New X38 mobo purchasing decision

[SnOop005]

Hello,

Looking for a new mobo to replace my 975 chipset. I currently have the Abit AW9D-MAXX and would like to try something else other than Abit, I've been using Abit since the B6X days for the Celeron 300A combo but I've noticed Abit really dropped the ball these past couple of years. I would like to try the 780i chipset but I just don't have the time to do research and tweak the board untill it works right. Looking for a board thats solid and stable right out of the box without vdrop mod or anything. I plan on using the CPU that i have now which is a E6600 that will hit 3.6 on a Tuniq Tower. I'm really just looking for a smooth transition without spending too much time tweaking the board thats why i've decided to go with the intel chipset route.

I'm thinking of

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131227 - Asus Maximus Formula

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813136042 - DFI X38

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128326 - Gigabyte EX38-DQ6


I've always been using Abit boards and never used anything else so i really appericate all the inputs on these boards.

Current system specs:

Abit AW9D-MAXX
E6600@3.6
Tuniq Tower with 120mm fan
2X 1 gig Plat. OCZ PC8000 DDR II
eVGA 8800GTX ACS Edition
W.D 150 Raptor
2x W.D SE 320gig on RAID 0

Thanks!

 

[Hauk]

The Asus standard P5E is a great x38 board, but the Maximus for only $20.00 more is a solid buy. You should see the box for that thing. Open the box front panel to see a glimpse of the mobo through a window; a thing of beauty. I know, it's just a box. But when you hold that box in your hands and then see everything you get inside, you'll understand why it was a $325+ purchase at one time..

 

[DSF]

If you just want a solid Intel chipset, you might consider going with the P35 and saving some money. For someone using an Nvidia graphics card, the X38 doesn't offer a whole lot over the P35.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

D
F
I

/EOT.

 

[lopri]

Another vote for DFI

 

[SnOop005]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

I've narrowed it down to Gigabyte and DFI.

 

[Giacomo]

It's mostly up to your overclocking tastes. If you are willing to study hard on the complicated BIOS feature set and attain the best results from your hardware, the DFI is the right choice. For easier (and tipically less brilliant) results, ASUS or Gigabyte ones are nice boards.

Giacomo

EDIT: Just noticed this: "I'm really just looking for a smooth transition without spending too much time tweaking the board thats why i've decided to go with the intel chipset route." Then I think that the DFI isn't worth the go for you.

 

[SnOop005]

Thanks!

Does anyone know if either DFI or Gigabyte will clear the Tuniq Tower 120?

 

[djnsmith7]

I have the ASUS Maximus Formula, as listed in Rig 1, & it's a beast. It was a lot easier to get up & running than the Striker II Formula (Overclocking wise, anyway) & it's been very user friendly. It easily OC'd my E8400 to 4.0 without a hitch. It also supports Crossfire & easily recognized my 8 GB of OCZ SLI RAM.

 

[GoaGas]

Hi, If the Gigabyte GA-X38-DS5 has finally made it to the States (its been in UK since Xmas) I'd well recommend it. All the benefits of a DQ6 but without the gimmicks. No back-plate so your Turiq will fit easily. It works well straight out of the box, just install the F5 BIOS & then set your memory timings if needed - & you'll be fine.

 

[bigsnyder]

I don't think it has or will but the GA-EX38-DS4 is pretty darn close to being a DQ6 as well.
The biggest difference IMO is two less SATA ports on the DS4. This is the board I just bit on.

 

[cyborg66]

the GA-EX38-DS4 is only pci express version 1 you should go for the GA-X38-DS4 its pci express version 2

 

[bigsnyder]

No that is incorrect. The EX38-DS4 fully supports PCIe 2.0.
Manufacturer Link. Look at item 7 in the feature list.

 

[SnOop005]

Thanks again for the input, I was really leaning towards the DQ6 but didn't realize the back plate. So now narrowed it down to two:

Asus Maximus
EX38-DS4

I have a feeling these two will have pretty similar overclocking performance.

