Socket 1155 - Best Chipset?

I'm getting ready to build several i5-based desktops for a client and am confused on the features and benefits of the different mobo chipsets available.

Here are the key specs of the build:

* High end audio production. Will likely add HT Omega 24-bit sound card to at least three of the PCs.

* i5 CPU (model TBD). Dual monitor setup. Little if any video editing, so it's likely I'll use the on-board Intel graphics (VGA and DVI) without adding a video card.

* Win 7 Pro 64-bit.

* No overclocking. These PCs will be used in a radio station for on-air programming and production, so 24/7 reliability is critical (on the two set up for on-air use, I'll likely use a RAID 1 or RAID 5 setup).

Any thoughts on which mobo chipset to choose would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

I would not worry about the chipset. You just need to get motherboards that support your "mission" requirements. If the board supports the i5, so will the chipset.

There are more important concerns when building PCs, like the case (responsible for providing sufficient air flow through the case). And with "several" computers, fan noise will be an issue - ESPECIALLY if people are trying to focus on the music.

It is case's responsibility to suppress noise, but it is also the fan's responsibility to not make any - and not compromise cooling in the process. This take quality design, parts, and assembly. You buy cheap, you get cheap. I like Antec case's - but only those with removable, washable air filters.

The PSU - should be the last purchase decision - yet is arguable the most important. Quality, reliability, and 80+ Certification are a MUST. And in a radio studio, so is noise.

Far too often self-builders attempt to cut corners with the power supply to save money. Bad mistake.

Amount of RAM is critical. With 64-bit Windows 7 (a wise choice, IMO), I recommend at 8Gb with dual channel motherboards.

Remember, more and more computers are being integrated into home theater systems - and audiophile quality systems too. So, if you stay away from the entry level motherboards, the higher up stuff have very-good to excellent on-board, usually 8-channel (7.1), audio support.

What kind of radio? AM/FM? HD or satellite?

Good.

 

Here are Two LGA 1155 MOB off of newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?bop=And&Submit=MyNeweggRecmd&N=100007627&IsNodeId=1

They look more then ready for what you need yours for.

 

Thanks for the tips.

I plan on using a Corsair PSU, minimum 550-watt (remember, it's on-board video). If I go RAID 5, I'll likely jump to 650-watt.

On the quiet builds I've done before, I lean towards Antec NSK series cases since they are both sound insulated and have room for additional fans to cool the hard drives. Any pre-installed fans get pulled; I use Enermax enlobal fans which are library quiet.

The PCs are for a new FM radio station going on the air in a few months. A good friend of mine is the Program Director - she liked the one I built for her home studio so well she wants pretty much the same thing in both studios and her office.

 

What ever you do.

Do not get any Delta fans they are noisy as hell they sound like vacuum cleaners at full speed.

 

Yeah, some are. But they move a lot of air too.

Antec makes a line of quiet fans. I also like Zalman. But note quiet fans tend to move less air - all the more reason to go big. Some cases, like the Antec Eleven Hundred have monster fans, a 200mm "blowhole" - top mounted fan. I have one of those on a discontinued Antec and you cannot hear it. Period. But you can sure feel the air moving.

Well, again, do not decide on the size of the PSU until you have finalized what is going in the box (factoring in future upgrades).

Regardless, buying too big only hurts your wallet. The computer (motherboard, CPU, RAM, drives, fans) will only draw from the PSU what they need, and the PSU will only draw from the wall that same amount, plus 15-20 watts/100 watts more (assuming a quality PSU) for PSU inefficiencies (wasted in the form of heat).

That said, if going for quiet, drives can make a lot of noise. Especially if they start reverberating through the case. Better "enterprise" class drives tend to be quieter, if you stay away from the super fast ones. 7200RPM or even 5400 would be good. Also, quality cases isolate noise better. You might (should if stuck on RAID 5) look for cases that use rubber noise/vibration isolation mounts. Same with fan mounts.

Now having said that, do you really need RAIDs in all these? Will they be networked? If so, I can see having a backup server stashed in a closet with a big RAID, but not each machine. And even then, RAID redundancy has very limited practicality. If your computer becomes infected, the entire RAID will be infected, as will any file, the OS or application that becomes corrupted - the RAID won't help there either. A RAID is only good if a hard drive fails and you absolutely must not have any downtime.

