Motherboard+CPU buying guide and install information

[LTL]

The objective of this topic is to centralize and organize specific information about each Motherboard helping people to make a relatively quick and good choice.

This is not a place to ask if a MOBO will work!

This is not a place for people who do not spend the time to learn about the variables and challenges that the community is dealing with.

Take the time to read the Forum and make yourself familiar with what a Vanilla Kernel is and why you want it, EFI, MBR vs. GUID, etc. Use Wikipedia, Use google.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSx86

Know who Vitaliy and Semthex are!

 

This is a place to talk about MOBOs that are working well.

If you have a MOBO that is not working well, please list it and let us know to stay away from it.

The HCL is pretty long and at some points outdated. You can spend a few days going through it, which I highly recommend, but in the end... we need a specific place to talk about the best boards for the job. So if you are shopping for a Board, upgrading your current board, or want to share your experiences with your choice, then please join this discussions.

 

What is the difference here vs. the HCL? Why set this up? well... try to do a search for a specific MOBO and you have to swim through the Indian Ocean to find a small spec about it. People just list all their machine specs and its tough to wade through the 100s of variations.

 

Like many people, I want to buy the right board and there are many choices such as the most talked about Bad Axe/2 series and the Asus P5-B Deluxe

 

So here, please list only your:

1. MOBO Make Model Bios:
   
2. Install Flavor:
   
3. Install Options:
   
4. Vanilla Compatible:
   
5. EFI:
   
6. Bios Settings:
   
7. X-Bench Score:
   
8. Patching Required:
   
9. CPU details:
   
10. Max Ram Possible:
    
11. Ram Used:
    
12. Price:
    
13. and any other advise you would like to share.
    

Here are the most popular boards right now:

Intel D975XBX2 (Bad Axe 2)

ASUS P5W DH Deluxe

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3x | P35C-DS3R

Gigabyte GA-945GCMX-S2

ASRock Conroe 1333

 

As of this writing I am looking at the Gigabyte X38-DS5 and wondering why people like the Bad Axe 2

 

Hope that this helps everyone

[weaksauce12]

1. MOBO Make Model Bios: Intel Bad Axe 2, BIOS 2809

2. Install Flavor: BrazilMac

3. Install Options: NVinject

4. Vanilla Compatible: Yup

5. EFI: 5.2

6. Bios Settings: Optimized

7. X-Bench Score: 174

8. Patching Required: Just Audio for post-install

9. CPU details: Q6600

10. Max Ram Possible: 8gb (confirmed)

11. Ram Used: Cheapest stuff on Newegg

12. Price: $170 new

13. Other advice: The two known problems are (1) the Marvell SATA controller doesn't work (so only 4 working SATA ports instead of 8) and (2) the Onboard Audio is Experimental (Volume Control works but Mute and Mic Input don't). If you need more than 4 ports, just add a PCIe SATA or RAID card. If you want a fully working sound, get a PCIe/PCI, USB, or Firewire sound card (Griffin iMic is great). Also, this board does not support 45nm Penryn chips, so if you're looking to upgrade the processor down the road this isn't your board.

 

Overall it is a great board. I'm running a 2.4ghz Quad-Core with 8 gigs of ram and it runs smoothly. My longest uptime was 20 days, only to be rebooted because I added new hardware. It is comparable to the previous-generation Mac Pros (before the Penryn release) and costs 1/3 the price. I built my system for $1300 (case/psu/fans, q6600, 8gb ram, 3x500gb drives, DVD burner, 7300GT) and saved $3800 over the comparable Mac Pro ($5115 from Apple). It's very stable, it works well, and it overclocks well with the right processor. You can disable the Marvell SATA controller as well as Onboard Audio to eliminate those bugs; just get an inexpensive USB sound card and you're all set.

[LTL]

The P35 based MOBOs (BadAxe2 for example) have been tried and tested, but you are right in regards to upgrading in the future...they have reached the end of their development cycle and the new X38 chipset are going to be taking their place. Hopefully we will get some X38 feed back soon.

http://www.hothardware.com/articles/Intel_...Chipset_Debuts/

 

Some X38 based boards being talked about are the:

X38-DS5 (support DDR2 and 3)

x38T-DQ6 (only supports DDR3)

Asus Maximus

 

Both the new X38 and P35 chipsets are ICH9 and are very similar with the X38 supporting more thru put in some areas

 

Let me add that the P35 is a great chipset! There are plenty of boards with the P35 that support 45NM like the Asus P5K

http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&amp...amp;modelmenu=1

 

Thanks again for the info weaksauce! Hope the reviews keep coming in and add your xBench score if you got it!