Best sis645 mobos???

[Duvie]

I am thinking if amd doesn't have anything better by march I may look at the p4 route...that is if the 2.0ghz northwood comes down a bit and the sis645's can offer some 400-500mhz overclocking like I am seeing...A p4 2.5ghz would need a 2300+xp to compete and I don't think that may happen for a bit...

The sis boards in reviews appear to do quite well and don't cost an arm and a leg...I have apower supply that is rated for p4 as well as 512mb of pc2100 crucial ddr-ram...

Hopefully the 2gigger will be at 300 or slightly lower w/ 100 for the board...


So...
1) what sis645 do you like?
2) How are they overclocking so far with northwoods?
3) I am pretty much dead set against going rdram for reasons of having the memory, so if you like the i845 platform convince me why it is better...

 

[Daovonnaex]

<< I am thinking if amd doesn't have anything better by march I may look at the p4 route...that is if the 2.0ghz northwood comes down a bit and the sis645's can offer some 400-500mhz overclocking like I am seeing...A p4 2.5ghz would need a 2300+xp to compete and I don't think that may happen for a bit...

The sis boards in reviews appear to do quite well and don't cost an arm and a leg...I have apower supply that is rated for p4 as well as 512mb of pc2100 crucial ddr-ram...

Hopefully the 2gigger will be at 300 or slightly lower w/ 100 for the board...


So...
1) what sis645 do you like?
2) How are they overclocking so far with northwoods?
3) I am pretty much dead set against going rdram for reasons of having the memory, so if you like the i845 platform convince me why it is better... >>


1. The Asus P4S333
2. Decent, but nothing spectacular (as far as northwoods go).
3. RDRAM costs as much as DDR SDRAM these days, but okay...anyhow, the i845D (while it sucks if you're not overclocking) has shown itself to be a great overclocker. You really should rethink your RDRAM decision, though. Another option is the only mainboard currently based on the Via P4X266A--the Via P4XB-SA. It has great performance and stability, and overclocks like a banshee.

 

[Duvie]

To sum it up...no via...I have my reasons...


I see texmaster is using an i845 and overclocking the crap out of it...says it performs just as well...

I also saw review that showed the sis645 right there with the i850 platform so any ocing would be bonus for me and save on the upgrade...


I could always sell my current config for around 110-120 with chip/ hsf and mobo together...that could keep the upgrade cost to 300 or less...

 

[Daovonnaex]

<< To sum it up...no via...I have my reasons... >>

*sigh*




<< I see texmaster is using an i845 and overclocking the crap out of it...says it performs just as well... >>

It has worse performance when not overclocked, but it overclocks farther than the SiS 645.



<< I also saw review that showed the sis645 right there with the i850 platform so any ocing would be bonus for me and save on the upgrade... >>

I can't say that I've seen many boards that can overclock like an Abit TH7-II...


[/i] >>

I could always sell my current config for around 110-120 with chip/ hsf and mobo together...that could keep the upgrade cost to 300 or less...[/i] >>

Not likely given the cost of the northwood.

 

[Jeff H]

Duvie, tbreak recently posted a review of the Epox 4SDA+. I'm in a similar situation to you, vacillating between an AthlonXP and a P4. I was leaning heavily toward XP until the SiS645 showed up. Right now the Asus board (P4S333) looks the best, but if the feature set of the 4SDA+ is to your liking, first blush of the board looks good. I can't find it on any of the pricing pages yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time b4 it appears.

Epox's US site has been problematic lately, but you can find info on the 4SDA+ here

 

[Duvie]

< I could always sell my current config for around 110-120 with chip/ hsf and mobo together...that could keep the upgrade cost to 300 or less... >>

Not likely given the cost of the northwood. >

remember all I need is a mobo and NW chip...The 2.0ghz seesm to be around 370-400 now...IN 3 months or less it will only continue to drop and I am seeing that the sis645 boards are just over 110.00...


< Epox's US site has been problematic lately, but you can find info on the 4SDA+ here >

Thanks for the link...I will check it out

 

[salman327]

the epox sis645 board is roughly $100 at newegg.

 

[majewski9]

Duvie remeber that AMD is clocking the AthlonXP at x.5 intervals. 12.5 * 133 @ 1.67ghz is the clock speed of the xp 2000+! The 2.2ghz northwood couldnt even beat the newest Athlon! Now and Athlon 2300+ would have a multiplier of 14. 14 x 133= 1862mhz. now 12.5 x 166mhz = 2075mhz by simply overclocking to 166fsb which any Kt266A or XP333 board can do rather easily you will have a much faster processor than even probaly a northwod 2.4ghz and 2.6ghz if history serves correct. Northwood and the p4 in general is much too expensive.

 

[Jeff H]

salman327, where did you see the 4SDA+ SiS645 Epox board on NewEgg? I've been looking for a few days now to no avail. I can find the Asus, MSI, Soyo and ECS boards, but no Epox.

