Here's my delema:
I'm building an HTPC, so I need a silent motherboard. I was using the MSI K8N Neo 4 Ultra Platnum. After I replaced all the fans with heatsinks, my system STILL loud! The culprit? The small fan on the board's northbridge!
Yes, that little fella was LOUD. So, I started redesigning the system. I decided to go with Nvidia chipsets and put as much GPU power as I possibly could, while remaining fanless. The solution: SLI using two Aopen 6600 low-profile heatskink cards (I would have chosen an even more powerful GPU, but this is where heatsinks and SLI combined features end). To solve the problem of few PCI slots available on SLI boards, I decided to use PCI Express x1 for the analog TV tuner. Heck, I even ordered a second PCI-e x1 TV tuner card since most boards out there come with two, right?
I ordered and received in the mail Abit's AN8-SLI. It got rave reviews, so it must be good, I reasoned. But, it had none of the features the internet reviewers said it had (I guess Abit gave them a 'souped up' version to review and manufactured the 'scaled down' version). No Firewire B. No HD audio. It uses the SLI-8 chipset, not the SLI MCP like the reviews said. Now here's the clincher: Because my Aopen cards have heatsinks on the sides and because Abit tried to 'cram' a lot into a small space, the Aopen cards litterally cover the x1 slots, thus my TV tuners can't plug in!
So, I sent it back for a refund. Today, I ordered the Asus SLI-32 Deluxe. I was estatic! I thought I found the ultimate board! After placing the order, I discovered it has only one x1 PCI-e slot, no firewire B, no HD audio, and guess what??? I didn't even have to cancel my order. Mwave, the online merchant I place the order with sent this email...
Huh? Well, good, then. But I still don't have a motherboard!!!!
As I see it, here are my options:
Gigabyte has a couple of SLI MCP boards. They look okay. Can't varify from the pictures if those are heatsinks or fans! They have firewire B! Yay! But no HD sound (I've given up all hope). They have two x1 PCI-e slots (good!). They have SPIF INPUTS as well as outputs (a major plus for a HTPC!). Still have no idea what the spacing is on the PCI and PCI-e slots... I don't want to run into the same problem I did with the Abit board!
Another option is the Asus SLI Premium... heatsink... yay... 3 PCI slots... yay... It has a x1 PCI Express slot and a x4 PCI-e, but I have no idea if the x4 PCI slot can also function as a x1 PCI-e? The 3 PCI slots are the old 2.2 standard, the Gigabyte boards have 2.3. No firewire B...booo!! It LOOKS like the spacing on the PCI slots is wide enough to fit my cards, but I have no clue! And this board does not have wireless, like the SLI-32 Deluxe did!
At this point, I am running out of options! I saw the bits and peices of info of the phantom MSI Diamond Plus, and it sure looks like the answer to all my problems! But the DISTRIBUTORS don't even have it listed on their websites! So, this board will probably be released any year now, but I can't wait that long! Why do companies lie? It says in their press release that they had released it! Ugggghhh.
Well, still no board and I'm still typing away with frustration. Does anyone know of any other options out there? Any other brands with silent pipe SLI boards, with 2 PCI-E z1 slots, with real features like Firewire B or wireless networking?
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm about to go mad and I need to place an order for SOMETHING like before today ends!
I'm building an HTPC, so I need a silent motherboard. I was using the MSI K8N Neo 4 Ultra Platnum. After I replaced all the fans with heatsinks, my system STILL loud! The culprit? The small fan on the board's northbridge!
Yes, that little fella was LOUD. So, I started redesigning the system. I decided to go with Nvidia chipsets and put as much GPU power as I possibly could, while remaining fanless. The solution: SLI using two Aopen 6600 low-profile heatskink cards (I would have chosen an even more powerful GPU, but this is where heatsinks and SLI combined features end). To solve the problem of few PCI slots available on SLI boards, I decided to use PCI Express x1 for the analog TV tuner. Heck, I even ordered a second PCI-e x1 TV tuner card since most boards out there come with two, right?
I ordered and received in the mail Abit's AN8-SLI. It got rave reviews, so it must be good, I reasoned. But, it had none of the features the internet reviewers said it had (I guess Abit gave them a 'souped up' version to review and manufactured the 'scaled down' version). No Firewire B. No HD audio. It uses the SLI-8 chipset, not the SLI MCP like the reviews said. Now here's the clincher: Because my Aopen cards have heatsinks on the sides and because Abit tried to 'cram' a lot into a small space, the Aopen cards litterally cover the x1 slots, thus my TV tuners can't plug in!
So, I sent it back for a refund. Today, I ordered the Asus SLI-32 Deluxe. I was estatic! I thought I found the ultimate board! After placing the order, I discovered it has only one x1 PCI-e slot, no firewire B, no HD audio, and guess what??? I didn't even have to cancel my order. Mwave, the online merchant I place the order with sent this email...
Huh? Well, good, then. But I still don't have a motherboard!!!!
As I see it, here are my options:
Gigabyte has a couple of SLI MCP boards. They look okay. Can't varify from the pictures if those are heatsinks or fans! They have firewire B! Yay! But no HD sound (I've given up all hope). They have two x1 PCI-e slots (good!). They have SPIF INPUTS as well as outputs (a major plus for a HTPC!). Still have no idea what the spacing is on the PCI and PCI-e slots... I don't want to run into the same problem I did with the Abit board!
Another option is the Asus SLI Premium... heatsink... yay... 3 PCI slots... yay... It has a x1 PCI Express slot and a x4 PCI-e, but I have no idea if the x4 PCI slot can also function as a x1 PCI-e? The 3 PCI slots are the old 2.2 standard, the Gigabyte boards have 2.3. No firewire B...booo!! It LOOKS like the spacing on the PCI slots is wide enough to fit my cards, but I have no clue! And this board does not have wireless, like the SLI-32 Deluxe did!
At this point, I am running out of options! I saw the bits and peices of info of the phantom MSI Diamond Plus, and it sure looks like the answer to all my problems! But the DISTRIBUTORS don't even have it listed on their websites! So, this board will probably be released any year now, but I can't wait that long! Why do companies lie? It says in their press release that they had released it! Ugggghhh.
Well, still no board and I'm still typing away with frustration. Does anyone know of any other options out there? Any other brands with silent pipe SLI boards, with 2 PCI-E z1 slots, with real features like Firewire B or wireless networking?
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm about to go mad and I need to place an order for SOMETHING like before today ends!
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