recommendations for an amd-based board PLEASE

tanya

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hi,
x-posted
i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
3000+ cpu)
not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
cards)...
i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
pci slots...
(i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
thank you in advance!
 

jad

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mainboard option variities will become much better when the platform becomes
more popular. Right now your dealing with the 'beta' versions of boards to
come.


"Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
> hi,
> x-posted
> i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> 3000+ cpu)
> not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> cards)...
> i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> pci slots...
> (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> thank you in advance!
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
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Tanya wrote:

> hi,
> x-posted
> i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> 3000+ cpu)
> not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> cards)...
> i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> pci slots...
> (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> thank you in advance!

Best brand, which is almost universally recognized as so, is Asus. However,
they do not make a PCI-e based motherboard that isn't SLI. MSI is also a
good brand, and I think they're the current supplier for Dell, if that
tells you anything about how good their products are. They have an nForce 4
board that has only a single PCI-e 16 slot for graphics - the K8N Neo4-F:

http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K8N_Neo4-F&class=mb

New Egg has the board for $94 + $4 shipping:

http://www.newegg.com/app/SearchProductResult.asp?Submit=Go&DEPA=0

My favorite online retailer, ZipZoomFly, has it for $92 + free shipping:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=241163


--

Registered Linux user #378193
 

jad

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if that
tells you anything about how good their products are.


Good? nope "cheap"

"Ruel Smith" <NoWay@NoWhere.com> wrote in message
news:49_Yd.473$185.423@fe37.usenetserver.com...
> Tanya wrote:
>
>> hi,
>> x-posted
>> i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
>> 3000+ cpu)
>> not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
>> cards)...
>> i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
>> pci slots...
>> (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
>> thank you in advance!
>
> Best brand, which is almost universally recognized as so, is Asus.
> However,
> they do not make a PCI-e based motherboard that isn't SLI. MSI is also a
> good brand, and I think they're the current supplier for Dell, if that
> tells you anything about how good their products are. They have an nForce
> 4
> board that has only a single PCI-e 16 slot for graphics - the K8N Neo4-F:
>
> http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K8N_Neo4-F&class=mb
>
> New Egg has the board for $94 + $4 shipping:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/app/SearchProductResult.asp?Submit=Go&DEPA=0
>
> My favorite online retailer, ZipZoomFly, has it for $92 + free shipping:
>
> http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=241163
>
>
> --
>
> Registered Linux user #378193
>
 

tanya

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hi Ruel,
[...below...]

Ruel Smith wrote:

> Tanya wrote:
>
> > hi,
> > x-posted
> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> > 3000+ cpu)
> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> > cards)...
> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> > pci slots...
> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> > thank you in advance!
>
> Best brand, which is almost universally recognized as so, is Asus. However,
> they do not make a PCI-e based motherboard that isn't SLI. MSI is also a
> good brand, and I think they're the current supplier for Dell, if that
> tells you anything about how good their products are. They have an nForce 4
> board that has only a single PCI-e 16 slot for graphics - the K8N Neo4-F:
>
> http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K8N_Neo4-F&class=mb
>
> New Egg has the board for $94 + $4 shipping:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/app/SearchProductResult.asp?Submit=Go&DEPA=0
>
> My favorite online retailer, ZipZoomFly, has it for $92 + free shipping:
>
> http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=241163
>
> --
>
> Registered Linux user #378193

hi Ruel,
the msi board looks good!
thanks
sincerely
Tanya
 

tanya

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JAD wrote:

> mainboard option variities will become much better when the platform becomes
> more popular. Right now your dealing with the 'beta' versions of boards to
> come.

are there any brands that are a bit more *advanced*?

>
>
> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
> > hi,
> > x-posted
> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> > 3000+ cpu)
> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> > cards)...
> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> > pci slots...
> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> > thank you in advance!
> >
 

jad

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for what puposes? 'not gaming' leaves what, office apps, graphics, video
editing? you don't really need 'advanced' for this kind of stuff. PCI -e is,
for now, the new interface for video.

"Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:42347FB4.17F11398@attglobal.net...
> JAD wrote:
>
>> mainboard option variities will become much better when the platform
>> becomes
>> more popular. Right now your dealing with the 'beta' versions of boards
>> to
>> come.
>
> are there any brands that are a bit more *advanced*?
>
>>
>>
>> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
>> news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
>> > hi,
>> > x-posted
>> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
>> > 3000+ cpu)
>> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
>> > cards)...
>> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have
>> > more
>> > pci slots...
>> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
>> > thank you in advance!
>> >
>
>
>
>
 
G

Guest

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I presume that you're referring to a Socket 939 A64. (The other choice would
be Socket 754, which can give slightly less expensive system. Socket 754
seems to be "being phased out", but there are still lots of mainboards on
the market.)

If you don't want SLI, there may not be much point in getting a PCI-E
mainboard at this time. AGP is still in the mainstream, and I've read
nothing that indicates that first-generation PCI-E graphics cards offer
performance advantages over AGP.

I suggest that you not worry about obsolescence, as it's unavoidable, but
rather aim for performance and reliability.

My current machine uses an Asus A8V Deluxe mainboard. It's AGP, with 5 PCI
slots. (I'm using an Audigy 2 sound card, even though the board has
multichannnel onboard audio. The onboard gigabit NIC is adequate to use with
my 4 Mb/s cable modem connection.) If you buy one of these, Revision 2 is
supposed to be better, although the differences may never be obvious if you
don't overclock. I have my A8V Rev 2 for quite a while - about 6 months.

If you want PCI-E graphics but not SLI, there's the A8V-E, which uses the
newer K8T890 chipset. (It has only 3 PCI slots, plus two PCI-E X1 slots.
Cards for the latter don't seem to be common yet.)

If you wish to get overwhelmed, go to www.newegg.com. Search for AMD
mainboards using Socket 939. I imagine that the boards with the highest
performance at the moment use the nVidia nForce 4 chipsets. The vanilla
nForce 4 doesn't support SLI. Abit and Microstar have favorable reputations,
and DFI is becoming popular with overclockers. I like Asus, but they don't
appear to have a non-SLI nForce 4 board.

Good luck.

Bob Knowlden

Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

"Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
> hi,
> x-posted
> i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> 3000+ cpu)
> not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> cards)...
> i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> pci slots...
> (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> thank you in advance!
>
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

> i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> 3000+ cpu)
> not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> cards)...
> i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> pci slots...
> (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> thank you in advance!

What will you be using the PC for if not for gaming?
Are you interested in a motherboard with built-in
video to save $$$ right now? You are right about
most PCI Express boards not having as many PCI
slots as AGP ones (typically a max of 3). How
many do you need?

---
Kevin Chalker, Owner KC COMPUTERS
E-mail: kc@kc-computers.com Web: www.kc-computers.com
Internet dealer since 1991!!! See WWW.RESELLERRATINGS.COM!!!
 

tanya

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hi and thanks,
[...below...]

KC Computers wrote:

> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> > 3000+ cpu)
> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> > cards)...
> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> > pci slots...
> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> > thank you in advance!
>
> What will you be using the PC for if not for gaming?

internet, photo editing (low key), scanning drawings...
(i'd assume that if it was good for gaming it would be a good pc all around?)

> Are you interested in a motherboard with built-in
> video to save $$$ right now?

yes however, i heard that the amd-boards with onBoard video have poor video
(compared to intel onboard)
(i am using a pmmx (200mhz) currently w/ onboard video and 2 mb's of video
ram) and it has a good display.
i would like to consider some amd-based boards with onboard video (plus i
assume like intel, one could get a card if necessary)

> You are right about
> most PCI Express boards not having as many PCI
> slots as AGP ones (typically a max of 3). How
> many do you need?

at least 2 but likely more (i think 3 is good) i don't know what pci-e, pci-e
x4 are for...

