# Which of these motherboards for 24GB 1600Mhz RAM???



## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

I am able to change the MOBO in the computer I am having built for me. I am using it for audio production using a DAW and huge sample libraries AND gaming. I first chose the Asus Sabertooth X58, but it seems like that has issues with 24GB of 1600MHz RAM. These are my choices:

*Main choices:
Asus P6X58D Premium
Rampage III Gene 
Rampage III Extreme
GigaByte Ga-X58A-Ud5*

Other considerations:
EVGA X58 SLI
MSI X58-A-GD64
MSI X58-A-GD45

The Rampage III Extreme is pretty expensive, but if I must go that route, then I have no choice. 

I also am putting a GTX 570 SC, and the processor Core i7 960 is going to be factory factory overclocked (not sure if that's important)

Thanks!


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## erocker (Mar 9, 2011)

They all support 24gb, though I would go with this one: ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution with NF200 3xPCIe true x16...

Only because WS stands for "workstation", and you're kinda building one.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

P6T6: Up to 24GB of DDR3 1333 RAM can be installed in triple channel mode providing increased performance. Get even speedier performance – up to 1600Mhz –through overclocking. I don't want to have to overclock the RAM, I just want to purchase 1600Mhz RAM. 

I am limited to the ones listed. The sabertooth also said it an support 24gb, but that board seems to be a pain for many people.


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## slyfox2151 (Mar 9, 2011)

mikel33 said:


> P6T6: Up to 24GB of DDR3 1333 RAM can be installed in triple channel mode providing increased performance. Get even speedier performance – up to 1600Mhz –through overclocking. I don't want to have to overclock the RAM, I just want to purchase 1600Mhz RAM.
> 
> I am limited to the ones listed. The sabertooth also said it an support 24gb, but that board seems to be a pain for many people.



you cannot have 1600mhz ram without overclocking. the CPU's only officaly support 1333mhz.... there for anything faster is considered an overclock.


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## erocker (Mar 9, 2011)

On x58 boards, don't you just have to change the RAM multiplier to make it 1600mhz?


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## slyfox2151 (Mar 9, 2011)

erocker said:


> On x58 boards, don't you just have to change the RAM multiplier to make it 1600mhz?



yes. but its not an officaly supported speed afaik.




but yes it will work just fine, buy the 1600mhz ram and plug them into that Asus workstation mobo.... boot up and set the correct timings, speed and volts. thats all you need to do.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

slyfox2151 said:


> but yes it will work just fine, buy the 1600mhz ram and plug them into that Asus workstation mobo.... boot up and set the correct timings, speed and volts. thats all you need to do.



I can't buy that board. I have already purchased this computer, but had to put it on hold while I decide on a MOBO. My only options are the ones listed in my first thread. Is there something about the WS mobo that I am missing out on??

I originally purchased it with the Sabertooth, but because everyone has problems with that and 24GB 1600mhz triple channel RAM, I put the order on hold... if I change boards to one of the others I listed above I have to wait an additional 2 weeks.


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## erocker (Mar 9, 2011)

Rampage III extreme then. The Gene model is microATX, I doubt you want that. Setting your RAM to 1600mhz really isn't overclocking if you are just changing a multiplier.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

erocker said:


> Rampage III extreme then. The Gene model is microATX, I doubt you want that. Setting your RAM to 1600mhz really isn't overclocking if you are just changing a multiplier.



Ok, can I ask why you suggest that board? Can it do what the Workstation board can do? Can I run 24GB triple channel 1600 Mhz Ram?

I guess I am asking why I am paying so much for the board, and why are you not suggesting the cheaper boards I listed? (I am simply curious)


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## cadaveca (Mar 9, 2011)

Pretty much all of the listed boards support 24GB..it's basically up to the CPU how fast you will get that 24GB.

I wouldn't choose a cheap board for that amount of ram, and a memory controller overclock like that. Things like voltage regulation and bios options are common issues on cheaper products.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> Pretty much all of the listed boards support 24GB..it's basically up to the CPU how fast you will get that 24GB.
> 
> I wouldn't choose a cheap board for that amount of ram, and a memory controller overclock like that. Things like voltage regulation and bios options are common issues on cheaper products.



Are you also suggesting that I go with the Rampage Extreme?


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## cadaveca (Mar 9, 2011)

I'm suggesting you look at the power phases of each board, and which seems the most robust. 

160mhz is an OC with even one stick, six 4GB sticks may not reach that speed very easily.

Personally, I'd be looking at the more recent boards.

I'm not sure why the PC assembler cannot tell you this info, and make a proper recommendation?


