Continued from Free Intel Core2 Extreme quad-core processor QX9650
There are 2 motherboards in my mind to choose from… ASUS P5Q PRO and GIGABYTE EP45-DS3. I have few must have features in my selected motherboard. First thing is ATI CrossFireX support. I want the ability to add on another display card to improve 3D processing performance in the future. I don’t want to “throw away” the existing card and buy a new one. I seldom upgrade my hardware unless it is a must. I add on usually.
GIGABYTE EP45-DS3 was selected between ASUS P5Q PRO vs GIGABYTE EP45-DS3. GIGABYTE EP45-DS3 is an overclockable motherboard. You can tweak almost anything to achieve higher speed by overclocking. It is built based on the new Intel P45 chipset, GA-EP45-DS3 delivers a record setting 1600MHz Front Side Bus for the latest Intel Core 2 multi-core processors, including 45nm CPUs. With supporting dual channel DDR2 up to 1333MHz. GA-EP45-DS3 is equipped to support ATI CrossFireX Technology with dual PCI Express 2.0 x8 interfaces, delivering double the PCI Express bandwidth of 5 Gbit/s for the ultimate in extreme gaming performance. GA-EP45-DS3 also delivers several advanced GIGABYTE innovations including the DES Advanced, Ultra Durable 2 which provide optimized power savings, ultra cooling for extreme system performance.
