which motherboard should I get? please look inside

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espn2829

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
167
I want to build an enthusiast yet budget minded rig. My processor will likely be an Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego unless the X2 3800 comes down in price.

I want a board that will be reliable and give me no headaches. Such as the fans crapping out or dieing because of heating or whatever. I dont want to deal with that. Secondly, I want one that delivers a good overclock. I don't care for the uber-high overclocking features. I just want to take my 3700 San Diego to at least 2.7ghz from its default 2.2ghz

I am a first time builder, so I want a board that will be somewhat friendly to build.
 
"I am a first time builder, so I want a board that will be somewhat friendly to build."

That means I want suggestions.
 
Then, I'd stay away from the DFI. The Asus A8N-SLI Premium is a very nice board for the first timer. Though, I'd confirm that the latest BIOS fixes the CPU voltage problems when overclocking.

H
 
What other items (power supply / video card(s) etc.) were you thinking of ?

If you want a real good overclock , DFI is the way to go , but please do check http://www.dfi-street.com and read thoroughly about the board and acceptable adjunct hardware before you buy. This will save you several migraine headaches :)

I have read that the ASUS SLI premium is pretty fool proof for setup and is somewhat stable, but it has had some difficulties in the past related to overclocking , such as the CPU voltage problem. Check out this thread for info http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=910431

Best Regards,
Caspanis :)
 
I think I may have decided on the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum because its the best of both worlds, at least I think so. It has decent overclocking potential, has good stock speeds and has a lot of features and is fairly user friendly.

I ruled out the Asus A8N-E Ultra because its one of Asus's weaker motherboards. The fan is unreliable and noisy.

The Asus A8N-SLI Premium is a great board, however, its a bit pricey and I won't use SLI anyway.

The DFI LanParty Ultra-D is a great board and I like it a lot. However, I want to overclock, but I don't want to push my processor to the max. Also, since I'm a first time system builder, I will probably have difficuly with the DFI. At least thats what many people say.

If you have the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum, please share your experiences and overclocking results.

I would appreciate if anyone comments on my decision :D
 
my power supply will probably be a Seasonic 500W or 600W depending on the price. I think the 500W is more than sufficient, even for an SLI setup. Do you agree?

I like the Asus SLI motherboards, but they're too expensive and have a feature I will not use.

Still, I would consider the Asus A8N-SLI Premium if it came down in price.
 
Sorry dude no experience with that MSI board :(

However the Seasonic power supplies come highly recommended if you want a reliable , quiet and highly efficient PS that's the one ! I have read of problems that the new S12 line had with the DFI boards so keep that in mind if DFI enters the likely purchase category again.

For more information check these out :

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566

And:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article28-page1.html

Those should help :)

Best Regards,
Caspanis
 
caspanis said:
Sorry dude no experience with that MSI board :(

However the Seasonic power supplies come highly recommended if you want a reliable , quiet and highly efficient PS that's the one ! I have read of problems that the new S12 line had with the DFI boards so keep that in mind if DFI enters the likely purchase category again.

For more information check these out :

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566

And:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article28-page1.html

Those should help :)

Best Regards,
Caspanis
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thanks for the heads up
:p

Yep, that Seasonic is definately the power supply I want. It is tops in terms of efficiency and quietness, yet it delivers awesome power.

Since I'm a first time builder, I want a board that has good documentation and easy installation. So for that, I think I'll get the Asus A8N-Sli Premium or the MSI K8N Neo Platinum.

But since the Asus board is a bit on the expensive side, I think I will go with the MSI.
 
N H O said:
wat about the EPoX 9NPA SLi?
Click to expand...

Great recommendation. I think this board is highly recommended by AnandTech in one of their reviews. I will certainly consider it.

However, I will consider the Epox 9NPA Ultra instead of the SLI because I have no use for that feature.

thanks :D
 
ok guys, I have changed by list of potential boards. At this time, the MSI K8N Neo Platinum is high on my list. However, I'm also considering the following:

Epox 9NPA Ultra
Asus A8N-Sli Premium
DFI LanParty Ultra-D

I know Im very indecisive :D but I just want to make sure I get the right motherboard since its one of the most important components of a pc.

I want the board that will be most compatible with the most memories and other things so I dont run into problems. I also wish to overclock heavily, but not push the limit.

Thank you :p
 
From what I've read two of these boards are picky about memory the ASUS & DFI. But I have seen on these forums and elsewhere - persons using a wide variety of memory modules in the ASUS unit. HOWEVER please check thouroughly the list of authorized memory modules for the board you pick before you buy.

Also remember that there are reports of S12 seasonics having difficulty with that DFI board.

I think the Epox is cool but I don't like 2 things:

1) The layout of the power connectors they are around the CPU area and if not routed properly could impede airflow. This may concern you since overclocking requires good cooling. :cool:
2) The northbridge chipset fan - means more noise in your rig :(

I am getting the ASUS A8N-SLI premium shortly and can give feedback if you want. I also plan a little overclocking :D (Not much though ; Not enough nerve )

BTW what heatsink were you thinking of using to cool the CPU ?

