Intel i7

Anyone here have this chip?

Which one? I want to get the i7 920.

If anyone has it, what is your setup. I need recommendations on motherboards. Can't find a satisfactory review of the current boards.

Brink said:

Hello Win7User,

It depends on what your budget is for what motherboard to pick, but you would want to use a 1366 socket motherboard.

Yes, budget is important. After being out 2 years and given that the Extreme edition 980X (32nm, 6 core) is out on the market (for a mere $1,200), I'm surprised the 920 and its Mobo's haven't dropped much in price.

But I'd like to find the cheapest (in $, not quality) with the best layout (don't have to wrestle with cords, etc).

Most have 6 SATA connections, 2-3 PCI/PCI Express, so that seems pretty standard.

The RAM limit ranges from 12GB - 24GB.

I just read about lemons and overheating and I don't want to get screwed over or die in a fire. LOL.

If you go to a site like Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more! and drill down in the search boxes you can get a list of all the socket 1366 motherboards in your price range.

The better brands in terms of bang for the buck, overall quality, and features are (arguably) Asus, DFI, Gigabyte, and MSI.

Next, and very important: read the user reviews of the boards you are considering. Look for problems that keep cropping up. Be wary of SIW complaints (Self-Inflicted-Wounds). I've always found these reviews to be very helpful in making my hardware choices.

I've been pleased with the 920. The price has not changed since I bought mine 14 months ago.

TVeblen said:

If you go to a site like Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more! and drill down in the search boxes you can get a list of all the socket 1366 motherboards in your price range.

The better brands in terms of bang for the buck, overall quality, and features are (arguably) Asus, DFI, Gigabyte, and MSI.

Next, and very important: read the user reviews of the boards you are considering. Look for problems that keep cropping up. Be wary of SIW complaints (Self-Inflicted-Wounds). I've always found these reviews to be very helpful in making my hardware choices.

I've been pleased with the 920. The price has not changed since I bought mine 14 months ago.

Thanks for the info. NewEgg is one of my favorite sites. I'm probably purchasing from them, since no one else has the chip much cheaper.

I read the reviews but still find it hard to choose between the different boards. Cost and satisfaction being almost equal among the reviews. There didn't seem to be one or two boards that really stuck out.

I'm going to look at the boards mentioned thus far.

As long as I don't overclock, the standard cooling unit that comes with the chip should be sufficient, correct? The hot Mobos mentioned in reviews are most likely people OC'ing them.

whs said:

If you get a new board now, you may also want to have one that provides USB3.

Yeah, most if not all the boards I've looked at for i7 920 have 1-2 USB3 connections. Not many have Firewire though.

Brink said:

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD9 (suppose to be released sometime soon)

Err.... Unless you want to spend $700 dollars on that board and need/want super duper overclocking abilities, get a UD7 or better yet, money wise, a X58A-UD5.

Gigabyte's next flag ship board Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD9

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD9 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 XL ATX Intel Motherboard

If you do some homework, the UD5 is about the same as the UD7, except the UD7 has more phases (24 vs 12) and built in water block?

BTW if you do decide on a X58A-UD5, look for rev 2.0, there are some enhancement over rev 1

Rev 2.0 - GA-X58A-UD5 (rev. 2.0) - GIGABYTE - Product - Motherboard - Overview
Rev 1.0 - GA-X58A-UD5 (rev. 1.0) - GIGABYTE - Product - Motherboard - Overview

I currently have rev 1.0.

And get a 930 instead of the 920.

My two cents.

Peace

sygnus21 said:

Brink said:

Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD9 (suppose to be released sometime soon)

Err.... Unless you want to spend $700 dollars on that board and need/want super duper overclocking abilities, get a UD7 or better yet, money wise, a X58A-UD5.

Gigabyte's next flag ship board Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD9

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD9 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 XL ATX Intel Motherboard

If you do some homework, the UD5 is about the same as the UD7, except the UD7 has more phases (24 vs 12) and built in water block?

BTW if you do decide on a X58A-UD5, look for rev 2.0, there are some enhancement over rev 1

Rev 2.0 - GA-X58A-UD5 (rev. 2.0) - GIGABYTE - Product - Motherboard - Overview
Rev 1.0 - GA-X58A-UD5 (rev. 1.0) - GIGABYTE - Product - Motherboard - Overview

I currently have rev 1.0.

And get a 930 instead of the 920.

My two cents.

Peace

Thanks for your opinion. Curious: why 930 over 920? They are essentially the same chip.