Another new build advice thread

LOCO
You know my opinion. Good choice. You got all you need for a normal PC. That's more capacity than most stock PCs. The 620 is nicer to have if you're going to add some power hungry extras or think you might later.

As for the boards, ASUS mobos are usually a bit more user friendly. I'm not putting down Gigabyte, they're good boards too. It really depends on which offers the options you need. But for ease of setup and having built in safety, ASUS is one of the leaders, if not number 1. I suggest ASUS over the others for new builders.

Which boards were you looking at?

 

It's another $60 or so, but check this one out:
http://www.directron.com/p5n32esli.html#caption
It has better (heavy duty) power management, better cooling, an nVidia chipset, and is SLI rated, just in case you want to enhance your GPU setup later. I don't know how tight your budget is, but to me the core items are the mobo, CPU, RAM, and PSU. Those are the areas where I'll spend the necessary bucks to get it right the first time. I've seen some cheap cases that flow well and the other parts are more or less plugin and can be upgraded as needed. Of course a good GPU is in the works for a nice board like the one I mentioned here. This is my board of choice for the C2D in the ASUS line. It's not a Striker, but it does a bang up job. This board can handle the power and keep on going.

 

Most of the time when you hear about blocked ports is when someone is using those big dual GPU setups. Then it varies from board to board. Simply look at the board and what you intend to install. I'm using ASUS boards and I haven't blocked any ports. Asus and Gigabyte are both favorites. Get a good one and you won't go wrong with either.

For myself, I'd use the Wolfdale, budget permitting. There you have the larger cache and new 45nm technology. With Allendale and Conroe, you're looking at different cache size on the 65nm technology. I'd go with the Conroe out of those choices. The Conroe is sort of middle of the road and probably a better bang for the buck with current parts prices.

 

It's not exactly a good reason, but given how jawdroppingly abysmal the P5N-E SLI is, the P5N32 is a bit too close for comfort IMO.
If you're building a top end PC, Asus and Gigabyte are both worth considering. If you're on a limiting budget though, I'd veer away from Asus because their cheap offerings. Well suffice to say I would have been better off using ECS...

 

NOW that's funny right there!!! lol. Sam please tell me you were j/k.... I know that ASUS has a tendency to not support (hearsay) their lower end mobos but it's still an ASUS and they make good mobos most of the time. lol.

LOCO I've missed a lot in the last couple of days on this thread. I'm sure that one of us will point you in the right direction, BUT which one. hehehe.

good luck....

...gm

add: I'll hang around a bit and see what kind of dirt I can stir up....

 

Well, I was only half joking really. My A8N-SLI SE broke within 9 months, my P5N-E SLI broke within 9 months, and my A8R-MVP reboots itself about six times before actually posting.
Quite a few ECS boards at least make it to the year mark.

 

How large a hammer are you using on those boards? LOL In one of my PCs I've an A8N32 SLI board that's been running nearly 24/7 for the past couple of years with a hefty OC. I've pushed it to the limit on more than one occasion calling for backing off the OC settings. So far it's been a trouble free board.

LOCO
Note the 32 in the model names. The 32 boards are usually the more heavy duty offerings in an ASUS series of mobos. In my case the A8N32 is beefier than the other A8N(s).

 

This is the point I often make about Asus boards. The top end ones are usually pretty solid, but the standard P5N-E board was a known troublemaker, so it doesn't surprise me too much about the others. I don't think Asus is such a good option for midrange (below $150 or below £80) boards.

 

Not everyone is trying to OC their systems, or want to. The less expensive boards aren't built for it. However, most of the boards are good for normal applications. As the old saying goes, "there's no free lunch". That usually applies when buying PC components. The exception is when there's a good sale. So... we often get what we pay for. If the builder anticipates the need for heavier loads, they should opt for an upscale board to build with. I've had good luck with the less expensive ASUS boards. I simply make it a point to use then with stock settings and not for overclocking experiments.

 

The A8N-SLI SE was never overclocked, and neither is the A8R-MVP...

 

Then it sounds as though you're the true "bad luck kid". I've known others who've used the A8N and overclocked them with good success and no problems. If your situation was common, Asus wouldn't enjoy the fine reputation for quality they've garnered in the enthusiast market.

 

Pacman: Maybe so, but the P5N-E was a known bad egg, and if something does go wrong, Asus' tech support isn't exactly great.
Loco: To be honest, I would have spent the extra $40 and bought a new one from newegg, but each to their own.

 

Sam we're NOT all made of money like you are.....hehehe. j/k mate...

NOW why would you want to thro out a perfectly good hsf?? They do the job and if you don't have the extra $30 or so for a decent hsf they will work until that time comes. IF you don't OC then the stock cooler will suffice. BUT with that said I'm changing mine out this evening. ...

btw I love DO-SI-DOS!!!! Yummmmmmmmmy!!!!!

....gm

 

True. I've bought a few things off ebay in that manner, including my 30" Monitor, which I love!

Greensman: I've not used a stock cooler for years, since decent aftermarket ones are so inexpensive now there's no reason not to.

 

NOT having... HAD!!!! Uummmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Congrats on the recent purchases LOCO. Looks like you're getting ever closer to the final goal.... the build process............

.....gm