Best motherboard to buy?

Hi,
I just need some expert advice from the motherboard experts. I’m looking to get a new computer which I will build myself. I’m A+ certified and had been a technician for a year before being layed-off from the bad economy here in US. Ok, I have been away from the latest PC hardware area and need some help from you guys.

I am planning on buying an AMD XP 1800 processor for $105. Now the question is what motherboard to get for it. Motherboards were never my strongest point of knowledge.
I want a motherboard without onboard sound or video. I will get my own sound and AGP.

I think I will get the Mid ATX 300W case.
Here are my options for the motherboard:

ABIT
KX7 $149
AT7 $169

ASUS
A7N $189
A7V333 $149
P4S533 $149
A7M266DM $259 (Not an option cause I feel it’s way over my budget)

I feel pretty safe with these two brand names, I may be wrong. But with the AMD XP 1800 processor, which one of these motherboards would you recommend? I ask you guys rather than the sales guy cause I know he will persuade me (poor in college) to buy the more expensive one when I really would not need it. So I came to you guys for help.

I would like to put a fairly decent AGP card, something like a GF4 MX or maybe a GF4 Ti4200 ($199.00). I really need this computer for my sound and recording. I will probably put in SB Audigy Platinum on it as I save more money.

Will have:
Phone modem
Connected to a network with 2 other computers (NIC card)
Iomega 650 CDR-W
40 gig Maxtor HD
Win XP pro

If you need more info on other hardware I will have on it, plz ask. If you know of websites where I can buy my processor and motherboard cheaper than the price I listed, plz let me know. It really would help me out. I have a 400mhz Celeron right now and anyone in college who are paying for their own education knows how poor I am.

Thnx for any advice or comments.

ok , yes good choice of mfg.

i,m using the asus a7v333 ,,,which replaced my a7a266 ,,,,lot of money - not a lot of difference,

i,m using the xp1600 and 2k ,,,very stable now,

there will be a million other people coming on this thread with there " i like/swear msi/xxxx/yyyy/ssss, etc" m/boards if u like the you have chosen then stick with it,

also note that AMD have reduced there prices over the last few days by 15-20% ,,,so maybe u can recoup costs there .


good luck


FtF

also check out http://www17.tomshardware.com/graphi...charts-01.html ,,,,, u may well find a better card than the one u are thinking of ,,,bang per buck ,,,,,coz it says gf4 ,,,,might not be the best buy ,,,,lot of gf2 / 3 cards going cheap at the moment


good luck


FtF

Quote:

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P4S533 $149

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I have this board, I can highly recommend it, but you might have a small problem getting the 1800xp to fit :D :D

You can save quite a bit of $$$ at http://www.newegg.com
their 1800XP is currently $84.00 including shipping.

You can save on the motherboard, also

PizzaMan

Check out Epox's offering, 8K3A(+) I love my 8KHA+ and it's overclocked to 168MHz FSB and I'm going to unlock soon.

Abit is good too, if those are your ONLY options. Those prices are off the wall however.

If your wanting a Mobo without sound, why are you picking Asus, most of those come with on-board sound. Unless its not too critical if it already comes with audio.
If you do decide to go with Asus, I can vouch that they are great boards.

And, you also stated that you were going to be using an AMD 1800 XP... dont think that wil run in the P4S533 :D

Personally Id go with the A7v333

Thnx guys.

Ok, from reading all your opinions, it seems best I go with the ASUS A7v333. So the processor will be the AMD XP 1800. So these two are compatible with each other.

Here is another area I have been not too well-informed in. The RAM. What exactly are the different types and their technology and speed.
For instance;

Type:
DDR
EDO
RAMBUS
SDR
Sodimm

Speed:
PC100
PC133
PC 800
PC1066
PC2100
PC2400
PC2700
PC3000
PC3200
PC3300

The size(128, 256 etc), I’m pretty ok with.

Sorry to be a rookie in this field but if someone has a little time and could just explain briefly what the two are, I’d appreciated :).

Also, I am planning on buying one 256mb RAM for the ASUSA7v333 with the AMD 1800 XP. Which combination of Type and Speed should I get for the motherboard and processor?

PizzaMan, the website you gave seems pretty good, thnx:)!

The question is, I saw the hardware at OEM was a lot cheaper than Retail. I knida know what OEM is on software, but for hardware? Someone plz elaborate on this for me further. Also, can anyone tell me if it is worth buying the retail over the OEM? I mean are the OEM refurbished or something?

Thnx for all the help guys.

Asus say

Quote:

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DDR333 (PC2700) Support

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Therefore you can put upto pc2700 in without any worries (other than your wallet).


