Factors decide compatability

[deppfx]

I am trying to understand the factors that decide the ultimate release of power from a computer without worrying about geek things like FSB/HTT? Do we have a tool to identify the FSB speed to be set in the BIOS if we specify the motherboard/processor specs?

 

[hunter315]

You shouldnt need to manually set your FSB unless you plan on OCing. On older intel systems the CPU has a fixed multiplier and its speed is based off of the FSB speed, so looking at the processor specs it specifically says what speed FSB it needs. AMD processors have a multiplier that is based off of the hyper transport base clock, this is 200MHz by default on all AMD systems, the hyper transport speed is determined by which version of hyper transport the CPU and motherboard both support, in general you wont need to adjust this. You dont need a tool to identify any of this info, you just need to read the boxes.

 

[deppfx]

Imagine I and my friend have the same processor but different motherboards [say A & B]. Is it possible that the performance delivery might differ? By asking that I doubt if there are factors/settings that need to be checked before taking the right processor & the suitable motherboard.

 

[hunter315]

the performance difference between motherboards is generally minimal. Higher end motherboards might give you ~3 FPS more than a cheaper motherboard.

 

[MadAdmiral]

While high end boards have almost no impact on actual performance (I think 3 FPS is being generous), there are still advantages to getting one, including quality, features and reliability.

If you're asking more about how you pick a board, here's my process. Generally, selecting a motherboard is pretty easy.

Once you decide on the CPU, you narrow it down to the socket you need (AMD CPUs use AM3 sockets, i3/i5/i7-8xx CPUs use LGA1156, i7-9xx use LGA1366). This is really the only factor that determines compatibility.

Then you need to decide how many PCI slots you need. If you want to use two video cards (either now or in the future), you need at least two PICe 2.0 16x slots operating at speeds of at least 8x/8x. Generally, more than two PCIe 2.0 slots aren't needed and cost a lot of money.

After that, you need to decide how many other PCI sltos you need for add on cards (sound cards, RAID controllers, whatever). This isn't that important, as most boards have enough slots that you won't use them all.

The last thing to check is that the number of SATA/IDE connnectors is enough to accomadate the number of HDD, opticals, etc. that you have or will have. Most boards have around 5-7 SATA and maybe 1 IDE.

Once you have a list of acceptable boards, it really comes down to quality. Typically, the best brands are Asus and Gigabyte. They're the most reliable and highest quality. After that, many people like MSI, ASRock and EVGA (Intel only, I think). They're slightly lower quality, but are acceptable if you save enough. Any other brand I would eliminate right away.

If you're looking for some good boards, I tend to recommend the same three boards for builds with dual video cards: Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 for AMD, Asus P7P55D-E Pro for i5 and the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R for the i7. For builds that only use a single video card, I tend to recommend: Gigabyte GA-770TA-UD3 for AMD and the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 for i5 (there aren't any single PCIe 2.0 slot board for the i7). I tend to say that anything cheaper than these are low quality and anything more expensive isn't worht the cost.

 

[deppfx]

Never heard of the term "FPS" before. Any link where I can read & understand it...

 

[hunter315]

FPS = frames per second, 40 frames per second is usually considered the minimum for smooth game play.

 

[MadAdmiral]

That's basically right. It's the benchmark used for measuring performance in games. 40 FPS on average is considered playable, but the better measurement is the minimum FPS. The average just gauges what to expect most of the time, while the minimum FPS is the slowest the game runs in the test at any time. Generally, 30 FPS at minimum is considered playable.

 

[deppfx]

Best answer selected by deppfx.

 

[deppfx]

@MadAdmiral: I am looking for an integrated graphics motherboard & am considering this one here: ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131366

When compared to the one you suggested [Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 for AMD]:

Pros:
* Integrated graphics
* HDMI port [Gigabyte's got none ]

Cons:
* Not sure if it support Athlon X3 445 Rana - Can someone confirm?
* DDR 1333 [Gigabyte's got 1600]
* PATA ATA100 [Gigabyte's got ATA133]
* No CoAxial

I am not sure how the pros/cons affect my computing. Hence, can you suggest the best one out? I defintely need a HDMI port since I am also trying to build a basic HTPC.

One other question is if I buy an integrated graphics mobo, can I add a video card later if I feel that the onboard graphics do not suffice? Is there an advantage buying a mobo without an integrated graphics card? In short, 790GX or 790FX?

 

[deppfx]

While high end boards have almost no impact on actual performance (I think 3 FPS is being generous), there are still advantages to getting one, including quality, features and reliability.

If you're asking more about how you pick a board, here's my process. Generally, selecting a motherboard is pretty easy.

Once you decide on the CPU, you narrow it down to the socket you need (AMD CPUs use AM3 sockets, i3/i5/i7-8xx CPUs use LGA1156, i7-9xx use LGA1366). This is really the only factor that determines compatibility.

Then you need to decide how many PCI slots you need. If you want to use two video cards (either now or in the future), you need at least two PICe 2.0 16x slots operating at speeds of at least 8x/8x. Generally, more than two PCIe 2.0 slots aren't needed and cost a lot of money.

After that, you need to decide how many other PCI sltos you need for add on cards (sound cards, RAID controllers, whatever). This isn't that important, as most boards have enough slots that you won't use them all.

The last thing to check is that the number of SATA/IDE connnectors is enough to accomadate the number of HDD, opticals, etc. that you have or will have. Most boards have around 5-7 SATA and maybe 1 IDE.

Once you have a list of acceptable boards, it really comes down to quality. Typically, the best brands are Asus and Gigabyte. They're the most reliable and highest quality. After that, many people like MSI, ASRock and EVGA (Intel only, I think). They're slightly lower quality, but are acceptable if you save enough. Any other brand I would eliminate right away.

If you're looking for some good boards, I tend to recommend the same three boards for builds with dual video cards: Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 for AMD, Asus P7P55D-E Pro for i5 and the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R for the i7. For builds that only use a single video card, I tend to recommend: Gigabyte GA-770TA-UD3 for AMD and the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 for i5 (there aren't any single PCIe 2.0 slot board for the i7). I tend to say that anything cheaper than these are low quality and anything more expensive isn't worht the cost.

@MadAdmiral: I am looking for an integrated graphics motherboard & am considering this one here: ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131366

When compared to the one you suggested [Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 for AMD]:

Pros:
* Integrated graphics
* HDMI port [Gigabyte's got none ]

Cons:
* Not sure if it support Athlon X3 445 Rana - Can someone confirm?
* DDR 1333 [Gigabyte's got 1600]
* PATA ATA100 [Gigabyte's got ATA133]
* No CoAxial

I am not sure how the pros/cons affect my computing. Hence, can you suggest the best one out? I defintely need a HDMI port since I am also trying to build a basic HTPC.

One other question is if I buy an integrated graphics mobo, can I add a video card later if I feel that the onboard graphics do not suffice? Is there an advantage buying a mobo without an integrated graphics card? In short, 790GX or 790FX?

 

[MadAdmiral]

If I were building a HTPC right now, I would either get a 8xx chipset AMD board or an i3 with an H55 chipset. They have the most powerful onboard graphics right now.

You can add a video card later. The advantage of buying a board without onboard graphics is that boards with graphics are usually cheaper. If you were buying a build with a discrete card, you wouldn't need both the GPU and the onboard.