Dual Core or single does it really matter for captures. Which mainboard?

[Soopafresh]

Budz sed:


COOLER MASTER RR-LCH-P9E1 92mm UFO CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103001
It's easy to install the Cooler Master HSF. biggrin.gif I like stuff that's not so complicated to install


Just ordered 2 of them per your suggestions

[budz]

Budz sed:


COOLER MASTER RR-LCH-P9E1 92mm UFO CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103001
It's easy to install the Cooler Master HSF. biggrin.gif I like stuff that's not so complicated to install


Just ordered 2 of them per your suggestions

You'll like it! I use it now on all of the computers that I build for myself & others.
Except for some who don't wanna spend extra money on a HSF for their custom built computer.

[stiltman]

I'm currently looking at other mobo's but although most have a full x16 pci-e many are poor in pci slots. I need 1 for my tv tuner card, 1 for a raid because few have 2 ide connectors and a third for a firewire. Even with 3 pci on a board, that doesn't leave any spare pci if the onboard audio has problems. I checked many combinations and it can get pricey. Some boards have firewire but then drop a pci port. Some boards share physical space between the pci-e and one of the pci slots so you can't have both at the same time (useless). I don't want to chase outside the local area for this stuff so I'm only checking the sites of local resellers. It is a slow process to look at each board and then check it's features and then browse the manufacturer's site followed by searches to find user comments on models that might fit my needs. In any case every other reasonably priced mobo that I've researched except the Asrock would require me to buy a pci_E video and/or a sata drive so I could scavenge very little from my supply of on hand parts.

It's be a little slower than I expected to finalise the motherboard only because I could spend an extra $60 on a cheap pci-e video card and $30 to $40 or more on a mobo to get a true x16 pci slot, perhaps also with firewire on board if I accept an Asus or Gigabyte board that is maxed at core 2 duo and is not Quad core able. So I'd be adding $100+ to the bill but what really do I gain?

I'm an Intel fanboy when it comes to Motherboards and CPUs
I think what would fit your specs would be the DG965WH However, it is picky about RAM (not really, Intel sticks with the true specs) and it only has 1 IDE controller

[TBoneit]

Asus has socket 775 motherboards with three (3) IDE and four (4) Sata and three (3) pci slots and three (3) PCIe 1x slots as well as a PCIe 16x slots

Core 2 ready PCB 2.0 and up only so make sure of the Motherboard version. Intel 945p chipset. 8 channle audio with Coaxial and Optical out. Sata2 4 slots for dual channel DDR2. Gb lan. 6 USB2 + 2 more for front connection. For those interested in such things the manual says fine-tune the CPU/Memory voltage, FSb and PCIe frequebcy. Plus CPU lock free allows you to adjust CPU multiplier to 14X. Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 on SATA. 15 Pin Game port. ASUS Model P5LD2 R2

I know this as we keep this in stock for upgraders that can use a full size board. Don't ask the price as we do not do phone orders or Internet orders. Only walk-ins.

Check the Asus Website for latest CPU support matrix.

To Quote your message "but although most have a full x16 pci-e many are poor in pci slots. I need 1 for my tv tuner card, 1 for a raid because few have 2 ide connectors and a third for a firewire"

I think this is the sort of board that would serve you well for now and into the future for features based on what you've mentioned above. You shouldn't need your raid card as this has 3 IDE + 4 SATA

[gll99]

@TBoneit

Do you have a model number and rough cost?

I would have bought an Asrock already had I not discovered the AGP and PCI-E compatibility issues and the fact that even across the various models some PCI-E or AGP video cards are listed and for a similar model they are not. The information they provide is very confusing. For example the Asrock 4core with Sata 1.5 and the 4core Sata II 3.0 which otherwise seem to be identical don't list the same pci-E video card models. In previous versions the pci-E was said to be a x16 even though I read reviews that said the form factor was x16 but only operates at x4 but the documentation in the Sata II version now only says PCI-E with no speed designation.

I was originally hoping to reuse an existing AGP card with the Asrock but since it looks like I have to buy a PCI-E anyway, I'll look again at the Asus but now that I have the cpu narrowed down, finding the right mobo is really frustrating. I may have to sacrifice the Quad ready feature to keep the price down.

I'm still clearing this up with a local vendor who seems to know the boards but if the Asrock doesn't pan out. I'll look again at Asus, drop the requirements of an AGP port but still look for 3 pci and 2 ide controllers with Sata II for the future and buy a cheap PCI-E for the video.

