ASUS CuSL2 vs. MSI 815

[subhuman]

It seems the MSI 815 board is very popular in these forums along with the CUSL2. I'm curious to hear some feedback particularly from MSI board owners, since I am completely sold on the CUSL2 already (built many machines around this board and love it's wide range of tweaking on offer). There are a few reasons I've chosen the CUSL2 over the MSI board, but perhaps you can change my mind. I will edit this list as I get feedback.

ASUS CUSL2 Pros.
1. More stable at higher FSB than any other 815 motherboard. This information is paraphrased from Tom's Hardware Guide here.
2. Includes an AGP Pro slot.
3. Includes the extra USB headers giving you 5 USB ports out of the box.
4. Includes a feature called "PCI Latency Timer" in the Bios, which is essential for realtime audio performance.
5. Can use all 3 DIMM slots 100% stable (4 sides max as usual). Anandtech mentions in
their review this was the only board capable of 133mhz @ CAS2 with 3 DIMM slots full.
6. Very overclockable - FSB in increments of 1mhz, with a huge max of 216mhz -- changable in the BIOS.
Cons.
1. Price. ~$140 plus shipping, making it one of the most expensive 815 boards. Edit: CUSL2-c w/o onboard video for $119 is an option now.
2. "issues" - coldboot, voltage, others. Personally, I've never had any of these types of problems, but I have heard plenty.
3. CUSL2-C drops AGP Pro and older >533mhz Celeron Support.
4. No 1/4 PCI divider below 133MHz

MSI 815 Pros.
1. Price. It's only $109 or less. Includes audio for this price (good for your average user box).
2. Has 4 DIMM slots, can run all four at CAS2, 140mhz or higher -- but only single sided
Cons.
1. Not good for overclocking. Changing FSB from 100 to 133 requires powering down the system and changing jumpers, it's not all made in the bios. Some people don't mind the extra hassle, especially if only looking to go to 133mhz and not in 1mhz increments to squeeze every drop of performance out of the chip (it doesn't make that big of a difference, after all, but the benchmarks baby and the bigger number!

2. Can't run more than 2 DIMM slots at 133/CAS2 [?]
3. No PCI Latency Timer setting in the BIOS, making the board non-ideal for PCI Bandwidth intensive applications that require a higher PCI TImer Latency to work at their full potential.
4. No 1/4 PCI divider below 133MHz

 

[Supradude]

IMO, don't get the MSI,... i worked on it for a while on my friends system and there were terrible compatibility problems and a lot of the "features" just plain didn't work, (the useful ones that let you clock = P ), my roomate is running a CUSL2 right now and it seems rock solid and stable with a celII 566 @ 970ish... Go with the Asus, or if you still want an alternative, i have to give props to my Abit SA6R... fantastic board

 

[thornc]

Add to MSI cons...

*to change the FSB from 100 to 133 we need to change a jumper, it's not all made in the bios like in the case of the Asus

 

[Valvoline6]

Please note that you will only have the coldboot voltage problem on a CUSL2 if your CPU is unable to post at default voltage at the FSB you have selected.

In my case I have a 700E cB0 that will POST at 133 FSB at default voltage. It will not however load Windows at 133FSB and default voltage (1.65). So I have my FSB set at 133 and my voltage at 1.75 and can cold boot with no problems what so ever.

Also note that you can get the CUSL2-C (no onboard video) for under $120 and the price on the CUSL2 is now below $140 and can be had for $135 at several online retailers.

I have had motherboards with onboard sound and have never liked it. I always prefer my own soundcard. I do like the backup of having the onboard video of the regular CUSL2. If my video card dies I can at least get online and research a new video card.

I feel the CUSL2 is extremely stable. Use high quality memory ( a good idea anyway, esp. for overclocking) and quality components and you will have a very stable, feature rich board. Use this installation guide and you should have a trouble free install and a very enjoyable experience with this motherboard...