Here is a great tutorial about ram in general and what it does for you

Type:
DDR - Double data rate
EDO - extended data-out extremely efficient but expensive - must be used in pairs
RAMBUS - very fast memory backed by intel that should have taken off but didn't http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module2e4.htm
SDR - Single data rate - "normal" desktop ram
Sodimm - used in laptops


Speed:
PC100 - SDR
PC133 - SDR
PC 800 - Rambus (RDRAM)
PC1066 - Rambus (RDRAM) http://www17.tomshardware.com/mainboard/02q2/020624/
PC2100 - DDR
PC2400 - DDR
PC2700 - DDR
PC3000 - DDR
PC3200 - DDR
PC3300 - DDR

The higher the number, the faster it is for ddr and sdr- pc800 and pc1066 is rambus though, which is different

Quote:

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Originally posted by PacMan
The question is, I saw the hardware at OEM was a lot cheaper than Retail. I knida know what OEM is on software, but for hardware? Someone plz elaborate on this for me further. Also, can anyone tell me if it is worth buying the retail over the OEM? I mean are the OEM refurbished or something?

Thnx for all the help guys.

---

OEM Hardware and software are pretty much the same.
You will get the same product as retail, without the box, books, free software, etc.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Eagle PC Diagnostech



OEM Hardware and software are pretty much the same.
You will get the same product as retail, without the box, books, free software, etc.

---

But most important, you give up your right to the full warranty - if you buy OEM you are reliant on the warranty given by the vendor - not by the manufacturer.

If you are looking at OEM hard drives for instance, most manufacturers give 3 years warranty for retail drives - oem's are just one year.

Look at the price difference - and weigh the cost of replacing that part after one year should it go faulty - that is the amount of money you are gambling in the long term to save in the short term.

Quote:

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Originally posted by NooNoo
Asus say

Therefore you can put upto pc2700 in without any worries (other than your wallet).


Here is a great tutorial about ram in general and what it does for you

Type:
DDR - Double data rate
EDO - extended data-out extremely efficient but expensive - must be used in pairs
RAMBUS - very fast memory backed by intel that should have taken off but didn't http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module2e4.htm
SDR - Single data rate - "normal" desktop ram
Sodimm - used in laptops


Speed:
PC100 - SDR
PC133 - SDR
PC 800 - Rambus (RDRAM)
PC1066 - Rambus (RDRAM) http://www17.tomshardware.com/mainboard/02q2/020624/
PC2100 - DDR
PC2400 - DDR
PC2700 - DDR
PC3000 - DDR
PC3200 - DDR
PC3300 - DDR

The higher the number, the faster it is for ddr and sdr- pc800 and pc1066 is rambus though, which is different

---

You need to remeber that some of those speeds are not standard and are not recommended. to get the most from your system always buy memory that is certified for your system.


standard DDR speeds are
PC1600 (100 MHz x 2 = 200 MHz FSB) a.k.a DDR200
PC2100 (133 MHz x 2 = 266 MHz FSB) a.k.a DDR266
PC2700 (166 MHz x 2 = 333 MHz FSB) a.k.a DDR333

Some new boards support the new DDR400 standard (P4 boards in production, Athlons expected in a few weeks)

Please remeber that memory FSB is different from CPU FSB, all motherboards today can run async. FSB settings.

Other that your RAM standards I would also recommend that you buy an AMD approved power supply for your system and use a high quality CPU cooler (although AMD ships retail models with a $6 coolermaster ) I would go with the thermaltake Volcano 6cu (4500rpm) or if you value silence and don't plan to overclock the Coolermaster silent series like the DP5-6I31C-0L

...Good Luck

Quote:

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Originally posted by PacMan
Thnx guys.

Ok, from reading all your opinions, it seems best I go with the ASUS A7v333. So the processor will be the AMD XP 1800. So these two are compatible with each other.

Here is another area I have been not too well-informed in. The RAM. What exactly are the different types and their technology and speed.
For instance;

---

http://www.crucial.com/ has a feature that shows all of the memory types & sizes that a particular motherboard can support. And if you buy from them, they will guarentee that the memory will work with your board.

PizzaMan

personally based off of reviews and past experience i like the abit kx7-333 board
it doesnt have all that integrated crap
and is a nice all around board and quite affordable IMO

Ok guys, I have been doing some research on prices for the ASUS A7V333. Some are with and without RAID. What is RAID?

BTW, You guys have been so helpful, thnx :)

RAID
it's not your fathers bug killer

Abit KX7-333 = $89.00 + S/H
AMD Athlon XP 1800+ Retail Boxed = $79.00 + S/H

(These prices were found on www.compuplus.com , www.pricewatch.com may yield better results.)

On price and performance, there isn't much that compares to the Abit motherboard. It's rock solid as well.;)

Hmm.. interesting. One thing about pricewatch is that they have a lot of good deals but many of their links take you to the site and the price is totally different.

Ok, so which board do you guys think is better? The ABIT KX7-333 (which is cheaper) or the ASUS A7v333?

