QUICK MB q's - need help today pleeeeeeease.

[dbarton]

I think I am set on this MB with an Intel 2.2g P4 chip. This seems like the best I can get for a decent price. Faster is way more $. Please correct me if I am misinformed.

A few quick q's:

1. What 2.2 CPU do I get? Northwood? I want the best one for a decent price

2. Is it easy to set up all bios stuff? I dont want to overclok or anythign. Just want a reliable setup, but I see so many issues here with ratios and vlotages and it all seems scary. No idea what to set these all to.

3. This E version is is the best of the ASUS MBs right?

4. Any online vendors that rock?

Feel free to answer any one, or all of my q's

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lsman]

first of all, what MB?

4. newegg.com is a good vendor. check pricewatch.com for price.

 

[dbarton]

MB I had in mind was ASUS p4b533e, or V, but now I think that the p4t533c is better?

Comments?

neweggg is out of stock though..

 

[mechBgon]

Definitely get the Northwood core and not the Williamette. Northwood has 512kb of L2 cache and Williamette only has 256kb.

You are looking at cats versus dogs with the motherboards you've named. Do you want a board that uses RAMBUS RDRAM memory or DDR SDRAM? P4T-series use RAMBUS while P4B-series use DDR.

THUGSROOK has done lots of hands-on research on this and he answered another person's request for a recommendation here. Check out his recommendation.

 

[dbarton]

>Definitely get the Northwood core and not the Williamette. Northwood has 512kb of L2 cache >and .Williamette only has 256kb.

ok, that part is easy. p4 2.2 / 533 Northwood it is.

>You are looking at cats versus dogs with the motherboards you've named. Do you want a board that >uses RAMBUS RDRAM memory or DDR SDRAM? P4T-series use RAMBUS while P4B-series use DDR.

Yes, I cant seem to decide which one is better for me.

Looks like Rambus is faster, but will be dicontinued and costs a little more. Woudl get 800mhz 512m for now. Cost is not that much an issue as it's only $100 or so more.

DDR is a little cheaper, and it looks like pc2700 is the way to go, but I worry if at that speed it is less reliable.

Which board to choose...