Need Opinions About Motherboards/Chipsets

[NeelyMSU]

Hello All

I need opinions on some new motherboard(s). I am currently looking at Asus's A7M266, A7A266, and A7V266 (not out). Also, the MSI K7T266 and GigaByte GA-7VTX instead of the A7V266.

Even though performance is the best thing to me, stable is the most important for these motherboards because they will be used in a lab evironment and will be on 24/7. They will be running Windows 2000, Office, and other various application programs.

I am concerned about the Ali chipset over heating. I have seem some people discussing this. AMD seems like the best performance and stablity, but they are on limited supply and cost more money. :-(
I don't know a whole lot about the VIA KT266 chipset. I do know it is pretty new and I would like to avoid any KT133 like problems when it first came out.

So basically, if you have used any of these boards, or chipsets for that matter, please give me your opinion. I am not dead set of these boards. I would like to go with Abit; however, their boards are not out yet.

Thanks in advance.

John

 

[Athlon4all]

Well, I'll give you the low down on each mobo:

A7M266: Great 760/686b mobo. Little on the expensive side. I personally would get MSI's K7 Master if you're getting a 760/686b board, it has Multiplier adjustments, very stable (So is A7M266), High Performing.
A7A266: Fair board, not always stable, has DDR/SDR slots, but performance is very poor on any configuration except for when using PC2100 DDR and an Athlon-C, still I recommend 760/686b.
A7V266: If I were building a AMD system right now (Bear mind, this is before nForce), A7V266 would be the holy grail. It has looked like a great board from the start, and even The Inquirer just posted something about AMD changing their recommended board to the A7V266, so we will have to wait for benchys to see the KT266 Vs. 760 comparision, but for the time being 760 is the way to go.
GA-7VTX: Don't know a thing about it.
K7T266: Their were many issues with this board when it came out, and personally even if the problems have been cleared up, I still would not recommend buying it.

To sum it up, if you had to choose from one of these boards, I would get A7M266, or A7V266, now my personaly recommendations is either MSI's K7 Master, or waiting for Asus' nForce mobo A7N266.

 

[NeelyMSU]

Great, thanks. When is the Nvidia chipset due? August/Semptember?? Unfortunately, I cannot wait that long. Do you know when Abit will have the 760 or the KT266?

Thanks again.

John

 

[billyjak]

The Abit KG7 is due out on 7-13-01 expected ship date on pricewatch.