Seeking Recommendations

[Atreju]

Hello all,

I'm sure this will be a fun thread - I am going to be building myself
a new system, and I'm looking for recommendations for some specs!

I will give you my preferences so we avoid 10,000 different opinions,
because there's a lot of really nice stuff on the market right now.

MOBO I always prefer to go with Intel brand motherboards when
possible. I want the most preferred chipset that's popular right
now... mostly for gaming and regular desktop applications.

VIDEO I'll want to get a very good PCIE graphics card with 512MB - I
do play some 3D games - not too many but the ones I play I want to
enjoy to the fullest. Currently I'm using an ATI Radeon 9600 128 AGP
in the system I have now, and the performance is fair but nothing to
get excited about. In my notebook I have a Nvidia Quadro 512 and it is
sweeeeet. And I know the Quadro isn't even the highest-end for gaming,
so I suspect a GeForce will do very nicely. I would like to stick with
nvidia chipset as I'm sick of ATI's constant shortcomings.

CPU, RAM - I don't really need any advice on these, only if you think
a specific model, specific micron, etc. is best. Also, I usually just
stick with the on-board audio, but if I have anything left over in my
budget I'll go for a Creative Audigy or something.

CASE I've seen a ton of really sweet cases emerge on the market, and a
few nights ago I was in this big shop the next town over from where I
live - they're overpriced with everything which is a shame because
they've got a really nice selection in some departments. But I saw
something I really like - these squat, squarish cases that take up a
lot less room. I'm only going to be putting in a hard drive and
possibly my CDR and DVDR but I think I might even shift those over to
a different system - I never like spending the time burning my DVDs
anyway because it takes system time that I cannot spare. My priority
for the case is MORE THAN ADEQUATE COOLING. That is priority#1. It
does not have to look cool, but it has to be sturdy, solid and I'd
like things like gromits for the hard drive to absorb vibration -
little things like that which make a case good. I've always been happy
with Inwin, and Antec cases have disappointed me in that they don't
have adequate ventillation.

If there's anything you can think of that I missed, by all means,
mention it. Don't worry about LAN, etc. My main request is for advice
on video card and motherboard.

Now - the scary part. I want to do this all for around $1k or less.
Keep in mind I don't need a new monitor, and I can get distribution
prices on a lot of the products, so for example, RAM that you would
see on crucial.com that is listed for $100 I would usually pay around
$80.

I appreciate any/all opinions and recommendations.
Thanks!!!


---Atreju---

 

[Mike T.]

Hello all,

I'm sure this will be a fun thread - I am going to be building myself
a new system, and I'm looking for recommendations for some specs!

I will give you my preferences so we avoid 10,000 different opinions,
because there's a lot of really nice stuff on the market right now.

MOBO I always prefer to go with Intel brand motherboards when
possible. I want the most preferred chipset that's popular right
now... mostly for gaming and regular desktop applications.

VIDEO I'll want to get a very good PCIE graphics card with 512MB - I
do play some 3D games - not too many but the ones I play I want to
enjoy to the fullest. Currently I'm using an ATI Radeon 9600 128 AGP
in the system I have now, and the performance is fair but nothing to
get excited about. In my notebook I have a Nvidia Quadro 512 and it is
sweeeeet. And I know the Quadro isn't even the highest-end for gaming,
so I suspect a GeForce will do very nicely. I would like to stick with
nvidia chipset as I'm sick of ATI's constant shortcomings.

CPU, RAM - I don't really need any advice on these, only if you think
a specific model, specific micron, etc. is best. Also, I usually just
stick with the on-board audio, but if I have anything left over in my
budget I'll go for a Creative Audigy or something.

CASE I've seen a ton of really sweet cases emerge on the market, and a
few nights ago I was in this big shop the next town over from where I
live - they're overpriced with everything which is a shame because
they've got a really nice selection in some departments. But I saw
something I really like - these squat, squarish cases that take up a
lot less room. I'm only going to be putting in a hard drive and
possibly my CDR and DVDR but I think I might even shift those over to
a different system - I never like spending the time burning my DVDs
anyway because it takes system time that I cannot spare. My priority
for the case is MORE THAN ADEQUATE COOLING. That is priority#1. It
does not have to look cool, but it has to be sturdy, solid and I'd
like things like gromits for the hard drive to absorb vibration -
little things like that which make a case good. I've always been happy
with Inwin, and Antec cases have disappointed me in that they don't
have adequate ventillation.

