Best high-quality OCing mATX mobo?

[EvilYoda]

So, the title says it all pretty much...I got the Chaintech 7NIF2 (for sale here!) to put into my Antec Aria system, and it has absolutely no voltage or multiplier adjustments.

I've figured out that I was naive thinking that I wanted an nForce2 board so that in my next system, I could remove the vid card and audio card and use all onboard stuff...but I've since realized that those parts would be staying, so that system will never change.

Suggest to me a mobo, nForce2, 400 Ultra, VIA chipset, anything. If you own it, could you kindly point out what abilities I'll have in the BIOS, and if you're OCing it, what speeds you're running with what CPU. I have an AMD mobile Barton 2600+ in there, just like everyone else. Vantec AeroFlow cooling, PMi PC3200 RAM 2-3-2-6.

Thanks all.

 

[Zap]

Biostar M7NCG 400

I've heard that the new revisions of the board does not have vcore in BIOS, but has it in a Windows utility. Read the reviews on Newegg. I have an older revision and it does have all the settings except for the ability to span 12.5x multiplier.

I also have a board similar to your Chaintech. I have the one without video, Chaintech 7NIL1-SUMMIT. I got around those pesky non-overclock-friendly-BIOS problems by using pin mods.

 

[EvilYoda]

Yeah, I considered doing pin mods...but since I can afford it, I think I'll just absorb the loss and get a mobo that I can change things through software.

Thanks for the Biostar suggestion...it seems that the Epox nForce2 board has adjustments as well. Now we wait til Monday.

 

[EvilYoda]

Anybody? Someone has to be making an Aria system.

 

[SniperWulf]

i'm in the same boat, lemme know if you find something

 

[Gravity]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
Anybody? Someone has to be making an Aria system.

Ha! I'm waitin on you to be the pioneer!

Pioneer = the guy with all the arrows in his back.

 

[Copperpipe]

The Biostar M7NCG400 is the best deal if you want all the overclocking adjustment features (just don't get the ver. 7.0 PCB - Newegg reportedly sells the ver. 7.2 now), low price, and the two sets of pinouts for using the front USB slots and the card reader. Other good ones are the SHuttle MN31N and the Albatron although they don't have all the overclocking features. The Epox has the overclocking features but doesn't have the two sets of USB pinouts (only has one).

I got the ver. 1.0 PCB and am running my XP2500 mobile @ 182 X 12.5 at default voltages except CPU (at 1.6V) w/ the onboard video, two 256 MB Samsung PC2700's, BIOS timings @ 7-3-3-2.5. Getting about 5500 3DMk01 score w/ the 43.45 NVIDIA driver. Am gonna wait awhile before buying the Aria.

DUnno if the Aeroflow fits in the Aria however.

 

[EvilYoda]

Well, a quick update...I'll be ordering the new mobo shortly, and it seems like it'll be the Biostar. I really should've done more research, and I'm still a little unprepared, but oh well. I'm just glad I found a buyer for my Chaintech...but it was a good deal too.

As long as nothing drastic changes, the AeroFlow fits fine in the Aria. You have about...3mm of clearance, from what I remember. I saw a nice Zalman cooler in a review today, and wanted to try it, but it's so damn wide that it's bound to hit a capacitor or something.

Update on Thursday evening hopefully, when the new system's up and running.

 

[Zap]

The Biostar (at least my revision) does not have the 4 mounting holes around the socket, so the Zalman 7000 series cooler is out of the question.

 

[Kenazo]

a lot of (if not all) of the NF2 boards that have onboard video won't let you run a 400mhz FSB, just so you know.

 

[Copperpipe]

Agreed - NF2 IGP chipset is not rated for 200 mhz FSB per NVIDIA specs. However, if the board has chipset voltage adjustments, you have a good chance of running OK at that speed, & you have a better chance of running 200 FSB with an add-on AGP card.

