POLL: Best Mobo Company

[LABachlr]

OK. It is time to take the latest poll on what you guys think is the best mobo company based on the quality of the boards.

We want to hear from everyone! :cool:

I was only allowed to put 10 mobo companies in the poll, so if you think of one that is better than the ones above, then please mention it!

[BlackTruckRyder]

I voted for Epox.:D

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Although ive only really used Abit and shoddy Jetway id have to say Abit provide top notch stability and great overclocking, softmenu 3 rocks :D

--Jakk:t

[Bernster]

...hey, where's ECS! lol :)

[deadkenny]

I assume by "ITEL" you actually mean INTEL. Depends on your criteria of course. Intel boards don't generally have much in the way of OC'ing features.

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by deadkenny
I assume by "ITEL" you actually mean INTEL.

Yeah, that was my bad.

[Izdaari]

Best for what?

All of those companies have been known to make good performing stable motherboards, and I wouldn't hesitate to use any of them... if it had good reviews. Which is best depends on your priorities and on what features you need.

If, for example, you have lots of money, only use Intel CPUs and don't overclock, you might think Intel boards, which are very high quality and very stable, though expensive and lacking any OC features, are best and you'd be right ... for you. For me they'd suck, because I'm partial to AMD and to overclocking, and hate paying too much for a product that isn't necessarily better.

I've had very good luck with ASUS and MSI, but I voted EPoX on the basis of superior OC features, tech support and RMA policy.

I'd add Albatron to the list if there were room -- they're gotten excellent reviews. I would not add ECS, which has a following, but also a history of spotty quality control and other problems.

[causticVapor]

Here we go again :rolleyes:

Generally, I'd vote for a company that designs boards with a good, clean design, a wealth of features, high stability even when overclocked, and scalability. Good techsup and RMA policies, like Izdaari said, are other necessities.

So the vote goes for ASUS, EPoX, and ABIT.

ECS=you get what you pay for

[LABachlr]

If more of you guys could start posting who you decided to vote for, and the reasons why, I'm sure everyone would appreciate it. :cool:

Thanx to those of you who have done so!

[deadkenny]

Fair enough. I voted Intel, because the boards are of excellent quality, stable etc. OC'ing doesn't matter that much to me. Second choice would probably be ASUS, although they've had a couple 'misses' recently with their implementation of SiS chipsets (A7S333 and P4S8X specifically). Generally ASUS does a better job with Intel chipsets.

[genesound]

I voted for Asus, I've heard their support sucks but I never use it anyway. Also heard they've had a few problems lately but I haven't had any.

What I do like about them is their packaging, and their nforce boards are very stable, and have lotsa features.

I've also had Abit and like them, Iwill was OK too, so was Shuttle. Even PCChips worked and certainly was cheap.

[causticVapor]

The cleanest designs indicate the most skilled engineers, corporate pride, etc.

The mobo makers who take their time also tend to do better -- asus has been really well off with being punctual and producing good boards, with the exception of their SiS implementations, as Deadkenny said... too rushed/not enough research...

[KraZy_SkitZy]

I voted Gigabyte.
I'm usin a Gigabyte 8IE mobo, and it kicks ***, with easy o/c'ing abilities

[omega31]

I voted Asus. I liked the quality of the boards I have from them. My first 2 complete builds used Asus boards. First was actually FIC, which I helped my cousin with. I have also used Abit, ECS (and other PCChips like Amptron), MSI, even Azza.

[TJHighlndr]

My 1st PC system utilizied a Shuttle AI61 mb (T-Bird 650 Mhz) and then 18 mo later, I built myself and others 3 PCs using DFI AK76-SN's. No problems with either company's boards

PC-Chips, on the other hand, sux cok. Same thing with another MB company whose name I cannot remember- my bro bought a brand new PC with their MB, and after 3 days, the MB died. POC.

[TJHighlndr]

Yeah, the one that died was an ECS MB (K7SEM I believe?).

When I worked for a local Junior college, we used MBs from Aopen, they aren't too bad but seemed to be slower than my Shuttle, with same processor, settings, etc... (Have to love Norton Ghost :) )

[Beeblequix]

All I've had have been Asus boards. But that's like only knowing Honda for cars.

ßeeßle

[tony_j15]

I voted shuttle. I currently have an AK-31 with an XP2000. It OC's well, and I have not had one problem with it... Well, no problems that were the mobo's fault.;)

[AllGamer]

i can see a lot of people likes to buy LOW END systems here

no wonder so many people have trouble :p

me like Abit, Giga Byte, Asus, QDI and a few others

:t

[Kerepla]

Best company in my opinion is Soyo playaz...

