# New motherboard, new ram, how well will it run?



## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Hello,

I want to make sure this config will work nicely because I had to switch from DDR2 to DDR3 due to lack of DDR2 MoBo's on the market.

First, will this run nicely:

Gigabyte GA-P43T-ES3G
Intel Core2Quad Q9550 O.C to 3.4Ghz (2.83 stock)
Kingston ValueRam 2x2GB 1333mhz CL9
Gainward GTX460 GLH 800/2000
Seagate 7200.12 1TB 32MB cache
Chieftec 600W (CWT model, CFT-600-14CS)
Some generic ATX casing

Second, how well will DDR3 perform with a Core2Quad processor? Will I notice any difference between my Kingston HyperX 2x2GB 1066mhz and Kingston ValueRam 2x2GB 1333mhz (I don't intend to O.C. the RAM, just CPU)? Because I bought the DDR3 for 48euros and sold my DDR2 kit for 45euros, so I upgraded from DDR2 to DDR3 for 3 euros 

Thank you.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Personally, I do not care for any Kingston RAM. OCZ-G.Skill-Corsair vare much more reliable for performance RAM.
My first concern with your PC would be the PSU. I would want a minimum 650W good quality PSU for the GTX 460. Some of the techs here recommend a 750W for that GPU due to it's thirst for power.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Cmon now, the GTX460 is a GF104 GPU which draws less power than the hungry GF100's. It's power requirements are just above my 8800gt that I ran even on 450W...but then I switched to 600W.

Can't get either G-skill or Corsair where I live, and OCZ is twice as expensive.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Your hardware your choice on the PSU.
Good quality costs more.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

Yea thats not a very good power supply at all ,I definitely wouldn't run that hardware on that.

You cannot expect to run good hardware on a bad power supply. A big misconception for newer users is that all power supplies are the same, However they are not.

If you power supply burns out your other hardware , the other manufacturers won't cover it (power supplies fault), and the power supply manufacturer will at best send you another one of their bad power supplies which cost them nothing to make.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

So wait CWT company which makes PSU's for Corsair and Termaltake is bad?

For example - CFT-600W-14CS is CWT,
TX-750 – Channel Well (CWT) - the model you recommend oh so much in the forums is CWT.

From a CFT600W review - Removing the cover, I saw the PSH platform from Channel Well which had come to our labs under so many names like Chieftec (the Turbo Series CFT-xxx-14C units were based on it, too), Thermaltake, Corsair, Xigmatek, etc.

From a TX750 review - The interior of the TX750 is quite typical for a CWT-built power supply (so u can't say CWT is doing more quality for Corsair)

Also I research before I buy products, and the PSU recieves good reviews and recommendations.

For example here is a review - Chieftec Power Supply Units Roundup: New Models. Page 3 - X-bit labs , Chieftec Power Supply Units Roundup: New Models. Page 4 - X-bit labs

Had it for roughly 3 years I think, no problems. Why do you pick on Chieftec so much? I don't know about Sirtec or Delta builds, but if there's a big number of people having issues with their PSU's, I'm not one of them. I bought this PSU because it was very affordable (for the time 3 years ago) and it's great. Silent too; the CPU and GPU fans are louder than it.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

You should read through this sticky

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Out of recommended PSU's on that Thread I can see a lot of them are also CWT. How do you explain that?


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

Just because CWT makes the internal components doesn't automatically make every CWT power supply good. Even corsair and thermaltake the two companies we recommend most are guilty of some bad power supply series that we would never recommend. However they both at least make a majority of good power supplies.

Chieftec however (from their own website) doesn't make any power supplies that has a single good high amperage 12v rail , which is a definite sign of cost cutting over quality. Even newegg doesn't sell a single chieftec product currently.

Rather then skiping to the recommended power supplies in our sticky , you should read the information before it to see how we came to that conclusion.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

How would you explain 80-86% efficiency and that everything is in order with my "bad quality" chieftec PSU?


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

I could easily give you a long list of bad power supply companies that some how have an 80+ certification. Companies like Startec , sunbeam , dynapower ,coolmax , enermax , just to name a few. They will almost certify any power supply nowadays which is why it's even more important to know what your buying.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

None of the PSU's we recommend are the CWT PSH design multi-rail units, the power distribution on the 12v is weighted too heavily on the CPU side and not enough to the Aux Video circuits, while it's not a dog, it's not one we would recommend if you were looking to purchase. It's also why it won't pass 80+ cert when heavily loaded on the video circuits.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Why won't it? I sent you a review of it where they tested it and they confirmed it.

This is the picture


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Also on the inside the TX750W and CFT-600W-14CS look identical.

Take a little look and tell me this isn't the same layout.

TX750 (recommended) - on a side I even found it called TX 750 (CWT PSH) so it is the PSH platform isn't it?