My Biostar M7NCG400 could run at 200 FSB w/ the onboard and external AGP, but both needed to have the chipset voltage increased above the default. If you really want a 200+ FSB overclocking board, you should NOT get the IGP NF2 board. If you are not into heavy overclocking or 3D gaming, the IGP boards are great.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

There are several ATX nF2 IGP boards that can run beyond 400DDR dual channel synch mode no problem with a vdd boost. I ran my SL-75MRN-L@422DDR DC synch mode, IGP core@265mhz, Barton2500+@2.43ghz All you need is good chipset cooling. The overclocking capabilities of the mATX boards I can't speak to.

 

[EvilYoda]

Grrr...I think I'm just going to shoot myself and quit worrying about this. I'm in such a rush to have a working system that I'm not taking the time to properly research everything. I realized by now that the nForce board isn't what I need, but nobody really suggested another board in my other thread.

I went ahead and ordered the Biostar board, and knowing my luck lately, it'll be a PCB that doesn't allow OCing or something. I'm going to call NewEgg tomorrow and see if they can find out for me what version they're shipping right now. ugh.

In the case that I DO have to get a new mobo, can someone suggest a GOOD OCing board, doesn't need to have onboard ANYTHING, with DDR400 support hopefully. (which the Biostar doesn't)

 

[will889]

Shuttle AN35N Ultra, or Abit NF7_S for ATX, and even thought e Shuttle MN31N is only DDR 333 native, it will clock better than the Biostar M7NCG 400. You could us an unlocked barton, or mobile and get a high ultipler clock. The early M7NCG 400 was better than the one thet newegg is currenly offering.

 

[Killrose]

I built a comp for a friend using the M7NCG 400 and it has it all as far as overclocking features. I don't think you will have any problems getting a newer version, as long as you did'nt go with a refurb.

None of the nforce2 IGP boards officially support DDR400 (200MHz FSB) while using the onboard graphics as far as I know. If you don't use the onboard graphics, the Biostar should work just fine.

 

[Copperpipe]

Originally posted by: Hoot
Shuttle AN35N Ultra, or Abit NF7_S for ATX, and even thought e Shuttle MN31N is only DDR 333 native, it will clock better than the Biostar M7NCG 400. You could us an unlocked barton, or mobile and get a high ultipler clock. The early M7NCG 400 was better than the one thet newegg is currenly offering.

The three versions that I know of are 1.0 (original - I got one), 7.0 (no overclocking adjustments), 7.2 and later (restored overclocking adjustment features). Are you saying that the 7.2 is worse than the 1.0, and why? I'm just curious as to what is (or isn't) on the 7.2.

Thanks

 

[EvilYoda]

Yes, I'm curious too...although I'll find out by tonight. I get off of work around 9, and Friends will be over by 10. Then the next 6 hours will either be pure excitement or pure hell. We shall see.

 

[EvilYoda]

If anybody cares, the new Biostar M7NCG 400 mobos from newegg are indeed version 7.2, so the OCing adjustments are all there. I'm running on it now, and everything's fine. Damn loud, but I'll see about that.

 

[Copperpipe]

Congratulations on your rig!

What FSB, timings, CPU multiplier, etc. are you running at? I've settled mine in at 182 X 12.5 w/ my 2500 Mobile Barton (1.625 Vcore) & 7-3-3-2.5 (pair of 256 MB Samsung PC2700's) - all other voltages at default.

What do you think of the Aria? I read some user reviews in which people complained about the poor fit (screwholes not lining up, etc.).

 

[will889]

Originally posted by: Copperpipe
The three versions that I know of are 1.0 (original - I got one), 7.0 (no overclocking adjustments), 7.2 and later (restored overclocking adjustment features). Are you saying that the 7.2 is worse than the 1.0, and why? I'm just curious as to what is (or isn't) on the 7.2.
Thanks

