How does one decide on MoBo?

[SirRiff]

Greetings,

I'm fairly new to this build your own computer stuff, so don't expect tech talk from me. HOWEVER, I am a musican planning to build a digital audio workstation (computer that replaces recording studio). Typically, this means streaming 10 channels of 24bit/96Khz into your computer at once (which is massive amounts of data processing).

SO, the althon XP processors are coming out so I figured I would probobly get a 1800 model in the near future. So I hear that the VIA KT266A is perfect for it? THEN its just the MoBO, I did a search on amd.com and Asus came up obviously with serveral others. So, is the A7V266-E an obvious choice? Am I missing something or is it that easy to get compatability and performance these days?

You guys know alot about this, so I simply ask "Have I figured it out?" or is there something better out there?

SirRiff

 

[kindlr]

Asus's board isn't out yet from what I hear..
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.html?i=1547
Go there for a comparison of the MSI, Epox, and Shuttle boards, Gigabyte also has one out but I haven't heard anything about it.

Me "I bought a TNT2 M64, the BIOS says its a Vanta"
IOMagic "Theyre the same card"
Me "Um, no"

 

[Guest]

I haven't read anything on the XP's and sound performance. I think it's a safe bet that your largest performance gains and the features that you're looking to make a home recording studion will be in a professional sound card. Anybody have suggestions on the best sound card for a home studio?

 

[Guest]

http://www4.tomshardware.com/video/01q3/010927/index.html

Try this on for size the SB Audigy Platinum ex .. and I would definetly wait a few weeks or so to see what new boards come out...

I am a musican too and im hoping to see *crosses fingers* a decent ddr (w/kt266a chipset) board released without onboard audio.. in the next few weeks

Anyway .. a nice athalon xp 1800 and an "front panel" sporting Audigy card.. a gig of pc2100... should do the trick ... I have a little dinky 4channel mixer I have jacked into my old SB live! and it works wonders ..

Oh yeah .. I said WAIT! for some of the new boards.... the one youve selected could only get cheaper.. and they might come out with something astonishing soon *crosses fingers again*

I am a goober.. with just enough knowledge to be dangerous .. .. will you hold this for a sec?

 

[Crashman]

Any VIA platform is NOT ideal, ESPCIALLY when your using special cards. VIA has the worst compatability in the industry. I recommend something with the SiS 735 chipset. The ECS K7S5A is prefered right now as it has the best quality, but look for future motherboard with higher performance to be released.
nVidia keeps promissing us the nForce as well. If your waiting, that will be worth looking into.

Back to you Tom...

 

[SirRiff]

I'm really just interested in processing power of the processor-mobo-ram combination. My sound card will be a mulitchannel I/O 24/96 with shielded converters. Ardvark Q10, Delta 1010, (Protools?) or something like that. But its just so much work on the processor. 10 channels of 24bits/96 Khz recording is pretty harsh. And playback of 20 tracks with realtime effects is desirable as well. So its just raw power I want to get. Mobos aren't that expensive, but you think they will be getting cheaper? This computer will last me a decade so I don't mind putting a bit extra in to get good work out.


SirRiff

 

[Guest]

<A HREF="http://www.asus.com/Products/Motherboard/ddr266/a7v266-e/index.html" target="_new">a7v266-e </A> this is the board .. I think im getting.. damn onboard audio ... but it does have a nice layout and supposed "rock solid stability" ... + agp pro and no scr, or whatever other useless frills (except onboard audio) Ah [-peep-] I looked again and it has one of those SCR slots .. WTF!? anyways .. still looks like a decent board ... All this talk about VIA compatability is making me nervous though .. I do have to wait another month before I buy .. Although i think VIA is starting to get the drift .. they are making leaps and bounds right now to try and please ... who knows .. when the chips are down .. we may see a winner.... Im not holding any grudges

Im curious if you arent getting an Audigy ... what exactly is the soundcard your getting...

I am a goober.. with just enough knowledge to be dangerous .. .. will you hold this for a sec?<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by tyrefunk on 10/26/01 10:27 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Crashman]

Like I said, ECS K7S5A. It's only $65. Or less. And it's a solid, stable, compatable, high-performance platform.

Back to you Tom...

 

[khha4113]

Too bad it's not overclockable-friendly! If it just has option to adjust multiplier...

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[Crashman]

Get the overclockers BIOS, set the multiplier manually on the chip, and select the bus frequency you want.

Back to you Tom...

 

[Guest]

RE: THE AUDIGY PLATINUM eX

This comes straight from a review, so you'll have to make of it what you can/will (PC Pro, issue 86, Dec 2001):

"...and there's a top sample rate of 96kHz. Well, not quite. The S/PDIF can output at 96kHz - which is pointless considering any DAT or MiniDisc will sample at 32, 44.1 or 48kHz - and that's it. You can still only sample at a maximum of 16-bit 48kHz, so it's not quite the professional musician's card that the 24-bit 96kHz specification implies."

These are the VIA KT266A boards I'm looking at (perhaps waiting untill a comparative review comes out). Epox EP-8KHA+ (price, 6 PCI), MSI K7T266 Pro2-RU (USB 2, RAID 0 and 1), ASUS A7V266-e (performance?), or the upcoming(?) Abit KR7-RAID (4 DIMMS, 6 PCI, RAID 0, 1 and 0,1). The Abit looks interesting.

 

[khha4113]

Get the overclockers BIOS, set the multiplier manually on the chip, and select the bus frequency you want.

Where can I get that?

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[Crashman]

Somebody posted a link to it a couple weeks (or less) ago, you should look for it.

Back to you Tom...

 

[dhlucke]

<A HREF="http://forum.ocworkbench.com/ocwbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=4" target="_new">Tada</A>

<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red>

 

[dhlucke]

How do you manually set a multiplier though?

<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red>

 

[khha4113]

Thanks.

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.