I'd love to replace my aging little C2D notebooks, but will there be a good ULV version for 3lb. notebooks that accept a couple of regulation hard drives?
Sandy Bridge
- Thread starter Stereodude
- Start date
I'd love to replace my aging little C2D notebooks, but will there be a good ULV version for 3lb. notebooks that accept a couple of regulation hard drives?
Adcadet
Storage Freak
I now have my i7 2600k system up and running. There's definitely some funkiness going on with the BIOS (video card error when I power up all my hard drives), but I just don't have time to track it down now.
time
Storage? I am Storage!
Which motherboard?
Adcadet
Storage Freak
Asus P8P67 Pro (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...31682&cm_re=asus_p8p67-_-13-131-682-_-Product)
Intel 2600K (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070)
Corsair Vengence DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144)
Asus GeForce GTX 460 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121389)
Intel X-25M-G2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167031&cm_re=X25M-_-20-167-031-_-Product) for boot, Raptor 150 GB, Raptor 740GD, and two Hitachi 2K2000's
Asus Xonar DS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013)
An Asus DVD burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204)
Hannspree 289 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262006&Tpk=hannspree 28)
An old LG 19" CRT (http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Studioworks-995E-19-Inch/dp/B0000514GZ)
Intel 2600K (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070)
Corsair Vengence DDR3 1600 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144)
Asus GeForce GTX 460 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121389)
Intel X-25M-G2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167031&cm_re=X25M-_-20-167-031-_-Product) for boot, Raptor 150 GB, Raptor 740GD, and two Hitachi 2K2000's
Asus Xonar DS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132013)
An Asus DVD burner (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204)
Hannspree 289 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262006&Tpk=hannspree 28)
An old LG 19" CRT (http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-Studioworks-995E-19-Inch/dp/B0000514GZ)
Stereodude
Not really a
I'm torn on the 2600K. I want one, but I really don't have the slightest need for it. My Q6600 @ 3.0gHz keeps me happy.
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
That's what I have as well, but not overclocked. I still don't see a very good reason to upgrade. Unless something fails...
Adcadet
Storage Freak
My system is now pretty well up and running as I want it. So far, so good. This board makes overclocking ridiculously easy. My system runs very well with a Vcore of 1.24 and a 40x muliplier (4.12 GHz, stock is 3.4 GHz). Overall I'm pretty happy.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
Are you using the retail heatsink? Is it the smallish one or the tower (I'm betting on the smallish one).
Adcadet
Storage Freak
The smallish one came with the retail (box) processor. It reminds me a lot of what came with my Core 2 Duo (Conroe) chip about 4 years ago. I'm using a Coolermaster 212 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065&Tpk=coolermaster 212).
Stereodude
Not really a
Well, I found something that makes my Q6600 @ 3.0gHz feel slow. BD Rebuilder. 
ddrueding
Fixture
That is a neat program. I may need some more horsepower myself to make full use of that. I told myself that I would hold out until the successor to the 980X...maybe not.
Stereodude
Not really a
I don't have any plan to right now. I'd be curious to see know how much faster a i7-2600k overclocked to within an inch of it's life is though.Are you going to upgrade?
For what very little it's worth, a 4.4gHz i7-2600k gets about 11,550 in PassMark's CPU test whereas a 3gHz Q6600 gets about 3880. A 4.4gHz i7-980X comes in at 13588.
Ultimately it looks more like an overnight sort of process. At which point, does it really matter if it finishes in 3 hours instead of 9?
It does if the tool can queue processes and you want the most out of a netflix subscription.
However, you're right, it really doesn't matter.
Stereodude
Not really a
Yes, it can queue / run in a batch mode. :thumbleft:It does if the tool can queue processes and you want the most out of a netflix subscription.
However, you're right, it really doesn't matter.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
What sizes are motherboards these days? Way back, I always bought only cases that could take an EATX board. Are all high-end consumer grade (not workstation or server) boards now ATX size, max? I ask because someday I'll upgrade to Sandy Bridge and will probably buy a new case for that setup. A case with good cooling, removable / washable filters and able to take 4+ HDDs.
