Socket 939 Motherboard - Stability - Top Priority

[jlbenedict]

I have a X2 3800+ on the way...

Are there any motherboards that are stable right out of the box, without any minor tweaking? I'm not an overclocker, and I do not need SLI.
It just seems the Abit has a few issues.. such as USB port issues, and even though I'm not overclocking, I needed to provide my DDR a little more voltage for it to seem stable..
I run this on a Forton Blue Storm 400 Watt power supply..

Other than those couple of issues... the Abit board would be a good board..
I thought about getting another board.. or possibly just get another gig of ram, and just deal with having to "tweak" the Abit board to run stable..

 

[deadvolvo1]

I faced the same dilemma. I could care less about SLI. What I need is stable high-performance socket 939.

In the end I bought an AN8-Ultra. The Gigabyte K8N Ultra-9 was my second choice. I also went for the Venice 3200+ and the PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 510W Express/SLI. The issues with the AN8-Ultra are with the Nvidia drivers, especially the NV Firewall. Do not install any of them. In addition, do not use the Venice 3000+ with the AN8-Ultra. Last but not least, make sure your Fortron Source PSU is up to the task. If youre like me and you have 8 total drives, youll need something beefier.

 

[evilharp]

Originally posted by: jlbenedict
I have a X2 3800+ on the way...

Are there any motherboards that are stable right out of the box, without any minor tweaking? I'm not an overclocker, and I do not need SLI.
It just seems the Abit has a few issues.. such as USB port issues, and even though I'm not overclocking, I needed to provide my DDR a little more voltage for it to seem stable..
I run this on a Forton Blue Storm 400 Watt power supply..

Other than those couple of issues... the Abit board would be a good board..
I thought about getting another board.. or possibly just get another gig of ram, and just deal with having to "tweak" the Abit board to run stable..

Sorry about the Abit. The quality just isn't there anymore.

For a stable board (out of the box) think:

-Asus
-Gigabyte
-MSI (<== Really research the boards before you buy. The AT forum is a good source. MSI has had some issues lately).

However, you indicated you need "volts" for your ram. What do you run at? I ask as the 3 companies I listed typically stick to JEDEC specs with ram voltages (2.5-2.8v), but each board is different. Make sure the voltage you need is there. If you need more volts, consider Epox. Epox is a good brand, and has been gaining favour with overclockers. Epox boards are much easier to set up than DFI, and it offers good stability out of the box.

If you want absolute stability, go Tyan. But bring lots of cash, as they are not cheap.

As deadvolvo1 indicated, cheack your total wattage with you PSU in your new system. What will you be running (Drives, video, expansion cards, etc...).

 

[CraigRT]

My A8N-E is nothing short of rock stable/flawless so far.... I would recommend to anyone wanting a stable system. I game a LOT on this machine and it's never one hiccup'd even slightly.

 

[ChiPCGuy]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
My A8N-E is nothing short of rock stable/flawless so far.... I would recommend to anyone wanting a stable system. I game a LOT on this machine and it's never one hiccup'd even slightly.

What BIOS and drivers are you using?

 

[jlbenedict]

I just realized the voltage specs for my memory are 2.6v...
I notice the bios sets it for 2.5, at the default settings.. I guess that could explain why I have to push the voltage up a bit..
It looks like that was something I overlooked upon...