What X79 board to go with Ultima 9700i Blade System

Andrew Moore said:
The overclock can be managed on both motherboards so why would you as a customer benefit from buying a pre-built system with a far more expensive board that runs at identical speeds?

You cant (well you can but you risk breaking your new hardware) overclock it further as that could result in instability etc and a lost system OC.

The systems are set up for both value and performance, theres no added value in replacing the board.
Click to expand...

Hi Andrew,

Yes I completely get the value argument, no disputing that at all, particularly if the user is just going to take it out of the box and just run the thing.

But you said that swapping out the board can be more of an 'issue' and excuse me but I think that the words 'issue' and 'value' are mutually exclusive. To me an 'issue' is a problem, and quite a different aspect to just considering overal value.

So I guess what we really want to know are what are the issues? Technical, or just a 'pricing issue'?
 
On my first build some years ago I made the mistake of using a lower spec board. I then put loads of memory, graphics cards and SSDs in RAID0 on it. Big mistake I had all sorts of problems including a pile of SSDs that were totally bricked.

If you are going to tax your PC at all do not skimp on the Mobo.
 
Dirtyganker said:
Hi Andrew,

Yes I completely get the value argument, no disputing that at all, particularly if the user is just going to take it out of the box and just run the thing.

But you said that swapping out the board can be more of an 'issue' and excuse me but I think that the words 'issue' and 'value' are mutually exclusive. To me an 'issue' is a problem, and quite a different aspect to just considering overal value.

So I guess what we really want to know are what are the issues? Technical, or just a 'pricing issue'?
Click to expand...

Sometimes certain boards dont like certain RAM, this could also include them not liking an SSD.

All these issues need to be considered before changing out the Motherboard as the idea is with an OcUK machine that it maintains stability through its entire life. We do occasionally have issues where by boards are swapped out and the above issues can creep up on you.

The spec listed in the system is tested to work and as such built that way. Changing things such as a board can create problems for us within the company as well as problems later down the line for the customer.
 
OptimaLnrg said:
Are you implying gigabyte products fail more than asus products?
Click to expand...

No one company needs an RMA centre in the UK more than the next. The fact Gigabyte have one adds value to your purchase. A swift turn around if a part needs replacing is always a welcome bonus rather than having to wait for what can be weeks for a company to repair or replace your board where the RMA center is on the other side of the world.
 
Sometimes certain boards dont like certain RAM, this could also include them not liking an SSD.

All these issues need to be considered before changing out the Motherboard as the idea is with an OcUK machine that it maintains stability through its entire life. We do occasionally have issues where by boards are swapped out and the above issues can creep up on you.

The spec listed in the system is tested to work and as such built that way. Changing things such as a board can create problems for us within the company as well as problems later down the line for the customer.
Click to expand...

Would you say the ASUS ROG Formula or RIVE are reasonable upgrades or would you advise against them.
 
OptimaLnrg said:
Are you implying gigabyte products fail more than asus products?
Click to expand...

I can only speak from my own experience which is entirely anecdotal - Andrew is right in theory, but if I were to consider a Gigabyte product it would ONLY be because they have UK RMA, otherwise not a snowball's chance in hell, but thats just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

To date (and I'm going back a very long time) I've never had to RMA a single Asus board, but thats not saying I won't ever have to but when I purchase a board from OCuk then in the context of consumer law my contract is with OCuk and not with Asus or Gigabyte. So UK based RMA only makes sense by prior agreement with supplier and manufacturer, and if it's not there then it makes no difference - my Asus or Gigabyte product gets RMA'd to OCuk, whether they want me to or not.

So UK based RMA is a load of BS to be frank, and the notion that OCuk would refuse to allow me to RMA a product I bought from them back to them just because Gigabyte offers their own solution is laughable - I have no contract with Gigabyte. I am not obliged to use it. Of course, it may be that the RMA process take a little longer depending on the item in question and considering the whole return scenario.
 
Andrew Moore said:
No one company needs an RMA centre in the UK more than the next. The fact Gigabyte have one adds value to your purchase. A swift turn around if a part needs replacing is always a welcome bonus rather than having to wait for what can be weeks for a company to repair or replace your board where the RMA center is on the other side of the world.
Click to expand...

