Help me choose a nForce 4 SLI Motherboard!

CyberFlas

Junior Member
Jul 3, 2005
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Hey guys, I am looking to build a new system with a Athlon 64 3500+ NewCastle I just got as a gift. I know the core is old, but I still want to put the chip to use until I can afford a Athlon 64 X2 chip. Anyway, I am looking to do alot of gaming on this rig, some overclocking, and I want to be able to upgrade it later on down the road. I am looking between these four motherboards and need some help choosing.

MSI K8N Neo4/SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard (NON PLATINUM)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130492

DFI nF4 SLI Infinity Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136164

Albatron K8SLi Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813170147

GIGABYTE GA-K8N Pro-SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128301
 

imported_thechosen1

Junior Member
Aug 26, 2005
12
0
0
heres step 1 you go to each site download the manual compare features and see what u like

for $ 10 more i would add ASUS A8N-SLI

comes with


Supports AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64FX/Athlon 64

A8N-SLI supports AMD 939-pin Athlon 64 FX/ Athlon 64 processors with 1MB/512KB L2 cache which is based on 64-bit architecture. It features 2000/1600 MT/s HyperTransport Bus and dual-channel un-buffered DDR400 memory support.



NVIDIA nForce4 SLI MCP
NVIDIA® SLI ? technology revolutionizes PC performance by combining multiple PCI Express GPUs in a single and scalable system! Gamers and hardcore enthusiasts know that dual GPUs mean increased, supercharged 3D graphics and performance.

PCI Express Architecture
PCI Express is the latest I/O interconnect technology that will replace the existing PCI. With a bus bandwidth 4 times higher than that of AGP 8X interface, PCI Express x16 bus performs much better in applications such as 3D gaming. The PCI Express x1 interface creates new usages on desktop PCs e.g., TV tuner, 1394b, and high-speed RAID systems.



SATA 3Gb/s
A8N-SLI supports next-generation SATA hard drives based on the new SATA 3Gb/s storage specification. Furthermore, the chipset has two dedicated SATA controllers delivering more scalable performance and doubles the bus bandwidth for fast hard drive data retrieval and saves.


NV RAID
The nFORCE4 chipset incorporated four Serial ATA and two parallel connectors with high performance RAID functions in RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1 and JBOD.

AI NET2
Diagnose LAN connection before entering OS! Network problems are often caused by bad cable connection. AI NET2 remotely detects cable connection the second you turn on the system, and any faulty connections are reported back up to 100 meters at 1 meter accuracy.


NV Firewall
NV ActiveArmor enhances network security while delivers the highest system performance by offloading CPU-intensive packet filtering tasks in hardware. NV Firewall provides professional-grade traffic inspection capabilities, instanton protection, advanced management features and is easy to use and setup via a user friendly wizard.


AI NOS?
Boost performance when you need it the most!
Applications such as 3D games and video editing demand a huge chunk of system resource.
Inject "nitrous oxide" into your CPU! The patented AI NOS? (Non-delay Overclocking System) technology intelligently detects system load and automatically boosts performance for the most demanding tasks. Unlike other dynamic overclocking techniques, AI NOS? reacts much faster to satisfy your unending need for speeds.



AI Audio (8-channel Audio)
A8N-SLI has eight channels of audio output with Coaxial and optical S/PDIF connector designed to maximize your auditory experience. AI Audio also provides "Jack Sensing" and "UAJ" functions. "Jack Sensing" automatically detects and notifies user of any inappropriate connection. "UAJ" function enables both input and output functions each jacks, thus eliminates the confusion of Line-in, Line-out and Mic jacks once and for all!



ASUS Q-Fan
ASUS Q-Fan technology intelligently adjusts both CPU fan and chassis fan speeds according to system loading to ensure quiet, cool and efficient operation.



IEEE 1394 interface
IEEE 1394 interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices.



Max. 10 USB 2.0 ports supports
USB 2.0 is the latest connectivity standard for next generation components and peripherals.
Backwards compatible with current USB 1.1 peripherals, USB 2.0 delivers transfer speeds up to 40 times faster at 480Mb/s, for easy connectivity and ultra-fast data transfers.



Multi-language BIOS
The multi-language BIOS allows you to select the language of your choice from the available options. The localized BIOS setup menu helps you configure your system easier and faster.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS2
The CrashFree BIOS2 feature now includes the BIOS auto-recovery function in a support CD.
Users can reboot their system through the support CD when a bootable disk is not available,
and go through the simple BIOS auto-recovery process.
ASUS motherboards now enable users to enjoy this protection feature without the need to pay for an optional ROM.

