Greatest Gaming Rig Part Two - EVGA SR-2, Intel X5680, Crucial Ballistix

Because the SR-2 has so many features, it really ups the stakes in power requirements. Each CPU socket has its own 8-pin power connector, as well as an optional 6-pin PCIe connection, so you have plenty of juice for pushing the clock speed when overclocking. There is also an additional 6-pin PCIe near the expansion slots, which is required when using multiple graphics cards. This makes it tricky to find power supplies that can actually power the board, as most aren’t supplied with enough power connectors to plug onto it, even if they can push enough voltage.

Of course, with so many features, the SR-2 isn’t exactly small. At 13.5 inches long and 15 inches wide, it’s one of the biggest motherboards available on the market. It’s so big in fact, that it only fits in a handful of cases without serious modification. EVGA has tried to get more manufacturers on board by giving the board a new form factor name, known as HPTX, though we can’t see many other chipset makers making boards of this size any time soon. However, none of this matters once you see the board in person--it is truly a thing of beauty. The sheer number of slots, capacitors, and buttons make it an awe-inspiring sight, and the red-and-black color scheme just adds to the wow factor. Also impressive are the number of high-quality heatsinks already installed, underneath which live the Intel 5520 chipset, Intel ICH10R Southbridge, and two Nvidia nForce 2 PCI-E controllers, all cooled by a single 60mm fan.

Slotting into our motherboard are Intel’s X5680 Xeon processors, which are at the top of their product range, a fact reflected in their £1250 price tag. They’re based on the Gulftown family of chips, which feature a 3.33Ghz clock speed, a 32 nanometer design, 12MB of L3 cache, and six cores with hyperthreading, allowing for 12 processing threads to run simultaneously. They also feature dual QPI links, which allow two processors to be used in the same system; something that can’t be done with Core i7 chips. The X5680s are intended to be used in servers and top-of-the-line workstations, often for rendering programs, medical research, and 3D design. They might be overkill for gaming, but they should ensure that our rig will be able to handle everything we throw at it.

For memory, we’re using unbuffered DDR3 RAM from Crucial’s Ballistix range. They’re 240 pin modules that run at on 1.8v at 1600Mhz, have an integrated aluminum heat spreader, and feature embedded LEDs, which light up when the RAM is accessed. The spreaders are also available in a variety of colors, with matching LEDs, so the style conscious can ensure their case is color coordinated. Though the EVGA SR-2 supports fully buffered RAM, we’re using unbuffered RAM due to its slightly better performance.

Check back here next week when we take a look at graphics cards and storage; we'll also go for a test boot to see if the kit plays nicely together. Don’t forget we’re giving you the chance to win the entire rig*, complete with accessories! Just head over here to find out more.

* To enter you have to be over 13 and a UK resident; the competition is subject to our normal terms and conditions.

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five