Hi,
I would like to use a
* single chip MotherBoard with support for
* AMD Athlon XP 2500 and up and
* DDR 2 memory.
What do you recommend? I dont want to spend more than $400 for the whole thing and have a decent system for:
dual boot with FreeBSD 5.4 and Debian Sarge
Paul
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Building a Computer
I've been using an Athlon XP 2500 (Socket A) for two years now on a MSI KT4V motherboard, and have no complaints. However, I believe this motherboard is discontinued. Assuming that you are in the United States, go here to look at MSI's current offerings. If outside the US, begin your search for MSI motherboards here. I have also used DFI and Gigabyte motherboards, and never had a bad experience with either. (My local shop now recommends MSI because it has a 3-year warranty and most other manufacturers only warranty for one year.) Other people on this forum might recommend (or dis-recommend) other motherboard manufacturers.
Will your case accept a full-sized ATX board or are you limited to a micro-ATX motherboard? (Fewer PCI slots on the micro-ATX, and more likely than full-size ATX to have on-board video circuitry.)
Do you have a preference for chipsets? 99% of motherboard manufacturers have a Socket A offering for each of the big three chipset manufacturers: VIA, nVidia, ATI.
Overwhelmed? I'm not surprised. I suggest that you purchase whatever your local shop recommends. This is one of those instances where you can purchase cheaper from the internet, but I would rather pay a few rubles more for the knowledge and support that a local shop provides. I think that you understand what I'm talking about when I say "shop." I am not referring to places like Circuit City or Best Buy.
Will your case accept a full-sized ATX board or are you limited to a micro-ATX motherboard? (Fewer PCI slots on the micro-ATX, and more likely than full-size ATX to have on-board video circuitry.)
Do you have a preference for chipsets? 99% of motherboard manufacturers have a Socket A offering for each of the big three chipset manufacturers: VIA, nVidia, ATI.
Overwhelmed? I'm not surprised. I suggest that you purchase whatever your local shop recommends. This is one of those instances where you can purchase cheaper from the internet, but I would rather pay a few rubles more for the knowledge and support that a local shop provides. I think that you understand what I'm talking about when I say "shop." I am not referring to places like Circuit City or Best Buy.
Thank you for your time. I am located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
I picked up a book about how to build a computer and I am not surprised by any of the acronyms you have used.
I have a Full size ATX box - the biggest one. I do NOT want the on board video or sound.
What about DDR2 - I know I need to get a motherboard that will support it...what motherboard do you recommend?
paul
I picked up a book about how to build a computer and I am not surprised by any of the acronyms you have used.
I have a Full size ATX box - the biggest one. I do NOT want the on board video or sound.
What about DDR2 - I know I need to get a motherboard that will support it...what motherboard do you recommend?
paul
foto> I do NOT want the on board video or sound.
I used to say the same thing, and my thought process was that quality of on-board circuitry is second-rate in comparison to quality of PCI board circuitry. Today, you will not find any motherboard that does not include on-board sound and ethernet circuitry. You will not find any micro-ATX board that does not include video circuitry. Unless you are a gamer who does not flinch at paying $200-300 for the latest, greatest video card, on-board video will meet or surpass your needs. Unless you are a professional musician, ditto for on-board sound circuitry. Ethernet technology is a non-issue unless you have something faster than a cable or DSL feed into your hacienda, which is highly unlikely. If you don't want to use the on-board circuitry, you can disable it in BIOS.
foto> What about DDR2?
You apparently have DIMMs that you want to reuse. How are they rated? For instance:
* DDR2-400: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 100 MHz, I/O clock at 200 MHz
* DDR2-533: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 133 MHz, I/O clock at 266 MHz
* DDR2-667: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 166 MHz, I/O clock at 333 MHz
* DDR2-800: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 200 MHz, I/O clock at 400 MHz
* DDR2-1000: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 250 MHz, I/O clock at 500 MHz
foto> I am not surprised by any of the acronyms you have used.
It is not possible to give simple answers to all computer questions, even though that is often what the user wants and sometimes all that he is capable of understanding. Many times, the first step in solving a computer problem is to educate the user. Part of this exercise is for you to understand when you can / should make a decision and when you can / should allow or require someone else to make that decision for you.
foto> What motherboard do you recommend?
I'm dodging this question. ;-) I don't do this stuff for a living, and when I do purchase a new motherboard, maybe once a year to build a box for a friend, I huddle with my supplier until he narrows the field to three or four available boards. You should do the same. Actually, you're off to an excellent start. You are fully buzzword-compliant. Your CPU, RAM, case and operating systems are fully specified. Compared to the majority of people walking in off the street, your supplier will find you a joy to work with. :-)
I used to say the same thing, and my thought process was that quality of on-board circuitry is second-rate in comparison to quality of PCI board circuitry. Today, you will not find any motherboard that does not include on-board sound and ethernet circuitry. You will not find any micro-ATX board that does not include video circuitry. Unless you are a gamer who does not flinch at paying $200-300 for the latest, greatest video card, on-board video will meet or surpass your needs. Unless you are a professional musician, ditto for on-board sound circuitry. Ethernet technology is a non-issue unless you have something faster than a cable or DSL feed into your hacienda, which is highly unlikely. If you don't want to use the on-board circuitry, you can disable it in BIOS.
foto> What about DDR2?
You apparently have DIMMs that you want to reuse. How are they rated? For instance:
* DDR2-400: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 100 MHz, I/O clock at 200 MHz
* DDR2-533: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 133 MHz, I/O clock at 266 MHz
* DDR2-667: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 166 MHz, I/O clock at 333 MHz
* DDR2-800: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 200 MHz, I/O clock at 400 MHz
* DDR2-1000: DDR-SDRAM memory chips specified to run at 250 MHz, I/O clock at 500 MHz
foto> I am not surprised by any of the acronyms you have used.
It is not possible to give simple answers to all computer questions, even though that is often what the user wants and sometimes all that he is capable of understanding. Many times, the first step in solving a computer problem is to educate the user. Part of this exercise is for you to understand when you can / should make a decision and when you can / should allow or require someone else to make that decision for you.
foto> What motherboard do you recommend?
I'm dodging this question. ;-) I don't do this stuff for a living, and when I do purchase a new motherboard, maybe once a year to build a box for a friend, I huddle with my supplier until he narrows the field to three or four available boards. You should do the same. Actually, you're off to an excellent start. You are fully buzzword-compliant. Your CPU, RAM, case and operating systems are fully specified. Compared to the majority of people walking in off the street, your supplier will find you a joy to work with. :-)
I dont have any DIMMs I want to reuse. I just want to get the cheepest yet most powerful system and I read that the DDR2 memory prices are comming down and they are 2ce as fast as DDR.
I would like to get a motherboard that supports DDR 2 along with ATHlon XP 3000. I read I also need to get a different Power SUpply since the AMD Athlon XP family takes 12v extra...
I would like to get a motherboard that supports DDR 2 along with ATHlon XP 3000. I read I also need to get a different Power SUpply since the AMD Athlon XP family takes 12v extra...