There are some motherboards like EVGA and Gigabyte which are larger than the norm when you want those extra PCIe slots (XL-ATX Form Factor) with an X58 chipset. As for Sandybridge motherboards (1155), I don't know if any of the XL-ATX motherboards exist yet or if they ever will. My guess is they might wait until the next CPU release for the larger motherboards, but I have no data to support that.
I would say most common motherboards are still ATX and Micro ATX. The last several systems I've built have been Micro ATX. An Antec P183 would meet all the needs you're looking for. That's what I'm using right now.
I would say most common motherboards are still ATX and Micro ATX. The last several systems I've built have been Micro ATX. An Antec P183 would meet all the needs you're looking for. That's what I'm using right now.
CougTek
Hairy Aussie
One of the nicest motherboards for Sandy Bridge is the Asus Sabertooth P67, but the design is made for a top-down cooler. I supposed it is more at risk of over-heating with a tower heatsink. It is a standard ATX motherboard.
Personally, the Asus P8P67-M would be enough and it as a µ-ATX form factor.
Personally, the Asus P8P67-M would be enough and it as a µ-ATX form factor.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
Thanks guys.
Stereodude
Not really a
So, which of the two Microcenter I7-2600k bundles (bottom of the page) would you guys recommend?
The $400 one has the Asus P8P67 LE LGA 1155 P67 ATX Intel Motherboard, and the $420 one has the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P LGA 1155 P67 ATX Intel Motherboard.
I guess I should mention I would be open to something other than those two bundles.
The $400 one has the Asus P8P67 LE LGA 1155 P67 ATX Intel Motherboard, and the $420 one has the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P LGA 1155 P67 ATX Intel Motherboard.
I guess I should mention I would be open to something other than those two bundles.
ddrueding
Fixture
I'm a fan of Gigabyte boards, and quite the opposite with ASUS.
Is it worth it to go with a board which has EFI? I don't think either board in the bundles uses EFI. I like the idea of EFI, but I haven't yet done enough investigating to see if it's stable. Adcadet listed getting the Asus P8P67 Pro. Maybe he can chime in on how it's working now.
I'm also a fan of Gigabyte, but I can't say anything for or against Asus.
I'm also a fan of Gigabyte, but I can't say anything for or against Asus.
Stereodude
Not really a
I don't really care about EFI. I only see it being useful if you care about booting from a HD that is too large to use MBR. (which Gigabyte claims to be able to do without EFI) For as little time as I spend in the BIOS I can handle the basic text only variety.
Stereodude
Not really a
So here's my current thoughts:
Intel i7-2600K CPU
Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P Mobo
2 x G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF
Everything else I have will be re-use.
Intel i7-2600K CPU
Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3P Mobo
2 x G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF
Everything else I have will be re-use.
What about these Corsair XMS Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) for the same price with free shipping? They might offer better cooling if you decide to OC.
Stereodude
Not really a
I wasn't really planning to OC the memory. But, I guess better cooling on the RAM isn't a bad thing though. I'll give it some thought.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Stereodude
Not really a
That's sort of why I was leaning toward the G.Skill Sniper's. They're low profile and at least one of the review on Newegg was from someone running 4 off them together on a i7-2600K. That and the positive overclocking reports.
Stereodude
Not really a
I decided to go with the G.Skill Sniper and used the 15% off desktop memory coupon from Newegg.
I was a little miffed that in my cart it showed free UPS 3-day shipping and in the checkout process UPS 3-day shipping was $7.41 and only the craptacular "you might get your package in 1.5 weeks" eggsaver shipping was free. :cursin:
I decided to pay the $7.41.
I was a little miffed that in my cart it showed free UPS 3-day shipping and in the checkout process UPS 3-day shipping was $7.41 and only the craptacular "you might get your package in 1.5 weeks" eggsaver shipping was free. :cursin:
I decided to pay the $7.41.
Stereodude
Not really a
Will do. At 4.5gHz I'm hoping for a 3x increase in speed.
I think the RAM in every one of my systems is G.Skill except for the AMD system I just built. I bought my DDR3 local for it because I was impatient after UPS lost my Newegg RAM shipment. They've done right by me. The one time I had a stick fail their RMA was painless and quick.
Adcadet
Storage Freak
Allow me to offer some thoughts, if I may.
