Motherboards for Core 2 Duo and beyond...

[EtheAv8r]

I shall be replacing my current near 3 year old system (ABIT NF7v2, AMD 3200+) - which will be re-located to one of my teenage daughters – and have been playing the hold-off wait and see game since before last Christmas. AM2 was round the corner, which could have produced a performance step-up, but otherwise would have yielded price reductions on the then ‘yummy’ AMD socket 939 CPUs. Then in the spring AM2 was disappointing, but there was the promise of fantastic performance from Core 2 Duo or “Conroe” as it was then, so wait for that because the wait would be worth it…… now of course it is “Kentfield” for the coming new year and the promise that the huge step-up enabled by Core 2 Duo will be repeated yet again making it questionable if the purchase of a high-end (E6800) Core 2 Duo would be wise at the moment.

However it has always been (for the past 20 years or so) that technology moves rapidly onwards and upward in terms of spec/price/performance and if you keep waiting for the next wonder upgrade or price drop then you will never buy anything. There has to come a point when you jump and take what is on offer.

For me I think that it will be this Christmas or New Year – my pressy to me. Most of the components are now pretty sorted – Case, PSU, Optical drive, Hard drives, GPU, Cooling (air), and for the CPU I will go for a mid range, and therefore relatively inexpensive Core 2 Duo (E6600 maybe E6700) or even an E6400 as an interim CPU to be replaced next year – but I plan to keep the rest of the system for the next 3 years + (with a wife and 3 teenage daughters to support, I have to limit the computer “toys” as they are not my main “toy” and my wife does not understand why I want a faster machine (Combat Flight Sims & Digital Photography) when the current machine works “perfectly well”).
The real sticking point is what Motherboard – sensibly it must be fast, reliable, easily overclockable and stable, and as future-proof as possible (i.e. Kentfield support). Up to now nothing currently available stands out – though I expect that situation to change by Christmas, and the first board to really grab my interest has now been announced by ASUS, the P5W64 WS Professional.

At last a motherboard that appears to be truly something special - if expensive! Is it worth it? Will there be other equally good or better choices?

Recommendations, ideas, insights and thoughts on the motherboard situation and prospects in the next 3-4 months - Discuss!

[MD]

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=6635 all u need to know

[EtheAv8r]

ends with....

"As HEXUS we have to push aside personal considerations though, so we hesitate in going too over-the-top, especially outside of a true mega high-end roundup of boards that'll do Kentsfield without issue. In isolation however, we think the appeal of the reviewed mainboard is apparent.

We'll throw the P5W64 WS Pro into any such roundup here at HEXUS in due course, should a gathering of other like-minded mainboard present itself"

Can't wait... but guess we will have to! It is the gathering of like minded mainboards that I hope will be available in 2 -3 months - some real choice of top quality - and competition!