Need help picking a motherboard (needed for gaming)

[ggsxt]

So I have decided to buy a:

i7 930
GTX 460


So far these are the only two parts I am sure of.

I would really like a motherboard that is expandable for the future and that has great accessibility for SLI and other things.

I'm a real noob @ motherboards so hopefully I can get some good advice.

I am using it for gaming.

 

[Maziar]

GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R and ASUS P6X58D-E are both great options,you can't go wrong with either.

 

[ggsxt]

GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R and ASUS P6X58D-E are both great options,you can't go wrong with either.

thanks. Can you explain what makes these two good for gaming?

I was also looking at the rampage formula or rampage gene.

 

[Emperus]

It depends all on how much you are willing to spend.. Basically, con X58 chipset based motherboards are very similar performers.. You'll be safe with any purchase you make.. Just look upto the feature set and aesthetics appealing to you.. Both the rampage formula and gene lack many new features such as USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps.. Not that they are outright important but if i am spending that much for a motherboard then i'd like to have all the features possible.. Keeping all that in view, i'll like to add the MSI BigBang XPower X58 to Maziar's recommended list.. Its got all the features, performs well, looks good, overclocks brilliantly and has a good layout also..

P.S. - Considering the recent price cut on the i7 950, it becomes a better buy over the i7 930.. Consider it..

 

[Maziar]

+1^
Rampage gene and formula lack both USB 3.0 and Sata 6,also Gene is a microATX board,which i don't recommend unless you have SFF(Small Form Factor) case

 

[ggsxt]

It depends all on how much you are willing to spend.. Basically, con X58 chipset based motherboards are very similar performers.. You'll be safe with any purchase you make.. Just look upto the feature set and aesthetics appealing to you.. Both the rampage formula and gene lack many new features such as USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps.. Not that they are outright important but if i am spending that much for a motherboard then i'd like to have all the features possible.. Keeping all that in view, i'll like to add the MSI BigBang XPower X58 to Maziar's recommended list.. Its got all the features, performs well, looks good, overclocks brilliantly and has a good layout also..

P.S. - Considering the recent price cut on the i7 950, it becomes a better buy over the i7 930.. Consider it..

Are there more than one Big Bangs?

I am concerneed about how much RAM and how many GPUS I can get in SLI mostly on my motherboard. The rampage seemed like it offered a lot more RAM space than the others, unless I am reading things wrongly.

 

[hell_storm2004]

Very nice point made by Emperus.

Big Bang is a custom name given by MSI to their motherboard. Just like Asus has the Gene, Rampage, Formula to their motherboards. Other boards dont have the same names. Same as in the case of MSI.

One thing i look for in a motherboard nowadays is the CF/SLI dual support.

 

[ggsxt]

Very nice point made by Emperus.

Big Bang is a custom name given by MSI to their motherboard. Just like Asus has the Gene, Rampage, Formula to their motherboards. Other boards dont have the same names. Same as in the case of MSI.

One thing i look for in a motherboard nowadays is the CF/SLI dual support.

ya, I feel SLI/CF duel support is important as well. H/e I read that the bandwith is sacrificed on all the boards except the extremely expensive ones.

 

[Emperus]

I am concerneed about how much RAM and how many GPUS I can get in SLI mostly on my motherboard. The rampage seemed like it offered a lot more RAM space than the others, unless I am reading things wrongly.

If you are looking for a 2+ video card build (which is useless IMO) then the MSI motherboard comes out of recommendation.. I think it has a x4 on the third video card slot.. Apart from that, the motherboard has no flaws.. As for RAM, every X58 motherboard has 6 memory slots supporting a full 24 GB maximum memory count (except the Intel DX58 which has 4 slots.!).. If you are so much focussed on getting one from the Asus stable then get either the Asus P6X58D-E (as recommended by Maziar) or spend out and get the Asus Rampage III Extreme..

 

[ggsxt]

So is the MSI big bang a good board for SLI and RAM?

 

[Maziar]

I wouldn't recommend Lucid tech for now, because ATM the driver support isn't very well.You better go with a normal Intel chipset and use either SLI or CF