Need SFF Micro ATX mobo for QX6700

[Zak33]

Hi guys,

I have an Intel mobo in my Silverstone Sugo chassis. It's been rock solid, and I love it.
But ARMA2, my latest favourite game, needs more processing power.

This QX6700 is 2.67 default and my mobo won't go higher. Its a non overclock mobo.

I am gonna consider a mobo upgrade, with overclocking to crank this cpu speed. What was/is made and therefore what should I be looking for? Intel brand preffered.

Needs to take 4 sticks of ram (I've got PC 6400 / 800 ram), and doesn't need sound built it.

Cheers for any advice on such a beast.

[staffsMike]

Considering your needs the ultimate thing to come to mind is
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/DFI-J...SATA-RAID-uATX

that said, most of the older G33 or G35 boards will handel a half decent overclock.

Won't the QX have an unlocked multiplier though? So you might only need the most basic of boards...

lots to ponder here with the newer G43/5 boards as well.
http://www.scan.co.uk/Index.aspx?NT=1-0-92-574-0

Are you sure you're lacking CPU power and not graphics power as well as that seems like a pretty reasonable speed for games even today. That said you gfx card is pretty tasty as well..

[Zak33]

I am sure it's CPU restricted because I knocked ARMA2 down in resolution to it's knees, 800x670 or close, dropped the eye canty to nil, and it was faster.. but not by the amount I expected. In any other game, if you go from 1680x1050 with lots of eye candy to 800x600 with lego brick edges.. you expect more. But it is still quite jerky in places.

I also built my dad a pc with a slighlty newer intel board and the memory bandwidth improvement was noticable in his machine (i put my cpu in to test it) so the chipset made a difference too.

When I change the ram speeds in my bios, I don't get any improvement in any benchmarks, so I presume that though I have 6400 ram and the bios allows it to run it, it's not utilising it very well

The video card is inevitably a bottle neck in a game of the sheer scale of ARMA2, but other people with Corei7 and higher clocked CPU's than mine are getting better scores with similar video cards.

I've often wondered what this CPU had in it tbh as well....never had the chance.

I'll check out those links Mike... good man, ta, knew you'd know.

[Zak33]

Won't the QX have an unlocked multiplier though? So you might only need the most basic of boards...

it is unlocked as far as I know, but I think it only goes DOWN not UP. I think it was so that it could underclock itself when not running hard.

Not sure though.

[staffsMike]

They can all clock down (to a point..) on the multi but the extreme (QX) range should clock up.

For me theres a couple of G45 boards I might consider and that P45 uATX. Considering the price difference comes down to about £20-£25 though I'd get the DFI P45.

Should you only need the use the multiplier to overclock though (you might want to check your current board cant do that) something basic like a £50 G43 or even a very basic G41 would do the job.

[Zak33]

current one can't I checked it when I first got it

[Zak33]

BUMPED because there are a couple of Asrocks on Scan TODAY only for cheap dough.

http://www.scan.co.uk/product.aspx?ProductId=31508

I have never used an Asrock so I have no idea of their build quality, and being cheaper end I guess one should always be circumspect

Worthy?

[kalniel]

I worship ASRock.

No idea about that particular board though, sorry.

[Zak33]

Worship? Blimey...high praise indeed

I might order that tomorrow then

[Zhaoman]

I have an ASrock here and couldn't think of a thing to complain about it even if I tried. It was a bargain too so i'm well chuffed with it.

Come to think of it there is one thing: the mobo power connector is between the I/O plate and the CPU... :/ Not really a complaint but it is quite strange, I think several ASrock mobos feature that. Supposed to be better cos it's closer to the CPU or something...

[Pob255]

The additional 12v connector position is just a matter of cost cutting, a more centeral point (to where the power is needed) so shorter runs and a simplier pcb
Can be a right bugger for cable management.

I used to have the godly ASRock 4core-dual sata board, not much good for overclocking but the combo of agp or pci-e and ddr or ddr2 made that motherboard a lovely step by step upgrader.

As to the motherboard you linked, no solid caps, only 2 slots for ram.

Generally ASRock are nice basic cheap motherboards, usally not great for overclocking.

If you really want to push the overclock that DFI Jr is probably the best thing you can get.

For the cheapest probably the Asus P5QL-EM £68
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Asus-...-Micro-ATX-VGA
Well at least from Scan

[Zhaoman]

Yeah my mobo features slots for both DDR2 and DDR3, and it has 'official support' for 2000Mhz FSB too but I haven't pushed it that far yet so can't comment on the validity of those claims. However the position of the power connector does get in the way with the thick mobo power cables dangling in front of the HSF but it's definitely not a deal-breaker.