I've noted that Gigabyte boards have generally been really solid recently, so I was expecting to get a Gigabyte board for my Sandy build. Unfortunately, it looks like people don't like Gigabyte's boards:
"The Gigabyte P67A-UD4 is a very good motherboard but it is lacking in the newer BIOS and software overclocking features you can find on other motherboards. The BIOS is somewhat glitchy and a bit mush to use. Even without all the bells and whistles, this ~$189 motherboard overclocked our 2600K processor to a solid 4.8GHz like we have seen on all other motherboards that we have tested. (Amazon, Newegg, TigerDirect) Given these facts, I think the board should be priced a bit less expensive. And it is worth mentioning, that Gigabyte is now making motherboards that you would not be ashamed of putting in a chassis with a window. In terms of aesthetics, we really like the new look Gigabyte is going with." -- http://hardocp.com/article/2011/01/27/gigabyte_p67aud4_motherboard_review/6
"As the most expensive board in the bunch, Gigabyte's GA-P67A-UD4 has more to prove than its rivals. There's a lot to like here, including low power consumption under load and integrated audio with Dolby Digital Live support. The UD4 also has the best peripheral performance of the bunch. However, it's missing the powered eSATA ports and FireWire connectivity available on cheaper alternatives. The lack of UEFI support is also disappointing, but not as much as the sluggish responsiveness of the board's old-school BIOS. If the UD4 were cheaper than the alternatives, we might be more enthusiastic. But it's not, so we'll move on." -- http://techreport.com/articles.x/20190/15
Since I built my new PC, Anand compared the Gigabyte vs Asus boards:
"After playing with both boards, I can only come to one conclusion – if it were my money, I would take the ASUS P8P67 Pro over the Gigabyte P67A-UD4. With the ASUS board, you are getting a detailed UEFI, an awesome auto-overclocking tool, better energy saving features, a USB 3.0 bracket , more SATA 6 Gb/s ports, Intel gigabit Ethernet, and in my case, scope for a better overclock. The Gigabyte board is essentially expensive for what is on offer, in terms of usability, features, and extras." -- http://www.anandtech.com/show/4130/the-battle-of-the-p67-boards-asus-vs-gigabyte-at-190/11
I am indeed running the Asus P8P67 Pro. It took me a long while to figure out the multiple versions of the P8P87 line, but the Pro ended up being my choice as it had a better PCI-e layout if/when I go SLI/Crossfire, and had the Intel GigaE controller. I also wanted to use the new UEFI BIOS, as it sounded cool. The Bluetooth was a non-issue for me, although it was cute to stream some audio from my iPhone to my PC. And I heard some nice things about it from TechReport, a place that seems pretty reasonable and is one of the few places to directly compare 1155 boards (here's another - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/p67-motherboard-roundup-lga-1155-sandy-bridge,2837-31.html - but how did they not review a Gigabyte board?).
"For just $10 more than the GD65, you should be able to pick up Asus' P8P67 PRO. Totally worth it. Asus ticks all the right boxes on the peripherals front and even adds a few extras like built-in Bluetooth and a third PCI Express x16 slot. The UEFI BIOS is a revelation, offering both a slick presentation and an incredibly responsive interface that's really a pleasure to use. And, while the PRO's peripheral performance isn't particularly stunning, it's very competitive."--http://techreport.com/articles.x/20190/15
The Hyper 212 (plus) seems like a great HSF - cheap, and endorsed by both Techreport (http://techreport.com/articles.x/20138/6) and SPCR (http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks). I found some sites that looked less reliable, and the Hyper 212 looked like it compared well to HSFs that were $70+.
I'm pretty impressed with the P8P67. The UEFI BIOS is pretty slick, although there's no reason to regularly enter the BIOS. For the amount of hardware I have, it seems perhaps a touch faster to get through the BIOS when booting. The windows-based program they include makes OCing ridiculously easy. I think Kyle from HardOCP summed it up best:
"Overclocking Sandy Bridge is about as easy making toast. In fact I am pretty sure that there are some of you out there that cannot make toast that can OC the shit out of Sandy Bridge." -- http://hardocp.com/article/2011/01/03/intel_sandy_bridge_2600k_2500k_processors_review/6
For me, OCing Sandy Bridge has been a joy. I am now too busy to mess with all the voltages and multipliers, but with Sandy it's just so straight forward. Again, with the AI Suite software from Asus (and many other MB makers have similar software I think), you can tell it to just OC it for you, and adjusts the base clock, multiplier, and voltage, incurs a few reboots, then says what the best it got was. 4.4 GHz in my case, not bad (3.8 GHz is the top default turbo frequency on the 2600K's when only 1 physical core is busy, so that's a only 16% I guess). My biggest complaint so far - my memory (see below) apparently isn't detected properly, but with their "memOK" button it works fine but I have to open the case to hit the little memOK button when I change hardware (including putting in a SATA drive - Dan from HardOCP apparently found this glitch as well, I haven't tried the Hot Swap trick yet - http://hardocp.com/article/2011/01/05/asus_p8p67_ws_revolution_motherboard_review/7).
