Best Motherboard Brand

imported_Noob · Jul 16, 2005

What is the best motherboard brand between ASUS, DFI, Soltek.

fastman · Jul 16, 2005

Not to be a smart ass, but it depends. You might want to be a little more spacific. I go with what works this days.

Edit: My current Mobo is a ASUS as the DFI Mobo I could not get to work.

MemberSince97 · Jul 16, 2005

"Branding is all about marketing." Go more by peoples experiences for more reliable results.

However, all those mentioned brands should perform fine at stock configurations.

imported_Kensai · Jul 16, 2005

There is no "best" motherboard brand. It all depends on which features and prices you want.

SPQQKY · Jul 16, 2005

I would disagree, the best brand is definately Asus. They always use the top components and are very reliable. For my needs, I will go to other manufacturers, but for builds for others who do not overclock and are looking for stability and longevity, Asus is always my choice.

CrystalBay · Jul 16, 2005

I agree Asus still has the edge for stability @ default most of the time . Plus their manuals actually convey some information, without errors usually read DFI .

BTA · Jul 16, 2005

cant stand Asus myself

Texun · Jul 16, 2005

I think ASUS is one of the best made boards but my last few builds have been Abit. They have all been clean builds and very reliable performers, and generally cost a few dollars less than ASUS. Other good boards I've used were Aopen and iWill. Those are small players in the DIY market. They aren't known for OC'ing but are very solid and still running perfectly after about 5 years. Still..... anyone can made a dud now and then.

anarchyreigns · Jul 16, 2005

DFI :thumbsup:

Shenkoa · Jul 17, 2005

Asus :thumbsup:

CrystalBay · Jul 17, 2005

Abit used to be the board Here 7-8 years ago ... #1

imported_Noob · Jul 17, 2005

Originally posted by: SPQQKY
but for builds for others who do not overclock and are looking for stability and longevity, Asus is always my choice.

What is the best OCing MB then? I always thought it was ASUS, but I have heard Soltek was good as well.

GuitarDaddy · Jul 17, 2005

The Asus A8N-SLI premium is the best O/C board for air/water cooling IMO. If extreme overclocking with phase change cooling the DFI lanparty would be the one.

fastman · Jul 17, 2005

Of the 3 you selected, DFI by far. But it's very picky, so beware.

keeleysam · Jul 17, 2005

I hate 'em all. MSI is the best.

jgs007 · Jul 17, 2005

my socket 939 msi and asus boards have been extremely picky about components. unfortunately, you don't find out until after you've bought them....

imported_Noob · Jul 18, 2005

Originally posted by: fastman
Of the 3 you selected, DFI by far. But it's very picky, so beware.

Do you mean in terms of RAM voltages and PSU's.

Bona Fide · Jul 18, 2005

Originally posted by: Noob

Originally posted by: fastman
Of the 3 you selected, DFI by far. But it's very picky, so beware.

Click to expand...

Do you mean in terms of RAM voltages and PSU's.

Also in terms of RAM types. I've heard that most Value RAMs, such as Corsair VS, don't work.

fastman · Jul 18, 2005

Originally posted by: Noob

Originally posted by: fastman
Of the 3 you selected, DFI by far. But it's very picky, so beware.

Click to expand...

Do you mean in terms of RAM voltages and PSU's.

Well I have over 10 years in building computers and have never had a harder time troubleshooting then the DFI one I had.

Here are the step-by-step procedures for DFI Lanparty NF4 Ultra-D, taken from dfi-street.com.

1. Familiarize yourself with how to assemble a PC generally, including:
http://www.mysuperpc.com/build/pc_parts_list.shtml
http://www.buildyourowncomputer.net/learntobuild.html
http://www.motherboards.org/article...ides/924_1.html
http://www.build-your-own-computer-tips.com/
2. Place motherboard on insulated surface (on wood table and pad shipped with motherboard)
3. Inspect and prepare motherboard, adjust jumpers as necessary.
4. Install CPU and heatsink.
5. Install 1 stick RAM in slot 2 (orange, closest to edge) (optional but not advisable: install dual channel memory in slots 2 and 4) (I installed 2 sticks and didn't have any problems)
6. Install video card in top (closest to CPU) PCI-E slot.
7. Connect power supply to motherboard ? be sure to make all four connections. (A minimal install outside the case is optional. You may wish to jump to Step 10).
8. Connect monitor.
9. Connect keyboard and mouse.
10. First boot ? use EZ Touch Power Switch on motherboard to turn power on. To enter BIOS, press DEL before the fourth diagnostic LED turns off and the DFI LanParty splashscreen appears. Load Optimized Defaults/save and exit.
11. Install mobo and I/O shield in case.
12. Connect case and CPU fans to motherboard.
13. Install power supply (can be done before Step 11 if you prefer).
14. Connect power supply to motherboard ? be sure to make all four connections.
15. Connect front panel connectors and case fans to motherboard.
16. Connect monitor.
17. Connect keyboard and mouse.
18. Second boot. Enter BIOS. Set Update ESCD/will update DMI pool.
19. Install hard and optical drives.
20. Third boot. Can turn off Update ESCD.
21. Press DEL to enter BIOS
22. Input BIOS settings from Rgone (Post 1) {for TCCD Mem.} and Angry_Games screenshots (Post 18) from
http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5844
23. Fourth boot.
24. Run Memtest86 v3.2 (bootable CD downloaded from http://www.memtest86.com/)
25. Install second stick RAM in Slot 4.
26. Reboot and run Memtest86 v3.2, or you may want to test each stick separately first.
27. Install OS (Windows XP). During install of Win XP, drives will be partitioned and then formatted to be able to use them and then Install of OS continues. Use Win XP SP2 or SP2 slipstreamed is highly recommended, as it has updated drivers and DirectX9.0C. Directions on creating a bootable slipstreamed Win XP http://www.helpwithwindows.com/Wind...sp2-bootcd.html and http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/...am-Guide_1.html
28. Install MB drivers from DFI supplied CD (Note: some drivers cause problems for some users; do not install Nvidia IDE drivers or Nvidia Firewall / Nforce Network Access Manager programs; do not install Ntune from the DFI disc).
29. Install video drivers from DFI supplied CD and/or CD supplied with video card.
30. Install monitor drivers from CD supplied with monitor.
31. Before connecting to internet, read http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1743653,00.asp
32. Connect to internet through LAN. (WinXP didn?t recognize my Vitesse LAN 1. The network wizard only recognized the Marvell LAN 2, so I connected through that. Follow instructions provided with modem or router.)
33. Install virus protection. I installed AVG freeware http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
34. Install Win XP updates http://www.windowsupdates.com
35. Test speed and stability.
36. Enable Cool?n?Quiet ? download software from http://www.dfi.com.tw/Upload/Driver/cpucooler.EXE enable Cool?n?Quiet at Power Management in BIOS; set power option as ?minimal power management? in control panel.
37. Hook up peripherals.
38. Load other software.

If you think this is an easy build enjoy.

fibes · Jul 19, 2005

I like Soltek, MSI and Gigabyte

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