Motherboard Help
By
Call Me Awesome,
Posted on: 2009-12-03 17:10 in ALL ACCESS Gameplay Technical Issues Bugs
Well, depends what you are looking for.
First there motherboard size, either a full size ATX or smaller uATX.
Then if you plan to go to a multiple video card setup, make sure that the motherboard supports the multicard standard, SLi (nVidia) or CrossfireX (ATI) you prefer. Several of the newer P55 based motherboards (since you list the i5-750 as your CPU) can support both but not all. Also you need to check to see if the second video card slot is x8 and not x4, which can be found on some CrossfireX only motherboards.
At the very least you should search for actual reviews, not forum or seller sites, on the motherboards you are considering, use the word benchmark instead of review for your search. Also checking the actual manufacturer's site is always a good idea.
Then there are the extras. IEEE 1394 firewire support (fading away due to USB 2.0), multiple gigabit ethernet support (why?), the craze of n-phase CPU power regulation (better regulation as n increases but more power wasted and heat generated, good for extreme OC of the CPU). Power and reset buttons on the motherboard, boot information displays, CMOS clear button instead of jumper, more copper etc. All to make one motherboard unique from another, tough to do when all of them use the same motherboard chipset and 95% of other components.
Often it ends up to preferred manufacturers. Asus, MSI and Gigabyte seem to be popular among the tech sites.
And here's a review of eight P55 based motherboards.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Thanks Father. That is exactly the info I am looking for. The benchmark comment really helped with the investigation also!
Still working on this build (and hoping I have the extra cash this holiday season) but getting ever so closer!
Quote:
And now, USB 3.0 is starting to show up.
|
Originally Posted by Father Xmas
Then there are the extras. IEEE 1394 firewire support (fading away due to USB 2.0),
|
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
Thanks guys I appreciate the help!
Now, though I am a little concerned with where I am going to purchase the rig from. I have been looking at CyberPower and a couple others. Where do you recommend purchasing a pre-made rig from (I do not have the skills or patience to assemble my machine)?
Cyberpower looks like it is around $200 cheaper than most other sights but their forums are littered with unhappy customers (true it seems to be people who buy higher end comps). Also looking at iBuyPower and seeing many of the same comments from people. Are any of these sights trustworthy?
Quote:
I haven't bought a pre-assembled PC in so many years I'm not sure of the players, but you'd have a hard time finding a better company to buy from than Newegg. That's where I've bought about 90% of my computer parts over the last 10 years and they're extremely reliable.|
Originally Posted by thedarkeone
Thanks guys I appreciate the help!
Now, though I am a little concerned with where I am going to purchase the rig from. I have been looking at CyberPower and a couple others. Where do you recommend purchasing a pre-made rig from (I do not have the skills or patience to assemble my machine)? Cyberpower looks like it is around $200 cheaper than most other sights but their forums are littered with unhappy customers (true it seems to be people who buy higher end comps). Also looking at iBuyPower and seeing many of the same comments from people. Are any of these sights trustworthy? |
I'd probably look for a machine intended for Gaming. I'd want at least 4GB of RAM and a decent video card, check out the thread on graphics cards for the upcoming Ultra Mode for thoughts there.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
You have to be careful about some of the USB 3.0 implementations. For instance Gigabyte has their GA-P55A-xxxx motherboards. If you choose to enable the USB 3.0 connectors, you disable SLi/CrossfireX and reduce the primary graphics slot from x16 to x8.
Why? Because each USB 3.0 socket requires one PCIe x1 data channel to work. That board also has SATA 6.0Gb support which also requires one PCIe x1 data channel for each SATA 6.0Gb port. It's a rather poor solution for USB 3.0/SATA 6.0Gb which is why my $1200 rig avoids those motherboards.
Father Xmas - Level 50 Ice/Ice Tanker - Victory
$725 and $1350 parts lists --- My guide to computer components
Tempus unum hominem manet
Again thanks.
I didnt think Newegg had assembled rigs though. Thought everything there you had to put together yourself and I am not sure I am competent (or patient) enough to do that. I have toyed with components on there but maybe I have to do some more digging!
Quote:
There's a seperate tab to select assembled pcs. From looking at the numbers of reviews, either most Newegg shoppers don't buy them or the people who come to Newegg for pre-assembled PCs aren't the type to come back and post feedback.
|
Originally Posted by thedarkeone
Again thanks.
I didnt think Newegg had assembled rigs though. Thought everything there you had to put together yourself and I am not sure I am competent (or patient) enough to do that. I have toyed with components on there but maybe I have to do some more digging! |
Found the tab and have been surfing through some of the rigs. It appears all the rigs come from the sites I have been looking at (CyberPower, HP, and IBUYPOWER) although their prices appear even less on the newegg site. Of course without the ability to return the computers I have more reason to pause.