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## PaulieG (Mar 9, 2011)

Why not look at some of the Gigabyte options available. Out of the 13 different x58 boards I've owned, the 2 most stable and reliable boards were Gigabyte, not to mention the best bios layout of any manufacturer for this platform. Highly recommend the UD5.

GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s...


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

Paulieg said:


> Why not look at some of the Gigabyte options available. Out of the 13 different x58 boards I've owned, the 2 most stable and reliable boards were Gigabyte, not to mention the best bios layout of any manufacturer for this platform. Highly recommend the UD5.
> 
> GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s...



Well, have you heard of anyone successfully putting in 24GB triple channel 1600Mhz in the UD5?


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 9, 2011)

He is also looking for memory that will accomodate his needs and wants suggestions per his earlier post today.

Would someone offer him a compatible memory selection in 24GB configuration.


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## erocker (Mar 9, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> I'm suggesting you look at the power phases of each board, and which seems the most robust.



Exactly, which is why I chose the Rampage III Extreme.


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## PaulieG (Mar 9, 2011)

mikel33 said:


> Well, have you heard of anyone successfully putting in 24GB triple channel 1600Mhz in the UD5?



I personally never ran 24GB, but it does officially support it and I'm pretty sure its 16 power phase design.


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## cadaveca (Mar 9, 2011)

Paulieg said:


> I personally never ran 24GB, but it does officially support it and I'm pretty sure its 16 power phase design.



=12 phase for cpu 2 for mem controller, 2 for mem. yuck.


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## yogurt_21 (Mar 9, 2011)

may i ask why you need 24gb? for me anything above 16gb and you should be looking into a workstation or server solution.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 9, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> I'm not sure why the PC assembler cannot tell you this info, and make a proper recommendation?



I don't know why a builder would build an incomplete system.

OP is going to buy his memory separate???


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## PaulieG (Mar 9, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> =12 phase for cpu 2 for mem controller, 2 for mem. yuck.



At what point is overkill? I've ran 12GB (6x2GB) of Geil Ultra 2133 sticks at 1.66v on this board, and it was rock stable.


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## cadaveca (Mar 9, 2011)

Paulieg said:


> At what point is overkill? I've ran 12GB (6x2GB) of Geil Ultra 2133 sticks at 1.66v on this board, and it was rock stable.



Dunno. The ASUS P6X board is 16+2(one extra for mem control/mem each). Maybe Rampage 3 Extreme is too.

It's not just about being overkill, but providing a nice clean power supply to the DIMMs and controller. As it's an OC from day one, choosing the best components is what this thread is about in the first place.

Why settle for less?

I mean c'mon now, 24GB. Clearly saving cash in every way isn't the focus here. I think more capability and long life are, considering how the machine will be used. 

#1, 4GB sticks aren't the same as 2GB. Unless you've run 24GB, I don't think what you've done has any importance here. Totally not the same boat. Surprised you'd even suggest that, to be honest.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 9, 2011)

ASUS RAMPAGE III EXTREME:
ROG Extreme Engine Digi+ 
- 8-phase CPU power 
- 3-phase QPI/DRAM power 
- 3-phase NB power 
- 3-phase Memory power 
- ML Caps on CPU, Memory and QPI respectively

http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=jy0uafxYBCrJwksC


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## Fitseries3 (Mar 9, 2011)

when using more than 12gb you should use ecc. 

i've used up to 128gb in one of my machines, even OCed.

you can OC ecc just not as far as non ecc. 

as erocker stated, the p6t6 ws revo is the best choice.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 9, 2011)

ECC memory is rated to 1333 if I am correct.  You cannot get ECC in 1600.

OP wants 1600.

How far can you OC ECC 1333?  No experience here.


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## Fitseries3 (Mar 9, 2011)

i ran 128gb 1066mhz ecc cas 5's up to around 2k at only 1.64v cas 9

really the speed doesnt matter so long as you can use decent timings. 

you've really got to know advanced mem OCing to OC ecc that well though. its not something you can throw numbers at.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

The reason I need 24GB is because this system is also used for audio production with a DAW and a huge sample library. 

The current system I chose has an Asus Sabertooth X58 in it. Should I just scrap the who 1600Mhz idea? The reason I halted assembly was because I heard of problems with the Sabertooth and 24GB ram. If I just need to scrap the idea of 1600Mhz, then all I need is 24GB ram compatible with the Sabertooth.


