Hi, so I'm building a gaming rig, and I'd like to choose a great mobo for it.Problem is, there's too many to choose from, and I don't have time to look at the specs of each and every one, so hopefully you guys can recommend one that will work well with this. Here's my specs:

Quad Core Q9550 2.83Ghz(plan to OC it)
Triple GTX-280 OC edition in tri-SLI
8gb DDR2-1066 RAM
300GB 10krpm VelociRaptor
1250w PSU
X-FI Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty Sound Card(can live without it, but would like it to fit)

I think that is enough specs. So, what do you guys think would be the best mobo for this? I don't really care how much it costs, as long as it isn't insanely priced, and can fit all those GPUS.

Edit: Since I know, like every thread I've created, somebody will be like "oh hai, taht vid card is a wayste lol gtx 280 y u need 3 noob", let's just say because I want the absolute best FPS you can attain on Crysis. And this supports it: http://www.guru3d.com/article/gefo [...] ew-test/13

Thanks.

Well I am not going to say that tri-sli is pointless and what not but since this is such a high end build I have to say one thing. Core i7 (Nehalem) will be out in a month or so, along with X58 making this build sort of a waste as you will need a new proc, mobo, ram, and cooler. If you already know that I am happy to recommend you a mobo. If you have the money for a crazy build I won't stop you. I know I would be doing the same thing if I could.

You will have to go with 780i as it is the only DDR2 + tri-sli chipset available. The Asus Striker II Formula is the king in this category. It offers the best OCing features and performance compared to other SLI boards.

Alright I thought so, thanks. Yea, now I might have to wait for Nehalem... I mean I've already waited 5 years to build a good gaming PC, and now I'm going to move houses in a few weeks, and wanted the PC the day I got there. But if it's really THAT much of an upgrade, guess I'll have to wait. A few questions about it if you could please answer.

1) When exactly will it come out?
2)You said I will need a new mobo and RAM. Does this mean I have to get a mobo that doesent support DDR2+3 GPUS? I'm not exactly excited about DDR3... waste of cash.
3) What will it be priced, and how much better will it be than the current CPUs?

I just googled it, and there's no release date everywhere, but everyone is saying Q1 09. Is that true? Because I'm not going to spend another 3-6 months with a garbage PC

1) I think they are expected in October. Offcial is Q4 but it will be before Christmas. LINK Also, there is the possibility of a die shrink and improvement to GTX 280 in October (link). Performance won't differ much but it should require less power.

2) Core i7 will have be a new socket since it's size and tech are very different from previous procs. The X58 chipset will support SLI and Crossfire (YAY!). I don't think it is official whether tri-sli will be supported or not but I would assume so since it is the only chipset available for Core i7 at launch and planned atm. You will have to get DDR3 however it won't be a waste as Intel did some very interesting things in the memory bandwidth department so it will have a much higher bandwidth than current DDR3 based boards. I am not going to go into great detail you can do research if you want, but it will be an improvement.

3) Prices:
1. Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition i7-965(3.2GHz,8MB L3, LGA1366, Product Code BX80601965 & QPI 6.4GT/sec) Estimated Price in EU : ~1000€

2. Intel Core i7-940(2.93GHz,8MB L3, LGA1366, Product Code BX80601940 & QPI 4.8GT/sec) Estimated Price in EU : ~510€

3. Intel Core i7-920 (2.66GHz,8MB L3, LGA1366, Product Code BX80601920 & QPI 4.8GT/sec) Estimated Price in EU : ~260€

EU gets pretty jipped though. The EU price will be roughly the same in USD. Expect the prices to be a bit higher during release though.

I don't know how much better it will be but it should be a fairly large improvement. Intel doesn't have anything competing with it in the higher end segment all the way up to Q2 '09.

I love how this is so hyped and advertised yet it has no release date...
Also, holy crap that is expensive. And since I'll have to switch to DDR3, thats even more. What I'm really wondering is, how are they better than the current quad cores? I mean, I can get the Q9550 for like $300 and it has almost the exact same specs as the middle i7, but for like $500 cheaper.

Also, I doubt its coming out in October, or this site would be flooded with "ZOMGNEHALEM!1!1!" posts.