Help pick a new MB

[robcy]

I need a micoATX board that will support 4gb of ram. I have a very capable E2160, but the Asus P5KPL-CM I purchased only has 1/2 and 3/5 memory dividers which raise my DDRII800 to high at anything above 260FSB. I just wanted to run the FSB at 333 (1333), and the memory at 333 (DDRII667). Suggestions under $95 are needed. HELP ME......PLEEEEASEE

 

[o1die]

I use the 1066 fsb "pin mod". The 1333 "pin mod" may also work with your cpu. I don't know of any micro atx boards that overclock well; mine has no voltage or memory adjustments in the bios, so the pin mod is a must for me. All you need is some copper tape, or conductive solution, such as with some rear window defroster repair kits. If your asus board has memory voltage adjustments, try 2.0 or 2.1 to raise your fsb. If you use the pin mod, be sure to turn off speedstep in your bios to prevent the cpu voltage from dropping at idle. This will make your overclock more stable. To find the link, just type "cpu pin mod" or 1333 pin mod with yahoo.

 

[robcy]

Thanks for the advice, but a Pin Mod is still a very last resort. I looked at the P5K-VM and couple of G33 boards from Intel, and MSI. They apear to allow what I am looking for. Which is to run my E2160 at 333, and the RAM at 667 or 800. I also saw a couple of Nvidia 7150 chipsets that will also allow this but are single channel memory (???). Will the single channel memory of the 7150 be noticeable?

Here is what I already have:
E2160
2x2gb OCZ DDR2 800
ATI 4850
SB X-Fi Gamer

I will upgrade the CPU in a couple of months so I want the FSB1333 support now. The E2160 runs 9x333 on stock voltage no prob. Will the G33 allow the 333/667 or 800? Any other Micro ATX boards that I will want to look at? Any help will be great.

 

[o1die]

I recommended the pin mod cause it's alot cheaper than a new board, and won't be dependent on your bios adjustments or memory speed. The 2xxx and 4xxx cpus have a fairly high default voltage so they should be able to handle it. Mine reads about 1.36 with cpuid.

 

[robcy]

I want something that offers a little upgrade path for future processors. While I will pin mod if needed, I would prefer to have a board capable of OC'ing on its own. I plan on Upgrading my CPU in about 6 months so I would like 1333 FSB support now. I was wondering if any one has any experience with OC'ing on one of there microATX boards.