Noobe that needs advice.

[Akns713]

In couple of weeks, im thinking about building a computer which will be used for internet, video and editing, copying dvd/music. The problem is that i am having problems with picking parts out. I was wondering about which is a better mobos, the asus, gigabyte, abit, soyo, shuttle, msi. Some of the mobos are almost the same specs, but the prices are different. Do anybody have any experiences with these mobo or have a any other mobo that i should take a look at? Or should i go for amd? :confused:

[Bullman]

I have done two builds here in the last couple of months. I used Gigabyte mobos on both builds after getting some good reviews from people in this forum. Both went in with no problems, and the manuals that came with them seem to be very detailed. I built 1 of each, an AMD and Intel system. They are both running great. The Intel runs alot cooler than I could get the AMD to run even with lapping the heatsink. I would also recommend getting a Dual-channel mobo, I noticed a big difference between the PC's with Dual-channel compared to my Dell system that has comparable CPU and Memory.

Also you can get some great help from the people on this forum once you finally get the parts. These were my first builds ever since starting on this forum not even a year ago, and I got great advice from here on every question I had.

[Akns713]

thanks for your reply, i was thinking about going with a gigabyte mobo but it was kind of to much for my budget. I got my eyes set on Abit IS7 i865PE for $110. Does anybody know if that is a good deal?

[Budfred]

I don't know about that particular mobo, but Abit has gotten some good press around here. Hang on for a while and the real hardware mavens will be around to give you some specifics. If you specify what you want to use it for and what kind of budget you are working with, you will get more specific suggestions. Also, check the prices at http://www.newegg.com/app/catalog.asp?DEPA=1 since they tend to be good and they have very good customer service....

Oh and Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif

[saphalline]

I have that mobo and I think it's great. Has just about every new technology out there for the P4, at least until Prescott's BGA socket comes out. It has SATA, dual-channel DDR, 3 root firewire controllers, 8 root USB 2.0 controllers, AGP 8x slot, etc.

I don't know about that price, tho. Newegg has it for only $94. I got mine for about $110 but that was at least 6 months ago, when it was just released (pretty good price back then, huh? :D).

[Beta Geek]

All I’ve built systems with so far are Shuttle and Asus boards. I highly recommend Asus, and advise you to stay away from shuttle mobos. From what I’ve read, Shuttle makes excellent barebone (ITX) systems, but from my experience, their individual boards tend not to work or just die.

From what I’ve heard, other good board manufacturers are Abit, Chaintech, DFI, and MSI.

I’m running an Asus A7N8X-X, and it works great. If you want better sound, Dual channel DDR, and Firewire, look at the A7N8X (without the "-X") and it’s variations. But this is just one of many excellent choices out there.

You may be able to save some money by going with an AMD-based system. Athlon XPs perform video encoding and other related tasks very well. If you are interested in this, I think that currently nForce 2 Ultra 400 boards provide the best features and performance

[saphalline]

While I agree that the AthlonXP architecture is incredibly powerful, I have to point out that the P4's SSE2 wins in the latest versions of media apps. The difference isn't much, but it can make or break a buying decision. :rolleyes:

[deddard]

I like Gigabyte motherboards - the manuals seem first rate, as do MSI, who go above and beyond with their manuals (any others list the pin wiring diagram for USB?!)
Your biggest problem is choosing - just stick with something that has a few good reviews and you'll be ok, otherwise you'll be chasing your head round in circles trying to pick one.

[Beta Geek]

Both the Shuttle and Asus boards that I've used have listed the USB pinouts. (You're talking about the motherboard connector for wiring up front-panel ports right?)

Deddard is right, the hardest part is deciding which one to go with.

[saphalline]

How I pick a mobo - by Saphalline :D

First I pick a chipset. No easy feat! That takes about 95% of the time. :p Then I go on Newegg and peruse the mobo's with that chipset. Then I pick one made by a reputable manufacturer with the best features and a reasonable price. That part takes me about an hour. Then I mull it over for a day or two before making my final purchase.

Ok, I'm done.