GA-965P-DS3 and firewire

[dphu2]

So I'm looking at the Gygabyte GA-965P-DS3. It doesn't have a firewire port on the rear panel - which isn't ideal for me, but I figure I can get a firewire card. But I do have a couple questions:

1. Will the GA-965P-DS3 have in-board 1394 pins allowing me to connect the firewire port I have built-in to my Tsunami case?
2. If not, I know firewire add-on cards often have an internal firewire port, but how do you connect the pins from the case's built-in port into a firewire port on an add-on card?
3. Can anyone recommend a different core 2 duo mobo in the same price range (~$100-150) but that would have firewire? I feel good about the GA-965P-DS3 because it has so many reviews on newegg (729 reviews!) and I see that quite a few people from this forum have recommended it. I'm not an overclocker but I like that it has 1xIDE, 6xSATA and passive cooling.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[PabloTeK]

I would say this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128047

It's the new equivalent of the 965P/ICH8R combination on the DS3, and, it has Crossfire.

 

[dphu2]

GCR recommended the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P LGA 775 Intel P35.

That's an interesting board. Does anyone know what the "P" in the "DS3P" stands for?

and, it has Crossfire.

Crossfire as in dual ATI cards? Does it do SLI as well? For future knowledge, how can I tell which it does from the specs?

Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone have answers to my other questions?

 

[martyvice]

I would say this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128047

It's the new equivalent of the 965P/ICH8R combination on the DS3, and, it has Crossfire.

I was looking at the same board but instead or DS3P it was DS3R, is there a difference?

 

[PabloTeK]

The DS3P has Crossfire, that means you can run dual ATi cards only. To run SLi you need an nVidia board and they aren't interoperable.

 

[martyvice]

I don't intend to run crossfire or SLI, I just intend to put in a 8800GTS or maybe an ATI card. Either board would work fine correct?

 

[Short Ram Air]

yup.

 

[ceewi1]

Will the GA-965P-DS3 have in-board 1394 pins allowing me to connect the firewire port I have built-in to my Tsunami case?

Unfortunately not.

If not, I know firewire add-on cards often have an internal firewire port, but how do you connect the pins from the case's built-in port into a firewire port on an add-on card?

Get a firewire card with an internal 9pin header e.g. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124034. The pins connect just as they would if the header was onboard.

 

[dphu2]

Thanks ceewi1. The newegg link helped a lot.

Great forum!