Mobo Chipset and RAM for Audio build?

[brvheart]

I'm rebuilding my home-built recording computer. The Pentium D CPU was too hot and wasn't cutting it.

I'm grabbing the Core 2 Duo 6600. I'm just undecided on the motherboard. My ASUS P5LD2 Deluxe won't take the Core 2 Duo. I need a mobo with firewire and would like it to accept 8g of RAM. Also Quad Core compatability would be nice. I really don't know what chipset to go for. I just want a quality, low-hassle board.

Also, regarding RAM, I figured I'd grab some 1066mhz memory, but it seems a little difficult to find RAM compatable with the mobo I'd need. I already have 2 sticks of 1gb. For future upgradeability, it makes sense to grab a single 2gb stick, but I don't know if my performance will suffer running single channel vs going with 2 more 1gb sticks. But then my slots would be full and upgrading would take more work, and I'd be tossing out 1gb sticks.

Thanks for your time!

[minsonngo]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131030

DDR2 memory is backward-compatible... but DDR2 PC2-5300 is the sweet spot for the board. Anything higher would not yield a noticable performance diiference.

32-bit versions of Windows will see (and utilize) only 3GB or 3.5GB. To utilize more memory, install a 64-bit version of your OS.


EDIT: The mobo I suggested does not have firewire... I didn't notice that was your criteria... go with one Cricket suggested.

[Cricket]

Both the P5B-E and P5B-Plus have on-board FireWire.

There's no use getting 8GB of RAM because 32 bit WinXP can't use more than 4GB of RAM. For 8GB of RAM you'd need a 64 bit operating system like WinXP 64.

:) Cricket

[brvheart]

DDR2 memory is backward-compatible... but DDR2 PC2-5300 is the sweet spot for the board. Anything higher would not yield a noticable performance diiference.

So why is 667 speed memory the sweet spot? When you say "for the board" do you mean THIS board? At what point IS there a difference when using higher speed memory? It seems kind of silly not to get the best possible memory I can get for the board. But if it's silly to spend the extra money, I guess that's good to know also. So here's the question: is it better to get higher end quality (more expensive) 667 or lower end 1066?

edit: ignore that 1066 talk, I'm stupid.


There's no use getting 8GB of RAM because 32 bit WinXP can't use more than 4GB of RAM. For 8GB of RAM you'd need a 64 bit operating system like WinXP 64
Right. But I'd like to have the capacity for 8 gigs. At some point, 8 gigs is not going to be a lot. :) And then I'll probably be running Vista..

And thanks for the board suggestions, I was leaning toward the P5B boards anyways. I mainly posted to make sure I wouldn't go and get the wrong chipset for what I need to do. I know my way around a computer build, but know basically nothing about the recent chipsets.

Thanks