Looking for a Motherboard

[Nameless1990]

I'm looking to buy a motherboard and was wondering what you all would recommend. Is going with an SLI board even worth it when you really doubt you'll ever go the SLI route? I've got an 8800 GTS. This after using a 2002 Dell Dimension with integrated graphics for several years. I think I'll be satisfied enough with one card.

What's a good board out there (non SLI) for about $125 - $150?

I was looking at the Gigabyte DS3, but a lot of people on here seem to be having problems with it. I will probably overclock some, but I'm not an overclocking enthusiast, yet. My memory is Corsair XMS DDR2 800 (2X1GB), by the way.

And yes, I can stretch the budget, but please, forget about anything above $175.

 

[v3raxOC]

I have tried all of the motherboards in your price range below with my E6600 and Corsair Ram (PC6400)

1. gigabyte DS3 (Excellent stability and a great overclocker) I have that mobo set up with a P4 D in both my sons computers and they have been awesome. (Newegg has the newer revision 1.3 for $110 bucks and in my opinion you WILL NOT get a better board for that price.) (I like to think of Gigabyte as the Ford Truck of mobos--built tough) I once threw one of my older Gigabyte mobos in my swimming pool to try and break it, I laid it in the sun for 3 hours, then hooked it up and it still worked..lol)

2. Asus P5B (!st revision) I had a lot of compatibilty problems, didnt OC well

3. Abit AW9D Max--- This mobo was AWESOME but over your budget unless you could get an open box deal. (I loved it and it ovefrclocked like a mofo.

As far as SLI, if you arent 100% sure you are going to do SLI then don't do it. I thought "thought" I wanted SLI so I bought an NVidia 650i SLI board after using the Intel chipsets.

I already had one 8800GTX so I bought another and set up the SLI, Wow, was I disappointed. That extra $650 GTX didnt do much at all.

if I had it to do again. I would just go with ONE GTX, get another Abit AW9D-MAX or get one of the new MSI P6N Diamonds when they come out. There aren't many games out there that really need the SLI, its kinda like overclocking, its fun to have it and tweak it and see how high youo can get your benchmarks, but do you really need it? no

My recommendation is, if your not going SLI, get the Gigabyte board or if you can go a little higher, try to find a Abit AW9D-Max. if you think you might go SLI, wait a few months for new stuff to come out and improved BIOs' for the current Nvidia boards.

I have also heard that the DFI with the ATI chipset is a good board and in your pricerange.

 

[brencat]

@ v3rax

What was the highest FSB you were able to get on your AW9D Max? I seem to remember reading it wasn't the best for 400+ FSB OCs. Why did you like this one better than the DS3 ?

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: brencat
What was the highest FSB you were able to get on your AW9D Max? I seem to remember reading it wasn't the best for 400+ FSB OCs.

it's a 975X so unmodded it won't hit the same fsb as a 965 but it'll do 400+
& no JMicron to faff about with ...

 

[Nameless1990]

I'm not that clear on motherboards, in fact, it's the only choice I've got left to make for my 1st rig. I'm only 17, so that's why my budget on this is pretty strict. I'm spending 2k total on this rig, and I think I'm crazy! That's a few months working while in school. But it'll be worth it.

I'll look more at the DS3, but $125-$150 is a realistic price for a solid mobo, isn't it?

 

[v3raxOC]

Originally posted by: brencat
@ v3rax

What was the highest FSB you were able to get on your AW9D Max? I seem to remember reading it wasn't the best for 400+ FSB OCs. Why did you like this one better than the DS3 ?

The highest FSB I got on the AW9D-Max was 475 stable. I have actually got the highest 3Dmark scores with the AW9D, even better than my 680i and 650i boards. The DS3 is just cheaper and very stable, but if I was given a choice between the AW9D and DS3 if someone were giving them to me, I would most def take the AW9D, no jmicron controller, heatpipe cooling, and nifty blinking lights.

 

[v3raxOC]

Originally posted by: Nameless1990
I'm not that clear on motherboards, in fact, it's the only choice I've got left to make for my 1st rig. I'm only 17, so that's why my budget on this is pretty strict. I'm spending 2k total on this rig, and I think I'm crazy! That's a few months working while in school. But it'll be worth it.

I'll look more at the DS3, but $125-$150 is a realistic price for a solid mobo, isn't it?

Yes, and the DS3 would be my first choice if that was my budget, just make sure you get one of the latest revisions, as the bugs have been worked on.

if you want to go with a Nvidia board so you can get SLI in the future, I have had the EVGA 680i, Abit 680i, Asus 650i, and Abit Fatal1ty 650i, of all of those listed I liked the Abit Fatal1ty FP-I9N SLI the best. Worked out of the box and never had a problem, good stable overclocker.

 

[Mucker]

Keep your eye on this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136034

With bios refinements, this will be one of the best around.....

 

[brencat]

Ya Mucker... can't wait for the restock, due around 4/20.

I also want to see a comparison of the Abit Quad GT and that DFI P965-S. For me, I think it's going to come down to one of these two.

 

[Heidfirst]

Yup, the $160 after MIR QuadGT is very nice.
of course it won't do SLI with 8800s but as you don't need that ...

 

[mushroom3]

any idea when the reviews for the DFI will come out?
and whats DFI's reputation like? what would the ranks be between asus, dfi and gigabyte.. TIA