> ---
> Kevin Chalker, Owner KC COMPUTERS
> E-mail: kc@kc-computers.com Web: www.kc-computers.com
> Internet dealer since 1991!!! See WWW.RESELLERRATINGS.COM!!!

thanks,
sincerely
Tanya
 
G

Guest

Guest
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Tanya wrote:

>> mainboard option variities will become much better when the platform
>> becomes more popular. Right now your dealing with the 'beta' versions of
>> boards to come.
>
> are there any brands that are a bit more *advanced*?

What Jad has said is true. As a matter of fact, the new generation of Athlon
64's have trouble with nForce boards, as they've changed something. No word
if this affects Via based boards, yet.

http://theinquirer.net/?article=21780

One would think that new drivers might fix the issue, but apparently, it's
firmware related and not easily solved without changing motherboards.

However, you cannot wait forever. By the time they iron out any problems
that might have occurred in a particular chipset/motherboard, new
technology is released. Dual core Athlon 64's will appear in the second
half of this year, which is about the time revision 2 boards of the current
offerings may appear. But, by then, you'll pay less for what will be
considered, at the time, "old technology". The only way you can be assured
of not having any problems at all is buying yesterday's technology. Then,
you usually feel as if you're getting less for your money. For instance,
Athlon 64's are now about as cheap as Athlon XP's. Even the motherboards
are now about as cheap. That begs the question why you would even build an
Athlon XP board even if it's as reliable as it could be.

You'll never get ahead of the game. You're either on the cutting edge, or
you're hardware will feel outdated fairly quickly. You can't wait forever
for tomorrow's technology, but today's technology will soon be obsolete.
You just can't win.


--

Registered Linux user #378193
 

tanya

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hi JAD,
other purposes -- i can think of lots...
i don't need 2 video cards etc..
thanks

JAD wrote:

> for what puposes? 'not gaming' leaves what, office apps, graphics, video
> editing? you don't really need 'advanced' for this kind of stuff. PCI -e is,
> for now, the new interface for video.
>
> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:42347FB4.17F11398@attglobal.net...
> > JAD wrote:
> >
> >> mainboard option variities will become much better when the platform
> >> becomes
> >> more popular. Right now your dealing with the 'beta' versions of boards
> >> to
> >> come.
> >
> > are there any brands that are a bit more *advanced*?
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> >> news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
> >> > hi,
> >> > x-posted
> >> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> >> > 3000+ cpu)
> >> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> >> > cards)...
> >> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have
> >> > more
> >> > pci slots...
> >> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> >> > thank you in advance!
> >> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
 
G

Guest

Guest
Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt,alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (More info?)

Tanya wrote:

> yes however, i heard that the amd-boards with onBoard video have poor
> video (compared to intel onboard)
> (i am using a pmmx (200mhz) currently w/ onboard video and 2 mb's of video
> ram) and it has a good display.
> i would like to consider some amd-based boards with onboard video (plus i
> assume like intel, one could get a card if necessary)

I seem to remember that nForce boards with built-in graphics spanked Intel
boards with built-in graphics. However, I haven't seen an nForce board with
onboard graphics in awhile. I think nForce 2 was the last chipset available
from nVidia with built-in graphics. I'm not sure about Via and ATi, but I
don't think anyone has a PCI-e board with onboard graphics right now.
Onboard graphics tend to be on the low end, and PCI-e boards are at the
high end.

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040211/index.html

>> You are right about
>> most PCI Express boards not having as many PCI
>> slots as AGP ones (typically a max of 3). How
>> many do you need?
>
> at least 2 but likely more (i think 3 is good) i don't know what pci-e,
> pci-e x4 are for...

I've got 2 computers and only 1 single PCI card installed, which is a
Creative Audigy sound card. The other slots have remained unused. Gone are
the days you have a modem card, a LAN card, a hardware DVD decoder, an
additional IDE controller, and maybe a TV card. You pretty much use onboard
stuff, unless, like me, you want to add a 3rd party sound card, a modem, or
something. DVD decoding is now done effortlessly with software, many people
use broadband connections and connect via USB or onboard LAN, motherboards
have multiple IDE/SATA connections and controllers, and just about anything
else you'd want can be added via USB.

