Asus MB - Pick ONE

[Guest]

I'm shopping. I'm an Asus fan, from past experience. My favorite computer parts store just got the A7V266 in today.

Which Asus MB should I choose? I was told to wait for the A7V266, and now that it's here, I just want to make sure it's the right choice.

Thanks.

Leoni

 

[FatBurger]

Nope, sorry. if you can wait for the A7V266<font color=red>a</font color=red>, you'll be very happy with it. The A7V266 uses the KT266 chipset, which is outdated. Via's updated chipset, the KT266<font color=red>a</font color=red> is the one featured on the A7V266<font color=red>a</font color=red>. Much faster chipset. It should be out in a month and a half, or so.

If you don't want to wait, go for the A7A266. It has the Ali Magik chipset, and although it's not as fast as the AMD 761 or SiS 735 chipsets, it's very stable. The A7A266 is also the only board to accept SDRAM and DDR.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

 

[Guest]

I really wanted to wait for the KT266A, but as most things go around here, I'll actually have to wait another 3 months for the KT266A (I actually asked the guys at the computer store here). I think they probably have the A7A266 in stock right now, as well as the A7M. I'm just not sure if I want to go with the Ali Magik, just haven't heard anything really special about it. I've read that the A7V is ideal for overclocking and is very stable, but I haven't been able to find a lot of reviews... I guess since it's a new board with an old chipset.

 

[FatBurger]

Agreed. You don't want the A7M266 for overclocking, as it has no way to change the multiplier. Look at the Abit KG7, if you're interested in that chipset with all the options you could ever want.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

 

[Bames_Jond]

I own the A7V266 motherboard and as I have written, elsewhere in this community, I am very satisfied. The board is fast, stabil and has all the features I like. I don't know why people keeps saying that the mobo is slow??? I have read a review here at THP and as far as i understood it was almost as fast as the Sis board and sometimes faster. Tom complained that the board had been overclocked from the manufactura, I don't care about that, even though I am not a overclocker. I can definetly recommend the Asus A7V266 even though it has not been revised with the KT266A chipset.

Good luck on finding you new mobo!!

My name is Jond, Bames Jond.

My ACPI incompatible network adapter killed my SB Live!

 

[mbetea]

are you serious? it's going to be another 3 months til we see a mobo sporting the kt266a? if so looks like i'm picking up that sis board then.

ewww, put that thing away, you're in public!

 

[Bames_Jond]

Hmmmm where did you here it will take that long???? By the way I did not tell him to wait for the KT266A chipset. I do own the current verison of the A7V266 mobo and im very satisfied with it. I can't say what kind of satisfaction he will get from buying it. I just know that i'm very happy with my buy and want to recommend it to him!!!


My name is Jond, Bames Jond.

My ACPI incompatible network adapter killed my SB Live!

 

[mbetea]

read the posts. fatburger said it would be out another month and half or so, and leoni said he talked to a shop owner and said 3 months. well either is too long to wait.

ewww, put that thing away, you're in public!

 

[Bames_Jond]

Hmmm you are misreading my posts. I said that I own the CURRENT version of A7V266 with the FIRST KT266 chipset and that i'm perfectly happy with it.
you are right though 3 months is a long time. A lot can happen and chipsets change all the time. Settle for what you can get now and buy what you think is best for you. I bought the A7V266 and I found what I was looking for!

My name is Jond, Bames Jond.

My ACPI incompatible network adapter killed my SB Live!

 

[Guest]

Thanks for all the input guys. I think you're a bit mixed up Bames, nobody accused you of telling me to wait for the KT266a. They were referring to FatBurger. He told me to wait, so I just responded with what my shopkeeper told me.

I went with the A7V266, and after a bit of screwing around with it last night, I find it incredible. Of course anything is incredible compared to what I was running before.

So, what kind of scores should I expect with 3dMark? I got just above 2800.

AMD 1.4 Ghz CPU
256 mb DDR memory
GeForce 2 GTS video

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Leoni on 09/27/01 03:05 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Bames_Jond]

Hmmm I honestly don't know! For my part I don't care either. I have never tested my board with any test program. All I know is that it is capable of running every single game I install on the harddisk fluedly. I do not care if I get 89 fps or 82 fps in my games as long as the graphics is not choppy. I use Windows 2K and play Diablo, Max Payne, Serious Sam, StarCraft (not very demanding) and Midtown Madness 2. I run all of these games at a 1024*800 in 32 bit color depth. Of course I can't run Diablo 2 which only supports 800*600 but it still runs fluedly. If you like you could test your new machine and do a reply here telling me the results.

I have a 1.2 Ghz Athlon, A7V266, 2*256 MB PC-2100 DDR RAM, Asus V7700 Geforce 2 GTS, SB Live! 5.1 Platinum, 2* 40 GB IBM GXP60, Pioneer DVD, MPEG card and some other stuff in my machine. I am totally satisfied with it!!!

Good luck with your new system.

My name is Jond, Bames Jond.

My ACPI incompatible network adapter killed my SB Live!

 

[FatBurger]

The board is fast, stabil and has all the features I like. I don't know why people keeps saying that the mobo is slow???

Can you post your Sandra memory benchmarks? I'm interested in seeing them.


Leoni, trust the shopkeeper over me. I don't have any solid evidence, it was just an educated guess. Should have made that clear.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

 

[Boondock_Saint]

2800 is slightly low, should be more like 3400-3800.

 

[FatBurger]

2800, 3400-3800 for what? And what are your memory scores?

They should be around 800/900, I would think.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

 

[Bames_Jond]

I do not have Sandra test system or any other system for that matter. As I wrote in my newest message I really do not care if I get 89 or 82 fps in my games. It does not matter to me. If you can tell me where to download the benchmark program I can download and tell you waht my results here or by e-mail.

P.S. I do not know if Sandra Benchmark programs are freeware/shareware.

My name is Jond, Bames Jond.

My ACPI incompatible network adapter killed my SB Live!

 

[Guest]

Good call, Boondock. Got my 3dMark2001 up to 3600 last night after a bit of tweaking.

 

[FatBurger]

Sandra standard is free. Use that to benchmark your memory.
$10 says you're less than 25% above me. I have a KT133a board, with generic PC133.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

 

[Bames_Jond]

Where can I download it? I will test my memory benchmarks if I can download the program and post it in this topic.



My name is Jond, Bames Jond.

My ACPI incompatible network adapter killed my SB Live!

 

[Sentinel84]

I have had no end of problems with the AMD northbridge AGP driver on my athlon system. I tried everthing on all the problem pages I could find and couldn't get it to work with D3D games at AGPx2 and x4. In the end I just used the windows default drvers at x1 (not much of a performance hit anyway with the new 21.81 gforce drivers).

My system:-

KG7 lite, 1.4 Tbird, 256 DDR
Sparkle Gforce3, SB live
directx 8.1, win98se, via 4in1 version 4.33 (tried 4.29 also), AMD driver 4.8.
Not overclocked and overclocked settings tried.

3dmark 2001 with this system is 5500 (overclocked too)...not much difference to my old system.

ran 3dmark 2001 with my abit SH6 with a pentium 600 overclocked to 752mhz with an FSB of 168mhz (1.85v) and a GF3 (230x530), got a mark of 4802 beating some duron 900's.

Should I have bothered with the athlon???