Asus P5W DH vs. Intel 975XBX2?

[Andr0]

Hey all!

Anyone that has an input please feel free to jump in!

Right, so for the last year one of my gaming rigs has been happily humming away with an Asus P5W DH with an OC'd e6600 CPU at 3.6ghz.

The other day I got given a Intel 975XBX2 otherwise known as a BadAxe2 for people that dont know it (only real difference is the 3rd gfx slot)

The Asus rig is currently running a 3870x2 and a 2900 and powering 3 monitors and a projector that are usually used for films or gaming, both in single screen and multiple display.

Any point in switching the mobo over to the 975XBX2 or should I just leave it as?

Theres nothing in it if you ask me, but all inputs are welcome! Except for the greenish ones!

Any ideas as to whether the 975XBX2 will support full crossfire X since i have other 2900's that i could stick in the 3rd gfx slot.

[stevie lee]

right where shall i start, i know Crossfirex compatibility...
havea look at this chart from amd's webby...



see the dots.. especially the 2900 not being compatible with 3870x2 - for crossfirex that is..

so there goes your crossfirex idea.. unless you dump the 3870x2 and just use the 2900's...


and as for swapping mobo's, unless your having problems with your current setup.. with it being OC'ed and in your own words 'happily humming away' then i wouldn't bother in the slightest.. swapping mobos will cause more problems than it's worth - a complete windows reinstall for one...

stick with what you've got... and be happy it works..

[shadowmaster]

and as for swapping mobo's, unless your having problems with your current setup.. with it being OC'ed and in your own words 'happily humming away' then i wouldn't bother in the slightest.. swapping mobos will cause more problems than it's worth - a complete windows reinstall for one...

stick with what you've got... and be happy it works..

Pretty much agree with the above, don't bother changing motherboards.

[Andr0]

Cheers for the input

I did know about the crossfire X compatibility, hence why I said that I have other 2900's rather than just another 2900

I have 2x 2900's on a watercooled loop that I can stick in the two slots with watercooled 2900 which is on a cpu/gpu loop thats currently in the system...

I also know about having to reinstall windows... I generally do it every few months anyway to keep things running smooth and to keep up with drivers

As for be happy it works...

My OCZ RAM from the system is currently being RMA'd and thats what brought on the decision! I have until it comes back to decide. Gonna format it when its get back so either way I've got that to look forward to!

Literally its either stick in the P5W or BadAxe2.. I took the p5w out of the case anyway to put it on my test bench as soon as it started playing up.. Which was the ram...

[Andr0]

Just for the record.. This isn't my main rig, Its just one of my experimental "fun" systems

I've got a few rigs like this that i use for LAN games with mates

So really its just whether I experiment with 3x 2900's or just leave it as is!

[stevie lee]

ok then... my next answers are... use the asus... do you even know that the badaxe works? is that why you got given it?

build a HTPC with the intel badaxe and the watercooled 2900's..

or sell the intel badaxe and the 2900's and buy another 3870x2 and crossfirex that...


*was writing this before you posted that post at 5:28.. so the above is not based on what you put in that post...



by all means experiment with the 2900's, just get the latest drivers that enable crossfirex on the older cards... but i would still stick with the asus. the intel mobos are the reference design, the others like asus add bits, like better bios, better power controls.. and so on...

[Andr0]

Yeah the BadAxe works, its direct from intel.. Excess stock freebie

Nice idea but I really dont need another HTPC and I wouldnt want to sell any of my 2900's.. They are very overclockable golden samples.. Whoever was to buy them simply wouldnt use them to their potential

This thread has sorta gone off topic!

Lets stick with P5W vs BadAxe2!

Crossfire VS CrossfireX!