[Xtreme2damax]

I know I've probably asked this in the past elsewhere but I need some new suggestions. I'm looking for a decent motherboard to replace my current crappy motherboard that is no good for overclocking, it shouldn't be expensive where I have to break the bank in order to purchase.

It needs to be compatible with my current Core2Duo E8500 CPU.
It needs to be compatible with my current 400Mhz DDR2-800 Ram.
It must be great for overclocking, a good overclocking motherboard.
It must contain two PCI-e x16 slots, SLI support preferred.
It must have 3 PCI slots, 1 PCI-e x1 and/or x8 slot.
I need a motherboard with great reviews all around.
Newegg is the only e-tailor I'll shop at online besides Amazon.

It must have onboard audio, no onboard video. I'd actually prefer no onboard audio and video, but I don't have money to buy a sound card right now.

I also need a decent heatsink/fan combination that is great at keeping the processor as cool as possible, the best combination and cooling solution I can get as cheaply as possible. I also need the best thermal compound for the job, with detailed instructions on how to properly remove and re-apply thermal compound.

I also am seeking a new case that is large enough and has decent ventilation, again the best I can get as cheaply as possible.

Thanks to anyone who can offer some suggestions.

[Phil]

Whats your price range?

An Asus Rampage should fit the bill.

If you are going SLi on socket 775, your stuck with an Nforce chipset, and while they clock well they run alot hotter.

As for a case, an Antec 900 Should fit the bill. Should be around $80-110

This post has been edited by Phil: 10 February 2010 - 12:38 AM

[Xtreme2damax]

I'm looking to stay around a $100 to maybe $150 - $200 at most excluding the heatsink/fan combo and case.

[Phil]

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813131377

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Good suggestion Phil.

As for the case get a CoolerMaster 690

No so clued up on coolers at the moment.

This post has been edited by SCHUMI_4EVER: 10 February 2010 - 02:48 PM

[Xtreme2damax]

Nice, any suggestions for a decent SLI board with an nforce chipset for around the same price, or is it wiser to steer away from SLI and nforce if I plan on overclocking?

[Squall Leonhart]

don't waste your time on SLI. more trouble than its worth.

100% of driver issues are those from SLI users,.

[Xtreme2damax]

I suppose Phil's suggestion is quite nice, I'll look into it.

What would you guys recommend for a decent heatsink/fan combination, that is quite good at cooling? I'm looking to keep the CPU relatively cool under load. Also what is the best thermal paste for the job, how would I go about cleaning off the old thermal paste and applying the new paste?

[Squall Leonhart]

isopropyl alcohol is the best way to clean it off... followed by dish detergent.

SpinQ VT is a pretty good cooler for Core 2's.

[KrossX]

Artic Silver is a pretty nice thermal paste. Apply carefully though, since it's metal based.

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

When it comes to the cooler you could always join the H50 craze.

[Xtreme2damax]

Squall Leonhart, on 11 February 2010 - 05:46 AM, said:

isopropyl alcohol is the best way to clean it off... followed by dish detergent.

SpinQ VT is a pretty good cooler for Core 2's.

Do I use cotton swabs to clean it off with those chemicals?

[Xtreme2damax]

Looking for some additional recommendations for a good socket LGA775 motherboard for my Core2Duo E8500. It needs to be able to overclock well, what are some popular choices out there that I can look at?

[NaturalViolence]

Quote

and while they clock well they run alot hotter.

No they don't. Exact opposite. They run ice cold but they're terrible at overclocking. I ought to know, my last 2 boards including the one I'm using now are nforce. Unfortunately like Phil said you need an nforce board if you want sli on an LGA775 platform.

Personally I'de say say screw sli and go with overclocking since I have the same opinion of sli as Squall. And I;ve actually used sli in the past, I had dual 8800GTs before I got my GTX 260. Honestly sli seems great UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY TRY IT, then you realize what a pain in the rear it can be.

If you want my advice I'de say go with a P45 from ASUS. Way better cpu overclocking than a 750i, I regret my mobo decision every day .

Also I would not use arctic silver. It may be good but it's dangerous. I've killed a mobo and a video card in the past with the stuff. Ever since then I've been using this stuff http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835154003

It performs just as well as arctic silver and doesn't conduct electricity. It also costs about the same.

This post has been edited by NaturalViolence: 08 August 2010 - 02:30 PM

[Xtreme2damax]

Thanks, I really shouldn't have cheaped out and bought this Asrock motherboard. Thing can't even achieve a 100 Mhz - 200 Mhz overclock, any higher and my system refuses to boot. Eventually I might look into a quad core processor so I can record videos with fraps and play at the same time.

[SCHUMI_4EVER]

Biggest improvement to FRAPS recording is recording to a drive that the system and game are NOT on by the way. I recently switched the recording folder to my 2nd drive and recording has improved astronomically.

[Xtreme2damax]

Yeah, but my problem is fraps using the same CPU cores that Dolphin is using. Since I have a dual core, it really kills performance while recording videos.