X58 Board Choice

[cmmcnamara]

Hey guys, I'm gonna be getting an i7 920 and Vista Ultimate 64-bit for $130 in a couple weeks but I'm stumped for the motherboard. Normally I use NewEgg's review system for a large amount of decision making but nothing but the super expensive EVGA classified's really stand out....I'd like to keep the board as close to $300 as possible but I don't want to skimp on features. Based on some of the reviews around the net, ASUS's P6T seems like a great board but some reviewers also say they aren't happy with it. Can anyone give me a bit of help here?

 

[Why_Me]

Hey guys, I'm gonna be getting an i7 920 and Vista Ultimate 64-bit for $130 in a couple weeks but I'm stumped for the motherboard. Normally I use NewEgg's review system for a large amount of decision making but nothing but the super expensive EVGA classified's really stand out....I'd like to keep the board as close to $300 as possible but I don't want to skimp on features. Based on some of the reviews around the net, ASUS's P6T seems like a great board but some reviewers also say they aren't happy with it. Can anyone give me a bit of help here?

Every board on there seems to have mixed reviews. If you looking for a gaming board with decent specs and on the cheap check this one out down below.

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-EX58U4P $219.99 | -$20 w/promo code = $199.99 | $184.99. after rebate Free Ground Shipping
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P Core i7/ Intel X58/ DDR3/ CorssFireX & 3-Way SLI/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
Use Code: MEMORIAL20 to get an extra $20 off

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374 <--- more pics, specs, and customer reviews of that Gigabyte UD4P mobo

 

[cmmcnamara]

Wow so I just finished up some reviews on the Gigabyte series of boards and they seem to be incredible. The only differences I can see are:

UD4: Single Gigabit LAN rather than dual.
UD5: UD4 + 1 more GB LAN + 2 More SATA ports + Copper Heatpipe
Extreme: UD5 + Silent Pipe (WTF?)

At this point the extreme seems excessive and unreasonable and the real decision is UD4 and UD5....I don't see the advantage of copper instead but I'd like the Dual GigaBit Lan.

 

[jackson28]

Unfortunately, the MEMORIAL20 code expired yesterday. You can still use MEMORIAL5 for $5 off. It will be $199 after rebate.

 

[Why_Me]

Unfortunately, the MEMORIAL20 code expired yesterday. You can still use MEMORIAL5 for $5 off. It will be $199 after rebate.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[computernewbie]

UD4R is a sturdy board, you can also checkout the Foxconn Bloodrage, max sup. 12GB,
I'd give you a link but im using a shitty mac and its hard to figure this little crap box out...

 

[cmmcnamara]

Yea so the good boards I narrowed to were the Gigabyte Series mentioned above and the Asus P6T series. EVGA's Classified is very very nice but its almost 500 bucks for a motherboard. I'm getting the OS and CPU for 130, I'll blow the rest on a shitload of RAM and SLI video cards. I really like the ASUS boards because of my history with them and that I know them to be excellent boards, plus the black PCB they have is great looking to show off in my case. But Gigabyte's boards are just flat excellent looking for their features and price...

 

[number9]

I don't see the advantage of copper instead but I'd like the Dual GigaBit Lan

Hey, I'm in a similar boat trying to decide on a mobo and I'm pretty certain at this point that I'm going to go with the UD4. I found the following, regarding the use of copper, on gigabytes website so you'll have to take it with a (biased) grain of salt!!


Benefits of 2 oz Copper PCB
• Cooler than traditional motherboards
• Enhanced durability
• Improved energy efficiency
• Greater margins for overclocking

2X Lower Impedance


In addition, doubling the amount of copper lowers the PCB impedance by 50%. Impedance is a measure of how much the circuit impedes the flow of current. The less the flow of current is impeded, the less amount of energy is wasted. For GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 motherboards, this means total PCB electrical waste is reduced by 50%, which also means less heat is generated. 2 ounces of copper also provides improved signal quality, providing better system stability and allowing for greater margins for overclocking.



Good luck, hope this helps...