New non-gaming computer - what MB?

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tluxon

tluxon

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Nov 2, 2002
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I need a good motherboard for a computer that's going to be used primarily for capturing/editing video (HDTV/DVD) and SolidWorks modeling. It won't be used for gaming and I don't care to overclock it, but it must support good multi-tasking capability. I've always used ASUS boards, but like the apparent value of Abit. I'm just not sure what's best suited to my needs.

Can someone please advise?

Thanks!

Tim
 
ABit and ASUS are both well regarded motherboard makers. I doubt you will go wrong picking either one.

If you want to squeeze every last ounce of performance out for your $$$ then you should find reviews. If two or three percent performance difference is not relevant then either is fine.

In general, we know that ASUS tend to be a little faster but a little more expensive. ABit used the best quality capacitors so you may get more life out of your purchase.

Check what comes with the retail box as well as the price. Either way you should be fine.

The loving are the daring!
 
About a year ago I was looking at some boards with the Intel 865P chipset. Is that still a good one to go with or are there significant gains in going with the 875 or 925?

Thanks,

Tim
 
865PE is roughly equal to the 875P, they're both good chipsets, and often better than the 925. If you're still going P4, I suggest an Abit IS7 (still a top P4 board) and a Northwood CPU (512k cache) because they run cooler and function better in the majority of applications.

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<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
I'd like to stick with a P4, 8X AGP, 800MHz FSB, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394, and LAN motherboard.

I was leaning toward a P4 Northwood (Socket 478), but I wanted to have a 800MHz FSB. I like to buy from ZipZoomFly.com because their processors are in the retail box, come with a fan and heatsink, and are at great prices. Unfortunately, the fastest (and only) 800MHz FSB P4 Northwood they have is 2.4GHz.

I can go Socket 775 (P4 Prescott only) and get a Abit AS8 (i865PE, 800MHz FSB, 8X AGP, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394, LAN) motherboard and have many choices of higher speed CPU's, but then I'm looking at the hotter running Prescott.

The price of the Abit AS8 with a Prescott 2.8 comes out about $8 more than the price of the Abit IS7 and a Northwood 2.4. I'm guessing the Prescott system would be slightly higher performance but likely quite a bit more heat, which I don't prefer. Do you think I will be more satisfied going with the slower but seemingly more reliable Northwood 2.4 system?

Perhaps other suggestions?

Thanks!

Tim
 
The latest P4 Northwoods have been around for around 2 years with 800 bus. They are the 2.4C, 2.6C, 2.8C, 3.0C, and 3.2C. There's even an overclocked one in the Extreme Edition at 3.4GHz. Of course I wouldn't suggest you buy the extreme edition given the prices.

You might have to look around to find a faster Northwood. Newegg had the 3.0C last I looked. There are lots of reasonably good venders listed on Pricewatch as well. And there's the rip-off sites like TigerDirect that occasionally offer a good deal.

If you really can't get the CPU anywhere else, you'd be happy with the 2.4. But you'd be happier with a faster northwood. The price difference at that end of things? The 2.8C should be about the same price as the 2.4C, because both hit the bottom of Intel's pricing scale.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
I just confirmed Tigerdirect and Surpluscomputers both have higher speed Northwood 800 bus P4's.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
ZipZoomFly responded to my inquiry saying that Northwood processors have been discontinued. If that's the case, is there really that much downside to going with the Prescott?

Thanks,

Tim
 
is there really that much downside to going with the Prescott?
Click to expand...
Yes
The downside to prescott is the added cost of water cooling, or something else equally exotic.
In the end, you would be better served by an Amd system, that has a higher base price, but outperforms the Intel chip, accross the board. It can do that, and still maintain a heat output of half what the prescott does.
 
If you really "must have" an Intel processor you're best off going with the Northwood. If you get a retail boxed Northwood, you get a 3-year replacement warranty from Intel, and they have LOTS of spare units on hand.

I wouldn't buy a Prescott, they're just too hot and power hungry. My computer puts out too much heat already.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
I hadn't heard that AMD outperforms Intel across the board - that used to be a very controversial statement. Are even the Intel guys conceding that this is now the case?

Remember, I'm much more interested in reliability, longevity, and working with solid modeling and office applications than I am speed. Does AMD now surpass Intel in all those aspects?

Thanks,

Tim
 
Does AMD now surpass Intel in all those aspects?
___________________________________________________________


No. The A64 is equal though.

Abit IS7 - 3.0C @ 3.6ghz - Mushkin PC4000 (2 X 512) - Sapphire 9800Pro - TT 420 watt Pure Power
Samsung 120gb ATA-100 - Maxtor 40gb ATA - 100
Sony DRU-510A - Yellowtail Merlot
 
Okay, I'm going to go with the P4 3.0c Northwood, so now I just need to lock down the motherboard. I'm looking at the harder to find Abit IS7 (i865PE-based) and the IC7-G (875-based). I'm leaning toward the IC7-G. Anything I should be considering here that might make me change my mind?

Thanks,

Tim
 
IC7 series has aggressive memory controller settings that can cause problems with some modules, and it's more expensive than the IS7. On the other hand, that aggressiveness gives it a very slight performance advantage.

I'm all about stability, I know you can fuss with the timings and voltage on RAM to make it stable, but I'd rather just toss the modules in and be done with it. Also the IS7 is much cheaper.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
In modeling and office, the Amd will outperform the prescott. It is only for some rendering, that Intel still does better. However, if you add the cost of exotic cooling needed for prescott, to the A64, you can get a better chip, that will outperform the P4, even in rendering.
The 90 nano A64s have been measured at 50w power. Even the P4Cs use 80+watts.
 
I'm ready to pull the trigger at Buy.com on <A HREF="http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10344228&loc=0" target="_new">http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10344228&loc=0</A> if someone can please confirm that this is indeed a Northwood?

Thanks,

Tim
 
Okay, now I still have to choose the motherboard. In addition to two IDE DVD-RW drives, I have three hard drives in my system now and would like a motherboard that will support all of them (and hopefully at least one more) without having to use my Promise Ultra133 Controller Card.

Of course, I'd also like it to have at least 4 USB 2.0 ports, IEEE-1394, LAN, and 6 or 8 channel audio. Will the Abit IS7 or IC7-G or ASUS 4P800-E Deluxe handle all that?
 
Despite the many recommendations for the Abit IS7, it doesn't look like they'll support all my IDE drives, so I guess I'll go with the ASUS P4P800-E Deluxe, which even has the Promise Ultra133 built-in.

I see Newegg.com has a refurbed P4P800-E for pretty low prices. I've had really good luck with buying refurbs for other things, but no experience with computer equipment. Anyone have experience with refurbs from Newegg?
 
I have to agree - a motherboard has too many little things that could go way wrong yet still go unnoticed by the refurb guys. New it is.
 
With my luck, a refurb wouldnt do. I just returned a new board that had a part knocked off of it. I tend to really have bad luck though.

To save us both time, assume I know EVERYTHING :tongue:
 
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