I'm also running the Corsair Vengeance 4GBx2 setup (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144). I'm running at 103 MHz baseclock and a 44 multiplier, and I set my RAM to 1600 MHz in the BIOS, and it's reported as 824.2 MHz in CPUz (an 8x multiplier), giving me 1648 MHz. But I think this is largely academic, as I don't think Sandy gains much from increasing memory bandwidth - if take a close look at this article, and especially at the graphs, then the prices of higher-end memory, to decide if the ~3% performance gain of the fastest memory is worth it.
"If you're the type of person that runs dozens of applications all at once, then a higher memory frequency does help, particularly when you're running demanding software. However, our testing shows that memory rated at over 1,866MHz doesn't give much extra performance. Worse still, in some applications only 1,333MHz memory gives a performance penalty, meaning that 1,600MHz memory is fine.
If you're doing anything other than heavy multi-tasking - this goes for gamers in particular - then a 1,600MHz or 1,866MHz kit is plenty. You could opt for CL8, as we saw some advantage in the video encoding test, but we wouldn't obsess over this factor, especially if a CL9 kit is much cheaper." -- http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/12
I recently discovered the joys of VM (http://www.storageforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8527&highlight=virtual), and I've now decided that for me, 8 GB is actually a pretty reasonable amount of RAM (figure ~3 GB for Windows 7 and applications, another 2-4 GB per VM, and sometimes running two VMs). Newegg is running (expires in a few hours!) a 15% off memory sale (code DM15A0111US), and the Vengence is $30 off already and with free shipping, and for Christmas I got a $100 newegg gift card that I have no other immediate use for...so I plurged and spent $89 for another 8 GB of RAM. But before doing that I wanted to make sure my setup could accommodate another stick of RAM in the slot closest to the HSF (the Vengeance sticks are tall, and the 212 is relatively large). The Corsair Vengeance sticks can be put into all 4 memory slots with a Hyper 212 on my board (P8P67-PRO) - I recently took one of my two sticks from a slot well clear of the HSF and put it in the one right next to the Hyper 212 and it fit just fine, although it is snug against the fan on the 212 (I put an extra 120 mm fan on mine using the included bracket to allow a push-pull combination across the heat sink).
Which brings up the BIOS issue. I heard (on some forum, can't remember which), that the older BIOS in the Asus P8P67 can't didn't recognize four 4 GB sticks. I previously had not updated the BIOS since everything seemed to run fine. So I updated my BIOS (from end of October) to the one from December, then ordered the RAM. The funny thing is, it seems to run a little hotter since I upgraded the BIOS to the late-December (vs. October) version. Strange, and I'm not sure why.
Happy to answer specific questions if I can.
