Help choosing between two high-end motherboards

patwa_2

Hi. I build computers locally to earn some spare cash, but most of the systems are lower end (comparatively) as clients don't have the cash for expensive units. Anyway, I'm now finally getting round to treating myself and I want something that'll rock both the house and everything else for that matter for kilometres around (sorry, that sounded a bit selfish but I feel that I deserve it after such a long time).

Anyway, trying to decide between the Asus Striker Extreme and P5N32-E SLi. Both 775 motherboards and both at the top of the Asus line, but I can't work out which one to go for. Naturally I want the best.

Thanks.

rizla01

Hi Patwa,

This is no help to you at all, but WHY??

What is the difference between motherboards?

I assume that it is just for game playing?

patwa_2

Hi, to look at your question from two different viewpoints:

1. I don't know the difference, they look the same to me on the surface which is why I was asking. I assume the Striker Extreme is more aimed at gamers whereas the P5N32-E SLi is aimed at the power mad, but I'd like to see the actual differences between them.

2. Motherboards differ in many ways, similar to your average car. They have different features, defferent spc limits and component compatibilities, different chipsets. Even though they are both from the same manufacturer, motherboards can have attached components made by different manufacturers with thei own strengths and weaknesses. In fact, the choice of wich motherboard is probably the most important decision you could make when building a computer. It is the foundation for your computer, for example, it determines which processor, RAM and graphics card type you can use, it determines how many hard drives and optical drives you can connect, it determines the future-proof'ness of our computers.

Hope that helps, I wasn't sure what angle you were asking from so I answered it from both.

patwa_2

Hi, have decided to go for the Striker after seeing a review on Game PC. The difference between the two is that the Striker has the motherboard LED's, eSATA and many of the overclocking and tweaking options that the P5N32-E SLi doesn't. It costs more, but as I said I want the best - I plan to hold this system for at least a couple of years.

wolfman

Hmmm, if you want to overclock a 965 chipset is better. Also a lot cheaper.

The Asus P5B Deluxe is very good. The Gigabyte DS3/4 too. There's little difference in terms of performance between an Asus 965 and Asus 975 motherboard.

I'd save the extra cash and go for a P5B Deluxe. It's a very good board, and still why a lot of people recommend 965 motherboards instead of 975's. The saving could help go towards a better cpu or graphics card. The E6400 would be suited very nicely to the P5B and you should be able to get a nice overclock with it.

I wouldn't worry about future proofing it too much. It's often easiest and best to hold onto your cpu, mobo, memory for 18-24 months, then sell it as a bundle and upgrade.

Blacksheep1979

Why do you want the best? Are you oveclocking it? And tbh if you can't tell the difference then maybe you're buying products that you don't need.

patwa_2

Thanks for those considerations, I'll take them on board.

Gib_Gib

wolfman wrote:

Hmmm, if you want to overclock a 965 chipset is better. Also a lot cheaper.

cheaper yes, better no

The 680 chipset is the fastest out, but its the most expensive by a long way.

patwa_2

True. I went for the Striker, got it today, it's really something, even just looking at the contents of the box. It's going to take pride of place on my desk so that I can look at it's unblemished godliness whenever I look that way until I get the rest of the components next week. My mouth is watering just thinking of the benchmarks the final system is going to be capable of.

As for cost, true it's a lot more expensive than other boards, but you get what you pay for with Asus, mainly reliability, performance and a LOT of extras. Even the bundled software requires a DVD rather than a CD, not that I'm one to just go for the little things and forget the more important ones.