However, it looks like I can get more comp for less price. Here is one that I was looking at that seems to encompass everything I was hoping for. Only issue is it doesnt go into manufacturers for components and doesnt list the specific motherboard. Maybe I should just be adventurous and build my own, even though I have no clue. . .
General Spec
Brand CyberpowerPC
Model Gamer Xtreme 1041
Recommended Usage Gaming
Processor Intel Core i5 750(2.66GHz)
Processor Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor
Memory 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1333
Hard Drive 1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 7200RPM HDD
Optical Drive 1 24X DVD±R/±RW Dual Layer Drive
Graphics ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB PCI Express Video Card
Audio Sound card - Integrated
Ethernet Gigabit LAN
Power Supply 600W
Keyboard Xtreme Gear USB Keyboard
Mouse Xtreme Gear USB Mouse
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Special Features NZXT Beta Gaming Case With Side Window
Motherboard
Chipset Intel P55
CPU
CPU Type Intel Core i5
Installed Qty 1
CPU Speed 750(2.66GHz)
L3 Cache Per CPU 8MB
CPU Socket Type LGA 1156
CPU Main Features 64 bit Quad-Core Processor
Graphics
GPU/VPU Type ATI Radeon HD 5770
Graphics Interface PCI Express 2.0 x16
Memory
Memory Capacity 4GB DDR3
Memory Speed DDR3 1333
Form Factor DIMM 240-pin
Memory Spec 2GB x 2
Memory Slot (Total) 4
Memory Slot (Available) 2
Maximum Memory Supported 16GB
Hard Drive
HDD Capacity 1TB
HDD Interface SATA II
HDD RPM 7200rpm
Optical Drive
Optical Drive Type DVD±RW
Optical Drive Spec 24X DVD±R/±RW Dual Layer Drive
Audio
Audio Chipset Integrated
Communications
LAN Chipset Integrated
LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
Front Panel Ports
Front USB 2
Front Audio Ports 2
Back Panel Ports
PS/2 2
Video Ports 2 DVI, 1 HDMI, 1 Display Port
Rear USB 8
eSATA 1
RJ45 1 port
Rear Audio Ports 6 ports
S/P DIF 1 x Optical S/PDIF Out
Mouse
Mouse Type USB Mouse
Keyboard
Keyboard Type USB Keyboard
Manufacturer Warranty
Parts 1 year limited
Labor 1 year limited
I'm not familiar with the manufacturer, but the specs look good... it should be good for COH Ultra Mode at least on mid-range settings. An Intel quad core CPU with that ATI 5770 should handle most anything you'd care to throw at it.
I tend to buy Asus or MSI for motherboards myself; I've always had good luck with them and they're consistently rated among the top brands. I'll confess to being a bit behind the times on knowledge of chipsets... I usually only study up on them when I'm ready to upgrade equipment and my last major upgrade was a year ago.
I did notice an i7 based machine with an Nvidia 250GTS for roughly $100 more than the unit you mentioned; maybe someone with more current hardware knowledge can say if it's enough bang for the buck better.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Quote:
Graphics card matters much more than processing power for game play, and the GTS 250 is inferior to the Radeon 5770 (which functions around the GTX 260 level).| I did notice an i7 based machine with an Nvidia 250GTS for roughly $100 more than the unit you mentioned; maybe someone with more current hardware knowledge can say if it's enough bang for the buck better. |
As to the rest of it (pricing things out from Newegg):
i5-750 = $200
ASUS P7P55D LE motherboard = 135
4 GB DDR3 RAM = 100
1 TB HD = 100
DVD burner = 30
Radeon 5770 = 165
600 W (quality?) Power Supply = 100
Win 7 install = 100
NZXT Beta chasis = 40
Aftermarket cooler = N/A
Total for self build = $970
Cyberpower Price = $950
On the face of it, that looks like a decent value. However, the company can't be selling at a loss. So either they are getting very good wholesale prices, or they've shaved quality on some components. Of concern to me would be: the RAM, the HD, the power supply, and the graphics card. Getting low-timing or poorly rated ram would be annoying, but not crippling. A low quality HD is most likely to be a little noisy and may have a shorter lifespan. The powersupply in the Newegg pictures is "Cyberpower brand", so I have no idea of its noise, build quality, or even 80 Plus efficiency certification. You can get a junk 600 W power supply on Newegg for $40. Finally, from that picture I can't tell who's graphics card that is. If it's Diamond, they are the cheapest but also the poorest rated of ATI card makers. I have no personal experience with them, but je_saist says they're unreliable and they get rather consistently-bad reviews on Newegg.
