Motherboard decisions

[iMage]

Hi all,

I'm currently building a system and I need some help in choosing a mobo. The system will include:

P3 700 cB0
Creative Labs Annihilator 2
256 pc133 ram
Maxtor diamondmax+ 40giger
(then other ide stuff like dvd and cd-rw)

I was looking at the Abit Be6-2 and the Asus p3bf. Both seem like decent boards.
However there seem to be problems with the asus boards and memory, and i've heard that when you oc the abit board the agp slot also oc's, and I really dont want to burn out my geforce 2. hehe. Anyway, I've also heard some good things about the MSI bx master.
So which one would match my config the best?? (I am plannin to oc the p3 700)

I would like some advice, so your input would be really helpful. Thanks a bunch.

 

[Jhhnn]

All the excellent boards you mention use intel bx chipsets. 1/4 & 1/3 pci divider is available on these, but only 2/3 agp divider. Overclocking the processor will overclock the agp. Anand has an article up about how well different vid cards overclock, check it out. The new intel 815 chipset boards may well support 1/2 agp, I'm not sure. Via apollo pro 133a chipset boards support 1/2 agp. Slot-1 is on the way out, newer socket 370 boards support coppermines. you might want to consider one to save the $ for a slotket, either with bx or via chipset. Asus cubx and cuv4x, Soyo 7vca, msi 6309, some new Abit models, and others, I'm sure.

 

[dvch]

The i815 and i815e both support the 1/2 agp divider.

 

[Ulysses]

AnandTech has given their Editor's Choice Gold Award to two P3 boards recently, the BX-type MSI/Microstar BX Master and the 815-type ASUS CUSL2. See:

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1149

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1274

The ASUS is just coming into stores now, and would be my own pick.

 

[oblivion2888]

ttt