New Socket 939 Motherboard

danizaken

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Feb 8, 2005
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Hello, This is my first post at THG.
I am looking for a new Socket 939 Motherboard which will probably pair the Athlon64 3500+.
I currently have the ATI Radeon9800 Pro which is AGP8x.
Should I stick to an AGP motherboard or should i go for pci express? I will use this computer mostly for heavy games (Battlefield 1942 DesertCombat Mod and the upcoming Battlefield 2), and for video editing.
i currently have 1024mb of DDR pc2700 ram. It isn't quality ram, one of the sticks is a 512mb Infineon , will it be supported by a athlon64 motherboard?
if i will decide to go with pci-e, i will go for SLI, which is a good preparation for the future. So what SLI motherboard should i choose: ASUS A8N SLI Deluxe or MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI?
Will my antec truepower 330W be enough for the system?( I will not use two graphic cards if i go for SLI ,in the meantime)
I would like a motherboard with many features.
So what motherboard should i get? nearly everday a new motherboard is released which makes me more and more confused.
Thanks, Dani.
 
Welcome Aboard! :smile:

Q. Should I stick with AGP?
A. Unless you want to replace your 9800Pro you HAVE to stick with AGP. You cannot put an AGP card into a PCIe slot.

Q. Will my RAM be supported by a Athlon64 mobo?
A. Need specific info on both modules: Are both PC2700? Who are the Mfrs? Model #s? Generically speaking, the RAM should be able to run on the A64 board. BUT if you put this unmatched slower RAM into the s939, then you are killing one of the s939s primary performance advantages - dual channel memory.

Statement: if i will decide to go with pci-e, i will go for SLI, which is a good preparation for the future
Response: You don't have to get SLI to prepare for the future. The perfect example right now is the <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=13-136-152&DEPA=1" target="_new">DFI Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra</A>. Great performance and features and doesn't carry the SLI price tag. There are even less expensive examples that you can look up.

Q. Will my antec truepower 330W be enough for the system?
A. More than likely - No. Antec makes a good PSU, but that one doesn't have enough juice for todays PCs. Get a PSU that is compliance with the ATX12V <b>v2.0</b> standard. <A HREF="http://www4.tomshardware.com/howto/20041223/index.html" target="_new">Here</A> is a link for more info on this standard.

Q. What mobo should I get?
A. What's your budget and what do you want components do you want to buy with your budget? What features do you want <b>that you will use?</b>

Have you read the FAQ? Looked for previous posts on this topic?
 

danizaken

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Feb 8, 2005
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Well about the ram modules:
1 stick is a 512mb Infineon pc2700, the other stick is a 256mb generic pc2700 and the last is a 256mb Kingston pc2100(it works in pc2700 speeds, but i'm not sure if it can reach DDR400).
What do you Think of ASUS Motherboards? I'm not familiar with DFI, i just know that ASUS has a good reputation.
 
With those sticks you won't be able to setup dual channel. To setup the memory in dual channel the memory needs to be same size/speed - preferably a matched set.

Asus makes good mobos, too. I prefer Abit or DFI, but you'll find different people like different companies products.

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Have you read the FAQ? Looked for previous posts on this topic?
 

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