ECS K7S5A or SOLTEK SL-75DRV4?? (with poll)

[kami]

OK I originally had decided on a K7S5A for my new system but I am not so sure anymore. It's true that you see a lot of people with problems, but for every person with a problem you see 10 success stories.

The SOLTEK SL-75DRV4 (KT266A chipset) on the other hand has had praise in every single thing (review, message board post, etc.) that I have read about it.

Soltek specs
ECS specs

The Soltek will cost me $40 Canadian more, do you think it's worth the extra money? WIll it save me potential headaches/be more stable than the K7S5A?

The CPU will be an XP1800+, 512 pc2100 ddr (samsung), GF4 Ti4200, etc....
and BTW, I have no plans on overclocking the XP1800 at this point but I may try it in the future, who knows..

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I've used several K7S5As for builds and their great! The SOLTEK Purple Ray I haven't used but has good overclocking features and a 2 year warranty. However unless you plan on unlocking that 1800+ so you can really take advantage of the Purple Rays features I don't think it's worth the extra money because both the SiS735 and KT266A chipsets are very close performance wise when not overclocking, the K7S5A will overclock adequately from the FSB alone so not much to choose between there unless as stated you unlock the CPU, and both are stable platforms if properly setup. The K7S5A does require a better PSU than the typical KT266A board but a quality PSU is a wise investment regardless IMO.

 

[kami]

My PSU should be fine for any board...it'll be a 400w Antec. C'mon hardly any votes so far!!

 

[Copperpipe]

I wouldn't choose the Soltek over the ECS board strictly on the basis of Newegg's ratings. The Soltek has a five star avg rating for 63 reviewers while the ECS has four stars out of 445 reviewers which is analogous to a single reviewer giving it five stars vs the ECS board reviewed by 8 people who rated it w/ an average of four stars. It could also be that the ECS board has attracted more novice builders (by its lower price) which contribute to its lower ratings.

Here's what I see as pro and con:

Price: Soltek DRV4 is about $20 more than the ECS.
Stability: About the same.
Quality Control: Perhaps Soltek gets the nod here.
Performance: For non-overclockers, about the same.
Factory tech support: Perhaps Soltek gets the nod on this one (Soltek seems to have better email tech support than ECS).
Misc. Web support: ECS has a widespread following and you will find more forum/websites with people who can assist you with any problem that you might encounter. You won't find as many forums about the DRV4 (of course, that could also be partly due to it being possibly more troublefree).
PC133 / DDRAM: One major advantage of the K7S5A is that it accepts both PC133 and DDRAM.
Included software: Soltek wins this one with full versions of Drive Image and Partition Magic (even if they are older versions).
Other: Some people think the purple ray Soltek is cool.
Onboard sound: The Soltek's audio output is quite a bit stronger/louder than that on the ECS, but this isn't a factor if you use amplfied speakers or an external sound card.

I have 2 K7S5A's and a DRV4 - and I'd rate their stabilities as equal. However, the many ECS horror stories from experienced builders was one reason that I decided on the DRV4 for my third system. Overclocking features and the great software package with the Soltek were the other main reasons. If your criteria is primarily stability and price and you don't have any intentions of serious overclocking, I'd recommend you go the ECS route (take the chance). But if you are thinking of doing some tinkering / overclocking, the Soltek will be a better choice.

 

[kami]

Well, did a little more research and ended up with the Soltek. thanks all.

 

[Copperpipe]

You won't be disappointed with your decision.

One tip if you are using Win98 OS: you should enable ACPI in the BIOS before installing Win98 if you want the system to power off when you shut down windows. Otherwise, you will get the screen with the orange letters telling you it is OK to turn off your computer (you have to press the power button on your computer to power off). A few of us found this out the hard way and were directed by Soltek tech support to enable ACPI and reinstall the OS....which we did to make it work.

 

[Beaker69]

I am not going to go on some zealot rant about how I hate ECS but I would not buy anything from ECS as every mobo including the K7S5A has been nothing but unstable and buggy. I have been building systems for over 8 years and I would not say I am a novice by any standards. Go with ASUS,Abit or Gigabyte boards Tyan makes wonderful server boards as well. Just my two cents.

 

[kami]

Copperpipe, I'll be using WinXP Pro Well actually the version I have is an upgrade so I gotta do a fresh install of Win2k first, then upgrade it to XP Pro.

Beaker69, my current board is an Asus (P3V4X) and it's very stable...but Asus isn't in my price range right now, and from what I've read Asus just isn't king of the hill anymore. Yes, it's a good brand, but there's many other cheaper alternatives that are just as good or even better As for Abit, I've had bad experiences with their mobos so I highly doubt I'll ever go back. Never tried Gigabyte.
think I'll be happy with my Soltek board, it looks pretty nice.

 

[eplebnista]

Soltek SL-75DRV4

 

[gonzo2k]

Made three builds in the last month:
1 K7S5A (SIS)
1 A7S333 (SIS)
1 SL-75DRV5 (VIA) (almost identical to the SL-75DRV4)

The ECS has the capability to use either SRAM OR DDR-Sandra scores below average.
The Asus seemed to be dragging along-with no voltage adjustment capabilities in BIOS. Sandra scores unremarkable.
The Soltek I just finished installing as I write- VERY fast (not overclocked yet) and stable with Via 1.39 4in1 drivers. Above average Sandra.

All have onboard sound- the SL-75DRV5 sound is so good I pulled my audigy- the A7S333 has the same 8738 chip but it doesn't compare.

The Soltek wins out hands down IMHO!

 

[joec2780]

I have a ECS mobo and it seems very stable, no problems. I don't overclock but if I did I would go with another board. The ECS is a cheap board, you get what you pay for IMHO.

 

[mdcrab]

Has anyone tried the ECS K7VTA2 which runs either SDRAM or DDR? It appears to be a newer/better? mobo than K7S5A.