Choosing the right motherboard


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Hi I'm building a water cooled PC I have so far got the case and prosessor, the prosessor I chose was the intel i7-3930k now it's time to buy a motherboard after some time on google I "think" I will go for asus board but which one is the best one cos price vary a lot.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Oh and on another subject what is SLi and Crossfire??

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A Z77 Asus motherboard would be the best thing you could go for. I've had a quick look and I saw this: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/asus-p8z77-v-lx-intel-z77-s-1155-ddr3-sata-iii-6gb-s-sata-raid-pcie-30-(x16)-dvi-d-hdmi-d-sub-atx-us

Scan is really great if you've never used it before, it can usually be cheaper than other places and has a nice selection of products. If you're a member on AForums you get free delivery on orders over ?50 too :p

And no, I don't work for Scan...but that mobo I suggested looks good if you wan to stick to Asus.

SLI is using multiple nVidia cards in the same system, Crossfire is using 2 AMD GPU's in the same system.

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1) Anything but MSI and you're good. See what features you'll use, will it fit nicely in that case you have, how easy will it be to manage cables neatly. Also, for LGA2011 there's two chipsets - X79 (common) and C60x (server version of X79), even though they all go under X79 name. The latter adds a lot of workstation/server specific things, so they cost more. And Asus ROG are a big name and bling, so they also cost a premium.

2) SLI (for Nvidia Geforce) and Crossfire (for AMD Radeon) allows you to link two (or more) graphics cards together for performance boost of 10% to 90% (depending on the drivers and game specifics). But don't buy a cheaper card now thinking that you'll add another later, because you won't - new models will take their place instead.

@Livin in a box: Z77 won't take LGA2011.

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Thanks so much for the mobo info I was looking at something like this

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-057-AK&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2174

But like I said in my first post many variations???

back to the GPU I want to have 2 monitors eventually what would be the best way to do it?

You must excuse my ignorance but this is my first build and I'm still learning

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Forgot to mention that for SLI you need two similar GPUs (make, speeds and memory size may vary, but must be of the same model). For Radeon here's compatibility listing.

Pretty much any graphics card now has multi-monitor capability. You just connect them and that's it. Options and modes can be then adjusted into Windows or respective control panels.

As for EVGA SR-X... no. It will only take server processors, Xeons. Desktop counterparts don't have the necessary link for multiple sockets (QPI). It's also not a good first buy at all - there are vast amount of known problems with it and some unknown, too, still remaining. Aren't you aiming too high?

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Lol oh yeah I only want to do this once I currently have Alienware m17xr3 and love it but its a little large for a laptop and I can't upgrade to much so decided to try new build have about ?400 - ?500 a month so little by little I will get the best I can I'm in no rush.

But I do want it to be right and compatible....

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Might want to reconsider X79 and go for Z77 for the first build. 3770K is nothing to be sneezed at. In fact, it would be a sin - it's on par with 3820, but less power hungry by a large margin. Oh well, ok, there's only four cores instead of six (or more when Ivy Bridge-EX comes) the X79 pathway offers, and no upgrade path left at all, but unless you're playing modded Flight Simulator X, Total War or Civilization 5, you aren't going to feel it for a long time still. Next-gen won't take up that fast.

Put two GTX 680 and it will happily chew Crysis 3 on maximum. At least on a single monitor.

Titan... heh... interestingly, the one Titan I had a chance to put my hands on for a limited time, was not a very good example of engineering. Audible coil whine with two different high-end Corsairs (TX850 and AX860). Weird... :s

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Guess we can give you the idea of having two GTX Titan as your GPU setup then.

You say you got the case? What case did you get?

Nah, the Titan is a gimmick card. For one, the price is a joke. And, two 680's in SLI are much cheaper and much faster.

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I have http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-020-BX case and I chose this because it fits under a table I have just nice

I have looked at gtx titans but they are a few hundred ? out off budget saying that if they really are worth it then may have to save for a month ;-)

Might want to reconsider X79 and go for Z77 for the first build. 3770K is nothing to be sneezed at. In fact, it would be a sin - it's on par with 3820, but less power hungry by a large margin. Oh well, ok, there's only four cores instead of six (or more when Ivy Bridge-EX comes) the X79 pathway offers, and no upgrade path left at all, but unless you're playing modded Flight Simulator X, Total War or Civilization 5, you aren't going to feel it for a long time still. Next-gen won't take up that fast.

I already have the 3930k

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I already have the 3930k

So your going to have to stick with a one Socket board but then I think you be happy with 3930k any way.

As for the GTX Titan its not really worth it just thought I throw that in their so GTX 670 or GTX 680 in SLi is the more reasonable high end option.

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Cool is much cheaper...

So back to mobo

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-488-AS

Or

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-490-AS

There is over ?140 difference but I am new at this so is it worth paying the extra?

(These are just examples I still have no idea which I should go for)

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At this high end with the Socket being high end you do fine with a Asus P9X79 PRO or Gigabyte X79-UP4 if you don't need 8 RAM slots you can get the Gigabyte X79-UD3 other then that its down to Features and Connectors you need.

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  • 1 month later...

so i went with the Asus P9X79 PRO last month now this month i'm a little short on money so thought i would just get some RAM but what RAM should i get? i hear Green RAM (Tho i cant find where i read it or what green RAM is???) is the best for overclocking but i like the look of this http://www.overclock...id=8&subcat=813 only cos the color matches the mobo,

SO the question...

a)value for money about (?130)

b)SPEED!!!

c)quantity Gb

d)looks (matches mobo)

Thanks all

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