motherboard for E6600?

I am thinking about getting an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz, and I need a good motherboard for it.

Question #1:
Which motherboards will work right out of the box?

When I read custom reviews on newegg, it seems ALL the motherboards that support Core 2 Duo having customers complaint about the motherboard won't even post until the BIOS gets updated.

My last upgrade was 3.5 years ago, so it was socket 478. I don't have any 775 processor around to do such job. Getting a motherboard that won't work and must be flashed with updated BIOS with another socket 775 processor that I don't even have is not an opinion for me. Thus I need a motherboard that will work right out of the box for sure, without having through the troubles of getting BIOS flashed first.


Question #2:
Do these new motherboards actually have IDE ports? Or any sort of way to use IDE devices on them?

Well though I will get a SATA hard disk as new primary disk, it will be great if I can still use my old WD SE drive which stores lots of the stuff I need. Ok, using this WD SE might not be a must. But what about the DVD drive etc.? So I need to know if these boards still support IDE devices. I don't see them mention that.


Also note, I am looking at high end good overclocking boards.
So please only list the boards that fit these conditions. thanks!

I beleive the P5W DH has one primary IDE channel. Just buy a version that has been flashed to (I think) 0701 bois.

but the customer review for P5W at newegg is scary
http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?item=N82E16813131025

Lots of people complaint about it won't boot.

And how do I know which one I am buying? They don't list the bios version.

Newegg reviews are about worthless, the problems they have are 99.999% lack of reaserch related, your reading OcF so you shouldn't have that problem

the best performing motherboard for the E6600 is

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=476647

and the runnerup

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=471578

I wouldn't recomend the DH to anyone anymore, the FSB performance just isn't up to par with the current competition.

but those people who didn't even get a beep have no reason to lie. Pretty much ALL motherboards have more than a few people complainted about it wouldn't post before BIOS gets updated, which worries me. Since flash BIOS is not an opinion for me because I don't have another socket 775 processor around.

you could always borrow from someone here just post a wanted ad. this late in the c2d game every mobo now has a bios that boots with c2d.

#18 said:

but those people who didn't even get a beep have no reason to lie. Pretty much ALL motherboards have more than a few people complainted about it wouldn't post before BIOS gets updated, which worries me. Since flash BIOS is not an opinion for me because I don't have another socket 775 processor around.

Click to expand...

And with the DH, had they done there research they would have found that a call to Asus's bios dep. and the cost of shipping would have gotten them a bios chip pre-flashed with the newest release bios.
Another case of newegg reviewers lack of reaserch.