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/Produc...82E16813131030

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]

Originally Posted by minsonngo 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.

Originally Posted by Cricket 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