Hi all!
Please add to this thread if you have some more info on this subject.

As a system integrator, I come across a lot of motherboards, and its difficult choosing between them. So I have set myself some points to look out for when choosing a motherboard. Do have a look at them and comment:

1. Chipset: There are only 2-3 reliable chipset makers and its only your personal view and experience with the chipsets that governs this criterion.

2. The box and the manual: In general I have found a lot of Taiwanese boards useless, that do not have ANY hint of its manufacturer, neiter on the box nor its manual. The only link to it is the BIOS ID string. So if the board does not have its manufacturer clearly marked on its container it is likely to be bad.

3. The look: Generally, if the board layout and the component placement looks right (here again, people will have different preferences) its likely to be better. Even the number of capacitors placed around the CPU socket/slot or the chipset and I/O connectors can tell about the care taken by the manufacturer to maintain the stability of the board. Quality of the connectors is a matter of discussion.

4. Many manufacturers simply take the sample designs from the chipset and make boards with it. They have not put any money in its R&D and hence these boards are cheaper.

5. Working at such high frequencies (bus frequencies) as they are today is not easy, and you can easily make out the grounding provided on the motherboard. Do you remember of a unstable 486 or a Pentium classic motherboard? Hardly so.

So these are some guidelines I use while choosing a motherboard. Many would not like them since these are purely subjective and instinctive, based on personal experience and observation. Many would suggest some other methods.

So keep posted, choose the right one.

Girish