Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: redsniper on March 16, 2004, 04:13:41 pm
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I'm building a new computer sometime soon, and I don't know much about motherboards. I'm gonna need one that supports Athlon CPUs, and AGP 8x would be nice. I think nForce 2 Ultra 400 is a good chipset to get but I don't know anything about mobo chipsets.
So, what's important when buying a motherboard? What kind of numbers do I need to know?(speeds and stuff) Also, if anyone could point me to an online guide explaining all this it would be appreciated. Thank you.
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Beyond certain extra features the only differentiating factor between motherboards is the reliability and performance of its supporting technologies. You're probably right about the nForce, it was ahead of its VIA competitors at Xmas 2003 and that hasn't changed AFAIK.
But I'd still get a motherboard from ASUS other than anywhere else. They have been the best board manufacturer for as long as I can remember, and although I didn't exactly pick the best one for performance, it has never given me any trouble at all. Failing that, look at Gigabyte. But it makes sense to also have a look at review sites to see which models get the top marks.
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It's actually tied now. NF2U400 and KT880 (the latter is far rarer though). I'd suggest MSI. They tend to have the best blend of overclocking and stability. Abit beats them in overclocking, Asus and Gigabyte in stability.
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i used tu manufacture computers. msi bords are pretty easy to work with, you can defaut everything and the board works fine. i think i only had one board (out of the hundreds i installed) fail, and i think it has something to do with me dropping it. id steer clear of the gigabytes because they had a high failure rate. entire batches tended to fail. NEVER USE INTEL BOARDS, they have a tendency for including bad drivers with their boards, aside from that they constantly fail. i even had a $300 server board fail on me once. i also had a lot of luck with my dfi board, but i havnt used a recent model.
as for chipsets, any one will do so long as it has the features you want. ive never used one, but nforce chipsets look good. frankly id rather have a chipset from a company that knows games. some of them have optical audio out if you want to jack the machine into a real stereo system. again, id stay away from intel because of the driver issues.
im not very familiar with amd systems, so i cant recamend a specific board. however i would use tha fastest memory the board supports, and i would let the board burn in for a few months before overclocking. some people make the mistake of overclocking right out of the box. remember a new board has never had current running through it, so its better to let it get used to high tepuratures for awhile, then slowly incriment the overclock to the desired level.
also be sure to protect against esd. there are alot of myths about the subject. the annoying wrist strap is the best way to go, econd best is to work on a metal table that is grounded.you can plug your case in and use that while you bolt the board in place, but do not plug the power supply into the board while the power supply is plugged in. the power supply will always supply 5 volts even if the thing is off. It is a common mistake that i made a couple of times.
*edit*
i forgot to rant about cooling. i saw a case out there with a liquid cooling system. however if you go with fans, use lots of them. server fans are fast enough to hover and go flying, use those if you can find them. there is alot of debate as to how to mount casefans. if you get a case that already has fans installed then leave them as is, likewise if your case features instructions on mounting fans (most dont), follow them. dont mount the fans in a manor that they work against eachother. the power supply fan blows back, so i mount all the fans so they blow twards the rear. i once took a dremel to a device bay cover to cut slits in it, then put it by the video card so it can vent heat.
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Stick to the "Big 3"
MSI
Asus
Abit
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Well, after a little searching, I'm thinking I'll go with this (http://usa.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=A7N8X%20Deluxe&langs=09). Thank you all for your advice.
Time to start froogling (www.froogle.com)...
EDIT: ok, actually I'm getting this (http://usa.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=A7N8X-E%20Deluxe&langs=09) instead :P
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I personally got the NF7-S, and its a great OC board. Exept that you should change the fan away from the Northbridge and add a proper heatsink on it.
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What about BioStar? I haven't had any trouble with mine.
I've heard dual-channel DDR is good. :nod:
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At this very moment, the very best deal you can get is a AMD Athlon 2500+ M (as in Mobile, but it works as a desktop cpu too) coupled with a DFI Infinity NF2 Ultra400 motherboard (this company seemed to have come from nowhere, but their Infinity NF2 Ultra400 board is the best overclocking board in terms of features and price).
People are getting 2.5GHz (about equivalent to 3700+) from this 1.83GHz chip ON AIR. The record is 2.9GHz right now (equivalent to at least 3900+).
The best part is that you don't need really really high quality ram like with the P4 2.4C (also the 2.8C and 2.6C) since the 2500+ is originally at a 333 FSB. Even with DDR400, you'd get a respectable 2.4GHz.
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Originally posted by HotSnoJ
What about BioStar? I haven't had any trouble with mine.
biostar=$h!t. they failed almost as much as the gigabytes i worked with.
