Need oldschool P4 board (S478)

[thecoolnessrune]

I need to know something worth looking for. I need a cheap mobo for a 2Ghz Celeron processor, which means the chipset probably is limited to 845/848 or VIA equivalent since it has to run a 400Mhz FSB. I want cheap, but I also have heard big horror stories on the PCChips mobos. So I'm wanting a little more quality than that. Dude at the local computer stop was selling a brand new Biostar board for a whopping $80.. Yeah.. you can shove that up your 450lb. ass you lardweight. Anyways, any decent board suggestions for a 400Mhz FSB Celeron?

BTW. For those in Bainbridge, Georgia. Stay away from that computer store in the mall. Deceitful overcharging 450lb. behemoth. Doesn't want you opening the boxes to the fans he sells. (Which show a picture of an 80mm Yate Loon on the front but when opened are some generic piece of crap).

 

[NXIL]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...8079%2CN82E16813135221

Slim pickings--no offense to the 450lb Jabba.

Based on the Newegg user reviews, looks like the Asus is the best.

HTH

NXIL

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Thanks for the suggestions. As I said, the board has to be capable of 100Mhz (400Mhz) FSB operation (I see I said 200... I'll correct that sorry). So that leaves the ASRock P4VM890 and the BIOSTAR P4M80-M4. The P4M was actually in that computer store... for $89!!! Which of the two would you guys recommend?

The Biostar looks like the best bet considering I dont have any PCI-E cards. Only old AGP ones, though video is already included on both (and it's only being used as a server) So which would you guys recommend?

 

[NXIL]

The Asus board supports 400Mhz FSB. See manual, page viii

http://dlsvr03.asus.com/pub/AS...-MX/e2227_p4v8x-mx.pdf

See memory QVL page 1-10--note that it only has two ram slots.

Note: unless I am mistaken, 400Mhz FSB is 100 MHZ quad pumped.

533 is 133 (i.e. 266? confused) times four. Or 266 times two.

667 is 166 (or 333--) quad pumped.

And 800 is 200 (DDR 400?) quad pumped.

Anyway, 4 times 100 for 400Mhz FSB definitely works on this motherboard.

HTH

NXIL

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Ah, so I see it is. THe ASRock is cheaper, and has more features. Think it's so unstable that the ASUS would be a better choice? It is a server after all.

 

[NXIL]

Hi,

just to be clear--I notice that several of those boards use DDR2 (240 pin), and several use DDR (184 pin)...which memory do you have?

For DDR memory (184 pin), if it really is a server...how about an Intel chipset on a Tyan board?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tyan-S2098...ameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

or

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tyan-S2098...ameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Actually, this one looks great: Tyan (excellent quality, the anti-PC Chips), Intel chipset (great, stable, best for a server IMO), on board graphics, also good for a server....

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php...6a31e6bd10fdf2c7a1af0c

Were it me buying a server type board, I would get one of those....

http://www.atacom.com/program/...TYAN_20_BN&USER_ID=www

http://www.equipmenthall.com/p...o.php?products_id=3276

Etc. etc....

Link to S2099 at Tyan:

http://www.tyan.com/product_board_detail.aspx?pid=7

ftp://ftp.tyan.com/datasheets/d_s2099_180.pdf

If you are interested, you can download the board's manual and read through it....

http://www.tyan.com/manuals/m_s2099_110.pdf

HTH

NXIL

 

[VirtualLarry]

For $90, you're better off getting a 865G or 945G micro-ATX board that can take a C2D, and get a C2D celeron.
Dump the S478 parts on ebay.

 

[heyheybooboo]

AsRock = Asus low end

 

[Peter]

I'd take PC-Chips (Elitegroup OEM outlet, /same/ boards) over ASRock anytime. Both make boards that work, nevermind the internet forum "expert views" on what's good and what isn't.

In high volume OEM manufacturing, you can't make poor quality boards or you won't survive. Losing a retail customer is a bit less important than losing a million boards sold to a single OEM because your DOA rate is too high.

Why the poor opinions then? Because it's popular to bash the "cheap" manufacturer when you've screwed up your DIY attempts. These people then rant about having had to return the board three times before giving up ... without ever figuring that the problem might be in what they're doing, not the materials. And then the next guy "researches", and just parrots what he's "heard".

