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Don't want to start a n00bie topic but... what would you vouch for as Best MB?

L

LS20

Banned
ignore it if its been asked 1000 times.

since its a really broad question, ill split it into a few categories:

1. reliability
2. speed
3. value
4. overall


I've always held ASUS #1 for reliabitly and overall quality...

but i havent been into computers for a while .. and with good new products from iwill, epox, gigb, msi, etc, i want to see your overviews/takes on it 🙂
 
for socketA (amd athlon/duron)

currently i think the kt266a chipset is best, and there are many good boards based on that chipset
of the current boards i would probably pick the soyo dragon+ as the best

some kt266a boards
soyo dragon+
epox 8kha+
asus a7v266-e
abit kr7a

the new revision of the ali magic chipset is also pretty good
iwill xp333

and for something a little older, but very tried and true the amd 760 chipset
asus a7m266
epox 8k7a
abit kg7
 
1. reliability - always asus
2. speed - it depends on the board, but asus, abit, epox
3. value - gigabyte, fic, dfi, epox all good
4. overall - number one factor for me is reliability, so asus.
 


<< Tom's Hardware Guide Readers' Choice Awards 2001 , Over 55,000 registered voters took part in our Readers' Choice Awards, and now, we can present the results. Here are the products that you chose as your Best of 2001. >>




Tom's Hardware Guide Readers' Choice Awards 2001

Check this review out, 55,000 people is a excellent sample size for reliable poll results.

If the link dosen't work, just go to http://www.tomshardware.com/ and you can't miss the article to which I referred to.
 
Soltek SL75DRV4, I picked this board for my own personal system based on reviews that said it was fast, stable, and excellent value.

Which it is, it runs like a dream.
 
Personally, MSI and ASUS have been very good to me (most will agree).

For Socket A boards, the most popular chipset is the KT266A. The most popular board for the KT266A is probably the Epox or Shuttle board. Although Soltek is getting popular as well. ASUS charges WAY too much for their KT266A, and MSI's version of KT266A is a little too slow and not very feature rich.

The second most popular chipset is probably the SiS 735 (with only two boards based on this chipset, ECS K7S5A and a Leadtek version). The K7S5A has been very good for most people, but ECS's quality control for this particular board has been called into question, as a large number of people have had to RMA boards that arrived DOA, or that died within months of use (or were simply unstable). '

The third most popular chipset is probably the nForce 420-D (with 3 boards based on this chipset, MSI, ASUS, and ABit). The ASUS A7N266-E is probably the most popular nForce 420-D board (and MSI K7N420 too). Aceshardware recently declared it the most overclockable Socket A board on the market, as well as the fastest. Go here.

To tell you the truth, there's really not any noticeable difference in performance between the SiS 735, KT266A, and nForce. The only thing that you should be looking at is price, stability, and features.

Good luck. 🙂
 
My vote is for EPoX
I have a epox 8kha+ and love it. Stable, fast, and a great deal (Newegg refurb for 69 bucks)
Awesome features, and easy to overclock.
 
I'm liking my Epox 8KHA+. It's a very nice bare bones mobo, being fast, stable, and a good value. I'm hearing good things about the Soltek board, but I haven't picked one up since the performance gains going from my Epox would be minimal, I'm lazy, and I'm dirt poor. 🙂

I'll also add in a vote for the Soyo Dragon + as the best integrated board, after having owned the original KT266 version which was a strong board despite the fugly chipset it used.
 
1. reliability: Supermicro
2. speed: Abit
3. value: Chaintech (budget) or Gigabyte (higher end)
4. overall: depends on your needs.
 
i have an Abit KR7A-RAID and it is pretty good, but i might have gotten the Shuttle GTR mobo. that one has 6 channel sound, ATA/133 RAID, and one helluva an OCer board.
 
Hmmm... Sounds like a good way to get another mobo/chipset debate going. 😀 I think I'll stay out of this one. 😛
 


<< I'm an ASUS man all the way. No question, they make amazingly solid motherboards >>



I was too.. and I thought I'd never buy anything but Asus.. but once you try something good other than Asus you won't want to pay for their high prices again. I went to a K7T Turbo after having a solid Asus CUSL2 and the K7T was EASILY as good of a mobo. from MSI went to Soltek, absolutely kick ass mainboard... both are no question easily on par or better than Asus, if i wanted an Asus KT266A I would have paid nearly 100 dollars more Cdn for it, and it's just not worth it. MSI has treated me extremely well, and I am still planning on using my K7T Turbo in another machine, and my Soltek is already beginning to impress me alot, its very fast and solid.. Try something other than Asus, just make sure you choose wisely. 🙂
 
Asus demands a higher price for their consistancy, and their reliability. MSI and Soltek do not have that, just because the boards you have so far haven't failed you, doesn't mean they won't. Don't judge a whole company on just a couple of boards. Of course, it doesn't mean you will ever get a dude from those companies either, but the chance is much higher.
 
#1 ABIT, a board that can overclock as well as abit has got to be reliable. and for me it has been rock solid
#2 ASUS, great board and rock solid but just not as overclockable as the ABIT and the raid sucks too
#3 MSI, even though i havent tried this board, it seems to be the best bang for your buck!! an as seeing as Anandtech like it so much, it cant be all that bad!!

hey AAO, just to let u know, some of these other board manufacturer are coming about very well. there boards are becoming more and more stable with there rise in popularity. so paying a premium for ASUS is becoming less and less necessary.
 
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