Abit IP35 or go Pro?

[ecarmody]

The regular Abit IP35 is a few dollars cheaper than the IP35 Pro. I'm building my first computer for fast gaming. Do I need the Pro?

I'm pretty set on the IP35 and Q6600 combo.

Amazon has the IP35 at $131 http://www.amazon.com/ABIT-IP35-Motherboard-Ethernet-8-channel/dp/B000RXYV78/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1203221516&sr=1-2

whereas Tigerdirect has the Pro at $164, and I could do with saving a few dollars.

Thanks for thoughts on that.
Cheers,
Eric

[RickyTick]

Obviously the two boards are very very similar. The Pro does offer UGuru that allows you to make some adjustments to fan speeds and voltage without going into the BIOS. Another thing about the Pro I really liked was the digital readout on the mobo that gives POST errors. Instead of a series of beeps, it gives you a number that you can look up in the manual. There is also a CMOS clear switch that you can use without opening up the case. Thankfully I haven't needed it, but its right there if needed.

When I bought the IP35 Pro it was $184.00.

[gtrasi]

Not much of a difference b/w pro & E except for the price!

i suggest u go for Abit IP35 E...

hav u thght about Asus P5K C mobo...it looks better/has gr8 features and is just a bit on the higher side..but its worth it since it has DDR3 support!

[ecarmody]

Yes, the Abit IP35 and the ASUS P5KC are my two top contenders. The ddr2 and ddr3 support of the p5kc is a nice option, not sure if I'll use it. I am a bit leary though because of some of the negative feedback on the newegg about that board, its bios and memory recognition issues. Hopfully just a few bad apples though.

Interesting that you suggest the Abit IP35-E. Not sure if you/I confused on the naming, but I see the IP35-E (lowest cost), then the plain IP35 (middle cost) then the IP35-Pro (highest cost)

I did look at the E previously. It does seem to have enough for my needs, not sure what it doesn't have that I would need? I don't need RAID. One concern would be that unlike both the abit and asus, it does not have the extra cooling tubes. I plan on getting the Q6600 Quad, as well as aftermarket sink/fan, but would cooling be an issue there? I do want to OC it a bit. I could certainly due with trimming a few dollars there where that board is a fair bit cheaper.

Thanks,
Eric