Advice/Help/Ideas on New Build

[Jenny]

Hi guys,
I was at the computer shop today.
The guy there wanted to know why I wanted the UD7 instead of the UD3 at half the price of the UD7.
HELP
ummmm now I _AM_ confused taking into account the rest of my parts in this build, can I get the UD3 & save about $200?
I think everything is the same on the board except for the number of USB, SATA and PCIe ports and the UD3 has enough ports for my build... or am I not seeing something?
Sorry to be a pain... I want to get computer this week.
thanks,
Jenny


GA-P67A-UD7-B3 ($385)

• CPU Support: LGA 1155 Intel® 2nd Generation Core Processors
• Chipset: Intel® 6-series Chipset
• Memory: 4 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR3 2200 / 1600 / 1333 / 1066 / 800
• Expansion slots: 4* PCI-e x16 (2x16 or 4x8), 1* PCI-e x1, 2* PCI
• Storage: 4* SATA 3Gbps, 6* SATA 6Gbps, 10* USB 3.0, 8* USB 2.0, 3* IEEE1394
• Audio: 8-Channel Audio
• LAN: 2* PCI-e GbE
• Form Factor: ATX
• Others: DualBIOS™, Ultra Durable™ 3, On/Off Charge, 3x USB Power

GA-P67A-UD3-B3 ($196.00)

• CPU Support: LGA 1155 Intel® 2nd Generation Core Processors
• Chipset: Intel® 6-series Chipset
• Memory: 4 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR3 1333 / 1066 / 800
• Expansion slots: 1* PCI-e x16, 1* PCI-e x4, 3* PCI-e x1, 2* PCI
• Storage: 4* SATA 3Gbps, 4* SATA 6Gbps, 4* USB 3.0, 14* USB 2.0
• Audio: 8-Channel Audio
• LAN: 1* PCI-e GbE
• Form Factor: ATX
• Others: DualBIOS™, Ultra Durable™ 3, On/Off Charge, 3x USB Power
GIGABYTE BOARD COMPARISONS here http://www.overclockers.at/news/details ... 7_und_mehr

[quest_for_silence]

ummmm now I _AM_ confused taking into account the rest of my parts in this build, can I get the UD3 & save about $200?
I think everything is the same on the board except for the number of USB, SATA and PCIe ports and the UD3 has enough ports for my build... or am I not seeing something?

You may compare by yourself those boards: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/compar ... ,3761,3762.
Obviously being the high end model the UD7 is overpriced, but it's not only a matter of "bragging rights" (see the UD7 24-phase VRM, far better than the UD3, along with better system cooling via heatpipes and better mosfets, so it should be more performing and reliable).

You pointed out (in your proposed list), for example, the UD7's 10 USB 3.0 and 6 SATA 3.0 ports for future (I mean expandability): the UD3 has not either (just 2 USB 3.0 and 2 SATA 3.0, IIRC), so, for example, you will not be able to use a USB 3.0 pen drive with ease (no front panel USB 3.0 port), nor you may add an eSATA back up drive, nor a Firewire device (maybe a camcorder?), you won't be able to add a third SATA 6GBPS drive (either SSD or mechanical), you can't add a second video card (neither a third or a fourth one as the UD7 if in case can do) if you want to improve your gaming (or GPU processing) experience, you won't be able to set a simple RAID-set without an external controller with the UD3 if you want to improve your disk subsystem perfomances, and so on. How can you value these future-proof capabilities it's not something we should advice you about, IMVHO.
Moreover there's also something less rational on which we make our choices: maybe, if you had been a man, I might ask: "Would you rather to drive an Honda sedan, or a Mercedes one?" - but you aren't a man so I cannot find an adequate comparison.

Currently the UD3 would seem able to handle your proposed hardware, but almost nothing more.
As a silencer, I would check their BIOS, whether or not they offer the same capabilities with reference to fan control (the UD3 should already have two headers less).

[Jenny]

Thanks again Luca for your reply.

I'll stick with the UD7 after your explanation

if you had been a man, I might ask: "Would you rather to drive an Honda sedan, or a Mercedes one?" - but you aren't a man so I cannot find an adequate comparison.

works for me too

[Big Pimp Daddy]

I'm not convinced by the Honda/Mercedes comparison - it's more like Toyota/Lexus; they're both essentially the same but one is a bit tarted up.

More VRM phases, multiple PCI-E slots, extra controllers, all useful if you're going to use them (big overclocks, multiple graphics cards, RAID arrays, oodles of high-speed periphrals) but if not they are just adding to the power draw, and hence the noise.

Unless you're lucky enough that budget is not an issue, that $200 could be well spent on a better graphics card/PSU/cooler/case/fans or an SSD, or beer...

Personally I would not even look at the UD7. If you need more features than the UD3 has, there are still several models between the two that can supply whatever you're looking for.

[quest_for_silence]

I'll stick with the UD7 after your explanation

Please don't bank just on my own words: I'm an incurable big spender (the shop guy was kind to point you out cheaper alternatives).

You have to evaluate your future needs, in order to better assess whether or not the UD7 is right for you (you can use the Gigabyte website's comparison feature, with reference to which you may note that I've included the UD3, UD5 and UD7 in my previous link).

[Jenny]

thanks to you both for your replies
you both make valid points

Luca just for your information, I find this page 'easier' to do comparisons than the giga site
http://www.overclockers.at/news/details ... 7_und_mehr

[quest_for_silence]

Luca just for your information, I find this page 'easier' to do comparisons than the giga site
http://www.overclockers.at/news/details ... 7_und_mehr

Thanks Jenny, now I actually give it a read: glad to see you speak a better german than me!
At anyway, I just hoped that a side by side comparison were more quickly readable, if it wasn't necessary, so much the better.
Eventually "happy dance" for you!