Motherboard Suggestions? (Gaming rig)

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Omika_Pearl

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Hi everyone! I am trying to build a new desktop for all-purpose gaming.

I have my heart set on this processor:
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good mobo to go with it? I would like to try my hand at overclocking a little (I've never experimented with it before), because I'm a bit of a videophile and hate performance lag.

I'm at about average tech level, but I'm a quick learner. I would love to buy all my parts now, but I'm wondering if I should wait until prices drop in a month or two (if they do.)

Any advice?
 
Well while that is a great cpu at this point why would you want to spend that kind of money on a skt 775 cpu with them being phased out. I would be looking i7 or even the i5 which was just released from Intel or look at AMD Phenom II's

Just my 2 cents.
 
Well, price is a factor. I want something that will be reasonably inexpensive and last me a decent amount of time. What do you recommend?
 
Well if you have a microcenter close to you they have the 920 for $199. A motherboard and ram will cost a bit more than a 775 board with ddr2 ram (around $100) but you will have a faster setup and the ability to upgrade your cpu at a later point in time.

The i5 just came out and they will be competitive price wise with a 9550 setup but still a bit early to get a good feel for boards for me at the moment.

Then there is always the Phenom II.

Decisions decisions...
 
because the i7 has 8mb of l3 cache.

Here is a good explanation of the differences between the cache setups between the two cpus:
bit-tech.net | Feature - Intel Core i7 - Nehalem Architecture Dive

Needless to say the i7 is newer and faster.

Ahh! Thank you! You made up my mind for me.

My mom works in San Jose too, so she can pick it up for me. Great!

I am definitely willing to invest in a more state-of-the-art mobo so I can upgrade it for years to come. I like lasting investments.

I am in no rush to build this PC. I am keeping my eye on Slickdeals.net - The best coupons, lowest prices, and hottest deals. and plan on slowly piecing it together over the next month or two. That looks like a great deal on that CPU though, so I will grab it.

As for a mobo to go with it, should I wait and see if prices drop, or just get one now?
 
If I am piecing a build together over a couple of months I will get the mb and gpu last as they are more prone to price drops versus hard drives, psu, cases etc.

Three brands to look at with i7 boards are:
Asus, EVGA and Biostar.

Remember to get 3x2gb of ddr3 1600 (or faster) ram for 6gb total as the i7 uses triple channel memory and get a 64bit OS.
 
You have been really helpful! Thank you! I wouldn't have known about the bit with the DDR3 RAM, either.

Well, my local Micro Center is out of stock. Hopefully they get more. =/
 
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