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Thread: Help!! Motherboards...Experts

  1. #1
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    Help!! Motherboards...Experts

    I finally got everything I needed already....All I need now is a motherboard....

    Here is my setup so Far:

    AMD XP 1800
    Corsiars XMS PC2700 [CAS2] 1 - 256MB DDR Stick..maybe 512MB?
    ATI Radeon 8500 128MB DDR - Performs as good as GF4200?


    I want the KT333 Chipset on the motherboard please.. Not too familiar with the other chipsets..I've used the Via chipsets before and I never got any problems with them before. I am planing to run my rams at 166mhz..

    I do not need Raid on my motherboards, not yet anywaz..cause I don't think I will make use of it. I don't want to pay extra for something I not going to use. I also want at least ATA100, ATA133 is a plus, but it must support ATA100 also!

    I also want a 4x AGP slot and at least 5 PCI slots...4 is alrite!

    I don't care about on-board modem, cause I got DSL and I won't need modem..On-board 10/100 nic is a Plus. Please included on-board Game port!

    Now lets talk about price...I'm looking for some thing around $70-$130

    Sorrie..I might sound like a real newbie here, but the truth is I really am....I hoping you guys can help me out...


    I did find one I really like..

    ChainTech - 7VJL Apoge

    But my brother said that CHainTech is Junk?? Is he rite?

    I use to have MSI....should I go with MSI or go with somethingelse..

    Experts..please help out and y I should go with your type of motherboard...


    Thanx,

    Koa

    P.S. I might of left somethings out...please feel free to add

  2. #2
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    My MSI KT3 Ultra has served me well. They go for a little over $70 now.
    If you want the best of the best, get an EpoX EP-8K5A3+. It's $120 from www.newegg.com

    BTW - These are all KT333 boards.
    Whatever you do, do NOT buy a pcchips board.

  3. #3
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    Didn't see the chaintech comment:
    Chaintech is fine. Their boards come in funky colors like purple with yellow plastic, though. If you like MSI, get MSI.

  4. #4
    Evil Lurks NDD's Avatar
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    Another vote for EpoX.
    And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers

  5. #5
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    Or Gigabytes GA-7VR VIA & this new Albatron KX400+ is getting great reviews

  6. #6
    Banned Antix's Avatar
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    Giblet, this is twice I have caught you bashing PCChips..heh. A bad experience does not make a bad board.
    If you just want a board to use and if OC'ing is not important to you, then either a PCChips or an ECS will do. They are cheap for the budget minded consumer. If you plan to go that route, than the ECS is better as quality control and product stability are much greater.

    BTW: My VXPro+ PCChips M537DMA33, a non-super 7 board can run K6-2's when other manufacturers' intel VX/HX/FX/TX boards could not. Just a small fact in how a cheap board can keep up.

  7. #7
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    ECS is far better than PcChips.
    Sure, PcChips is fine, if
    You don't overclock
    You don't upgrade
    You never open your computer
    You need some extra heat in your house
    You think playing solitare qualifies you as a "gamer"
    You think the BSOD is "pretty"
    Sorry, that's enough

    I don't see any reason to buy PcChips when far superior brands are availible for similar prices.

    Still, I'd get an MSI or Epox myself.

  8. #8
    Banned Antix's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Giblet Plus!
    ECS is far better than PcChips.
    Sure, PcChips is fine, if
    You don't overclock
    You don't upgrade
    You never open your computer
    You need some extra heat in your house
    You think playing solitare qualifies you as a "gamer"
    You think the BSOD is "pretty"
    Sorry, that's enough

    I don't see any reason to buy PcChips when far superior brands are availible for similar prices.

    Still, I'd get an MSI or Epox myself.
    1. The ECS K7S5A is overclockable (with a modded BIOS)
    2. You eventually have to upgrade... eg: Clawhammer is not Socket A
    3. My computer was open with the M810LMR installed.
    4. Computers produce heat, its a fact of the matter.
    5. My M810LMR and K7S5A can play any game as well as the big boys can.
    6. BSOD was rare on my M537DMA33, M810LMR, and K7S5A.

    Regardless of the manufacturer of your hardware, you are going to have a few bad eggs. Asus's VIA 694x boards were absolute junk back in the day (CUV4X...uggh), and I have had a few BSOD with XP on my MSI K7T Turbo-R. Isn't hardware such a bliss?

  9. #9
    Ultimate Member Giblet Plus!'s Avatar
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    I never dissed on ECS, just pcchips. Ecs makes good cheapo boards. But if you want real tweaking options, you'll need something better.

    If I were koavang, I'd get a quality board made by a company like asus, abit, chaintech, msi, iwill, gigabyte, epox, or albatron.

    But not PcChips. Why settle for second (or maybe third or fifth or 20th) best when you can get one from the "big boys"?


