Good low cost MOBO for newegg blowout 1700+

[cowdog]

Tempted by: AMD Athlon XP 1700+ Thoroughbred /266 FSB Processor CPU 1700+/ 1.47GHz -OEM, AXDA1700DLT3C - 49.99

Looking for a lowcost but quality MOBO (not going to overclock) to upgrade an old Dell Workstation 400. Want to use existing Adaptec 2940UW with SCSI drive, CD-ROM, and CDRW. Ideally, MOBO will have modest onboard sound and video. Will use stock PSU (have to give that a look-see). Of course, I am not 100% positive what size MOBO will fit in the case. All the PCI slots etc. are on another card that plugs into the MOBO. I will get a new case (cheap) if this one won't work. Keyboard/mouse, monitor, NIC, speakers, floppy come along for the ride.

Thinking lowcost:

1700+ 49.99
512MB memory 100.00 (less??)
MOBO 75.00 (??)
Total upgrade = $225

Worst case scenario - new case and PSU = $100 (can I get anything for less?)

Maybe I am trying to hard to help this old PII333 system, esp. when I see things like that approx. $350 Dell P4-2.4 Dell deal that was out there for awhile. I am building a new system as well (my new toy), but I can find use for the upgraded system as well, if I can keep the cost to a minimum. I like the $225. $335 will probably end this project.

Any ideas or feedback? Thanks.

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: cowdog
Tempted by: AMD Athlon XP 1700+ Thoroughbred /266 FSB Processor CPU 1700+/ 1.47GHz -OEM, AXDA1700DLT3C - 49.99

Looking for a lowcost but quality MOBO (not going to overclock) to upgrade an old Dell Workstation 400. Want to use existing Adaptec 2940UW with SCSI drive, CD-ROM, and CDRW. Ideally, MOBO will have modest onboard sound and video. Will use stock PSU (have to give that a look-see). Of course, I am not 100% positive what size MOBO will fit in the case. All the PCI slots etc. are on another card that plugs into the MOBO. I will get a new case (cheap) if this one won't work. Keyboard/mouse, monitor, NIC, speakers, floppy come along for the ride.

Thinking lowcost:

1700+ 49.99
512MB memory 100.00 (less??)
MOBO 75.00 (??)
Total upgrade = $225

Worst case scenario - new case and PSU = $100 (can I get anything for less?)

Maybe I am trying to hard to help this old PII333 system, esp. when I see things like that approx. $350 Dell P4-2.4 Dell deal that was out there for awhile. I am building a new system as well (my new toy), but I can find use for the upgraded system as well, if I can keep the cost to a minimum. I like the $225. $335 will probably end this project.

Any ideas or feedback? Thanks.

What you're describing is an NLX form-factor motherboard, so yeah... pass on that case, PSU and mobo.

I can suggest the Asus A7N266-VM from personal experience.

• It costs about $72 (yay!)
• modest onboard 3D nVidia GeForce2MX200-level video (more or less)
• fantastic nVidia Soundstorm audio (read here for a review of the same exact onboard audio compared to the $150 Audigy II) including both RCA and optical Dolby Digital 5.1 output jacks AND 6-channel analog output
• takes all 200MHz-based and 266MHz-based Duron, Athlon, AthlonMP and AthlonXP CPUs currently available, from 600MHz to the 2600+ (but not the 333MHz-based 2600+)
• onboard 10/100 network
• 3-year warranty
• I found that the board likes my SCSI card really well too, very high performance

I see newegg has a 512Mb Crucial PC2100 DIMM for $96 now. There are a lot of dubious power supplies out there, and it's not a glamorous part but IMHO it's important to avoid getting a trashy one. If you were getting a case and power supply from newegg, the Antecs are nice. At work, we use their Plus660AMG model with the A7N266-VM. Not a cheap case, not a cheap power supply, but plenty of well-regulated power and plenty of ventilation. If you can't swing that, and want to go budget, the SLK1600 comes with a lesser power supply that uses a single fan (sleeve-bearing, I think, so shorter lifespan) but still has respectable power suitable for what you're proposing. Good idea to pick up an 80mm exhaust fan for the SLK1600, such as the Enermax manually-adjustable or thermally-regulated ones.

 

[tcsenter]

Take your pick:

ECS K7S5A Pro SIS735, USB2.0, DDR + SDR, 5PCI/1AGP, Audio + LAN, ATX - $60.00

Biostar M7VIG Pro VIA KM266, USB2.0, DDR + SDR, 3PCI/1AGP, video + audio + LAN, uATX - $60.00

Biostar M7VIP KT333, USB2.0, DDR, 5PCI/1AGP, Audio, ATX - $64.99

On Edit: Sorry, I just noticed that you preferred integrated video.

 

[dzt]

a7v266 (any series). I'm using -c serie, no vga and no lan.
mine works great with XP2000+ and GF4MX440

 

[Acts837]

cowdog - tcsenter laid out the cheap solutions.

A few months back I looked for the same thing. Ended up getting the ECS K7S5A at a local computer show because I didn't want to wait for newegg to ship me the BioStar. Does the ECS work...yes. What would I buy again...probably not. I would either get the Biostar M7VIG Pro or for a few bucks more the Asus A7N266-VM. Just my two cents.