I've noted that Gigabyte boards have generally been really solid recently, so I was expecting to get a Gigabyte board for my Sandy build. Unfortunately, it looks like people don't like Gigabyte's boards:
"The Gigabyte P67A-UD4 is a very good motherboard but it is lacking in the newer BIOS and software overclocking features you can find on other motherboards. The BIOS is somewhat glitchy and a bit mush to use. Even without all the bells and whistles, this ~$189 motherboard overclocked our 2600K processor to a solid 4.8GHz like we have seen on all other motherboards that we have tested. (Amazon, Newegg, TigerDirect) Given these facts, I think the board should be priced a bit less expensive. And it is worth mentioning, that Gigabyte is now making motherboards that you would not be ashamed of putting in a chassis with a window. In terms of aesthetics, we really like the new look Gigabyte is going with." -- http://hardocp.com/article/2011/01/27/gigabyte_p67aud4_motherboard_review/6
"As the most expensive board in the bunch, Gigabyte's GA-P67A-UD4 has more to prove than its rivals. There's a lot to like here, including low power consumption under load and integrated audio with Dolby Digital Live support. The UD4 also has the best peripheral performance of the bunch. However, it's missing the powered eSATA ports and FireWire connectivity available on cheaper alternatives. The lack of UEFI support is also disappointing, but not as much as the sluggish responsiveness of the board's old-school BIOS. If the UD4 were cheaper than the alternatives, we might be more enthusiastic. But it's not, so we'll move on." -- http://techreport.com/articles.x/20190/15
Since I built my new PC, Anand compared the Gigabyte vs Asus boards:
"After playing with both boards, I can only come to one conclusion – if it were my money, I would take the ASUS P8P67 Pro over the Gigabyte P67A-UD4. With the ASUS board, you are getting a detailed UEFI, an awesome auto-overclocking tool, better energy saving features, a USB 3.0 bracket , more SATA 6 Gb/s ports, Intel gigabit Ethernet, and in my case, scope for a better overclock. The Gigabyte board is essentially expensive for what is on offer, in terms of usability, features, and extras." -- http://www.anandtech.com/show/4130/the-battle-of-the-p67-boards-asus-vs-gigabyte-at-190/11
I am indeed running the Asus P8P67 Pro. It took me a long while to figure out the multiple versions of the P8P87 line, but the Pro ended up being my choice as it had a better PCI-e layout if/when I go SLI/Crossfire, and had the Intel GigaE controller. I also wanted to use the new UEFI BIOS, as it sounded cool. The Bluetooth was a non-issue for me, although it was cute to stream some audio from my iPhone to my PC. And I heard some nice things about it from TechReport, a place that seems pretty reasonable and is one of the few places to directly compare 1155 boards (here's another - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/p67-motherboard-roundup-lga-1155-sandy-bridge,2837-31.html - but how did they not review a Gigabyte board?).
"For just $10 more than the GD65, you should be able to pick up Asus' P8P67 PRO. Totally worth it. Asus ticks all the right boxes on the peripherals front and even adds a few extras like built-in Bluetooth and a third PCI Express x16 slot. The UEFI BIOS is a revelation, offering both a slick presentation and an incredibly responsive interface that's really a pleasure to use. And, while the PRO's peripheral performance isn't particularly stunning, it's very competitive."--http://techreport.com/articles.x/20190/15
The Hyper 212 (plus) seems like a great HSF - cheap, and endorsed by both Techreport (http://techreport.com/articles.x/20138/6) and SPCR (http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks). I found some sites that looked less reliable, and the Hyper 212 looked like it compared well to HSFs that were $70+.
I'm pretty impressed with the P8P67. The UEFI BIOS is pretty slick, although there's no reason to regularly enter the BIOS. For the amount of hardware I have, it seems perhaps a touch faster to get through the BIOS when booting. The windows-based program they include makes OCing ridiculously easy. I think Kyle from HardOCP summed it up best:
"Overclocking Sandy Bridge is about as easy making toast. In fact I am pretty sure that there are some of you out there that cannot make toast that can OC the shit out of Sandy Bridge." -- http://hardocp.com/article/2011/01/03/intel_sandy_bridge_2600k_2500k_processors_review/6
For me, OCing Sandy Bridge has been a joy. I am now too busy to mess with all the voltages and multipliers, but with Sandy it's just so straight forward. Again, with the AI Suite software from Asus (and many other MB makers have similar software I think), you can tell it to just OC it for you, and adjusts the base clock, multiplier, and voltage, incurs a few reboots, then says what the best it got was. 4.4 GHz in my case, not bad (3.8 GHz is the top default turbo frequency on the 2600K's when only 1 physical core is busy, so that's a only 16% I guess). My biggest complaint so far - my memory (see below) apparently isn't detected properly, but with their "memOK" button it works fine but I have to open the case to hit the little memOK button when I change hardware (including putting in a SATA drive - Dan from HardOCP apparently found this glitch as well, I haven't tried the Hot Swap trick yet - http://hardocp.com/article/2011/01/05/asus_p8p67_ws_revolution_motherboard_review/7).