No. Im not saying that the latest is not as good as the first. But that I personally had great luck with 2 different XP2500 bartons on the Shuttle mATX than rev 1.0 from newegg. I can't comment on 7.2. Even the refubs I built were 7.0 and quickly built and sold here locally. Actually once I raised the chipset voltage to (1.8) I think... DDR400 ran fine, and I got 200x11 easily as long as an AGP card was used. This was on a locked barton too. I got 200x11 right away on the shuttle mATX (Long time ago). Perhaps it could have been the processor stepping as you know. The Shuttle nforce2 AN35N likewise will get far higher clocks than the Biostar M7NCDP with the FSB. The shuttle is basically a poor man's NF7-S. I also have a Biostar and it runs fantastic. Actually it "runs' better than the shuttle in that .. it boots faster seems to run smoother,and front panel connectors are alot easier to set up. Shuttle's are somewhat of a pain. But both represent good value. Since Biostar restored the OC features in version 7.2 I really should have a "wait see" to see what people are getting before actually saying the shuttle is/was better. But in about 4 months or so I will dump K7 tech anyway and go with either P4 or A64 anyway. This time will be different though. No value boards this time, and no compromises and tinkering with lesser tech just to overclock. Just straight up fast - probably Asus or Abit. I would sincerely like to move away form overclocking and "piecing" and "patching" parts here and there to keep up by overlocking the Bejesus out of things. Nope - next time the rig will actually cost me mucho $. I was going to go early to A64 with the Foxcon SIS 755 A64 3400+, but have decided to wait it out. I think the XP series will go to the X3400 since VIA has pulled another Johnny come lately with the last bastion of testament to AGP/PCI lock with thier new chipset for K7. So I think K7 will be ok for another year or so with a 9800 Pro, and a gig of ram - I don't see why I can't run any game that comes out for quite some time (at least a year or so).

 

[Copperpipe]

Thanks for the clarification.

I don't necessarily agree with your preference for Asus or Abit - every brand/model has their drawbacks. It's more of a question of wanting to pay more for more features.

But it is probably best to wait for now unless you have some pressing need for hardware due to PCI Express, BTX, DDR2, SATA, and all the new 64-bit processors.

 

[will889]

Copperpipe- the Asus referenace was actually if I had decide to go Intel (Abit too). With AMD it's a whole other ball game. Plent of great boards from different manufacturers. On a side note, Boiostar p4 boards aren't bad, they just tend to be a tad alower on the Intel side much like ECS. Their 875p board is actually quite good but tremendously overpriced. I thought about getting a Asus 875p and waiting for EE to drop and sit on 3.2c for a while. But like I said I'll actually just keep the K7 for about 6 mo. to to a year or so anyway. I really do think AMD will release an XP3400/3600 K7 chip. However many like me already get 2.5+2.7 Ghz with the mobile. But it would breath new life for the late arriving VIA chipset, and allow for some heradrooom for OEM PC makers and us hardware types to continue running our K7 boards. I know I will be slower in memory bandwidth than A64/P4 3.2C, but if you think about it, the P4c has been around and compared to the K7 AMD XP for quite some time anyway, and basically the A64 socket 754 is about equal with the P4. So esssentially, there really is no reason to go A64 - yet imo. The actual 3D marks (to run doom and games like it) will still be great with the XP and handled adeptly with running 1G of ram. BTW Soyo and Epox, and DFI do make great Intel boards too. The Soyo may actually be the best "running' one out of all of them (875P) that is. So I hear from a friend at sysopt who gave up his IC7 after reviewing the Soyo he liked it so much.

 

[Gravity]

Originally posted by: EvilYoda
If anybody cares, the new Biostar M7NCG 400 mobos from newegg are indeed version 7.2, so the OCing adjustments are all there. I'm running on it now, and everything's fine. Damn loud, but I'll see about that.

Um, your comment about noise is concerning. I want my aria to be silent or just a notch above that. I was confused about your desire to max the board speeds since those higher settings are sure to generate heat hence the need for cooling and the necessity of noise.

Let us know about the noise please?

 

[Gravity]

Bought my aria today. Decided to go with the Asus P4 MB, a gig o' ram and a 3.2 prescott. I'm excited yet tired. Maybe I need coffee.

 

[Gravity]

Built my aria yesterday. The SATA power cord is mighty short and requires some pretty tricky work to get connected. Much disassembly required. All else seems well though. Using the Asus P4P800-VM and a 3.0 presscot with a gig O ram.

More later.