Motherboard Choice

[randmo]

Just upgraded both sons systems - I get to pick which leftover board I want to put with a Barton 3200 processor - Is there any appreciable difference between:

1) MSI K7N2 Delta L MS6570

2) Abit NF7-S v 2.0

Both have latest bios

Thanks

[Damins]

Wow thats 2 boards I have had and both are good boards. I would say the abit though.

[jediburke]

The Abit NF7-S v 2.0 can handle the 3200 processor and is definetly the better board!!! By luck I have seen both in action with realitively the same specs.
If anyone thinks I'm wrong I'd love to hear about it.

[randmo]

Thanks for the replies. Abit is kind of the way I was leaning. The MSI can handle the 3200 due to BIOS updates. The Abit v 2.0 (being a later release date than the MSI I believe) could handle the 3200 from the beginning. I think the Abit also might have better on board sound.
I should also check out the available memory patterns. The MSI could achieve dual channel with 1 stick of 512mb DDR and 2 sticks of 256mb DDR (all Corsair Value Select 400). Those 3 sticks are what I'll be using. I wonder if the Abit requires 2 sticks exactly alike to achieve dual channel. I'll have to check that out.
Thanks again.

[missiveusa]

AFAIK the nForce2 chipset board will run memory in dual channel as long as channels are balanced. Eg: 2X256 MB on A and 1X512 on B for a total of 1024 MB dual channel.

[randmo]

Thanks, I couldn't find that info in the manual and the board had been previously set up with 2 identical sticks of 512mb.

[mobo57]

I have almost the indentical system. First had the MSI K7N2 Delta ILSR mobo, then changed that out to the Abit NF7-S v.2 mobo. Both performed very well. I'd be hard pressed to recommend one over the other. I think the Abit does have a few more adjustments you can make in the bios for oc'ing, but other than that, they are good boards.