Which motherboard?

[giorgione]

I've narrowed it down to GA 8knxp vs intel 875pbz. My system will include:
P4 @ 3GHz
ATI Radeon 9600 PRO
2 x Seagate SATA @ 160GB
2 GB RAM PC3200 probably Kingston HyperX

I do not plan on overclocking, nor on using RAID. After reading messages on different forums, I'm concerned about the number of problems that people seems to have with the GA mobo. What concerns me about the Intel mobo is a review on www.hardocp.com. It states that the SATA single drive tests were somewhat disappointing. Also, I wish the intel had onboard audio...

So, is the intel mobo rock solid and stable, or very few computer enthusiasts use it, so fewer problems are reported?

Any suggestion about which mobo to choose?

Thanks

 

[optimistic]

Also there's another thread about Gigabyte users having a really bad time RMA'ing their boards. I never RMA'd myself, but just hearing about this would make me consider another maker.

If you're concerend about all the problems revolving around Gigabyte boards, why are you even considering it?

 

[giorgione]

Good question. I read good reviews on sites like tomshardware or hardocp. But of course, those guys are "computer configuration engineers", they get it right. Whereas I've never set up a system from scratch before...

I looked at the abit max3, but that mobo seems to be the toughest to configure right.

I'm going to have a closer look at the asus p4c800e. There are so many threads about it, apparently the problems are pretty well understood.

 

[Sunny129]

yeah Gigabyte has serious issues with their RMA department. they just aren't on top of things and you can really get screwed over if something goes wrong w/ your board. but this is also what i've heard through the grapevine (all over the forums here). i've only owned one gigabyte board b4, and it was ages ago. never had a problem with it, but wouldn't want to take another chance fom what i hear about their RMA department these days.

as far as the intel board you mentioned, intel mobos are known for being the most stable and reliable boards on the market. you cannot OC them at all, but that's not a worry of yours. i hate it when i have my options narrowed down, and then someone suggests another option. but honestly, i'd feel like i would be doing you an injustice if i didn't suggest looking into some other boards. the intel board is rock solid, but SATA performance isn't what you'd like it to be, and on top of that it has no onboard audio. buying a Gigabyte boards these days is a real gamble, especially if you have a problem with it.

i know Abit and ASUS don't make the cheapest 875 boards, but you don't have to get their flagship mobos to get the 875 chipset. i'm just saying the extra $$$ spent on an Abit or ASUS might be worth it over the other boards you were looking at. and i know i said intel makes the most stable mobos on the market, but Abit and ASUS certainly have winning records. they are probably the next best in that category.