PCI-e x1 and PCI-e x4 are supposed to replace PCI slots in the near future,
just as PCI did ISA slots.


--

Registered Linux user #378193
 

tanya

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hi Bob,
thanks for the reply...
[...below...]

Bob Knowlden wrote:

> I presume that you're referring to a Socket 939 A64. (The other choice would
> be Socket 754, which can give slightly less expensive system.

sorry -- i should have mentioned this (s939)

> Socket 754
> seems to be "being phased out", but there are still lots of mainboards on
> the market.)
>
> If you don't want SLI, there may not be much point in getting a PCI-E
> mainboard at this time. AGP is still in the mainstream, and I've read
> nothing that indicates that first-generation PCI-E graphics cards offer
> performance advantages over AGP.

seems like the agp-supporting boards offer more options that i'd need...

> I suggest that you not worry about obsolescence, as it's unavoidable, but
> rather aim for performance and reliability.

i'm not worried about the pc / board being obsolete and for reliability i guess
it should have been around for a while.

> My current machine uses an Asus A8V Deluxe mainboard. It's AGP, with 5 PCI
> slots. (I'm using an Audigy 2 sound card, even though the board has
> multichannnel onboard audio. The onboard gigabit NIC is adequate to use with
> my 4 Mb/s cable modem connection.) If you buy one of these, Revision 2 is
> supposed to be better, although the differences may never be obvious if you
> don't overclock. I have my A8V Rev 2 for quite a while - about 6 months.

where would it say rev 2? i have not seen this...

> If you want PCI-E graphics but not SLI, there's the A8V-E, which uses the
> newer K8T890 chipset. (It has only 3 PCI slots, plus two PCI-E X1 slots.
> Cards for the latter don't seem to be common yet.)
>
> If you wish to get overwhelmed, go to www.newegg.com. Search for AMD
> mainboards using Socket 939.

that is why i am trying to get recommendations :)

> I imagine that the boards with the highest
> performance at the moment use the nVidia nForce 4 chipsets. The vanilla
> nForce 4 doesn't support SLI. Abit and Microstar have favorable reputations,
> and DFI is becoming popular with overclockers. I like Asus, but they don't
> appear to have a non-SLI nForce 4 board.

how about the nforce3 chipset?

> Good luck.

thanks!
sincerely
Tanya

> Bob Knowlden
>
> Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
>
> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
> > hi,
> > x-posted
> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> > 3000+ cpu)
> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> > cards)...
> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> > pci slots...
> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> > thank you in advance!
> >
 

JohnS

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There is only one decent mobo out there right now for
that ... Gigabyte K8NS. The ASUS is notorious for
hanging on to a million outdated jumpers, and they
invariably come set wrong. Also, they are monsters
in a case ... waaay too big. The rest of them are fly-by-
nights and you will never be able to recover in a
warranty situation. That leaves the Gigabyte board
in an Antec SLK 1650 case. The other stuff .. well
ATI 9800 Pro 128 is really the best card for what is
out there right now ... and probably for the next couple
years. We are going through a time of Euro-trash
games swamping the market, and they don't need much
of any kind of card. I like the high speed Hitachi SATA
drive 160 gig for sure. I also like Sony CDRWDVD
for all that it can do, and the price is right. Pioneer is
loud .. Plextor is overpriced ... Goldstar is made broke.
AOC monitors are priced right, and I have literally 100s
of them in my labs .. for years now. Stick with Gigabyte.
The rest of them are just big talkers, and you will learn
the hard way not to listen.

johns
 
G

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Tanya,

My responses are below.

"Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:4234D1F6.F708B07F@attglobal.net...
> hi Bob,
> thanks for the reply...
> [...below...]
>
(snip)
>
> where would it say rev 2? i have not seen this...
>
The literal answer: the board is labeled "A8V" between the PCI slots nearest
the end of the board. In smaller print, it says "Rev. 2.00". (I knew that
case window would be good for something, someday.)

