best boards for nforce2 ultra 400

[moosey]

what are the best (meaning fast but also must be really stable/reliable) on this platform?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

"Best" is subjective, but the NF7-s is an outstanding board for price/performance/features, and the AN35N-ultra is an outstanding price/performance value since it sales for 71$ shipped.

 

[will889]

I agree, Abit for higher end, Shuttle AN35, or Biostar M7NCDP for lower end.

 

[hasu]

What motherboards with nforce2 has keyboard power on feature?
I know that Epox has, but I need a board which takes at least 6 IDE devices!!
Also I am interested in a board with MCP-T Southbridge to take advantage of better integrated sound.

I tried my level best to get a GA-7N400 Pro from Gigabyte -- but it is out of stock everywhere.


Any suggestion?

 

[jiffylube1024]

I'd also recommend NF7-S. It's my pick for top Nforce2 board. Although I can wholeheartedly reccomend the A7N8X as well.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

WOW it just amaizes me how many poeple who are members of these forums do not read the reviews. Best over all is the the DFI NFII. Though it is an expensive solution it provides the best performance overal and has a feature set that is not matched. If you are looking for dual sata though it is not your option. But once again if you want raid it jumps right to the top of the class with raid1.5. 1.5 is a both mirrors and includes parity information for a great combitnation of security and speed. It also comes with the best accessories package I have seen. Though the Zenith comes close in this area it is the close. The DFI NFII comes with a carrying package for your computer, round UV reactive cables and some thing called teh Front X which gives you the potential for front mounted anything.

 

[will889]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
WOW it just amaizes me how many poeple who are members of these forums do not read the reviews.

What makes you think we have not read reviews - I have read nearly all of them, and yes, I have read the DFI Lan party review right here @ anandtech. I have read reviews at hothardware, hardocp, amdmb, Toms, and many, many more. I read nearly all the big, and middle market sites, and some of the small ones. I agree, the DFI is fabulous for $+150.00. However, not all of us need carrying straps, and UV cables (some of use already have them). the DFI is very, very good, and even though Anandtech rated it the top board, I personally think the Abit Nf7-S is the best " for the money". The DFI is an "all in one kit", and it is very nice, you can get quite nice overclock with it (about 228-230). Hey - if I did not alrady have cables (nice rounded blue ones) and needed a carrying strap (your paying for those by the way)- then I would get the DFI. Also, many peeps don't as of yet have a windowed case - and you are also paying $150.00 for a UV board too. Maybe some users dont want to pay extra for stuff when they can get a board every bit as fast in the Abit. For me, that's really my point. But I see yours too. If I were starting from scratch with components and cases, I would get the DFI with, and a nice Antec, or Chieftech case with a window, and a UV 12" light, and some UV fans, then it would indeed justify $150.00 verses $119.00 against the Abit. But since I had all the stuff, like UV lights, paint, case w/window - why pay more? Both the DFI, and the Abit, as well as the 8RDA+ are great.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I agree with Hoot, the nF2 LANParty is a great board but overkill for many. I've also yet to see any nF2 board exceed the NF7-s overclocking results and it's full featured including soundstorm for substantially less money so if you don't need UV cables and other extras included in the DFI then the Abit is a better value. Had he said he wanted to trick out his boxen then I would definitely have suggested the DFI as I've been very impressed with everything I've seen about it.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: Hoot

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12
WOW it just amaizes me how many poeple who are members of these forums do not read the reviews.

What makes you think we have not read reviews - I have read nearly all of them, and yes, I have read the DFI Lan party review right here @ anandtech. I have read reviews at hothardware, hardocp, amdmb, Toms, and many, many more. I read nearly all the big, and middle market sites, and some of the small ones. I agree, the DFI is fabulous for $+150.00. However, not all of us need carrying straps, and UV cables (some of use already have them). the DFI is very, very good, and even though Anandtech rated it the top board, I personally think the Abit Nf7-S is the best " for the money". The DFI is an "all in one kit", and it is very nice, you can get quite nice overclock with it (about 228-230). Hey - if I did not alrady have cables (nice rounded blue ones) and needed a carrying strap (your paying for those by the way)- then I would get the DFI. Also, many peeps don't as of yet have a windowed case - and you are also paying $150.00 for a UV board too. Maybe some users dont want to pay extra for stuff when they can get a board every bit as fast in the Abit. For me, that's really my point. But I see yours too. If I were starting from scratch with components and cases, I would get the DFI with, and a nice Antec, or Chieftech case with a window, and a UV 12" light, and some UV fans, then it would indeed justify $150.00 verses $119.00 against the Abit. But since I had all the stuff, like UV lights, paint, case w/window - why pay more? Both the DFI, and the Abit, as well as the 8RDA+ are great.

I wasn't aiming that directly at you there id definatly no need to get so defensive. I have ben posting about the board because it is an awesome board. I had that derected more towards the tons of people on here who have barely heard of the DFI. MY point in even posting it here is that the thread asked for hte best and it is the best. It comes with the most stuff, overclocks the highest and runs the fastest out of all the nForce 2 ultra 400's. I do suggest the Abit to people who are looking for great price to performance as well as teh 8RDA+ for people on a tight budget. The fact of the matter is that he was looking for the best and that is the DFI NFII.

Dapunisher:
A quote frm the anandtech review:
'The above overclocking setup at default voltage allowed us to reach a stable FSB of 223MHz. This makes the DFI NFII Ultra the best overclocking nForce2 Ultra 400 board that we have tested at AnandTech. With this kind of performance at default voltage, we were curious just how far we could push the Barton 2500+ with a bit more voltage. We were able to achieve complete stability at 227MHz using 1.775V. This represents a true CPU speed of 2.502GHz from a chip designed to run at 1.83GHz ? a 37% overclock. Since the 3200+ runs at 2.2GHz, this would represent a performance rating in the range of 3600+, if such a rating existed."