If there's anything you can think of that I missed, by all means,
mention it. Don't worry about LAN, etc. My main request is for advice
on video card and motherboard.

Now - the scary part. I want to do this all for around $1k or less.
Keep in mind I don't need a new monitor, and I can get distribution
prices on a lot of the products, so for example, RAM that you would
see on crucial.com that is listed for $100 I would usually pay around
$80.

I appreciate any/all opinions and recommendations.
Thanks!!!


---Atreju---

Too easy. How about everything you asked for with a premium quality
higher-end graphics card, Premium quality Power supply, 2GB of good
name-brand RAM and a premium sound card, for less than a thousand bucks? If
you want to keep it under a thousand *with shipping*, you can start with 1GB
of RAM, or use froogle to find better prices. (but mwave is a great vendor
.. . . usually just a tad more expensive than newegg, and more
eliable) -Dave From mwave:

INTEL CORE 2 DUO E6400 2.13 GHZ EM64T 1066MHZ RETAIL BOXED BUNDLE (*Free
Corel Photo Album 6 Plus FREE Ground Shipping w/Purchase! )W/

a.. FREE COREL WORDPERFECT OFFICE X3 DOWNLOAD
a.. INTEL BOXDP965LTCK
a.. KINGSTON 1GB DDR2 533
a.. NO TESTING

$442.35 $442.35 SKU: MB-BA22888 -BA23360 -BA22912 -BA20343 -

XFX GEFORCE 7600 GS XXX 512MB 533MHZ DDR2 TV DUAL DVI HDTV HEATSINK PCI
EXPRESS (Retail)
$150.00 $150.00 SKU: 3000717

WD 250GB 2500JS SATA300 8MB 7200RPM (Bare drive)*Requires SATA Data Cable
a.. NO EXT.SATA ENCLOSURE
a.. NO DATA CABLE

$72.90 $72.90 SKU: AA36110 - -

COOLER MASTER CAC-T05-UW CENTURION 5 (SILVER/BLACK) MID TOWER NO POWER
SUPPLY 5x5.25" 1x3.5" 4x3.5"(hidden) W/ FRONT I/O CONNECTOR, 80mm CASE FAN x
1 & 120mm CASE FAN x 1
a.. NO EXTRA FAN
a.. ENERMAX EG495AX-VEW SFMA 485W
a.. POWER SUPPLY INSTALLATION

$133.00 $133.00 SKU: BA21145 - -BA23109 -TEST2

AOPEN DUW-1616 16X DUAL,DOUBLE LAYER DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE W/SW
(Retail-CHAMELEON-Beige/black/gray)
a.. NO ACCESSORIES
a.. NO MEDIA
a.. NO CD CASE
a.. NO AUDIO/DATA CABLE

$32.90 $32.90 SKU: AA30320 - - - -

SONY 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE #MPF9201/131
a.. NO FDD CABLE

$7.90 $7.90 SKU: AA27230 -

CREATIVE LABS SOUNDBLASTER SB0570 AUDIGY SE 24-BIT 7.1 PCI (Retail)
$29.92 $29.92 SKU: 3876465

KINGSTON VALUE RAM KVR533D2N4/1G 1GB (1024MB) PC24200 533MHZ CL4 240-PIN
DDR2 DIMM
$111.30 $111.30 SKU: BA20343 [ Limit 2 ] Sub Total $980.27

 

[Mike T.]

Hello all,

I'm sure this will be a fun thread - I am going to be building myself
a new system, and I'm looking for recommendations for some specs!

I will give you my preferences so we avoid 10,000 different opinions,
because there's a lot of really nice stuff on the market right now.

MOBO I always prefer to go with Intel brand motherboards when
possible. I want the most preferred chipset that's popular right
now... mostly for gaming and regular desktop applications.

VIDEO I'll want to get a very good PCIE graphics card with 512MB - I
do play some 3D games - not too many but the ones I play I want to
enjoy to the fullest. Currently I'm using an ATI Radeon 9600 128 AGP
in the system I have now, and the performance is fair but nothing to
get excited about. In my notebook I have a Nvidia Quadro 512 and it is
sweeeeet. And I know the Quadro isn't even the highest-end for gaming,
so I suspect a GeForce will do very nicely. I would like to stick with
nvidia chipset as I'm sick of ATI's constant shortcomings.

CPU, RAM - I don't really need any advice on these, only if you think
a specific model, specific micron, etc. is best. Also, I usually just
stick with the on-board audio, but if I have anything left over in my
budget I'll go for a Creative Audigy or something.

CASE I've seen a ton of really sweet cases emerge on the market, and a
few nights ago I was in this big shop the next town over from where I
live - they're overpriced with everything which is a shame because
they've got a really nice selection in some departments. But I saw
something I really like - these squat, squarish cases that take up a
lot less room. I'm only going to be putting in a hard drive and
possibly my CDR and DVDR but I think I might even shift those over to
a different system - I never like spending the time burning my DVDs
anyway because it takes system time that I cannot spare. My priority
for the case is MORE THAN ADEQUATE COOLING. That is priority#1. It
does not have to look cool, but it has to be sturdy, solid and I'd
like things like gromits for the hard drive to absorb vibration -
little things like that which make a case good. I've always been happy
with Inwin, and Antec cases have disappointed me in that they don't
have adequate ventillation.

If there's anything you can think of that I missed, by all means,
mention it. Don't worry about LAN, etc. My main request is for advice
on video card and motherboard.

Now - the scary part. I want to do this all for around $1k or less.
Keep in mind I don't need a new monitor, and I can get distribution
prices on a lot of the products, so for example, RAM that you would
see on crucial.com that is listed for $100 I would usually pay around
$80.

I appreciate any/all opinions and recommendations.
Thanks!!!


---Atreju---

OK, this didn't go through, so I'll try again:

Description Qty Each Total INTEL CORE 2 DUO E6400 2.13 GHZ EM64T 1066MHZ
RETAIL BOXED BUNDLE (*Free Corel Photo Album 6 Plus FREE Ground Shipping
w/Purchase! )W/

a.. FREE COREL WORDPERFECT OFFICE X3 DOWNLOAD
a.. INTEL BOXDP965LTCK
a.. KINGSTON 1GB DDR2 533
a.. NO TESTING

$442.35 $442.35 SKU: MB-BA22888 -BA23360 -BA22912 -BA20343 - XFX
GEFORCE 7600 GS XXX 512MB 533MHZ DDR2 TV DUAL DVI HDTV HEATSINK PCI EXPRESS
(Retail)
$150.00 $150.00 SKU: 3000717 WD 250GB 2500JS SATA300 8MB 7200RPM
(Bare drive)*Requires SATA Data Cable
a.. NO EXT.SATA ENCLOSURE
a.. NO DATA CABLE

$72.90 $72.90 SKU: AA36110 - - COOLER MASTER CAC-T05-UW CENTURION 5
(SILVER/BLACK) MID TOWER NO POWER SUPPLY 5x5.25" 1x3.5" 4x3.5"(hidden) W/
FRONT I/O CONNECTOR, 80mm CASE FAN x 1 & 120mm CASE FAN x 1
a.. NO EXTRA FAN
a.. ENERMAX EG495AX-VEW SFMA 485W
a.. POWER SUPPLY INSTALLATION

$133.00 $133.00 SKU: BA21145 - -BA23109 -TEST2 AOPEN DUW-1616 16X
DUAL,DOUBLE LAYER DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE W/SW
(Retail-CHAMELEON-Beige/black/gray)
a.. NO ACCESSORIES
a.. NO MEDIA
a.. NO CD CASE
a.. NO AUDIO/DATA CABLE

$32.90 $32.90 SKU: AA30320 - - - - SONY 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE
#MPF9201/131
a.. NO FDD CABLE

$7.90 $7.90 SKU: AA27230 - CREATIVE LABS SOUNDBLASTER SB0570 AUDIGY
SE 24-BIT 7.1 PCI (Retail)
$29.92 $29.92 SKU: 3876465 KINGSTON VALUE RAM KVR533D2N4/1G 1GB
(1024MB) PC24200 533MHZ CL4 240-PIN DDR2 DIMM
$111.30 $111.30 SKU: BA20343 [ Limit 2 ] Sub Total $980.27

 

[Dave]

Hello all,

I'm sure this will be a fun thread - I am going to be building myself
a new system, and I'm looking for recommendations for some specs!

I will give you my preferences so we avoid 10,000 different opinions,
because there's a lot of really nice stuff on the market right now.

MOBO I always prefer to go with Intel brand motherboards when
possible. I want the most preferred chipset that's popular right
now... mostly for gaming and regular desktop applications.

VIDEO I'll want to get a very good PCIE graphics card with 512MB - I
do play some 3D games - not too many but the ones I play I want to
enjoy to the fullest. Currently I'm using an ATI Radeon 9600 128 AGP
in the system I have now, and the performance is fair but nothing to
get excited about. In my notebook I have a Nvidia Quadro 512 and it is
sweeeeet. And I know the Quadro isn't even the highest-end for gaming,
so I suspect a GeForce will do very nicely. I would like to stick with
nvidia chipset as I'm sick of ATI's constant shortcomings.

CPU, RAM - I don't really need any advice on these, only if you think
a specific model, specific micron, etc. is best. Also, I usually just
stick with the on-board audio, but if I have anything left over in my
budget I'll go for a Creative Audigy or something.

CASE I've seen a ton of really sweet cases emerge on the market, and a
few nights ago I was in this big shop the next town over from where I
live - they're overpriced with everything which is a shame because
they've got a really nice selection in some departments. But I saw
something I really like - these squat, squarish cases that take up a
lot less room. I'm only going to be putting in a hard drive and
possibly my CDR and DVDR but I think I might even shift those over to
a different system - I never like spending the time burning my DVDs
anyway because it takes system time that I cannot spare. My priority
for the case is MORE THAN ADEQUATE COOLING. That is priority#1. It
does not have to look cool, but it has to be sturdy, solid and I'd
like things like gromits for the hard drive to absorb vibration -
little things like that which make a case good. I've always been happy
with Inwin, and Antec cases have disappointed me in that they don't
have adequate ventillation.

If there's anything you can think of that I missed, by all means,
mention it. Don't worry about LAN, etc. My main request is for advice
on video card and motherboard.

Now - the scary part. I want to do this all for around $1k or less.
Keep in mind I don't need a new monitor, and I can get distribution
prices on a lot of the products, so for example, RAM that you would
see on crucial.com that is listed for $100 I would usually pay around
$80.

I appreciate any/all opinions and recommendations.
Thanks!!!


---Atreju---

OK, third time might work (wonder why my last two posts didn't
how?) -Dave Following from newegg:

LITE-ON 16X DVD±R DVD Burner W/LightScribe and 5X DVD-RAM Write Black
ATAPI/E-IDE Model SHM-165H6S - Retail
Model #: SHM-165H6S
Item #: N82E16827106015
$35.99 $35.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid
Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: CAC-T05-UW
Item #: N82E16811119068
$49.99 -$7.00 Instant
$42.99

NEC Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM
Model #: FD1231H-302
Item #: N82E16821152005
$6.25 $6.25

Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive -
OEM
Model #: WD2500JS
Item #: N82E16822144417
$69.99 $69.99

GIGABYTE GV-NX76G512P-RH GeForce 7600GS 512MB GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video
Card - Retail
Model #: GV-NX76G512P-RH
Item #: N82E16814125040
$126.99 $126.99

Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound
Card - Retail
Model #: 70SB057000000
Item #: N82E16829102002
$27.99 $27.99

Sunbeam NUUO SUNNU450-US-BK ATX12V/ EPS12V 450W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SUNNU450-US-BK
Item #: N82E16817709002
$59.99 -$10.00 Instant
$49.99

A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel
Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K - Retail
Model #: ADQVE1A16K
Item #: N82E16820211066
$236.99 $236.99

Intel BOXDP965LTCK Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel
Motherboard - Retail
Model #: BOXDP965LTCK
Item #: N82E16813121035
$108.99 $108.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model
BX80557E6400 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E6400
Item #: N82E16819115004

$217.00 $217.00

Subtotal: $923.17

 

