The best ones are the DFI Lanparty NF4-SLI, MSI Neo4 Platinum SLI, and the Asus K8N SLI series.

Which do you prefer of the three?

I have the Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe, though I haven't thrown in a second 6600GT, and I can assure you that it has the best placement of the PCI express x16 slots and the nForce 4 SLI chipset out of the three. This translates into better cooling and aftermarket cooling options for the cards and the chipset. Asus is also replacing bad or noisy chipset fans for free, though you have space for a passive cooler from Cooler Master or Zalman.

Word of warning though, some people have mentioned that the nForce 4 SATA solution has caused data corruption in NCQ and TCQ hard drives, i.e. Seagate. I installed the 1011 BIOS, which updates the SATA controller BIOS too, and installed the drivers on the CD and later updated to ForceWare 6.66 (though I think I did it incorrectly) and I haven't seen any problems in my RAID 1 configuration.

the asus is better performance wise?

When all three are just out of the box with stock settings, they're all the same (Asus might have an advantage with their not-secret-anymore PEG overclocking system), it's when you overclock with certain components that a clear leader is apparent.

If you were to go with Mushkin Redline RAM or most any OCZ RAM you would be able to unlock some hefty power in these modules with the higher voltage capability of the DFI LanParty board, though you would need some extra cooling. I think the venting from a Zalman 7000 series or a side-facing Thermalright XP-90 would be enough to cool the oc'd RAM.

I went with the Asus due to price, availability, and the fact that I can apply nearly any quiet, performance cooling option without any modifications or conflicts, especially the noisy chipset fan. I'm still hoping that Slaymate will be able to let us all know if the Thermalright V-1 VGA cooler can be used in SLI in the Asus board.

ah very cool. looks like MSI got smoked. ill definately check out the lan party and asus. i mite wait for slaymate to see wat he says. thanx for the info!

Slaymate doesn't have an SLI setup so that leaves the Thermalright V-1 question hanging, plus the results with a Radeon 9800XT weren't like what SystemCooling.com had with a 6800GT. You have to consider that the 9800XT is not on Thermalright's short official support list.

If you want the DFI I suggest that you use OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Gold VX (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227204)
Notes: Uses high volts (>3.0v) to reach high speeds, needs cooling from CPU fan or dedicated fan

If you want the Asus I suggest that you use Cosair XMS TWINX1024-3200XL
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145522)
Notes: TCCD tends to perform better at lower volts (<3.0v), can keep tight timings at most speeds

i heard the dfi lan party overclocks like a monster. if so i probably get it. =)

Quote: Originally Posted by rukKus the asus is better performance wise?

As far as I am or anybody else is concerned. Asus makes top notch motherboards. And to find a better one can be compared to finding a "virgin" in a whorehouse...

And no matter what brand you choose, choose one that has teh features that you want and that you will be happy with. What you like is most important because you have to live with your decision. All i know is i wil never pay for a motherboard that isnt an asus.

when i make hte transition ill be getting the dfi board, ive read many reviews looks like a sic board

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nothing can compare to a DFI mobo for Ocing.
if your not OCing, it is still a damn good mobo, but then you have to factor in Asus mobos.

either of the 2 will do you very good. but if your thinking about Ocing, just look at the post above mine and that is all you need.

in my sig below is my setup on a DFI mobo and i can OC to 2.8 almost 2.9.

imma go with the Lanparty, but the thing is, itz a tad on the pricey side. i mite play the waiting game and see how cheap itll be in a month or two heh. another question though. is the OCZ DDR PC-3200 Gold Vx really the best match for ram for this board? can you guys recommend something else?

Try www.dfi-street.com to see what DFI users have to say about the LanParty and for overclocking experiences. I hope you have some nice cooling options lined up for your OC, though you might be limited by the socket placement of the DFI LanParty.

Quote: Originally Posted by rukKus imma go with the Lanparty, but the thing is, itz a tad on the pricey side. i mite play the waiting game and see how cheap itll be in a month or two heh. another question though. is the OCZ DDR PC-3200 Gold Vx really the best match for ram for this board? can you guys recommend something else?

I recently purchased OCZ's PC4800 Platinum, which is supposed to be an overclocking monster (I haven't got it installed yet). Think of it this way: it is GUARANTEED to run a DDR600 stable. Plus, you don't have to crank the voltage up to 3.4v+ like with BH5 (the VX uses this RAM type).

does corsair make better ram than ocz? if so can you tell me wat type of corsiar ram?

Quote: Originally Posted by rukKus does corsair make better ram than ocz? if so can you tell me wat type of corsiar ram?

Corsair XMS Xpert is the good stuff. Lwrs10 uses it, and gets 2.82Ghz stable out of his A64 3500+ without a RAM divider.

If you are going for all-out FSB clocks, the OCZ Platinum RAM would be your best choice. 2.5 CAS latencies at DDR600, with only 2.85 volts is definitely bad-ass. It can also handle up to 3.0 volts without voiding the warranty, if you decide to take it above DDR600.

In all honesty, you could take the PC4800 from OCZ, Corsair and GSKILL and I doubt you will get much different OC's or timings from the lot.

They are all bsed on the same Samsung chips, and they all use the same BrianPower PCB.

The main difference would be in the way they "Bin" them according to speed and timings, one brand might have a tighter standard than the other.

You can alwasy make an arguement that one brand does better than the other, and it's probably true, but we are talking 1-2%

Quote: Originally Posted by Ator Corsair XMS Xpert is the good stuff. Lwrs10 uses it, and gets 2.82Ghz stable out of his A64 3500+ without a RAM divider. If you are going for all-out FSB clocks, the OCZ Platinum RAM would be your best choice. 2.5 CAS latencies at DDR600, with only 2.85 volts is definitely bad-ass. It can also handle up to 3.0 volts without voiding the warranty, if you decide to take it above DDR600.

well i have the Corsair XMS XL PC3200 actually..... and yes------i can get it to over 250fsb at 2.3.6.3 timings and 2.85 volts.....i can run 2.2.2.5 at 245 FSB stable too......all without a ram divider.....