Need help to decide on a MB

  • Thread starter Thread starter Davej
  • Start date Start date
D

Davej

Ok, I got disgusted and ordered 2/3 of my system -- now I need some
help to select a motherboard. All I want is reliability and some spare
PCIx1 slots. If I try overclocking it will be very minimal. My goal is
a low end gamer. Here is what I have ordered...

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model
BX80557E6400 - Retail
RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer
Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
SAPPHIRE 100186L Radeon X1950XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 VIVO HDCP
Video Card - Retail
Western Digital Raptor WD360ADFD 36.7GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard
Drive - OEM
NEC Display Solutions AS120-BK Black 21" CRT Monitor D-Sub - Retail
Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP2b 1pk w/Upgrade Coupon for Vista - OEM
 
Davej said:
Ok, I got disgusted and ordered 2/3 of my system -- now I need some
help to select a motherboard. All I want is reliability and some spare
PCIx1 slots. If I try overclocking it will be very minimal. My goal is
a low end gamer. Here is what I have ordered...

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model
BX80557E6400 - Retail
RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer
Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
SAPPHIRE 100186L Radeon X1950XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 VIVO HDCP
Video Card - Retail
Western Digital Raptor WD360ADFD 36.7GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard
Drive - OEM
NEC Display Solutions AS120-BK Black 21" CRT Monitor D-Sub - Retail
Microsoft Windows XP Pro SP2b 1pk w/Upgrade Coupon for Vista - OEM
Click to expand...

At the bottom of the LGA775 Core2 scale, are the overclocked chipsets.
These are on the cheaper boards, and VIA chipsets tend to be the
overclocked ones. Basically, they take an older FSB800 chipset and
run it at FSB1066 for the Core2. Using such a board, means there is not
a lot of headroom left. So the cheaper boards are limited to "stock"
operation. You'll also find some Intel 945s used that way.

This would be the cheapest of the 965/975 Intel boards I would
look at. Like previous Intel Southbridges, there are several Southbridge
types. Vanilla ICH8 with four SATA and no PATA, and no RAID feature
(RAID driver won't install). Up to the ICH8R with six SATA and no PATA,
with RAID capabilities enabled. To compensate for the lack of PATA
ports, a second controller chip is used (a JMicron 36x ?). It has
two SATA and one PATA port (http://www.jmicron.com/Product_JMB363.htm).
Giving a total of six SATA and one PATA on the motherboard. If the
PATA situation is not sufficient, it can be fixed with a PCI IDE
card, like a $40 Promise UltraATA TX2 card. Also, note the
warning in the Newegg advert - DDR2-800 RAM should be the 1.8V type,
as many RAMs recommend higher than normal voltage at this speed, and
most BIOS don't deliver the volts unless manually set up (a potential
chicken vs egg situation). In the case of this board, you'd want
the latest BIOS installed in there, as soon as it is convenient to
do so.

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX - Retail $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?item=N82E16813128017

The Asus P5B at $126 is similar, only one SATA port (a RAID port)
is an ESATA and the connector is mounted on the back of the computer.
Also, the Gigabyte S3 has a better slot layout, and would allow more
of the PCI slots to be used. (Slot layouts either make the PCI
or the PCI Express slots more accessible, and the issue is dual slot
thick video cards, that block a slot.)

Asus P5B-E at ~$150, has six SATA ICH8R and RAID is possible with it.
The Newegg reviews seem reasonably happy with that one.

There are some 975X motherboards but the price of those is higher still.
The Asus offering here, has a SIL4723 chip connected to the Southbridge,
which spoils the "regularity" of the Southbridge ports. Since ICH7R is
used on these boards, you get a PATA port on the Southbridge (means
a potentially more compatible port for optical drives).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...80+1070509908&Subcategory=280&srchInDesc=975x

The Nvidia chipsets seem to be focused on SLI. Cheapest is $150.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...10200280+1070509908+107171927&Subcategory=280

There are a few more boards out there, that Newegg isn't carrying
(or I didn't see them when I waw searching).

You might try here, as these guys have the money to test all
this stuff. Hours of reading material available:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=59

Paul
 
Paul said:
At the bottom of the LGA775 Core2 scale, are the overclocked chipsets.
These are on the cheaper boards, and VIA chipsets tend to be the
overclocked ones. Basically, they take an older FSB800 chipset and
run it at FSB1066 for the Core2. Using such a board, means there is not
a lot of headroom left. So the cheaper boards are limited to "stock"
operation. You'll also find some Intel 945s used that way.

This would be the cheapest of the 965/975 Intel boards I would
look at. Like previous Intel Southbridges, there are several Southbridge
types. Vanilla ICH8 with four SATA and no PATA, and no RAID feature
(RAID driver won't install). Up to the ICH8R with six SATA and no PATA,
with RAID capabilities enabled. To compensate for the lack of PATA
ports, a second controller chip is used (a JMicron 36x ?). It has
two SATA and one PATA port (http://www.jmicron.com/Product_JMB363.htm).
Giving a total of six SATA and one PATA on the motherboard. If the
PATA situation is not sufficient, it can be fixed with a PCI IDE
card, like a $40 Promise UltraATA TX2 card. Also, note the
warning in the Newegg advert - DDR2-800 RAM should be the 1.8V type,
as many RAMs recommend higher than normal voltage at this speed, and
most BIOS don't deliver the volts unless manually set up (a potential
chicken vs egg situation). In the case of this board, you'd want
the latest BIOS installed in there, as soon as it is convenient to
do so.

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX - Retail $109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/CustratingReview.asp?item=N82E16813128017

The Asus P5B at $126 is similar, only one SATA port (a RAID port)
is an ESATA and the connector is mounted on the back of the computer.
Also, the Gigabyte S3 has a better slot layout, and would allow more
of the PCI slots to be used. (Slot layouts either make the PCI
or the PCI Express slots more accessible, and the issue is dual slot
thick video cards, that block a slot.)

Asus P5B-E at ~$150, has six SATA ICH8R and RAID is possible with it.
The Newegg reviews seem reasonably happy with that one.

There are some 975X motherboards but the price of those is higher still.
The Asus offering here, has a SIL4723 chip connected to the Southbridge,
which spoils the "regularity" of the Southbridge ports. Since ICH7R is
used on these boards, you get a PATA port on the Southbridge (means
a potentially more compatible port for optical drives).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...80+1070509908&Subcategory=280&srchInDesc=975x

The Nvidia chipsets seem to be focused on SLI. Cheapest is $150.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...10200280+1070509908+107171927&Subcategory=280

There are a few more boards out there, that Newegg isn't carrying
(or I didn't see them when I waw searching).

You might try here, as these guys have the money to test all
this stuff. Hours of reading material available:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=59

Paul
Click to expand...

How about the GIGABYTE GA-965G-DS3 ? It seems to have positive reviews
on NewEgg. I like the Gigabyte layout which, as you pointed out, leaves
room for the video card.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128018

However I don't understand if this board will work with my 20+4 power
supply. I also don't know how to guess what voltage the memory should
be. They has been much complaining about using anything but 1.8v
memory.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811156062
 
Back
Top