As regards excessive features, I believe that the A8V Deluxe is usually not
bundled with the wireless networking card in the US. You may not want the
extra Promise drive controller, but it shouldn't add much to the cost. (I
have the Promise controller disabled in the BIOS settings. Saves a little
time at start-up.) Most mainboards come with onboard audio, and I think that
a built-in NIC is a good idea.

>
> how about the nforce3 chipset?
>

The nForce3 chipset was supposed to have the best performance of its day,
although at least one review I read made it very little better than the
K8T800 Pro. The MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum
(http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-468&depa=1)
was highly regarded. (I read some comments that suggested it may be
unforgiving in getting set up, but people mainly post problems to Usenet and
online forums. Popular products get lots of problem posts.) I have never
seen a comparison between the nforce4 (single PCI-E graphics slot) and the
nForce3 250 Ultra (AGP).

>
> thanks!
> sincerely
> Tanya
>

I'm not really trying to proselytize for the A8V, but I've had good
performance and reliability with the one I've used. It's my first AMD
system, and it has been a positive experience. (I got it because I had
purchased an nVidia Geforce 6800GT AGP card. I wanted to upgrade my P4
without spending a lot of money, but Intel was moving to PCI-E and DDR2
memory. The A64 system was the obvious choice at the time.)

As regards one remark you made in another post: I think that onboard
graphics are rare on Socket 939 mainboards. Newegg has one, though:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-485&depa=1

It uses an ATI chipset with integrated graphics. It has a PCI-E X16 slot,
should you wish to add a better graphics card. I'm not familiar with the
board, and I believe that it's new, but ATI and MSI have favorable
reputations. Best of all, it's $91 with $3 shipping. Although it's a
microATX board, it doesn't lack features. If you're prepared to try a newish
product, it looks like am attractive package. (Disclaimer: I don't have one,
and I know no one who does.)

HTH.

Bob Kn.
 

tanya

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thanks for replying,
[...below...]

Ruel Smith wrote:

> Tanya wrote:
>
> > yes however, i heard that the amd-boards with onBoard video have poor
> > video (compared to intel onboard)
> > (i am using a pmmx (200mhz) currently w/ onboard video and 2 mb's of video
> > ram) and it has a good display.
> > i would like to consider some amd-based boards with onboard video (plus i
> > assume like intel, one could get a card if necessary)
>
> I seem to remember that nForce boards with built-in graphics spanked Intel
> boards with built-in graphics. However, I haven't seen an nForce board with
> onboard graphics in awhile. I think nForce 2 was the last chipset available
> from nVidia with built-in graphics. I'm not sure about Via and ATi, but I
> don't think anyone has a PCI-e board with onboard graphics right now.
> Onboard graphics tend to be on the low end, and PCI-e boards are at the
> high end.
>
> http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20040211/index.html

thank you for the link -- it's helpful!

i'll look for via and ati boards and for an onboard video chip
(i've heard that nforce is the best?)

> >> You are right about
> >> most PCI Express boards not having as many PCI
> >> slots as AGP ones (typically a max of 3). How
> >> many do you need?
> >
> > at least 2 but likely more (i think 3 is good) i don't know what pci-e,
> > pci-e x4 are for...
>
> I've got 2 computers and only 1 single PCI card installed, which is a
> Creative Audigy sound card. The other slots have remained unused. Gone are
> the days you have a modem card, a LAN card, a hardware DVD decoder, an
> additional IDE controller, and maybe a TV card. You pretty much use onboard
> stuff, unless, like me, you want to add a 3rd party sound card, a modem, or
> something. DVD decoding is now done effortlessly with software, many people
> use broadband connections and connect via USB or onboard LAN, motherboards
> have multiple IDE/SATA connections and controllers, and just about anything
> else you'd want can be added via USB.
>
> PCI-e x1 and PCI-e x4 are supposed to replace PCI slots in the near future,
> just as PCI did ISA slots.

yes...however i haven't heard of anything that will use them currently (and i'd
prefer wait for any bugs to be ironed out:)

> --
>
> Registered Linux user #378193

thanks,
sincerely
Tanya
 

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hi Ruel,
thanks for replying
you answered one of my questions (re: the nforcex chipset)
(i heard that nforce is *the best*... but wouldn't be if there are issues that
you refer to....)

