Buying NEW ABIT MOBO. NEED HELP!

[SuperG03]

Hi ALL,

I am not new to building computers, however, until now I have only been dealing with sort of "out of date" equipment, so I am not sure about all the new features. First off, I am going to upgrade my CPU, Motherboard, and Memory. I currently have a Intel Celeron 566 MHz, overclocked to 850 MHz, on an Abit BE6-II motherboard, with slotket converter. I am planning on buying closer to the top of the line. I am getting a Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, 800FSB, HyperThread Technology. However, I am not as sure what motherboard to get. I know I want an ABIT board. I have been reading up on the IS7, IS7-G, IC7, IC7-G. I am trying to decide between price and features. The first thing that I want to know, is what exactly is Raid 0,1 / 0+1 , etc. and how much do I need it? From the prices I have seen, IC7 - $135, IC7-G - $197, IS7 - $109, IS7-G - $158 After reading up on Anandtech and other places, I have made a few observations. The IC7 / IC7-G both have the IDE to SATA converter (Serillel2), which the IS7's do not. Both of the -G boards have the two extra 0/1 SATA Raid. Both -G's obviously have the Gigabit LAN, but for some reason the IC7 uses the Intel CSA, while the IS7 doesn't. How much of a difference does that make? I just want to know which board I should get. The price difference between the IS7, and the IS7-G is about $50. What exactly does that buy you, besides the Gigabit LAN instead of the 10/100 LAN, and the 2 extra SATA? Is that worth the $50 extra? Also the difference between the IC7 and the IS7 is less than $30. What exactly is the difference between these two, and which is a better deal. I am pretty sure I will NOT buy the IC7-G. Therefore it comes down to the IC7, IS7, and the IS7-G. What would you all recommend?

Lastly, what memory would you all recommend. I have been reading all about memory problems people have been having so I wanted to get an opinion before I bought it. I was considering Corsair TWINX512-3200LLPT 512MB DDR400 XMS3200 Dual-Channel Memory w/ Platinum Heat Spreader Retail - $158. Is this a good brand/model?

Any suggestions and information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

SuperG03

 

[DaveSimmons]

The first thing that I want to know, is what exactly is Raid 0,1 / 0+1 ,

the main Aanandtech site has FAQ docs that explain this in detail.

IC7 vs. IS7 is of course i875 blessed by intel for PAT vs. i865 (= same chip) with PAT enabled by tricks to run just as fast or faster.

Memory: guide on main AT site.

 

[SuperG03]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

The first thing that I want to know, is what exactly is Raid 0,1 / 0+1 ,

the main Aanandtech site has FAQ docs that explain this in detail.

IC7 vs. IS7 is of course i875 blessed by intel for PAT vs. i865 (= same chip) with PAT enabled by tricks to run just as fast or faster.

Memory: guide on main AT site.

I checked about the RAID and the memory where you suggested. Thanks.



However, as far as the motherboard goes, I still need some more suggestions / info. I understand about the difference between IC7 vs IS7 in the chipset i875 and i865 respectively. It seems more that I am trying to decide between IS7 and the IS7-G. As I said, it is $50 difference. I just want people's takes on what is the main difference they have noticed, and is it worth $50 extra. Thanks All.

SuperG03

 

[RaymondY]

Just got a deal on a Abit IS7(non-G) motherboard with GigaLan. Don't really need gigalan but it is a plus.

I on't think the cost difference between the non-G to G versions of the Abit mobo warranted. Most people already have a 10/100 NIC card (if not, u can pick them up for $10 now). This leaves having 2 extra SATA connectors for $40-$50. I think that is too much. SATA drives are not in wide spread use. I think by the time the SATA is the standard and PATA is no more, I probably would have swapped mobos already.

 

[roystarman]

SATA is nice the cables are much smaller and the potential down the road for imporvement in bandwidth is triple what is crrent today. The point that by the time PATA is gone many may have changed MOBO's several times is not entirely true for everyone. I bought the IC-7G and plan on using it for years to come. THe darn things cost too much to throw it out every couple of years. This current computer with all the accessories has eaten over 2,000. It will be a long time before I'll spend that much again on a computer. So having SATA is a plus. I can swicth when I want and the ability to use RAID 0 on SATA will really make things fly with disc access if I desire. Currently SATA drives are about 30 to 40 dollars more than IDE but that will not always be the case. I envision a time when IDE becomes more expensive. Anyone priced PC133 memory recently vs the PC400 stuff? It costs the same or more! Anyway SATA in the long run is cheaper to produce since the drive manufactureres can cut back on circuitry, no parallell buffers needed for I/O. The edge connectors are smaller, and the new cable only has I think 4 wires so less paths to worry about etching on circuit boards. I have a MAXTOR SATA drive and for now it has both the standard Molex IDE power connector and a Serial power connector. This will also not be needed in the future. More cost savings.

Neat things about SATA:
Cables are smaller
Can't be put on backwards as was possible on IDE
No need to worry about slave/master assignments only one per hookup allowed

So if buying a new system I would certainly make sure the MOBO has at least 2 and preferably more SATA connections. The newest thing I jsut heard about is revamping the PCI bus for a new serial bus structure. Now that will be a major shake up and I expect it will be a very long time before PCI cards as we know them go away. After all it has been many years since ISA cards were "standard" and you still find MOBOs with them for those who will not or can not buy a PCI replacement.

Just my .02 worth

 

[NokiaDude]

I have an Abit AT7-MAX 2. Sure, it uses the KT400 northbridge but it has so many goodies I'm happy with it. It leaves my old KT7A-RAID in the dust. And it's so shiny . . .