Good Intel platform/mobo

xlodo

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Hi,

I'm building a machine for a friend who wants intel. I've always built AMD, so I'm not to sure what to go for here. What's a good lga775 mobo for $70- $100? 915 based I guess. The computer is for a teenager that doesn't play many games, probably school papers/surfing mainly, but with some longevity down the road, I'm guessing PCI-express is a good option here.
Thanks in advance
 

dunklegend

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Mozzartusm has more experience with Intel systems, maybe you can PM him
&#95

<font color=red>Left to themselves, all things go from bad to worse</font color=red>
 

mozzartusm

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I need more info. Which 775 CPU will you be using?How much do have to spend on the whole system? Do you have some components already?

ASUS P5WD2 Premium
Intel 3.73 EE @ 5.6Ghz validated.
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xlodo

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My friend wants a 3.2-3.4 ghz CPU. I believe $250 -$300 for mobo and CPU is what he's aiming for, so perhaps a 3.0 is more realistic. The rest of the components will be 1 gig of ram, 80-120 g HD, some cheap PCI-e VC, I was thinking 6200 perhaps. Probably a 480 PSU, antec/enermax/ or that other cheap brand I forget that is related to Sparkle. The case is all he has right now.
Thanks!
 

mozzartusm

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First thing that needs to be pointed out it that you better focus on the PSU for one of these rigs. So many people get a 775 and wonder why its not stable. They are power hungry. DO NOT SKIMP on the PSU. For the money your talking about I wouldnt build a socket 775 rig. They require high quality and expensive parts in order to have a chance of running worth a damn.

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xlodo

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I don't follow you. The fact that he'll spend $300 on the mobo/cpu doesn't limit how much he'll spend on the PSU.
Unless you're saying there are no good sub $100 775 motherboards. If that is the case, then the questions are,
- What is the cheapest, yet reliable motherboard for a 775 single core CPU?
- What is the cheapest, yet reliable motherboard for a 775 dual core CPU?
Bear in mind no OCing will take place, Prescottis hot enough as it is.
 

mozzartusm

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Im saying that in my opinion there are no good sub $100.00 MOBOs for the 775. The reason simply being that it takes a very high quality MOBO to withstand the heat. If your OCing thenit becomes more important. My suggestion is that you go with an ASUS board. I can tell you from my experience with them that they make a very good socket 775 MOBO. The best on the market are the P5AD2-E-Premium and the P5WD2 Premium. The P5WD2 is a few dollars cheaper and has more OCing options. Its the best of the two and it also supports Dual core. I have both of these boards and wouldnt hesitate to buy another one. The CPU could cost you $300.00, which one were you considering?

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mozzartusm

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I wouldnt build a system with it if somebody gave it to me.

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mozzartusm

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Probably none as far as stability. The only reason that I enjoy computers as much as I do is the OCing. Intel MOBO's dont have the extras in BIOS. I looked at Newegg and you can get a 945 chipset on an ASUS board for around 120.00

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xlodo

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