - "RAM *must* be able to boot at only 1.8v" with the DS3... any recommendations? Any other board suggestions?

 

[sjandrewbsme]

The DS3 is a great board. The 3.3 is the latest version and it's the one you want. It will suppose FSB 1333 for future processors.

I'm not sure what the 1.8V means - most relatively high end RAM will run @ 2.2 volts anyway (I had Crucial Ballistix @ 2.2 volts in it working fine).

It is indeed a highly overclockable board - all of the tom's hardware C2D overclocking was done using it:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/01/18/overclocking-guide-part-1/

With the exception of the crappy IDE cable placement it might be a perfect board.

 

[fusuikan]

I have a DS3 3.3 and it rocks. I am running my 2.4gig E6600 at 3.2gig without a hiccup and stock voltage. My memory speed is holding me back from going much further. I can't wait till I hem hem buy my wife some new DDR2... In other words she'll be taking my highly overclockable DDR667, and I'll be getting something something much faster. I love this board. I did a lot of research before I decided this was the board for me. I do admit that price was a consideration, but even when I'm swimming in green I am all about the best bang for the buck. I definately think this board is the best bang for the buck out there. The only drawback that I have found is the fact that it is not capable of RAID with more than 2 drives. Though there are 6 SATAII connectors, only the 2 Gigabyte controller boards can be set to RAID. I was a bit bummed when I discovered this as I had bought a third hard drive and I was going to go for the 3 drive array. If you want to RAID more than 2 drives together you may want to look elsewhere, but if you don't care about that you won't regret going with the DS3.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Atheus
OK.

Is the Gigabyte 965P-DS3 overclockable enough? Stable? How does it do with fast memory speeds? Do I want the rev 3.3 over any earlier one?

/edit: I read - "RAM *must* be able to boot at only 1.8v" with the DS3... any recommendations? Any other board suggestions?

DS3 is great. It is stable. It'll run memory up to and over DDR2-1066 fine. Rev 3.3 is your best bet.

The 1.8V RAM issue was fixed many months ago and won't affect the newer 3.3 revision. It was supposedly affecting the S3 too but I booted my memory at 2.1V the very first time and never had trouble.

 

[aCynic2]

Originally posted by: sjandrewbsme
If you don't need SLI (and you don't), P965 is the C2D chipset to get imo.

I was told:

If getting an intel mobo, get an ATI GPU.
If getting an nVidia GPU, get an nVidia mobo.

The reasoning is that mixing the nVidia GPU with an intel mobo creates headaches.

True/False?

I have no opinion on this and I'm seeking answers myself. It sounds a bit hokey, but I need to be certain.

 

[Roguestar]

Totally, totally false. You can use nVidia GPUs on ATI/nVidia/Intel/VIA motherboards and ATI GPUs on ATI/nVidia/Intel/VIA motherboards.

P965 board and 8800 series nVidia card is hugely popular at the moment; I daresay we'd have more than a few threads about it if there were real compatibility problems .