[causticVapor]

QDI? :(

Good for the basics I guess )-|

EDIT: How time and better information changes a person's opinion so radically! ;)

[Trash Can Man]

Hold back your cruel remarks to this post, PCCHIPS ALL THE WAY BABY!!! And heres why:
I'm a budget system builder. I do game but heres a reality check to all you geeks, you dont need a high end mobo for serious gaming, just a high end cpu and vid card. I'm no OCking tweek geek. I've built many systems based on pcchips/ecs mobos (there are still alot of silly folks out there who dont know they're the same company) and have never had any serious problmes to speak of. Any real problmes were solved by carefully reading the manual. PCchip/ecs mobos are dirt cheap and have 3 phase power control, which is something you do not see in other budget boards like Asrock. To all of you who hail to the mighty Asus I say this. I have had more problems setting up systems for friends based on Asus mobos than any other brand. I tell them Asus is overrated but they don't listen. Asus was top quality back in teh socket 7 era but the rest of the industry has caught up and surpassed them. Meanwhile their quality has gone down. Other brands I love are Shuttle, Chaintech, and for the high end tweek geek mobo MSI.

[murray1]

PCCHIPS - ECS!! No Doubt!!! Asus is WAYYYY overrated!!!! (and overpriced)

[sm8000]

Trash Can Man,

I appreciate your sentiment toward PC-Chips/ECS boards. I like them too, and feel people don't give them enough credit.

However I notice all your posts so far are pro-ECS and anti-Asrock. I just have to ask - did you sign up only to push one brand over another?

Also, what you mention about Asrock only using 2-phase power control - can you show us some specs or links on this, and which boards they refer to?

[Happy Joe]

Have used mostly Asus boards but have also used FIC, Abit and MSI. I preferr Asus for the stability and ease of overclocking. They cost a little more but are normally trouble free and easy to implement. (I am always careful to check the forums for personal reviews before selecting a board, it seems to have kept me from getting problem boards (all companies make bad models occasionally))
Enjoy!

[Bullion]

bee through many many many boards from 286 machines upward. All have been stable. least favourite would be jetway, cheap nasty, makes ECS look delux. Favourite would be Soltek great performance and cheap. Abit are excellent performers but you pay for it (im using one now). The 3 asus boards ive used all had bios that well......i didnt like.

[Rugor]

I have a Soltek right now and I have to say that so far it seems a very good board.

I'm quite impressed.

[Canyon411]

I've built systems with asus, ecs, pc chips, and gigabyte. My first three were with the venerable Ecs K7s5a Pro which in my opinion is one of the best boards I have used.

I built a Gigabyte ga-7n400pro2r2 for myself thinking it was to replace my k7s5a as primary machine. I was supprised to find that the gigabyte was not any better than the k7s5a. Infact dollar for dollar, the ecs board was better!!

Two machines I built were ecs kt600 based and the lastest was pc chips.

I laugh at all the bashers of pc chips and ecs because they don't "install them selves" like some other boards. That doesn't mean they are any less in quality. It just means you need a little more than a basic knowledge of hardware and troubleshooting to set one up. Once they are dialed in, they are tough competitors.

ok, now I'm coming down from my soap box, but I say ECS is the best value and a strong performer too!

[Canyon411]

..... Sometimes you have to go against the grain!! ....

[causticVapor]

To those of you who like to prioritize brands, note that ALL manufacturers attempt to sell motherboards with the absolute minimum number of components required for stable operation. The only reason why some are cheaper than others is because they lack additional features that certain demographics of computer users can do without. "Enthusiast" manufacturers are often overrated.

I've built systems with Asus, Abit, Biostar, DFI, EPoX, Gigabyte, ECS, PCChips, Jetway, Soyo, and Intel motherboards. The only problems I had were long-term effects with heavy overclocking and faulty capacitors - two EPoX boards gave way under those conditions.

In my area I've heard lots of stories of people in the past with dead ECS boards, but I have had no such problems. I only had one board with a faulty SiS 900 network interface, and the replacement works flawlessly.

[bubbalou32]

Looks like someone is loading up the Albatron votes.

[Crashman]

Yes, and considering how few Albatron users we have here, there's a high degree of certainty there's a box stuffer about.

[tweakerpc]

I like Alabatron they have not let me down, my dad has had one for over 2 years still runs like a charm, and mine is a year old. and the price is not that bad also.;)

[Rugor]

I've had good experiences with every brand of motherboard I've bought either new or from a reputable source. There are a couple from computer shows that were lemons-- but I don't blame the board makers.

They're all trying to produce quality products. The last thing any of them want is an RMA as that's going to kill the profit margin. Everyone wants to produce something that works for the lowest price. Less expensive boards may be running closer to tolerance and have less headroom, but at default settings you shouldn't have a problem with any of them.

[Canyon411]

I just realized this thread is 2 YEARS OLD!! Thanks again trashman for diggin up the oldies~:rolleyes:

[mcool61]

Originally posted by Canyon411
diggin up the oldies~:rolleyes:

Didn't Richard Simmons have an exercise video by that name?

