Help with picking a new motherboard !

[Heidi]

Im just planning on getting a new system together, however the more i read the more im confused ??

My outline requirements are for a fast game system, but also allows me to play good quality sound.

Im planning on getting an Athlon XP 1800 CPU for cost reasons, so maybe overclocking will be required but not that important.

The boards ive looked at are the Asus A7V333 DDR, the Abit ABIT AT7 or the Gigabyte 7VRXP which were reviewed here in June 2002.

I like the Abit because its given good sound reviews personally, but the review gave it a bronze along with the Gigabyte. Whereas the Asus board was given silver (No Gold was awarded.)

Questions :

All these boards have RAID do i need this ?? And what versions are the equivelent to the above without the RAID.
What are your recommendations of the above or equivelent ?

 

[PUNKtotalled]

You could seriously look for the asus a7v8x that has a bunch of new features (Gigabit LAN, AGP8X, SerialATA) that matches your need. I don't think you really need RAID if you just wanna play. You can try the non SerialATA version, which will be cheaper.
Look at Anand's review of that mobo.
The AT7 is also a good performer, maybe you will find some good prices over the net since the AT7MAX2 is out, especially on the non-RAID version.
I got both (see my rigs!). I don't like very well there onboard sound solutions. If you're looking for a good audio system, plan on buying a soundcard, in my opinion.

 

[Insane3D]

I would take a look at the Epox 8K5A series of motherboards. See here for more info.

The 8K5A2+ sounds like the board that would suit your needs. It has USB 2.0, RAID, Onboard 5.1 sound, Onboard LAN, and plenty of o/c options should you choose to down the road. The Epox is faster than all the boards you mentioned, and more feature rich a well. Best of all, it costs under $100.

If you don't need AGP 8X, don't bother with the KT400 boards. At best they are no more than 2% faster than the good KT333 boards when running DDR333, and are even slower than the KT333 boards with DDR 400.

Also, avoid the Gigasuck GA-7VRXP at all costs.


Feel free to send me a private message if you need have any more questions...I would be glad to help..


Edit:

Welcome to Anandtech Heidi!!

 

[PUNKtotalled]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
avoid the Gigasuck GA-7VRXP at all costs.

I totally agree with that: that board is crappy.

I hope AGP8x will be better used in the future. With serial-ATA disks available before the end of the year, I still think the A7V8X is the mobo to buy now.
still

 

[Insane3D]

I hope AGP8x will be better used in the future. With serial-ATA disks available before the end of the year, I think the A7V8X is the mobo to get.

Why, because it has Serial ATA? Serial ATA is just coming to market, and it will be no faster until it is natively supported by a southbridge, and taken of the PCI bus. As it is right now, S-ATA is not really any faster, and it can't even reach it's theoretical bandwith limit on the PCI bus. The A7V8X just uses a hybrid Promise chip to control the S-ATA port. It would be just as easy to get PCI S-ATA card if the S-ATA support was needed. The A7V8X is barely any faster than the top of the line KT333 boards, and it will be a good while until AGP 8X and S-ATA is needed. IDE drives will be here for quite awhile, and the few S-ATA drives will likely be barely faster, if at all, for a good while to come.

The only real benfit to S-ATA now is the smaller cables...

 

[PUNKtotalled]

Originally posted by: Insane3D

I hope AGP8x will be better used in the future. With serial-ATA disks available before the end of the year, I think the A7V8X is the mobo to get.

The A7V8X just uses a hybrid Promise chip to control the S-ATA port.

What do you mean by hybrid? That chip doesn't just convert parallel signal in serial signal.

With that board you got firewire, you got gigabit LAN, you got C.OP., she uses the XP's thermal diod, and with PC2700 DDR you got really good performances (ok ok ok on par with kt333). She's got the official 166MHz bus support. BUT she's pricey.

I love epox boards (my 8KHA+ is still the most stable mobo I ever get!!!), but you got an incredible list of features with the a7v8x!