Ruel Smith wrote:

> Tanya wrote:
>
> >> mainboard option variities will become much better when the platform
> >> becomes more popular. Right now your dealing with the 'beta' versions of
> >> boards to come.
> >
> > are there any brands that are a bit more *advanced*?
>
> What Jad has said is true. As a matter of fact, the new generation of Athlon
> 64's have trouble with nForce boards, as they've changed something. No word
> if this affects Via based boards, yet.

this info is very much appreciated
thanks!

> http://theinquirer.net/?article=21780

helpful link!

> One would think that new drivers might fix the issue, but apparently, it's
> firmware related and not easily solved without changing motherboards.
>
> However, you cannot wait forever. By the time they iron out any problems
> that might have occurred in a particular chipset/motherboard, new
> technology is released. Dual core Athlon 64's will appear in the second
> half of this year, which is about the time revision 2 boards of the current
> offerings may appear. But, by then, you'll pay less for what will be
> considered, at the time, "old technology". The only way you can be assured
> of not having any problems at all is buying yesterday's technology. Then,
> you usually feel as if you're getting less for your money. For instance,
> Athlon 64's are now about as cheap as Athlon XP's. Even the motherboards
> are now about as cheap. That begs the question why you would even build an
> Athlon XP board even if it's as reliable as it could be.
>
> You'll never get ahead of the game. You're either on the cutting edge, or
> you're hardware will feel outdated fairly quickly. You can't wait forever
> for tomorrow's technology, but today's technology will soon be obsolete.
> You just can't win.

i can win <lol> if when planning, i try to get (not yesterdays perhaps) but
several hours ago's technology...
if i shoot for the stars then for certain i will be disappointed (5 minutes
after placing the order it'll be obsolete)
(plus it would be FAR_TOO_EXPEN$IVE)
thank
sincerely
Tanya

> --
>
> Registered Linux user #378193
 

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thanks again for replying!
[...below...]

Bob Knowlden wrote:

> Tanya,
>
> My responses are below.
>
> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:4234D1F6.F708B07F@attglobal.net...
> > hi Bob,
> > thanks for the reply...
> > [...below...]
> >
> (snip)
> >
> > where would it say rev 2? i have not seen this...
> >
> The literal answer: the board is labeled "A8V" between the PCI slots nearest
> the end of the board. In smaller print, it says "Rev. 2.00". (I knew that
> case window would be good for something, someday.)

well hopefully the retailer will make sure it is rev 2.00

> As regards excessive features, I believe that the A8V Deluxe is usually not
> bundled with the wireless networking card in the US. You may not want the
> extra Promise drive controller, but it shouldn't add much to the cost. (I
> have the Promise controller disabled in the BIOS settings. Saves a little
> time at start-up.) Most mainboards come with onboard audio, and I think that
> a built-in NIC is a good idea.

thanks -- i have to look at it again...

> > how about the nforce3 chipset?
> >
>
> The nForce3 chipset was supposed to have the best performance of its day,
> although at least one review I read made it very little better than the
> K8T800 Pro. The MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum
> (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-468&depa=1)
> was highly regarded. (I read some comments that suggested it may be
> unforgiving in getting set up, but people mainly post problems to Usenet and
> online forums. Popular products get lots of problem posts.) I have never
> seen a comparison between the nforce4 (single PCI-E graphics slot) and the
> nForce3 250 Ultra (AGP).

i hadn't seen the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum yet -- it looks good.....

