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June 10th, 2016 11:00
Upgraded Area 51 R2 to X99A Raider Motherboard
I recently had a problem with my motherboard and would have had to replace it (~$600 w/ tax from Dell for a refurbished board) and decided I would try an aftermarket board (MSI X99A Raider). The replacement was incredibly easy (Kudos to Dell for making a case w/ easy to swap components) and the new board is significantly better than the stock board. My 5930k runs at a stable 4.4ghz overclock (at stock voltages), whereas it would only run at 4.2 on the stock board. Additionally, I had a problem where the PC would be unresponsive for about 30 seconds after booting (CPU was running at a very low speed) and that appears to be completely gone now.
And the best part - No more issues with usb resources when trying to use my HTC Vive!!
Only items to consider: for this board you will need an extension for the USB 2.0 header and for the front panel connector. I purchased 2 new longer cables for each (just purchased 2 USB 2.0 female to female connectors and swapped 1 pin for the front panel connector). The stock board is an MSI board, so the front panel connection is exactly the same. AlienFX works perfectly, including the side panel.
If you're on the fence about swapping boards, I would say do it.
Cass-Ole
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June 10th, 2016 14:00
We've a collective forum post on swapping called: A51 R2 - swap to new motherboard, possible?
Cafara's joined our AlienClub Coliseum community swap thread above & I've edited in a pic of the Raider as a place holder, awaiting to see if Cafara adds any here above or in a follow up post below. I'll remove these of course if that happens. Until then, let's take a look & see what the new fringe benefits of the swap are, ok?
Because you chose MSI retail, you've been broadwell-ready since April, ready since last week's market debut in fact where-as the rest of the A52 community still awaits validation & they may be the last people on earth whose mthrbrd can't run the new chip with a factory blessing. Brand new customers on the other hand earn a VIP Pass & a front row seat onto Broadway ... errrr ... into broadwell in a few days for the new product launch, while all those who own the 'old' product have to wait in line outside like second-class citizens for the show to start as if it was Studio-51, & their money - the thousands hundreds of thousands & millions they already paid to help make the new product even possible - is simply no good, nor are they kool enough to get past the fussy bouncer & earn their way inside to secure an early seat into the showtime of broadwell, even if it's a nose-bleed seat ... yadda yadda :/
The general manager of alienware, frank azore, informed notebookreview members last year on record, that 'no, the stock mthrbrd was 'not a $500 mthrbrd', but that didn't mean it was cheaply designed or built' ... this was of course spoken at a time before we could capture it's true cost which as you found out is $550, $600 total. He was right, wasn't he:
it isn't a $500 board ... it's a $600 board
That itself is the same cost as the finest board out there imo which is the MSI Godlike Gaming Carbon; x99 motherboard testing comparisons (where brands duke it out in order to learn what's hot & what's not) abound online to discover how much better the premium boards help an over-clock & benchmark, & as you also discovered, simply moving into a $185 board (newegg) paid benefits & also to me at least calls into serious qwestion if the stock board isn't cheaply designed / built, as shown by real world trial-by-fire testing as you've done there in your alien laboratory. That you smoked the old board, sir, I'll take your word for it over the GM's, if that sits ok with you
The new mthrbrd launching shortly - & I have every right to opine there will be a revised board for broadwell - let's just say the GM may inform us someday how it may not be a $600 board in there ... where we wake up next February to learn how that was right too: it's $700 ... ... ...
Just today there's a CNet article which helps celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Alien Brand, where we're told yet again what we've known for 10years now: 'Dell had the advantage of massive scale, allowing it to buy a lot of parts at a low cost ... & so the deal with Dell was born'. The deal with Dell was birthed into this: we'll buy low while you sell high ... ... ...
Warranty? I've checked: Raider gets a 3year, some brands / models get 5years ... but the stock $550 board? My gut says it's 90days, if not then it is 1year tops. 12months. If they're generous, if, then they may 'allow' u to pay extra for extended coverage ... how much is just a chat away
You got into a new mthrbrd at a great time as well: with 5930k vs new 6850k, you can now browse online for comparisons & now also keep your ii's peeled for dropping prices on the prior champ 5960x. while those reading who own 5820k can do the same, picking & choosing between better haswells & better broadwells (just not today: most if not all of you were not invited to Broadway yet ... errrr ... Broadwell) ... stay tuned to Twitter & Facebook, wait & see what all the new customers get, next week
Powa. Note the listed price of $465 (before tax) for the 1500w / 1440w 12v max delta power supply can be found online; simply search eBay, Area 51 800GY --> $250 or best offer
Last, I see u informed us your case side panels light up & are changeable; A51 R2 stock mthrbrd xjkkd, as we noted, is also made by MSI, where we'd like a retail MSI to help improve chances at compatibility with CmndCntr 4.0 & Alienfx. In short, your sides light up on command
Do enjoy your broadwell-ready Tomb Raider prepped for you months in advance for just such an occasion, & also the new MSI Command Center released to you last week June 3rd ... just in time for Broadway
'member: pictures or it din't happen
job well done