I've had it with my slow PC and problems, what motherboard would you recommend?

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · August 1st, 2005, 02:56 PM

I just can't keep waiting 10-30 seconds for programs to redraw themselves whenever I switch from one program to the other (althought this is mostly due to my full hard drive) and have also been waiting for a very long time to get rid of my motherboard which prevents my tape drive from working, makes the TV sound very weak compared to all others and the occasional BSODs.

Here are my requirements:
-Athlon64 939 pin socket
-Built in optical audio out
-As many built in USB ports as possible, 6 absolute minimum, 8 or more would be better (I already have 6 or 8 USB ports and a 1 to 4 hub and still have to switch between devices)
-I'd like it to work with my current 2 sticks of 256 MB DDR RAM but would upgrade RAM shortly after (if the new mobos/cpus use new ram then I'll get the new RAM now, I haven't been keeping up with mobos/cpus/ram so I don't know if my old DDR ram will run on the new hardware)
-Built in SATA RAID (preferrably with a connector for the HDD LED, my current mobo has no HDD LED and my hard drives are completely silent so I never know if they're working or not)

Oh, I nearly forgot the most important requirement:
-NOTHING made by nVidia must be on the motherboard, NO EXCEPTIONS, I'm not risking another 2 years of nightmares and crashes, I REPEAT: NOTHING BY NVIDIA MUST BE ON THE MOTHERBOARD.

I know many users have great success with the nVidia chipset but they are (or at least the model I have) not compatible with my tape drive and ATI TV card.

Thanks

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · August 1st, 2005, 08:24 PM

Put a sony tape drive or ATI tuner card and you will.

I'm surprised the nvidia control panel isn't crashing on you like it always did for me, maybe they actually fixed the bugs by now, but after 6 updates that worstened the problems and added new ones (each time telling myself "they have got to have fixed the problems this time"), I stopped updating the nvidia drivers, I'm impressed I actually had the courage to make it to 6 bug-adding updates, I was just convinced that each time it would be fixed, maybe now it really is, but I'm not risking rendering my PC unbootable again, not when I'm days away from a new motherboard.

**3fingersalute** · August 1st, 2005, 08:55 PM

I still say you should take your pc to a qualified tech and have them resolve your issues for you.

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · August 1st, 2005, 09:07 PM

They would most likely know a lot less than me and again I would never ever let anyone else touch my PC, why do you keep saying that? I know exactly what's wrong and how to upgrade it. I've built many computers for friends and they never had a single problem, and neither did I until I got an nvidia motherboard.

Oh, and onmly nvidia could resolve the issues by making their IDE controller compatible with sony tape drives, if I can't fix it no one can other than nvidia, I tried everything to get it to work on the nvidia motherboard, tested my tape drive on many computers, and guess what? It works flawlessly on all non nvidia motherboards and has the same problems on all nvidia motherboards, nvidia is the problem whether you like it or not.

**MobilePCPhysician** · August 1st, 2005, 09:34 PM

http://www.tomshardware.com/index.html

Since I most likely know a lot less than you, I refer you to Tom's Hardware. Here you can review motherboards and make your own decision.

Just out of sheer curiosity, if you don't trust a tech to look at your computer, why do you trust a bunch of them to look for a motherboard with your requirements?

You could also slap a Promise controller card in there and use your tape drive, right?

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · August 1st, 2005, 09:40 PM

I'm pretty sure all my PCI slots are already used, so I can't add another.

**Kenteth420** · August 1st, 2005, 09:59 PM

What about an ide to usb enclosure?

**rgharper** · August 1st, 2005, 10:17 PM

Then I guess you don't want to hear about my MSI nVidia-chipset motherboard with AMD 64-bit processor and Chaintech nVidia 5900 video card?

That have never, EVER crashed on me?

**Ferrit** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:22 AM

My advise would be a PCCHIPS,Matsonic,Jaton, motherboard with a SIS chipset
No nvidia chipset

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by Kenteth420

What about an ide to usb enclosure?

I need to upgrade anyway, I don't want a way around the nvidia bugs, I want to get rid of them completely.

**3fingersalute** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:28 AM

Here's a chaintech with a ULi chipset, is that more like what you're looking for??

**ClickHere2Surf.com** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:35 AM

I need optical audio out and that one seems pretty cheap at $69, I want a good quality mobo.

Thanks

**3fingersalute** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:38 AM

What kind of video card do you have?

**Ferrit** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:39 AM

Mebbe this one
http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/mother...5FXK8AA-8EKRS/

**3fingersalute** · August 2nd, 2005, 08:43 AM

Originally Posted by Ferrit

Mebbe this one
http://www.cluboc.net/reviews/mother...5FXK8AA-8EKRS/

Nice!! Even has a stable chipset:

the Foxconn board is not an overclocking board, but is simply a board that is rich in features, and runs good and stable as a SIS chipset should.