Cheers,
Caspanis
 
Yep, I just eliminated the Epox 9NPA Ultra after reading a bit about it. Its certainly a excellent board, however there seems to be some concerns over its layout and reliability for the long term. I want board that will last a long time.

So now, my top choice is the Asus A8N-SLI Premium, followed by MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum and DFI LanParty Ultra-D, respectively.

Cant wait to hear your review of the Asus Premium :D

I'm just like you in that I will overclock but I won't push my processor to the max. But I will heavily overclock hehe.

As for the heatsink, I think I will stick with the stock heatsink for now. When I get really into overclocking and need to cool down my processor, I'll get the XP-90 or whatever the new lightweight heatsink is out. The other heatsinks are too heavy for my to bother.

Thanks a lot :p
 
well right now, I have eliminated the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum because I saw many people having problems with it. Its reliability isn't as solid as the other boards, either.

So that leaves me with the DFI LanParty Ultra-D and the Asus A8N-SLI Premium.

Since the DFI is much cheaper, its my top choice.

**this is harder than I predicted it to be :)
 
I have been studying the forums can somoen explain to me what SLI is and if I need it.
 
espn2829 said:
well right now, I have eliminated the MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum because I saw many people having problems with it. Its reliability isn't as solid as the other boards, either.

So that leaves me with the DFI LanParty Ultra-D and the Asus A8N-SLI Premium.

Since the DFI is much cheaper, its my top choice.

**this is harder than I predicted it to be :)
Click to expand...
Do you need SLI?
 
I will not use SLI since its a worthless feature. However, I have heard the Asus A8N-SLI Premium is a special motherboard. It is quiet and made very well. The only Nforce 4 ultra board from Asus is the A8N-E Ultra and that board is flakey.

Since Im a uber noob at building computeres, Im a bit vary of the DFI LanParty Ultra-D.

Since I've eliminated the MSI board due to their various problems, it only leads me to the Asus A8N-SLI Premium and the DFI LanParty Ultra-D and now the Epox 9NPA Ultra.

Based on Anandtech's review, it seems that the Epox 9NPA Ultra is the way to go. Caspanis, yes it has a noisy fan, but I think I could live with it since my current pc is very noisey as well

:D
 
espn2829 said:
I will not use SLI since its a worthless feature. However, I have heard the Asus A8N-SLI Premium is a special motherboard. It is quiet and made very well. The only Nforce 4 ultra board from Asus is the A8N-E Ultra and that board is flakey.

Since Im a uber noob at building computeres, Im a bit vary of the DFI LanParty Ultra-D.

Since I've eliminated the MSI board due to their various problems, it only leads me to the Asus A8N-SLI Premium and the DFI LanParty Ultra-D and now the Epox 9NPA Ultra.

Based on Anandtech's review, it seems that the Epox 9NPA Ultra is the way to go. Caspanis, yes it has a noisy fan, but I think I could live with it since my current pc is very noisey as well

:D
Click to expand...

My current gaming PC sounds like an industrial strength leaf-blower :mad: and I have had enough of it , That was one of the deciding factors for the A8N-SLI premium , that and availability :D

If you're an "uber boob" are you sure DFI is for you ? I was looking into one as well but stayed away because of all the pickiness of the board. Reports of great OC performance though and you have to love the colour scheme of the thing it is really cool.

P.S. I can't wait to get this board.

Cheers,
Caspanis
 
caspanis said:
From what I've read two of these boards are picky about memory the ASUS & DFI. But I have seen on these forums and elsewhere - persons using a wide variety of memory modules in the ASUS unit. HOWEVER please check thouroughly the list of authorized memory modules for the board you pick before you buy.

Also remember that there are reports of S12 seasonics having difficulty with that DFI board.

I think the Epox is cool but I don't like 2 things:

1) The layout of the power connectors they are around the CPU area and if not routed properly could impede airflow. This may concern you since overclocking requires good cooling. :cool:
2) The northbridge chipset fan - means more noise in your rig :(

I am getting the ASUS A8N-SLI premium shortly and can give feedback if you want. I also plan a little overclocking :D (Not much though ; Not enough nerve )

BTW what heatsink were you thinking of using to cool the CPU ?

Cheers,
Caspanis
Click to expand...
werd.....#1 is true but i disagree with #2.....the NB chipset fan is pretty damn quiet and does a very great job at cooling the NB ;)
 
Asus is good. I went with the Chaintech VNF4 Ultra because I'm not really big on overclocking and its cheap and reliable. If you want a small overclock, it will probably fit the bill. Its definately a vanilla board tho.
 
DFI because it is the best overclocker. Being the best overclocker means that it has the best design/components which results in the best stability also. So, even if you don't plan on overclocking, buying the best overclocker is a good idea.

I have friends with the ASUS SLI board and they have had problems ranging from the northbridge fan failing to the entire board failing.
 
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