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What's the best/cheapest non-integrated motherboard for AMD XP 1700+?

T

tgzo

Member
I'm buying a motherboard for my AMD XP 1700+, and I don't want any integrated sound or anything like that with it. What I want is the best price/perfomance ratio mobo that also has good upgradibility.

Thanks for your help!
 
I'd go with the Abit Kr7a theres like 4 versions of it. It starts at 100 bucks for the reg version, then RAID, kr7a-133, then the kr7a 133 raid. Its your pick of what you would like better but there is nothing integrated about this board.
 
oldfoof... tgzo asked for a NON-INTEGRATED board. meaning he don't want the onboard... anything. and since i believe the epox 8kha+ only comes with onboard audio i believe that rulz it out as a choice for him. altho i just disable mine cuz its such a great board. tgzo, i felt the same way u did. i HATE onboard anything but i think u should consider the board and put up with that yellow piece of plastic on the board that just sits there. look at it this way, when u upgrade u can sell the board and keep the sound card.

🙂
 
ECS has one of the cheapest mobos out right now for the Athlon XP. The K7AMA can be had for under $50 US but it has onboard sound and lan, you just don't have to pay extra for it. Plus you can use SDR or DDR ram. The ECS K7S5A is also a very cheap deal under $55 US, but it comes with sound too. Alot of people have been buying this board.

If you don't want to use the onboard sound or lan, just disable them. I wouldn't pay extra cause a board has "optional" lan, sound, or raid, but if it comes as no extra charge it's a win:win situation.
 
I second the K7S5A. Sure it has integrated sound and LAN, but it's really cheap and the sound can be disabled. I have it disabled and run a Live 5.1 card myself. I also am running an XP 1700+. In fact it's running right now, ripping a DVD while I'm here at work. I've haven't let it run for weeks at a time or anything, but it has been on for around 48 hours at a time or so and it seems stable. I haven't had any funny problems yet.

 
You will rarely find a motherboard now these days without at least integrated audio. With that being said, either the EPoX 8KHA+ or ABIT KR7 are excellent choices for AMD Athlon XP processors.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not overly concerned about integrated audio as being bad quality, I'm more worried about any performance hit I may get from integrated parts on my mobo. I used to own a computer with everything integrated and it runs like a snail.
 
I would recommend the Iwill XP333. You can get it at Newegg for under 100 bucks. It has ATA-133 and integrated audio but you can disable the audio. I have the Raid version of this mobo and it was very easy to set up and runs great.
 
Having integrated everything won't necessarily cause your system to "run like a snail", but using integrated everything might. You'll be very hard pressed to find a Socket A motherboard without sound, so if you want to avoid integrated everything EXCEPT for sound, I think the Shuttle AK31A is a great board, excellent expansion (6PCI, 4DDR), broad user base, and available for around $75. A quick look at the current threads on this board would steer me clear of the ECS board pretty quickly, though I have no direct personal experience with it. Onboard sound is easily disabled in BIOS.

Pete
 
If you get the Epox 8kha+, make sure you don't plan on using a GF4 or get ready to mod your mobo by taking off capacitors 🙁
 
I am using a ECS K7S5A with TB 1.4, on board LAN, Live!5.1 (disable the AC97 onboard sound). with a 40G WB 7200RPM HD.
and i just build a EPOX 8KHA+ with XP1800+, on board LAN, on board sound with a Maxtor 5400rpm 80G HD, in my own feeling, i find the epox a bit slower compare to my K7S5A! Although it is not overclock yet and may need more treak, i will say the problem may be the Hard drive speed. I have to wait a bit longer to have it access files. Also the boot up is slower than my ECS in BIOS screen.

Anyway, the Epox will not be my primary computer, I will sell it out. I am glad to have my ECS (I am in process to finish the window job, i already put a 12v/off/7v busbay with my ECS K7S5a, much quiter now. Almost happy)


So, i am saying is integrated boards are here to stay (over 50% of mb sold is integrated everything type, video, sound, lan/modem etc), buying computer first rule: What you are going to do with your computer? Second rule: How much i can affort? Then look for it....

tgzo, can u give us some answer on those 2 and see if all can help?

Also, how about Memory, do u have old SDRAM or will opt to buy new DDR RAM?
 


<< If you get the Epox 8kha+, make sure you don't plan on using a GF4 or get ready to mod your mobo by taking off capacitors 🙁 >>




WTF r u talkin bout?!?! i have an Epox 8kha+ and both the PNY gf4 ti 4600 and my Xstacy gf4 ti 4600 fit like a glove. NOTHING TOUCHES! i read some of those articles where they said the transistors got in the way but sorry to say... it just ain't true!
 
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