> >
> > thanks!
> > sincerely
> > Tanya
> >
>
> I'm not really trying to proselytize for the A8V, but I've had good
> performance and reliability with the one I've used. It's my first AMD
> system, and it has been a positive experience. (I got it because I had
> purchased an nVidia Geforce 6800GT AGP card. I wanted to upgrade my P4
> without spending a lot of money, but Intel was moving to PCI-E and DDR2
> memory. The A64 system was the obvious choice at the time.)
>
> As regards one remark you made in another post: I think that onboard
> graphics are rare on Socket 939 mainboards. Newegg has one, though:
>
> http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-485&depa=1
>

thanks! the msi looks really good (first glance) plus it has good users' comments

>
> It uses an ATI chipset with integrated graphics. It has a PCI-E X16 slot,
> should you wish to add a better graphics card. I'm not familiar with the
> board, and I believe that it's new, but ATI and MSI have favorable
> reputations. Best of all, it's $91 with $3 shipping. Although it's a
> microATX board, it doesn't lack features. If you're prepared to try a newish
> product, it looks like am attractive package. (Disclaimer: I don't have one,
> and I know no one who does.)

(if it is a micro atx, does it need a *special* case? (casing))?

> HTH.
>
> Bob Kn.

thanks again for the information!
sincerely
Tanya
 
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Suddenly, without warning, Ruel Smith exclaimed (3/13/2005 4:50 PM):
> Tanya wrote:
>
>
>>hi,
>>x-posted
>>i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
>>3000+ cpu)
>>not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
>>cards)...
>>i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
>>pci slots...
>>(i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
>>thank you in advance!
>
>
> Best brand, which is almost universally recognized as so, is Asus.

I second the Asus recommendation. I have a K8V-Deluxe, it's been
rock-solid for over a year. No problems at all.

Perhaps this one?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-490&depa=0
 

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jmc wrote:

> Suddenly, without warning, Ruel Smith exclaimed (3/13/2005 4:50 PM):
> > Tanya wrote:
> >
> >
> >>hi,
> >>x-posted
> >>i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
> >>3000+ cpu)
> >>not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
> >>cards)...
> >>i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
> >>pci slots...
> >>(i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
> >>thank you in advance!
> >
> >
> > Best brand, which is almost universally recognized as so, is Asus.
>
> I second the Asus recommendation. I have a K8V-Deluxe, it's been
> rock-solid for over a year. No problems at all.
>
> Perhaps this one?
>
> http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-490&depa=0

hi,
sorry, i did not specify a s939...
i was looking at a similar asus board (for s939) however there was only options
for 2 sata devices (total)
thanks
sincerely
Tanya
 
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for the clueless, whats sli?



Bob Knowlden wrote:
> I presume that you're referring to a Socket 939 A64. (The other choice would
> be Socket 754, which can give slightly less expensive system. Socket 754
> seems to be "being phased out", but there are still lots of mainboards on
> the market.)
>
> If you don't want SLI, there may not be much point in getting a PCI-E
> mainboard at this time. AGP is still in the mainstream, and I've read
> nothing that indicates that first-generation PCI-E graphics cards offer
> performance advantages over AGP.
>
> I suggest that you not worry about obsolescence, as it's unavoidable, but
> rather aim for performance and reliability.
>
> My current machine uses an Asus A8V Deluxe mainboard. It's AGP, with 5 PCI
> slots. (I'm using an Audigy 2 sound card, even though the board has
> multichannnel onboard audio. The onboard gigabit NIC is adequate to use with
> my 4 Mb/s cable modem connection.) If you buy one of these, Revision 2 is
> supposed to be better, although the differences may never be obvious if you
> don't overclock. I have my A8V Rev 2 for quite a while - about 6 months.
>
> If you want PCI-E graphics but not SLI, there's the A8V-E, which uses the
> newer K8T890 chipset. (It has only 3 PCI slots, plus two PCI-E X1 slots.
> Cards for the latter don't seem to be common yet.)
>
> If you wish to get overwhelmed, go to www.newegg.com. Search for AMD
> mainboards using Socket 939. I imagine that the boards with the highest
> performance at the moment use the nVidia nForce 4 chipsets. The vanilla
> nForce 4 doesn't support SLI. Abit and Microstar have favorable reputations,
> and DFI is becoming popular with overclockers. I like Asus, but they don't
> appear to have a non-SLI nForce 4 board.
>
> Good luck.
>
> Bob Knowlden
>
> Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.
>
> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:42346919.7A41D8C9@attglobal.net...
>
>>hi,
>>x-posted
>>i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
>>3000+ cpu)
>>not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
>>cards)...
>>i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have more
>>pci slots...
>>(i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
>>thank you in advance!
>>
>
>
>
 
