Looking for motherboard with at least 4 PCI slots

[ionosphere]

I am going to build a server for networking administration, load balancing and logging users' activity.

For today, if I want something along this line, what motherboard should I be looking for? What I had in mind is about 2 GHz Dual Core, preferably DDR3 RAMs and at least 4 PCI slots for LAN cards.

I've found http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageGallery.aspx?CurImage=13-121-517-TS&ISList=13-121-517-Z01%2c13-121-517-Z02%2c13-121-517-Z03%2c13-121-517-Z04%2c13-121-517-Z05&S7ImageFlag=1&Item=N82E16813121517&Depa=0&WaterMark=1&Description=Intel%20BLKD945PLRNL%20LGA%20775%20Intel%20945PL%20ATX%20Intel%20Motherboard

Found 2 more: http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/13-131-149-04.jpg and http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/13-128-034-04.jpg

So anybody got a suggestion?

 

[Emerald]

why 4 PCI slots?

 

[fullofzen]

why 4 PCI slots?

From the OP:

What I had in mind is about 2 GHz Dual Core, preferably DDR3 RAMs and at least 4 PCI slots for LAN cards.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

You know that almost all of our LAN cards are PCI-e today right? Heck, you can use a single Intel® Gigabit ET quad port card (E1G44ET2) in a PCI-e 4x slot and have better bandwidth than all 4 PCI cards you were talking about.

Matching this NIC card up with an entry level server board like the Intel Server board S1200BTL and an Intel Xeon® E3-1240 give you a great build for entry level server. This board is ATX and how 3 PCI-e 4x slots enabling you to run up to 3 of these cards on top of the 2 on board gigabit NIC ports

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[ionosphere]

What you have suggested is quite overkill for us. I am aware that PCIe serve a lot better bandwidth, but we don't need such power right now. A few PCI LAN card should do the tricks at better price. I am looking for a more economical deal.

 

[Tamz_msc]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128496

 

[Majestic One]

I have a question about why the heck do they make boards w/ PCI slots that will be covered up by a double socket GPU?? seems a waste.

And for me I still have some PCI stuff I would like to use (tv tuner) and OP is right, seems to be a tough thing to do is find a board w/ more than 1 or 2 usable pci slots w/ double socket SLI GPU's (AMD Mobo's).

 

[Tamz_msc]

Nowhere did the OP say that he'll use a dual-slot graphics card.

 

[Majestic One]

Nowhere did the OP say that he'll use a dual-slot graphics card.

or if it is just PCI or PCIe (x1, x4, x8 or x16)

another thing, if it IS for GPU issues, what kind of GPU will you be using (GeForce or ATI?)

 

[ionosphere]

or if it is just PCI or PCIe (x1, x4, x8 or x16)

another thing, if it IS for GPU issues, what kind of GPU will you be using (GeForce or ATI?)

GeForce or ATI is irrelevant here. But, sure, sometimes, not all cards can be fit into the board, due to sizes, etc. And that's why you need to do your homework a bit when buying a motherboard. It is impossible for the manufacturer to just build a board that fits everyone's need.

 

[ionosphere]

Best answer selected by ionosphere.

 

[Majestic One]

GeForce or ATI is irrelevant here. But, sure, sometimes, not all cards can be fit into the board, due to sizes, etc. And that's why you need to do your homework a bit when buying a motherboard. It is impossible for the manufacturer to just build a board that fits everyone's need.

not quite true - if you are using 2 GPU's you cannot be using an AMD based chipset with GeForce GPU's and vise-a-versa - you can not use 2 AMD ATI's on an nForce chipset board. The exception to BOTH of these rules will be smashed as soon as the new Bulldozer boards are released which I believe will be nVidia based AMD chipsets.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/290383-30-nvidia-licenses-upcoming-chipsets

it may just be possible that we are about to see a mobo for everyone (in certain regards and respects:
also here is a new Newegg video regarding the new 900 series chipsets (beware: it's 31 minutes long)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7YSsEFqTk&feature=digest

check these babies out: