Looking for integration

[ryiot]

Im looking for a STABLE motherboard that has on-board video, sound and ethernet. Any good ideas/mb's to stay away from?
thanks

 

[o1die]

I would check out the nforce boards with the k7n420 chipset. They start at $141 on pricewatch.

 

[Peter]

Despite their forum reputation here, PC-Chips stuff is actually pretty good. M810LR for Duron w/SDRAM, or the new 841LR w/SDRAM or DDR.
Both are onboard-everything including LAN and modem, at half the price of the nForce stuff. SiS 730S and 740 chipset respectively.

There's a P4 all-in-one M935DLR too, using SiS 650, and quite a few socket-370 ones using VIA, ALi, SiS and Intel chipsets.

regards, Peter

 

[jfunk]

If you want something thats actually gonna perform decently, can't beat the nforce boards. You get GF2MX-ish video built in.

Only prob is you gotta use two sticks of RAM to get decent performance outta the onboard video, which can push your cost up a bit right now since RAM is so expensive.

W/ 1 stick, you're looking at 1500-1700 3DMarks (2001), with 2 sticks you'll get 2200-2500.

Also has kickass 5.1 audio built-in, plus LAN.

The SIS is a good bet too, if you want cheap, but it's not gonna perform nearly as well as the nforce. Depends on if you want any gaming ability or not really.

j

 

[Peter]

SiS 740 isn't as far away from nForce as you might think - and the boards cost half as much despite including a modem ...

regards, Peter

 

[jfunk]

But what is the video on an SIS board? I can't believe it would be possible for it to be anything near nforce video quality. Especially since it won't have the twinbank memory setup, which is the only reason the nforce video can even do what it does.



j

 

[DieHardware]

LOL, for the price of an Nforce you could get an ECS K7S5A(maybe even a Shuttle AK31), ASUS V6800 32MB DDR AGP videocard and a PC-tel AMR modem.

 

[Boonesmi]

but he wanted onboard video also

im not real fond on nforce boards, but with what your looking for it might be the best choice

 

[DieHardware]

<< but he wanted onboard video also >>

I know, but integration should also save the user money and Nforce doesn't. For $145-150 he could get the K7S5A/V6800/AMR/5.1 soundcard. The Nforce would only be worth it in a case where there would be no room for full height add-on cards.

 

[Athlon4all]

Unless you need to go as cheap as possible, go get a K7N420 Pro. It is by far and away the best value in integrated boards.

<< But what is the video on an SIS board? >>

SiS 315, but remmeber it will be terribly memory bandwidth memory limited.

<< I can't believe it would be possible for it to be anything near nforce video quality. >>

Well, quality I dunno, but performance, it'll prolly be even with a nForce with only one DIMM (without Twinbank).

<< LOL, for the price of an Nforce you could get an ECS K7S5A(maybe even a Shuttle AK31), ASUS V6800 32MB DDR AGP videocard and a PC-tel AMR modem. >>

Not quite, plus You're forgetting 2 parts of nForce. The SB Audigy like audio, and NIC. A more accurate comparision would be:

K7S5A: $55
GeForce2 MX 400 video: $65
SB Audigy OEM: $65
NIC: $15
Total: $200
K7N420 Pro: $140

 

[DieHardware]

<< You're forgetting 2 parts of nForce. The SB Audigy like audio, and NIC >>

HUH? I said K7S5A(onboard NIC), look again. And the V6800 offers better performance than the MX400(or Nforce for that matter) at 1024x768 or higher, I know, I own both cards.

 

[DieHardware]

Oh and $200? Are you kidding? Why do you need to buy a NIC for $15?...the ECS comes with it onboard. And $65 for an MX400? V6800retail is $52($85Cdn.) here in Canada. And your prices for the motherboard and soundcard seem overpriced as well.

 

[Boonesmi]

why are you saying $200?

nforce boards start at $140

 

[DieHardware]

<< why are you saying $200? >>

Nobody wrote $200 for an Nforce.

 

[Boonesmi]

sorry i thought in your above post you were saying that nforce was $200, but after looking in see your disputing his total

the cheapest pricewatch price for any mx400 card is $50 + at least $10 shipping so $65 sounds about right

the prices he used are pretty accurate except of course as you pointed out that the ecs mobo has onboard nic so you can scratch that $15

 

[Athlon4all]

Yea, I forogt K7S5A's NIC, but still, I do think that those prices are generally correct. Take a look at pricewatch.

 

[DieHardware]

<< the cheapest pricewatch price for any mx400 card is $50 + at least $10 shipping so $65 sounds about right >>

There would be shipping on Nforce too.

<< Yea, I forogt K7S5A's NIC, but still, I do think that those prices are generally correct >>

I agree, yours are not. Now, using the prices you guys listed...$50(mx400)+$55(K7S5A)+$30(SBL5.1)=$135, Nforce isn't worth it.

 

[Athlon4all]

<< I agree, yours are not. Now, using the prices you guys listed...$50(mx400)+$55(K7S5A)+$30(SBL5.1)=$135, Nforce isn't worth it. >>

incorrect Comparision. The nForce APU is light years ahead of SB Live!, it should be SB Audigy which is more $65 which the prices come to $170, $30 savings by taking K7N420 Pro.

 

[Boonesmi]

shipping is $10 for the nforce board but shipping wont be $10 for all the individual parts

at some of the best online stores (like newegg) shipping totally stacks, meaning the total shipping for the stuff your listing could be near $30


and its also true that the onboard sound on the nforce is "not" comparable to sblive