Sorta OT - Location: UK, Whats this combo like? (cheap hardware)

[Migroo]

Mobo / RAM combo

This is particularly cheap. Its under £100 for the board and RAM, so all I would need is the CPU and away I go with my first crack rack component... Very tempting. Onboard LAN and Video...

Feedback? Is this series of motherboards any good? What sort of daily SETI WU output would I get with a 1.0 GHz Duron? I would be able to overclock the Duron slightly too if I got it, assuming the motherboard supports it, as the RAM is good for 266 FSB DDR.

I am really tempted...

 

[minendo]

PCChips mobo seem to be one of the most popular RMA boards. Ive got two of them (different model): one running a duron 750 (pc100) and the other running a XP1600+ (pc133). They are good motherboards for cheap computers such as a crack rack.

 

[Confused]

Those are the boards that are used in the OcUK crack rack!

Them paired with AXPs or Durons will be very quick! If you can get the 1.0ghz morgan cores, then they should be nice and nippy. They might overclock to 1.33GHz (up fsb from 100 to 133) if you're lucky 🙂

Should be a good start to a crack rack 😀

Confused

 

[Assimilator1]

Hmm ,well from what little experience I've had with PCchips(1 old Slot1 m/brd) is they underperform ,have sh*t website/bios support & are not particularly stable ,but then maybe their newer stuff is better?.Btw a friend of mine who builds PC for his own little buisness steers well clear of PC Chips!

But wth ,their cheap!😉

 

[Evadman]

I have had bad luck with PC Chips Mobo's in the past, so I shy away from them now. It seems tho that quality has gone up somewhat ( like ECS ) as more people tend to be using them. If you do build a few computers with them, let us know of any problems / pitfalls / good news that you come across.

 

[Assimilator1]

Confused
You're right there ,but how stable is their crack rack? ,any indications?

I think I'll bump my thread over there asking about it.

 

[vss1980]

Is PC-Chips any good? Well I could answer that, but I think the mods might ban me for crashing their language filter.

Have used various boards from them (all Intel CPU based but with a variety of SiS and ALi chipsets badged with stupid names) and they work but they are definitely below average. In terms of RMA, if you get a board give it an absolute nightmare of endurance testing in all departments to make sure its good. If it will fail it will be very soon, and if it doesn't you have a good board (well ok, they can never be good).

Maybe they have improved within the last year and a bit and I am just airing some built up bitterness, but I would only buy one for a crack rack or something not important.

 

[ColinP]

On the other hand, I've had a PCchips M577 socket 7 board that was my server for a couple of years on 24/7 and now it's my Mum's PC. Never missed a beat.......

So there !!!!!

🙂

Col

p.s. Bios support isn't so great though as has been said...