The "official" I need a motherboard so my parts don't collect more dust topic...

DARQ MX

Senior member
Jun 4, 2005
640
0
0
I've been doing extensive research on good reviews all over the place. I been looking at a lot of mobos because I just ordered almost everything for my new rig but I decided to wait on the mobo until I got more info on reviews and such.

I've had my mind set on the Abit "non fatal1ty" AN8 ultra board since it came out but I have been having second thoughts on it cause I can't find a damn review anywere but sgoverclockers.com. So it seems no one is buying the board right away I guess.

So I dicided to go around to check out others. I always buy my stuff from newegg but I am willing to check out other places if they have more mobo's that newegg does not have.

I been recommended EPoX boards like the EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra in the past couple days. Ive been reading reviews on that and it seems like a nice board, but I am a little skepical over a board I have never used before nor heard of that clearly.

I am not a hardcore overclocker so I don't need the infamous DFI ultra-D. All I want to do is get my AMD 3700+ sandiego to 2.6 on air. That is my only goal really...

So what do you guys recommended on a good mobo that fits my needs? Also it needs to be an ultra NF4 mobo and have enough room for a zalman HSF.

Any brand like MSI, chaintech and Asus are fine as well I just heard that the MSI neo4 plat is not a very good board.


Specs:
AMD 3700 sandigo
1gb corsair
250 SATA seagate HD
 

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,281
4
81
DFI Lanparty Ultra-D - #1
Epox 9NPA+ Ultra - #2 (or best price/performance)
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum - #3

Now that is just what i have gathered from hanging on these forums.
 

SPQQKY

Senior member
Jul 6, 2004
831
0
0
Argh what??? n7 pretty much nailed it, except the DFI is going to be much pickier about the hardware you use, not only the RAM, but PSU and add on cards. I had two of the DFI (one RMA'd) and the replacement I ditched due to instability. I couldn't be happier with my Epox. (I'm starting to feel like an Epox pimp as many times as I have recommended the board lately)
 

ChicagoPCGuy

Senior member
Dec 11, 2004
361
0
0
I got my San Diego 3700+ to 2.64Ghz on air, using OCZ Plat Rev. 2 using the 9NPA+ Ultra. DARQ MX refuses to believe that the EPoX board is any good, even though there is an avalanche of very credible reviews to the contrary and many forum members, including myself, that have recommended the board. In fact, I use it as the standard nF4 board for my customer builds--on my sixth one now.

But what the heck, what do we know?

 

ChicagoPCGuy

Senior member
Dec 11, 2004
361
0
0
Let me further add that each and every nF4 board has quirks all their own. The balancing act is picking the one with the LEAST quirks and can overclock well. That would be the 9NPA+ Ultra.

 

bozack

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2000
7,913
12
81
Originally posted by: SPQQKY
Argh what??? n7 pretty much nailed it, except the DFI is going to be much pickier about the hardware you use, not only the RAM, but PSU and add on cards. I had two of the DFI (one RMA'd) and the replacement I ditched due to instability. I couldn't be happier with my Epox. (I'm starting to feel like an Epox pimp as many times as I have recommended the board lately)

From reading this and other boards reviews this is the same conclusion I am comming to, I will be honest in saying that I wish the DFI board wasn't so picky as I love the look of it and would probabily get a clear window pimp case to show it off, but the quirks of the board really turn me off and how it is so darn picky with components...I love tweaking and all but I also like some stability and or good engineering...the Epox is a cool $30 cheaper and seems like a much more rounded package where I can actually pick hardware I like instead of being a slave to certain components, so even though the system I am going to build could work with the DFI I am still going with the Epox as it seems from everything I have read to be much more solid....

the MSI is supposedly good as well and the onboard sound seems like a big plus, but I have heard it also has issues and the extra $20 I would spend on that board could go to a nice couple of beers or something whereas the sound on the Epox will be fine.
 

ChicagoPCGuy

Senior member
Dec 11, 2004
361
0
0
Originally posted by: bozack
Originally posted by: SPQQKY
Argh what??? n7 pretty much nailed it, except the DFI is going to be much pickier about the hardware you use, not only the RAM, but PSU and add on cards. I had two of the DFI (one RMA'd) and the replacement I ditched due to instability. I couldn't be happier with my Epox. (I'm starting to feel like an Epox pimp as many times as I have recommended the board lately)

From reading this and other boards reviews this is the same conclusion I am comming to, I will be honest in saying that I wish the DFI board wasn't so picky as I love the look of it and would probabily get a clear window pimp case to show it off, but the quirks of the board really turn me off and how it is so darn picky with components...I love tweaking and all but I also like some stability and or good engineering...the Epox is a cool $30 cheaper and seems like a much more rounded package where I can actually pick hardware I like instead of being a slave to certain components, so even though the system I am going to build could work with the DFI I am still going with the Epox as it seems from everything I have read to be much more solid....

the MSI is supposedly good as well and the onboard sound seems like a big plus, but I have heard it also has issues and the extra $20 I would spend on that board could go to a nice couple of beers or something whereas the sound on the Epox will be fine.


Someone with sound reasoning skills has now entered the thread!
 

bozack

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2000
7,913
12
81
Originally posted by: ChicagoPCGuy
Someone with sound reasoning skills has now entered the thread!

Chicago it was actually your posts which mentioned the Epox that made me research it further, and ultimately I was led to the anandtech shootout which sealed the deal....I have visited the dfi street forums and it seems nice but from reading all of the posts in dealing with hardware incompatability it just gave me flashbacks of early abit boards, something I didn't want to relive...and while I like tweaking it almost sounds like with the DFI you get too many options, wheras with the Epox and others you can get your overclock on and not get overwhelmed with settings...

so while the DFI makes for a "geekier" system IMHO the Epox and others make for more stable and overall better performing systems with more flexibility.