S/PDIF-out on Back I/O Port
This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems via an optical or coaxial S/PDIF-out (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) jack. It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best signal quality.



ASUS A8N-SLI

http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/Showimage...3-131-517-01.jpg/13-131-517-02.jpg/13-


131-517-03.jpg/13-131-517-04.jpg/13-131-517-05.jpg/13-131-517-06.jpg


Refurbished - ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe $109 u get 15 days to try it $ 109 is a great price i might even get it
 

imported_thechosen1

Junior Member
Aug 26, 2005
12
0
0

Supports AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64FX/Athlon 64
NVIDIA nForce4 SLI
PCI Express Architecture
SATA 3Gb/s
Dual RAID
Dual Gigabit LAN & AI NET2
NV Firewall
AI NOS?
AI Audio (8-channel Audio)
 

imported_thechosen1

Junior Member
Aug 26, 2005
12
0
0
from another poster

A8N SLI Deluxe will support the dual core no problem. You must, however, have a BIOS of 1010 or better installed. 1013 is the latest and seems to be a very good performer and i would recommend that you flash to that with a single core CPU installed (runs the single cores fine). If you don't have a single core and haven't bought the board yet then look for one marked X2 ready as it has BIOS 1011, maybe 1013, flashed already. If none of the aforementioned apply, then here is the procedure to flash BIOS from a floppy:

- Download the latest BIOS and BIOS flash tool here: http://support.asus.com/download/do...8N-SLI%20Deluxe
- Download the1013 BIOS and Phoenix-Award BIOS flash tool V1.09 under the all tab
- In Windows XP go to the floppy drive
- Format a floppy using the option to create a MSDOS startup disk
- Once the disk is created unpack/unzip the 1013 BIOS and 1.09 flash tool to the floppy
- Configure the motherboard with just the memory, processor and heatsink, video card and floppy drive
- Set the SLI selector card to ?single card?
- Connect the power supply, including the 4-pin 12volt and 6-pin PCIe
- Hit ?del? once the system displays the boot screen to get into BIOS
- Go to ?Exit? menu and select ?Load Setup Default?
- Then ?Exit & Save Changes?
- After the reboot the system will boot off the floppy
- Type ?awdflash a8nsd013.bin? to start the BIOS update
- Select ?No? to save BIOS and ?Yes? to update BIOS
- Once completed press ?F1? to reset the system
- You should be back in BIOS once it reboots, if so
- Power the system off and unplug the power supply from the mains
- Now connect all your devices and plug in all your other cards. Reconnect the mains to the power supply and power the system up. Press ?del? on your keyboard during bootup to get into the BIOS, in the ?Main? section first set the proper time, date and language and then make sure everything shows up. Make all the settings and restart.
 

imported_thechosen1

Junior Member
Aug 26, 2005
12
0
0

The following table shows the support for CPU / Motherboard
CPU
Since PCB
Since BIOS
Note
Athlon 64 3000+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3000+ (rev.D) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3000+ (rev.E3) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Athlon 64 3000+ (rev.E6) (Socket939) ALL
1010
Athlon 64 3200+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3200+ (rev.D) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3200+ (rev.E3) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Athlon 64 3200+ (rev.E6) (Socket939) ALL
1010
Athlon 64 3400+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3500+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3500+ (rev.D) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3500+ (rev.E3) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Athlon 64 3500+ (rev.E6) (Socket939) ALL
1010
Athlon 64 3700+ (rev.E4) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Athlon 64 3800+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 3800+ (rev.E3) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Athlon 64 3800+ (rev.E6) (Socket939) ALL
1010
Athlon 64 4000+ (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 4000+ (rev.E4) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Athlon 64 FX-53 (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 FX-55 (CG version) (Socket939) ALL
ALL
Athlon 64 FX-55 (rev.E4) (Socket939) ALL
1008
Athlon 64 FX-57 (rev.E4) (Socket939) ALL
1009
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ revE4(Socket939) ALL
1011
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+ revE6(Socket939) ALL
1011
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200+ revE4(Socket939) ALL
1008
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200+ revE6(Socket939) ALL
1010
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4400+ (Socket939) ALL
1008
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4600+ revE4(Socket939) ALL
1008
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4600+ revE6(Socket939) ALL
1010
Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4800+ (Socket939) ALL
1008
Sempron 3000+ (rev.E) (Socket939) ALL
1005
Sempron 3200+ (rev.E) (Socket939) ALL
1005

the numbers in the 1000s are bios numbers