Hi folks, long time reader but new poster.
I'm looking for input on a new mobo for a system I want to build (for myself). The message is lengthy, so if you're up for a challenge, read on...
I used to build custom boxes for IBM some years ago, and I still build my own PCs, but I haven't really kept up to date with the technology.
In particular I'm looking to build a new PC to replace the low end PIII I have now. After looking at the all the choices and reviews I'm really having a dilemma choosing a base board. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I really don't want to pick up something that is 'below-average'
I'd appreciate any input people have to offer.
Basically my needs are as follows...
I'm looking for something in the Socket A or Socket 478 market. Part of my dilemma is that I am a die-hard Intel user, and have been ever since I started building PCs. I got burned by an early AMD product (dating back to the 486/586 era here) and I haven't touched them since. I am strongly leaning towards the P4, BUT I could be convinced otherwise if someone had a really convincing argument.
My MAIN concern is reliability & stability since I beta test games for MS. I need to be 100% certain a crash is software related and not hardware acting up on me.
What options do I want?
I definitely want some kind of on-board network/lan config. I use DSL so I'd like to avoid filling a slot with a NIC if I can avoid it.
I'm also partial to more expansion slots, I wouldn't feel comfortable with one of these 3 slot jobs. I would like to have 5 if not 6.
Memory will depend on the circumstances - I'd love to do RDR, but it is still pretty pricey. Mind you, for the right board I would make an exception. DDR is an option but I heard that there aren't many P4 boards that do DDR yet. I'd like 3 DIMM slots if I go that route. 2 would be OK I guess, but I'd feel better with 3 should I want to expand down the road.
I don't need any on-board video, I'll supply my own Radeon card, on board sound is OK, although I don't need it.
I'd like a RAID capable board since I have read that the new boards can boot directly to the array. A couple 60 or 80GIG drives in a 0+1 config would be sweet indeed!
The big question... over-clocking? Well, as much as it is popular right now, I'm not overly concerned with OC right now. As I said above, my main concern is stability, and I would rather sacrifice a bit of performance if it meant enhanced stability. It would be nice to have the ability to OC later on. However that isn't a priority for me right now.
Now I'm in Canada so I'm looking for a board that is freely available up here. To get an idea of what's available, look <A HREF="http://www.canadacomputers.com/motherboards.html" target="_new">here</A> or <A HREF="http://www.gbcomp.com/motherboards.htm" target="_new">here</A>. If you like, lemme know what you think of the prices.
When looking at prices, keep in mind I'm in Canada. So CAN$150=US$100 approximately. My mobo budget is unlimited really. Anything under CAN$300 is fine. I'd rather sink the money into a good quality mobo and then I can tinker with my budget when it comes to other items.
Regards,
Savant
I'm looking for input on a new mobo for a system I want to build (for myself). The message is lengthy, so if you're up for a challenge, read on...
I used to build custom boxes for IBM some years ago, and I still build my own PCs, but I haven't really kept up to date with the technology.
In particular I'm looking to build a new PC to replace the low end PIII I have now. After looking at the all the choices and reviews I'm really having a dilemma choosing a base board. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I really don't want to pick up something that is 'below-average'
I'd appreciate any input people have to offer.
Basically my needs are as follows...
I'm looking for something in the Socket A or Socket 478 market. Part of my dilemma is that I am a die-hard Intel user, and have been ever since I started building PCs. I got burned by an early AMD product (dating back to the 486/586 era here) and I haven't touched them since. I am strongly leaning towards the P4, BUT I could be convinced otherwise if someone had a really convincing argument.
My MAIN concern is reliability & stability since I beta test games for MS. I need to be 100% certain a crash is software related and not hardware acting up on me.
What options do I want?
I definitely want some kind of on-board network/lan config. I use DSL so I'd like to avoid filling a slot with a NIC if I can avoid it.
I'm also partial to more expansion slots, I wouldn't feel comfortable with one of these 3 slot jobs. I would like to have 5 if not 6.
Memory will depend on the circumstances - I'd love to do RDR, but it is still pretty pricey. Mind you, for the right board I would make an exception. DDR is an option but I heard that there aren't many P4 boards that do DDR yet. I'd like 3 DIMM slots if I go that route. 2 would be OK I guess, but I'd feel better with 3 should I want to expand down the road.
I don't need any on-board video, I'll supply my own Radeon card, on board sound is OK, although I don't need it.
I'd like a RAID capable board since I have read that the new boards can boot directly to the array. A couple 60 or 80GIG drives in a 0+1 config would be sweet indeed!
The big question... over-clocking? Well, as much as it is popular right now, I'm not overly concerned with OC right now. As I said above, my main concern is stability, and I would rather sacrifice a bit of performance if it meant enhanced stability. It would be nice to have the ability to OC later on. However that isn't a priority for me right now.
Now I'm in Canada so I'm looking for a board that is freely available up here. To get an idea of what's available, look <A HREF="http://www.canadacomputers.com/motherboards.html" target="_new">here</A> or <A HREF="http://www.gbcomp.com/motherboards.htm" target="_new">here</A>. If you like, lemme know what you think of the prices.
When looking at prices, keep in mind I'm in Canada. So CAN$150=US$100 approximately. My mobo budget is unlimited really. Anything under CAN$300 is fine. I'd rather sink the money into a good quality mobo and then I can tinker with my budget when it comes to other items.
Regards,
Savant
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