I think I might just go with the Maximus.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: SnOop005
Thanks again for the input, I was really leaning towards the DQ6 but didn't realize the back plate. So now narrowed it down to two:

Asus Maximus
EX38-DS4

I have a feeling these two will have pretty similar overclocking performance.

I think I might just go with the Maximus.

why'd the DFI get ruled out?

 

[cyborg66]

the comparison chart says there different unless its wrong
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Pro...px?ProductID=2754,2736

 

[bigsnyder]

Again, check the product page. It documents PCIe 2.0 in the specifications and in the manual.
Also check out this review here. You can see in some of the screenshots where PCIe 2.0 is
monogrammed on the board (the 2.0 is right under the PCIe connector lock).

 

[Xpoc]

Originally posted by: cyborg66
the comparison chart says there different unless its wrong
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Pro...px?ProductID=2754,2736

These are the correct specs for the EX38-DS4


http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Pro...roductName=GA-EX38-DS4

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: SnOop005
Thanks again for the input, I was really leaning towards the DQ6 but didn't realize the back plate. So now narrowed it down to two:

Asus Maximus
EX38-DS4

I have a feeling these two will have pretty similar overclocking performance.

I think I might just go with the Maximus.

why'd the DFI get ruled out?

I think it was because it was deemed too complicated. However I don't think the DFI is any more complicated for any basic overclocking...its just that its that much better if you really know what you're doing and are wanting to push the limits of your system.

 

[OLpal]

Hi SnOop005 !!
I question your decision to spend the extra dollars on a X38 board over a equally good P35 board ... Unless your gonna put another of those 8800gtx with it to run in crossfire mode ! Especially using only a E6600 Conroe i see little if any gain going with the X38 board.. Lots of money to be saved here & put toward a faster processor or more memory..

Just a thought !! Ol'Pal Gary

Originally posted by: SnOop005
Hello,

Looking for a new mobo to replace my 975 chipset. I currently have the Abit AW9D-MAXX and would like to try something else other than Abit, I've been using Abit since the B6X days for the Celeron 300A combo but I've noticed Abit really dropped the ball these past couple of years. I would like to try the 780i chipset but I just don't have the time to do research and tweak the board untill it works right. Looking for a board thats solid and stable right out of the box without vdrop mod or anything. I plan on using the CPU that i have now which is a E6600 that will hit 3.6 on a Tuniq Tower. I'm really just looking for a smooth transition without spending too much time tweaking the board thats why i've decided to go with the intel chipset route.

I'm thinking of

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131227 - Asus Maximus Formula

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813136042 - DFI X38

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128326 - Gigabyte EX38-DQ6


I've always been using Abit boards and never used anything else so i really appericate all the inputs on these boards.

Current system specs:

Abit AW9D-MAXX
E6600@3.6
Tuniq Tower with 120mm fan
2X 1 gig Plat. OCZ PC8000 DDR II
eVGA 8800GTX ACS Edition
W.D 150 Raptor
2x W.D SE 320gig on RAID 0

Thanks!

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: SnOop005
Thanks again for the input, I was really leaning towards the DQ6 but didn't realize the back plate. So now narrowed it down to two:

Asus Maximus
EX38-DS4

I have a feeling these two will have pretty similar overclocking performance.

I think I might just go with the Maximus.

why'd the DFI get ruled out?

I think it was because it was deemed too complicated. However I don't think the DFI is any more complicated for any basic overclocking...its just that its that much better if you really know what you're doing and are wanting to push the limits of your system.

If thats his reason that's fine, there has to be a comfort level there or you're not going to get the most out of what you're getting.

I will say this though, the defaults on DFI's bios are usually more acurate and more overclocking friendly than the non-adjustable settings for other motherboards.