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Yes, MSI, Asus and Abit have a reputation for being "bulletproof" in most situations. Asus in particular.
On a related note, I found out yesterday that AMD is either no longer or will soon stop manufacturing AthlonXPs. Instead focusing on their 64 bit solutions.
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Originally posted by Liberator
On a related note, I found out yesterday that AMD is either no longer or will soon stop manufacturing AthlonXPs. Instead focusing on their 64 bit solutions.
About time...
Good choice redsniper, got the same board here. Just be really careful what case and graphics card you chose or you'll be running an oven for a computer like I am.
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they actually have a case out there that is essentially a refrigerator. it war rather expensive though.
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well, I went in to Houston today and bought a bunch of parts:
[:thepimp:]
mobo: Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe
CPU: AMD Athlon 2800 XP (was gonna get a 2700 but they didn't have)
RAM: 512MB PC 3200
HD: Maxtor 80GB 7200rpm ATA 150
CD/DVD: CD-RW and DVD-ROM combo ;7
Graphics: ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (I ordered it and it's on its way)
Sound: onboard
Floppy drive: yes
[/:thepimp:]
so now I need a case, a monitor, speakers, and mouse & keyboard
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TT sells the AquariusIII but that was too pricey for me :( and plus those coolers need to be constantly refilled...
that systems nearly identical to mine :D
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Originally posted by Liberator
On a related note, I found out yesterday that AMD is either no longer or will soon stop manufacturing AthlonXPs. Instead focusing on their 64 bit solutions.
Well, that's both true and it isn't. Apparently the current Socket 462 AXPs will be dropped but the name will live on in a version derived from the A64 core (and using the same socket) but with all the 64 bit stuff disabled/removed. It's codenamed "Paris" and is supposed to be launched in the second half of this year, though knowing AMD that'll probably only be a "paper launch", the actually chips probably won't start appearing until a year or so later.
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Erm, you didn't read my post did you? It's too bad, since with DDR400 (aka pc3200) you could've had a 3400+ equivalent processor (that is, you should've got the 2500+ M) :(
[edit] And it's hardly a fair claim to say that AMD will paper launch. Ever since the Athlon 3200+ foul-up, they've actually had processors you can buy. Albeit, the FX-53 looks to be a paper launch though (not that it matters since it's competing against the P4 3.4EE, another paper launched product).
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You misunderstand, they are not going to manufacture AthlonXPs anymore, they are only going to make Athlon64s and FXes.
They will still sell the AthlonXPs till they run out but, they are shutting down their 32-bit fab plants.
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They're planning to stop producing the current generation of Socket 462 AXPs (and the plants the build them), yes, but they'll be replacing them with a new version based on the Athlon 64 core. It'll still be called "Athlon XP" and it'll still be 32 bit but it'll fit Socket 754 Athlon64 motherboards:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20030821060723.html
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so, any recommendations on cases?
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I love my AOpen HQ-08 (http://asia.aopen.com.tw/products/Housing/08series.htm) but I suspect you'd be after something a little less big and unwieldy...
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you suspect correctly. besides, I'm looking for a black case.
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Abit NF7-S and DFI Nfinity 2 are best you can get :)
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it's a little too late for mobo suggestions, but case suggestions are welcome
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Glad you chose Asus. I swear by mine.
When building a PC, get an asus mobo. Anything else can be a matter of choice.
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Asus is nice, but I prefer MSI. Of course, I'm stuck with a faulty Soltek, but anyway......
Two nice cases (they're really the same, actually) are the Antec SLK3700AMB and Sonata. Main difference? Sonata costs more, but is a bit quieter and has a better power supply (380w TruePower vs. the 350w SmartPower that comes with the SLK3700). Just don't get the SLK3700BQE. It's basically a SLK3700AMB with one fan removed from the power supply and an extra $15 added to the sticker.
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Enlighten me. What's "TruePower"?
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Antec's better line of PSUs. They have slightly better voltages than the Smartpower line (which is Antec's lower line), and tend to run as well as most other PSUs rated about 20w higher.
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so what's cheaper, a 400w regular power supply or a 380w TruePower supply? ;7
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A good 400w is about the same as a 380w TruePower. A cheap one is cheaper, but I would suggest getting a name brand PSU. Non-name brand PSUs tend to have less stringent quality control departments, and a PSU has a bad tendency to take out rest of the computer when they die.
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soooo, what are the big names in power supplies?
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Let's see.... Antec and Enermax are probably the two biggest. And I've heard some good things about Fortron and Seasonic, especially for their quiet lines.
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hmm, well, I'm getting a case tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.