E6600 Motherboard Help Req'd

Ok, I've cancelled my Ps3 Pre-Order after the final straw being that we are going to get a reduced functionality console :O_o1: so, new PC it is.

I've decided the E6600 to be the Price : Performance sweet point at the moment, and I know what RAM I'm going to buy (PC-6400)

So, all that remains is which motherboard to buy.

I need a mobo that can give a decent overclock, but I don't need stupid features that you pay through the nose for like SLi/XFire, WiFi, etc. I just want a good performer that will get good results with top end GFX cards and let me get a nice clock on my E6600

Can someone also point me towards a quiet cooler to use while oc'ing? Thanks for any help you guys can give.

P5B+Big Scythe.

The asus P5B range are very good overclockers and stable. The P5B-E is very good and can reach high FSB. The deluxe and commando boards are very good too but are more expensive.

The Arctic freezer 7 pro is a good value cooler and reasonably quiet. Check out the scythe coolers: ninja and infinity, both v. cool and fairly quiet (big though). The thermaltake big typhoon is both quiet and extremely good at cooling.

Hope this helps.

abit aw9dmax or aw9d great boards for the 6600

Ok guys thanks alot, that does help :)

For the cooler, This seems appropriate?

Also, is there a particular model in the P5B range that has any large advantages over its smaller brother, for a little extra?

I must add that I don't mind paying £180+ for a motherboard, but if it doesn't offer anything massively useful to me over a £60 board I don't see why I should bother. Thanks!

just make sure it fits in your case because its a big bugger but its also a great cooler

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Originally Posted by faz

just make sure it fits in your case because its a big bugger but its also a great cooler

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Thanks for the warning, I will check it out but my case is quite big in width, I've got a Thermaltake Tsunami.

had to take the side fan off the inside of the case and put it on the outside on mine so i could fit it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by faz

had to take the side fan off the inside of the case and put it on the outside on mine so i could fit it

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Do you have the same case? I just measured it and yeah it seems it would be about 8mm casuing problems :(

no mate i have the xclio 380. click on my system .
just been haveing alook at some pics of your case but i cant tell if it will fit or not .
im sure someone on the forum will know

look at the 650i SLI mobos (abit FP-IN9, Asus P5N-E, MSI P6N SLI-Fi etc).
yes, you are getting SLI but they are relatively cheap ~£75.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BUFF

look at the 650i SLI mobos (abit FP-IN9, Asus P5N-E, MSI P6N SLI-Fi etc).
yes, you are getting SLI but they are relatively cheap ~£75.

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Ok, thats sounds good, but what advantage would they offer me over the say, P5B-E?

Which are the better clockers? and I appreciate I "can" go SLi, but I don't seriously ever think I will.

they have native IDE support - saves faffing about with a JMicron if you have existing optical drives.
They give you more flexible memory clocking than a 965.
They're just as quick as a 965.
They give you the option of SLI later plus the 2nd physical X16 slot should be able to handle RAID card/TV Tuner etc..

On the downside you only get 4 SATA ports compared to 6 on ICH8/ICH8R.

I've got my on my E6600 on a Abit AW9D-MAX. It's packed with so many features (7 sata, esata, 2xGb LAN, 8xUSB, Crossfire read, SLI possible, etc), rock solid and high potentially for overclocking.

Mines on the ASUS P5W DH Deluxe which overclocks nicely, and theres bags of room in the Antec P180

I would go for a DS3 or PN5E-SLI if I was going to get an E6600 again, I made the mistake of investing in the Abit AB9 and the board layout is just awful. It performs well but its just fiddly and stupidly laid out. I had a DS4 before my AB9 but it had to be RMA'd. They are superb looking boards the DS3/4.

Recently bought a new cooler for my E6600 to replace the stock cooler, went for a Noctua NH-U12F. Did take a while to install but the temperatures and quietness of this cooler is untouchable. I would definately recommend it. Its the underdog!