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http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_sli_home.html

SLI is using two graphics cards to drive a single display, to increase the
3D graphics processing power. It seems to be useful mainly for gaming,
although there were commercial uses of such technologies in the past (i. e.,
multi-GPU setups for simulators).

The term originally meant "scan line interleaving", as developed by 3dfx.
(One card in an SLI pair rendered the even scan lines, the other did the odd
lines.) With nVidia, it's "scalable link interface", and it may not involve
interleaving. (I haven't studied it.)

I guess that if you have a really expensive high-end CPU (Intel P4 Extreme
Edition, or AMD Athlon64 FX), spending $500US or more *each* on a pair of
PCI-E Geforce 6800 Ultra cards isn't unthinkable. (But it still won't get
you chicks... ;-)

Bob Kn.

"dilbert firestorm" <scanb-nospam@nospam-att-nospam.net> wrote in message
news:OF3Zd.382296$w62.44917@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> for the clueless, whats sli?
>
>
>
(snip)
 
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"Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
news:42347F75.4396261@attglobal.net...
> hi and thanks,
> [...below...]
>
> KC Computers wrote:
>
>> > i would really appreciate some suggestions for a board (for an amd64
>> > 3000+ cpu)
>> > not for gaming...current problem is that i do not need sli (for 2 video
>> > cards)...
>> > i hear that agp is being phased out... but the boards with agp have
>> > more
>> > pci slots...
>> > (i don't know which brands are the best etc.)
>> > thank you in advance!
>>
>> What will you be using the PC for if not for gaming?
>
> internet, photo editing (low key), scanning drawings...
> (i'd assume that if it was good for gaming it would be a good pc all
> around?)
>
>> Are you interested in a motherboard with built-in
>> video to save $$$ right now?
>
> yes however, i heard that the amd-boards with onBoard video have poor
> video
> (compared to intel onboard)


Where did you here this?

> (i am using a pmmx (200mhz) currently w/ onboard video and 2 mb's of video
> ram) and it has a good display.
> i would like to consider some amd-based boards with onboard video (plus i
> assume like intel, one could get a card if necessary)
>
>> You are right about
>> most PCI Express boards not having as many PCI
>> slots as AGP ones (typically a max of 3). How
>> many do you need?
>
> at least 2 but likely more (i think 3 is good) i don't know what pci-e,
> pci-e
> x4 are for...
>

--
Derek
 

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Derek Baker wrote:

> "Tanya" <tjtmdREMOVE_THIS@attglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:42347F75.4396261@attglobal.net...
> > hi and thanks,
> > [...below...]
> >
> > KC Computers wrote:
> >>
> >> What will you be using the PC for if not for gaming?
> >
> > internet, photo editing (low key), scanning drawings...
> > (i'd assume that if it was good for gaming it would be a good pc all
> > around?)
> >
> >> Are you interested in a motherboard with built-in
> >> video to save $$$ right now?
> >
> > yes however, i heard that the amd-boards with onBoard video have poor
> > video
> > (compared to intel onboard)
>
> Where did you here this?

i've heard that in various places...is this wrong?

> > (i am using a pmmx (200mhz) currently w/ onboard video and 2 mb's of video
> > ram) and it has a good display.
> > i would like to consider some amd-based boards with onboard video (plus i
> > assume like intel, one could get a card if necessary)
> >
> >> You are right about
> >> most PCI Express boards not having as many PCI
> >> slots as AGP ones (typically a max of 3). How
> >> many do you need?
> >
> > at least 2 but likely more (i think 3 is good) i don't know what pci-e,
> > pci-e
> > x4 are for...
> >
>
> --
> Derek