Biostar T5 XE CFX-SLI Mobo?

[alogon]

Frys has a deal this weekend for a i7-860 and the Biostar T5 XE CFX-SLI Mobo for $279.99 with $20 MIR so $259.99.

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/ads. ... 1365&type=

The processor alone is $279.99 on newegg. Would I be able to use the Biostar motherboard for OSX?

 

[Jocelyn84]

According to http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2009/12/ ... oards.html, we haven't received a DSDT for the board. I'd either search for the board name and snow leopard or board name and 10.6 via google, insanelymac, infintemac, etc.
You could always just get it and be a tester for the board, but there's really no guarantee.

In case you don't want to do that, and assuming you have a Micro Center by you, the i7 860 is only $229.99 and the i7 920 is $199.99 (X58). Additionally, the i5 750 can be had for i5 750 can be had for $179.99 @ MC or $169.99 via Tiger Direct minus Bing CB searching for "motherboard"
http://www.microcenter.com/single_produ ... id=0317378

 

[adamsmasher]

You should be able to install with that board (though you'll want to check on the board to see how audio and LAN are fairing; it has ALC888 audio and RealTek 8111DL for LAN). I'm not sure about the PCIe 2.0 slots on there as well; maybe someone who knows more about SLI and CFX could answer that. That said, if you go with a regular PCIe video card that's supported it shouldn't be a problem.

That's a hell of a deal, by the way!

 

[adamsmasher]

I forgot about DSDT!

This doesn't mean you won't be able to install; it just means you'll be the pioneer in these parts.

 

[thelostswede]

To be brutally honest, unless you're on a really tight budget, I wouldn't get that board.
Not because it's a terribly bad board, although it's really nothing all that special, but because of support. Biostar doesn't deliver BIOS updates as often as the larger manufacturers (Asus, Gigabyte, MSI) and this has at least been proven to help vastly in terms of audio on the Gigabyte boards.
Biostar also tend to use slightly older technology on its boards than the bigger manufacturers and imho the layout of that board isn't very good (although for some reason the board in the ad looks different to the one on the Biostar website )
Just my two cents...

 

[alogon]

Thanks for all the great advise! I decided to take the plunge and build the system using this motherboard. Worst case scenario, I ebay the Biostar motherboard and buy one of the Gigabyte ones. I am running the instalation right now using one of Tony's new CDs and (-x), will post my results in the installation section.

- Daniel