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Daddy needs a new mobo


=VG= SavageCDN

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OK so it's probably been over 10 years since I've built a real gaming system...give me a rack server to build and I'm your guy but I'm useless when it comes to the best option for a gaming-specific board. Recently I've acquired all the right parts now I just need to make the jump with a new motherboard and RAM (and possibly CPU).

So I'm asking for input on what mobo I should look at (let's pretend $$$ is not a limitation). Here's what I have now to work with:

Intel i7 920 Bloomfield CPU (never been overclocked)
GTX 570 video card (same ^)
1 x WD 300GB SATA 2 drive (junk drive, swap drive)
1 x WD VelociRaptor 300GB 10k rpm SATA 3.0 drive (O/S, apps, etc)
1 x OCZ Vertex 3 120GB SATA 3.0 SSD (Games, HD midget porn)
Antec TruePower Quattro TPQ-1000 1000W
Antec Nine Hundred Two v3 case
Some low-end Asus workstation board I can't even remember the model



What I'd like on a new board:

SATA 3.0 with more than 2 god-damn channels on the board!!
Minimum 4 RAM slots preferably 6
Ability to have a 2nd video card in SLI
e-SATA option
At LEAST 4 USB on the back
Onboard sound


I've always been a fan of Asus boards (only one bad board in probably 500+ workstations) but not sure if they are the best when it comes to gaming.

I'll also need new RAM so any help there would be great.

Any thoughts or suggestions?
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You mentioned perhaps a new CPU or do you want to stay with the i7 920? I'm not sure if you want to overclock but that chip will easily go much higher. But, if you want to stay with the current line up, I would suggest the ASUS X58 Sabertooth board (I am currently running it with an I7 950 and running it stable at 4 GHZ). One thing to remember is the X58 chipset runs tri-channel RAM so you will populate three DIMM slots with the RAM (or all six if you want....just depends on the config you decide upon). I am currently running 12 GB of G.skill DDR3 1600 Mhz with 6-8-6-20 timings. There are other RAM options but it runs solid for me and I realize it is a little more expensive. If you are interested in upgrading the CPU, then I would recommend the i52500k. It runs default at 3.3 Ghz with a turbo boost mode at 3.7 Ghz (automatic overclock if you will). The i52500k does not support hyper-threading but really doesn't matter since it is generally the first thing that gets turned off by most gamers (unless of course you run apps that take advantage of HT). If you decide to go the i52500K (socket 1155) route, I would recommend the Asus P8P67 Rev. 3.1 board. With this option, the RAM is cheaper and you can get 8 GB of RAM with CAS latency of 9 for $50. I am running two computers with the i52500k chips and they are great and make good gaming rigs. Here are some links for your review:

X58 Sabertooth: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131665

G.skill tri-channel RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231352

Asus P8P67 3.1 board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131770

G.skill 8 GB Sniper series DDR3 1600 RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231461

Let me know what you think.

Griff
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If u can, go for a z68 board and hold out a little longer for an ivy bridge cpu . Asus Maximus IV extreme -z has all on board you will need . I see your current cpu is 1156 socket but if i were you and you want something more future proof go for the i7 1155 range of cpu,s . And as mentioned before ,ram can be got very cheap for these boards.
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Griff and Kilgore - thank you for the great replies that is exactly the info I was looking for.

Not sure if I'm going to keep the i7 920 or not.. although as Kilgore said waiting for the ivy bridge to come out is probably my best bet (April 2012?). It seems the socket 1155 route is the way to go long-term. I think perhaps I'm best to maybe overclock my current CPU for the time being and wait for a few months before upgrading.

Griff - so you've got an I7 950 PC and two i52500k PCs? I am jealous !yes
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Yes, that is always an option and I was just reading my Maximum PC magazine and there was a small blurb about Ivy Bridge and some leaked information. It sounds good at this point but I will wait for the reviews when it is actually released. With respect to my current set ups, well, I didn't plan on having three gaming rigs. But, one is my son's (his AMD rig died a few months back) and I built a spare LAN rig to use for travel and for a guest when I host LAN meets at my place. Fast computers are a must at my house.....and as our family motto goes, "A family that games together stays together." Good luck with your decision and it will be interesting to see how the Ivy Bridge chips perform and how much they cost!