[RLT69]

I'm still clearing this up with a local vendor who seems to know the boards but if the Asrock doesn't pan out. I'll look again at Asus, drop the requirements of an AGP port but still look for 3 pci and 2 ide controllers with Sata II for the future and buy a cheap PCI-E for the video.

Good luck! Most board manufacturers are are sticking only 1 IDE controller on their motherboard. SATA is the controller of choice now. I'm afraid you have come at a bad time. Major technology shift has occured and is occuring. You can no longer use your old Memory, HD, Video Card.

Upgrading to a new MB means buying:

1. SATA II HD
2. DDR2 Memory
3. PCI-e Video Card

I had do go through that recently. Tough. I needed a new system for development purposes and my old system was a wee bit damaged.

Luckily all the above components can be had a low cost. 2GB of DDR2 800 Ram is dirt cheap! Cost you about $120. SATA II HD and PCI-e cards are inexpensive as well. What will end up costing you will be the CPU.

If you don't need to build a new system now, WAIT. DDR3 ram has already hit the market. Intel has released their Quad Core Processors - AMD to follow; which means in the near future Quad Cores will be afforable. Also a revision to the PCI-e spec is coming, PCI-e II. All that means you would need a new motherboard. I would sit tight, save up my money and read the news. By that time Vista 64 might actually have driver support. 64 bit OS would really inrease your processing ability as well as increase the amount of memory you can use. XP and Vista 32 have a limit of 3GB. If you want to use more than 4 GB, you need to move to a 64 bit OS.

Cheers.

[TBoneit]

ASUS Model P5LD2 R2 retail <>$100.

I like that board because of lots of drive comtrollers and Intel chipset.

Good Luck

[gll99]

@ RLT69

I hear you but the problem is that technology is always changing and there's never a good time to jump in. I could probably save a few more $$ on the cpu or move to a E4500 for the same money by waiting a month or 2 but it's not worth the difference

I just spoke with a vendor who knows her stuff and has sold quite a few of the Asrock boards. She stocks the boards for those who bought more costly AGP cards and who want a Core 2 duo processor but don't want to buy a PCI-E card right away. Also those like me who have newer IDE and didn't want to switch to Sata at this time but want the flexibility to do it later.

My AGP is a lower end Radeon 9250 but I want to use for now anyway until I decide on a PCI-E some time later. According to the local vendor, the good news is that since it's an 8x card it operates at 1.5 volts. So my AGP card will work with the board.

This will turn out to be a really cheap buy with a lot of room to upgrade further when I want to.

MB - AsRock 4Core Sata II (3Gbits/s)
CPU - E4400 Core 2 duo (2.0GHz)
Ram - Single (1 mb) stick DDRII-667
Case - atx mid 500w ps (maybe if I decide to go black)

Everything else comes from my own existing stock

btw) I haven't been able to check Asus boards because none of the links will load. This is the 3rd time this week it as happened with the USA and Canadian Asus sites. Every other link is normal so it has to be them.

[Soopafresh]

Core 2 Quad 6600 = 14.739 seconds XP32

Core 2 Quad 6600 = 16.610 seconds XP64

[budz]

Soopafresh are you using that Cooler Master HSF yet?

[Soopafresh]

Not yet Only half of the order came in. I'm using the stock cooler until Monday.

CPU temps of stock cooler after 2.5 hours of burn-in

[gll99]

I guess it was unavoidable that discussing cpu's would make me cross over into motherboard questions so I modified the topic title. I've decided to hold off buying just yet based on RLT69's suggestion and also among others, TBoneit and stiltman's comments about other boards I should take the time to look at the Intel chipsets.

I haven't given up on the Asrock if I look at it as a 2 year replacement and then probably start over. That would mean living with the AGP 8x because I emailed Asrock and the PCI-E x16 is definitely locked at 4x. Switching to PCI-E wouldn't be worth it on this board. I've also read complaints of difficult setups, window and device boot errors etc.. but then others reported easy installs so who knows?

RLT69 wrote

If you don't need to build a new system now, WAIT. DDR3 ram has already hit the market

I was ready to buy today but finally got a look at a few more of the Asus boards late last night. One has 2 DDR3 dimm slots as well as 4 DDR2 dimm slots. It would add about $95 to the cost of the mobo compared to the Asrock and I'd also have to buy a cheap pci-E video card for another $70 plus taxes. that's adding close to $200 because of the mobo and graphics card.



Ram Type:
The question: Is DDR3 that important since even if the DDRII supports 800MHz ram I'll likely buy DDR667 anyway because of the price. If I end up loading the ram slots with DDRII 667 then it's unlikely I'd buy DDR2 800MHZ ram let alone spend again for DDR3.

