Looking for a useful review

[taltamir]

I am looking to build a new computer, but I can't find any USEFUL reviews to learn about the current offering. The only things being reviewed (here and in other sites) are SLI boards' capacity to overcloc. I can drop some mullah on a board if its worth it, but there is no way in hell I am buying two video cards. Not only do I not intend to buy two video cards, I also do not intend to overclock, at all!

As such it seems like a waste to go for SLI, and I would love to get some reviews about boards I might actually be INTERESTED IN BUYING.
The main points a review should have are:
1. Does the motherboard have any known kinks and issues (ie, ram incompatibility, etc)
2. Do the motherboard's features work as advertised (ie, the new HDD and RAM profiles features are practically useless because of lack of profiles and minimal improvements).
3. How does the motherboard rate performancewise compared to other boards of its class without overclocking...

Of those #1 is never available here (or anywhere for that matter) and has to be gleaned from reading about each board individually in dispersed forums; 2 and 3 are well covered everywhere though, but only for those SLI boards and only from an overclocking perspective.

If anyone has a link to a site that actually provides USEFUL reviews for a person who doesn't want to spend 3000$ on a computer, or can tell me where I can find them within anandtech please post here.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Google - 'review xxxxxx' xxxxxx = whatever motherboard you're interested

or

Post a question about a particular board you're interested in

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Researching takes a bit of time. The places to start for good MB reviews off the top of my head are Anandtech, Hardocp, Motherboards.org, Madshrimps, ViperLair and, for all things Intel, Tomshardware.

Everyone has their own take on what makes a good MB. If you do not want to take the time to research then go get a Dell. But, don't forget the extended waranty, you'll probably need it.

 

[taltamir]

Well obviously you only read the title of my thread and not the actual post. Googling individual mobos? you know how many mobos are out there? and how would i know which are good enough to research individually to begin with.

As for "each one has their own definition of good"... My whole point was the reviews are exclusively for super high end systems. 3000$+ systems are out of the pricerange of 99.99% of people if not more. All I am looking for is useful reviews for someone looking for system between 600$-1200$. Its not too much to ask.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Wow, you really need some to some research and not be so lazy. But first ask yourself, what kind of cpu are you planning on using? What's your price range? That should narrow your choices significantly. Go to Newegg and do an advanced search on your mobo criteria. Use reviews posted there or go google for additional reviews. Based on cpu and price range, you'll have maybe a dozen boards to choose from.

Read the other threads here to get first hands info on particulare boards and ask questions there. Basically, you're asking about a website that has read your mind and posts reviews exactly what you want. Sorry, but you need to think for yourself and take bits of the different reviews or make a post about mobo's that fit your needs and ask the community like many of the posts here are asking.

Actually, the number of boards reviewed here on Anandtech are budget boards. If you read any of the threads here, Gary Key of Anandtech is working on budget Conroe review.

Several Recent Anandtech Conroe Budget Mobo reviews
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2830
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2820
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2797&p=10

 

[Capt Caveman]

Originally posted by: taltamir
As for "each one has their own definition of good"... My whole point was the reviews are exclusively for super high end systems. 3000$+ systems are out of the pricerange of 99.99% of people if not more. All I am looking for is useful reviews for someone looking for system between 600$-1200$. Its not too much to ask.

This is pretty funny. Mobo prices range from $50 to $300 unless you go into workstation mobos. The majority of motherboard reviews out there are for mainstream boards that range from $150 to $250. And please don't telll me that only .01% of the folks that build their own systems will buy these boards, that's plan ignorance to think that.

 

[taltamir]

oh yes, because oh so many people run SLI with their duel gigabit network... I did however fail to specify I am looking for an AMD processor nVidia based system (mobo and video card, because ATI drivers suck donkey balls and other manufacturers dont even offer reliable driver updates more often then not). And I am not looking for a budget system. I can build a budget system with 300$ and no research. Case + PSU for 30$, 50$ for a good athlonXP, 50$ for pc2700 ram. 100$ for HDD and 100$ for video card...

