Advice on New Motherboard Please

GunRunner

GunRunner

GunRunner

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Joined
31 Jan 2007
Posts
603
Hi

1. I am looking to build a new PC for gaming (combat flight simulator IL2 Forgotten Battles). I am going to keep my present AMD 64 x2 4200+ as an IL2 Forgotten Battles stand alone server (it cannot be used as a client as well when in this mode). This is after I have got a replacement board for it (it failed after 8 months...ASUS A8N SLI-SE (939))

2. I am tempted for future Flight Simulator games such as Storm of War to go down the "Intel Core 2 DUO E6600 "LGA775 Conroe" 2.40GHz (1066FSB)" route. This leads me to my questions:

a. Which motherboard should I purchase, as I wish to use my 2 x Palit GeForce 7950GTs (512mb each) in SLI in full 16 bit mode in each slot? The reason I ask this, is because each of these video cards has a large fan and takes up 2 slots, and I have heard that some boards might be a bit tight on space. I am not sure why this has been quoted elsewhere, as all slots have to have standard spacing due to the standard slot distance on every case ever produced. I also wish to use my Audigy 2 sound card unless the recommended board has better sound than this card! Also I wish to move onto the later DD2 RAM...see next question. Please note I use a 21" Samsung SyncMaster 215TW wide screen monitor (High Definition Compatible) and a resolution of 1680 x 1050.

b. Given that I wish to do some "mild overclocking" at a later date, which DDR2 RAM should I go for? Also if you recommend a particular brand, I would be grateful for the reasons why!

c. As I am going to create a new PC, I will need to get a new operating system! Should I go to Vista? If so why and wish version? I would much rather build a new PC using Windoze XP Pro!

Note 1 . I use a TAGAN 700W power supply, so I do not envisage any power supply problems.

Note 2. I am not in a hurry to go to another ASUS motherboard, as in the past 2 years I have had 2 of this motherboard manufacturers boards fail. I will if this is the only option, but would explore others first.

I would appreciate any comments concerning my questions. Thank you in anticipation.

Kind regards

Peter
 
the only chipset that will let you do SLI in dual x16 is nVidia's 680i.

Pretty much any DDR2 800 should do you.

I would imagine that Storm of War will be a DX10 title?
If so, you need Vista (you'll also need new gfx card too) to take advantage.
In the meantime though a lot of your existing games may not work properly.
 
BUFF,thanks for the response.

I am not interested in other games at present, I am interested in playing IL2 Forgotten Battles. This is most probably one of the most immersive online combat flight simulators available for anyone to play through out the world. I am an admin on the Warbirds of Prey (100% full real (not arcade at all) and mainly historical) server that is sited in the data centre in Manhatten in New York see forum here...http://www.warbirdsofprey.org/


Anyway, after posting my original thread, I have been spending hours reading about the later socket 775 motherboards and started to believe that the only sensible board for me (albeit an ASUS again) was an ASUS P5N 32-E see here..http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-222-AS . However I am now confused after reading this article here...http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17684861 . Can anyone please clarify that the board that I am thinking of purchasing http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-222-AS will indeed run both of my Palit GeForce 7950GT cards, at 16 bit for each card (combined 32 x)or should I be looking further? Remember, these graphics cards take up 2 slots each because of the cooling!
 
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Thanks again BUFF.

Looks like it is not going to be ASUS! After more research and your comments, I am drawn towards the BFG 680i board see here..http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-001-BG . I have not seen any comments on this forum, although I do see comments elsewhere about this board. Has anyone here got this board and how good is the onboard sound?

Looking at the layout if I have a problem with the sound and wish to disable it and install my Creative PCI Audigy II sound card, I might have a problem fitting it along with my 2 double backplated Palit Geforce 7950GTs. Although looking at the pictures, it appears that there is a standard PCI slot between the PCI-Express slots that I could use. Again does anyone have this board and is it possible to use this slot given my 2 large video cards?

Again if I go for this board what are your recommendations on DDR2 RAM? You did say "Pretty much any DDR2 800 should do". Really? Any?

I am planning to go to Vista Ultimate 32 OEM as well! Comments?

Thanks in advance

Kind regards
 
The BFG, EVGA, MSI, Biostar and ECS 680i boards are all identical except for the packaging. The only non-generic 680i boards are the ASUS Striker and Abit IN-9, none of which have so far really shown themselves to be worth their elevated price tags.

GunRunner said:
Again if I go for this board what are your recommendations on DDR2 RAM? You did say "Pretty much any DDR2 800 should do". Really? Any?
Click to expand...

Yes. It runs asynchronous RAM so you can run the RAM at one FSB and the CPU at another. GeIL is apparently giving lots of issues at the moment and not overclocking as well as it used to judging by the number of disgruntled posts in the Memory forum. It's on 'special' at the moment though so maybe it's worth the risk. Crucial Anniversaries are lovely, Corsair is the safe choice, as always, although possibly not the best peformer because their laterncies tend be looser for the same money than other manufacturers. OCZ seem to be getting good reports.

GunRunner said:
I am planning to go to Vista Ultimate 32 OEM as well! Comments?
Click to expand...

1. No SLi drivers yet (unless you run the XP/XP64 drivers in compatibility mode).
2. No stable NVidia drivers yet (unless you run the XP/XP64 drivers in compatibility mode).
3. It'll be ready in 6 months, I really couldn't recommend that you upgrade at the moment if you want to play SLi games.
4. The OEM licence strategy is going be rigidly enforced according to a Microsoft seminar I went to. With XP you can phone India if it won't let you re-activate after a motherboard change and they'll let you re-activate. With Vista, the OEM licence will be keyed to the motherboard. You will be able to replace the motherboard with an identical one, but not a completely different one.
5. The fact that you use the derogatory term Windoze suggests you should be running Linux or Panther anyway, no?
 
WJA96 said:
5. The fact that you use the derogatory term Windoze suggests you should be running Linux or Panther anyway, no?
Click to expand...

WJA96.

Note sure why I did this, as I haven't ever done it before and I definitely was not intending it to be derogatory! I used Linux many years ago when I was an IT manager and a system builder (stopped in 2003), but having an easy life now I have retired. This has led me to rely solely on Microsoft's operating systems.

That leads me to ask if you know if distributors are still selling Windows XP Professional, now that Vista is on the market, as I am giving away one of my 2 current licences to my Granddaughter with "this" spare machine, and need a new Windows XP Pro licence for my Flight Simulator (IL2 Forgotten Battles) new PC using one of the boards we are discussing here?

Thanks again for the information regarding the motherboard situation! After posting yesterday, I carried out a lot of searching and am now up to speed with the 680i chipset boards and realise now that they are all (except ASUS)using the nVidia reference design! This cannot be a bad thing can it, as it means we are all going to be singing from the same hymn sheet? Also good information on the RAM....thanks!
 
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