 

[Peter]

Same goes for the ASRock=ASUS myth. Not true, engineering is entirely separate and with different focus. ECS and PC-Chips in turn are actually the same shop. The former does branded retail, the latter does OEM - with the same boards.

 

[NXIL]

Originally posted by: Peter
I'd take PC-Chips (Elitegroup OEM outlet, /same/ boards) over ASRock anytime. Both make boards that work, nevermind the internet forum "expert views" on what's good and what isn't.

In high volume OEM manufacturing, you can't make poor quality boards or you won't survive. Losing a retail customer is a bit less important than losing a million boards sold to a single OEM because your DOA rate is too high.

Why the poor opinions then? Because it's popular to bash the "cheap" manufacturer when you've screwed up your DIY attempts. These people then rant about having had to return the board three times before giving up ... without ever figuring that the problem might be in what they're doing, not the materials. And then the next guy "researches", and just parrots what he's "heard".

Hi Peter,

lots of companies make poor quality crap and thrive....less quality often means lower price: Yugo versus Lexus, for instance....and, at least as of 2002, Yugo was still in business, and producing a "ZMW":

http://www.forbes.com/2002/04/23/0423yugo.html

Higher quality RAM is more thoroughly tested and has higher quality PCB (4 versus 6 versus 8 layers)....better CPUs can run at higher frequencies, therefore cost more, etc....

Not everything that is expensive is high quality, and not everything high quality is expensive, but, as you know, higher quality generally equals higher demand equals higher price--Consumer Reports Magazine does a good job (IMO) of separating out marketing from real quality, and thus value.

So, throw a PC Chips Mobo in the back of your Yugo, and head back to your manufactured home at the trailer park! [Note: that is an attempt to be funny, not to be disparaging or insulting...to anyone, even PC Chips...they no doubt sell more motherboards than Tyan and Supermicro do....]

NXIL

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: NXIL

Originally posted by: Peter
I'd take PC-Chips (Elitegroup OEM outlet, /same/ boards) over ASRock anytime. Both make boards that work, nevermind the internet forum "expert views" on what's good and what isn't.

In high volume OEM manufacturing, you can't make poor quality boards or you won't survive. Losing a retail customer is a bit less important than losing a million boards sold to a single OEM because your DOA rate is too high.

Why the poor opinions then? Because it's popular to bash the "cheap" manufacturer when you've screwed up your DIY attempts. These people then rant about having had to return the board three times before giving up ... without ever figuring that the problem might be in what they're doing, not the materials. And then the next guy "researches", and just parrots what he's "heard".

Hi Peter,

lots of companies make poor quality crap and thrive....less quality often means lower price: Yugo versus Lexus, for instance....and, at least as of 2002, Yugo was still in business, and producing a "ZMW":

http://www.forbes.com/2002/04/23/0423yugo.html

Higher quality RAM is more thoroughly tested and has higher quality PCB (4 versus 6 versus 8 layers)....better CPUs can run at higher frequencies, therefore cost more, etc....

Not everything that is expensive is high quality, and not everything high quality is expensive, but, as you know, higher quality generally equals higher demand equals higher price--Consumer Reports Magazine does a good job (IMO) of separating out marketing from real quality, and thus value.

So, throw a PC Chips Mobo in the back of your Yugo, and head back to your manufactured home at the trailer park! [Note: that is an attempt to be funny, not to be disparaging or insulting...to anyone, even PC Chips...they no doubt sell more motherboards than Tyan and Supermicro do....]

NXIL

Guess who Supermicro is owned by.

 

[NXIL]

Tatung Company in Taiwan owns 9% of the company and directors and management appear to control 55.6% of the company, but we will confirm ownership and expand that area with the management as the IPO date gets closer.

http://247wallst.blogspot.com/...o-computer-server.html



http://www.bizjournals.com/san...007/03/26/daily57.html

Founder and chief executive, Charles Liang, and his co-founder wife, Chiu-Chu (Sara) Liang, who is vice president of operations, own 32.9 percent of the company's shares outstanding after the IPO, down from 40.8 percent before it.

Hmm, looks like ECS owns PC Chips, and Tatung apparently used to own ECS (??), and Tatung owns 9% of Supermicro stock now.....

Ford (middle of road, no pun intended) owned Aston Martin (super expensive high quality), and still owns Land Rover and Volvo....

NXIL