I am looking for medium end. I can't find a single review of any motherboard with the nvidia 550 or 570 ultra mobos. 99% of reviews are for 590SLI mobos and the rest for 570SLI... as if SLI is the only solution, because everyone actually want TWO expensive, power hungrey, heat producing video cards in their systems... (you are better off buying a single more expensive card unless you already have close to the best card on the market...) A system I am looking for has a 70-150$ mobo, 100-150$ ram, ~150$ HDD, 300$ video card, 100$ psu, 50$ case, 50$ DVD burner... or about as such... total is about 950$. Reasonable for a mid range system, can be a mid-high with the right components... and the right components is what I am looking for here... those choices that will make the system from a mid range to a mid-high ranger...

And I AM doing research, this is why I am reading reviews in anand, toms hardware, hardocp, etc.. I am researching by reading reviews by RELIABLE sources. The problem is that those reliable sources don't feel that anyone would be interested in buying a NON top of the line computer and NOT overclocking it (only reason I don't overclock, longetivity of parts and the lower returns...there is always someone who would appreciate a handmedown and its really not noticeably faster when overclocked...).

Now as I said, I might be wrong, and if there is a section in anand where non SLI newer chipset boards are reviewed I'd love to hear about it... but the only ones I can find are nForce4... and most of those are SLI too...

In the meanwhile I have to resort to GUESSING that I should go with an athlon AM2 processor, and looking up each mobo sold on newegg for the AM2 individually. This way I wouldn't get a dud (because I read up about the specific board). But I wouldn't get a mid-high system either, becaue the chances of me stumbling on a gem are minute. While if I had the cash for a super high end system I could look at the "AM2 roundup" (which I did btw) and go with the gold or silver winner! Heck I am tempted to get one of those and just put a single video card it, and waste that extra 100$ on a mobo that I wouldn't utilize as intented for the peace mind... but that again is a waste. As I could have just spent an extra 100$ on a video card and made up the difference.

The bottom line is that I have no USEFUL reviews to GUIDE me in my purchasing ordeal, so the whole POINT of reading reviews (other then the entertainment factor) is nullified as I would NOT be a wiser consumer, I would just buy something because the features that it CLAIMS TO HAVE seem nice and I didn't see an outcry of people catching them in a lie.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Doing a search on Newegg for Nvidia 500 based AM2 mobos - you're down to 22 boards, http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...89+107191805&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=22

Based on your criteria, I think you're down to these three boards:
ABIT KN9 ULTRA Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 Ultra MCP ATX AMD Motherboard
MSI K9N Platinum Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 Ultra MCP ATX AMD Motherboard
ASUS M2N-E Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 Ultra MCP ATX AMD Motherboard

Note - I highly doubt you'll find any non-sli Nvidia nForce 590 mobo since the 590 is their flagship chipset. Also note, that not all sli mobo's are uber-expensive as you can see in that list of 22 mobos. Nvidia wants you to go SLI and buy their cards, that's why there are so many sli boards. However, it doesn't mean you have to go SLI. I've owned serveral SLI boards but have no plans to go SLI. Heck, I'm using an ATI X1900XTX video card on my current sli mobo.

fwiw - my searching on newegg to narrow down choices by your criteria took my less than a minute. Now, go research those boards!!!

 

[taltamir]

Thanks for the help... I did narrow it down to those and looked at them, and I don't like what I see.. people tell horror stories about all three... I am seriously considering plopping that extra 100$ on a SLI mobo and running it with a single card for the peace of mind, but I really wanted to put that 100$ towards a better video card.

Your help is appreciated though, I still wish anand and the other big ones would actually review such boards though... If anyone knows of a review site that does offer those...

Heck maybe I would actually go with an intel CPU if their boards aren't crapbuckets like the ones offered for AMD (at this range) at the moment.

If someone else DOES know of a site the reviews the comperable performance (while not overclocking) of mid ranged mobos out there then please post a link to that site