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## PaulieG (Mar 9, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> Dunno. The ASUS P6X board is 16+2(one extra for mem control/mem each). Maybe Rampage 3 Extreme is too.
> 
> It's not just about being overkill, but providing a nice clean power supply to the DIMMs and controller. As it's an OC from day one, choosing the best components is what this thread is about in the first place.
> 
> ...



I've run several sets of 4GB sticks, so I do understand they respond differently. However, I have a hard time believing that 2 phases on a *quality* x58 board with 24GB support would not be able to handle 6x4GB at 1600 and provide it with a "nice clean power supply", and have yet to see any evidence to the contrary. Any issues I've seen has to do with compatible IC's and speeds when running 24GB.  Is there more security in running a board with more phases? Sure, but is it really needed? No.

Anyways, the OP notes that the RIIIE is expensive, and he should be aware that there are plenty of good options out there in 2 or 3 phases to the memory that will work just fine.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

jsfitz54 said:


> I don't know why a builder would build an incomplete system.
> 
> OP is going to buy his memory separate???



Yes I am buying the RAM separate, because they were way overpriced...


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 9, 2011)

What sort of warranty do you get without the memory?


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

jsfitz54 said:


> What sort of warranty do you get without the memory?



It is coming with RAM, but only 3GB


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 9, 2011)

Throw away memory.  Why don't you build it yourself?


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

because they are throwing in free liquid cooling and free upgrade to the 960 from 950


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## PaulieG (Mar 9, 2011)

mikel33 said:


> because they are throwing in free liquid cooling and free upgrade to the 960 from 950



"Free"? Question is, how much are you paying for the system? I bet if you price it out if you built it yourself, you'd still be doing much better than this "free" upgrade.


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## mikel33 (Mar 9, 2011)

I wanted it to work at the get-go.. without having to return any parts because I didn't purchase the right parts. The problems I am facing right now.. I was stupid in thinking that when the manufacturer says the board supports 24gb of 1600Mhz, that it would be that easy and true. So I went ahead and had it built for me, until I found out that the Sabertooth DOES have issues with my requirements. So I put assembly on hold.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

What OS are you getting?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Windows 7 64 bit


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

Home Premiun, Pro or Ultimate?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Home Premium


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

You would be better served by Pro.


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

I'm getting very frustrated with this whole thing....


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

Forum or Cost?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Cost and choosing bad equipment


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

I can get Pro, it's only $34 more


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

That's a good OS upgrade.


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## slyfox2151 (Mar 10, 2011)

mikel33 said:


> Home Premium



Home Premium is limited to 16GB of ram and cannot use more then that...... thus 8GB of the 24GB would be wasted.



Pro is limited to 192GB of ram... so plenty of room.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

slyfox2151 said:


> Home Premium is limited to 16GB of ram and cannot use more then that...... thus 8GB of the 24GB would be wasted.



That's why I asked!


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

So, I am left here extrememly confused... I not good with voltages and timings, detailed mobo specs.. Which board are we at right now that can give me my 24GB of 1600Mhz triple channel


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

How set are you on 1600 specification.  It was suggested ealier that you go with ECC memory at full capacity, for your intended use.

I have no experience with ECC, so I'm no help in that area.

Also, are you sure you want 24MB of ram?

Once you add your own memory, you are going to have to play with the Bios settings; manually set timings and such.

Do you plan on testing each stick solo before going full stack?

Nobody is going to tell you to buy one or the other... you have to choose.

ASUS and Gigabyte were the top 2 recomended brands here.  Paying more for a better board is solid advice considering you are requesting a full memory load.  That's why I asked if you are set on 24MB ram.


The other way to look at it is that maybe you spend more on the mobo now, then add 12MB ram in 2 stages to spread your cost out.


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## slyfox2151 (Mar 10, 2011)

jsfitz54 said:


> That's why I asked!



thats why i felt like explaining why you asked.


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

I just figured I've spent this much, why wouldn't I want 1600Mhz at this point. I do want 24GB of ram...  How much of a performance boost would 1600Mhz give you? 

Ok, would things be easier if I ask for a MOBO that is compatible with 24GB of 1333Mhz ram?


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

Of your choices all mobo options take 1333 ram and all claim full capacity.  The suggestions was for you to go with the one that had the best phase power to handle your needs/wants.

No one apparently is running full stack, here.

I did read a newegg.com review for Asus R3E that said he was running full 24GB, fairly recent review.