Andrew, if I buy a product from you and it goes pop then guess where I'm sending it?

I'll give you a clue ... it's not on the other side of the world.

This would be especially true if I bought a complete system from you because it is not reasonable to assume that everyone can wield a screwdriver, remove a motherboard and RMA their own kit back to China.
 
Last edited:
Kaapstad said:
Would you say the ASUS ROG Formula or RIVE are reasonable upgrades or would you advise against them.
Click to expand...

They are a very good base for a system and if your aiming at building a system with the basis to upgrade to multi GPU and more ram etc then yes these boards would fair better than the gigabyte if only for the RAM level due to having more slots.

Dirtyganker said:
Andrew, if I buy a product from you and it goes pop then guess where I'm sending it?

I'll give you a clue ... it's not on the other side of the world.

This would be especially true if I bought a complete system from you because it is not reasonable to assume that everyone can wield a screwdriver, remove a motherboard and RMA their own kit back to China.
Click to expand...

If your board fails 2 and a half years down the line for example OcUK will deal with your product return if you wish for us to. Usually after the first year the product would have to be sent to manufacturer by yourself and many companies would insist on this.

So as a whole, based on the above reason it wouldn't matter too much if a board was swapped out for something different but thats not down to the Asus being a better product or a worse one for that, thats just down to OcUKs top level customer service and support :)
 
Andrew Moore said:
If your board fails 2 and a half years down the line for example OcUK will deal with your product return if you wish for us to. Usually after the first year the product would have to be sent to manufacturer by yourself and many companies would insist on this.
Click to expand...

Yes, I completely agree as once we're outside of the first year then UK consumer law has less influence and then we're into the realm of contract law where individual warranties become 'expressed or implied' and the terms on which the warranty is expedited can be different in every case. It's really just down to customer service and a manufacturers need to cultivate brand loyalty.

Thanks for clarifying.

I still wouldn't buy a Gigabyte board even if they have UK based RMA though, because thats just me. Outside of the first year I'm more likely to buy a newer board and take the opportunity to upgrade, RMA the original board and then when it comes back either re-use it for a different purpose or ebay it but everyone is different.
 
I switched to gigabyte as I had a lot of Asus failures back when I was on amds first phenoms and also before on the m2n32sli-dlx I had 3 of those and another earlier m2n non 32 version where the fan kept failing. Also I've had a fire caused by an asus board years ago whilst I was asleep so you know you can't always bet on asus. The gigabyte visual bios is rock steady and attractive too, I've had more stability since buying this than my previous asus preoverclocked bundle on the 1366 socket.
 
i've just finished a build with an asrock x79-extreme9 and that seems fine. there were a few of the normal installation issues that could have been avoided had the manual been better but everything is solid now.

took a gamble on asrock as i've always had asus before but i thought the spec was good for the money on the asrock this time.
 
How is the onboard audio on the Asus Rampage IV Extreme? Should i look at getting a soundcard?
Click to expand...

Its very good. Give it a go before you think about a soundcard.

Update I am doing some research now. I have put on a dire straits CD (Making Movies) and its very good considering its playing through a set of Logitech speakers normally used for gaming.

The real question is how much of an audiophile you are.
 
Last edited:
hughesy627 said:
i am after some advice, i have ordered an Ultima 9700i Blade System From ocuk, i will be finalizing my ammendments next week the system comes with the Gigabyte X79-UD3 Intel board, is this a good board or should i spend a bit more for a different one? Any advice would be appreciated.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-093-OP&groupid=43&catid=2238&subcat=
Click to expand...

I'm thinking about one of these systems too. Can I ask what changes/additions to the system as specced you requested and why?

Second, did you look at the Ultima 9700i Beast and if so, why did you discount that?

And finally, have you enquired about the maintenance of the water cooling? There was some post elsewhere implying that this wasn't a trivial part of the system to maintain ..

Cheers

James
 
my changes were the motherboard as per this forum, i then went for a 512gb m4 ssd, 2x 2tb hdd, and a second graphics card, i just up'd the specs as i want a high end system that will last. The beast looks a nice system but i wanted to go down the water cooled route. Obviously this requires maintenance, draining and flushing every 12-18 month but i think that's worth it for the performance gains.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom