I've got a PC that keeps locking up on me and I believe the problem is likely in the motherboard or the RAM.
So, I figure now is as good a time as any to do a bit of upgrading.
I'm on a budget, so don't start throwing crazy bullshit at me, I'm looking for a good motherboard / proc combo at a good price. I was thinking an Athlon 2600 and buying myself a stick or two of PC3200 to fill my ram needs.
Can anyone recommend a good motherboard for me? I'm tired of having problems, and it seems the ASUS boards that I'm used to are all coming with integrated sound and video these days (yech!)
cant really recommend a good motherboard.. but if you are on a budget and want good prices for combos check out www.pricewatch.com if you dont already know about it or this place here in tampa www.tcwo.com
down with E.L.F. self righteous scum sucking terrorists!
The onboard dolby audio on the A7N8X (containing the MCP-SPP chipset) is horrible if your looking for clear sound, lots of bass and great detail, at least, it was on my home theater system connected via/digital coax on my audigy card. But yes, it can be disabled VERY easily..
If you go to the A7N8X, (which IMO, is the best motherboard on the market today, so many options, so much speed, not very much $$) make sure you get the MCP -SPP version and NOT the IGP version (IGP = Integrated Graphics Processor) = Onboard GF4 MX! ewww, anyhow, can find the non-deluxe version of this board for around $80 or so, or the deluxe for about $115-$120.
What you get with the deluxe is...onboard 5.1 digital audio (vs regular 2-channel onboard audio), 2 Firewire ports (4pin and 6pin) , i BELIEVE you get one extra SATA connection (Serial Ata, which isnt really mainstream yet, but if it's as good as they say, it will be soon) and dual LAN connections, which is useless unless your using ICS (internet connection sharing). Think that's pretty much all ya get for gettin the deluxe, but anyhow, either one of them will rock your socks off paired up with some nice ram and a fast CPU..
suggestion: stay away from 400mhz ram (PC3200) has a ton of latency issues, and benchmarks prove PC2700 (333mhz) Ram beats it immensly. Also , remember to get at least TWO sticks of ram, to enable Dual Channel mode on the motherboard, which, basically pumps 2x the amount of data through the sticks of ram. Good luck!
:I'd walk a million miles for your love, I'd walk a million more for that little thing you do with your tongue :
________ Flashback presents, The Pinnacle of Maturity Asad:any questions still ask dont hold back your thoughts. Flashback: *gives thoughts* Asad:If you you dont like my shit than shut your fuckin mouths and sleep over it...go finger a Hoe for some money. bitches
No problemo DS. Good memory brands hmm..Well i've always been very partial to Micron/Crucial ram, always found them to be reasponably priced, very fast reliable and stable, good for overclocking too. But Geil, Corsair, and even Infineon are other great brands. Corsair would be your best bet for performance, but will be mucho dinero for the high speed stuff.
:I'd walk a million miles for your love, I'd walk a million more for that little thing you do with your tongue :
i have gone through 3-4 mobos in the last 2 weeks or so. my PC got hit by lightning and i basically rebuilt the thing. I just did a trial and error with motherboards until i found one i like. The one i ended up keeping with the Soyo KT400 Dragon Ultra(black edition) and i absolutely love it. came loaded with options. it is a little more pricey than some of the boards out there. mine was around 170. you can probably get it cheaper online but I needed a board immediately so waiting for it wasnt really an option. and on top of that its black which looks pretty cool with a windowed case
The reason I lean towards the dual kits is I've heard lots of stories people ordering 2 sticks only to receive one single sided and one double sided stick which seems to cause hellish problems.