I've built with Fic, Shuttle, & Soyo. The only one i had problems with was the fic. The onboard video locked up once in a while but I put in a pci graphics card & had smooth sailing since. Have run fsb @ 150 for 3 yrs & counting. I can't say any of them would be my favorite unless I get the rebates on the soyo board in which case it will be free & become my favorite as long as it keeps working.

[Comage]

Old thread, but I'll give my two cents' worth nonetheless.

I've worked with Asus, and although I have to admit they make great boards, their BIOS support is really terrible. It sometimes made me wonder why the dutch Asus site had all the latest BIOS, but never the other regional sites like the US or even the headquaters asus.com.tw itself.

Pretty sneaky, I'd say.

So I went to Abit, and I currently own this IS7-E board, which had a different onboard network controller from the specifications on Abit's website.

And the network controller refused to allow itself to be disabled after setting the correct options under BIOS.

Again, very disappointing.

Any other brands to recommend already? :)

PS: It takes a lot of good things to impress people, but one bad thing is enough to f*** up the whole show. Or, reputation in this case.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

I am partial to Abit for engineering and features, but I lost so many of them to blown caps :( (before I figured out how to fix them), :cool: that it left a bit of a bad aftertaste. Maybe, now that that Abit has farmed out it's manufacturing to ECS, things will be better. :p :r

EDIT: I originally intended to give Albatron a plug, but it looks as if this will not be necessary. I am rather enjoying my KX600S Pro.

[genesound]

I voted for Asus... haven't needed ts but just once and they responded in a timely and just mannor. I've had good experience with Abit as well... :t

[elroy]

Currently I have an MSI K7N2 Delta L, it is the most stable board I've ever had.
I also have an Epox board that cost $125 and isn't any better than my Biostar board that cost $60. Either of these 2 were good boards just the Epox cost to much.

Also I had no idea Albatron was so popular.

[dajogejr]

Geez...two year old thread...let it die.

Die I say...

Ok, side bar aside..:)

Asus, Abit and MSI.

[Nascarfan_40]

I voted Abit. Currently running the NF7-S board. Have had no problems. Have delt with Soyo in the past. One of the boards worked good, but as far as the company. Their horrible. I'll never consider another soyo product again. I'll stick with the top three; Abit, Asus, MSI.

[causticVapor]

I'd say Asus is a pretty horrible company myself, given my experience with them. Their boards seem to work OK, though - despite being somewhat overpriced.

[RamonGTP]

ABIT, EPoX and MSI are the three manufacturers I always look to when building systems for myself.

[tweakerpc]

Well if you live in Frys's like a do:D :D they carry albatron, ilove them,they are cheap but very good!!

[Dx.]

Well i've built 5 pc's with Soyo motherboards and they have always been good stable boards, but it seems like lately soyo isn't making motherboards cause i don't see any new ones coming out.

My opinion is soyo was good in the past, though their tech.support was pretty much ignored, but now i need to start useing other boards and my concern is asus and what seems tobe beta bios being released.

[mpc2]

DFI

[moldysnow]

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to mention DFI, but considering it's an old thread and DFI just started making enthusiast quality boards recently...
Personally I'd like to see this poll tracked over the years as certain brands popularity wanes or grows. For my money though, I've never had a problem with Asus after 4 motherboards (KT133A, AMD760, i7205, nForce2). The only hiccup was a bad bios flash that was more my father's fault than Asus and their tech support sent another chip.
As others have said, I still have an ECS K7S5A that's so money, it doesn't know it's money. Aopen worked but quirky, Abit working but problems, and a DFI LanParty fast, working, but doing it's own thing.

[Happy Joe]

I still like ASUS. I recently worked on an A7V133 that I'm pretty sure is a fake (sticker instead of silkscreened logo) and it even works ok (just won't clock as high as it should). I have never been disatisfied with ASUS (knocks on wood product desktop) although I have had minor disapointments with MSI and ABIT.
Enjoy!

[pandaz3]

I did vote for ABIT and I have DFI, EPoX, GigaByte, and MSI too.

DFI is now using 100% Japanese capacitors now on Lan Party anyway.... not that I had a problem before, but that is a quality move, wish EPoX would too.

Might just be me, but I always felt ASUS did a better job on it's Intel offering opposed to the AMD boards...... I only have two Intel machines right now, with no Intel plans for the future.

[Rabbitrunner51]

Well , I am probably not as old pro as alot of you and my current board is an Asus,which I voted for..because of their long histroy of being built very well and being rock solid.
Considering they are leading rthe pack may only be a statistic seen in this forum post, but I also beleive from users who are the true test that other boards are equally as good for reasons only the user can define.

If someday i needed to make a change or build a new system, I might prefer a MSI or Abit as they also seem to be very good products overall from all the peole I know and wjhat i read from all of you.

Alot of the time a decision solely is based upon the platform wwe choose,so if for instance I got a AMD 64 chip,then i would probably get an MSI Neo 3 Platinum board.

Intel boards are much better than what they produced away back when and they are very good baords also.



;)