Sabertooth = $200.
Rampage3E = $380.
P6X58D Premium  = $290
GigaByte Ga-X58A-UD5  =$ 290


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Paste: CoolerMaster Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance 
CASE: Xion Predator 970 Gaming Series Mid Tower Case w/ 2 External Removable HDD Bays CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive [-49] (BLACK COLOR)
CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7-960 3.20 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366
CS_FAN: Maximum 120MM Color Case Cooling Fans for your selected case (Blue Color)
FAN: CyberPower Xtreme Hydro Liquid Cooling Kit 240MM w/ Dual Fan(CPU & GPU Liquid Cool Capable, Extreme Overclcking Performance + Extreme Slient at 18dBA) FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
HDD: 2TB (2TBx1) SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
MEMORY: 3GB (1GBx3) DDR3/1333MHz Triple Channel Memory  (Corsair or Major Brand)
MOTHERBOARD: Asus Sabertooth X58 
OS: Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: Extreme OC (Extreme Overclock 20% or more) POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts - XtremeGear Gaming Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY 
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card (EVGA Superclocked)

Cost: $1504

Am I better off building one myself??


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## slyfox2151 (Mar 10, 2011)

mikel33 said:


> Paste: CoolerMaster Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance
> CASE: Xion Predator 970 Gaming Series Mid Tower Case w/ 2 External Removable HDD Bays CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive [-49] (BLACK COLOR)
> CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7-960 3.20 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366
> CS_FAN: Maximum 120MM Color Case Cooling Fans for your selected case (Blue Color)
> ...






do you plan on gaming on this system? or using CUDA?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Gaming, like Blacks Ops, HomeFront, Duke Nukem Forever as well as using it as an audio production workstation.


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## slyfox2151 (Mar 10, 2011)

mikel33 said:


> Gaming, like Blacks Ops, HomeFront, Duke Nukem Forever



yes.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

Price + Warranty is good.  I think your safe, no reason not to buy system.

Major parts (CPU, Mobo, OS, GTX570, PS) on newegg price to around $1,300.

You do need to upgrade OS to Pro. +$34.

Pick a better Mobo.

What are price differences for the upgraded mobo's?


Audio Production Workstation.... Business tax write off/depreciation schedule?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

I meant yes, I am also gaming with it.. and those are the games.. 



jsfitz54 said:


> Price + Warranty is good.  I think your safe, no reason not to buy system.
> 
> Major parts (CPU, Mobo, OS, GTX570, PS) on newegg price to around $1,300.
> 
> ...



Current: Asus Sabertooth X58

Asus P6X58D: +108
Rampage III Extreme: +204
EVGA X58: +21
EVGA X58 FTW3: +51
GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R: +0
GigaByte GA-X58A-UD5: +108
MSI X58 Pro-E: -34
MSI X58A-GD65 : -29
MSI X58A-GD45 : -24


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

So overall $20 markup over street price on high end boards plus they get lower wholesale price to begin with.  Not outrageous, labor, durables and warranty.


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## Flibolito (Mar 10, 2011)

paulieg said:


> why not look at some of the gigabyte options available. Out of the 13 different x58 boards i've owned, the 2 most stable and reliable boards were gigabyte, not to mention the best bios layout of any manufacturer for this platform. Highly recommend the ud5.



+1


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## PaulieG (Mar 10, 2011)

Here's my suggestion for a build. The CPU is a "Downgrade", but incredibly easy to overclock to higher than the 960. If you really like Asus, you could opt for the Asus premium for about the same price. 

I'm really not sure that you need liquid cooling, and I'm not sure how good that prefab watercooling kit would really be. There is a solid chance that a good air cooler with give as good, if not better performance. The PSU that comes with the prebuilt is also suspect.


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## jsfitz54 (Mar 10, 2011)

$1798 + $140 OS = $1938.

+$30 if he wants 960.

Solid.

I like the picks.


EDIT:  If he calls in the order can he negotiate a better package deal fom newegg?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Thank you for doing that, but If I upgrade to the UD5 with my company, keeping the i7 960, and purchase that RAM separately, I can have pretty much that system built for me with a three year warranty for a total of $2021. 

A total difference of $53


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

I think I should just upgrade the mobo to either the UD5 or the Rampage III Extreme and hope for the best


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

Well, if I have the $100 for the Asus Extreme III, and want 24GB of 1600MHZ of triple channel ram, should I go with it? MOST OF ALL, will it WORK??


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## cadaveca (Mar 10, 2011)

you may only get 1333mhz, but yes, chances seem good.

what 6 sticks do you plan to buy?


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## mikel33 (Mar 10, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> you may only get 1333mhz, but yes, chances seem good.
> 
> what 6 sticks do you plan to buy?



Any that will work.. There were some cheap options I had before, but I have to dig back.


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