Intel core 2 duo chipsets

Col_M

Col_M

Col_M

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I'm a bit out of touch with this kind of thing since my last build was almost 3 years ago so i need a little help :p

I basically want to build a SFF PC and have the choice of 2 chipsets the Intel 975X and 945G, the chip i want is the C2D E6600 partnered with 2GB of RAM and i plan to transplant my 7800GT. I don't really have an interest in overclocking and just want reliable and good performance for a bit of gaming and Photoshop mainly.

Would i see any benefit going for the higher spec 975 or will i be pretty much fine going with the cheaper 945 given my uses and spec?

One factor i was wondering about is the lower spec 945G (in the Shuttle SD32G5) only supports a maximum of 2GB RAM, what with Vista around the corner (for me) + gaming + photoshop i'm not sure if that will be enough and limit my future upgrades. I've probably answered my own question with that but are there any other areas where i may find the 945 lacking?

Cheers :D
Col
 
The 975 chipset goes very well with E6600 & I would steer clear of the 945 chipset. I think that's only intended for OEM's making the cheapest possible PC's
 
I am fairly sure that the 945G cannot run Core 2 Duo.My Dell has one and I think you need at least a 965 chipset to get a core 2 Duo running...
 
It is hard to comment on shuttle boards since they are so specific but the 945G can support Core 2 Duo no problem, providing the motherboard it is on can.

http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/945g/index.htm

If the 945G board has all the features you want (have confirmed it supports your CPU) and it is a good deal cheaper I'd go with that, it won't limit any upgrade options just because it isn't the enthusiast 975X (other than Crossfire/SLI and I have no idea about quad core support).
 
Performance wise the only way you'll see any "real" difference between the 945 and 975 chipsets is likely in OCing. If you don't intend to OC, then the 945 is very solid. But, you did mention more memory and Vista so I'd recommend the 975 based on that.
 
ASRock ConRoe945G-DVI


LGA 775 for Intel® Dual Core Core™ 2 Extreme / Core™ 2 Duo / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D processors
Intel® 945G Chipset
Supports FSB 1066/800/533 MHz processor, EM64T CPU and H-T Technology
Supports Dual Channel DDRII667/533 x 4 DIMM slots with max. capacity up to 4GB
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950, Pixel Shader 2.0, DirectX 9.0 and Max. shared memory 192MB
1 x PCI Express x16 slot, 1 x PCI Express x1 slot
Supports Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s
Dual VGA Output: support DVI-D and D-Sub ports with DVI Graphics-SI card by independent display controllers
Hybrid Booster - Safe Overclocking Technology
Untied Overclocking : During Overclocking, FSB enjoys better margin due to fixed PCIE/ PCI Buses
4 x Serial ATAII 3.0 Gb/s connectors
7.1 CH Vista™ Premium level HD Audio (ALC888 Audio Codec)
Worldwide First Embedded MB with Vista™ Premium Logo
HD 8CH I/O: 4 ready-to-use USB ports, HD 7.1 channel audio jacks



Perfect for your needs.

I have built many systems with this mobo and its one of the best Micro ATX mobo's out there for conroe with a nice feature set for the price.
 
It also supports 4 dimms where the shuttle board doesn't, I wouldn't have said that system will still be "in service" when 4GB of RAM is required but I'd imagine Mr Yellowbeard would know more than me on future requirements in games/vista :p
 
Cool thanks for your input guys :) certainly something to think about.

I don't doubt the micro ATX board is a cracker but I'm pretty much looking exclusively at shuttles really due to their small size and their ability to be put in a bag, i'll probably be living abroad a fair bit and taking it with me too and fro :) i've always had the understanding that micro ATX system are a bit bigger :)
 
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