What Motherboard Is The Best right now?

Driver 7 · Jul 18, 2003, 09:38 PM

My board is FUBAR'ed again. This freezing while saving setting's problem I'm sure has hit me the hardest. I returned Mobo #5 yesterday and have had it. So tomorrow I am going to go and get a new one. WHATS THE BEST? Best being overclockable, Dependable, and has all the newest feature's. I dont really care which chipset. Was thinking via......Yes? No?
And I am sort of leaning towards ASUS. What model I dunno.

~~craig588~~ · Jul 18, 2003, 09:48 PM

The Abit NF7-S rev2.0 is best for your AXP proc. I'll be buying it if my current set-up cant handle HL2 at max or almost max settings.

BiGBrOwNPimpsta · Jul 18, 2003, 10:39 PM

abit is definately reliable, but ASUS is king. abit kicks ass for o/c ers of course. and MSI isnt that bad. features are a bit boasted id say.

~~DriveEuro~~ · Jul 18, 2003, 11:13 PM

Abit NF7 series.....

Driver 7 · Jul 18, 2003, 11:55 PM

Well I guess it does not take much to convince me. I checked the Nf7 and it's deadly. I cant say much for the color But everything else looks sweet. What sold me is the easy flash for the bios. I hate having to hook up a floppy drive. It's like putting on an 8 track.

~~DriveEuro~~ · Jul 18, 2003, 11:57 PM

You mean FlashMenu? The windows flash utility?

~~WyreTheWolf~~ · Jul 19, 2003, 12:03 AM

insert a floppy disk that has a BIOS rom on it into the floppy drive ... hold down the (was it delete, or control) key, and start the system ... the system will search for a BIOS rom on the floppy disk, flash the BIOS, perform tests to make sure that the BIOS flashed correctly, and then the machine will restart as normal. This is also a feature that MSI uses. To tell you the truth the Abit NF7-S rev2.0 is a beast! but I am VERY happy with my MSI K7N2 Delta motherboard... plenty of features, and it runs on a 200MHz FSB without breaking a sweat (stock voltages I am pushing 2.3GHz with a 2500+ Barton) MSI does make a very solid motherboard... not the best for overclocking ... but they have unmatched stability... and the performance of the K7N2 is far from bland. Abit has the upper hand in overclocking ... hands down...

Driver 7 · Jul 19, 2003, 01:22 AM

AWDFLASH is what it's called I think. It's a utility that comes with abits bios. I'm not educated on it at all but I believe it sends signals to your bios and will flash it (I guess) and it will make a back up copy of your previously saved bio's

~~WyreTheWolf~~ · Jul 19, 2003, 01:37 AM

AWDFLASH.EXE is the DOS utility that actually flashes AWARD BIOS. What I am talking about does not require the utility, or DOS.

muzz · Jul 19, 2003, 06:21 PM

Epox and Abit ( NF2 boards) both have windows flash utilities.
I have never used the Abit version, but used the Epox version at least 25x without issue.
I was always running stock speeds and voltages when flashing.

DaSnIpE · Jul 19, 2003, 10:28 PM

Abit nf7-s and the Epox 8rda3+ are good bets for amd right now

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 05:12 AM

the program is accually Abit's Flashmenu that i guess is new. You will be able to flash your Bio's from inside windows.

Nuke209 · Jul 20, 2003, 09:48 AM

basically, a mobo with the nforce2 chipset

tek · Jul 20, 2003, 10:25 AM

ABIT NF7-S 2.0 nForce 2 chipset @ http://www.excaliberpc.com/ for $109.00 I think, and they even flash the board to the latest bios before shipping them out!!! And you are 100% ASSURED that you will get the 2.0.

I'm gettin it

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 11:38 AM

Man I cant make up my mind which MoBo I want to get. I left yesterday to buy the AT7 max2 but the store closed before I got there. But maby thats a good thing. The more I search for a good mobo the more I realize I not going to fine 1 that had any more features than my soltek does. (except for the freezing flaw) That wont happen If I just leave the bios alone.
I saw the Max3 is comming out soon.

I think I might just stick it out and wait for something new. I really want to get an opteron once some decent mobo's are produced for it.

One more thing. I may need some help here. Yesterday I ran sandra. Mem bandwith. First I ran it in dual mode, slot 1 & 3, FSB 200 x 11. and scored 3058 Int.
Then I switched the sockets to slot 1 & 2 for single channel and ran sandra again, Same settings, and scored 3064.

I do not get it. For $450.00 there better be something that I'm doing wrong. If not then All I guess I can do is sit here looking stupid.

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 04:30 PM

Someone has gotta know.