Example of a board P35 Chipset Asus P5KC with DDR3 and DDR2. 3 pci, onboard firewire etc.. High price for me at $169 + taxes.

http://ca.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=534&l4=0&model=1694&modelmenu=2

If DDR3 is not needed then for $20 less at $149 is the Asus P5K without DDR3 dimms is an option

http://ca.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=534&l4=0&model=1637&modelmenu=2

I'm learning but I also don't know much about the various Intel chipsets ie 945p, G33, P35.

Onboard Video

If I eliminate DDR3 as a requirement, what are the opinions about integrated graphics? Is there a problem with those?
These use the G33 chipset is that any good? I'm trying to research this chipset's reliabilty.

This is the Asus P5K-V with onboard video and 3 pci slots at $159
http://ca.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1652&l1=3&l2=11&l3=542&l4=0
or
The Asus P5K-VM also with onboard video but only 2 pci slots priced at $129.

The Asus boards above are said to be Xp and Vista compatible and well as core 2 Quad and Core 2 duo capable.

The advantage of integrated video is not having to spend on a graphics a card right away.

Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 integrated
High-definition video processing with a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 bpp @75 Hz
Maximum shared memory of 256 MB

Even though it shares memory the specs aren't bad to start off.

I have a few questions about other chipset Asus cards including the P5LD2 R2 suggested by TBoneit but the post is long so I'll save those for later.

Any comments on the aforementioned will be greatly appreciated.

[budz]

Take a look at the Gigabyte P35-DS3R mobo? It can use ddr2 and ddr3 ram (Only support the memory on the Memory Support List on the official website)
It's also compatible with core 2 duo & core 2 Quad processors as well. Also take a look at the other models that Gigabyte has to offer for Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad core processors.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050

http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Spec.aspx?ProductID=2543

I have this mobo and it's my first Gigabyte purchase. I'm quite happy I bought it instead of getting a Asus mobo.

[gll99]

@budz
That board seems to only mentions DDR2. I downloaded the compatible ram list and it also only shows DDR2.

I like that it has 3 pci but doesn't have firewire. Based on the USA price it would probably sell for about the same price as the Asus P5K without DDR3 which also has 3 pci slots but includes on-board firewire.

To All: to save rereading old stuff

The board I am looking at has to have 2 ide controllers for 4 devices. I won't be using the sata right away. If it only has one ide then I need a pci slot for my raid card to connect 2 devices. I also need one pci slot for my PCI TV tuner card. Another pci slot will be needed if it doesn't have a firewire (ieee-1394) port. It would be great to have a spare in case there's a problem with the onboard audio.

The Asus P5K with DDR2 ram at $149 and the P5KC with DDR3 at $169 although a bit pricey have the right number of pci slots. They only have one ide connector for 2 devices but have 3 pci and on-board firewire. So I would have a spare for the audio if it's needed.

Other combinations would work too depending on the board if I forget the idea of keeping a spare pci port for the audio card. 2 pci ports with on-board firewire would be ok so that is why I can look at other boards also. With other boards the spare pci might not be there but maybe it has 2 ide and so on ... I can work out various combinations depending on the mobo.

One of the questions I need to clear up first in my own mind, is how important DDR3 is to me. If not then I'll move on to the on-board video question.

If I got it right it looks like the Asus boards with a G in the chipset seem to be the one's with integrated shared graphics ie... G33, 965G, G965, 945G. I didn't find a G35 under the lga 775 socket types so I guess they only make the P35 without the integrated graphics.

[budz]

Yup, you're correct it doesn't support ddr3 memory. I was thinking ddr 2 1066 ram was actually ddr3.

[gll99]

Yup, you're correct it doesn't support ddr3 memory. I was thinking ddr 2 1066 ram was actually ddr3.

Don't sweat it. I get myself mixed up all the time now since I've looked at so many cpus and boards. Who the heck can remember each boards features. I'm getting re-educated. I haven't looked at new gear in years and it's a whole new world out there. There are options I'll never use but to others they may be important, so it's just a matter of filtering out what is excessive for me. Learning about the new cpu's was phase one and I now realise that finding the right motherboard at a decent price is trickier than I thought. That Asrock 4coredual board looks good on paper, too bad the PCI-E is non standard. It scares me a bit but if nothing else works out, I may go for it anyway. The most I'll lose is $90 tax included if it's garbage. Everything else will be reusable. For now the Asus search is not over. I look at every board check it's features, chipset, cpu support and other specs against my needs, try to find a local price, check the reviews (with a grain of salt ) and then see if it's XP and Vista compatible. It's a slow process but that too is an education.

