Which Motherboard & Video Card is best?

[ECO 0]

Motherboards:

 

MSI 875P NEO-FIS2R vs. Abit AB-IC7-MAX3 vs. ASUS P4C800-E DELUXE

 

Video Cards:

 

ATI PowerColour Radeon 9600 Pro 256MB vs. ATI Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB (roughly same price)

 

 

Which is the best in each category? The goal is maximum performance for a gamer pc.

[Avalanche 0]

I can't offer much help about the motherboard, but as far as the video card goes, all other things being equal, I'd go with the PowerColor card. Sapphire and PowerColor are both first teir ATI manufacturers, so they should both be virtually identical, if not exactly the same. So if you can, getting the PowerColor with 256Mb over the Sapphire with 128Mb would be the way I would go.

 

I just built a system with PowerColor's Radeon 9600Pro 128Mb, and I can tell you that the part number printed on the card is identical to Sapphire's version, so I'd be willing to put money on them being built at the same fabrication plant.

[sapiens74 0]

ANyone of those boards

 

The ASUS has better memory options

 

 

And the 256mb card

[Immortal 0]

IC7 MAx3 has apparentley been fixed of its fluctuating vDimm issues. So its really the mobo of choice so far, very fast and very stable.

 

Secondly, why dont u spend an extra $20 and get a 9600XT?

[Tomay 0]

According to some test the P4P800 is a bit faster than the P4C800 but you won't see the difference, but if you ask me I'd go ABIT here.

 

For the Video cards I'd go for less ram and more speed:

 

http://www.power-color.com/r96a-c3n.htm

Quote:

Core Speed 400MHz and Memory Speed 300MHzx2 (600MHz DDR)

 

http://www.power-color.com/R96-D3G.htm

Quote:

Core Speed 400MHz and Memory Speed 200MHzx2 (400MHz DDR)

 

Check this pages to see that the 128MB ram version uses 300x2 ram speed and the 256MB version uses 200x2. The price is the same 'cos they use slower ram.

 

So check before you buy. Not many games need more than 128MB ram.

[shassouneh 0]

I HIGHLY recommend Soyo (for a motherboard). Solid, reliable, and decent performance.

 

Also, their pricing might be very attractive too

 

PS: STAY AWAY FROM MSI OR ECS

I speak from experience. They are horrible!

[jmmijo 1]

For what ever reason, I've had issues with MSI motherboards going out on me. One now has to be sent back for the third time, same problem

 

As for ECS, well since they are the company behind such names as:

 

PC-Chips, Amptron, Fugu Tek and others, you can imagine their main goal is on the cheap

 

I'd recommend the Asus board first then the Abit.

[shassouneh 0]

Quote:

For what ever reason, I've had issues with MSI motherboards going out on me. One now has to be sent back for the third time, same problem

As for ECS, well since they are the company behind such names as:

PC-Chips, Amptron, Fugu Tek and others, you can imagine their main goal is on the cheap

I'd recommend the Asus board first then the Abit.

Thank you. MSI Is HORRIBLE and ECS is even worse. BOTH boards died out on me!

[jmmijo 1]

If you always wondered how Fry's could carry such "CHEAP" combo packs, this is why. Package an ECS/PC Chips mobo and a CPU for under $100 and most of that pricing is for the CPU itself

[Champion_R 0]

The brand of mainboard is a mute point if the chipset on it is crap. My last system had a Gigabyte board with some VIA rubbish chipset (693A I think). IDE controllers MAX out at 20MB/sec and it is an ATA66 controller configured correctly. Also using both IDE channels at the same time caused the CPU usage to goto 100%. PCI performance was rubbish too.

 

My current system uses an ECS board with the SiS 735 chipset. It's far better. Proper IDE controllers and a real PCI bus.

[shassouneh 0]

Quote:

The brand of mainboard is a mute point if the chipset on it is crap. My last system had a Gigabyte board with some VIA rubbish chipset (693A I think). IDE controllers MAX out at 20MB/sec and it is an ATA66 controller configured correctly. Also using both IDE channels at the same time caused the CPU usage to goto 100%. PCI performance was rubbish too.

My current system uses an ECS board with the SiS 735 chipset. It's far better. Proper IDE controllers and a real PCI bus.

WATCH OUT! I was running that same board and that same chip set. It failed me and went out like a candle!
I was running an ECS k75SA (SiS 735 chipset).
It turned out to be a crappy and horrible board. DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF IT FAILS ON YOU!

[Stingerstorm 0]

well you could listen to these peeps or you could do a websearch. Try Tomshardware.com they've just revised a report on the current mobo's supporting the new 64's.

 

As for some comments about MSI boards I've had three and only ever buy MSI. Since day I've clocked higher speeds then most of my buds and have more up time then anyone I know of in person.

 

I know that if/should/could I ever have a problem, not like one could happen a simple 800 phonecall would solve anything. As one of the largest big boys out there I'm sure they know how to treat those with concerns.