What is the difference between cheap and expensive mobos?

chloefreak17

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Okay so in my new build I am planning on using this.

http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-28010592-ASUS_M4N68T_M_Socket_AM3_Dual_DDR3_1800_nForce_630a_HT_3_0_Onboard_GeForce_7025_

Is it worth investing in a better mother board? I don't see much of a difference between the cheap one im looking at and the ~$100 ones. The only major difference i see is that this one only has 2 ram slots which i think is okay since im buying one ddr3 4gb stick and another one later on, so 8gb should do.
Are there any other things i should be looking for in a motherboard?

This will be used for gaming/HD video editing and I am using a nvidia card so i can't afford use two without a special SLI compatible AMD board

Mwave.com.au please :) thankyou
 

Plumble

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Normal differences are features such as RAID and overclocking, being better at keeping everything cool, number of slots for cards, better layout design and CPU power. A lot of cheaper boards may advertise compatability with better CPUs but only provide 4 pin CPU power, I don't honestly know how that effects the AMD CPUs but it can really be annoying with intel.
Hope that helps.
 
Better build quality, better component usage, better feature set, better stability.. These are a few of the parameters which differentiate a higher priced motherboard from its cheaper counterpart.. But quite obviously, its not a linear relationship with price wherein a 3 times higher price tag ensures a motherboard which is 3 times better.. Considering your selection here and comparing with the Asrock 870 Extreme3, we notice an almost 2 times price increase going for the Asrock model.. But again, it is based on a better and more newer chipset, has more features (USB 3.0, SATA 6Gbps, dual pci express x16 card slots etc.) and is also full ATX which brings about a much neater layout design.. So if you look closely, the price difference is all worth it.. But again, if you do not wish to use much of its features, then you are safe with your previous selection.. IMO, you should pay for stuff which you need or know you can use (now or in near future)..
 

suat

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Motherboard is the backbone of a PC and is the component that is not replaced as often as the other components, such as the gfx card. Therefore, if you start with a good ( not necessarily expensive ) motherboard, you end up with a PC that is stable and reliable in the first place.
 

suat

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Yes, you can use that. It has on-board video and a separate video card slot. Two DDR3 slots and most importantly solid polimer capacitors. If your main purpose is just to go on-line, office work, watching movies, etc., then this board is made for you. You can even do more.

Just be aware that this is micro-ATX board. Your case should comply with this type of small boards.

What about your other hardware ? Another thing is, buy 2 x 2 GB sticks instead of 1 x 4 GB stick in order to benefit motherboard's dual-channel operation of RAM modules.
 

chloefreak17

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I am using a gtx 460 HAWK so onboard graphics doesn't matter, Antec 300 which supports ATX and mATX, Phenom II 955 BE, Corsair VX-450 (or OCZ modXstream pro 600w), samsung f3 spinpoint 500gb
I am using it for gaming and video editing mainly
plus i someday plan to get another 4gb stick so it will be 2 x 4gb instead of having to buy 2 x 2 now and 2 x 4 later on
 
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