 

[Insane3D]

What do you mean by hybrid? That chip doesn't just convert parallel signal in serial signal.

I shouldn't have used the word hybrid. What I meant is the KT400 chipset itself does not support S-ATA. The S-ATA is just controlled by a seperate Promise chip that is on the PCI bus. You make it sound like S-ATA is a must have...there are barely any drives i nthe market that use it, and they are no faster than the fastest IDE drives.

With that board you got firewire, you got gigabit LAN, you got C.OP., she uses the XP's thermal diod, and with PC2700 DDR you got really good performances (ok ok ok on par with kt333).

First of all, you make it sound like Firewire is another "must have". Most of the external peripherals that use a high speed connection use USB 2.0, so it seems kind of silly to have both Firewire and USB 2.0 to me. A Firewire card is cheap, and unless she does a lot of DV editing, it's is another not quite that useful feature. Also, the KT400 does not support Firewire natively. The Asus uses a seperate Via chip to control the Firewire ports. Now, I guess onboard Gigabit LAN is another great feature to say is terrific, but what home user will be using Gigabit LAN? It will probably just be used like a normal onboard LAN port for Broadband or a home network.

The 8K5A2+ has the same thermal protection scheme as Asus, and fully supports the thermal diode, and is faster than the A7V8X with DDR333. Also, the Epox packs quite a few features too. You get 6 USB 2.0 ports, the same 8235 Southbridge that's on the KT400 boards, the same 5.1 sound that's on the Asus, Onboard LAN, and a much better layout and is a whole lot cheaper.


I guess my whole point is this...

If she needs Firewire, Gigabit Ethernet, and AGP 8X, then the Asus might be a good choice. I just don't see most home users building a gaming machine needing those three things...

 

[Insane3D]

Also, check out this review of the Asus A7V8X...

Asus A7V8X @ OC Workbench

It gets beat in most tests by the older 8K3A and even the A7V333.

 

[PUNKtotalled]

Personally I need both firewire and USB2 because I got a camcorder (firewire), and a USB2 scanner.
For all the others features... it's, as always, a personnal choice. I took that board to be ready for those upcoming technologies.

OCWorkbench published that review by the end of august. Since that there have been some great improvements in the official bios, and the performance has raise.
Let's have a look at the same website on the next page.

Damn!

 

[PUNKtotalled]

3DMark 2001 is THE gaming benchmark. Before the new bios the a7v8x already takes the lead!

I know Insane3D will answer but excuse me to have take the asus: here in France, the epox isn't available!

Faute de grives on mange des merles!

 

[Insane3D]

Hey man, you are entitled to your opinion, as am I. No offense here...just a good natured debate.

Like I said before, if she needs Firewire and Gigabit ethernet, then the Asus may be a good choice for her. Its also entirely possible that neither the Epox or the Asus will be what she wants. Everyone has a different idea of "best".

Now, just one last comment regarding the 3DMark2K1 scores...they were better than the older Epox 8K3A+, but nothing tangible. They did mention this...which I completely disagree with myself..but anyway..

One thing we can confirm is that the newer VT8235 South Bridge really speed things up in 3D performance.

The Epox KT333 board I'm talking about has the same 8235 Southbridge and 8X V-Link connection that all KT400 boards have..

Anyway...bottom line..both boards a good..

 

[PUNKtotalled]

You made the appropriate conclusion. BUT there is still one thing I wanna debate. You said:

Originally posted by: Insane3D
..., if she needs Firewire...

How the hell do you know if Heidi is a chick or not? lol

Thanks C U

 

[Heidi]

 

[Heidi]

Thanks for all the info.

Going to have alook at all the prices down the local tech mart see what they are like, im in Taiwan so i think i may have trouble getting Epox but i shall ask.

The choice at this time will probaly be the ASUS A7V8X the reason over the ASUS A7V333 is that the newer board lets you choose what you want on your board unlike the 333 version, well thats what ASUS website tells me anyway.

Thanks again.