Need a new "budget" mobo

[papaschtroumpf]

I posted in another thread that my DFI mobo is starting to malfunction, so I am looking for a replacement.

My processor is an Athlon X2 4400+ that I currently overclock to 4800+, with 2x 1G of Corsair RAM running relatively tight timings.

specs:

DFI NF4 SLI-DR Expert - Antec TruePower 2.0 550W
Athlon64 X2 4400+, stock cooler
Corsair TWINX2048-3200C2 RAM (2x1G dual channel)
eVGA 7800GTX w/ACS3
Audigy2 ZS, SATA WD S16 400G..

I don't want to spend a lot of money on this, so I'm looking at keeping the CPU and only swapping the mobo, hopefully for relatively cheap ($100 target) without losing any of my capabilities.

I'm doing the OC'ing on my processor through mutliplier changes, and I did have to bump the CPU and RAM voltages a tad, so I may need a mobo that will let me do that again. I don't want to lose performance.

I need USB2, SATA, ethernet, etc... but all this stuff is now common on every mobo. I wouldn't mind raid capability as this machine will end up as a server when I ginally move on.

I'm currently running an NVIDA 7800GTX (PCIe) which I plan on replacing with a DirectX model around the holidays (8800 series I'm guessing)



Any suggestions for amobo that fits the bill? Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 seems like a decent mobo if it will let me do the overclocking

 

[papaschtroumpf]

hmmm, something just hit me:
TWINX2048-3200C2 is DDR, not DDR2, are DDR2 mobos compatible with DDR memory, or do I need to find a DDR specific mobo?

 

[papaschtroumpf]

answered, my own question. If I don;t want to buy new RAM, I need a DDR mobo (another reason to go cheap).
A search on newegg brings up:

* BIOSTAR GEFORCE 6100-M9 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6100
cheap and highly rated, but I can't find OC'ing info. I don't need on onboard video, but when I turn the machine into a server, it might actually be an advantage to have it build in.

* Foxconn NF4SK8AA-8KRS 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI
closer in features to the DFI, but again no OC'ing information.

* Foxconn 6150K8MA-8EKRS 939 NVIDIA GeForce 6150
really cheap after rebates, same comment as the BIOSTAR on the onboard audio
no idea on OCing
I really have no clue what the differences are between the different nF4 chipsets

 

[o1die]

For socket 939, you'll have to search the lesser known shops for leftover inventory. I found an msi k8n neo4-f nforce4 for $75 at zipzoomfly. Otherwise, try ebay.

 

[papaschtroumpf]

I wonder if it's time to do an upgrade? for less than $350 I can get:
2G DRR2 decent speed
Gigabyte GA-M57SLI-S4 mobo ("cheap" but nice feature set)
Athlon X2 6000+ or 6400+

As long as I can reuse all the other pieces (in particular my antec 500W power supply), is this enough of an upgrade from my previous systen for justifying spending the cash rather $100 to replace the mobo?

 

[o1die]

You won't see that much performance boost with amd. I'm waiting for penryn before upgrading. You might even find a newegg open box board for around $40. Check Monday or Tuesday nights late.

 

[papaschtroumpf]

going the intel route if I decide to upgrade (stolen from sharkyextreme budget gaming PC guide)
Core 2 Duo E6750
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit

for about $350 also

I haven't bought Intel since the P2, so I have no idea how it compares to the X2 600+ or 6400+

 

[nitromullet]

http://anandtech.com/cpuchipse...howdoc.aspx?i=2933&p=3

A stock E6600 generally outperforms a stock X2 6000+, and with a P35 motherboard you will easily be able to OC the E6750. You could also save yourself a few $$ by opting for the E6550 instead of the E6750 because once you starting OCing your proc I doubt that it will really make a difference. Also, go for at least DDR2 800 instead if the DDR2 600. That motherboard supports DDR2 1066 out of the box.