I'm also running the Corsair Vengeance 4GBx2 setup (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144). I'm running at 103 MHz baseclock and a 44 multiplier, and I set my RAM to 1600 MHz in the BIOS, and it's reported as 824.2 MHz in CPUz (an 8x multiplier), giving me 1648 MHz. But I think this is largely academic, as I don't think Sandy gains much from increasing memory bandwidth - if take a close look at this article, and especially at the graphs, then the prices of higher-end memory, to decide if the ~3% performance gain of the fastest memory is worth it.
"If you're the type of person that runs dozens of applications all at once, then a higher memory frequency does help, particularly when you're running demanding software. However, our testing shows that memory rated at over 1,866MHz doesn't give much extra performance. Worse still, in some applications only 1,333MHz memory gives a performance penalty, meaning that 1,600MHz memory is fine.
If you're doing anything other than heavy multi-tasking - this goes for gamers in particular - then a 1,600MHz or 1,866MHz kit is plenty. You could opt for CL8, as we saw some advantage in the video encoding test, but we wouldn't obsess over this factor, especially if a CL9 kit is much cheaper." -- http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/12
I recently discovered the joys of VM (http://www.storageforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8527&highlight=virtual), and I've now decided that for me, 8 GB is actually a pretty reasonable amount of RAM (figure ~3 GB for Windows 7 and applications, another 2-4 GB per VM, and sometimes running two VMs). Newegg is running (expires in a few hours!) a 15% off memory sale (code DM15A0111US), and the Vengence is $30 off already and with free shipping, and for Christmas I got a $100 newegg gift card that I have no other immediate use for...so I plurged and spent $89 for another 8 GB of RAM. But before doing that I wanted to make sure my setup could accommodate another stick of RAM in the slot closest to the HSF (the Vengeance sticks are tall, and the 212 is relatively large). The Corsair Vengeance sticks can be put into all 4 memory slots with a Hyper 212 on my board (P8P67-PRO) - I recently took one of my two sticks from a slot well clear of the HSF and put it in the one right next to the Hyper 212 and it fit just fine, although it is snug against the fan on the 212 (I put an extra 120 mm fan on mine using the included bracket to allow a push-pull combination across the heat sink).
Which brings up the BIOS issue. I heard (on some forum, can't remember which), that the older BIOS in the Asus P8P67 can't didn't recognize four 4 GB sticks. I previously had not updated the BIOS since everything seemed to run fine. So I updated my BIOS (from end of October) to the one from December, then ordered the RAM. The funny thing is, it seems to run a little hotter since I upgraded the BIOS to the late-December (vs. October) version. Strange, and I'm not sure why.
Happy to answer specific questions if I can.
Adcadet
Storage Freak
Doh, looks like I came in a little late. Work, always getting in the way of fun.
Stereodude
Not really a
Thanks for the comments none the less.
Stereodude
Not really a
FWIW, the Asus P8P67 PRO would have been $50 more than the Gigabyte P67A-UD3P, so I think I made the right decision given how little time I'll be in the BIOS (since that seems to be the biggest complaint).
Adcadet
Storage Freak
Considering that $50 can be 4 GB of RAM or allow you to go from a good graphics card to a great one, yes!
Stereodude
Not really a
I didn't even buy a new graphics card. I plan to just re-use the Nvidia 8600GT that's in my Q6600. I will put my older and currently unused Nvidia 7900GS w/ Zalman HSF back in the Q6600. I don't play games so there's no point.
Stereodude
Not really a
So, apparently Intel screwed the pooch and there's going to be a recall on the Intel 6 Series chipset. This ought to be interesting.
I know I'm looking forward to RMA'ing my motherboard, waiting, and getting back a refurbished replacement with electrical gremlins caused by the BGA rework. :bibber:
I know I'm looking forward to RMA'ing my motherboard, waiting, and getting back a refurbished replacement with electrical gremlins caused by the BGA rework. :bibber:
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Well that's a kick in the nuts.
Pradeep
Storage? I am Storage!
Pay more, get less.
Aren't we still waiting for an Intel chipset that delivers the full capabilities with Sandy Bridge CPUs?
Aren't we still waiting for an Intel chipset that delivers the full capabilities with Sandy Bridge CPUs?