Quote: Originally Posted by
HiJackZX1 
I really wanted to use a T7300 though,.... Although I have been on here awhile, I am still somewhat of a newbie.... What do you mean by RAM timings? How would this affect the system, compared to the 945? I do not plan on running 3D graphics, but I do like the X3100 which got alot of rave for being very stable. I also like the fact that the 7.1 surround sound is built onto the board. It will allow me to ditch the soundblaster live USB, which suffers from annoying pops on startup. Also as stated before, I needed 2 VGA ports, one for headunit and one for the other 3 screens. I did notice that the 965 does not have a second VGA, but it does have HDTV out... which can then be converted to VGA via a cable. Can this board run the VGA and HDTV out at the same time (extended windows)?
Your T7300 is a socket P. Impossible to stick in a socket M board. Just impossible. Not compatible at all.
By RAM timings I mean it has horrible reviews for being finicky with the RAM selections. The 945 and 965 in terms of stability for graphics, is the same. It is just marketing hype. Of course they arent going to say "well the 945 works just fine, but spend $200 on a new motherboard to buy this because it is marginally more power efficient...".
This board I am pretty sure can use DVI and VGA output seperately. With the C2D installed, I am sure it would be speedy enough for the car even using the onboard graphics. Maybe not for 1080i decoding for both screens at the same time, but high-def on a 7" screen is useless anyways.
Also for your speaker pop, that is just because your amp is turning on before the sound drivers are loaded. No matter what card you choose (onboard or offboard), and the drivers are loaded after the amp turns on, then you will get a speaker pop. And why do you need 7.1 in the car anyways? Most have 4.0 or 4.1 (4 speakers FL, FR, RL, RR) and optionally sub lines (all use the same channel).