 

[subhuman]

thornc

If you could check something for me on the MSI board, does it include a feature called "PCI Latency Timer" or similiar in the BIOS? should be a value selectable from 0 to 255. This helps PCI Bandwidth between audio cards and main memory, and without this feature, hampers realtime audio performance.

 

[Pluto]

The CUSL2-C drops other features besides the onboard video..... No more AGP Pro slot, no compatibility with older PPGA Celeron, only FCPGA P3 and Celeron533A+, and there were some other things listed in another thread that concerned me.

At my local retailer the CUSL2 is $220cdn, CUSL2-C is $200. I honestly don't know that $20 is enough of a difference to lose all of those things. The integrated video might be nice to fall back on as some have said.

On the other hand the MSI 815E Pro is $170cdn locally, and I expect the 815EP when it becomes available (is it available anywhere??) will be even cheaper. From the Tom's hardware review I think it is a strong choice vs. the Asus with its high price tag.

 

[Vegito]

I think if you can afford a CUSL2, you won't be running PPGA cpus..

Anyway, I think cheapest fc-pga celeron is like 60 bucks, you can pretty much sell the old celeron and get a new one, faster one.. but then again, I agree, if i had some old cpu lying around, I would use it..

 

[Pluto]

I was thinking more of testing purposes, ie to find out if that celeron 300-500 that you found laying around or was given to you, actually works. Rather than having to keep another system with a slocket adapter around just to test CPUs. Something I do a fair bit.

 

[nino]

I have the MSI 6337 and just got their latest board. Huge difference from the first that I received.
These i815e boards don't like double sided dimms in my opinion and that is why Anand had the problems he was having. Since switching to singles sided 128MB sticks I have been able to use all 4 slots of my MSI for a total of 512MB as long as they are single sided.

If I stick any double sided stick in there I have problems.
See my post about the MSI.

Do a search for 6337. I love this board. Built 4 systems on them. Took me a while to figure out what makes it happy but now I'm thrilled.

 

[nino]

I forgot to add my memory speeds and CAS setting. So much for not being able to run 2 sticks at CAS2.

Try 4 at 140Mhz even.

I love it but make sure that you use single sided memory. Since doing so, I've been running 4 sticks of 128MB at CAS2 140Mhz.

 

[subhuman]

^ Updated. Still need more info, post it here.

 

[bonkers325]

msi 815e pro
not good for overclock

go asus
or abit

cheers,
bonkers325

 

[Radboy]

With the CUSL2, you get a whole website (cusl2.com) where you can get any question answered, and the Rad User's guide. More people use the CUSL2, which = more grass roots sppt.

 

[snuggy]

I'm happy with 700@933 (default voltage,cas222) on the 815E Pro - no problems.

 

[LXi]

MSI 815 Pros.
<<1. Price. It's only $109 or less. Includes audio for this price (good for your average user box).>>

$103 now.

<<2. Has 4 DIMM slots, can run all four at CAS2, 140mhz or higher -- but only single sided>>

More pros, D-LED, FuzzyLogic3, LiveBios, and one of the most important, good clearance around the socket, unlike the CUSL2 with capacitors jammed around it, making big heatsinks impossible to put on.


Cons.
<<1. Not good for overclocking. Changing FSB from 100 to 133 requires powering down the system and changing jumpers, it's not all made in the bios>>

One jumper, thats it. If you're overclocking your P3-600E/650E/700E to 133MHz bus, all you need is change one jumper, when you install the mobo, then 133MHz-166MHz will become selectable. I dont see how this can be any more troublesome than the Asus.


<<2. Can't run more than 2 DIMM slots at 133/CAS2 [?]>>

That is an i815 chipset limitation, its not MSI's fault and they shouldnt be blamed for it. Kudos to Asus who somehow got around this limitation.


<<3. No PCI Latency Timer setting in the BIOS, making the board non-ideal for PCI Bandwidth intensive applications that require a higher PCI TImer Latency to work at their full potential.>>

What? Are you talking about the CPU/RAM/PCI bus ratio? I believe all i815Es have the ability to adjust the ratio.