 

[Sylvanas]

For someone wanting a simple OC or just 'go well out of the box' the Asus or Giga would be the go over the DFI. Don't get me wrong I love DFI but it's only really worth it if you want to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of your rig, and are familiar with memory timings. So whatever is cheaper of the Asus or Giga, but I would agree the X38 offers no real tangible benefits over a P35 if you not planning on Crossfire. I would either a) buy a P35 board now or B) buy an X48 soon for the added OC polish many companies have added with their top of the line (for example the Rampage formula's adjustable Trd).

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: SnOop005 I currently have the Abit AW9D-MAXX and would like to try something else other than Abit, I've been using Abit since the B6X days for the Celeron 300A combo but I've noticed Abit really dropped the ball these past couple of years.

actually they are back since the USI merger - the AB9 QuadGT & IP35 series are all acknowledged as amongst the top mobos in their classes.
Even the IN9 32X with the release of the 14 BIOS has eventually turned out to be 1 of the better 680i mobos (as long as you don't want to run a quad at v. high fsb).

The IX38 QuadGT appears to be at least as good as the Gigabytes but to echo the others if you aren't looking to Crossfire then X38 brings no real advantage over P35.
P45 will be out shortly too which will even narrow that gap.

 

[massappeal]

Originally posted by: Sylvanas
For someone wanting a simple OC or just 'go well out of the box' the Asus or Giga would be the go over the DFI. Don't get me wrong I love DFI but it's only really worth it if you want to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of your rig, and are familiar with memory timings. So whatever is cheaper of the Asus or Giga, but I would agree the X38 offers no real tangible benefits over a P35 if you not planning on Crossfire. I would either a) buy a P35 board now or B) buy an X48 soon for the added OC polish many companies have added with their top of the line (for example the Rampage formula's adjustable Trd).

I agree with Sylvanas, you should either buy a P35 board or X48. The X48 boards are a bit more user friendly from the reviews I have read, and with adjustable tRD you might aswell wait for an X48 board within a week or two. Although, your cpu would be better suited for the P35 board it really comes down to your decision and your overclocking capabilities.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: SnOop005
Thanks again for the input, I was really leaning towards the DQ6 but didn't realize the back plate. So now narrowed it down to two:

Asus Maximus
EX38-DS4

I have a feeling these two will have pretty similar overclocking performance.

I think I might just go with the Maximus.

why'd the DFI get ruled out?

I think it was because it was deemed too complicated. However I don't think the DFI is any more complicated for any basic overclocking...its just that its that much better if you really know what you're doing and are wanting to push the limits of your system.

If thats his reason that's fine, there has to be a comfort level there or you're not going to get the most out of what you're getting.

I will say this though, the defaults on DFI's bios are usually more acurate and more overclocking friendly than the non-adjustable settings for other motherboards.

True, I agree. I just feel that DFI has a relatively unfair mantra against them. Just because there might be dozens of settings and options you have no idea what they do doesn't mean you need to touch any of them - the DFI boards will still have the basic options in there that are all you really need for basic overclocking...heck, my DFI LT P35-T2R will calculate the new clock rates for CPU and RAM based on changed settings and straps/dividers.

IMO, even DFI's most notoriously overclocker noob unfriendly motherboard (the ICFX3200) is actually one of the easiest once you learn the new language - part of the reason there is that you can keep the memory locked at its default speed and just overclock the CPU from there. Granted, that doesn't provide the most efficient/effective performance, and you do have to get relatively dirty to tweak it for ultimate performance, however my point is that average joe newbie overclocker shouldn't have any harder a time getting the same results with a DFI board than one of the supposed more user friendly boards.

IMO if you're going to pay ~$200+ for any motherboard and are not willing to get a little dirty I think you're crazy anyways. I mean there are very nice boards for UNDER $100 that will do all the basic stuff (and then some) that people are otherwise too afraid to jump in and get wet with - after that its pretty much just status unless you're really going to exploit some of the add on features such as dual LAN or integrated WIFI or something - and if that's what you're going for then it should be REALLY easy to whittle down your options.