Some of the components are from decent companies though. The motherboard is an ASUS P7P55D LE (which you can see from the image gallery pictures). The Newegg reviews are questionable, but most of those relate to difficulties with getting an initial POST from the board, which Cyberpower has already done. Reviews of this class of boards from independant websites have been fairly favorable so far. Do note that the two PCIe x16 slots are permanently at x16 and x4, so Crossfire might be a little choked for bandwidth if you wanted to go with dual graphics cards in the future; and it's not liscensed to do SLI at all.
So those unknown components aren't guaranteed to suck, but I might put the question to the company on those particular parts.
Quote:
Just did some checking, the video card appears to be a Sapphire with, it appears, 1GB DDR3. (It appears to match the picture anyway) The Newegg reviews seem to be fairly favorable... I've never used that brand though. Newegg prices it at $180
|
Originally Posted by Human_Being
Graphics card matters much more than processing power for game play, and the GTS 250 is inferior to the Radeon 5770 (which functions around the GTX 260 level).
As to the rest of it (pricing things out from Newegg): i5-750 = $200 ASUS P7P55D LE motherboard = 135 4 GB DDR3 RAM = 100 1 TB HD = 100 DVD burner = 30 Radeon 5770 = 165 600 W (quality?) Power Supply = 100 Win 7 install = 100 NZXT Beta chasis = 40 Aftermarket cooler = N/A Total for self build = $970 Cyberpower Price = $950 On the face of it, that looks like a decent value. However, the company can't be selling at a loss. So either they are getting very good wholesale prices, or they've shaved quality on some components. Of concern to me would be: the RAM, the HD, the power supply, and the graphics card. Getting low-timing or poorly rated ram would be annoying, but not crippling. A low quality HD is most likely to be a little noisy and may have a shorter lifespan. The powersupply in the Newegg pictures is "Cyberpower brand", so I have no idea of its noise, build quality, or even 80 Plus efficiency certification. You can get a junk 600 W power supply on Newegg for $40. Finally, from that picture I can't tell who's graphics card that is. If it's Diamond, they are the cheapest but also the poorest rated of ATI card makers. I have no personal experience with them, but je_saist says they're unreliable and they get rather consistently-bad reviews on Newegg. |
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Quote:
How are you getting that? From what I could see of the pictures all you could get a look at was the side. *All* of the "brick" design 58xxs look the same from the side: red plastic with vent holes cut at specified locations. The only difference between manufacturers is the sticker they put on the top. Also, each of the companies that has an "open fan" design also sells the brick version.|
Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome
Just did some checking, the video card appears to be a Sapphire with, it appears, 1GB DDR3. (It appears to match the picture anyway) The Newegg reviews seem to be fairly favorable... I've never used that brand though. Newegg prices it at $180
|
If it's a Sapphire, that would make it the most expensive and, from past history of the company, the best quality offering.
Quote:
One of the images of the video card is a 3/4 rear/top view, it looks like the top view of the card in the system. Anyway, it was the only card on their site that comes close and that red top insert is fairly distinctive.|
Originally Posted by Human_Being
How are you getting that? From what I could see of the pictures all you could get a look at was the side. *All* of the "brick" design 58xxs look the same from the side: red plastic with vent holes cut at specified locations. The only difference between manufacturers is the sticker they put on the top. Also, each of the companies that has an "open fan" design also sells the brick version.
If it's a Sapphire, that would make it the most expensive and, from past history of the company, the best quality offering. |
<edit>
Just looked again, we have this image from the system
And this image from the Sapphire card
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Well think I am ready to take the plunge. After going through all the info i came up with the configuration below. Still around $1200 and the only thing I cant find a "brand name" on is the hard drive (which is a little frustrating). But otherwise, I think this is the final go, still nervous about buying online but we shall see what happens.
Wish me luck all!
