Motherboard probs

Manestream

Hi, i am currently having motherboard problems, its about 1yr old (or just over) and its an Asus p5KC lga775 chipset with a duel core 2.13gb processor (intel).

I have been looking online for a new board to get that will go with my existing memory (2x2mb DDR3 chips, not sure if they are 1033 or 1333 but think they are 1333). The board i have been looking at is the intel Boxdx58SO extreme to go with an intel i7 1366 2.8gz processor (just these 2 items will set me back £190 for the board and £225 for the processor) which is around my budget. Deffo cannot afford the next processor which is a 3.2gz but double the price +£30.

My question is, is that board a decent enough board to go for? Currently out of stock at 2 places and the other 2 places i know dont even have it. If anyone can say if teh board is good (dont wanna get a crap one) like this asus one has been since i got it and its kinda put me off any future asus boards right now.

 

P.S oh forgot i am in EU (UK).

 

thx for any helpful hints and tips.

Quizzical

First, make sure that it really is DDR3 memory, and not DDR2.  Motherboards didn't start using DDR3 memory until around the time that the LGA 775 processor socket was obsolete.  There are some LGA 775 motherboards that take DDR3, but not really that many, as motherboard manufacturers aren't going to put a ton of work into designing motherboards that are obsolete the day they launch.

If you do have DDR3 memory, then find out exactly what you have.  That is, find out how many modules you have, how much memory in each module, and how fast it's running.  CPU-Z can tell you the speed that it's running at and how much memory you have.  You can open up your case and look at the modules to see how many you have.

The LGA 1366 socket isn't suitable for most desktops.  The main reasons to use it are

1)  if you need huge amounts of PCI Express bandwidth, most commonly due to running multiple high-end video cards in CrossFire or SLI,

2)  needing super high end processors (one $900+ six-core Gulftown processor, or some 2P workstation or server motherboards),

3)  needing more than 16 GB of system memory,

4)  needing the triple channel memory controller for insane amounts of system memory bandwidth that virtually no programs can take advantage of.

Actually, the most common reason to use LGA 1366 in a desktop today is not knowing any better (or perhaps not being aware of anything that has changed in the last year), as people who don't need it for any of the above reasons pay extra because it's Intel's "high end" socket, even though it offers them no benefits whatsoever.

Anyway, if you don't fall into one of those four categories, the appropriate processor socket to get is either AM3 or LGA 1156.  Actually, even if you do fall into the first category (which is the only one relevant to gaming), you might still want to consider Socket AM3, as AMD's 890 FX chipset is arguably the best desktop chipset on the market.

Anyway, if you want an AMD processor, you go with Socket AM3.  The appropriate processor is typically an Athlon II X3 ($75), an Athlon II X4 ($99), or a Phenom II X4 ($166), depending on your budget.  The appropriate chipset to get depends on your needs, but 890 FX would typically be ideal if you want a CrossFire configuration, and 870 for only one card.

For an Intel processor, you can get a Core i5-760 ($210) or a Core i7-870 ($290), again, depending on your budget.  Either of those take LGA 1156 with the P55 chipset.

A Core i7-870 is a better processor than the Core i7-930 that you're probably looking at, due to the lower power consumption and more aggressive turbo boost.  There isn't much difference in games today between a Phenom II X4 965, a Core i5-760, and a Core i7-870.  If you're an overclocker, the Phenom II X4 965 has an unlocked multiplier, so it's easier to overclock.  The Core i5-760 and Core i7-870 will overclock further, though, due to having better performance per core per clock cycle than the Phenom II architecture.

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To answer your question more directly, don't get an Intel motherboard.  They're not that good, and Intel charges inflated prices, trying to make some extra money off of their reputation for making good CPUs.  The big names in motherboards are Asus and Gigabyte.  You can also sometimes get some good stuff from EVGA or MSI.