I will go with the ABIT if there is not too much difference in the ABIT from the ASUS. I’m not one of those guys who are loyal to a specific company. I just care about the quality and performance. Oh, and I will be able to use DDR pc2100 ram right? I should be able to, but just to make sure from the experts ;).

Quote:

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Originally posted by PacMan
Hmm.. interesting. One thing about pricewatch is that they have a lot of good deals but many of their links take you to the site and the price is totally different.

Ok, so which board do you guys think is better? The ABIT KX7-333 (which is cheaper) or the ASUS A7v333?

I will go with the ABIT if there is not too much difference in the ABIT from the ASUS. I’m not one of those guys who are loyal to a specific company. I just care about the quality and performance. Oh, and I will be able to use DDR pc2100 ram right? I should be able to, but just to make sure from the experts ;).

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The thing with the pricewatch companies is that you have to mention pricewatch when you order from them, otherwise they charge you their regular price. If they don't charge you the price advertised on pricewatch, contact pricewatch.

You shouldn't have any problem with the DDR 2100 RAM, just make sure that the memory speed is set to 266MHZ.

I like the Abit board because there is nothing built-on. Nothing to disable. Although the built-on sound for the ASUS A7V-333 sounds good (6-channel), I've never been a fan of C-Media chips. I mentioned Compuplus because their price is usually near the lowest. However, I need to give you a warning. They charge fairly high prices for shipping. The reason being is that they ship second-day Fedex. That means you could expect to pay an additional $25.00 for S/H for a mobo and processor.

I mentioned Pricewatch because it is a good tool to find good prices. As mentioned, you do have to be careful about what you find and from who. They won't always give you the price on their website as they do on Pricewatch. That's why it's only a tool. I actually found Compuplus on Pricewatch to begin with. Now I make quite a few purchases through them. Even with the shipping being higher they are generally still on the low end of the price scale and it gets here in two days. I haven't had a problem with them yet.

You should probably stay away from Raid equipped boards. In order to use raid you need a second hard drive. It sounds like you are pretty new at this and you might wish to keep it simple. I have owned 2 different Asus boards for Athlons. They are very fast boards but in my opinion not as stable, or simple as some other brands. Also, because of their name they tend to cost more than some others. I have had good luck using Gigabyte boards. Tomshardware rates their board (with raid) very highly, but you can get the model GA-7vrx without raid. It comes with sound on board and usb2.0. It also has a dual bios which can be a lifesaver(especially for a newcommer who might want to learn)Mwave has it for 77.00 (u.s.).

I just built a pc for a friend using the Asus A7N266-VM. Onboard gforce2, 5.1 sound, and nic. So far no problems what so ever.

Since my mobo just died, I was considering getting this one, it's only $89 or less depending on where I buy it...

You can get the A7N-266 VM at www.googlegear.com for $80.00 with free second-day Fedex, Lycia.:D

Quote:

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Originally posted by Hippie_Tech
You can get the A7N-266 VM at www.googlegear.com for $80.00 with free second-day Fedex, Lycia.:D

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Yeah, but I never buy online, I bought the pc as parts from one shop. When my own mobo died, I looked around for the A7N266-VM and found it for $76 at Spectrum Peripherals in SF...

Quote:

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Originally posted by Lycia


Yeah, but I never buy online, I bought the pc as parts from one shop. When my own mobo died, I looked around for the A7N266-VM and found it for $76 at Spectrum Peripherals in SF...

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The advantages of living in or near a big city...
I live out in the middle of nowhere and am forced to order the majority of parts on-line.:(

Ok, I do have a second hard drive. Should I go with raid? I read some (until I was lost) of the link Rellik put on. How do I know what type of raid is on those MOBOs?

This is getting to me.. is it worth getting a raid board for extra $20-$30 ?

Cool, I’ll use pricewatch as a tool Hippie, thnx.
In addition, I tried to fill out an order form after going through pricewatch and I didn’t see anywhere where I could mention I saw it on Pricewatch.

A little bedtime reading on RAID

Enjoy :D

Yeah NooNoo, your right. It is making me sleepy reading it. But seriously, it is interesting. So Raid is good with any Operating system (XP pro)? What I get out of it is that it will combine several physical disks into one larger ``virtual'' device (if I want), performance improvements. Do I have to install the software or is it like Bios, already installed?

There is one thing you have to be careful with when it comes to IDE RAID. Drives SHOULD be the same size and preferably the same brand. If you have a 20GB and a 30GB hard drive, when you stripe, the RAID controller will default to the smaller drive size (20GB) and you will be left with a total of 40GB (20GB x 2). You could mirror (RAID 1) and it will help your read speeds, but your write speeds will still be the same. Mirroring is a good method to improve performance and have redundancy if anything should happen to one of your drives. The only problem with RAID 1 is that the second hard drive can't be used for extra space. Striping (RAID 0) gives you the best overall performance, but at a price. If one drive fails, all of your data is lost, so backing up important data on a regular basis is a must when striping.

