Intel DX38BT/DX48BT2 (Bone Trail)

[Sandog]

$229 DX38BT at TigerDirect.

Intel DX38BT Motherboard - FREE Copy of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 PC Game, Intel X38, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, Gigabit LAN, SPDIF, USB 2.0, Firewire, eSATA, RAID BOXDX38BT at TigerDirect.com

Edit: Wrong SKU#

[SpeedDMN]

Originally Posted by Sandog

Thanks, yeah I've seen that short one. LR usually comes out with the first picks of new Intel boards. One of the members over there gets a hold of new Intel boards and is a photographer.

Anyway, I miss the olden days when a new board brought top headlines and a pic was splashed across the front page. Now most mobo reviews come in six packs and they go straight to silly benchmarks scores without really touching on features or board layout.

I for one pay lots of attention to layout and not so much benchies. The difference between performance on a given chipset is usually so small it's not very interesting. I want to hear about stock speed stability, OC stability and bios features. Layout is also very important when you are trying to keep Vcard/s cool and not having criss crossing molex or 4/8 pin connectors everywhere. I love the way DFI lays out a board for example. The BX's weren't bad either. I'm still torn between Intel and Asus for my new board. Seems silly to pay a lot more for the same chipset and SLi support/layout isn't a consideration.

[Sandog]

IMO your exactly right on your interpretation of chipset performance. Also you have good reasoning in shopping for a board. The ASUS boards are the best looking, highest quality, and most feature rich boards out there. If OCing is your bag then go with an ASUS board. I believe though that an Intel board will reach the stablist OC's you can find as well as any other board. If really like to play around with OCing and find the absolute highest OC your CPU can handle within 1mv/.5MHz, then get an ASUS board. I think now that ASUS is pulling out all the plugs (no costs bared boards reaching $400) and doing well with sales that Intel might also start forgetting about purse strings for their Extreme boards. Intel could at least improve on chipset cooling and add some more features.

As with my current Intel board, my next board I want to find a sweet OC spot that is stable and then leave it there for good. I don't want to mess around in BIOS after that. For my current build that is 291MHz FSB (3.2GHz) and memory at 533/4-4-4-12/1.95V. I am hoping to go twice as high with the X38/X48 from 333 to 400MHz if possible and memory at 400MHz/7-6-6-18/1.8V. If not I will go halfway down from that and run my Q9540(2.67GHz) at 3GHz.

[traveler]

I love the cooling that ASUS provides right out of the box with the X38. Heatpipes everywhere and cooling out the back of the mobo itself.

7-6-6-18 Sandog??? Nice. That's why I'm considering the OCZ FlexXLC at 6-6-6-18.

[Sandog]

It kills me the cooling on the ASUS Extreme board with the elaborate heat sinks and lighted SB cover. They use fins, heatpipes, and water cooling in one heat sink assembly. I also really like the SoundMax audio card because it comes with the newest SonicFocus audio app. The Analog Devices audio chips also works with the Andrea Superbeam array microphone.
AnandTech: ASUS P5E3 Deluxe: X38 and DDR3 arrives... almost

Also I like Super Talent because it does 7-6-6-18 at only 1.8V. I'll see.

I am on a tight budget this time around plus used hardware is selling for peanuts if it sells at all. I am trying to keep my next build (Penryn + Intel board) under $1k.
Q9540 <$350
Intel DX38/48BT <$250
2x1GB DDR3 <$400

Plus a new HSF such as the Zalman CNPS8700 NT. This heat sink does not beat out other premium heat sinks in cooling the CPU but is does beat the others at cooling the mobo. I might even make use of the chipset fan bracket and buy a 40x10mm NB fan.

Later in Q2'08 I will take a look at getting a 9xxx series NVidia card to replace my veteren 8800 GTS.

Then I will sit back and enjoy my new system while reading about Nehalem lol.

Mucho later I will try to get two more sticks of DDR3 that will have come way down in price.

[ATINUT]

Originally Posted by Sandog

It kills me the cooling on the ASUS Extreme board with the elaborate heat sinks and lighted SB cover. They use fins, heatpipes, and water cooling in one heat sink assembly. I also really like the SoundMax audio card because it comes with the newest SonicFocus audio app. The Analog Devices audio chips also works with the Andrea Superbeam array microphone.
AnandTech: ASUS P5E3 Deluxe: X38 and DDR3 arrives... almost

Also I like Super Talent because it does 7-6-6-18 at only 1.8V. I'll see.

I am on a tight budget this time around plus used hardware is selling for peanuts if it sells at all. I am trying to keep my next build (Penryn + Intel board) under $1k.
Q9540 <$350
Intel DX38/48BT <$250
2x1GB DDR3 <$400

Plus a new HSF such as the Zalman CNPS8700 NT. This heat sink does not beat out other premium heat sinks in cooling the CPU but is does beat the others at cooling the mobo. I might even make use of the chipset fan bracket and buy a 40x10mm NB fan.