[vhelp]

Afternoon everyone

F: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic336144.html
S: Dual Core or single does it really matter for captures. Which mainboard?

I just got to this topic and haven't read up on all of it. But..

What surpises me is no-one has posted that they have a core 2 duo cpu (E2160 or E4300 etc...) and that they do interlaced xvid / divx capture full frame with no problems. I wonder if a try a sort of crosspost in the capture forum if it will draw more attention to the capture issue which is really the answer I need to help me decide on which cpu to get.

For you, i'll run a quick test, right now..

If you tell me how to do this (setup, etc) and what software you are using for capturing,
I'll do a test run with my latest upgraded system, and report back to you, quickly

** capture app:
** codec and ver:
** settings:

---

F: https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1692720#1692720
S: I'm Finally ugrading my OS and Computer to Win XP Home !! -- by vhelp;(4235 ) 042107
D: April 21, 2007 Sat 17:49 (5:49pm)

And, here is my latest system specs, to give you an idea of my (unfetted) capability.

My rig is not optimized. I didn't get that far, yet. Actually, in that thread I posted
above, my next (part 2) step was suppose to be to fine-tuning/optimizing it. But I
haven't been available for posting the questions, lately. Maybe I'll post an update/
progress report later on, today.

New Operating System
** XP Home Edition (the upgrade version for w98/se/me/w2k)

Here's the new spec, including new case/p.sply:
** -- MOBO: ECS GeforceE6100SM-M HT2000
** -- CPU: AMD 64 Dual Core X2 3600+
** -- CASE: ATX w/ 400watt p.supply
** -- RAM: 1GB 667 DDR-2
** -- I/O slots: TWO
** -- USB ports: FOUR (2 in back, and 2 in front)
** -- I/O: built-in nVidea Graphics card <-- I am still using this built-in card
** -- HDD: Segate 160gig 7200 8mb cache (partitioned to 3 hdd's)

For capturing HDTV programs
** [s:995066ce74]-- CAPTURE CARD: Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600 (model 1178)[/s:995066ce74]
** -- CAPTURE CARD: Pinnacle PCTV HD pro stick
** -- Pinnacle Studio AV/DV pci card

Software to be run under XP Home
** VirtualDub v1.6.15 (build 24560/release)
** TMPGEnc 2.5x
** [s:995066ce74]Hauppauge software[/s:995066ce74]
** Pinnacle capture software
** various other freeware apps
** Boarland's Delphi compiler

-vhelp 4391

[vhelp]

--> https://forum.videohelp.com/images/guides/p1747633/vidbenchmark.zip

Unfortunately, after D/L and using the above benchmark, it did not complete
and bailed out with the following message, all under WIN98 system, although
there is a 175 MB file.yuv file in the folder:

The YUV2AVI.EXE file is
linked to missing export KERNEL32.DLL:SetFilePointerEx.

-vhelp 4392

[Soopafresh]

Does this version work ? Run it more than once and look at the average.

benchmark.rar

[gll99]

@vhelp
I took a look at your thread about setting up your rig. I've setup a lot of pc's over the years from old 386, 486,P1 to PIII and some AMD. for friends and family but mostly trailing edge stuff. Since I got my P4 1.6 a few years ago I haven't kept up with any of the new cpu's, Motherboards, various new connectors etc... so it's different in many respects. Working with newer expensive parts is a lot riskier than assembling used parts.

I'm indecisive only because there are knowledge gaps that need to be closed. Having some experience lessens the learning curve but it also means I can't just walk into a computer store and buy the fancy case with the flashing lights that the sales-guy guides me to. Fancy stickers and two xx's and a L in the model number don't impress much when you want to know what's really inside the case.

I see you do HD capture. It would be be hard to compare since I'm not.

I'm using a pci bt878 tvtuner card with XP pro and programs that use wdm drivers. I prefer Winvdr Pro (not [s:9181aa46c6]WinDVR[/s:9181aa46c6]) but any program that uses WDM drivers will do the same. I want to capture full D1 (720x480) DIVX 6x (or xvid) h.263 simple profile and keep the interlace to play on my standalone Philips DVP-642. I can already capture that way with my P4 1.6 but the cpu runs at 100%. On tests I've done, the output is ok but I don't like running the cpu that high. I am considering the Intel E2160 or the E4400 because they seem adequate for the job and are reasonably priced .

So here I am looking at something new that will do what I want today but also keeping one eye on the future without losing sight of my primary reason for wanting to upgrade.