I personally think a good backup solution is better than having RAIDs on every machine.

 

This is exactly the case for a PC in a broadcast studio. If it fails, there will be "dead air" until broadcasting is switched to the PC in the other studio. If a newbie DJ is on at night with no computer literate staff around, this will likely take several minutes or more. Turntables, CD players and cartridge tapes are a thing of the past - even with a live DJ, the PC stores and plays everything.

I plan on having a RAID 5 backup device in place, as well as Carbonite online backup. Again, going to the example noted above, I do not want to get into a Murphy's Law situation of a single server/storage unit crashing and effectively taking the station off the air until the problem is fixed. A restore process consisting of a few thousand songs plus commercials caused by a a non-HDD (e.g. controller board) failure would take, at the very least, a few hours; getting a replacement motherboard could take a few days.

 

As reliability is high on the list, it might pay you to spend some time checking hardware against the latest Components Returns Rates.

 

I had not heard of this website until now. Thanks for the tip.

 

It is a nice site to reference but note it gets its reference data from just one single retail outlet in France. I would not base any purchase decision on one site alone, even if I am living in the same country.

Also, not sure their information is valuable. I note under motherboards it says,

Last I checked 1/3 = 33.333% so if not sure what the message is, not sure it does any good.

If a brand stood out as having a significantly higher return rate, then it might be worth noting. But when virtually every brand sits with a quality rate above 95% I just don't see the need to be that picky. Pick a brand name, one with a good warranty, the features you want, and the price you want to pay. At those success rates, it just a matter of luck, and gentle transporting after that.

Go by specific reviews. Enter the exact model number and the word "review" into Bing Google and see what others, especially professional review sites, are saying. Do NOT pay too much attention to "user reviews" unless they are all complaining about the exact same thing. And remember, happy users don't complain and most don't write reviews either. Often user review give low scores due to the site overcharged, sent the wrong part, took too long to deliver or something else not related to the reliability of the product.

 

Digerati, I think you'll find that all components listed are common to the vast majority of the planet, there's nothing there that isn't sold in the US, for instance.

The whole point of that review series is that it is the closest I know that is published and independent; this is the 6th such review, look back and you'll see they cover over 3 years worth of sales - in some instances making the same comments about the same bad products over 2 years/4 reviews.

Do you really trust manufacturer's data or 'professional' reviewers? Who pays these 'professional' reviewers? Do you think they'd all be reviewing in 2 years time if they spoke on some of the things they came across? Sure, some would still be reviewing, it'd cost them to buy the hardware and they'd need to find new site advertizing sponsorship though.

The GA-P67A-UD3 made up around 1/3rd of all Gigabyte motherboard sales but it had a returns rate of 7.51%, how does that read to you? The data is spelled out there if you actually want to understand it.

 

Oh? That's a pretty absolute statement. I know that NOT all PSUs sold in the US offer universal (120 plus 240VAC, 60 plus 50Hz) support, but you know all the products sold through that one retail outlet in France (which uses 220 Volts and 50Hz), are also sold here in the US? Active PFC is required in the EU, but not here in the US.

And MajorGeeks and other forums have lots of threads with users in Europe or down under where part numbers don't line up with Newegg or ASUS, so sorry, that statement is just not true.

I did not say it was bad, but it has a very focused sampling source and that should be considered. I said,

I did not say don't use it. I said don't listen to just one source.

Who said anything about manufacturer's data? Not me.

As for professional reviewers - yes! Absolutely I trust a professional reviewer over manufacturer's "marketing fluff" and user reviews too (except as noted above).

Whoa! Are you kidding me? So all review sites are on the take, paid off by the makers?

You are harping about a retail outlet that CLEARLY has financial interest in selling the most profitable products. And you call reviewers on the take and not marketing people?

I give.

Take the time and you can easily tell the difference between a professional review site and one that's not.

That is store counting RMAs. It is does not even consider products returned that were not faulty as they themselves state,

"Some"? "Probably aren't"? And the the stats they use to compile their findings are sound? Yeah, right.

Once again you revert to personal insults when you don't like something someone says. That's sad. There's need for puerile stuff every time someone brings up a different opinion than yours. Debate the facts. If you don't like the person on the other side of the debate, don't look at his name or avatar.

 

Once again you misquote my words in an attempt to make them look like they're a personal attack.

I'm finished with this thread.