Buying a New PC

[Ideologue]

I could've sworn I saw ones with only three slots.  I must've been reading them wrong (3 X PCI-E slots, maybe.)   Either way, this makes a lot more sense.

Aha--I did find one with a different number.  Intel's own DX58SO has four, which is baffling.  I don't understand this.

That board was Intel's reference design at launch.  I have no idea why they only put four slots on there.  The technical documentation indicates it only supports 16GB of addressable memory; I don't know why this is, either.

You got it.  Is the Gigabyte UD-4 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374) decent?  1333 seems to be the memory standard (with support for overclocking that I won't be doing), and although it's potentially hype, the thermal and power efficiency aspects of the board appeal to me.

That board is fine.

After looking it up, the 920 FSB runs at 1333MHz, and this is the speed the memory should run at as well, I think.  Also, I take it OCZ isn't "good"?   I'm not married to it--does memory vary enough by manufacturer to make a difference?

OCZ memory is certainly good; I use it.  That's why I pointed out those particular sticks.

The current i7 chips (except the ridiculously overpriced "Extreme" chips) don't officially support memory speeds higher than 1066MHz or Quickpath throughputs higher than 4.8GT/s.  Several motherboard manufacturers have figured out how to unlock the 1333MHz clock, but it isn't "official".

As for the memory topology, I couldn't find the document I was looking for, but I found enough other documentation to jog my memory.  The i7 has three memory channels and supports two DIMMs on each channel.  (Note: I get specific terminology mixed up when talking about Intel's products, as they aren't very clear in some cases.  I have seen the memory channels referred to as if each had its own controller, and I have seen them referred to as a single controller.  I can't confirm which is correct.)  If the i7 Bloomfield cores work the same way as the Xeon Gainestown cores, adding DIMMs to each channel drops the memory bus speed.  In your case you weould get full speed, but if you added a second rank of memory to the board it may drop the bus speed.

Yes, you're right.  I think I saw the socket number when I first woke up, read it wrong, and then attributed the bus speed to it.

Now, I understand that the CPU will downclock 1333 memory to 1066 just fine, and I could, if I so chose, increase the memory multiplier from 8 to 10 to get it working at 1333 (as you say, "unofficially").  I probably wouldn't choose to do that since I suspect there are negatives, particularly regarding lifespan, but I guess it's nice to have the option.

About the OCZ memory--I believe the voltage is too high for that Gigabyte board, and few OCZ modules are listed on Gig's website as compatible--the 1333 one that is comes up as dual-channel, although I wasn't aware that was something built into the memory.

At any rate, I've found a Asus board (PT6 SE) for $190 after rebate that will work just as well.  It too says it runs with 1.5v memory, but that's a very nifty price.  I've found a Corsair 6B kit instead, slightly more expensive than the latest OCZ one I was looking at ($110 after rebate vs. $100 upfront).  Combined with the Asus board that makes a $60 net saving--also, the Corsair modules are 2GB instead of 1, meaning that, should I so desire, I could easily double up and get 12GB of RAM (out of the mind-bogglingly unnecessary maximum of 24, using 4GB modules ).

Added bonus!: stumbling around on Corsair's website, their PSU configurator told me I was going overboard with a 650W power supply, and even when I input counterfactual system compositions--four hard drives, 2 video cards, and overclocked CPU--recommended a 520W supply, which I can have, minus rebate, for $90, for savings of $30 on the original plan.  I presume they're right--logic dictates that, if anything, Corsair would err on the side of overestimating your power needs, since they'd want you to buy the most expensive PSU they can sell you, right?

Finally, apropos of nothing, WTF is the deal with every motherboard manufacturer on the planet employing website writers with the English skills of Borat?  "Due to massive memory on the market, we can only verify some of them."  I know they're foreign, but still.

[Caliga]

Rock solid.  HEART TOUCHING.

[Ideologue]

Reminds me, what the fuck is that "Asus heartbeat" all about, anyway?  Maybe I'm missing something, but do I need LED lights on my motherboard informing me of a successful boot?  Am I Superman?  Is my case made of glass?  Do I not own a monitor?

[DGuller]

Maybe I'm missing something, but do I need LED lights on my motherboard informing me of a successful boot?

They're helpful when the system doesn't boot, because some motherfuckers sold you a defective RAM chip.

[Ideologue]

Maybe I'm missing something, but do I need LED lights on my motherboard informing me of a successful boot?

They're helpful when the system doesn't boot, because some motherfuckers sold you a defective RAM chip.

No RAM from G. Skill, then.  They have a stupid name, which would have put me off anyway.

[Caliga]

Reminds me, what the fuck is that "Asus heartbeat" all about, anyway?  Maybe I'm missing something, but do I need LED lights on my motherboard informing me of a successful boot?  Am I Superman?  Is my case made of glass?  Do I not own a monitor?

My ASUS board has a thing that shows through the back of the case with little code phrases telling you everything is cool, or not as the case may be, e.g. "CPU INIT".

[Ideologue]

Reminds me, what the fuck is that "Asus heartbeat" all about, anyway?  Maybe I'm missing something, but do I need LED lights on my motherboard informing me of a successful boot?  Am I Superman?  Is my case made of glass?  Do I not own a monitor?

My ASUS board has a thing that shows through the back of the case with little code phrases telling you everything is cool, or not as the case may be, e.g. "CPU INIT".

Ah so.  The description made it sound like Laser Floyd at the CPU.

[Caliga]

 

It's just a teeny blue LED panel.

[Faeelin]

After Dguller's misfortune, I broke down and ordered a comp with a two year warranty.

[DGuller]

After Dguller's misfortune, I broke down and ordered a comp with a two year warranty.

OK, don't panic, I'm sure you can still return it.

Seriously, my misfortune turned out to be a kind of hardware incompatibility that could happen to any system.  It had more to do with the reverse Midas touch that I seem to possess when dealing with computers, rather than the con of building own system.

[Ideologue]

All my stuff should be coming today.

What'd you end up getting, Faeelin?  I'm happy that I'm getting exactly what I want, but I wonder if I actually saved any money...

[DGuller]

All my stuff should be coming today.

What'd you end up getting, Faeelin?  I'm happy that I'm getting exactly what I want, but I wonder if I actually saved any money...

When you think about whether you saved money, it helps to think of less tangible benefits.  Stuff like more space inside the case, more upgrade options, more power from PSU, all that is worth something, but not easy to put a price on.

[Cecil]

Its depressing how much cheaper you can buy your components over there....

[Ideologue]

All my shit is here.

[DGuller]

All my shit is here.

Good luck.  Start a thread so we can all be amused.