MSI K7T266 Pro OR Epox 8K7A

[DirtySanchez]

Which one should I get - Or something totally different?

1. MSI K7T266 Pro

OR

2. Epox 8K7A

OR

3. Something Else

 

[wfbberzerker]

epox, youll love it, especially if you overclock (hell, youll love it even if you dont overclock)

 

[LXi]

You can't really compare those, one is AMD761, the other is KT266. Both good overclockers, keep that in mind. The Epox is great in all aspects but it's all jumpers, while the K7T266 Pro is totally jumperfree. The other thing about KT266 is that you wont get the notorious 686B southbridge. Aside from that, I really think both are great boards.

 

[DirtySanchez]

Im not comparing them, just wondering which one you guys think is better for me to get.
What is wrong which the 686b Southbridge??
Let me know.
Thanks.

 

[LXi]

Well, how are we suppose to know which one is better for you without knowing what you're going to do with it? If you dont like jumpers, then your choice is the MSI, if you want some insane overclocking and dont mind the jumpers, then the Epox will be good. The 686B southbridge doesnt play nice with SoundBlaster Live!, if that's the soundcard you're going to use.

 

[DirtySanchez]

I do plan on using the board with an SB Live! Sound card so how big of a problem is there between the 686b Southbridge and the SB Live!?

I like to mess around with O/C'ing but I'm not very serious about it.
I am looking for the highest performance board I can get and the Epox looks like it is the best performing DDR MB I've seen in my budget.

so are you saying that if I pop my SB live into that MB I am guaranteed to see problems? and if so what type of problems?

Thanks LXi !

 

[GoldenLion]

Go for the K7T266 Pro. It performs just as well as an AMD 760-based, has 3 dimm slots instead of 2 (you don't even need registered RAM to use them ), has an AGP PRO slot (futureproof), and can even come with USB 2.0 if you want (K7T266pro-RU). It is jumper-free and overclocks well. It's a very well-built, 6-layer PCB that has a great layout and is very easy to work with and hook up initially as well. Everyone keeps saying 8K7A because they are hopping on the bandwagon while ignoring their true best option. I almost did but finally decided on a K7T266-Pro RAID and have been LOVING it! As I'm sure you know, there were intial problems several months ago that BIOS patches have fixed, making the KT266 mature into a very speedy, stable competitor. Don't fence-sit... just go for it and be happy, then laugh at the people who complain they're maxed at 512mb of DDR RAM later .

 

[Athlon4all]

If u are going to be ocing, EPoX 8K7A. K7T266 Pro is a good board, but KT266 has a bug that when the fsb goes above 138MHz, USB kicks out so it's not for ocing. But for non-ocing, well again K7T266 is a good performer, but I'd get the Highest performing DDR board, ECS K7S5A, it's as stable as the other 2 but it's only $60!

EDIT: K7T266 does not have SB Live! issues, it's using a newer south bridge.

 

[DirtySanchez]

Thanks guys,
I'm leaning towards the MSI right now.

Any other opinions are welcomed.