Intel P55 Core i5/i7 Configurator
Case ( NZXT Lexa-S Gaming Tower Case - Black w/ Blue Light )
Processor ( Intel® Core i5 750 Processor (4x 2.66GHz/8MB L3 Cache) )
Motherboard ( ASUS P7P55D PRO -- Intel P55 Chipset CrossFire and SLI Supported w/7.1 Sound, Dual-Channel DDR3, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, Three PCI-Ex16 MB )
Memory ( 4 GB [2 GB X2] DDR3-1333 Memory Module - Corsair XMS3 Dominator w/DHX technology )
Video Card ( ATI Radeon HD 4890 - 1GB - Single Card )
Case Lighting ( None )
Power Supply ( 650 Watt -- Corsair CMPSU-650TX Power Supply - SLI Ready )
Processor Cooling ( CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooling System )
Video Card Brand ( === High Performance === XFX Brand Video Card )
Primary Hard Drive ( 500 GB HARD DRIVE -- 16M Cache, 7200 RPM, 3.0Gb/s - Single Drive )
Data Hard Drive ( None )
2nd Optical Drive ( None )
Optical Drive ( 22X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
External Hard Drives [USB 2.0/eSATA] ( None )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( None )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( None )
Keyboard ( Combo: Multi-Media/Internet Keyboard + Optical Internet Mouse - Black )
Operating System ( None )
Warranty ( Standard Warranty Service - Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )
Advanced Build Options ( Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower - Achieve exceptional airflow in your chassis )
Advanced Build Options ( iBUYPOWER Specialized Advanced Packaging System - Protect your investment during transportation! )
Video Camera ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Headset ( None )
Printer ( None )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( None )
MP3/MP4 Player ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
2nd Monitor ( None )
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None )
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None )
Netbook / Notebook Bundle ( None )
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive ( None )
Quote:
It's the only card that looks like that, except for all of the others =P. Compare the Diamond (bottom central image) with the picture of the Sapphire you linked.|
Originally Posted by Call Me Awesome
One of the images of the video card is a 3/4 rear/top view, it looks like the top view of the card in the system. Anyway, it was the only card on their site that comes close and that red top insert is fairly distinctive.
<edit> Just looked again, we have this image from the system And this image from the Sapphire card |
It's the reference card design. The only difference is the sticker the companies put on the top.
Ah, I stand corrected.
COH has just been murdered by NCSoft. http://www.change.org/petitions/ncso...city-of-heroes
Hey guys,
Still working on a couple new rig ideas and with Castle shedding light on GR vid cards I think I am finally closing in on a decent build. However, I am (sadly, I know) the least knowledgeable about mother boards. What do I need to be looking at when I start investigating motherboards?
This is my latest configuration, although I have swapped out the Zonet Card and upgraded the power supply to a "named" brand.
Configuration
* CPU: Intel® Core i5-750 2.66 GHz 8M L2 Cache LGA1156
* HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [-22])
* MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Dominator [+39])
* MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX/SLI] Biostar T5 XE CFX-SLI P55 Chipset DDR3 ATX MB w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB2.0, SATA-II Raid, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 2 Gen2 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI [+2]
* SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
* VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 CORE 216 896MB 16X PCI Express [+67] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
* BUNDLE: None
* BLUETOOTH: None
* CD: LG 22X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Dual Layer Drive (BLACK COLOR)
* CD2: None
* CAS: Apevia X-Dreamer 3 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Side-Panel Window & Temperature Display (Black Color with Green Ring & Green LED Fan)
* CASUPGRADE: None
* CS_FAN: Maximum 120MM Case Cooling Fans for your selected case [+9]
* CPU: Intel® Core i5-750 2.66 GHz 8M L2 Cache LGA1156
* FAN: CoolerMaster Hyper TX3 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan [+19]
* FREEBIE_RM: None
* FREEBIE_MB: None
* FA_HDD: None
* FLASHMEDIA: None [-3]
* FLOPPY: None
* FREEBIE_OS: None
* HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [-22])
* HDD2: None
* IEEE_CARD: None
* KEYBOARD: Saitek Eclipse-II (PK02U) Gaming Keyboard [+45]
* MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
* MODEM: None
* MEMORY: 4GB (2GBx2) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Dominator [+39])
* MULTIVIEW: Non-SLI/Non-CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
* MONITOR: None
* MONITOR2: None
* MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX/SLI] Biostar T5 XE CFX-SLI P55 Chipset DDR3 ATX MB w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB2.0, SATA-II Raid, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 2 Gen2 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI [+2]
* NOISEREDUCE1: Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts [+9]
* NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
* OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
* OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
* OS_UPGRADE: None
* PRINTER: None
* PRINTER_CABLE: None
* POWERSUPPLY: 700 Watts Power Supplies (SLI/CrossFire Ready Power Supply)
* RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
* SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
* SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
* SPEAKERS: 600Watts PMPO Subwoofer Stereo Speakers
* TEMP: None
* TVRC: None
* USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
* USBHD: None
* VIDEOCAMERA: None
* VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 CORE 216 896MB 16X PCI Express [+67] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
* VIDEO2: None
* VIDEO3: None
* VC_PHYSX: None
* VC_GAMES: None
* WNC: Zonet ZEW1642 IEEE 802.11b/g/n Draft 2.0 PCI Wireless Adapter Network Card [+29]
* _PRICE: (+1129)
* _view_: d