CFT-600W-14CS (worse than the devil)










The main difference is the Chieftec model has a panel on the back for all plugs rather than milion cables coming out from the psu at one hole, which makes it easier to manage cables.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

We can only recommend/advise on what we know from our personal experiences as PC builders/repairers. Your hardware-your money-your decision.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Yes I understand that but you can't say that 1) These PSU's were made differently. It's the same thing. The 750W is just a more powerfull unit. Infact, the CFT-750-14CS and TX750 are practically almost or exactly same PSU's just rebranded. PSH platform, CWT built.

So don't go around saying my PSU is a bad quality made.

Back to one question - how well can a Q9550 use DDR3 ram? Because I heard that iSeries use some kind of memory controller chip the Core2Quad hasn't got? I don't know much about that.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The i series memory controller is on the CPU, the C2D on the board, I've always found DDR2 to best on the C2D, but you'll probably not like that answer either.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

No that stuff is what I don't understand very much, that's why I asked for your help.

Read the title - New motherboard, new ram, how well will it run?

I didn't go around asking for the PSU because I knew it was a good quality one.

I wouldn't switch away from DDR2, but I couldn't find a motherboard that supports DDR2 and is overall suited for my system so I had to buy this DDR3 board. That's why I'm buying DDR3 ram.

So will it run atleast the same or will it actually kick back because of the lack of the chip on the Q9550 cpu?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

It won't kick back, the biggest issue with using DDR3 was stability, the C2D boards liked 2.0v ram most DDR3 you'll find now is 1.5v- 1.65v for the i series controller voltage limit.
The most success I've had with getting a unstable setup stable was running 1333 or 1600 ram down clocked to 1066, there have been quite a few changes over the last year both to the 775 boards, bios and ddr3 ram, I haven't actually plated with a new 775 DDR3 setup in over a year you may hopefully find it stable now.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Okay, I have ordered 2 x 1.5v sticks on 1333mhz, BUT they are in the motherboeards official QVL vendor list I downloaded from their site (at the product page), exact same model, confirmed for dual channel so there should be no issues right?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Should not be, but that's exactly why I stopped using 775 DDR3 boards, even when on the QVL they threw Ram errors or had cold boot problems.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Hm okay I'm mainly unsure about Gigabyte because I heard a lot of people say their boards tend to arrive broken  I never had those issues with ASUS


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

We've been have the opposite issue lately, Asus boards DOA Gigabyte working, for P3x/P4x boards I like Gigabytes better, for the 1366/1156 Asus was ahead of the curve but lately have seen a lot of reports for what appear to be QC issues.


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Awesome. I would've gotten the P5Q PRO TURBO because everybody recommends it as a monster in it's class but I couldn't find any ASUS P45/43 motherboards with PCI-E 2.0. I was perfectly satisfied with P5QL PRO until I broke it...

My friend ordered exact same MoBo from Gigabyte as me (GA-P43T-ES3G) and he had LAN issues, when he got the replacement his SATA hard drives were working very slowly...


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

I got the new board, at first I had trouble overclocking my CPU..with ASUS it was as easy as: FSB: 400, PCI-E: 100, DDR - DDR21066, Intel C1E and Virtualization off..

But here first I lock PCI-E to 100, restart and it goes into BIOS fine. Then I increase my FSB to 400, and since this would clock my memory to 1600 I turn down the memory to 1333. 10 continous beeps and restart cycle.

After reseting to default I try working it out with voltages as I notice it won't go farther than FSB365.

Then I try experimenting and I get it working at 400FSB (3.40ghz) and RAM at 1280mhz.

I was fine, but then I experimented some more and turned the memory latency from CL9 (9-9-9-24) to CL8 (8-8-8-22), got it to 1333mhz and works beautifully! Even under less latency, amazing. Prime95 test for 2 hours, no issues. Everything is fine, CPU max temp (@ Core 1: 64, @ others about 60). The board runs cool also.

Very good board and I am satisfied with the setup, Scores within W7 are 7.4 7.4 7.7 7.7 5.9


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The settings are a little different but once you get used to them, I find them easier.

Thanks for letting us know how you made out


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## SMRDcompany (Jul 2, 2009)

Yes I recommend this board it's very good, BUT a very big issue is cable management. I spend so much time trying to connect both my SATA hard drives because the GPU is blocking my hand from reaching it, and the cable included comes with a little pin that you use to remove it...why is it necessary, I never had troubles with removing a SATA cable it's so easy.. 

Also a thing scared me when I go into bios it says IDE Master 0, IDE Slave 0, IDE Master 2, IDE Slave 2..so on. Aren't SATA's all the same and not IDE but SATA?

The PSU works nicely, the 12V is 12.046V if you want to know. 

Bye


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Sata is default set to IDE mode, not a big deal with Vista or Win7 but for XP you needed to either use a floppy drive or slipstream the AHCI/Sata/Raid drivers onto a XP install disk.
If the controller is set to IDE mode no drivers are needed, but eSata and SSD drives need AHCI mode to work properly.


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