Need a No Frills Stable 865PE MB

[Rockhound1]

Hi.

I am in need of a good, solid, no frills 865PE MB and would like your suggestions. I am not a big overclocker (although I would like the option if I get the urge), but stability/compatibility would be priority. The reason I am asking for your opinions is because I am currently experiencing random hard lock-ups and I suspect the MB. I am currently considering the Intel 865PERL and the Abit IS7-E. I had an Abit with my old AMD T-Bird and had good luck with it.

I will most likely use the on-board sound (for now). I do not have any need for firewire, and since I have a NIC card, I don't really see the necessity of having on-board LAN.

My system looks like this:

Intel P4 2.5A GHz
512 DDR 2700 (Patriot)
ECS L4VXA2 MB
Albatron FX 5600 w/256 MB RAM
WD 160 GB hard drive (7200 RPM w/8 MB cache)
Antec 1040BII case w/400 W True Power PS
NetGear NIC
Windows 200 Pro OS

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[KillaKilla]

IMO, the Asus P4P800 is the best 865 board currently in existance. Asus makes some of the most stable, fastest motherboards around. Intel makes probobly the most stable ones, but doesn't allow OCing.

I think almost all of AT would agree with the above?

Just curious, but:
Are you planning on getting a new CPU and RAM?

 

[Tom]

I haven't had a spot of trouble with my Abit IS7, had it for several months.

 

[CraigRT]

I've used a few P4P800 boards... work great.

 

[Rockhound1]

Hey KillaKilla.

Thanks for your reply. I have not had any experience with ASUS boards, and I saw that AnandTech recommended the Abit IS7 in one of his reviews. I will consider the ASUS, though. Are they easy to set up and overclock (if I decide to overclock)?

The nice thing about the 865PE chipset is that it will allow me to upgrade to an 800 MHz FSB P4 processor later. And yes, to answer your question, I will probably upgrade my memory and processor next Christmas. With Prescott out now, people are predicting that the prices on the Northwoods will be dropping significantly. I got a really good deal on the 2.5A processor and Patriot memory. As for the video card, I like to stay one step behind the curve. That way, I never spend more than $100 for a video card.

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[KillaKilla]

Originally posted by: Rockhound1
Hey KillaKilla.

Thanks for your reply. I have not had any experience with ASUS boards, and I saw that AnandTech recommended the Abit IS7 in one of his reviews. I will consider the ASUS, though. Are they easy to set up and overclock (if I decide to overclock)?

The nice thing about the 865PE chipset is that it will allow me to upgrade to an 800 MHz FSB P4 processor later. And yes, to answer your question, I will probably upgrade my memory and processor next Christmas. With Prescott out now, people are predicting that the prices on the Northwoods will be dropping significantly. I got a really good deal on the 2.5A processor and Patriot memory.

I have a P4P800, it overclocks pretty easily. It's very stable, too (I do SETI@Home, never had it crash for the last 3 mo. Check Anand's latest price guide, he reccomends the P4P800 as the best intel board for the money.

 

[Jeff H]

Rockhound1, if $$ is an issue (I know, it always is) this board is tough to beat - Shuttle AB60N. Here it is at newegg.com.

 

[Rockhound1]

Thanks Jeff for the recommendation.

You are correct that price is going to play a factor in my selection. I don't know much about Shuttle motherboards. Are they easy to set up? Do they overclock? Are you able to adjust voltages etc. of the CPU, memory, and AGP/PCI slots? Anybody else have any experience with the Shuttle AB60N?

 

[Jeff H]

I can't speak to the AB60N as I've had no experience w/ it, but Shuttle consistently makes good boards. Once in a while a great one comes along, such as the HOT-569 and more recently the AN35N nForce Athlon XP board. I remember reading a review of the AB60N but for the life of me I can't recall where.

 

[scrotus]

I built a system last night with the ASUS P4P8X board. You get all the nice BIOS features of it's big brother, P4P800, but for $87 at newegg.com. It was an absolute breeze to setup. The only thing I changed in the bios upon first boot was the Time/Date and the APG aperture. Booted first time, no problems.

Also, a close cousin to that board is the Abit IS7-E. Many of the same features and priced about the same.

But, if I were you, I would not skimp on mobos. For $20 more on each board, you'll get all the features. Get the full P4P800 or IS7. You'll be happy you did next year when you want to use a feature and the value board doesnt have it.

 

[Shimmishim]

i'll be honest with you...

i have a p4p800 and hate the dang thing...

it's fickle sometimes with my psu...

boots ... wont boot ... boots ... wont boot when i try to run at 300 mhz fsb...

setting the pci/agp to 72/36 gives me artifacts in games while i never had an issue with the ic7.

you want a stable board? go with the intel 865perl .... that's your best bet

 

[Rockhound1]

Thanks everyone for you input. Sounds like all of the boards are good choices. It just comes down to making a decision.