Ok, here's all you need to figure out what I'm goin to ask you.

P6N diamond

part # MS-7320-010

http://msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?...iamond&class=mb

vs

P6N SLI Platnium

part # MS-7350-020

http://msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?...atinum&class=mb

Which one should I consider buyin?

The first has a 680i chipset, the second has the 650i nvidia chipset. (I actually responded to Sqauts puter post yeserday an lost my post bout some of this)

The first board wit the 680i chipset is more expensive but has the whole pci-e X4 while the second only has it X2. The second board has dual IDE controllers, sumthin still important to me as of yet, but has 4 internal an one external SATA controllers. The first board has one IDE controller, an 5 internal an *I think* two external SATA controllers.

Both boards support Quad chips from 533 to 1333 FSB, no real difference there, both support up to 8 gig mem at 800 megs.

I'm tryin to pin down the need vs the want vs the desire here. In my mind, the cheaper board is a bit better all around an I'm certainly not goin to blow money on 4 vid cards so I can crossfire em into a X4 pci-e monster. If one cain't do it I'll git another hehe. I'm not movin into the whole SATA stuff yet, jes not ready to make that move, so the IDE's are more helpful, even though my server is plumb full of em an I rarely use anythin but the server for everthin these days anyways.

I was all set to buy the cheaper board but then Sarah started talkin bout not settlin for this er that an on an on an on... now I'm stuck in the linch agin...

so..... HELP! LOL

I hate to admit it, but the recruiters are right. 5 years outta the loop means I have no experience.

I though NVIDIA just made video.

I don't know what to say. Get the one that'll kick @$$.

I like that it has 4 DDR slots. That's been my problem. Run outta slots before you run out of sticks.

:faint:

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no doubt...get the 680 chipset if you want nVIDIA


However the best 680 mobo you can get is the eVGA.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813188013


Make sure you get the A1, since it has a LIFETIME warranty. I've heard evga's service is top notch.


MSI?? eh...whatever.



I would also consider Intels top chipset also...P35

ABIT boards are great...they have solid state Jap capacitors.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813127030

I've burned a ton of abit boards up, a half dozen asus boards though all the intel boards I've ever worked wit are fine, jes lackin in performace on the top end. MSI boards have been top of the line boards for me, yes I've had em burn up, but far less then I have any of the others, I know nuthin bout the eVGA stuff, havta look into em. It's my understandin the 650 an 680 are both nvidia chipsets. but the 650 has this SLI stuff where as the 680 doesn't need it er the like, not real sure bout that one.

That an, wit MSI for I think it's up to 5 years after warrenty, I can ship it back an they repair er replace for 35 bucks which isn't a bad deal in reality, cheaper in the long run. I run equipment til it flat won't run no more, then I stick it on a shelf an it sits there til I git a wild hair to do sumthin wit it.

MSI did have a 'bad cap' deal goin on a few years ago, but I haven't seen any other troubles wit em for a long time.

The "top of the line" mobo's drive me nuts, most of the time they completely focus on over clockin sumthin an it's a huge waste of time to me, I have no desire to OC anythin jes to gain what? an extra 2 fps? er +< 0.02 sec's on boot time? It's jes a waste an ruins equipment, for a long time that was Abit's biggest sellin point, look we can step up your clock a mhz at a time...until you fry sumthin... it was annoyin.

But that's jes me, I prefer not to OC sumthin if I don't have to, I've done a bit to find a better balance in stablility but that's bout it.

I'll look round for the evga stuff an see what they have to offer, it's one of those thins though, stickin wit what you know bein better off then takin the plunge into sumthin else. I had a disaster of a time wit the abit KA7-100 boards wit the athlon chips... my gosh, went through 2 of em before they actually sent one that didn't leak it's caps out by the time it got to me. Then it only run for a few months an died agin.

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I'm not all that hip on the Abit boards myself...I've heard they have had a BAD few years.

Supposedly have "turned it around"....

Plus I REALLY like the eSATA.

I have a very old Asus AV7 at home that is over 8 years old...still kicking strong.


I've never owned an eVGA, just heard they are the TOP manufacturer right now...head and shoulders above the rest.


That evga A1 is an expensive board at 2 Benjamins though...

Both 650 and 680 will both do SLI, but the 680 uses two full 16x vid buses....with the 650i you can only get two 8x (runs 16x in single vid card mode)....not that you would really notice. Also I don't think the 650i will support the 1333 FSB.


BTW...how are you burning up all those boards? Especially if you don't OC?

3 words for you bro....

Static Wrist Strap

Thus far though, I hadn't seen anythin that says they've got over a one year warrenty, where do you figure they've got a lifetime? Tryin to look round thier site on it, but you know all of em manufactures, they don't like jes stickin stuff out where you can find it an the like.

LOL, many of em jes burned up on thier own, voltage regulator failure on all the abit KA7 boards, fired the board an then the chip as well. I live in a lousey non-climate controlled area which is really hard on equipment, which is why most of my systems round here have house sized box fans beside em an no side panels lol.

I've never messed wit evga like I says, but it's interestin, the MSI boards, both of em, the expensive one is bout 300 an the cheaper is round 150, which is why I cain't really make up my mind wit em. Plus, MSI has pc alert software that I really like, I know everone else has sumthin simular these days but I've always found msi to be a bit better in keepin thins safe instead of on the edge of burnin up etc. Abit is always on the ragged edge of thins in my opinion.

You know, I havta look now, I don't recall, but it does seem the cheaper msi board would do 1333 but had to have a compatible chip an some sort of bios overhual if I recall I'll havta look at that agin. But this system I build will probly hang round for another 5 years like the one I currently have in pieces, so the likely hood of doin anymore upgrade then jes eventually stickin a quad chip in it er sumthin is slim.

http://www.evga.com/support/lifetime/

I found the warrenty stuff, few hoops to jump through but not unexpected.

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Quad cores are supposed to be like $280 on 7/22....half of what they've been.


Make sure you wait if that is what you want...


I'd stay away from the 650i if you have an inkling to go SLI.


MSI seems ok to me...I was very interested in there 680i board...I think it was the diamond. But it was pricey.


I considered their GTS/GTX card since it comes with COH...a $50 dollar game for free. But all the great things I've been hearing about eVGA convinced me to go with there Vid...

And if I could take it back...I would probably get that A1 board I mentioned earlier...however, I've already cut the UPC on my ABIT board for the rebate. Oh well.


I'm staying dual core since I heard they are more practical for gaming....probably the E6600.

All I left to buy is my chip and vid...plus I'm going to get 2 Seagate ES drives to run RAID/1 storage.

Unfortunatly the above parts will cost me a grand.

Well... mister Sqaut.... apperently you were right bout the quad chips comin down in price but thus far the duo cores haven't. Infact... if they don't do sumthin quick to set em apart I'll jes spend the extra 75 bucks for the quad. I don't need it, er even think it'd be worth it, but they still want 225 - 250 for the duo cores an I've seen the quads down to 315. Go figure. Unfortuneatly, looks like this build will be one of those insanely slow ones.. probly git it down bout time Intel comes out wit a P5 er some silly thin like that....