Best mobo for my system?

[Radiant]

Hello all,

I have decided to buy a new mobo for my system as soon as I get the $. So I am researching mobo's that work with my system. So I am asking you all your opinions. Thanks in advance.

What I am looking for:
The mobo needs to work well with the following components.
AMD Athlon 1.4 Ghz
ATI Radeon 9500pro
Enermax Whisper 431Watt PSU
Crucial DDR 2100
Soundblaster PCI128


I realize some of these components are old, which is why I have to research my mobo so thoroughly. Unfortunatly, I dont have the $ to just go buy all the latest-greatest, so I have to upgrade slowly piece by piece.

Thanks for your opinions, advice and information.

Radiant


Athlon 1.4
epox 8k7a+
256megs Crucial DDR RAM
ATI Radeon 9500Pro
Soundblaster PCI128
ViewSonic A95f 19"
Enermax Whisper 431Watt PSU
WinXP Pro SP1

 

[Prof133]

There are some nForce2 motherboards out there that will surely meet your budget. Epox 8RDA+, for example. It contains the nVidia Audio which would be a step up from your current sound card. And it only cost ~$83.

<b><font color=blue>Logic over all.</font color=blue></b>

 

[pIII_Man]

another vote for the 8rda+

If i put my k6 in a Ferrari it would be faster than your your pentium 4 or Athlon XP :tongue:

 

[Radiant]

2 votes for the 8rda3+.
Couple questions. Will the nForce in any way, shape or form conflict with an ATI vid card? I mean, I know they are rivals and I just wanna make sure.

Any suggestions for non-epox boards?

Thanks in advance
Radiant

Athlon 1.4
epox 8k7a+
256megs Crucial DDR RAM
ATI Radeon 9500Pro
Soundblaster PCI128
ViewSonic A95f 19"
Enermax Whisper 431Watt PSU
WinXP Pro SP1

 

[Prof133]

- 8RDA+ and 8RDA3+ are two different boards.

- nForce2 based motherboards will work fine with an ATi card.

<b><font color=blue>Logic over all.</font color=blue></b>

 

[pIII_Man]

they are both great though

If i put my k6 in a Ferrari it would be faster than your your pentium 4 or Athlon XP :tongue:

 

[Prof133]

- Indeed, Epox makes quality motherboards.

- And i'll also add Abit NF7-S to the list since non-epox mobos have been requested.

<b><font color=blue>Logic over all.</font color=blue></b>

 

[pIII_Man]

yup that is a fine mobo..especially if ya want an alternative to an a7n8x...it has all the features but also adds overclockability...

If i put my k6 in a Ferrari it would be faster than your your pentium 4 or Athlon XP :tongue:

 

[Radiant]

ok, so far from what I've heard, these are the suggestions:

Epox 8RDA+ 83$ from www.newegg.com

Abit NF7-s 113$ from www.newegg.com

Asus a7n8x 88$ from www.newegg.com

First, I currently have an epox and am very happy with it. I have had several Asus boards and have never had problems. I have had 1 abit board, about 5 years ago, and I hated it.

What I am looking for;
First, and foremost, S T A B I L I T Y! I demand stability from my boards. I like the option of overclocking, but I almost never push my computer very hard. Mainly, I just dont have the $ to be able to replace components if they should get pushed too hard.

Second, I have a seagate SATA harddrive. I love it. I have a serial/ata adapter. I hate it. I noticed both the asus and abit boards have built in SATA adapters, the epox doesnt. Like I said, I have an adapter card, but it takes up a pci slot and it is a pain in the ass to install the drivers for it everytime I need to work in low level. And I tend to format alot.

So, given all this, which would you suggest? Given the SATA, I am still leaning towards the epox board because I have had recent experience with epox and I am happy. But, with some experienced advice, that could easily be changed.

Thanks

Radiant

Athlon 1.4
epox 8k7a+
256megs Crucial DDR RAM
ATI Radeon 9500Pro
Soundblaster PCI128
ViewSonic A95f 19"
Enermax Whisper 431Watt PSU
WinXP Pro SP1

 

[pIII_Man]

i think the 8rda3+ has sata...

If i put my k6 in a Ferrari it would be faster than your your pentium 4 or Athlon XP :tongue:

 

[pat]

You sould check Soltek nforce2 based boards too, the sl-75frn2 serie. newegg has them. I have one since 3 months,it is fast, very stable (still waiting for my first crash)and doesnt cost that much. I run my 1.83 GHz 2500+ with the fsb @400 (normally 333), stock voltage and I just lowered the multiplier from 11 to 10.5 (2.1GHz)because I have stock cooler and not enough ventilation in my case, so it doesnt go too high in temp. When I'll have some quiets case fans, I'll crank the multiplier to 11 again.

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[Prof133]

I'd choose Abit NF7-S for this build. It has Serial ATA, great overclocking features, nVidia soundstorm, stability, etc.

<b><font color=blue>Logic over all.</font color=blue></b>