[gll99]

Just realised that 3 mid cost Asus boards with integrated graphics that I've checked won't do because they only a vga out. I need a dvi for my monitor and the vga for my diy projector. So either way I have to use a graphics card. So I can forget the Asus G series chipsets.

[Soopafresh]

I'm in the process of installing 2 of these systems for a client. I've got one already put together and burning in. This mobo was really trouble free and easy to work on, started up on first boot and didn't require any additional drivers during Windows installation:

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/13-136-038-05.jpg


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136038

The systems included Quad Q6600 w 4MB L2, Nvidia 8600GT video cards, 200GB HD, 4GB RAM, 500 Watt power supply, Lian Li case, Coolermaster UFO cpu cooler - $1000 each.

But that E4400 and Asrock motherboard combo should be just fine for the next couple of years, gll99. That'll set you back around $250 for the combo with a good heatsink.

[budz]

I like the layout of that DFI mobo compared to the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R mobo that I have. As you can see the ide connection is way over to the right.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?CurImage=13-128-050-04.jpg&Image=13-128-0...128-050-03.jpg

[Soopafresh]

There should be a consortium to standardize on case connectors, like these - It's always such a PITA figuring out which jumpers to connect the power, HD activity, etc switch to.

[gll99]

There should be a consortium to standardize on case connectors, like these - It's always such a PITA figuring out which jumpers to connect the power, HD activity, etc switch to.

One of the Asus boards has some type of multi interface connector that's for hdd led, power sw, reset sw etc.. then this connector clips onto the board. They call it a "System Panel(Q-Connector) it's a modest improvement because you can read the text on the Q-connector instead of just interpreting pins based on position and crossed referenced in the manual. My eyes are getting bad though and since we switched to cfl bulbs it's way too dim to read fine print so this would help a bit.

Moving to something new after a few years of old tech, I see that the power supply has changed from 20 (atx) to 24 (atx-2) pins but some boards like the Asrock still have the 20 pin connector. I have a couple of spare older atx cases so if I go with the Asrock I may use one of those if it's high enough wattage instead of buying a new one at least until I see how I like this board. If I get an Asus I'm buying a new case because I will keep it longer. I saw some PS with dual 20 and 24 but most newer seem to be 24. Funny thing is that with all the older atx computers I've rebuilt I never counted the pins that power the mainboard they were probably all 20 pins.

[jagabo]

One of the Asus boards has some type of multi interface connector that's for hdd led, power sw, reset sw etc.. then this connector clips onto the board. They call it a "System Panel(Q-Connector) it's a modest improvement because you can read the text on the Q-connector instead of just interpreting pins based on position and crossed referenced in the manual.

I set up a motherboard with one of those yesterday. It certainly was easier than connecting all wires directly to the pins on the motherboard. You can see one near the bottom of this page:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1969658,00.asp

[Soopafresh]

budz - Installed both of the Coolermaster heatsinks today. You're right, the easiest heatsink installation ever - no removing screws or installing brackets, etc. Good stuff. thx.

[budz]

budz - Installed both of the Coolermaster heatsinks today. You're right, the easiest heatsink installation ever - no removing screws or installing brackets, etc. Good stuff. thx.

Your welx! Good to hear you got it installed!

[redwudz]

For the front panel connectors, I like the Asus gadget also. It's tough to plug those little wires in when they are crowded back in a corner of the case. The good news is it won't hurt anything if you get them all backwards. Worst case the LEDs won't work. It's probably not a good idea to plug the speaker leads into the LEDs, but AFAIK, that still won't cause any damage. A lot of the front panel power LEDs are using a 3 terminal connector now and those can be a pain if you only have a two pin socket. I have managed to pull the terminals out of the plug and move it over one position to make it fit. The Gigabyte MB I have now has two front panel LED connectors, just to make it more confusing. One is for power and the other for sleep, etc. state.

Up till a few years ago, most all ATX power supplies used the 20 pin ATX connector. Now the 24 pin is more common. It's mainly to spread the load between more than one terminal on the ATX connectors. There were meltdowns of the 20 pin ATX connector with high power loads. A 500W PS can push a lot of amperage down through the connector. Some CPUs and graphic cards can use a lot of power. Many PCI-E higher powered cards use a special PS connector just going to the graphic card. You can also purchase 20 pin to 24 Pin ATX adapters. I have used them in a full tower case to extend the ATX power connector.

[jagabo]

$89 E2160 at 3.2 GHz:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/09/12/pentium_dual_core/

we found the mid-range model Pentium Dual Core E2160 at 1.8 GHz to be extremely overclockable: we could run 3.2 GHz on standard air cooling using the boxed cooler.