Later in Q2'08 I will take a look at getting a 9xxx series NVidia card to replace my veteren 8800 GTS.

Then I will sit back and enjoy my new system while reading about Nehalem lol.

Mucho later I will try to get two more sticks of DDR3 that will have come way down in price.

Did you know the majority of ASUS motherboards use the Analog Devices ADI 1988B 7.1 HD Audio codec. My P5N32-E SLI motherboard, came with the SupremeFX audio card, which has the ADI 1988B 7.1 HD Audio codec on it. To get the latest drivers for it, I have to download drivers for the ASUS P5K, which has the Blackhawk Equalizer in it, along with an OpenAL driver.

[Sandog]

Have you ever listened to mp3's with the SonicFocus enhancer turned on and do you like it? I always use it with IAS when I play mp3's. I leave it on in games to.

[ATINUT]

Haven't used the 1988B 7.1 HD Audio yet on Vista, I've been using soundcards. My CMEDIA 8788HD card, had to be sent back to Newegg for replacement, and when I get the replacement, I may not even bother putting it in, and will probably leave my Audigy 2ZS installed or start using the ADI 1988B 7.1 HD Audio.

To get the SonicFocus Blackhawk enhancer, I have to download the version of the 1988B drivers that have it in, along with OpenAL from the ASUS P5K download page, as that board uses the 1988B 7.1 HD Audio chip. ASUS is updating the 1988B drivers more so on the P5K, than for my board for some reason.

[Ford Freak]

I am going with the 38BT. There isn't a reason for me to get the 48 if the 38 really does work with the 1600 fsb. I am also looking at a cheap 2x1gb DDR3 set to use until 2x2gb sets become cheap. That $200 set from G.Skill is looking good. It should be even cheaper after 2008 starts.

[Sandog]

Hey FordFreak,

The X48 will be right around the corner. It will probably be a recertified X38 chipset that is capable of running the QX9770 at 1600 FSB and nothing more. In fact, the X48 might not even be desirable for me when it comes out if it has beefier power regulators designed for the higher TDP QX9770 which I know I will never get. Still I am going to wait and see for sure. I don't have to make a board decision until I have a Penryn on order anyhow. Jan. 20th, 2008 will get here quick.

[Sandog]

Here's a fun read on the QX9770.

Can Water push Yorkfield to 5 GHz? | Tom's Hardware

Some of the X38 chipsets are alread guaranteed to work at 1600 FSB. I will probably get the Intel DX38BT board later.

[ATINUT]

That's interesting to know.

I'm peronally gonna stick with the setup I have now, as it runs everything just fine.

[traveler]

Originally Posted by Sandog

[snip]

Plus a new HSF such as the Zalman CNPS8700 NT. This heat sink does not beat out other premium heat sinks in cooling the CPU but is does beat the others at cooling the mobo.

[snip]

Yeah! I've been looking at that guy. Never could find one for sale. But I just did a search, found one, and here's an interesting quote from that page -

"This product was added to our catalog on Thursday 13 December, 2007."

[Sandog]

New BIOS for DX38BT.

BIOS Version 1358
About This Release:

• December 04, 2007
• BTX3810J.86A.1358.2007.1204.1623
• SATA RAID info: Intel(R) RAID for SATA - v7.6.0.1011
• SATA AHCI info: Version UPSD src 04-20-2007 for ICH9
• PXE Nahum info: Intel(R) Boot Agent GE v1.2.50

New Fixes/Features:

• Updated Hardware Watchdog timer support.
• Fixed issue where Hardware Watchdog timer error prompts on system reset after S3 cycle.
• Added memory speed overridden value to Setup Main page.
• Fixed issue where PSID XE CPU cannot be over clocked.
• Updated processor speed overridden value for Half Ratio support processor.
• Fixed issue causing IDCC launch failure.
• Fixed PATA CD BIOS recovery.
• Enhancement on XMP-1600 performance.

[Sandog]

The fun of upgrading. I've decided this week that I don't need a quad core and that my system is extremely fast and working 100% and stable at all times. I do not even have a use for quad-core. It might help a little when I get UT3 or when I am opening/closing multiple programs but that is about it.
Still I am getting one. I am bored with my memory plus the new X38 chipset seems like a good OCer. I also think the Penryn is a wonderful chip and it is hard to pass up a quad-core 2.67GHz w/12MB of cache for $319. I wonder if Intel is even binning these new Penryn's. There is only a 160MHz difference between the Q9540 and Q9550 and they all can run up so high. I think Intel uses voltage draw to speed bin chips but there's probably very little voltage difference between these two.