Mobo Recommendations

GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
edited January 2011 in Hardware
My home system is really struggling with its mere 2GB of RAM. DDR2 has come down in price, so it's tempting to double it up for $50, but I hate to invest in a dead platform. So, I'm looking for recommendations for a new motherboard on a modern chipset.

I'm okay with not reusing any of my current main components. I'll sell them at the DD&TP and donate whatever I get out of them back to IC for beer money, since Prime gave me most of the parts :thumbsup:

While I'm looking to replace the mobo/CPU/RAM, what I really need help on is picking a good mobo. Conflicting reviews of manufacturers and dubious specs abound. My only requirement for the board is 2 x16 slots for Crossfire. But then, I need the board, CPU, and 4gb of DDR3-1600 (or better) to fit in a budget of $400. What's the best I can get for the money?

I'm reluctant to get a C2Q, since they're old news and not much cheaper than a quad-core i5/i7. I'm okay with a cheapo Athlon II if necessary to fit the budget; the one I have at work is working out splendidly. My work system trounces my home system right now, and it's tragic.

Comments

  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    MSI 890FX-GD70
    8GB of your favorite DDR3 (1333 or 1600)
    AMD 1075T or 1090T
    Radeon HD5830 on up.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    That'd be a sweet setup, but is a bit over budget (CPU and mobo are $200 ea). I might get a cheaper quad core Athlon for now, though.

    I'm going to hang on to my 5770s and CF them, so thankfully I don't need to get a GPU right now.
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Yea, I admit I didn't read everything you typed :D.

    Can't recommend the GD70 enough, though.

    I might know someone with a CPU that would let it go cheap, he works for this former memory company. :wtf:
  • jedihobbitjedihobbit Central Virginia, USA New
    edited January 2011
    :o Hate to thread hi-jack but.........RyderOCZ I want to SLI and have read about hacks that allow that on AMD mobos. That model you suggested has interested me for a while as it seems to be able to overclock a bit better than the NF980 that I'm currently using.

    Comments anyone??
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Hmm, it looks like I can get into Sandy Bridge for not much more. I didn't think that'd be an option.

    The Gigabyte P67A-UD4 has some pretty glowing reviews for overclocking ability and overall quality ($190). Then the cheapest quad Sandy Bridge on Newegg is an i5-2300 for $185. The puts me a little over budget once RAM is figured in, but it's tempting.

    Edit: Apparently the Gigabyte board's PCI-E slots are x8. Buncha dicks.
    Also, it looks like I'd need a K series processor, so that'd be more like $225.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Only x8 in Crossfire/SLI iirc.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    You have to spend a lot of money to get x16 on multiple slots, unless there are motherboards eluding my searching.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Intel P67 does not support x16/x16. There aren't enough PCIe lanes.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Gotcha.
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    I'd like to build a new system, but I'll wait for the Intel 67 chipsets (H or P or Z or whatever) and Sandy Bridge, like a 2600K or something.
  • TushonTushon I'm scared, Coach Alexandria, VA Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Sandy bridge is live now. H - budget P - enthusiast/performance, unless I am mistaken.
    Intel i7-2600K
    Gigabyte Mobo I'm drooling over

    I'm trying really hard to wait till the process shrink later this year.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Thanks everyone for chiming in. I stepped back for a second to do some more research and read reviews. It looks like LGA-1155 won't support more than 16 lanes. My guess is that my two 5770s won't fully saturate two x8 lanes, though. If I can find some benches that confirm that or cite a negligible performance hit, I think I'll go for it. I'm unlikely to go dual-card again whenever I feel the need to upgrade, so going with an i5-2500K for the CPU power seems like a good move.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Confirmed: Looks like running dual x8 is not going to be much slower than dual x16. Based on single card scaling tests with a faster card.

    Thoughts on this affordable MSI board? Not sure if the boards going for $100 more are offering anything worth the premium.
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    I am not a motherboard designer, but I just don't get it -- why don't these "engineers" make motherboards that can handle full speed on all PCI-E slots? Is it really that hard to do? :banghead:

    My guess is that it is a cost issue - it can be done but the motherboard would be way more expensive.
  • RyderRyder Kalamazoo, Mi Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    Nothing to do with the motherboard manufacturers Tim, chipset designers is who you want to yell at.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    They do it so bleeding-edge computer users like Tim can't run six simultaneous GPUs. It's a ploy to keep the enthusiast down.
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2011
    Tim wrote:
    why don't these "engineers" make motherboards that can handle full speed on all PCI-E slots? Is it really that hard to do? :banghead:


    Don't expect a Mercedes if you buy a Dodge.
  • TimTim Southwest PA Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    tmh88 wrote:
    Don't expect a Mercedes if you buy a Dodge.

    I think "if you buy a FORD" is what you meant to say.....:bigggrin:
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2011
    Tim wrote:
    I think "if you buy a FORD" is what you meant to say.....:bigggrin:

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPYlBWGmkXULF830tgbx13ujZGqdTmquGygzZz2gGBhmMpUFwllA
  • jedihobbitjedihobbit Central Virginia, USA New
    edited January 2011
    Tim wrote:
    I think "if you buy a FORD" is what you meant to say.....:bigggrin:


    Ahhhh........excuse me but what car manufacturer did not file for bankrupt protection or had to be bailed out by the government?? :wink: :o
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited January 2011
    jedihobbit wrote:
    Ahhhh........excuse me but what car manufacturer did not file for bankrupt protection or had to be bailed out by the government?? :wink:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

    Everyone got bailouts including Domino's Pizza by means of the USDA and their Dairy Management program.

    inb4 conspiracy theories...it does look sketchy to me too
  • Cliff_ForsterCliff_Forster Icrontian
    edited January 2011
    I have been pleased with the ECS Black A890GXM-A2
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