Advise on MB please

[Deadshade]

I must change my system now because it really became inadequate for playing .
After having been helped on these boards concerning the graphic card , I looked a bit on the Net and came to the following alternative systems :

1)
- CPU : Athlon 64 3400 +
- MB : Abit KV8 MAX3 with 2 GB RAM
- graphic card : nVidia 6800 Ultra

2)
- CPU : P4 3.4C
- MB : Abit IC7 MAX3 with 2 GB RAM
- graphic card : nVidia 6800 Ultra

If I have horribly blundered somewhere , do not laugh - I am no computer specialist .
If not what would you advise from the 2 above ?

P.S
I have also read (and not understood) things about socket 940 .
Is it relevant ?

 

[HardWareBoss]

Save your money and buy Abit IS7. Why do you need 2Gb of ram?

 

[Crashman]

Wow, I wouldn't get either of those. #2 is using overpriced parts, and #1 is using an imperfect board.

If you go Intel, I'd choose the Abit IS7. If you go AMD, I'd choose the MSI K8N Neo Platinum. The AMD board I pointed out is far more full-featured than the Intel board I picked. Also, I can't fathom why anyone would want 2GB of RAM on today's software.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Deadshade]

Well for the RAM it's easy - I think that more is better than less .
Also something that is not needed today will be needed tomorrow .
1 seemed to me not enough and 4 too much .
That's why 2

As for the Abit KV8 MAX3 , I have contemplated it because in this report (http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=922) it seems the best .
In this one (http://www.digital-daily.com/motherboard/abit-kv8-max3/index06.htm) it looks pretty similar to the MSI but I know Abit and don't know MSI


As for Intel (Abit IC7 MAX3) it is similar .
Looking here (http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NTA5LDY=) I noticed that it looked as being the best .

The point is that I don't know if I should take AMD or Intel .
I have been AMD these last 3 years and the AMD 64 seems to be better in game benchmarks .

Perhaps a word about the criteria of choice .
I do not look much at prices - if a component looks like being the best in benchmarks , I tend to choose it regardless of the price (btw I didn't check the prices of my choices , I only tried to look at benchmarks) .
But of course I would like to be sure that it is indeed the "best" .

As an indicative budget I wouldn't go however above 2.5 - 3 k€ .

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Deadshade on 06/09/04 05:42 AM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

1.) I've actually read articles about P4 systems slowing down with 2GB of RAM, I think it has to do with the way 32-bit processors address it.
2.) You might trust Abit more than MSI, but you'd be looking past the better chipset in this situation.
3.) The performance difference between the IC7's and the IS7 is minimal, Anandtech did a review. I prefer the less expensive board because it receives far fewer complaints of memory timing issues from end users in here.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[HardWareBoss]

I agree with Crash on IS7. I've had mine since last July. Plus you buy it cheaper than I did.

 

[Deadshade]

Thanks Crashman

So it seems I was not so far off ?

For the AMD it might be as well the Abit as the MSI but you say MSI has better future ?

For Intel both IC7 and IS7 are good and equivalent choices but IS7 is cheaper .
Right ?

Now if it was you , between the 2 (Athlon 64 or P4 , what would you choose ?

 

[Crashman]

Well, Abit has the NF7-S for Socket A (462), but MSI has the K8N Neo Platinum for the A64 (using nForce3 250 chipset). It might be a while before Abit can catch up to MSI on the newer socket/chipsets.

IC7 performs just a hair better than the IS7 from what I've seen, something like 1% max. But the IS7 has more features (IC7 doesn't even have LAN onboard). Also I've read various complaints about the IC7 having greater timing issues with various memory, I blame the memory makers for that but still the IS7 gets fewer complaints.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[jammydodger]

I would get 1GB of RAM instead of 2GB, then with the saved money get an FX-53.

<font color=blue>P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Radeon 9800Pro
</font color=blue>

 

[HardWareBoss]

Buy the Abit IS7.

 

[Spitfire_x86]

Go for A64 3400+ with MSI K8N Neo Platinum.

I wouldn't buy 2 GB RAM, since 1 GB is more than enough.

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[Zeekfu]

Well if that is what you are gonna do...zipzoomfly has a mobo/cpu/far cry game combo--mwave has a simular offer with the uber deal on that chaintech vnf3 250 for $69/cpu/game combo+ they have some kind of custom heatsink/fan for sale with the oem version-they will also set it up and test memory for nominal charge.

new egg also has the far cry offer.

Is the 3400+ worth $130 more than the 3200+ ? That seems like a lotta cash for a few %.

 

[stormin_normNJ]

I thought there were issues with sound quality on the Abit IS7. I read the Abit AI7 was a better board because they fixed a mic input problem and use a better a better codec: Realtek ALC658. Plus you have uGuru (microGuru) for us n00b overclockers.

comments between the two? I'm about to put my order in. I was going to go for the ic7-max3, but it is out of stock on newegg...now I would rather save the $70 and go for this AI7

 

[jammydodger]

I heard that the onboard sound on the AI7 was worse than that on the IS7, I dont use onboard sound anyway so it doesnt matter for me.

The AI7 is a good board, and Uguru is nice but it is still more expensive than the IS7 and Im not sure if it is worth the extra cash.

<font color=blue>P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Radeon 9800Pro
</font color=blue>

 

[stormin_normNJ]

From the threads here and newegg the AI7 has better sound. Plus you can bump the voltage higher. Although I doubt I will max this out.
The AI7 was also released AFTER the IS7, so that tells me they tweaked the issues with their first prototype and developed a better second board (AI7).

The only reason I would jump on an IS7 is for support reasons. There are just so many more out there.
I almost picked up the IC7-maxIII, but don't see the need to spend an extra $75 for a chipset which is virtually the same for a 2.8C processor. No big gain.

 

[jammydodger]

Well there wernt ever any big issues with the IS7 that I know of anyway. You would have to ask some1 that has used the onboard sound on the both the IS7 and the AI7, I have never used either.

How about you stop spending your money on worhtless components (i.e. 2GB of RAM) and get a proper soundcard instead?

<font color=blue>P4c 2.6@3.25
512Mb PC4000
2x120Gb 7200.7 in RAID0
Waterchill KT12-L30
Abit AI7
Radeon 9800Pro
</font color=blue>

 

[HardWareBoss]

I'm still using onboard sound with my IS7. Have not got around to buying another sound card.

 

[stormin_normNJ]

I'm happy with one 512 stick and quickly moving to dual channel 512 to hit 1GB.
The original post, deadshade, wanted 2GB.
I agree with you, I'd rather use the money elsewhere.

 

[stormin_normNJ]

I'm happy with one 512 stick and quickly moving to dual channel 512 to hit 1GB.
The original post, deadshade, wanted 2GB.
I agree with you, I'd rather use the money elsewhere.