[Atreju]

SNIP

OK, third time might work (wonder why my last two posts didn't
how?) -Dave Following from newegg:

LITE-ON 16X DVD±R DVD Burner W/LightScribe and 5X DVD-RAM Write Black
ATAPI/E-IDE Model SHM-165H6S - Retail
Model #: SHM-165H6S
Item #: N82E16827106015
$35.99 $35.99

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid
Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: CAC-T05-UW
Item #: N82E16811119068
$49.99 -$7.00 Instant
$42.99

NEC Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM
Model #: FD1231H-302
Item #: N82E16821152005
$6.25 $6.25

Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive -
OEM
Model #: WD2500JS
Item #: N82E16822144417
$69.99 $69.99

GIGABYTE GV-NX76G512P-RH GeForce 7600GS 512MB GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video
Card - Retail
Model #: GV-NX76G512P-RH
Item #: N82E16814125040
$126.99 $126.99

Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound
Card - Retail
Model #: 70SB057000000
Item #: N82E16829102002
$27.99 $27.99

Sunbeam NUUO SUNNU450-US-BK ATX12V/ EPS12V 450W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SUNNU450-US-BK
Item #: N82E16817709002
$59.99 -$10.00 Instant
$49.99

A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel
Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K - Retail
Model #: ADQVE1A16K
Item #: N82E16820211066
$236.99 $236.99

Intel BOXDP965LTCK Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel
Motherboard - Retail
Model #: BOXDP965LTCK
Item #: N82E16813121035
$108.99 $108.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model
BX80557E6400 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E6400
Item #: N82E16819115004

$217.00 $217.00

Subtotal: $923.17

Thanks, I'll have a look at those items.
The case you indicated is a bit large - I would like to try to find a
good small chassis, if you have any recommendations for that.

Thanks again,
Dan


---Atreju---

 

[Dave]

Thanks, I'll have a look at those items.

The case you indicated is a bit large - I would like to try to find a
good small chassis, if you have any recommendations for that.

Thanks again,
Dan

You could substitute the following components, and leave the rest the same.
I believe the case you were asking about earlier is probably an SFF (small
form factor) design. There are two problems with using an SFF design.
First, you can't replace the power supply when it dies (proprietary).
Second, terrible airflow/poor cooling. If it's something smaller you want,
I think your best bet is to go for a standard micro-ATX case with good
cooling. But if someone knows of an SFF enclosure with *good cooling*, a
standard (replaceable) power supply, and a 965 chipset mainboard for Core 2
Duo, *I* might be interested in building with that puppy! -Dave

COOLER MASTER Centurion 541 RC-541-SKN1 Black Aluminumm bezel, SECC chassis
MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: RC-541-SKN1
Item #: N82E16811119088
$49.99 $49.99

Intel BLKDQ965GFEKR Socket T (LGA 775) Intel Q965 Express Micro ATX Intel
Motherboard - OEM
Model #: BLKDQ965GFEKR
Item #: N82E16813121057
$109.99 $109.99

 

[Atreju]

You could substitute the following components, and leave the rest the same.
I believe the case you were asking about earlier is probably an SFF (small
form factor) design. There are two problems with using an SFF design.
First, you can't replace the power supply when it dies (proprietary).
Second, terrible airflow/poor cooling. If it's something smaller you want,
I think your best bet is to go for a standard micro-ATX case with good
cooling. But if someone knows of an SFF enclosure with *good cooling*, a
standard (replaceable) power supply, and a 965 chipset mainboard for Core 2
Duo, *I* might be interested in building with that puppy! -Dave

COOLER MASTER Centurion 541 RC-541-SKN1 Black Aluminumm bezel, SECC chassis
MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: RC-541-SKN1
Item #: N82E16811119088
$49.99 $49.99

Intel BLKDQ965GFEKR Socket T (LGA 775) Intel Q965 Express Micro ATX Intel
Motherboard - OEM
Model #: BLKDQ965GFEKR
Item #: N82E16813121057
$109.99 $109.99

It's a good point about the cooling, but some of the cases I saw were
actually not SFF nor micro atx. Imagine a standard width mini-tower -
standard PSU nothing proprietary. Now cut it in half heightwise.
Maybe not half, but a lot shorter. I do agree you need ventillation,
but with SATA cables, minimal add-in cards (LAN on board, audio on
board) and a few decent fans, it can be accomplished.

I'm going to have a look around some more. Thanks very much for your
recommendations.

I think my biggest hurdle now is the video card, I have to decide on
one and my standards are extremely high when it comes to
reliability... there are a number of brands which produce a nice card
but I've too much negative experience with them as a company (tech
support, warranty honoring, etc).




---Atreju---

 

[Mike T.]

I think my biggest hurdle now is the video card, I have to decide on

one and my standards are extremely high when it comes to
reliability... there are a number of brands which produce a nice card
but I've too much negative experience with them as a company (tech
support, warranty honoring, etc).

I just got an XFX Geforce 7600GS PCI-Express Dual DVI 256MB off of Ebay for
about 80 bucks, delivered, passively cooled, brand new in unopened retail
box. (SWEET!)

I know you mentioned 512MB though. My point is, there are some really nice
cards to be had at a good price point right now. This will be my first
experience with the XFX brand, but I expect no problems, based on their
reputation. If you want something really high quality, consider evga.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130021

I was really looking for passively cooled, but in a small case, a card with
a fan might be better.

Actually, I just found the 512MB version of the card I bought:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150212
Passively cooled, though.

Biostar is a good brand also: (highly under-rated)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814141032

I'm not too crazy about gigabyte merging with asus, but even a gigabyte
board should be OK, right now. -Dave

 

[Atreju]

I just got an XFX Geforce 7600GS PCI-Express Dual DVI 256MB off of Ebay for
about 80 bucks, delivered, passively cooled, brand new in unopened retail
box. (SWEET!)

I know you mentioned 512MB though. My point is, there are some really nice
cards to be had at a good price point right now. This will be my first
experience with the XFX brand, but I expect no problems, based on their
reputation. If you want something really high quality, consider evga.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130021

In my experience (quite extensive), EVGA stuff is JUNK. I have gone
through many-a-troubleshooting with evga cards, several having to be
returned. They don't cool well, they don't perform up to their specs,
I'm just not impressed with them at all.

I was really looking for passively cooled, but in a small case, a card with
a fan might be better.

Actually, I just found the 512MB version of the card I bought:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150212
Passively cooled, though.

Biostar is a good brand also: (highly under-rated)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814141032

Biostar is good for dirt-cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel motherboards for
building budget computers. That's about all they're good for.

I'm not too crazy about gigabyte merging with asus, but even a gigabyte
board should be OK, right now. -Dave

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.


---Atreju---

 

[Mike T.]

In my experience (quite extensive), EVGA stuff is JUNK. I have gone
through many-a-troubleshooting with evga cards, several having to be
returned. They don't cool well, they don't perform up to their specs,
I'm just not impressed with them at all.

I'm surprised to hear that. I've used evga stuff for several builds, no
problems at all. Every manufacturer puts out a dud here and there, though.
So I'm surprised, but not shocked.

Biostar is good for dirt-cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel motherboards for
building budget computers. That's about all they're good for.

Well my personal opinion is that Biostar is probably the most under-rated
brand in computer components. I've used lots of Biostar boards in budget
builds, and they've all out-performed similar systems with supposedly better
brands of mainboards like Intel and Asus and DFI. I'm talking about
benchmark numbers and stability, as well as long-term reliability. I know
biostar boards are often inexpensive, but in many cases, the price doesn't
seem to correspond with the actual build quality.

I know many people will disagree with me on this, but if you were trying to
sell me two systems, same price, same specifications, only difference being
that one had a Biostar mainboard and the other was Asus, I wouldn't hesitate
to buy the system with the Biostar board. I've had way too many problems
with Asus, and NONE with Biostar. Biostar has saved my bacon a few times
when Asus dropped the ball, in fact.