 

[Bingo13]

I am having great success with a Soyo SY-P4S board. I have a P4 2.0a running at 2.5 without any issues at this time. I am receiving a Soyo P4I this week to compare the two boards regarding stability and performance. I will say that it is much easier to overclock the Northwood on a DDR platform than on a RDRAM platform at this time. The funny thing now is that RDRAM is cheaper than good DDR.

 

[thermite88]

<< tbreak recently posted a review of the Epox 4SDA+. >>

The overclock is limited to 106 FSB (6% OC). Is it Epox or Sis?

<< The limiting factor in our overclocking was obviously the DDR which could only handle speeds of 177MHz at CAS2 meaning the FSB was running at 106MHz. >>

tbreak seems to blame it on the memory.

 

[Duvie]

OK...What do ppl speculate if I got a 2ghz NW and oc'd it to about 2.4ghz with retail fan, what speed amd athlon xp would I need to do it without getting a much more expensive, potentially louder fan....


I am only looking at the fact that the 2.2ghz p4 is slightly faster then the athlon 2000+, but in a few months (probably 1-1/2months) I think I could get the 2ghz for near 300 and oc it to a 2.4ghz...Wouldn't basic theory go that it will take a athlon 2200 to come close and a 2300 to beat it??? I have seen some claim to hit 2.5ghz with no extra colling besides reatil HSF...That would take a 2400xp to compete...I don't see amd putting that out in the next 1-1/2 months let alone maybe only a 2100xp. I would bet that 2100 would cost slightly more then the 2ghz but give me only a 150mhz boost with better cooling needed...

PLus I don't think behind the simple bump the fsb up a bit that I can boost the xp up enough...It gets to hot and requires a better HSF, plus I would have to have an unlocked xp to achieve it...


I don't know I want quitest I can get with the most performance I can eek out...It was only a though, but I am starting to consider it more and more...

 

[salman327]

Oh man my bad. It was the 845d board (4bsd). Sorry about that.

 

[skrill]

I will be moving to a Northwood shortly. I am going Intel for two reasons: 1) the new chip is rad, and 2) the fragile core of the XP installing it on my new Vapochill is a total gamble (with the integrated heatspreader and theral protection the Intel chip becomes virtually indestrucible).

Anyway, I am leaning heavily toward getting a SiS 645 board. Unfortunately most enthusiast sites don't do a lot of reviews of Intel boards. Anyway the Asus P4S333 looks really good. But it the Abit SD7 was out there would be no contest -- Abit just has been on such a role lately making great boards. But I can't find any info on the SD7 (their SiS 645 board). Anyone know anything about it??

I am tempted by the Abit BD7 which looks like a great overclocker (I love the "fixed" PCI and AGP clock values and the 4 phase PS).

Anyway, I will check out that Via P4 board -- but the lack of support and bios updates makes me a little wary.

 

[RedGuard]

I have been using the ASUS P4S333 and it is sweet. Haven't thouroughly explored the overclocking potential yet because I am most satisfied with the performance straight out of the box. I don't think for the price tag that you can go wrong with this board.

 

[Athlon4all]

<< 1) what sis645 do you like? >>

Asus P4S333

<< 2) How are they overclocking so far with northwoods? >>

Far behind 850 and 845-D

<< 3) I am pretty much dead set against going rdram for reasons of having the memory, so if you like the i845 platform convince me why it is better... >>

I'm not gonna try because there is NO REASON for anybody to go DDR over RDRAM. 850 is faster, and now is no more expensive than DDR. So, it's your decision, but I would greatly encourage you to re-consider going 850. You won't be sorry. Anyway, back to DDR. SiS 645vs 845-D. There is only one reason to take 845-D over SiS 645, and that's the overclocking. I would truthfully, have to say take 845-D if overclocking matters at all to you(and I can't see buying Northwood without overclocking being why). SiS 645 is a great platform for the non-overclocker, but really it falls behind P4B266. As for

<< I am tempted by the Abit BD7 which looks like a great overclocker (I love the "fixed" PCI and AGP clock values and the 4 phase PS). >>

Actually, BD7 did much worse than the competetion in Anand's roundup (see here even with the PCI Locking. P4B266 wasn't tested but if u look at other reviews, it does hit 140fsb. I'd take P4B266 over BD7.

 

[Duvie]

Hey the reason I don't want the i-850 platform and rdram is because like I stated already I want to use the memory I have...I have also seen in 2 cases where the rdram has been the limiting factor in ocing...texmaster is one...


So i845 boards...who makes them and which is the best so far...I want to avoid any via chipset....

 

[abaez]

Ok, after reading that 1.6ghz northwoods can go to 2.2ghz with retail cooling. I decided to go p4. I read that the epox 4SDA has good overclocking options for only $86, and of course a retail 1.6ghz northwood for $141, is comparable to alot of athlon xp mobo/chipset prices.

Now the only thing is I'm wondering what memory to get, I'm confused by all the new front side bus stuff, the multiplier on the p4 1.6ghz northwood is what? 16.0? Making it a 133 mhz bus to get 2.2 ghz. Does PC2700 reach 133 mhz bus? Or how does the speed of the ram/bus work out? Will DDR 333 work? Thats the only question I have