That is better than any Abit i have tried out. I have used both the abit and teh DFI NFII and the DFI maxed out at 234 with an 11x multi and 1.80 volts. The abit on the other hand maxed out at 227 with an 11x multiplier on 1.80 volts. that in't that big of a difference when you get right down to it but the DFI did out oc it.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

DerwenArtos12, you are exactly right, DFI has not just penetrated the AMD enthusiasts market with the nF2 LANParty, they've taken it by storm with an unmatched bundle and outstanding performance. It's just that despite not having owned the nf7-s the user ratings on this board and it's feature set combined with the price point they offer it at seems like a unbeatable buy IMO.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
DerwenArtos12, you are exactly right, DFI has not just penetrated the AMD enthusiasts market with the nF2 LANParty, they've taken it by storm with an unmatched bundle and outstanding performance. It's just that despite not having owned the nf7-s the user ratings on this board and it's feature set combined with the price point they offer it at seems like a unbeatable buy IMO.

I do not dissagree with you that for the $30 difference it is a great motherboard. I will not dispute that the nf7-s is a great motherboard but this thread is about the best nfocre 2 and by perfomance and stability and ability to overclock the DFI rains supreme. It does it better. Were this thread to be best price to performance ratio i would have to say teh nf7-s but it isn't.

 

[will889]

I would surmize that a few here might not know about them (DFI), but this is anandtech, and im sure most do know about it. I have built 3 system with the Lan Party mobo so far, and its about equal with the Abit in terms of performance in my comparisons. The Abit would be more reliable than the DFI slightly - but "only" when overclocked to the limit. I have also built 5 NF7 systems. both are great - fantastic motherboards. I would own one (Lan Party) if I did not have all the stuff I described above

Regards
Hoot

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: DerwenArtos12

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
DerwenArtos12, you are exactly right, DFI has not just penetrated the AMD enthusiasts market with the nF2 LANParty, they've taken it by storm with an unmatched bundle and outstanding performance. It's just that despite not having owned the nf7-s the user ratings on this board and it's feature set combined with the price point they offer it at seems like a unbeatable buy IMO.

I do not dissagree with you that for the $30 difference it is a great motherboard. I will not dispute that the nf7-s is a great motherboard but this thread is about the best nfocre 2 and by perfomance and stability and ability to overclock the DFI rains supreme. It does it better. Were this thread to be best price to performance ratio i would have to say teh nf7-s but it isn't.

Newegg has the LANParty for 159$ and the NF7-S for 113$, that's a 46$ difference and being something of a Ferengi that did factor into my recommendation. Although you are correct that he specified the best and it's hard to argue against the LANparty there

 

[will889]

About the overclocking results, I guess it's different for everyone, and sometimes depends on your ram, and the actual Barton-T_Bred stepping code you have. I have had 232 from the 8RDA+, about 236 from the Abit, and I got 227 from the DFI, they are all very good imo. Here is another DFI Lan Party review, but let me note, I do think anand's was more on target. I got higher with corsair/DFI than with giel/DFI. Also, out of the three DFI's I built, I only benched, and tested one of them. But it seems everywhere, with all mobos, results vary. And I think that has alot to do with stepping, and ram.


hardcoreware/DFI Lan Party

 

[Corporate Thug]

NF7-s

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: shady06
NF7-s

*Voice of Judge Dread* I knew you were gonna say that!

 

[hasu]

Some one want to talk about Gigabyte 7N400 Pro ? I know that it is difficult to get right now. But I am still considering it.. Any comaprison with NF-7, in terms of stability?

 

[will889]

I dunno about the G-Bite. I have not built that one I did hear that "initially" there were a few problems, seems every Nf2 board has a few that crop up especially at first. But from what I have heard, its been addressed with bios release, as it was with Abit some time back. Abit used to have a bios corruption issue. The G-Bite I will have to research further..possibly someone on this forum know about them? Im in the dark with that board :disgust:

 

[pspada]

DFI, feh. I generally don't buy motherboards for the included cables or other crap. Admittedly it has good reviews, but that does not justify it's high price in my book.

2 boards no one has mentioned, the 8RDA+, and the FIC AU13. I happen to have both right now, and both are excellent performers. And both go for about half the price of the DFI.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: pspada
DFI, feh. I generally don't buy motherboards for the included cables or other crap. Admittedly it has good reviews, but that does not justify it's high price in my book.

2 boards no one has mentioned, the 8RDA+, and the FIC AU13. I happen to have both right now, and both are excellent performers. And both go for about half the price of the DFI.

we have all mentioned the 8RDA+ as a great board but it is not as good as teh abit or dfi or some others. I do not know much about the FIC because after a couple really bad experiences with some of their P4 boards i will never build another computer with them again. And as for the dfi you do not buy the mobo for the included package but you have to take it into account when you figure the pricing. Rounded cables have a cost, the FrontX has a cost, the computer carrier has a cost so does the included thermal paste. If someone was building a new computer and not upgrading one then this would be an unbeatable package. Upgrading on the other had is generall all together different because you may or may not have rounded calbes or as3 aroudn and it is great to get it all in one package that does save you money if in no other way in the shipping as it is free at newegg.

 

[pspada]

Regardless of if I'm building a new system or upgrading one, I still don't need nor want any rounded cables, carriers, or other garbage. And my 8RDA+ is running my 3000+ at 11.5x200fsb with no problems. When it comes to FIC, I've been using their mobos for AMD chips for years, and rarely have any problems whatsoever. But I'm just starting to play with the AU13, but thus far it is completely stable and provides excellent performance.