MB for a Budget SFF Game System?

[Meridian]

I've got a Qpack and a 3200+ (939) sitting around that I planned to use to build a PVR, but then I thought I could go ahead and add a little more to have it double as a dedicated game machine. I've pretty much settled on a 7600GT for video, but I haven't decided on a MB yet. I need something with at least 2 PCI slots (ATI HDTV Wonder, sound). I usually don't OC much if at all, so that's not as much of a concern for me - I'd rather have something that's rock solid than infinitely tweakable. I would also like to get something that I can upgrade w/ a faster CPU in 12 mos or so. SLI would be nice to have as an expansion option, but the only mATX 939 SLI board I know of is the eVGA, and the jury still seems to be out on that one. That, and I don't want to upgrade the PS yet.

TIA for the replies.

Mer

 

[Steeeeve]

See the mATX motherboard thread which is stickied.

 

[Meridian]

See the mATX motherboard thread which is stickied.

I went through the 300-some-odd posts in the sticky thread, but it covers a lot of different boards with a wide variety of capabilities (good), but some of the comments appeared to be either out-of-date or OBE when compared to more recent posts in the forum (bad). I posted my question to get up-to-date input/comments for the limited, particular use i had in mind, not to avoid doing my homework. I could have narrowed it down to a request for comments on a couple of boards, but I didn't want to exclude any I may have overlooked, either.

 

[Domoy]

I haven't got any PCIe card to try with yet but I think you get 3 PCI and 1 PCIe with a Foxconn 6150

You get two with a big heatsink on the GPU or maybe three with a single-slot cooler.

It reaches about up to 280 FSB and is compatible with Opteron/AMD X2.

DFI Infinity mATX seems pretty nice too but I've seen/read too little about it to dare recommending it to you.

 

[Mohonri]

The eVGA SLI board is probably not what you want--it has three PCIe-x16 slots, so you won't have the two PCI slots that you want.

 

[Steeeeve]

I went through the 300-some-odd posts in the sticky thread, but it covers a lot of different boards with a wide variety of capabilities (good), but some of the comments appeared to be either out-of-date or OBE when compared to more recent posts in the forum (bad). I posted my question to get up-to-date input/comments for the limited, particular use i had in mind, not to avoid doing my homework. I could have narrowed it down to a request for comments on a couple of boards, but I didn't want to exclude any I may have overlooked, either.

You only need to look at the first one...otherwise do a search.

 

[Meridian]

You only need to look at the first one...otherwise do a search.

As the first one is oc-centric it was not particularly helpful for my use. Did a bunch of searches.

Do you have board recommendation? Or, is there another due dilligence step I have completed that you are not aware of?

 

[Steeeeve]

It just seems odd that you would ask such a question after looking at that list. That list has all the mATX mobos out there and since no one here is aware of the charging prices, it makes no sense why we would go out and look them up for you.

I mean you are just as capable of looking up stuff as we are on newegg.com...all the mATX boards are about the same with the newer ones obviously being a little bit better. If you have a question about a specific motherboard like "does the MSI 939 board offer the same performance as the DFI board" then that would be a fine question to ask. I am not trying to be a jerk, it just seems like these forums get clogged up with repetitive questions that are already addressed in a sticky or could be easily found.

Cheap boards can be found at www.newegg.com or use froogle.com or zipzoomfly.com

 

[Meridian]

It just seems odd that you would ask such a question after looking at that list. That list has all the mATX mobos out there and since no one here is aware of the charging prices, it makes no sense why we would go out and look them up for you.

I'm not looking for pricing, just recommendations.

I mean you are just as capable of looking up stuff as we are on newegg.com...

And I did.

all the mATX boards are about the same with the newer ones obviously being a little bit better. If you have a question about a specific motherboard like "does the MSI 939 board offer the same performance as the DFI board" then that would be a fine question to ask. I am not trying to be a jerk, it just seems like these forums get clogged up with repetitive questions that are already addressed in a sticky or could be easily found.

Understood.