ECS K7VZM and Duron 800

[kaldor01]

I have the option of getting a brand new ECS K7VZM + Duron 800 for
almost no cost.
Is this combination any good for playing games assuming I'll add
a good video card and 256mb of ram ?
Any reason to stay away from ECS ? I don't mind getting hardware
for free, but I need to know if I'm inviting trouble.

 

[Modus]

ECS (EliteGroup) was recently bought by PC-Chips, which is not the most respected name in the motherboard industry. That said, their recent products have improved significantly. BIOS updates are more frequent, though not nearly as good as MSI or ASUS, and driver support is much more extensive. Personal technical support is still non-existant, though.

I personally use a PC-Chips board in my home system, basically a full ATX version of the one you have. Its stability is actually decent. I'm sure it's not up to ASUS or MSI levels, but since I can handle any glitches myself, I don't really mind. For a friend, relative, or important client, however, I would say to pay more for utmost stability and reliability.

Modus

 

[tornadobox]

I've built 2 systems using the ECS K7VZM, one with a Duron 700 and one with a TBird 850, both with zero problems at all.

I'm currently running my TBird 1.0GHz on the ECS K7VZA mobo with no problems either.

 

[tornadobox]

Also the ECS K7VZM is on the AMD recommended motherboards list.

 

[kaldor01]

Thanks. I will try to set the board up, and see what happens.
Anything I should be concerned about when installing this board, as far
as BIOS setup and Jumpers ?
I have SB-Live, so should I disable the on-board audio ?

 

[formulav8]

I have built some PC's with ECS and PCChips and never had any problems.

 

[Modus]

Yup, disable the on board audio. That's done in the BIOS. Depending on which distributor shipped the board, the CMOS clear jumper may be in the wrong position. You'll have to consult the manual or the silkscreen on the board to find the "normal" setting.

Modus

 

[kaldor01]

There are 2 audio related jumpers on the board:

JP4 - Codec selector jumper (1-2 on board, 2-3 AMR)

Jp7 - Onboard Codec mode (Master or Slave)

How do I set these jumpers if I want to use SB-LIVE, and how do I set
them if I do decide to use the on board audio ?

 

[tornadobox]

Just a note, unless you have the BIOS revision 3.2b, your numlock key light will stay lit when your computer is turned off.

 

[kaldor01]

Can someone reply my last question ?

 

[nortexoid]

JP4 is the only one relevant to onboard audio...set it to 1-2 if u want to use onbaord audio, set it to 2-3 if u don't..

 

[kaldor01]

Thanks. What is JP7 for ?