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What's wrong with Intel MOBO's?

Nothing is wrong with Intel motherboards, but this is one market where they have very, very stiff competition.

If you see an Intel board you like, buy it. I think no one recommends them because we're all used to the major players, ASUS, GB, etc. I've never had an issue with ASUS, ASrock or GB, so I've used those and I recommend them based on that experience. They're always well priced and solid equipment, so why go away from something that works? Personally I've never liked Intel's coloring and design schemes, and they are only finally becoming appealing to me in that sense now.
 
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Intel mobos are stable and well build but even with Sandy Bridge P67 series, they don't go to the extend that Asus goes for overclockers. There is no digital power regulation, no solid caps, no large heat pipes, etc. So even though you *can* overclock with latest Intel mobos, the mobos are still plain vanilla.
 
Maybe the better question is "what makes Intel mobos any better than others at the price point?"

and that is where the crickets start chirping......
 
So if this:

http://www.compusa.com/applications/...3&Sku=I69-2237

has what I'm looking for (eSATA, firewire & DVI ports) and I'm not going to be overclocking (it's and "h" board), it should be fine AND it will save me $30 over the comparable gigabyte:

http://www.compusa.com/applications/...&Sku=G452-0127

I havent taken the time to do a full side-by-side compare, but right off the bat just make sure you consider that the Intel is a MicroATX form factor while the GB is normal ATX. This means the microATX is smaller (which could be good for you) but also means it has fewer expansion slots etc etc. May or may not matter to you.

I'd run a side by side comparison to make sure you know what you're getting (and giving up) between the two to make sure you're not missing anything important to you. But in general, I think you can get H67 mobos for cheaper than that Gigabyte.....seems like somewhere around $100 is the right price for those.
 
The gigabyte has eSATA and firewire ports which is the big attraction; I'm not sure any of the $100 boards do.

I found the same intel in normal ATX for $109 with eSATA, no firewire and 1 less PCIe 10x slot.
 
Call me when intel gives me full memory, undervolting/overvolting and oc features along with other enthusiast perks. They're awesome for stable standard computers assuming you find a good price, but worthless if you like to tweak your machine.
 
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