***Zardon*** · Jul 20, 2003, 04:58 PM

Abit NF7S Rev 2 bar none, check the sig

Necrosis · Jul 20, 2003, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Driver 7
Man I cant make up my mind which MoBo I want to get. I left yesterday to buy the AT7 max2 but the store closed before I got there. But maby thats a good thing. The more I search for a good mobo the more I realize I not going to fine 1 that had any more features than my soltek does. (except for the freezing flaw) That wont happen If I just leave the bios alone.
I saw the Max3 is comming out soon.

I think I might just stick it out and wait for something new. I really want to get an opteron once some decent mobo's are produced for it.

One more thing. I may need some help here. Yesterday I ran sandra. Mem bandwith. First I ran it in dual mode, slot 1 & 3, FSB 200 x 11. and scored 3058 Int.
Then I switched the sockets to slot 1 & 2 for single channel and ran sandra again, Same settings, and scored 3064.

I do not get it. For $450.00 there better be something that I'm doing wrong. If not then All I guess I can do is sit here looking stupid.

You've never actually explained what this freezing flaw is. When does it happen? What are you doing when it happens?

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 05:31 PM

If the Board freezes while saving the bios or the reset button or power button are pushed while saving the bios the the little bastard will never post again. (half the time anyhow). There are a few tricks like holding the insert key while powering on or reseting the cmos jumper that worked a few times for me.
The four times those did not work. I packed it all up. Took it in. Handed it to the technician at NCIX. 20 MIN. later he would return. Tell me no post. And hand me a new board.
The wierd thing about it is. In all the forums that I have found this problem posted. And Soltek, And at NCIX. Noone seems to think it's a big deal.

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 05:35 PM

Zardon I checked out that board and it looks pretty sweet. I called arround and there will be some in this week. I might just get one while I'm waiting for an opteron Mobo because I dont trust this board at all. (which sucks cuz it really is an awesome mobo)
What do you make of my memory though?

studbagel9 · Jul 20, 2003, 05:45 PM

How bout the DFI Lanparty NFII Ultra. I love mine.

Necrosis · Jul 20, 2003, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Driver 7
If the Board freezes while saving the bios or the reset button or power button are pushed while saving the bios the the little bastard will never post again. (half the time anyhow). There are a few tricks like holding the insert key while powering on or reseting the cmos jumper that worked a few times for me.
The four times those did not work. I packed it all up. Took it in. Handed it to the technician at NCIX. 20 MIN. later he would return. Tell me no post. And hand me a new board.
The wierd thing about it is. In all the forums that I have found this problem posted. And Soltek, And at NCIX. Noone seems to think it's a big deal.

Ah sounds like the old problem with the older Asus A7N8X boards.

Try this when you mess around in your bios.

Instead of just saving/exiting. Just do a save and wait 10 seconds...and then do the save/exit.

This issue was corrected through bios updates w/ Asus...and is a known problem by Nvidia.

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 06:47 PM

Good advice brother. I will remember that
Now if everyone reading this post would grab their mouse. and scroll up to my 3rd last post in this thread. (I think). I am having heavy duty ram issues here. $450 dollars man. Damn.
I need a drink

Necrosis · Jul 20, 2003, 07:07 PM

I don't think anything is wrong plus you have to remember it's a synthetic benchmark so don't put all your eggs in one basket. If your score was dramatically lower, yes there would be a problem. However, since it's not I wouldn't worry about it.

Driver 7 · Jul 20, 2003, 09:11 PM

It's not the benchmark at all. I dont care about the final score. I mean I want to score high numbers like everyone else does.

Here's the deal.

I bought. 1GB of OCZ EL Dual CH PC 3200
There a "matched set"
So thats 2 sticks of 512.
Mine cost $440.00 exactly. + tax is $64.00 more
Grand total is $504.oo

Here I see I can go to the same store tomorrow and buy
OCZ 512MB PC3500 DDR433 CAS2 184PIN W/ COPPER HEAT SPREADER $151.20

Order 2 sticks of course.
Total will be $302.40 plus tax + $45.00 -$50 more.= totals $350.00

The shit I just bought was $150.dollars more.

Now dont get me wrong. I am not complaining about my ram. It is 100% stable and it's working hard. And It's killer looking.
But I think I Bent over and backed right into that one.
I got shafted.
Unless there really is a differience That I am not understanding. Which is why I am talking about it here.
Is this stuff any differient or any better.
And why?

Ibus · Jul 20, 2003, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by WyreTheWolf
(stock voltages I am pushing 2.3GHz with a 2500+ Barton)

Huhmzz kinda made my xp1700 run a bit harder then your oc'd 2500+ my xp1700 (1466 I thought) is currently running 2.51! So that makes more then 1ghz

@ air

well nevermind that (just showing off again) about the mobo? If you want to buy the best mobo first of all you need to look @ the chipset and the nforce 2 is the best arround right know so there are only 2 good options left, the abit one and the epox (8rda+). I prever the epox don't know why but it's just a nice mobo and work perfectly