  10. #10
    Member cheapster's Avatar
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    FWIW, I jsut built a system for my wife with an older Chaintech motherboard (7AJAE2, based on the KT133E chipset) and it works fine. Doesn't seem to like to be tweaked, but it is stable at default settings and runs a Duron 850 fast enough for its intended uses. (surfing, word processing, photo editing, scanning images).
    That said, I am also a fan of MSI, and am currently deciding between the MSI KT3 Ultra (KT333) and the MSI 745 Ultra (SIS 745 chipset). The 745 Ultra is about $20 cheaper and runs a little slower on benchmarks, but I have it on good authority that you would never notice the difference in real world apps. The KT3 also offers a better onboard sound option, probably worth the extra $20 by itself, but then what will I do with my good old Turtle Beach Montego II? I already have my 256 mb stick of Crucial PC-2100 DDR and my retail XP1700+ is due to be delivered tomorrow, so I need to make up my mind on which motherboard. Am leaning toward the KT3 Ultra, since it is currently in stock at newegg.com and is the faster of the two. Plus I have had good experiences with VIA chipsets, so far. (4 Apollo Pro 133a, 1 KT133a, and the Chaintech with the KT133E)
    Anybody think I will notice any improvement going from a Via Apollo Pro 133a with a Celeron 600@900 to the KT333 with an XP1700+?
    I wouild be tempted to consider the Chaintech Apogee KT333, but it is about $30 more than the KT3 Ultra, and the MSI boards are a known commodity. The Chaintech does offer some neat features, though. (Love those rounded IDE cables! )
    Chuck
    <A HREF="http://www.sysopt.com/cgi-bin/ocdatabase.cgi?go=1&k=cheapster

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  11. #11
    Banned Antix's Avatar
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    Because you just buying a name, that's all. People get suckered into buying the bigger brands because they are more common in the market place, which Asus, ABit and MSI are. You know how people diss HP because they think they are junk computers? Heh, HP is contracted with Asus and MSI to make the mainboards for their computers. Sony uses Asus as well. How you like em apples?

  12. #12
    Member cheapster's Avatar
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    Didn't Gateway used to use MSI boards in their systems? And I know that a lot of small system integrators use Biostar boards because they are cheap and reliable.
    Chuck
    Last edited by cheapster; 09-06-2002 at 01:49 AM.
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  13. #13
    Banned Antix's Avatar
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    I really can't say. I wouldn't touch a Gateway with a "cattle prod". Moooo!

  14. #14
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    BTW: My VXPro+ PCChips M537DMA33, a non-super 7 board can run K6-2's when other manufacturers' intel VX/HX/FX/TX boards could not. Just a small fact in how a cheap board can keep up.
    Ditto, Antix. Typing from a M537-clone w/a K6-2 @ 338MHz (4.5 x 75) & 96MB EDO -- max CPU it was designed for was a K6-233. Runs dual-booted W95/Linux quickly w/hardly an error for years.

  15. #15
    Junior Member anony04's Avatar
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    the MSI KT133 ulta without the onboard raid and the 2.0 usb **** is a good stable board that supports the 333mhz memory. (i have yet to buy the memory because I still feal it's expensive) It's stable and looks to be a useable MB for at least another year maybe even 2.

    But with all this I will add one thing. I run a lot of p3's for gameing and I'm very very happy with my dual gig's and 800's. I rather put the money on better hard drives and stuff then keep buying newer hardware just so windows starts a little bit faster.

    Video cards are getting crazy. Do you really think we need to run UT 2003 at 1600 X 1200? I want 40-50 fsp at 1028 x 768 max. The rest is a joke.

    If you really want to see something cool, lets see 1 gig + network switches for the home network. I;m tired of waiting for 3 to 8 gigs of files to move from one pc to another.

    I'm going to hold out till pci-x and serial ata hit the market main stream. We need more bandwidth on the bus with faster bus speeds. I want multi processing with out getting a xeon. (There **** for games when you do a cost analysis)

    So what does this mean for me? Well it means I am not getting into the P4 or AMD XP game. I'll wait it out with my dual p3's with 160 scsi drives and WD's 8meg cache IDE drives.

    These boards that are out right now can't scream buy me! We getting locked down in to many places. If you need a new pc cus you got a crappy p3 800 or under get the MSI board. I've built 5 or 6 of em' for friends.

    I'm going to wait here for about a year to 18 months before I upgrade again. I have 6 good pc's for UT 2003. 3 of em are dualies. All have top notch HD's and Video cards. I've spent more on UPS uints then most people have on there PC's. There's no reason for me to go and rip all that out for a few FPS.

    Thanks for reading my absurdly long babble. I guess I'm a little mad today. ~
    Please email me at anony1@hotmail.com if you have any info.

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