Griff

Ivy Bridge (unofficial of course):

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/ivy_bridge_benchmarks_specifications_and_q2_2012_release_date_leak
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haha that's great... I miss the days of the LAN party, although back when I was doing it a lot it took half the day to get the network up and running (which in retrospect was also half the fun!!). Does your wife game as well? I've tried to get mine into different games but without any luck.

On the Ivy bridge front I've just been going on what I've read and what others have told me. You're right though.. I shouldn't bet the farm until it's actually released in the wild.

Thanks again!!
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Perhaps your wife would enjoy the Flash Games at the VG Arcade?

I know I've lost several hours, for some reason I can't explain, playing those quirky little flash games. That one with the arrow shooting is fun!

Good luck on your new system, looks like you have a great direction!
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Well, BC or "before children," my wife would play Battlefield 1942 with me. Her only request was to be able to carry the bazooka! Now what does that say about her personality? Actually, she has a nice gaming rig too and it can be quickly confiscated for a LAN meet if need be. We have plenty of laptops for her to use while my buddies are over so no worries for her. When she has time, she normally plays Empire Earth, Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, etc. But, I made the mistake of introducing her to Angry Birds a few weeks back :-) I'm looking forward to the "Hello Kitty" build in a few years when my daughter is old enough to use a computer. I can't seem to find any specific cases so it looks like a pink case with lots of stickers! Take care....
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only bad thing about LAN parties is when the room gets way too hot, start feeling like you're in a sweatshop lol. especially when windows and doors cant be opened because moths and shit flood into the room. and yeah people of NZ don't really know what air conditioning is... or fans.
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Well I myself use a Asus P8Z68-V PRO mobo and it should suit your requirements.
But using two GPU's might make things cramped if you use many of the slots.
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z68V_PRO/#specifications

GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 is also a good option, it has gotten good reviews as well and has a similar package.
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3853#ov
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@ Griff.. hmmm perhaps I should try with the Diablo/Baldur's gate style games since she loves that type of movie.

They used to sell Barbie and Hot Wheels PCs years ago don't know if you can still find them.. Barbie one was hot pink with flower stickers (even the CRT case was pink..lol) and came with a bunch of Barbie software.

http://www.google.ca/search?q=hello+kitty+computer&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=mRT&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=r78RT6WkMOXl0QGws5ixAw&ved=0CGIQsAQ&biw=1788&bih=971

@ Semler good idea I will try that

@ Jager thanks I will check those out
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  • 1 month later...
Griff LAN_WROTE ...

Well, BC or "before children," my wife would play Battlefield 1942 with me. Her only request was to be able to carry the bazooka! Now what does that say about her personality? Actually, she has a nice gaming rig too and it can be quickly confiscated for a LAN meet if need be. We have plenty of laptops for her to use while my buddies are over so no worries for her. When she has time, she normally plays Empire Earth, Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, etc.


dang... just dang....

...where can you buy those?
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SavageCDN =VG= LAN_WROTE ...

Just wanted to thank posters again for their help.. I ended up going with the Asus Sabretooth X58... very sexy mobo!!


Good choice. I have been happy with mine. Oh and by the way, I don't know if it matters or not but I prefer the "old" avatar. Much easier on the eyes and I never knew I loved the Canadian flag so much !lolol
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Castor =VG= LAN_WROTE ...

Griff LAN_WROTE ...

Well, BC or "before children," my wife would play Battlefield 1942 with me. Her only request was to be able to carry the bazooka! Now what does that say about her personality? Actually, she has a nice gaming rig too and it can be quickly confiscated for a LAN meet if need be. We have plenty of laptops for her to use while my buddies are over so no worries for her. When she has time, she normally plays Empire Earth, Age of Empires, Age of Mythology, etc.


dang... just dang....

...where can you buy those?


Hmmmm.....how do I answer that one? Does the price of the rings count?
Then again, I think I just got lucky. Just had a great LAN meet at my place two weeks ago and nothing like three solid days of flying DCS A-10C with friends. The wife enjoys hosting LAN meets at our place but then again, it normally means she gets to buy new stuff for the house and it puts my butt in gear to finish the inside of our house !yes
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Griff LAN_WROTE ...

Good choice. I have been happy with mine. Oh and by the way, I don't know if it matters or not but I prefer the "old" avatar. Much easier on the eyes and I never knew I loved the Canadian flag so much !lolol


Well now you're the 4th person to tell me this.. I may have to reconsider my avatar change. I do miss that flag... !rose
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