Point being, many people have bad experiences with supposedly good brands,
and good experiences with supposedly inferior brands. I don't consider
Biostar to be bottom-of-the-barrel though (far from it!, that would be
ECS/PCChips), so even for a budget system, I would pair a biostar board with
a good name-brand power supply, good name-brand RAM, etc. So that could be
the reason I've had such good luck with Biostar. That is, I actually give
biostar boards all the other components they need to really perform well.
Budget doesn't have to mean crap. -Dave

 

[Atreju]

SNIP


I know many people will disagree with me on this, but if you were trying to
sell me two systems, same price, same specifications, only difference being
that one had a Biostar mainboard and the other was Asus, I wouldn't hesitate
to buy the system with the Biostar board. I've had way too many problems
with Asus, and NONE with Biostar. Biostar has saved my bacon a few times
when Asus dropped the ball, in fact.

Well, vs Asus, yea because Asus makes their boards overly-ambitious..
they try to stick in every feature on the planet, and it ends up doing
some of them well, some mediocre, and often some don't even work
properly. I've seen Asus boards perform beautifully and you get a
fantastic bundle (audio, vidio, RAID, etc.) but I've also seen MANY of
them returned.

However, vs. Intel is a different story - I'll always prefer an Intel
board over Biostar, and Intel's are not really too expensive either.

Point being, many people have bad experiences with supposedly good brands,
and good experiences with supposedly inferior brands. I don't consider
Biostar to be bottom-of-the-barrel though (far from it!, that would be
ECS/PCChips), so even for a budget system, I would pair a biostar board with
a good name-brand power supply, good name-brand RAM, etc. So that could be
the reason I've had such good luck with Biostar. That is, I actually give
biostar boards all the other components they need to really perform well.
Budget doesn't have to mean crap. -Dave

When I refer to bottom-of-the-barrel, I really mean _my_ barrel - as
in it's the lowest quality board that I'll use at all... and I have
fairly high standards, so I'm not saying it's junk, it's just the
lowest I'll go in terms of cost and capabilities.




---Atreju---

 

[Mike T.]

When I refer to bottom-of-the-barrel, I really mean _my_ barrel - as

in it's the lowest quality board that I'll use at all... and I have
fairly high standards, so I'm not saying it's junk, it's just the
lowest I'll go in terms of cost and capabilities.

Awww, then you think like I do, then. -Dave

 

[Geoff]

However, vs. Intel is a different story - I'll always prefer an Intel

board over Biostar, and Intel's are not really too expensive either.

Depends on your needs. Intel boards can not be overclocked.

-g

 

[Mike T.]

Depends on your needs. Intel boards can not be overclocked.

-g

That's like saying a car can't be driven at high speeds into a brick wall.
-Dave

 

[Geoff]

That's like saying a car can't be driven at high speeds into a brick wall.

-Dave

Not really, back when tech tv was worth watching, they had an overclocking
series where they put together machines and overclocked them. I personally
do not do it but many do.

-g

 

[OSbandito]

Atreju wrote:

I think my biggest hurdle now is the video card, I have to decide on
one and my standards are extremely high when it comes to
reliability... there are a number of brands which produce a nice card
but I've too much negative experience with them as a company (tech
support, warranty honoring, etc).

---Atreju---

At, With which brands have you had the bad experiences? I'm skulking
around picking out parts--am good on specs and driver-avail but I
haven't bought much stuff, so far. Going w/Linux or Solaris.

 

[OSbandito]

Well my personal opinion is that Biostar is probably the most under-rated
brand in computer components. I've used lots of Biostar boards in budget
builds, and they've all out-performed similar systems with supposedly better
brands) -Dave

funny about supposedly cheap boards. I've got a FIC SD-11 rev2 (w/o
subsequent resis-added) I know some here hate FIC but the little bastard
was solid as a rock back a few years (600M~ Athlon). If the ram and
processor didn't sprout legs and take a hike somewhere, I'd be trying it
out now for some newer uses. Maybe I'll just plug in some boards and
make a standalone firewall out of it..never tried this before, though.

 

[OSbandito]

Haven't looked into Biostar yet (re: AMD) but some earlier posters have
trashed ECS. If my notes are correct, both ECS and MSI have 939 boards
model# "RS 482M"

These brands offer some great value and are on AMD's recommended list
for their recent processors. So they can't be all bad. Even Foxconn has
a good one on the AMD list for skt939. Solaris approved the ECS
KN1[Lite}, Tyan K8SE and the Gigabyte GA-K8N for skt939 use with their
newest OS.