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Thread: Best X38 motherboard for under £125? and build advise please

  1. #1
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    • jallsey's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS P5Q-E (1306)
      • CPU:
      • Q6600 G0 @3GHz
      • Memory:
      • 2x Twin2X4096-6400C4DHX
      • Storage:
      • 128GB M4 & 750GB HD753LJ F1
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATI 6870
      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX520
      • Case:
      • Antec P180 (4xD12SL-12)
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 64bit

    Question Best X38 motherboard for under £125? and build advise please

    Not many reviews on the X38 boards and the ones I have found have a common theme i.e. poor performance on the early BIOS.

    Have these early problems been resolved with BIOS updates?

    I want to go for an X38 as 2x 16xPCI-E 2.0 and X48s too expensive
    (I will be adding a second HD4870 at a later date)

    The new system I am building will have the following;

    Q6600 GO OC'D
    ATI HD4870

    and probably (advise appreciated)

    OCZ 2x2GB DDR2 1066Mhz/PC2-8500 Reaper HPC
    SilverPower SP-S850 or Corsair TX750W (4xPCI-E)


    I am looking to overclock for the first time so would also like some advise on a HSF under £25
    and 120mm case fans.


    Cheers

  2. #2
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    • Will404's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ASUS P5Q PRO
      • CPU:
      • Core2quad Q6600 @2.85GHz
      • Memory:
      • 4GB Corsoar Twin X XMS2 DDR2-PC2 6400 @ 900MHz, 5-5-5-18
      • Storage:
      • WD 320GB, Segate 320GB (Raid 0), 2* WD 1TB storage
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATI Sapphire HD 4850
      • PSU:
      • Corsoar HX 520
      • Case:
      • Antec 900
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Pro x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • ASUS MW221u 22"

    Re: Best X38 motherboard for under £125? and build advise please

    I would go for the corsair PSU, as they are great, silent, efficent, and have long warrenty's.

    For the mobo, I would get a http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=701626, as it has just about everything you could want - 3*pci-e x16 2.0, eSATA, not too large, good company, not overbudget.........

    Same CPU as I ordered last night, and the GPU looks good - (i went for a HD4850)

    CPU cooler under £25...may be a little limeted, but you never know, scan are gr8 prices... what do you know, the scythe mine - http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=383006 - £25 on the dot. A great cooler.. Here is what Hexus reviewed it http://www.hexus.net/content/item.ph...8757&page=55:D just what you are looking for.

    And fans, it depends on prefrance(colours), what you need(silence, gr8 cooling...), and what you are going to conect it to (3pin, or molex).
    Hard to tell.

    I would recomend getting a fan controller, so that you can ajust the speed, or something silent like this:http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=590761

    As for the memory I would go for OCZ or corsair...

    Hope that it helps, and that you have a gr8 computer

  3. #3
    he of many questions...
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    • tensim's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Abit iX38 QuadGT
      • CPU:
      • Q6600 @ 3.2ghz
      • Memory:
      • 8GB (4x2GB) Corsair TwinX XMS2 DHX
      • Storage:
      • 640GB WD AAKS
      • Graphics card(s):
      • ATi HD 4870
      • PSU:
      • 650W Be Quiet Dark Power PRO
      • Case:
      • Cosmos S
      • Operating System:
      • Vista Home Premium 64bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Dell 2709W
      • Internet:
      • Virgin Media 20MB+

    Re: Best X38 motherboard for under £125? and build advise please

    I've gone with the Abit iX38 QuadGT... though there seems to be some conjecture on the forum as to it's performance/stability... (I'm sure Clunk and Blitzen will be in here offering their thoughts at some point! )

    I'm building my PC this week, so should have some hands on experience of the board by the end of the weekend, look out for my build thread on Friday!

    As for a cooler, I've gone with the Xigmatek HDT-S1283, seems to offer the best 'bang-for-your-buck' (I got it for £17 delivered on Scans 'Today Only'... fricking bargain I reckon!)

    cheers

    Edit: No disrespect intended to Clunk & Blitzen with the 'rolling eyes'... I appreciate their opinions

  4. #4
    Lover & Fighter Blitzen's Avatar
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    • Blitzen's system
      • Motherboard:
      • ABIT iX38 QuadGT
      • CPU:
      • Intel Quad Q6600 @ 3.6Ghz : 30 Degrees Idle - 41-46 Degrees Load
      • Memory:
      • 4 x 1GB OCZ Platinum PC6400 @ 4-4-4-12
      • Storage:
      • 2 x 500GB Samsung Spinpoints - RAID 0
      • Graphics card(s):
      • GTX 285
      • PSU:
      • Enermax MODU 82+ 625W
      • Case:
      • Antec Nine Hundred
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 Ultimate 64Bit
      • Monitor(s):
      • Viewsonic Q22wb 22" Widescreen - 5ms
      • Internet:
      • O2 premium @ 17mb

    Re: Best X38 motherboard for under £125? and build advise please

    I'm sure Clunk and Blitzen will be in here offering their thoughts at some point!
    The only thought i will give you is this:

    I like it and its rock solid for what i use it for with the mature bios (12 or 13). I still have it, using CrossFire atm with 2 x 4870's and it does all i want.

    Clunk didn't like it, and it was not solid for him using the early bios releases. I do agree with Clunk that it was flaky with the shipping bios (11). There has been two releases since then though.

    I cant comment on 45nm stability though as i haven't tried with that.

  5. #5
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    • Webby's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Gigabyte G33M-DS2R, Swiftech MCW30 Northbridge Cooler
      • CPU:
      • Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 @ 3.5GHz, Cooling D-Tek Fuzion V2
      • Memory:
      • 2GB OCZ Flex DDR2 PC2-9200 5-5-5-15 @ 1000MHz 4-4-4-12
      • Storage:
      • 2x 250GB WD SataII
      • Graphics card(s):
      • Sapphire HD4870 512MB, Cooling Swiftech MCW60
      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX520w
      • Case:
      • Silverstone Tremjin TJ06 - Modded for Water Cooling Goodness
      • Operating System:
      • Windows XP Pro SP3
      • Monitor(s):
      • 22" Widescreen Cibox C2201 (with DVI input)
      • Internet:
      • 8Mb/s ADSL

    Re: Best X38 motherboard for under £125? and build advise please

    Can't really advice on the x38 board as I don't have one but the DFI DK board is less than £120 on Scan and will probably do everything you want and more.

    Memory wise with a Q6600 you will not need to go above PC2-6400 (800MHz) you will get to 3.6GHz on the CPU with the memory running at stock.

    CPU cooler wise Scythe Mine or the 120mm tower Xigmatek (cant remember the name) will do you well or if you want to spend a little more then the Thermalright Ultima 90 or the Scythe ninja are both very good.

    Personally I would spd less on the memory and more on the cooler but perhaps thats just me

    Oh and with the memory those reaper modules are really tall make sure they will fit in your case before buying them.

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