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Advice on Micro ATX Mobo

S

Sunin

[H]ard|DCer of the Month - August 2008
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
Messages
3,421
I just got my antex micro ATX case in and it is small, really small. My intent is to make this box into my HTPC server for my Vista 64bit Ultimate Media Center, which would still fold 24/7. What I need advice on is a mobo to pair up with my E6600.

the problem I am having is there are a lot of foreign choices as far as chipsets... I'm used to P35, X38, X48, etc... My options are Intel Q33/Q35, Nvidia Geforce 7000, ATI, G31/G33/G35, G965, Q963/Q965, Intel 945/955/975... So which is the best?

Requirements:

1. 1333 FSB
2. Overclockability
3. 2 memory slots
4. 2 Sata slots
5. 1 PCI-E slot

I'm leaning toward this but do need some advice if anyone has experience with chipsets or microATX mobo's.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128078

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128085

Thank you!
 
If price isn't too much of a concern and you are looking at a HTPC box, it's worth looking at a Asus P5K-VM motherboard. A coworker bought one and he is pleased with this board (he was ditching the Abit Fatality MATX board due to lots of issues).

 
I have this one:

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-S2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
from the first link in your post...

So far so good, I have my 2180 running at 3.0 on it. However, I was disappointed in two items.

No 1:1 divider and the RAM i am using hates to OC, so I am running it right at 800mhz. With better RAM, maybe I could squeeze more out of the 2180?

Onboard NIC does not work with notfreds folding CD. It detects it, but never establishes a link to get a DHCP lease.

Other than those 2 items, it has been chugging away with an OCd 2180 diskless folding for about 3 weeks now!
 
If you're going to overclock, the Asus P5E-VM HDMI is a nice board. I've got one, and it's done well for me. :)
 
gwarren007 said:
From my experience the 7000 series motherboards use single channel ram. On the flip side, the two I have will allow Xeons (775) to run on them too.
Click to expand...

Wow that sucks... I would not be happy if it did not use dual channels.. I mean what would be the purpose of DDR2 if it is not going to use both channels...
 
gwarren007 said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131258

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138096

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138101

Three boards, just to pick some, all single channel ram configuration. Download the user manual for the board you are looking for, and see if it says it in the manual.
Click to expand...

In our tests we used the motherboard's standard BIOS settings first. ALL settings were set to default (AUTO) for maximum compatibility. Memory clock was set to DDR2-800 with the memory timings was set by SPD. We also used the latest video, audio and chipset drivers. Unfortunately, the Nvidia 630i/7100 chipset does not offer dual channel memory support ... could this seriously hinder performance?

From this website...

http://www.cpu3d.com/content/view/4316/54/1/4/

What a shame no Dual Channel...

I pulled the trigger on the ASUS PKE-VM, its more but seems the performance will be there for folding as well as HTPC...

 
I'm wrong, my coworked bought a P5E-VM instead so you did the right choice :) He is using it as his main rig on a super lanboy case.

 
Xilikon said:
I'm wrong, my coworked bought a P5E-VM instead so you did the right choice :) He is using it as his main rig on a super lanboy case.

Click to expand...

I coupled it with 2x2gb 800mhz DDR2, 150gig Raptor, 20x DVD burner, Blu-Ray/HD-DVD combo reader/writer, and the ASUS P5E-VM. The E6600 will drop in there and I will begin transitioning some of my more scratched DVD's to the media center to start with.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

 
Wharf_Rat said:
Onboard NIC does not work with notfreds folding CD. It detects it, but never establishes a link to get a DHCP lease.
Click to expand...

Just a point of interest, the NIC on the G31M-S2L does work with notfred's USB thumbdrive distro.
 
airbatica said:
Just a point of interest, the NIC on the G31M-S2L does work with notfred's USB thumbdrive distro.
Click to expand...

Oops, this is actually what I am using, the USB version of notfred's folding. Does yours have the realtek 8111b Gig chipset?

Mine sees it as eth0, but refused to get an address and download the client. As soon as I popped an intel PCI nic in, it got an address immediately and started folding.
 
Yeh, I have NIC's in my boxen running 610's because the one on the mobo wont work with nofreads. Took a day of cursing and a 11:00PM run to Walley world to figure it out.

 
Wharf_Rat said:
Oops, this is actually what I am using, the USB version of notfred's folding. Does yours have the realtek 8111b Gig chipset?

Mine sees it as eth0, but refused to get an address and download the client. As soon as I popped an intel PCI nic in, it got an address immediately and started folding.
Click to expand...

*EDITED*

Just checked, my G31M-S2L has the Realtek 8111c. Maybe that explains the difference. Just plugged it in, and it pulled an IP address and went to town folding.
 
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