Gamer's Depot MSI 815E Pro review, they gave them 6 drips, which is the highest.
And their CUSL2 review, 4.5 drips only.

I think they have their reasons to pick the MSI over the Asus. IMO they're equally good boards, features, stability, performance all match up very equally. So the decision goes to price.

 

[CIroot]

Msi 6337 need bios update....

My config p-3 700@1020 with global orb
256 nec 3-3-2 ((
Msi 6337 ))
Mx-300
asus 7700

this mobo is rock/solid ..

 

[MassMhz]

BX 133 or even VIA in some cases will out perform the 815,i have owned an Abit and an Asus 815 and they were not up to par.Not saying it's no good ,but the BX is more mature as far as Bios' are concerned,the 815 just needs more time.As for now the CUSL2 is the best 815 in my opinion,but the BX 133 still has a slight edge over its competition !

 

[compuwiz1]

Well, there is one area that the boards are equal, and it's a con. No 1/4 PCI divider below 133MHz That is probably gonna keep 800's, if not 750's out of the ball game, even if they are decent overclockers.

 

[popeye44]

I have had two msi MB's one an 815 and the other the 694d pro...
NEITHER of them could be FORCED &quot;jumpered&quot; to run any cpu i have to either 100mhz or 133 depending on cpu my asus runs both of these cpu's at their various oc'd speeds 933 for one and 550 for the other with absolutely NO problems..

yes i tried every trick with the msi boards.. NO they will not work as overclockers
and finally i'll never buy another one....
ASUS like a good bx motherboard has maturity on their side giving them a great advantage to someone who does not WANT to spend 19 hours trying various hacked methods to get a board to do what it should be doing when you change the jumper.
i have had 9 asus boards and never RMA'D one yet. the msi is coming out of my wifes today and going back to them since it refuses to play nicely i'm rma'in it and egayin it.
just my worthless 2 cents..

 

[Raincity]

<< NO they will not work as overclockers >>

Gee then how is my P3 700cbo running rock stable @1015 on a MSI 6337 815e running since August 2000, or the other five OC machines with this same mainboard and P3 cbo. Just remove both sw 1 jumpers to access the fsb from 133+. No tricks needed to OC with this mainboard.

Rain

 

[subhuman]

LXi,

&quot;PCI Latency Timer&quot; controls the length of time an agent on the PCI bus
can hold the bus when another has requested it. Without this option, your ability for realtime traffic to pass through the PCI bus to main memory, and back is severely limited. This means a board without the ability to adjust this feature may perform over 50% worse for applications such as these -- for most people who game and use Word, this doesn't seem to matter (since no VIA chip can do this at all really, and look how good Durons and Thunderbirds are selling with VIA-chipset motherboards).

^Updated, thanks for the info...

 

[LXi]

I didnt get the last part about VIA, if none of their chips have it, why are Durons and Tbirds performing that well?

 

[Bartman39]

Pro... from day one my profile says it all...

BTW will do 1050mhz 1.65 also but why push it...

And will do 1120mhz 1.85 but its a hot MOFO

 

[subhuman]

LXi, there isn't a single TBird board that I know of which performs even remotely well in the PCI Bandwidth area.

Check out the thread here, if you can solve the problem in the final hour, you'll get all the fans. But, trust me, there is a massive difference in realtime performance across a VIA-controlled PCI bus compared to an Intel-controlled PCI bus. The VIA is no where near the intel, no matter what settings I tweak. As much as AMD chips rule, the CPU is only part of the system, and ultimately, the chipset is almost more important!

 

[Valvoline6]

Bartman I'm sick of you and that 1 gig at default voltage processor. Now hand it over before I really get mad. Seriously I'm looking for another 700E that might do a little better than 933 @ 1.8 volts. It will run at 1.75 as long as I just surf, but to run Prime95 or CPU Stability Test over night it needs 1.8. Any tips or tricks on finding a cC0 or cB0 that will do it?