Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips (
More info?)
On Mon, 18 Oct 2004 19:42:17 +0100, "Kate"
<kate@REMOVEbillkath.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Greets all,
>Does anyone know if either of these are a good choice for a wireless network
>... am looking at either the Asus A7N8X Deluxe Wireless Edition or the more
>expensive Asus A8V DWE.
Err.. well to start with you're looking at two rather different
boards. The A7N8X is a Socket A board for AthlonXP processors while
the A8V would be a socket 939 or Socket 754 board for Athlon64 chips
(Asus doesn't actually list an "A8V DWE on their website, though they
do have a Socket 939 "A8V Deluxe", perhaps that's what you're looking
at?).
Also, it's very important to note that these boards do NOT come setup
for wireless connectivity by default! They require an extra add-in
card. It might be that the reseller is bundling this extra card along
with the motherboard, but be VERY certain about that before you buy
this product! Asus, by default, does NOT ship the add-in WiFi card
with these motherboards.
As for the comparison between the two as far as WiFi goes, the
A7N8X-Deluxe comes with an 802.11b (11Mbps) wireless chip while the
A8V Deluxe comes with the much faster 802.11g (54Mbps) wireless chip.
The difference might not amount to much if all you're doing is sharing
an internet connection (which would typically be limited to 3Mbps or
less), but if you're going to do any file sharing between the devices
the 802.11g access point of the A8V would be a rather significant
advantage.
All in all, I would tend to view the A8V Deluxe as being worth the
extra money, though keep in mind that you might also be looking at a
more expensive processor for that system. The cheapest Athlon64 chip
will set you back $141 for an Athlon64 2800+ (a slightly slower and
32-bit only Sempron 3100+ will fit in this board as well and cost you
$124). To get similar performance on your A7N8X-Deluxe board, you
would probably be looking at an AthlonXP 3000+ at $155 or 3200+ at
$200, though if you can get by with a bit less performance you could
pick up an AthlonXP 2600+ for only $96. (all prices care of
www.newegg.com)
Also, keep in mind that you can pick up a PCI WiFi card, usable in any
motherboard, for only $40 (for a D-Link 802.11g card). It may end up
being that the add-in WiFi card for the Asus boards mentioned above
are just as expensive or even more expensive than this! In fact, if
the add-in WiFi card is not being bundled with these boards, you might
end up having a VERY hard time actually finding such a board, as this
sort of design is usually really targeted at the OEM crowd (ie the
Dell's and HPaq's of the world), not us mere mortals.
-------------
Tony Hill
hilla <underscore> 20 <at> yahoo <dot> ca
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