As far as needing anything special (besides the RAID controller) for software (they'll have a driver disk for the RAID controller), the answer is no. The RAID controller (on-board chip) will initially take you through the setup when you first turn on the machine (although you may have to enable it in BIOS for on-board RAID). If you do it, I'd stick with default settings.

IDE RAID is a great way to get a good performance boost and it's not too difficult to setup. I think it's worth the extra expense. It's made a big difference in the machines I've used it in. I haven't used the on-board RAID, but rather the Promise PCI RAID TX2 card. Performance should be the same with on-board. It won't get you a boost of 100% in hard drive performance, but it will make a very noticeable difference.

Personally I love my Epox 8k3a it supports ddr333 pc2700 ram and will take AMD XP 2200+ cpu and you can tweak it through the bios for those who like to over clock stuff and you can buy it for under 150.00 Ive been using mine for awhile and havent had any problems at all.
But every one has there personal favorites.
I would suggest alot of research to make sure you get all you want out of a main board.

Can the Gigabyte GA-7VRX run pc-2100 DDR ram? It should be able to right?

guys, countless thanks to all of you guys for sharing your expertise with me. :)


Video
XFX GF4 Ti4200 128MB 128 bit TV-OUT & DVI RETAIL Parts # PVT25AMA
Parts # PVT25ANA
Specifications:
GPU: NVIDIA® Geforce4 Ti 4200 256 bit graphics accelerator
MEM: 128MB DDR
GPU Frequency(MHz): 250
Graphics Core: 256-bit
Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec): 8
Fill Rate (texels/sec.): 4 billion
Effective Memory Clock Rate (MHz): 500
RAMDACs (MHz) (each have 2 RAMDAC): 350
Free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...ion=14-150-017
$165.00


Processor
Athlon XP 1800+/ 1.53GHz, AX1800BOX. 3-Year Warranty. With Heatsink and Fan. The Ultimate Digital Media Experience in an x86 Platform.Tailored for Microsoft® Windows® XP. Featuring QuantiSpeed™ Architecture for Rapid Execution of Applications. Tomorrow’s Technology Today.The Power of a Reliable Partner.
Specifications:
CPU: 1.53 GHz
Type: 1800 XP
Cache: 256K
BUS: 266MHz
Free shipping
$87.00


Memory
KINGSTON KVR266X64C25/256 256MB 32x64 PC2100 DDR RAM - OEM
CL2.5 Six Layers High Quality Board 184-Pin Unbuffered. Requires DDR supported Motherboard - Lifetime Warranty. Model#: KVR266X64C25/256 -OEM
Free shipping
(Getting just one, think it will be enough)
$63.00


here is the hard part, what board to go with. :confused:
I have no sound card right now but later on, will invest in a good recording sound card. For now, something cheap and basic, so I was looking at onboard sound.
But here are the boards I’m looking at.
Motherboards
~ Asus Via A7v33 Chipset ATX with sound $127 (w/raid $165).

Abit Kx7-333R Via KT33 no sound $87.00 (w/Raid $102.00)

Gigabyte GA-7VRXP w/Raid, LAN, sound $100.00
Gigabyte GA-7VRX V.20 w/sound, no RAID $80.00

I think now I am more interested in the Gigabyte than the asus or abit. Now with the Gigabyte boards, will I be able to use the GF4 Ti4200? On the board it says it is “Fully Comaptible with nVIDIA GeForce4 MX4(NV17)”. Now isn’t that an older AGP card than the one I’m getting? Will I be able to put the Ti4200 on it?
Here is a Pic:
http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage....128-137-05.JPG


Thnx everyone who gave me SOOOO many suggestions and I checked did check up on all the motherboards mentioned. But I think I chose these three brands cause I have heard of them and seems like are reliable companies (no disrespect to any other companies).

If you guys see any incompatibilities with these hardwares, plz give me a Holler :p. Thnx again guys!!!

Ps: all you students at Universities, APPLY FOR GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS. Nothing like the government paying for your new computer ;).
lol

Go for the ASUS. It might cost a little more, but you're getting quite a lot. USB 2.0, ATA-133 RAID (Promise chip is great), 1394 Fire-wire, and a 6-channel sound chip. Otherwise, you could go with an Abit and a Live! 5.1 OEM sound card for the same price as the ASUS. I don't have enough experience with Gigabyte boards to give you an opinion about them.

"I can only show you the door. You have to walk through it."

edited by Hippie_Tech: Recheck your prices at Newegg. The ASUS w/RAID is now $144.00.

i like asus and all but they use that amr slot which is a waste and it has the integrated stuff which i dont like
other than that asus is a good board